The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-08-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR AUG. II BY THE
REV. I. w. HENDERSON.

Text, Prov. 20:1 - Memory
Verse, 8.
Nadab and Abihu furnish the
groundwork for the temperance les
son of the day. Evidently they we're
drunk when they went to perform
their usual duties before the altar.
At least it would so appear since
Immediately following the recital of
their foolish actions and %grievous dis
obedience to the commands of God
we have the record that the Lord
specifically commanded Aaron and
his other IONS that they should re-
frain from following after strong
drink.
What God expected of Aaron as a
priest He expects of every one of US
as His children, especially Of those
of. us who are sealed to Him in the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ. For, as the
Proverb says, wine Is a mocker."
It is a sign not Of a mans sense but
Of his lack of it when he fools with
liquor. 1t not only makes fools Of
men but it makes beasts Of them.
1t not only makes monkeys Of them,
but 1t also makes raging, vicious
brutes of them. 1t Is a delusion and
a snare.
If it was a good thing for Aaron
and his sons to let the sort OF wine
they used in their day alone, it Is
certainly wise that we should let the
stuff that is sold to-day alone. II
the wine of Israel could make idiots
of the priests of the tabernacle no
man can accurately predict what the
alcoholic drinks of to-day will do
with men. For the likelihood is that
the wine of that primitive time as
used by the priesthood was as good
as can be procured. But the vile
stuff that is sold to-day is generally
as bad as can be procured. The aver
age man to-day when he does buy
wine, or beer, or liquors Of any sort
cannot even be certain that he Is
purchasing what he wants. Much OF
the alcoholic drinks that are served
to the public to-day is poison faunt-
ing itself under the black flag OF sub
terfuge. % ,.
But whether they be pure or pois-
onous alcoholic beverages had best
be left alone. No man can afford to
fool with them. We see daily in
stances Of the folly Of even strong,
intelligent, moral men tampering
with liquor. 1t is as sensible to tam
per with liquor as it is to tease a rat
tlesnake. Statistics will never record
the number of the bright, indus
trious, brainy, useful men who tam
pered with LIQUOR and met defeat.
God alone knows the awful list OF
those who have gone down into the
drunkard's grave because they felt
competent to curb and control about
as fierce a monster as ever mastered
man. Alcohol as a beverage Is a
fraud. It is even questionable
whether it is useful as a medicine.
For it's chief medicinal value Is as a
preservative and solvent. Its nutri-
tive value is so negligible as. to be
easily dispensed with, and as easily
replaced. AS a stimula.nt 1T Is a
sham. For its retroactive properties
are too thoroughly pronounced.
There is nothing whatever to be
gained by the use of alcohol as a
beverage. First of all it is an un-
natural requirement. Water Is the
natural beverage. Water slakes and
satisfies the thirst. Alcohol in
tensifes and eXcites the thirst. II
creates an abnormal desire. 1t Is un-
satisfying. Secondly, alcohol is ex'
pensive. None of us though he have
the riches of Rockefeller IS rich
enough to spend a dollar on alcohoi'
ic drinks. And the poorer we are the
more we need the none for valid
necessities. The man who has money
to spend on drinks had better spend
the money on his family, charity, or
himself. For practically all the
money spent on liquor is an econom-
ic loss. Alcohol as a beverage taxes
the money of the drinker without al
fording society commensurate re-
turn. In the measure that its return
is incommensurate it Is an economic
loss. Thirdly, alcohol as a beverage
is dangerous. 1t is the hand maiden
of hell. It is the devils hangman.
The strange thing Is that, While
the Church of Jesus Christ and the
courts of the land recognize that the
beverage liquor traffic is at the
source of the vilest and most hope
less miseries of this country to-day,
the church takes no more decided
and defiant and aggressive attitude
against it than she does and the
courts of the land permit 1t to exist
in open defiance Of the unconst1tu-
tional guarantees to the public at
large of undisturbed and equal op-
portunity to pursue a peaceful eXis-
tence in liberty and happiness before
the law. The strange thing is that
it is so unpopular even in the church
to arraign the citizenship that pal
liates and endorses and permits the
saloon to exist for a consideration
even the Christian citizenship OF
America. The strange thing is that
the courts permit such a business to
exist. For every child of a drunken
father is denied the elemental oppor-
tunity for wholesome life, liberty and
happiness that makes US equal be-
fore the law. Every child born out
of drunken wedlock Is handicapped
inevitably in the race Of life. Every
weak willed sot is aided on towards
misery and sorrow by the consent OF
the State. Every mother in a half
furnished home, deprived of the nee
~essaries of life, is a standing argu-
ment for the Intervention Of the
church and State. You can't make
men moral by law, to be sure. But
you a remove the legalized invita-
ton and suggestion to immortality
by law. That is a duty OF the church