The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-09-22
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR SEPTEMBER ~.
Subject: Temperance, Is. 5:11-23-
Golden Text, Prov. 20:1-Com-
nit Verses %, Comments;

Subject: Temperance, Is. 5:11-23
Golden Text, Prov 2O:1-Com-
nit Verses %, Comments;
on the Lesson.
TIME.-76O B. c. and 1908 A. d.
ACE.-J Jerusalem and all lands.
EXPOSITION.-I. The Woe or
Those Who Live IEtcmperately, IL
~. God pronounces six woes upon
His people because of their sins. The.
| first woe is pronounced upon the
greedy monopolist. Verse 8 gives a
very graphic picture of large class
| among us to-day who count them-
selves happy. but Jehovah pronounces
woe upon them. More and more will
| this be true as time passes, even as it
| came to pass in Jerusalem. The Sec
| dnd woe is pronounced upon those
who live for the qualification of APP
petite The description OF the drunk
ard in verse IL exactly fits our own
| day. The rising sun sees the wretch
ed victim of alcohol up searching for
an open saloon; he hasn't slept much,
and now wants drink to steady his
nerves. But he is not only up early
| but tarries late into night till wine
! infiames him He is burning the
| CdIQIS DIT OOLu OliOo eSh0 VII oOOAh
burn it out. God pronounces woe
upon every such an one. And the,
| woe never fails to come. 1t is sig
! nifcant fact that after speaking in
i general terms of the ruin of Judah
! Tvs. 1-7) such frequent references
are made to drunkenness 1t is clear
! that the prophet Isaiah Gas well as
other prophets) considered Judah'S
/ faIM(and Israel's) as due largely to-
| intemDerance (see also CHI. 28:1, Z, 8;
Hos. 7.5, 6. The effect of wine is to-
siniame them 1t inflames the
stomach, the blood, the eyes, the
brain, the vilest and fiercest passions
Of the soul and kindles the fires of
hell The man that fools with wine
| is fooling with a fire that has caused
| the costliest CONGREGATIONS that the
| world has ever known. In verse IL
we have pictured the veneering of art
and refinement with which drunkards
seek to cover their beastliness. Music
is constantly prostituted to become
! the servitor of beastliness. While
| these ancient sinners gave themselves
over to aesthetic and sensual indul-
gence they forgot "the work of the,
Lord, (cf. Job 21:11-14; Am. 6:4-6).
| One of the most serious evils of the
use of wine is that it leads men to-
| forget God. A fearful doom awaits
/ all those who forget God dob 34:24-
OF; Ps. 2S:5; SID. The conse-
quencs of their intemperance and for
| getting God was that Gods people
| had "gone into captivity" ". 49,.
! The world to-day is full. of people
! who have gone into the most degrad-
| ing and painful captivity through the,
rame two sss-intemperance and
! forgetfulness of God. The immediate.
cause of captivity was "lack of knowl
| edge" knowledge of the truth is lib
erty, ignorance of the truth is bond
age (Jno 1892; CT. Hos. 4:G; Rom.
| 1928; 2 Thess. 1887. The next result
of Judah's intemperance was that
Hell Cor Sheol, the UNDERWORLD
enlarged her desire, and opened her
mouth without measure" He'll yawns
wide because of intemperance and the
| glory of the multitude and the pomp,
| and he that reJoices among us is de-
/ Ecending into it. All classes are
| brought down by this sin ". 15).
| Not only the insignificant and con-
temptible, but the great and lofty are
humbled. But in the midst of all this
| humbling Jehovah of hosts is ex-
| allied" He is exalted by the iudg-
ment He brings upon the offenders.
| (cf. Ez. S:22; Rev. 1853, A.. AS He
! is the Holy One" OR. W., His Holi-,
ness shall be manifested in the right
! eous Judgment He brings upon Offend
ers. AS the final result of Israel's in
! temperance and forgetfulness of God
/ all the splendid estates and palaces of
] Judah should become waste and the
feeding place Of wandering bands.
This is now literally fulfilled and
there is real danger that all the
4 present splendor of our own land
shall some day become feeding
! place of flocks and tramps from SINH
| lar causes.
ii. The Woe of Those Who Give.
! Themselves Over to Sin, 1898. The
| third woe is pronounced upon those
who are so thoroughly given over to
1 sin that they tug away at it to see,
how much they can draw ". 49,.
! The use of wine leads to this devotion
to sin. In their enthusiasm for sin
they mock at God and His Word and
say: Let God hurry up with His
! judgments and let Him hasten His
works that we may actually see it and
not merely hear about it. Let tho
! purposes of the Holy One of Israel
| of which we have heard so much ac-
| tuallyi come to pass ". 10; CT. Jer.
| 1918; 2 Pet. S:S, A. Such mockery
| of Gods word ana Gods judgments
is common among drunkards. The
fourth woe is upon those who "call
! evil good. and good evil, that put
darkness for light and light for dark
ness. This displays determination
in sin that is wellnigll hopeless Matt.
1924, BID. This complete perversion
OF the moral Judgment often results
from the persistent use of liquor. The
nth warning is one greatly needed in
our day ". FL; CT. Prov. 26:12; Ro.
! l:22). No man is more likely to be
wise in his own eyes than the drink
ing man. He laughs at all warnings
against the dangers of strong drink.
The final woe is pronounced upon
those who pride themselves upon the
amount of wine they can drink and
the strong drink they can mix and
walk off with. = The inspired prophet
says that this is not an accomplish I
ment to be proud OF.
Fortunes Made From Bees.