The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-28
The International
Sunday-School Lesson
Inst Quarter. Lesson NH. March goth
Prov. xiii, 1885.
TEMPERANCE LESSON.

TEMPERANCE LESSON.
This book of kinsiy authorship will never
lose It's charm, and the world of letters VIII
always be it's debtor. Even the Man who
snake as man never did, uses admiring terms
as He tells how the wisdom of Its author
was the loadstone which drew the queen OF
the South from the uttermost parts OF the
earth Solomon Is first OF philosophers, and
Aristotle is thought to have reproduced him.
He Is the oldest of fabers whom Aesop
Initiated. He is the eldest of natural SCI
ent;sts.
Stanley aptly calls the Book of Proverbs
"the sanctifcation OF common sense; and
again. 1.-THE philosophy OF practical life.
Familiarity With Solomon's saying IN
Guthrle's Judgment, accounts for the pro-
verbally high character of old Scotia's sons.
And this handy guide In homely matters has
It's spiritual uses also. Wordsworth says
finely: 1.-The proverbs of Solomon come
from above 'they also look upward. An
other aftirms: while other parts of Scrip
tura show us the glory OF our high calling.
this may instruct US in all minuteness OF
detail how to walk worthy of It," These
arhorisms are a succession OF fiashlish vs.
showing the wisdom OF goodness, the folly
of sin. They might be mcmorized In our
homes and Sunday schools to highest advan-
tage.
wisdom sets himself to the task of painting
the drunkard'a portrait 1t is faithful
likeness. and horrld because faithful. The
royal artists persists in his undertaking.
tHCuSh MS canvas grows luTIu anu lElSHliui
under each successive stroke of the pencil.
His picture has proved veritable danger
signal, flashing its warning color upon sue
cessive generations for three thousand years.
Its red light has proved powerful deter
rent to mul.itudes. Nowhere in literature
is the woe, the folly and the fate of the
drunkard so powerfully depicted
That such picture. could have been
painted thirty centuries ago sufficiently
proves the antiquity of the vice. Drunken
ness Is no modern sin mere accident OF
our present civilization. 1t is as old as
Noah. and older. intoxicating liquors I'M
,dcuhtedly inflamed the race before tho
flood. and led on to that nameless deprav-
ity which had to be drowned out in awful
Judgment. And each succeeding generation
has suffered the crushing might of this
dreadful woe Each has been burned Bit
ten, and poisoned by this vice; from each
has burst the sorrowful and despairing In
tcrjeetons here uttered. 20" "Alas"
Old 1t is. solomon's picture is the very
sim!tude Of the drunkard Of to-day. Three
thousand years have not sufficed to change
the causes or effects of intemperance. Study
the successive strokes OF this masterful de-
lineation.
Those who tarry at wine. by the increase
of the subtle and powerful appetite, arc
compelled to seek stronger potations (mxed
wiEe). The graduation light wine to red
wine. and the highly alcoholized wine, with
low the facial signs of inebrIety (redness of
eyes,, next quarrelsomeness causeess
wounds. and the inflaming of sexual passion.
| Finally incipIent dementia. which makes the
drunkard obllviohs to personal danger and
| TO ndignities visited upon him by hooting
mob or officer OF lava dementia in which.
however. the appetite pelsistently asserts it.
self: the worm dying not and the fire being
unquenched. All Is forgotten, all is lost;
but among the debfis OF mind, heart and
manhood the conqueror stalks
| And careth naught
For the awful ruin he hath wrought"
| This is no pleasing fancy sketch of genius
nor happy aesthetic study: but II deserves
tho close, respectful attention OF every one
who loves himself and his neishbor. No
one can push this picture nonchnlenty aside
unless his Bible allows him to say. II am
no, my brothers Keeper. No truly philan-
Ithroplc spirit can turn with indifferent cool
ress from this inspired canvas It pictures
! tina all embracing ''woe" making It's piteous
arreal to every one who processes to love
| his