Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-28

Lust and wine have gone together in all
lands and centuries dan. va. From
the days of HippoCrates, an eminent
Greek physician. down 10 our day. this
fact has been expressed in an aphorism
which no one now questions
TROUBLE verse 34. When body ana
soul are thus affected no one could rea-
sonably expect any substantial peace OF
any enduring happiness. Unrest and mis-
fortune are the portion OF the victim or
strong drink He may. indeed. for
time seek repose In the midst OF fancied
security. only to be overtaken and over
whelned by calamitieS which he could
neither have foreseen nor averted. Nithal.
he appears 10 lose Judgment OF what Is
prudent and best. that by his own fool
iSh conduct he involves himse in trouble.
Our author expresses these points very
fcIcibly. The man is indiscreet that
he is like one who lies down in the midst
Of the sea seeking rest in the very place
where his life Is In peril. He is like ore
that lies down To sleep in the top of
mast. from which he may he suddenly
tossed into the deep. Who has not seen
all this illustrated many times in the lives
of drunkards? Nothing cou'd he more
pitifu! than the course of men who are ac-
knowledged to be their own worst enc
my.
COMPLAINT we-se 35-One other
characteristic of the drunken man. more
peculiar and in many respects more seri-
Gus than those already mentioned. COM
pleteS the account in the passage before
us. Having recovered somewhat from the
effects of the last debauch he is deter
mined to seek 1t again" No loss pain
sickness. poverty ill-treatment. imminent
danger or merciful deliyerances can pre-
vail with him so much as sincerely and
constantly, to desire to break his chain.
SO inveterate are his bits and So great
is his fnfatuation' that he considers the
suffering through which he passed
personal and unusual aff1iction. of which
he complains. If some one other than
himself. or some circumstance for which
he was not responsible. had brought u
upon him. He seldom ascribes his mis-
cries to drink. On the contrary, he es-
teens the cup to be his own true friend, to
which he turns with hope of finding need
ed comfort. 1t has occurred that those
who stand between the inebria'e and his
drink are considered to be enemies.
SCMMARI-Alcoholic liquor as
beverage Is condemned by Scripture for
| reasons that must appeal to the good
sense OF every rational person. fol-
lows: 1t Is far worse than the tabled cup
OF Circe, which transformed men into
brutes 1t inf1ames the passions and
prepares for every hateful crime. 1t
ruins a mans constitution and charac-
ter and tends to beggar his family. 1t
incites the basest lust. and causes many
to fall into that deep ditch from which
few escape with their lives. making them
an easy prey for bad women. 1t let's
loose the tongue to utter impious. pol
luting and disgusting speech. 1t leads
man into unnumbered dangers, yet fas-
cinates him into such love for his cruel
oppressor that he sleeps only to recruit
himself and awakes to return to its de-
structive indulgence. Who that has
common sense would contract such
habit or sell himself to an iniquity
which tends to such accumulated guilt
and misery? Henceforth let no man
doubt the teaching Of Gods word on this
momentous subject