The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-25
TEMPERANCE
LESSON
Sunday School Lesson for March %, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

cTy verses -. 90
GOLDEN TEXT-"At the last IT biteth
like serpent. and stingeth like an add
er."-Prov. 3D.
SCRIPTUAL REFERENCES Drunk
enness.-Deut. 21:2U y; 52:S3-35; Prov. POL:
Ply: 800. n 3l3 ): lisa. 5:11. -; Hos.
All; Nab. 2:I5; Matt T. ); lisa. 5:l1. -:
Hos All; Hab. 2:l5; Matt. 24:49. 50: Luke
2l;34 Rom. BIB Cor. 5:1l; Gal. s:2l:
Eph. Sis; Thes. 5:6-S: and to-day's les
son. Warning Examples.-Gen. go q:
sam. 25:36. lisa. 2S:1. :: Dan. 5:i-6; Esther
ITO II; Matt. 24:4S-jl. Temperance Cor.
s:25-27; I Tim. 80. s. s. Tit. 2:1l-l4: | Pet.
-; SIS; Pet. IL. Principles OF Total
Abstinence Cor. Is; Rom. Il; l Cor.
s. 9.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The money and talent in any civil
lied city is sufficient if properly used
ana distributed to make that city an
Eden, an Hesperides garden or the
realization of any dream. ancient or
modern. of the Golden Age. All would
be educated. all would partake OF the
best things; there would be no slums.
no AFFECT poverty Everyone could
have all the joy. the wealth. the COM
forts, the rights. the school privileges
which he could use The one thing
needed is the improved man to make
the social transformation of the world.
the eliminating every evil from the
character of men. till they are restored
30 the moral image of God when each
one did all he wished. and wishes but
what he ought
The great obstacle in the way is sin,
bad character in some of its many
forms
The one of these forms, the great
obstacle which most concerns us in
this lesson is intemperance the want
of self-control over the appetites and
passions.
The wise man of the Proverbs ex-
presses the evils of intemperance by
series of questions.
%. Who hath woe? Who hath sor-
row. The words corresponding to
the two substantiveS are, strictly
speaking, intersections. as in the mar,
gin, Who hath oh? Who hath alas?
The woes are too great and too many
to name separately. They are woes of
body and woes of mind; woes in ones
self, woes in his family; pains, dis
eases, poverty.
Note that other people have woes
and sorrows, besides the Incorporate
man. Apostles and martyrs have been
imprisoned and tortured. have suffered
hunger and thirst, endured poverty
and sickness and pain. We have
studied some instances during the past
quarter. Read the eleventh chapter of
Hebrews. Read the stories of the
Huguenots in France. and of the
martyrs and missionaries of every age.
But the difference in the two kinds
OF suffering is heayen-wide
The woes and SORROWS of Peter and
John, Paul and Silas, in dungeons and
chains, rejoicing that they were counted
worthy TO suffer for Chris's sake,
with clear consciences. for the sake of
the kingdom of God and salvation of
men, listening to Gods Well done.
good and faithful" and seeing the
crown of righteousness are almost in
f1nitely removed from the woes and
sorrows OF those that tar"y long at
the wine" whose sufferings are the
fruit of their own sins
The other sorrows that flow from
the wine cup mentioned in the wise
mans questions belong only to wicked
ness-a quarrelsome disposition
where strong drink iuaames the pas
SiOnS, and, at the same time, removes
the restraint of conscience and will
ret IplHHpnino hot pi,
the tiger, grumblng foolish talking
where the drunkard's tongue is set on
fire of hell; wounds without cause"
<redness of eyes: either Tor BOTH the
dimming of the sight physical. mental
and spiritual, or the copper nose"
which makes the drinkers nose blush
for the sins of his mouth"
The means by which these great
evils can be removed are precisely the
same as those which produced the
marvellous transformations of char
acter in the early Christian disciples,
which we have been studying
l. Christ, our Living Leader, the
power of God for salvation.
2. The Holy Spirit, convincing men
of sin, of righteousness. and of iudg-
ment to come; awakening mems
hearts, inspiring them to better things.
g. The religious life which these pro
duce.
T. The results as manifested in the
healing of the body and the better
ment of the outward life and happi.
ness, which were symbols and means
TO a better spiritual life,
> The banding together in an organ
ization which created helpful moral
atmosphere.
6. The courage, wisdom, generosity,
love, peace, JOY, religious spirit. right.
eousness of life, produced in the dis
ciples.
I. Their efforts to bring others into
these blessings and to spread the good
news.
s. The good example of the Chris
tians.
Practical Points.
The economic value of the virtues.
The splendid dream of cooperation
can only become possible when there
so "a widely diffusad intellipanca ord