The Red Cloud chief., 1909-03-25

LESSON

Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TEXT-Prov. 23:29-35. Mem
DRY verses %, 30.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"At the last 1t bItetb
like Il serpent. and stlngeth like an add
cr."--Prov. 1892.
SCRIPTUAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
enness -Deut. 2i:20, 81; 32:33-35; Prov. 20:1:
2l:i7; 1920, 81; 3i:4. 5; lisa. 5;i1, %; Hos.
All; Hab. 2:15; Matt. 4, 6; lisa. Ell, %;
Hos. All, Hab. 2:l5; Matt. 2:49. 80; Luke
2l:@: Rom. 1913, / Cor. 5.l1: Gal. 5:2l;
Eph. 5:ls; I Thes. 5;6-s; and to-day's les
son. Warming Examplcs.-Gen. 800. 81; J
Sam. 25:36; lisa. ISL. Z; Dan. 5:1-6; Esther
1:l0, II; Matt. 2i:iS-5i. Tomperance.-1 Cor,
9:25-27; I Tin. 3:2. 3. s.: tn. 2:1i-l4: 1 Pet.
~; 5S; 2 Pet. i:G. Principles of Total
Abstinence 1 Cor. 10: Rom. IL: 1 Cor.
3. Q.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The money and talent In any civil.
lied city is sufficient II properly used
and distributed to make that city al
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 abject poverty. Everyone could
have all the Joy, the wealth, the com
forts, the rights. the school privileges
which he could use. The m 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
to 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 apretites and
passions.
The wise man Of the Proverbs ex.
presses the evils of intemperance by a
series of questions.
30. "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 heaven-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 Christ's sake
with clear consciences, for the sake OF
the kingdom of God and salvation OF
men. listening TO Gods We'll done
good and faithful" and seeing the
crown of righteousness are almost in
initely removed from the woes and
sorrows Of those that tarry long al
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 infames the pas
sions, and, at the same time, removes
the restraint of conscience and will
first m%addening and then Enchanting
the tiger. %grumbling, foolish talking
where the ~drunkard's tongue is set or
fire of hell" wounds without cause
"redness of eyes," either Tor BOTH the
dimming of the sight, physical, menta
and spiritual. or the copper nose
which makes "the drinkers nose blusl
for the sins of his mouth"
The NEAR by which these grea
evils can be removed are precisely tn,
same as those which produced thu
marvellous transformations of char
acter In the early Christian disciples
which we have been studying.
l. Christ, our Living Leader, TIL
power OF God for salvation.
2. The Holy Spirit, convincing me-
OF sin, Of righteousness, and of jude
ment to come; awakening men
hearts, inspiring them to better things
3. The religious life which these pre-
duce.
4. 'rhe results as manifested In tn
healing of the body, and the better
ment Of the outward life and happ
ness, which were symbols and mean
to a better spiritual life,
8. The banding together in an organ
ization which created a helpful mora
; atmosphere.
; 6. The courage. wisdom, generosit.
love, peace. Joy, religious spirit, RICH
! eousness of life, produced in the di
ciples.
Z. Their efforts to bring others int
these blessings, and to spread the goo
news.
s.. The good example of the Chri
tians.