Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-03-25

LESSON
Ss,1sy SeAssl Lssssa for March -, 100
Specially Arranged for This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Prov. 23:2s-s5. Mem
DRY verses %. 30.
GOLDEN TExT.-"At the last II bite,h
like a serpent. and stingeth like al add
er."-Prov. 23:32.
6CRIPTUAL REFERENCES.-Drunk
enness.-Deut 21:2O. 81; ~32:33-35: Prov. 20:1;
2l:l7; 1920. q: Sl:4. o; lisa. b:ll. %. Hos.
All; Hab. 2:15; Matt. 4. 8; lisa. 5:l1. 20;
Hos. All; Hab. 2:15: Matt. 2t:ts. 30: Luke
Pisa; Rom. 1918; I Cor. Ell: Gal. 5:21;
Eph. BIS: l Thes. 5:6-s: and to-day's les
son. Warning Exampies-Gen. 800, 81: I
Sam. 25 :36; lisa. 2s:1, z; Dan. 6:1-6; Esther
1;10. II; Matt. s4:+S-51. temperance Cor.
e:25-Z7; ! Tim. 3a2. 3. s: Tit. 2:ll-14; 1 Pet.
~: SIS; 2 Pet. l?6. Principles of Total
Abstinence Cor. 10; Rom. II; 1 Cor.
So
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
: The money and talent in any civil
lied city is sufficient II properly used
and 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 n thing
needed Is the improved man to make
the social transformation OF the world,
the eliminating every evil from the
character of men, TIL they are restored
to the moral image of God, when each
one did all he wished, and wishes but
what ne ought.
The great obstacle In the way Ii sin,
bad character IN some OF It's many
forms.
The one OF these forms. the great
obstacle which most concerns us In
this lesson, Is intemperance, the want
of s~elf-control over the aprctites and
passions.
The wise man Of the Proverbs ex-
presses the evils Of intemperance by a
series OF questions.
20. 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 O are too great and too many
to name separately. They are Of
body and woes of mind; woes In ones
self, woes In his family; pains, dis
cases., poverty.
Note that other people have o
and sorrows. besides the Incorporate
man. Apostles and martyrs have been
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
Hugueipts In France. and Of the
martyrs and missionaries of every age.
But the difference In the two kinds
Of suffering is h~eaven-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
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 infiames the pas
sions, and. at the same time, removes
the restraint OF conscience and will,
first maddening and then Enchanting
the tiger, grumbling, foolish talking
where the d%runkard's tongue IL 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 an 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.
/. Christ, our Living Leader, the
power Of God for salvation.
2. The Holy Spirit. convincing men
of sin, Of righteousness, and of judg-
ment to come; awakening mems
hearts, inspiring them to better things.
3. The religious life which these pro-
duce.
4. 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.
g. The banding together in an organ.