The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-04-27
The
School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON.
MENTS FOR MAY 8.
Subject: Temperance, Prov. 23:29-
35-Commit to Memory
Verse 81.

GOLDEN TEXT.-''At the last It
biteth like a serpent, and stingeth
like an adder" Prov. 1882.
TIME.-All time.
PLACE.-Everywhere.
EXPOSITION.-I. Six Great Evils
That Result From Indulgence in
Wine, 20, 80. Solomon here gives us
a very vivid picture of six evils that
result from Indulgence in wine. Gen.
turtles have passed since Solomon's
day, but it is as true in our day as it
was in his that these evils pursue the
w%inebibber. Note them carefully.
% "Woe," literally, "Oh!" j. e., the
intense pain that leads one to cry
ooh" How many "Ohs" are arising
to-day from the lips of men and wo-
men whose bodies are tortured with
the many ills that arise from the use
of alcoholic stimulants. I can see
still the man that I ono carried bod
lily through the streets of a city
shrieking "Oh, oh, OH" in indescrib-
able agony from drink, and I see him
later as I held him down with my
knee upon his chest as they strapped
him to a bed in the hospital. ~
Sorrow" literally, "Alas!" l.. e., the
deepseated and abiding grief that
causes one to cry, "Alas! alas!" Thia
sorrow of the drunkard is Of innumer-S
able forms. Sometimes it is the sor-
row of seeing loved wife and children
reduced from plenty to poverty
Sometimes it Is the sorrow Of being
passed upon the street ~unnoticed by
old-time friends and associates. Some
times it is the sorrow of standing by
the grave of the once beautiful and
happy wife who died Of "a broken
heart over her loved ones degrada-
ton. 60 Contentious" Conten.
lions at home, contentious In societys
contentious in the place or businesss
contentious on the street. Alcohot
mothers most Of tie broils in this
world. If a man wants perpetual war
let him drink. (4) Complaining
Wine Injuries the stomach and breaks
down the nerves and thereby spoils
the disposition. The .drinker soon be-
comes a grumbler. and the grumbler
Is miserable under any circumstances.
(5) Wounds without cause" Go TO-
the police court tomorrow morning
and see the black eyes, broken noses
crippled arms and legs, chewed cara
and /, more serious and entirely IN
necessary, wounds that come through
drink. % CO.. "Redness of eyes" the
sign Of distempared brain and pre-
monition of approaching insanity ana
death. Note that these things come
from "wine," not merely from the
stronger distilled liquors. IT know
of course, that there is, danger in.
whiskey and rum and gin and such
things" many are saying, but what
harm is there In wine?" Well, this
inspired scripture hints what harm
there Is, and history and experiences
abundantly confirm It.; OF course IL
SAYS, "they that tarry long at the
wine," but the probabilities are over
whelmiug in our day and land tnat
if one tarries at wine at all1he VIII
soon tarry long, and the one who besl
gins with light wines will soon go Oh
ito seek out mixed wine"
II. The Only Wise Attitude Toward
Wine. 81. Look not thou upon the
wine" This is total abstinence with
a engeanc Not only "don't TASTE
hut don't look" It is good advice
inspired advice. If a thing ought 20
be left alone, leave it alone utterly.
There are many who do not mean TO:
sin, but they just look at. the sin
That look is fatal. Eve frst iooKeqs
they she lusted, then she ate, thenSsne
died (Gen. $3.50. Many a man AND
woman has taken the same patnStG
the drunkard's grave and the drunk
ards hell. ri wouldn't drink wine
for anything" but I do like TO look
at It, It has such a beautiful color
It sparkles so. How smoothly it
would 20 down. Just look there!
Just a SIP now. Delicious! Another:
lust one more. What is the matterS
I am dizzy. I am drowsy. I am dead
7 am damned" Don't look az It,
That is the absolutely safe path. II
is the only safe me-.
iii. "At the Last" 81. AT q
last" Three significant words. "
men could only see the end from n
beginning, how many things they
would leave undone which they now
do. Before entering upon any course
of action we ought always to ask
where it ends. There Is a way that
seemeth right unto a man, but the
end thereof is the ways Of death*
(chap. 14:12). The way of the wine
drinker is undeniably such a way
The beginning is likely to be pleasant
indeed. In the beginning 1t singeLnz
like a bird; 1t is Eat the last" that III
bitsth like a serpent and stingeth like.
an adder" But most Of the trains on.
that road are through trains, and u.
you get on the train you are not nkeIy
TO get off until you reach the end Oh
fine lire, He'll. I remember a poor
wretch my father brought home when
I was a boy. My father had known
him in young manhood when his pros.
meets were the brightest. But the
wine cup had been reached out tel
him. He looked, drank, fell. He wasI
now Eat the last" I recall anotheII
who had been one OF n
lawyers and highest office holders M
the State, whom l saw lying insens.
ible ON our front lawn, and he after
ward died in a madhouse.
Nv, The Wine Drinkers Eyes and
Heart. 50. Thine eyes shall behold
strange things" Indeed they shall
They Shall see things out Of all prope1
proportion, they shall see double
they shall see snakes and monster
and devils. The drinking man haj
perverted vision, physical, menta3
moral. Folly looks like wisdom AM
wisdom looks like folly. Right az
nears wrong and wrong appears righ1