The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-03-15
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les.
son for Teachers and Pupils
omcers of the Crawford County Sunday
| School Association,
By CHAS. K. MEYERS

v:-Pres: -. herman eEa AosSaom, D9W Clty
Treasurer. -. Sears McHenry, Denisoh
Department Secretaries.
House. Visitation ................
Mrs. v v. B S,d Evans, o Ar ion
Primary, Mrs r. P. Plimpton, Denisoh
A'ss.onai Mrs j. B. Giassburner, Arion
ofsan'.eo PROF gi@$ ". 6: vanNess. Denison
Temperance, Rev. C. E. LaReau. Denison
''i'' Mrs. A. Ii. Harper, Dow City
Executive Committee. L. Hoffman
Denison; F. l. vanslyke' Ma M Gn ~ f.
Oak; John Vennick, West Side; Frank
Woolston, Boyer
March 10. Defeat Through Drunk
enness.-I Kings 20, 1921.
It is not at all necessary to go
back to the times of 800 years before
the birth of Christ to find examples of
defeat through drunkenness, not only
among kings but right at home, in
ones own family and among neigh
bors. Whether found in the disgrace
which came upon Noah, or the case
of the neighbor who neglects his fam
lily and blasts the lives OF his inno-
cent children, the warning is the same
and the conclusion must come to men
and women of clear judgment that
total abstinence from liquors which
will make drunk is the only safe
course in life.
Turning for time to the bible
verses chosen for the lesson, we are
taken back to the times of Ahab, king
over the northern part of Palestine,
and the Jews, 800 years before the
birth of Jesus the Christ. Ahab had
made his capital at well protected
city named Samaria. The heather
king of Syria whose possessions lay
to the northeast, determined to cap
ture Samaria, and the rich things 1t
contained. His name was Ben-hadad,
and he allied with himself thirty
two other kings and their fighting
men, These came upon Samaria in
overwhelming numbers, and at first
King Ahab was ready to surrender on
the best of terms offered. Later the
conditions of surrender became ex-
IRENE, and he would not consent.
When the Syrian king boosted he
would soon scatter Samaria to the four
winds, Ahab sent back the message
which has passed into proverb, Let
not him that girdeth on his harness
boast himself as he that putteth it
off,"
Ben-hadad was so sure of his prey,
that after giving orders the troops
set themselves in battle array about
the city, he and his associate kings
and mobiles gave way to feasting and
drinking, soon becoming drunken. In
the meantime God had sent mes
senger to the besieged Jews through
a prophet giving words of cheer, and
saying that with the young men to
lead in battle, the result would be the
overthrow of the Syrian forces. This
took place, and Ben-hadad and his
men came to their senses to lind
themselves defeated with terrible
loss. The Golden Text for the lesson
says: ct is not good for kings to
drink wine; nor princes strong drink"
This proverb applies just as well to
the subject as to the king.
In this connection we note there is
one great king at the present time
who sees the wisdom of Solomon, and
is using his influence toward having
his people stop drinking. This mon
arch is no other than Emperor
William of Germany. 1t is reported
that he has made public pledge to be
total abstainer for the rest of his
life. This is indeed good news to eV-
cry lover of the German race. 1t is,
of course, but beginning toward the
day when it will not be a common
saying that German people and liquor
drinking people are one and the same.
Some day the German race will throw
off the bondage of liquor drinking.
It was the German tribes who broke
the domination of Rome, beginning
with the defeat of the best Roman
legions in the mountain fastness OF
southern Germany and then later
entering the city of Rome itself in
later years. 1t was the Germans who
were the backbone of the reformation
which attempted to wipe out the back
slidings from true Christlike religion,
which had crept into the then prevail
ing church. 1t is members of this noble
race which have stood in the front
ranks as soldiers and leaders in edu-
cational and scientific thought. The
intensity of purpose shown in all
lines which they have undertaken
will do wonders when total abstin-
ence from liquors which make drunk
en-, as urged by Emperor William, is
81 81, A.