Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1912-11-07

Lesson TEAT-HOSea z.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Woe unto them that
may follow strong drink; that tarry late
into the night. till wine inflame them
Isaiah Ell.
We turn aside today from studying
the life of Christ TO consider one Of
the things that caused the downfall
OF Ephraim, that is the northern king.
dom, and also of Israel, /. e., those
who composed the southern kingdom.
The chief counterfeit OF the Holy
Spirit employed by Satan is the in.
SEPARATION and the intoxication pro-
duced in the use OF liquors, and we
do well to pause and consider the
works OF him whom Jesus came to
destroy. (Heb. 2:14).
The lesson naturally divides itself
into two divisions, Wv. II and Wv.
SIG. This entire section really be-
gins in chapter six verse four and
contains the response of Jehovah to
the cry OF the remnant OF Israel and
OF Ephraim in the last days. In the
first half we see the iniquity OF
Ephraim and Israel discovered" /. e..
revealed, and in the second section
there is discovered or revealed to us
Gods wrath against them for their
hypocrisy.
!. God declares that 1t was his de-
sire to heal them both, ". ~. II is
not Gods will that any should perish.
But while Jehovah would have
healed them they would not be healed,
(cf. Matt. 1887 and Luke 1880, and
hence it is that his love serves to re-
veal their wickedness. DR.. Torrey
points out eight charges brought
against the common people "Ephraim"
and the court and city "Samaria." for
this evil attacks both alike.
Never Hidden From God.
~ "Falsehood" ". u. Nothing ia
more common among the evils Of in
temperance than falsehood; as we
have suggested it is the DEVILS false
imitation of true inspiration. (2) "A
thief comes in" Intemperance steals
not only mans money but his repu.
tation, love for his family, in fact any
and everything a sober man will hold
dear. (3) "They consider not in theiI
hearts" Like Rip Van Wrinkle, mel
say this last doesn't count" forget
ting that 1t does count and that God
remember all OF their wickedness. A
violation of his law will receive pun
ishment in due season. America is
paying the price Of a manifold in.
crease in taxation. in murder, in i'm.
becility, in divorce and suicide, the
overwhelming portion of which can be
traced to intemperance. God is re
membering all our wickedness and
verify q troop of robbers are strip
ping US ". ~,
/. We ofttimes hide our evil deeds
from man but never from God, and q
mans sins will find him out psalm
9:16). These people made the king
glad ". 81 /. e., the king delighted in
this wlckedness. Let us not forget
that righteousness exalteth a nation
and sin is a reproach to any people
(D They are all adulterers," ". ~.
or course in this connection we know
there was remnant of true follow
ers, but the prevailing vileness was
such as to call forth this terrific in
dictment. We need to remember that
the connection between the liquor
traffic and white slavery is so close as
to defy separation.
1.-THE Great Destroyer"
A liquor drinker is almost invaria
bly, a scorner He scorns the power
Of liquor over himself, its effect upon
the nation. Sum up the economic
loss Of efficiency the cost Of crime
pauperism, and insanity, and we have
an economic burden of more than half
Of the wealth produced by this ma
tion." (See Congressman a. X. Hob
sons, THE Great DestroyerO. (6)
They have made ready their heart
like an oven while they lie in watt"
wv. 6, 7, referring undoubtedly to the
heat Of anger and passion as well as
Of lust. ca They have devoured
their judges" ". y. One has but to
review the pages of history to appre
ciate the overthrow of priest peasant
and potentate alike. (S) There ia
none that calleth upon me" ". y.
The turning aside from God was noted
at the outset, here again we see that
AuO htBltCl anu lOIbtlluluebS VI HOu
is the true source of all OF mans sin.
ming.
ii. God intended Israel, and Intends
US, to be separate people. The prophet
sets before us the result Of this re-
fusal upon Ephraim. A cake not turn
ed is cake half baked, one half burn
ed. This metaphor has many applica.
tlons. Our social life, our political life,
our spiritual life is too often one that
is half turned. one-half burned TO a
crisp and the other half raw.
Lay emphasis upon the Golden Text
and the general facts of the temper.
ance question. Alcohol is injurious to
all kinds of life; there is little, if any,
necessity for its use in medicine. Us.
ually It is a positive hindrance. The
story OF "Old Born Drunk" in Beg
be's Twice Born Men" can be told
with profit, a man who returned to
Jehovah and found in the power Of
the blood Of his son healing for his
sickness. Lay strong emphasis upon
pledge signing, for prevention is