In those events of church history which are denominated revivals, in the camp of the Methodist and the Ranter, a direct attempt was made to arouse the emotions by exciting addresses and vehement language. Now, the misfortune is, that this delusion is the more easy from the fact that the results of the two kinds of causes resemble each other. You may galvanize the nerve of a corpse till the action of a limb startles the spectator with the appearance of life. The worst case of all occurs in the department of the affections. Now, it is from this point of thought that we learn to extend the apostle's principle.
Wine is but a specimen of a class of stimulants.
All that begins from without belongs to the same class. The stimulus may be afforded by almost any enjoyment of the senses. The prophet tells us of those who are drunken, and not with wine. The other point of difference is one of effect. That which ought to be men's shame becomes their boast-unsusceptibility of any fresh emotion.