Litchfield enquirer., 1833-06-13
FOR THE LITcHFIELD GNQUaREN. TEMPERANCE. No.aIV.


 TEMPERANCE, No.aIV. s..
 Some persons may admit that in general, it is quite preposterous attempt, by the direction of the bibe to decide what is is not poison; and may fully be-
 ieve that experience and medical skill are the only safe guides in questions of this kind. Still it may be difficult for them dispose of the fact that wine was spoken of in the bible blessing that i, was made subject of promise; that our Saviour, on certain occasion, wrought miracle to furnish it that it is spoken of gift of God, for which ought to be thankful. Doubts of this sort sometimes found in minds ofhg responsibility, and ought receive tention. shall, therefore, devote the present Der to a candid consideration of some ofthem.
 It is here to be recoected that the question wheth- CT wine is a blessing no-is wholly distinct from any question of the sort which may be raised respecting alcohol, as shall hereafter show; findeed it is not al, eady manifest But, present. the question shall be confined pure wine, such as was used in scripture times. se
 It has, indeed been maintained that the wine which the scriptures seem to allow, was unfermeu,ed and destitute of any intoxicating power whatever; and that only that which to be- forbidden in that book, was capable of producing drunkennc II this fact be proved, it w of course decide the ques- tion. But if it cannot be proved, there will still, think be difficulty in showing to the satisfaction every candid mind that wine is not in any part of the bible, actually sanctioned.
 Some of the views of fscrip,ure, which may have casOned perplexiy to some minds, the following.
 In the twenty-seventh chapter of Genesis Isaac in blessing Jacob, whom he then supposed to be Esau, says; God give thee of inc dew of heaven, and of the atness of the earh and plenty corn and c;ne" The question which is here asked is; " If wine con- tans poison, did the patriarch wish that his son might have plenty of poison fit was intended only as medicine, did he wish that he might have much sickness, and need great deal or medicine r.
 In answer, may be said that ifthe persons to whom this wine was wished, desired but little of it, and had much they desired, that quantity, though it ever small, would be valuable larger quan- tiy. they regarded it, the apostles of Christ idently did, in the light of medicine be taken on- Iy for the stomachs sake and had what was sufficient for that purpose. they would still have plen,y-,here being other idea ofpleny than mach desired
 But it is not necessary to stop with this explanation. Let it be supposed that great deal of wine de- sired, and that plenty means great deal. Then think that promise of plenty of wine does not imply that ' s, in itself, good. There is in the blessing which Jacob, on his dying bed, gave to his Judah promise, prophecy, |" that his eyes shall he red with wine." It is admitted that this phrase means that he shall sometimes be intoxicated for they that tarry long nt the wine have redness of eyes. Now if the promise of much wine, proves that wine is good for common drink; then the promise that it shall redden the eyes, proves that it is good it to n toxication. But in fact neither ofihese is good nor ss ~ll. .- called the promise in these cases but prophecy of what shall be; r simply states in each case, fact in the case that wine should abound; in the oth- CT, that it should be used to excess Both stand on the same ground.
 As tO what are supposed to be promises of wine as blessing, they not more emphatic nor more nu- merous, than the promises of victory over enemes.-- It was promise made obedient Israel, t,a: ef them should chase thousand, and two put ten thou sand to flight; indeed, the expressions by which the desrableness of victory indicated, of the strong est kind The man after Gods own heart, speaks of as remarkable instance of the divine favor, that God had enabled him conquer his enemies, ibai he might destroy them that hated him; asd that when they rose Up against him, he had beaten them small the dust before the wind. Is it, teHj to be esteemed SoVu sn'"SS sO "''~ "S'""J Vus S"- emiesi lift is blessing it is dreadful species of blessing. But in point of fact it is inconsistent with the very genius of religion, with common humanity The idea ol sIaugh,ering conquered enemy and talk ing the spoiIs from him. is abhorrent to every correct feeling: and the strong expressions of the bible re- spectna it, which to some minds woud seem 10 sanc- ton the practice, arise solely from the fact that it an existing thing, which generally considered de- srable. The language of the scripture respecting the desirabeness of wine is aPprehend, to be explained on the same principle. Wine and the destruction oI enemies might be desirable; ths one, in case ofsick ness; the oher in case of ofinvasion or aggression by enemies; but the necessity, in each case would be an evil; and every upright mind would desire that both the evil and the remedy for it might soon and iosever cease. And those who ask whether promise of much wine implies promise Of much sickness to be cured by the medicinal of wne, might, with equal prOpriety inquire whether promise of victory over enemies, implies promise of many enemies to be slain and spoiled.
 The same consideration will explain why wine one of the things which not tO be neglected in ithe giving of aims. That which person regarded