Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-03-17

complished unless we do. II we give
them up, the drunkard can be reformed :
1--we do NOT, he cannot. aEH K. = II
Then we come to this question. Shall we
make this surrender will not ask for 1t on
any other grounds. Here is broad and am
ME oround 10 claim the surrender. II is need
less. Il Il unwise, il is unphilosophical, TO
AZ II on any other ground We ask il for
the deIiveranee Of halt million Of our coun-
ytrymen, who may be literally said to be
adrawn unto DEATH" y. =. ..-
But il Is asked on the other side, Are we
ever bound 70 forego the enjoyment Of any
thing that Is healthful, and innocent and not
forbidden by the word Of Code Yes, sir,
in innumerable cases. Where our self.sacri-
Zee Is oyerbalanced by the good to be secur-y
ed 10 others, we ought Cheerful ~ to make |
the surrender Now, l ask, what is all the |
addition made 70 our health and cheerfulness
and pleasure by the use Of fermented drinks,
as estimated BY the most sanguine advocate
among the sober, when set in competition
with the reform Of half a million Of drunk
ards2 Sir, had we the sympathy Of Paul for
the wretched, we should not be long in do
ing IL IL was on this principle that he could
see il to be right for him neither to eat meat
nor drink wine nor any thing whereby
brother is injured. II was from this senti-
ment reigning in his heart, that he said,
WHO is weak and I arm not weak % And
again, 70 the weak became | as weak"
NOW ask, who Is there among our neigh
bors that is weak, who needs the aid and
sympathy Of his brethren, as the Door drunk
ard1 His self-control is trodden in the dust
and his body and soul at the mercy of his ap-
petite, and that appetite irresistibly solicited
atthe tables Of professors of religion and by
the practices Of the sober
Here the president observed that the
speaker had occupied the fifteen minutes al
lowed by rule; but the universal voice cried,
Go on, 60 on and Mr. S. proceeded
Oh, the Bible provides US with rules and
principles for every case that can occur in
life. Did We, as the Bible requires, look not
every man on his own things, but everv man
on the things Of others; were we willing to
oe as wicked Cain 1rould not be, our broth
er's keeper, how soon should we see drunk.
ards reformed.
have heard il said that il is mans right
70 drink vino. Sir, love human rights
deariy.s~I am always prepared to stand ur
and plead for them, with all my soul. I will
neverconsenttoa hairs breadth Of encroach-
4 ment on them. But sometimes il is beauti-
full and proper for men to recede from their
rights, for the good Of others. But it is our
duty always to preserve and maintain Gods
rights over men. To illustrate my meaning
would say to the slave, "You had better
recede from your rights, than TO vindicate
them by force" But / would saw to the
slaves master, "It is Gods right 10 claim
that liberty be restored to his prisoner, anc
that right you are not to withhold moment
So ! would say to the sober, alt is God
light that you should recede from your owl
pleasures, and give up the drinking, which
stands in the way Of the reform Of drunk
ards.n
Great stress Is laid on the fact that Chris
made wine--and IL Is argued from this tact
thai we may drink wine, at least at wed
dings, Hundreds, if not thousands Of min
isters Of the gospel drink wine on. those oc
casions, who never drink It at other times
Ny reasons just stated, to show that GU
Savior's drinking Of wine does not authoriz
our drinking OF wine in our circumstances
may be employed TO show also, that his con
version of water into wine does not iustif
our drinking Of wine. But there are othe
reasons why our opponents should not plea
this miracle in excuse Of wine drinking
he must have very unworthy views of tn
design Of our Savior's miracles, who suppo
ses, that he performed them for the gratihcs
ton Of the palate. No; the object of GU
Savlor's miracles was to authenticate hi
messages and to prove his divinity. 1t
true, that he very often made the occasion
for dong good to the bodies Of men the occa
sions for performing his miracles. 1t accord
ed with his benevolence to do so. 1t ais
accorded with what had been foretold of hir
TODD so. It was also the policy of our Saw
Tor to perform his miracles on those coca
slons-On those objects-where men wante
him 10 perform them. He may have improy
ed these occasions, not so much to gratif
and to comfort those around him, as to max
the miracles more impressive upon them
They who maintain that in those case
where our Savior raised to health and 10 life
Kindness TO the sub ects Of them was the ir
variable design of his miracles, think tia
analogy warrants them in believing that hi
design IN converting the water into wine wa
70 crafty the appetite of the wedding party
But when we reflect, that in raising Lazaru
IN 10 life, he recalled one from the JOYS Of beay
5 en- 10 suffer again the pains and trials {
earth, IL can no longer be said that kindnes
TO the subjects Of his miracles, was the inro
riabLe design Of them. In the miracle unde
consideration, the wedding party wanted
asked for, what he gave them, He wa
told, they have no wine" And now, o.
"a tnesupposition that rich cake was then use
q On those occasions, as il is now, and he ha
oeen Told, they have no cake"-is il not al
togetner probable, that he would have mad
tnat me occasion Of performing his miracle
and have furnished the company with cake
And who IN that case would have aroIIef
because the Savior furnished d thai suc
cake IS healthful7 Who would thus bav
been willing to contradict all experience q
Its unhealthiness7 But the sacred historic,
informs as, beyond all CONTROVERSY, Of the Oh
!, ject and effect of the miracle in Question - "
y" This beginning Of miracles" SAYS he "3;,
a, Jesus.in Cana of Galhee, and manifesto
forth his glory; and his disciples believed Of
him" Marx the language: "This begin