The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1845-08-09
DDRESS
DELIVERED BEFORE THE RIPLEY TOTAL An
sTfSENcE Society, July 4th lS45, BY
SAMUEL BENTON JR.
Published by request Of the Society.
[ Concluded.

III, Wine (such OF course as will intoxIcate
ls positively condemned IN the Bib", and hold
up as something dangerous TO the peace and
welfare Of MANKIND. Respecting the import OF
rs declarations on this point, we are left in no
doubt; and they fully remove any apparent ten
hency towards different doctrine in former
passages cited. II is only by taking all their
parts to gether that we can ascertain what is
really iargit by the sacred Writings; and the
neglect of adherng strictly 10 this rule, has
unquesIonably been the foundation Of much
nrprofl able controversy. In Proverbs, Xxx
Il asaid:
"Wine is mocker, strong drink is raging,
and whosoavcr is deceived thereby is not wise. y
Again, in chapter XIII, 29-32, we have
The words:
"Who hath wo! who hath sorrow! who hath
coutonlions! who hath babbling! who hath
woDaIs without cause? who hath reduces Of
eyes!
"They that larry long at The uine; they that &C
10 seek mi.red Uine
"Loak not thou upon the ,cine when it is red
when ii giveth his color in the cup, when Il
move,h Itself Alright.
"At last il biie,h Ike serpent, and s,ingelf
Ike an adder"
How much more strongly does all this apply
TO th1 inebriatin- drinks ofour own day. They
+'urc indced moch-ys, fac ,!'ey lake aiuay- mons
reason and render them ridiculous. They are
raging. for they excite in the breasts OF those
who partake OF them, the fercest and most IN
povernable passions. They exharate at first,
but the secre, harm they do the physical and
mental powers, is well expressed by the serpent's
bite. In view of these facts, the cold-water
doctrine "look not upon them-avoid tempta'
,on--hsve nothing to do with Them in word
is most seasonab,e and appropriate advice. AND
M one, in his day. was better qualified by per.
sona experience, aside from the guiding hand
ofinspr alton, to give this advice than king Sol
ONION. He;had lived court life-had seen what
only the vine of his time could efect-and he
knew the danger of looking upon the sparkling
cup. 81 sought in my heart," he says himself
Eccl, II. 3, to give myself unto wine;" but he
lived to learn and confess, that il, together with
hundred other visionary sources OF substantial
pleasure, "was vanity and vexa,on OF spirit
The practice of INDUCING in the daily and con.
,inrcd uec of wine and strong drink, is reproba-
ted in ETH stronger language In other places, as
f,r instance, IN Isaiah V. IL: "Wo unto them
that rise up early in the morning, that they may
follow strong drink; that continue until nigh
till wine inaame them"
The swine cup" and "mixed wine" are EN-.
poved as embems OF Gods wrath. Thus Da.
yd saws, Psalms LIZ 3:
.Tbou hast showed thy people hard things
thou hast made US to drink the wine Of aston'sh
ment."
In Jeremiah, chapt Kill 1919, God him.
self saws, in view Of the idolatry and rebeIl'ouf
disposition Of his people:
"Behold, will ill all the inhabitants o.
this land, even the kings that sit upon Davld's
throne, and the priests, and the prophets and all
the inhabitants Of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
- "Iwill not pity, nor spare,
nor have mercy. but destroy them.
y "Judah shall be carried d,oay
coptipe all Of it, it shall be wholly carried away
captive.
salem, because she had forsaken the true wor-
ship:
,orrou: with the cup Of establishment and desola.
s5;on. with the Gun Of thy sister Samaria."
81 Jeremiah, when instructed to foreshadow
tho wrath Of God about to descend severally up.
mn Jerusalem. the cities of JUDAH and the neigh
hoyno nations, is told, chapt XIV. 10, ~:
aTake the toine cup Of thistTy at my hand,
and cause all the nations, to whom send thee,
10 drink liz -,
wherefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus
saith the Lord of hosts, The God OF Israel:
Drink We, and be drunken, and spew. and fal',
and rise no more, because Of the sUord 'ch'ch 4
,oiH send among you. !"
Drunkenness, since it results from excess OF
ar;nL and wholly unmans the individual, is fre-
nusn,lv. in the v ord Of God, put for the super
sbupdsnce and overpowering effect OF other
ih;ncs. Thus Isaiah says, "ther land shall De
drunk with blood" Nor is this mode OF speech
common to the sacred writer's alone The ex-
preston "drunk with rage, lis to be met win a.