The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-09-02
DIN O M A N / A ).
THE HORRORS OF ALCOHOL.

Extracts from Discourse delivered at Morse
y Hall, Independence, August sth, 1858, E
ia BY STEPHEN ). W. TABOR.
1--WE will drink no wine !: for Jonadab the son
of Rechab our Father commanded US, saying,
Ye eshall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons
forever" Jeremiah, xxxv G.
Nearly two thousand five hun dred
years ago, one Of the most renowned Of
the Biblical prophets went with mes
sage to " the house of the Rechabites."
Clothed with all the sanctity of his sacred
character, invested with all the influence
Of his holy position, and swaying other
minds by an eloquence supposed to be
derived from the Being of Beings who is
throned on high, jeremiah received a
message, which said, g Go unto the house
Of the Rechabites, and speak unto them,
and bring them into the house of the
Lord, into one Of the chambers, and giye
them wine to drink" Then, according
to the Scriptures, he took the "whole
house of the Rechabites, and brought
before the sons of the house of the Recha-
bites, pots full of wine, and cups, and
said unto them, Drink ye wine p I'm
agine the spectacle A prophet of God
has convened these Rechabites in that
wonderful temple said to have been erect
ed by the wisest of men there they see
one who professed, and who was believed,
to have enjoyed a wrapt communion with
the creator of all things-who was the
acknowledged, the undisputed, the evil
dent expositor of the Divine Will to the
Jewish nation-whose words were like
burning Goals from the altar of God
whose voice awed, convinced, and COM
manded--whose sanction to an act was
an impress of its utility and piety, and
who standing before these Rechabites
said, . Drink ye wine - Around them
they behold the august symbols of their
cherished faith, the splendors spread out
to adorn and dignity the place, honored
rs the spot where mortals could come
more Immediately into the presence of
Deity. There, too, to encourage them in
obeying the words of the prophet, were
the men of authority in the land Ev-
erything conspired to urge them to act in
accordance with the commands of a
prophet whose divine commission all un-
hesitatingly acknowledged. The temple,
rife with architectural perfection-the
gorgeous pageantry which embellished
it-thc sacredncss of the accompanying
associations--the apparent will of God as
expressed through his servant-their own
natural appetites-the melting appearance
of the ruby colored and sparkling liquid
itself, as it shone in the " full pots" be-
fore them--the transformation of drink
ing it into praiseworthy act, as being
one Of obedience to supposed inspired
command--all these things concurred to
allure these Rechabites to CRAFTY their
tastes with rich, animating, fragrant,
but seductive and intoxicating beverage.
And what did they do? Could they re-
sist such a combination of potent influ-
ences Could they disregard the ap-
peals of their natural desires, the pro-
claimed sanction of Heaven, and the ex
press injunction of the holy prophet
When inclination was made duty, could
they yet act in opposition to it Did
Christians read the account in the annals
of Tacitus, a Livy, Plutarch, or He
rodotus, they might well doubt the truth
of the narrative which assured us such
was the case but Christians believe that
tits no profane historian who spreads
these facts before us, nor can they refuse
their assent to what they learn from the
pages Of the volume they revere. There
we find set forth the determination and
conduct Of these Rechabites when tried
by temptation in SO solemn, SO imposing,
SO religious guise. Hear the narrative
+" But they said, we will drink no wine
for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our faith
er. commanded US, saying, Ye shall
drink no wine, neither ye, or your sons
forever: thus have we obeyed. to drink
no wine all our days. we, our wives, our
sons. nor our daughters" Noble house
Of Rechabites y You were true to the
faith you had pledged--you were like fine
gold tried in the furnace-you had en-
countered the shock of temptation. turn
ed it back, resisted and subdued it!
Here. disciples of total abstinence, may
you behold the stock from which you can
trace your direct genealogy Was there
ever baronet, earl or prince, who could
point to stem more ilustrous--to a
foundation more proud--to head more
lofty and Sublime What, in comparison
TO such an ancestral stock. are the bright
est names which nobility or royalty can
adducc /?
rnnces and lords may flourish or may fade
A breath can make them, as breath has made;'
but men like these have . duration that
will outlast pyramid aud tower Look