Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-05-14
TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
The Temperance ofthe Bible
A SERMON BY w. ]. SHARPE, OF MIL
lERSBURG.
published ny REoUEsr. ]

PUBLISHED BY REQUEST
drink i raging, and whosoever is deceived
| thereby is not wise; and,
Timothy. 5:s3.-Drink no longer water, but
use little wine for thy stomach's sake and
| thine often infirmities-
The Bible is wonderful book. 1t is
the book of appeal for all parties; the
book Of books, which answers all ques-
tions, and explains all mysteries, except
its own. The STAKEHOLDER of other days
would turn to the bible for support and
authority in the sale of men, and wo-
men. The Mormon justifies his polyg-
amy by the bible. And last, but not
least, the sal0on-keepers and the poor
drunkard, seek to establish the autheri-
ty of the liquor business, and the i'm
portance Of drinking strong drink by
the bible.
The present temperance movement
has, we are glad to say, brought the BIZ
Bile to the surface, and the praying bands
of temperance women, in Ohio, are met
at the threshold of the fashionable sa-
looms by bands, and courteous proprie-
tors of the same who say: Why, ladies,
my business is a moral business. Sell
ing wine and strong drink are not at all
condemned in the bible. Does not the
bible say that Jesus made wine at the
marriage feast? And did not Paul tell
Timothy to drink wine for his stomach's
sake? &C., &C., and besides the bible
says, "Giye strong drink unto him that
is ready to perish, and wine to those
that be of heavy hearts" This is evi-
IDENTIFY a new class of bible readers, and
as they have appealed to the bible as a
standard work upon this subject, we
feel free to say, TO the law and the tes-
timony, there the friends of temperance
may meet the hosts of intemperance,
without any fear or alarm, and here We
may rest securely as to the moral re-
suits of this temperance campaign.
In the discussion of this subject from
the bible standpoint, we propose to
show that the bible reveals the fact that
two kinds Of wine are spoken of in both
the OLD and New Testament Scriptures.
And further, That one kind of wine
has always been spoken Of as a curse to
man, while the other is described rs the
gift of God and blessing to man.
In order therefor, to the merits of the
case, and to understand the teachings Of
this inspired book upon this subject, we
must read not only the passages which
form the topic of saloon discussion, but
we must look up the whole testimony,
and be governed by the results. In le-
gal Jurisprudence, it is law of inter-
probation that you must define the sense
Of any part of a law, by the design of
the whole. l.5.f e -
II ar ms ~ fhis Ia RI
CATION and see whether we can sustain
our proposition. Wine was given by
God as blessing to man. Man has
turned this blessing into curse, darker
and deeper than the grave-filling the
earth with tears and greans, and de-
stroying man forever.
In Gen. 9:20, we meet with the first
recorded case of drunkenness "And
Noah planted vineyard and drank of
the wine, and was drunken" What
eyer the old patriarch had learned be-
fore the flood, it is evident that he was
with the properties of
fermented wine, and it is very likely
indeed that this fit of drunkenness cost
the good old man many regrets as he
saw its effects ON others.
Let not the plea be offered in the light
of these bible facts, that the christian
will be saved from excess and drunk
enness, although he may drink i'm mod
Grafton. Who will affirm that Noah did
not begin in moderation, also, but ended
in drunkenness? In Leviticus, 10: the
Lord says to Aaron the Priest, "Do not
drink wine nor strong drink thou, nor
thy sons with thee, when We go into the
of the congregation, lest We
die, it shall be statute forever through
out your generations" This restric-
ton, with its fearful threatenirgs for
its violations, should forever deter the
christian from yenturing upon such
perilous ground, and lead him to choose
the path Of sobriety and safety Cases
Of drunkenness occur. in the bible his
tory, Notwithstanding the curse Of God
IS directed againsf Sin, until the wise
man in the Proverbs proclaims that,
swine Is mocker, strong drink is rag
ing, and whos0ever is deceived thereby
IS not tcise.a
And again, ,"Who 18th woe? lo hath
Who hath contentious Who
hath babbling? Who hath wounds with
out cause? Who hath redness of eyes?"
And the fearful answer to these pointed
questions is, "They that tarry long at
the wine, they that go to seek mixed
wine. Look not thou upon the wine |
when it is red; when it giveth his color
in the cup, when it moveth itself Alright |
At the last it biteth like serpent and
stingeth like an adder" Lemuel's |
mother taught him words of wisdom,
md words of truth when she said: at
is not for Kings, o, Lemuel; it is not
for Kings to drink wine, nor princes |!
strong drink: Lest they drink and for
get the law, and pervert the Judgment
Of any of the afflicted" Here we read
that those who are entrusted with the
offices of State, should not indulge in
wine or strong drink. Lest they drink |
and forget the law and pervert judg-
ment. What fearful comment on this |
passage is the conduct of our drunken
Judges, who insult the intelligence and
the morality of the American people |
from year to year, by their debaucher-
les and wantOn revelries, perverting the
law they are sworn to maintain, and
aside the Judgment of the af-
flicted.
"Give strong drink unto him that is
ready to perish, and wine unto those
that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink
and forget his poverty, and remember |
his misery no more" This is also f,-
vorite passage with the advocates of
strong drink. Let us look at this pass
age in the light of bible history. ssGive
strong drink unto him that is ready to
perish" &c. The man ready to perish |
ic tbo mar unfort,,p q to or;m;ool yrbo
has by his crimes, forfeited the right to
live. He is brought to the place of eX-
cntiOn. Here, as an act of mercy, strong
drink is given him as narcotic, to les
sen the pain, and suffering of his shame
full death. "Let him drink, and forget
his poverty and remember his misery
no more" A case in point is found in
the crucifiXion of Jesus. Mark says,
''That they gave him to drink, wine,
mingled with myrrh." This old Testa-
ment text can give no comfort to the
fraternity, only When their
members eXpiate their crimes on the
gallows. The great truth remains. 1t
is not for "kings to drink wine nor
princes streng drink" &c. Isaiah tells
in mOurnful strains that the Priests
and the Prophets have erred through
strong drink, and that they were swOl-
lowed up OF wine. "Woe unto them that
rise us early in the morning that they
may follow strong drink until night,
till wine infiame them. Woe unto them
that are mighty TO drink wine, and men
of strength to mingle strong drink"
And Habakkuk denounces the trafiice
thus: "WOe unto him that giveth his
neighbor drink, that puttctli thy bottle
to him, and niakest him drunken also,'
&c. These fearful denunciations against
drinking, and drunkenness reveals the
terrible condition of the human heart
in its wanderings from God. Daniel
shows the advantages of total abstinance