Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-05-14
have been denounced AGAINST the drunk

and conditions of men. 5.
"rhe rich, the poor, the learned, the rude.
Are by king Alcohol suSdued.
While death and shame, and endless Woe,
Attend them all wherever they go.
The folly Of many in the present day
appears to lay in their endeavor to make
God responsible for all the misery and
ruin of drunkenness. The bible says
that men made wine and they drank ii
also. Very true my friend. The bible
also condemns drunkenness, and every
one who in any way helps to make his
neighbor drunken. "a
In the New Testament We find drunk
enness classed by the Saviour with the
sins which destroy the soul: "Beware,
lest at any time ye be overcharged with
surfeiting and drunkenness, so that
night come upon you unawares.
And the temperate Paul, while ex-
hortins the Roman brethren, warns
them against drunkenness and cham
bering, sins fearfully prevalent among
the heather. But having been called
into the light and liberty of the Gospel,
We, says he, should he the children of
the day.
Ict Us put Ou ttiC WI hS VI uAi hhCss
and put on the armor of light, laying
down the broad principle of christian
regard" THAT it is good neither to
eat flesh, nor to drink wine, or anything
whereby thy brother is offended or
made weak" And such are the filthy
abominations and associations of drunk
enness, that in writing tothe church in
COrinth. He says, ''Do not keep COM
pany with drunkard, even though he
be called q brother. No thieves, nor
covetous nor drunkard shall inherit the
Kingdom of God.' And the necessity
for these sweeping denunciations is
seen in the demorallzing effects Of the
drinking customs of the day on society.
While drunkenness is covered up in
fashionable families, and only the poor
man is publicly shuned fer his folly.
Drunkenness is destructive Of life, of
hope, of heaven.
drunkenness is the result OF drink
ing wine md strong drink as a bever-
age. Let US shun the practice, by ceas-
ing do evil and learn to do well. and all
will he well.
raEgr WINE As A, BLESSING.
We come now to speak Of wine as the
gift Of God, and blessing to man. We
have said that the bible speaks of two
kinds of wine.z One kind Is the gift of
God, and blessing to man,-made SO
by man himself. -
Moses, in giving the history OF the
patriarchs has portrayed in living col
ers, the sad experience Of, the boy, yes-
eph, sold hyls hiss own brethreR into
Egypt, falsely accused and cast into
prison, he meets with the servants of
Pharaoh charged with conspiring
against the life of the king. The But
Ter relates to Joseph a dream. ain my
dream, Behold, a vine was before me.
And in the vine were three branches,
and it was as though it budded, and her
blossoms shot forth, and the clusters
thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And
Phara0h's cup was in my hand, and l
took the grapes and pressed them into
cup, and l gave the cup into
Pharaoh's hand. Here we read of the
Juice of the grape pressed into the cup,
as wine to drink, and the interpreta-
ton of Joseph to the Butler shows most
that this was the custom
in bible times. "Yet within three days
shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and re-
store thee unto thy place, and thou shall
deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand af-
ter the former manner when thou vast
MS Butler.H =
This is the unfermented Juice of the
grape, the unintoxicating wine Of the
bible.
rHr GIFT Or con AND . RIEssISc tn u.S
A favorite passage with the drinkers.
If wine and strong drink, is the fiow-
,ry parable of Jotham's Trees growing
orth to anOint q king over them.A After
several sunsuccessf fnl attempts ts make q
King of the forest trees, the address is
made to the vine, and the response is
,iven: "Should leave my wine which
,heereth God and MANI" This is
hought to be 4 strong text in favor OF
he drinking customs of the age, from
he supposed union of God and man,
t cheereth the heart Of God and man.
m order that we may know where we
ire, who was speaking here, and who
vas spoken to, it will be necessary to
that Jotham was disappOint |
d aspirant to the throne Of jSehechem.
That the Schechemites, were idolitors
md the God of these people was an
dol, to which was offered day by day,
vine and meats in sacrifice, while the |
alse priests, with their families stood |
eady 10 consume tlIese daily Offerings |
made to false god. A clear iIlustra-
ion of this kind of deceit, practiced by |
he devotees of falsehood, is given in |
he history ef Bel and the Dragon TO
which we refer the reader.
But little attention to this text re-
reals the fact that here wine is i'm the |
in its nature and as vet |
hence unintoxicating.
live us this kind of wine and we will |
eceive it with thanksgiving. lrrcon-
irmatiOn Of the salty in using this wine,
he Psalmist says: "The Lord causeth |
he grass to grow for cattle and herb
or the services of man, that, lie may
,ring forth fruit out of the earth, and |
vine which strengthen mans heart.
Here wine is product of the soil, and
S the gift Of God giving strength to
nan. ~.
Isaiah speaks of the wine in the clus-
er: Gas new wine is found in the clus-
er and one saith destroy it not for q
blessing is in it," Wine found IN the
luster, not in the distiller's watts. This |
lew wine is described by Jeremiah as
gathered among the summer fruits by
he Jews in their prosperity.
Joel ennumerates the new wine Of the |
Iews among the chief blessings be-
towed by bountiful creator. "The
shall drop down with new
vine, and the hills shall flow with milk.
Iere again, 9Wipe and, milk are fur
lished through natures Laboratory for
he toiling sons of men.
The terraced hills of Judea covered
With luXuriant grape-vines furnished
he new WINE of the bible a. the rolling
PASTURES afforded grass for cattle and
ood for man.
The Prophet Amos continues the line
If thought and addresses words Ofprom-
Sc to Israel in her affliction, assuring |
hem IN the name Of the Lord that in I
heir restoration to the divine favor,
The mountains shall drop with sweet
vine, and this shall be drank by the
people themselves amidst (rejOicings of
ieart and gladness of soul, when the
stranger shall not consume their SUBJ
stance"
And tile noticeable feature in all of
hese passages where sweet wine or
sweet new wine is promised as bless
ng from God it is always spoken Of as
/ product Of the earth, the juice of the
grape. LII the New Testament the his
.ory of new wine is set fOrtl, in Ian
,uage too plain to be misunderstood,
md rs an article of commerce, ]; stands |
tut clear and distinct from the old wine
,f the drunkard. The great teacher
himself distinguishes between tile new
md the old. The new wine must be
put into new bottles, for its preserva-
ion as new or sweet wine. The new
wine prepared for the marriage feast,