West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-04-06
Sunday School Temperance.

From the Pittsburg Christian Advocate.
Some things in temperance as a cause and
question are well determined.
L. The Bible sustans the most thorough
temperance principles. What the word "ine
means in Scripture, Greek or Hebrew, is OF
no consequence. For lifetime have ira
vcrsed these languages have found wine
made OF ell materials and producing wide
range of cfccts-pam- wine, lotus-wine, wine
crushed from the grape al the time of drink
ing and wine made of ingredients to sting
and burn the drinker. The old words sustain
DR.. Crosby and DR.. Burr. They prove Bible
wine spirituous, and they prove ii harmless.
1t "oyercomes the strong man" and it "cheers
the maiden" The ancient wine had as many
varieties as ours. "All wine is not the same
wine" so the matter of ,O0ris may well
drop. One might almost say those ancients
called every drink Wine that was rot water.
He who car say what wine blushed at Cana
or helped Timothy is n htHe reckless or very
learned.
.. The Great Teacher raiseS us above words.
He bids us look at facts. "By their Fruits We
Shall know them" This rule brings living
questions to living men. OF the fruits" of
wine-take the classic word, for it is broad
enough-there can be no debate. The pres
ent apology for it is, at does no harm If used
reasonably" and no man can draw the
'reasonablc" line, and no man be sure of
stopping there when he has drawn 1t The pa
gcs Of the 1dr0cute have candidly set forth its
fruits-its private ruin and public danger.
Who can think that the use of wine among
men is of our Heavenly Fathers planting?
Just in proportion as one fears God end re-
CARDS man, he diSlilicS the whole wine bust
ness.
3. every plant that My Heavenly Father
hath not planted shall be rooted up" This
used TO be said Of slavery. If the wine bust
ness Is such plant, it is true of that. How is
It to be rooted up? BY means, not by mira
cles. Here we find Scriptural warrant
(Which means command for prohibition. BY
what means? Such as are lawful in Il free
land. Persuasion, argument and appeal,
working by every opportunity, prayer and
labor until the judgment and conscience Of
the majority are aroused to put forth the ma
jorty's power and invoke the majesty of law.
Hence and forever vigilance is the price of
deiverance. Whatever may have been true
in times of ignorance, if the wine business is
not now wrong, then nothing is wrong, and
it's defenders can hardly be other than blind
or wicked. a Christian, to be consistent,
must now ne not only ltIll ptlttit Dul tCIll-
perance."
4. Beer in Bible times ranked as wine. Tao
titus, the first writer who specially mentions
ii, calls it wines counterfeit" Beer has no
value apart from the wine element. Bran
and water are no desirable beverage. 1t is the
alcohol, the small posons entering in, that
give beer all it's character. The alcohol and
such are in proportion small enough to act
rotting beer-drinkcrs are no better than the
furious whisky -drnkers. \ million bar
rels of beer are now annually drunk in this
country.
5. Temperance people have reason to feel
hopeful. The cause has got into politics.
When a question comes to hearing among
the great issues of the land, it challenges re-
spect Blessings are on the good people of
Kansas who are showing, by their laws, that
they mean to supportthe prohbitory amend
ment of their Constitution! Nebraska, Iowa,
and North Carolina mean now to enter a IL
nal campaign. IN every State something is
done. Nearly every town shows some inn
provement. Courts and grand iurie5 are
growing attentive. One high judicial func-
tionary of my acquaintance elected as "whiS-
ky judge has at least given a charge" on
be not moclIingl he sees its magnitude. What
we need is more vigor and courage and self
denial, and u broad victory is not far away.
6. Wine at the Presidential mansion is no
small part of wine in politics. The writer
has a very high opinion of General Hayes as
President, but he regards Mrs Hayes as the
very Esther of women. She "came to the
kingdom for such time as this" and from
her high place she has, like star, shed cour-
age and guidance on temperance workers,
faint, vet pursuing. Her name will be a
word of cheer and her example n standard
for her SUCCESSORS. If now tof course ut the
time of writing nothing is known the pat
tern OF the house" be kept ummared for an
other term, happy will it be. The clear light
OF the highest household will serve beu-
con over the waves seen from afar Nor
could the incoming President commit Il gra-
Yer political error than the restoration of
wine to his table. Whom would he concili-
atec How many Of the best and purest would
he grieve? An error in finance, in otfice-giv-
ing, in the use of the veto, in any public
function of his office, would not be so disas-
trous as wound and insult to the highest
respect and benevolence and patriotism by
the re-admssion of the wine-cup to the high
est table of the land. And for his right guild
ance in so serious q matter let us ever pray.