The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-02
Temperance.
lettings from Sermon on Temperance.

king, prophet and an apostle. All
should be handled with equal fairness.
The advice of Paul is more often heard
from the lips of those who like strong
drink, while on the other hand the en-
phatic testimony of prophet and king is
ignored. Three things are very clear:
First.-The Bible treats the drunkard as
a criminal. The law of Moses provided
that the incorrigible drunksrd should be
stoned to death. Deut. xxi Is 81. Paul,
in /. Cor v: IL, speaks very severely of
those who drink to excess, and exhorts
the church to have nothing whatever to
do with them drunkards are classed with
thieves and murderers. In these modern
days drunkards are pitied and petted; we
need to come back to the scriptural way
of treating them, and make a man feel
that he has no right to degrade and defile
the temple of the living God.
Second.-God pronounces woe upon |
the man who puts the bottle TO his neigh. |
boris lips. If less is said in regard to |
the sin of misunderstanding, than about |
drunkards, it is because there was less of !
it done.
Third This condemnation of the
drunkard and of Misunderstanding does
not amount to prohibition. The Naza-
rite was allowed to return to his wine
after the expiration of his vow. And so
with the priest although not allowed to
drink wine while performing the duties
of his Office, he was allowed the privilege
at all other times. Wine was in daily
use at sacred feasts, and was poured out
upon the burpt-offerings. Constantly in
the Word of God it is used as type of
blessedness, and in that wonderful chap
ter, Isaiah ", it is compared to the bless
ing of free salvation, Come, buy wine
and milk without money and without
price, Christ himself turned water into
wine to celebrate the divine institution of
marriage also continued the use of wine
for sacramental purposes. The two wine
theory advocated by Moses Stuart, and
having for its most prominent advocate
at the present day DR.. Lees, has but
very insufficient backing at the best; and
any one who can use concordance can
see that the Hebrew and Greek words
translated wine are used over and over
again, in some passages being praised
and in others condemned.
There is such a thing as a legitimate use
of wine, viz, for medicinal, sacramental
and even sumptuary uses. The physician
has right to prescribe it and the patient a
right to use it. 1t has also right on the
sacrsmental table.
We now have the ground cleared for
action.
How shall we resist its encroschments
l am afraid if you want to find the kind
of wine that is commanded in the Bible
you would not find any in the wine
cellars or in the places of sale only
occasionally in the house of some one who
has made the currant or grape wine from
their own vines.
The habits of the Bible are not the
habits of to-day; we must pass from the
letter to the spirit of Bible teaching.
First.-The wine of Scripture is pure,
unadulterated article. Adulteration was
not practised. The wine was re.
ceived from the press, stored in the
mans own leathern bottle and drank In
his own home; to-day, adulteration is
universal. To procure pure wine is a
vary difficult matter. We have wine snfh.
cient to meet any demand, whether the
grape harvest is abundant or meagre-an
artificial product--so that we cannot apply
the commentator of the Bible to the wines
of our day.
Second.-The Bible knows absolutely
nothing of the distilled liquors of to-day
the strong drink of the Bible was kind
of beer made from grain, but in the pro-
cess of fermentation. 1t was l, 100 years
after Christ before distilled liquors were
invented. Alcohol has been friend tt
man in the shape of the spirit lamp ant
tanic work. Alcohol has leaped out O.
| A. Il - kba IS 4,
who can pay one hundred dollars for
license. This is shame, and by the hell
of God it shall not always be so. In GU
temperance crusade we have made
~ mistake in not dividing distilled and fer
mented liquors We must recognize tn
i unanimity of expression-distilled liquor
must be abolished. There are many Wit
are willing to make stand against dis
titled, but who will not condemn fel
mented liquors. We must move slowl
and carefully in seeking to work a reform
which, though slow, shall be lasting.
Third.-Not only was the wine of tn
Bible pure, but the Bible knew nothin
7 of the gin.shop. Drunkenness is a thou
sand.fold worse since the saloon cam
into existence. They had no places, ope
night and day, where men could stan
gulping down drink at 30 many cents
drink. Seventy per cent profit on tn
sale of drink No wonder that the saloo
can pay the highest rent and price for a
that they want.
I The open grogshop is an enemy
y mankind, whose prosperity must be bull
. up by making us nation of sots. 1t
because of them that we must build aim
houses, prisons and lunatic asylums, i
k k. order to care for and support its victims
!" The Bible declares that the body is tn
temple of the Holy Ghost. 1t behoovt
us to pass beyond the letter to the spir
of the Bible and take the thought of tn
body as the temple of the Holy Ghost.
~ The temperance work is often con
pared to the slavery question, but there
no analogy between them. This touch,
all classes, all industries, all politics
ID parties. 1t is not like slavery that WI
X an involuntary servitude-this is sci
n n enslavement. Intemperance is not a Sc
a, tional issue it reaches all places, a
ITS ITS homes. 1t is too large a question fl
h. any one organization, for any one part
m Heroic measures are necessary. Me
or say "Haven't | perfect right to drin