The Newtown bee., 1889-08-30

hem in Gods sight that they can drink hard and still keep their feet. No mat ter how lightly men may think of their exhillration through wine, it is sin and | units them for the service of God and | God will most certainly visit their sin with His judgment. Wherefore God pro- hiblts it's use as d beverage and com mands, s'Lool not on the wine when it is red, when it giveth it's color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright'
 For the Christian, the Lord has added various other prohibitory iniunctions. "IIear thou, my son, and be wise and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers,n (Prov. XX, ,20.) ''Be not drunk with wine wherein is ex- cess,r (Ephesians V, 1S.) Take heed to yourselves lest at any time your heart be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you una not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stum- bleth or is made weak" (Romans XIV, 2l.) Abstain from all appearance of evil" q Thes. V, 20.) "Let us walk so- bcrly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness (Romans XIII, l3.) "Know yc not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God" q Cor. VI, 10.)
 With such plain, decisive and positive precepts before him, no one need to hes 1 itate moment to know and decide what is the divine law, as regards intoxicating drinks as beverage. He must under
 stand direct prohibition, total abstinence,
 not only for his own sake, but also for
 his influence on his neighbors. Yet we
 must admit that many will not so see it,
 because they are influenced by it's use, or
 desire q more liberal standard than God
 has seen wise to declare, rejecting the
 "Ihou shalt not of God.
 II. This brings us to the second text
 Woe to him that giveth intoxicating
 drinks to his neighbor.
 The thought here in this passage may
 in one sense refer to the king of Babylon
 who made many nations and people
 drunken with his fury, speaking tigura
 lively. But the clear and full meaning
 is, as it applies to those that furnish in
 toxicating drinks to their neighbors making them drunk for the gain they
 may get.
 While in one sense the lessons of thi!
 chapter were ajudgment against the king
 of Babylon for his rapaciousness, Coo
 saith to him, Thou invading didst tak'
 away the things of others, so in likt
 manner shalt what appertaineth to thet
 of thy ill and cruelty gotten gain be talk
 en by those who are left for vengeance
 Still the most casual reader cannot fai
 to see that the real meaning is a woe pro
 nounced against those who provide liq
 uors to make their neighbors drunken.
 Note as set forth in the chapter, hoy
 they transgress by means of their wine
 how they become proud and arrogant
 how they enlarge their desire as hell
 which desire is as death and cannot b
 satisfied; how they trample on all lay and the rights of the people for their owl aggrandizement; how they build ul themselves with blood and establisl l themselves with iniquity; how they GOV , ct an evil coyetousness to themselves l and build their houses by cutting oi many others; how they consult, pla and devise to cause their neighbors t 5 drink and be drunken that they may talk 3 their goods, leaving them and their fan = flies naked, destitute and miserable; ho, Q they entice them on till they have robbe ' them of manhood, uprightness and d, s phemy, impurity and shame, then t r. gloat over their shame and nakednes q We have often seen barkeepers and s;
 loon men jeering and making merry ovt ,- the shame and nakedness of their vi r. tims, especially when these were female s Now you all know that these are fac !. and certain to follow in the wake, wher E. ever saloons are permitted to exist. n God in our text pronounccs terrib d woe on all that are guilty of producin e these results, through giving their neigl # bors drink and of putting their bottle # them, making them drunken that the |. nakedness may appear. We can gath, d no adequate view of what is included ;. Gods woe. None will ever know thi d but those who experience it in etern r. perdition. He here declares His CUTS h His malediction, on all who are guilty l. giving their neighbor drink. Those WI ! have given others the intoxicatiI if draught they have mingled shall h wrath. A woe is pronounced on the f rapacity by which they swallow the c D fleets of their neighbor through givir q him drink. They themselves shall l. ing, flaming torment, without d drop h water to cool their infiamed tongue.
 Again, it is woe on their coyetousnes e which, for the sake of gain, will defy 3 ; laws, human and divine, that will trar 5. pie on all honorable principle, despi If all humane sentiment, look with ind m ference on the wretchedness, misery al ,r nakedness of their victims, yea spu C, with blasphemy the cry forpity. Whl
 these seem to enrich themselves throu. ts their covetousness, God denounces W ts upon them and makes their ill gott ,e gain turn to their destruction and th Il. of their families. The judgment of G e. shall make homeless and miserable fl le ever and ever those that live by taki u d. ..... 2. tl IL. l,l,,0..1,e. x.f s.tl,or-