Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-20
DRUNKENNESS.

DhONhENNE0os
"The Shame of Nature. the Extinguisher
of Reason, the Murder of Conscience"
Some people argue in a ridiculous way
in favor of drinking. They remind us
of a story We read some time ago
Harootune, a converted Armenian on
the Harpoot mission-field, is strong
Temperance man. He lives among those
who love native wine" To one who
drank a glass of wine, and by way Of
excuse asked: Didn't God make
grapes?p he Indignantly exclaimed:
"God made dogs; go eat some dog car
cassl He made poisons, too; go eat
them and kill yourself"
DIR. Mott said, forcibly: ut is the
reputable Christian wine-drinkcrs who
are the men who send forth from the
high places Of society, and sometimes
even from the portals of the sanctuary,
an unsupported, unrebuked, but power
full influence, which is secretly and
silently doing on every side-among
the young, among the aged, among even
women-its acork of death"
Plutarch says that Lycurgus prevent
ed drunkenness among the Lace
demonians by commanding that all the
vines should be cut down, and allowing
none to grow in the commonwealth.
At Babylon Alexander the Great be-
gan the second nights carousal with
twenty guests at the table. He drank
the health of every person at the table
severally. After this he called for Her
cules' cup which held an incredible
quantity; being filed, he poured it all
down, drinking TO Proteas, Mace
DOMAIN of the company. Afterwards he
pledged him again in the same extrava-
giant bumper and fell instantly upon the
floor. Seneca says: "IIere then, this
hero, unconquered by all the toll Of
prodigious marches, exposed TO the dan
gers of sieges and combats, to the most
violent extremes of heat and cold-here
he lies subdued by his intemperance,
struck to the earth by the fatal cup OF
Hercules" He died a few days later.
II. Watson says: "There is no sin
which doth more deface Gods image
than drunkenness; it disguiseth per-
son and even humans him. Drunken
ness makes him have a throat of fish,
the belly of swine, and the head Of an
ass. Drunkenness is the shame Of
nature, the extinguisher of reason, the
shipwreck of chastity, and the murder
of conscience. Drunkenness is hurtful
to the body. The cup kills more than
the cannon; it causes dropsies, catarrhs,
apoplexies; it fills the eye with fire and
the legs with water, and turns the body
into hospital"
In the English Parliament some years
ago member moved the appointment
of committee to investigate the cause
Of intemperance among the people. An
other member arose and said he thought
he could tell them without committee:
it was drinking. This being clear state
ment of the causes clear statement of
the cure will be, stop drinking.
This story, although quite amusing,
has an exceedingly wholesome kernel;
it is without doubt worth eating: An
old topper OF sixty called on doctor 10
get remedy for inflamed eyes. The
doctor told him he thought he could cure
him, but it would be necessary for him
to leave off drinking entirely. Then
faraceR, eyesi' said the infatuated
drunkard. 1t makes one shuddcr to
hear this story, and yet there are worse
possessions to lose than ones eyes.
'sNo drunkard can enter the Kingdom
of Heaven" you know, so does he not
say by his actions: "T'hen .fareaeeR soul"
Ernest Gilmore. in Christian at Work.