Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-06-11
IS ALCOHOL EVER NECESSARY TO
THE BODY OR MIND?

IA paper read before the temperance meeting
OF the Baptist Young Peoples Union Of weems
and published by request Of that orgsnization.l
l have no scientific books to GO to or
any knowledge of chemistry to help me
prove this much disputed question. But
the Bible is, or should be, our highest
authority on all matters pertaining to
the welfare of our body, soul and mind.
and come here tonight prepared to
prove indisputably by the Word of God,
and that alone, that alcohol is neces-
sary neither to our bodies, which are
Gods temples, or to our minds, which he
has given us TO glorify him with. Some
medical men tell us that in a few cases
OF severe illness alcohol is absolutely
necessary as a stimulant to the BODY.
But even then it is detrimental to the
mind. and isnever necessary to healthy
man, but on the contrary, lays the
foundation Of many diseases. However.
be this as it may, will not presume to
contradict doctor. Still / will say this
A mustard plaster is very good thing
to use sometimes in case of sickness.
but what reasonable person would think
of going around with a mustard plaster
burning them all the time. when they
are well, just because it was beneficial
when they were sick. And vet there
are people who excuse themselves for
drinking whiskey all the time on the
ground that physicians prescribe it
when they are sick. And now, if may
ask your attention, will show a few
things that the Bible says about this
matter. These are not my words, re-
member, but Gods. Lev. 10: 8 and 9
says: "And the Lord spake unto Aaron,
saying, Do not drink wine nor strong
drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when
yc go into the tabernacle of the con-
gregation, lest ye die: it shall be
a statute forever through your genera
tons" These men were forbidden this
SO that their minds might be kept clear,
and their bodies holy when they were
serving the Lord, which shows that we
cannot serve God acceptably and use
strong drink, and that it is not necessary
to US, or God would not have forbidden
1T. In Numbers 6: and 8 God SAYS
that when either man or woman shall
seperatc themselves to VOW a vow of
Nazarite. to separate themselves unto
the Lord: he shall separate himself from
VINE and strong drink, and shall drink
no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of
strong drink, neither shall he drink any
liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes,
or dried" Now we know that in
the days of the Old Testament dis
pensation men and women lived to re-
markably old age and were noted for
strength and endurance. therefore clear
ly alcohol Is not necessary to strength
OF body or mind. Proverbs S: Is. saws:
Drink water out of thine own cistern.
and running waters out of thine own
WELL" This was written by Solomon.
a man of great wisdom, and also a man
who went into great depths of sin. but
repented and turned again to God. He
no doubt knew which was most neces-
sary to purity of body and mind. Proverbs
81: says, Lest they drink, and forget
the law, and pervert the Judgment of
any of the afflicted" Anything that
causes forgetfulness is surely not good
for the mind. Isaiah 5: ii. "Woe unto
them that rise up early in the morning,
that they may follow strong drink, that
continue until night, till wine infiame
them! 5: % says, "Woe unto them that
are mighty to drink wine, and men of
strength to mingIe strong drink" If
this strong drink then caused woe to
the strong men of those days, what can
we expect it to do today to this gen
GRAFTON, which is much weaker than
that was. Clearly then it is not good for
the body. Isaiah %: 2 says, "But
they also have erred through wine, and
through strong drink are out of the way !;
the priest and the prophet have erred
through strong drink. they are swallowed
up Of wine, they are out of the
way through strong drink; they err in
vision, they stumble in judgment. No
one can dispute that this proves con-
clusively that strong drink is extremely
harmful TO the mind. Proverbs %: q.
"For the drunkard and the glutton shall