TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 996, 16 July 1883, Page 2

TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

The anniversary services in connection with the Church of England Temperance Society were held at St Stephen’s Church yesterday, the preacher being the Rev. H. C. M. Watson, incumbent of St John’s Church, Christchurch. In the morning the rev. gentleman took his text from Romans xiv., 21—“ It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weak.” The particular circumstances, observed the preacher, which had called forth these remarks from St Paul were now things of the past. Our worship was prompted by the affections, while in St Paul’s days the worship of the heathen consisted in endeavoring to propitiate an offended deity. Crowds might have been seen going to the sacred shrines and groves with their flocks and herds, pigeons and doves, which were to be slain and the blood sprinkled on the altars as sacrifices to the gods, while others offered wins and honey. It was customary with these heathens to eat and drink portions of the sacrifices, expecting thereby to receive some great blessing. St Paul’s converts, however, when they had accepted Christianity, refused to partake of this food, which they looked upon as unclean. But the great Apostle told them that ‘ ‘nothing of itself was unclean, but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” He pointed out to them that this flesh which had been offered to idols was still meat and good for food, and could be eaten by them as such, yet it was not advisable for them to do anything through which by following their example, their weaker brethren might suffer. It was to be with them a matter of obeying the dictates of conscience. There were at the

present day many who worshipped at the shrine of Bacchus—or rather at the shrine of misery, disease, and death. Many became such victims to alcohol, that they were scarcely safe, outside their own houses, and it was against these habits of intemperance that the Church of England Temperance Society raised its protest. If public-houses were all closed and men were to put a stop to the habit of treating each other to drinks, we should not so often hear that very suggestive remark that certain persons had had “too much.” In conclusion, the rev. gentleman implored his hearers to consider the weakness of some of their brethren, so that their example might not be the means of causing any of God’s children to fall away. At the evening service the Rev. H. O. M. Watson again preached to a crowded congregation. On this occasion he dealt more particularly' with the objections raised by some of the nonabstainers, who instanced the use of wine at the institution of the Lord’s supper, the turning of water into wine by Christ at the marriage feast, and the advice given by Paul to Timothy to be no longer a water drinker but to take, wine, as proof that the Scriptures allowed the drinking of alcohol in moderation. But, asked the rev gentleman : How do

we know whether this wine was ermented, making it intoxicating, or simply the juice of the grape? He thought it highly probable that it was the latter. It might be remembered that in the dream interpreted by Joseph while in prison, Pharoah’s butler had pressed the grapes in the cup, and had g>ven to his master to drink. Taking the first objection—the use of the wine at the Lord’s supper—he would give his reason for supposing it highly probable that it was the juice of the grape that was used. At the time of the Passover the Jews were not allowed to have any leaven, which was the product of fermentation, in their houses. If the Jews were so strict with regard to the exclusion of leavened bread, he thought they would be equally so with regard to fermented wine, and as it was so near the time of the Passover when Christ’s supper was given, he considered it more than likely that the plain wine was used. Taking the second objection—the turning of water into wine at the marriage feast. We had no more evidence to show that it was fermented wine than that it was. simply the juice of the grape. Taking the other objection—the advice given by St Paul to Timothy to take wine. It should be remembered that this advice was given on account of Timothy’s physical weakness, and that Paul had recommended the use of the wine ae doctors of the present day sometimes did. But Paul was no physician, and did not know the evil effects of alcohol on the system. Dr Richardson, one of the greatest medical men of Europe, had done more during the last ten years to show the ravages made by alcohol than had ever been done before. The rev. gentleman again appealed to hia congregation to endeavor by their example to assist their weaker brethren to put a stop to the continual use of strong drink. During the evening the anthem, “ O, how amiable are Thy dwellings, Thou God of Hosts,” from the 84th Psalm, was very creditably rendered by the choir.