THE TWO WINES OF HOLY WRIT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1977, 3 December 1889, Page 3

THE TWO WINES OF HOLY WRIT.

TO THE BDITOK. Si»,— Will you kindly insert the following letter taken from a Home paper on the subject of “Wines of the Bible.” The letter will speak for itself, I think, showing how dangerous it is to deal with the Bible in a piecemeal fashion. —I am, etc., Student. Sie,— lt is; as nearly as I can remember, seventy years since the infidels’ Of that day withdrew the charge of contradiction from the Bible on the subject of its wines. They supnosed that all. the Bible passages referred to but one kind of wine, and when they became informed that these Sges referred to two different of vinous fluids, they perceived their mistake and gave lip the point; but I.fear that many decent persons are not aware of this fact, and make the same mistake as the infidels have done. A candid examination into the matter is alone requisite, and I hope you will allow this to be done. If Holy Writ does not refer to two most widely different kinds of wine there never yet was written a more inconsistent ; and self-contradictory volume than the Holy Bible. Let a few passages which relate to wine be brought together, and their repugnance to one another would be most plain. In i the book of Proverbs, 20th chapter, Ist verse, we read, “ Wine is a "mocker.” In Proverbs, 2Srd chapter, 32nd verse, we read, “ Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth its color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last .it'biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” In Isaiah, sth' chapter, 22nd verse, we read, “ Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle -strong ■ drink.” In Isaiah, 28th chapter, 7th verse, we read, “The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed, up of wine,” InHabakkuk, 2nd chapter, 15th verse, we read, “ Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink.” In Leviticus, 10th chapter, Bth verse, we read, “ Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons, when’ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die.” There is no mistaking the nature of the wine of which we have been reading in these passages. We have been reading about the mocker —the base, low, treacherous, deceitful mocker, which was forbidden from the Temple, and which, because of its injurious properties, we are forbidden to set eyes upon. Permit me now to introduce you to a widely different kind of wine, The language which is employed respecting it is very plain. It stands in open contradiction to that which speaks about* the base, disreputable and degrading mocker. In the book of Ecclesiastes, 9th chapter, 7th verse, we read, “ Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepth thy works.” In the bong of Solomon, chapter sth, verso Ist, we read, “ I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, drink; yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ! ” In Zecbariah, 9th chapter, 17th verse, we read, “How great is God’s goodness, and how great is His beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, 1 and new wine [tirosh, or grapes] the nUtids.” Iu Isaiah, 65th chapter, Bth verse, we read “ Thus saith the Lord, as the new wine [that is to say, tirosh ; to wit, berries, or as our blessed Saviour called it, fruit of the vine] is found in the cluster,; and .one saith, destroy it not, for a blessing is in it. So will I do for. my servants’ sakes, that I may not‘destroy them all.” In Genesis, 40th chapter, 11th /erse, wa read, “ And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes [our Saviour called them the fruit of the vine] and pressed them irato Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” In Solomon’s Song, Ist chapter, 4th verse, we read, “We will he glad and rejoice in. thee.. We will remember thy love more than wine. The upright love thee.” Who can help perceiving a widely different character in this last wine from the former ?—Yours, etc., Michael Maxwell Shaw, An Hon. Colonel in the Empress of India’s Chivalrous Army. Molenda Lodge, Ulverstone, March 9tb, 1889.