Is the Bible on our side? 171 W. M. Thank you, sir, we are very much obliged to you, good morning. T. M. Good morning and thank you. (They shake hands and exeunt W. M. and T. M.) MR. F. W. Oh! dear me! what mischief these Bands of Hope are doing. They are making the children wiser than their parents-the scholars know more than their teachers. Well, after all, there is some truth in what they say. I am beginning to be convinced that my position is one I cannot long retain, but at least for one night more I will have my usual glass. (Exit.) PART II. [MR. THOMPSON sat reading; he closes the book]. MR. J. T. Yes, yes, whatever unbelievers may say, there is one fact quite certain-the ancient Greeks and Romans constantly used unfermented wines, they were found useful for ordinary beverages and most beneficial for their medicinal qualities. Dr. Norman Kerr in his book on "Wines Scriptural and Ecclesiastical" has clearly proved this. The great mistake made by most persons is the belief that ancient and modern wines contained the same amount of alcohol. The truth is that ancient wines were almost if not entirely free from the intoxicating spirit, and "strong drinks" such as whisky, gin and brandy were not known at all. Now having looked up my facts I shall be able to have a little talk with Mr. Whistler on this important matter. I will away at once to see him. (Exit.) PART III. [MR. WHISTLER seated at a table tasting unfermented wines.] MR. F. W. After all, the flavour is not so bad; it certainly has not the exhilarating effects of ordinary wine, though it has the advantage of not leaving a headache behind and sad memories in the morning. (Knock. Enter servant). M. H. Mr. Thompson, sir. MR. F. W. Ask him up, Mary. Now for the encounter! What with the Bands of Hope and the Blue Ribbon Army, I think I had better give up to save further trouble. (Enter MR. THOMPSON). Good morning, Mr. Thompson, I am delighted to see you; take a seat. You see I have not despised your samples. I cannot quite agree with the flavour, neither am I convinced that Bible wines were of this description. Two questions trouble me very much-the wine made by the Saviour at the first miracle, and that used at the Last Supper. Come now, Mr. Thompson, you have studied these matterswhat is your opinion? J. T. With regard to the wine created by Christ when as an old writer says: "The modest water saw its God and blushed," I am not able to express an opinion positively. We must remember that before the wine was made the company had well drunk; Christ then made 120 gallons of wine, and if it were wine containing a large quantity of alcohol, like that used in the present day, we cannot think but it must have been the cause of drunkenness, and surely our opinion of the sacred character of the Saviour will not allow us to believe that he would have been the cause of any person becoming intoxicated. I will give you the opinion of the Rev. Albert Barnes. Speaking of this miracle he says (takes paper from pocket and reads): No argument can be drawn from this in favour of drinking wine such as we have. The common wine of Judea was the pure juice of the grape without any mixture of alcohol and was harmless. It was the common drink of the people, and did not tend to produce intoxication. Our wines are a mixture of the juice of the grape and of brandy, and often of infusions of various substances to give it colour, taste and the appearance of wine. Those wines are little less injurious than brandy, and the habit of drinking them should be classed with all other liquid fires." That, sir, is just my opinion on the matter. MR. F. W. Thank you; I never looked at the matter in that light before; it may be true; but now, is it not true that the Saviour used intoxicating wine at the Last Supper? I have known ministers to bitterly oppose the introduction of unfermented wine into the Communion-they say we should not be carrying out the Communion properly if the wine used were not fermented. MR. J. T. This is another disputed point, but the Saviour certainly did not use wine like our modern port or sherry. Some writers go so far as to state that since nothing of a fermented nature was allowed in the houses of the Jews at the time of the Passover it would have been unlawful to have used fermented wines-but on this point there are differences of opinion. It is certainly a dangerous practice to use fermented wine at the Communion, as it has been often the cause Is the Bible on our side? 173 of a reformed drunkard going back to his sin, and thus reformed drunkards are often prevented from taking the Communion. MR. F. W. I agree with you there, I have known instances of reformed drunkards not taking the Communion for years rather than place themselves in danger by touching the wine: yes, I will vote for the unfermented wine at the Communion. Now just allow me to ask one more question: what did Paul really mean when he advised Timothy to take a little wine? MR. J. T. You must admit I think, sir, that Paul gave his friend a medical prescription; wines are often used in the East for medicine, and no doubt the pure juice of the grape has many medicinal qualities. But because Paul gave Timothy advice on some derangement of his stomach that can be no argument that we should carry out the same advice; we might just as well start off to Troas to bring the cloak left there by Paul, because he told Timothy to do so. It was a local command, and can have no possible reference to ourselves. MR. F. W. Thank you, thank you very much. You have given me facts to ponder over which I have never thought of before. I have had many thoughts on this matter, and I cannot do better than at once determine to give up the use of alcohol. Send me six dozen bottles of your wine without alcohol, and if you have a bit of blue ribbon in your pocket you may as well put it in my button hole. (Knock. Enter servant). M. H. Masters Mowbray wish to see you, sir. MR. F. W. They have just come in at the right moment. Send them up, and come in with them, Mary. (Exit MARY. Enter W. M., T. M., and M. H.) W. M. We have brought you a ticket, sir, for the first meeting of the Blue Ribbon Mission. MR. F. W. Thank you, I shall be there; you will be pleased to see Mr. Thompson pin on my coat the blue ribbon. T. M. And if, sir, you will honour me by writing your name in my pledge book I shall be still more pleased. (T. M. takes pledge-book from pocket, M. H. brings pen and ink, MR. F. W. signs, and MR. J. T. pins on the blue ribbon.) W. M. I am sure, sir, you will not be a worse Sunday School Teacher, now that you are an abstainer. (Exeunt.) DEAD IN THE STREET. UNDER the lamp-light, dead in the street, Delicate, fair, and only twenty, Face to the skies, Starved to death in a city of plenty. To teach the erring and raise the lowly. Plenty in Charity's name to show That life has something divine and holy. Boasted charms, classical brow, A blush shall bring to the saintliest face. And yet, despite of all, still I ween Has stooped to finger the dainty curl; A blessing for her, his darling girl. Lonely watching, and sore heart-ache,— Joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, Fancy will picture a home afar, Out where the daisies and buttercups are, Far from those sodden streets, foul and low; Don't despise the Children. Or lying awake o' nights to hark For things that may come in the rain and dark,— She whom they cherished so Dead in the street. 175 DON'T DESPISE THE CHILDREN. W. A. EATON. ON'T despise the little children! Do They are flowers bright and fair; Dwells in little girls and boys; Don't despise the little children! Do not then despise the children— He who came from heaven to save us, And His bright example gave us, |