by L. F. Bittle (1833-1905)

There guarded by our license laws,
With Appetite to plead his cause,
The Alcoholic Demon reigns,
And in his retinue retains.

The hydra dire of vice and crime,
And, with an imprudence malign,
Enthrones himself in church and state,
And rules the little and the great.

Untrammeled in his evil ways,
Upon the nation’s life he preys,
Degrades the lofty, stains the pure,
And robs the wealthy and the poor.

Arouses hatred, kindles strife,
And makes the land with murder rife,
Each pauper house and prison fills,
The innocent assails and kills,
Breaks woman’s heart with purpose fell,
And dooms his devotees to hell!

His horrors our official view,
And all permit for revenue,—
Permit, encourage, sanction all,
The fiendish deeds of Alcohol,
That they may fill the public purse,
With taxes from a nation’s curse.

The above post is an excerpt from the book, Rum and Ruin: A Collection of Writings on the Issue of Alcohol. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

by David Lipscomb (1831-1917)

Brother Lipscomb: Please explain 1 Timothy 5:23, which reads thus: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”

Timothy did not drink wine. That is clear. He refrained from it, doubtless, because it was regarded by the Holy Spirit as incompatible with the Christian character. The curse of God was upon it and all who “look upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.”

Timothy knew the evil as condemned in the Scriptures, which he had known from a child, and refrained from the use of it, confining himself to the use of water. He was often afflicted. His stomach was disordered. Yet such an evil he recognized the use of wine to be he suffered rather than countenance its use by Christians. Paul wrote to him: “Drink no long water [alone], but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” Paul thought he might use it for the curing of his disordered stomach and to relieve his frequent sickness; but, then, he was to be cautious to use only a little.

It shows plainly in what esteem the inspired men held the use of wine. It could be used only in cases of sickness, and then only in small quantities. No Christian ought ever to think of touching it under other conditions.

The above post is an excerpt from the book, Rum and Ruin: A Collection of Writings on the Issue of Alcohol. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!