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CHAPTER XIX.

THE TEMPERANCE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS.

'Look not every man on his own things, but also on the things of others." PHILIPPIANS ii. 4.

"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak."-ROMANS xiv. 21.

The

A KNOWLEDGE of the habits of the Jews and the various heathen nations that became converts to the Christian faith, is necessary, to give a correct interpretation of the principles and practices inculcated under the higher and more enlightened dispensation of the New Testament. Jews, at the period of the Saviour's appearance, were a people of temperate habits. The Scriptures do not record a single instance of the Saviour's coming in contact with an intemperate individual, nor do any of his remarks lead us to suppose that the vice of intemperance existed in such a manner as to call for special attention and reprobation. The Jews, indeed, prided themselves in their moral and irreproachable conduct, and were, in fact, distinguished in this respect from the heathens, who, in all their writings, concerning the Jews and the primitive Christians, never, in any form, accuse them of habitual luxury and intemperance. The heathens, on the contrary, commonly indulged in habits of drunkenness and debauchery; and the writings of the Apostles, in reference to the Gentile converts, abound in allusions to their former dissolute and depraved state.

The Saviour, whose labours were entirely devoted to the Jews, had seldom occasion to refer to the subject of temperance. His remarks, therefore, bearing at all on the point, will be found to be general and cautionary. In his memorable and impressive sermon on the mount, he adverts, in forcible language, to the folly of allowing earthly objects and pleasures to interfere with the important concerns of the soul. "Take no thought what ye shal eat and what

ye shall drink, (for after all these things the Gentiles seek ;) but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." In other words, do not allow your affections to be engrossed with sensual delights, which are opposed to the more sublime and spiritual enjoyments of religion; and ought to be guarded against as ensnaring and dangerous objects. Soon after this period, the Saviour utters to his disciples a solemn warning against sensual indulgence. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life; and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." After this warning and admonition, he goes on to say, "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."* These impressive appeals deserve more serious consideration, on account of the period at which they were uttered, and the habits of the people to whom they were addressed. The Saviour made allusion to the dissolute conduct of the Gentile nations; and from the nature of the observation it may be inferred, that the Jews were generally opposed to them in their principles and practices, including, of course, the temperance of their lives.

The apostle Paul, whose labours were principally directed to the conversion of the heathens, with impressive earnestness, enlarges on the subject of sensual indulgence. In his epistle to the Romans, he lays down certain great principles to regulate the conduct of all sincere Christians. Thus he declares, that "they that are after the flesh, mind the things of the flesh. The carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The apostle immediately afterward declares, that "they that are in the flesh cannot please God." After the declaration of these general principles, he proceeds to admonish the Romans, (whose former dissolute practices rendered them peculiarly subject to temptations,) on the necessity of preparation for death. "The night is far spent, and the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." These evil ways he afterward enumerates:-"let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in cham

* Luke xxi. 34 36.

Romans viii. 5, 7, 8.

bering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof."

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The Apostle, in his epistle to the Galatians, alludes to the same subject. The flesh, he declares, lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Among the works of the flesh are included drunkenness and revellings; St. Paul expressly asserts, that "they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God;" on the other hand, one of the fruits of the spirit is said to be temperance, and "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."‡

This great apostle, in his epistle to the Ephesians, reminds them of their dissolute habits, prior to their conversion. "You," said he, "who are now quickened, were dead in trespasses and sins. In times past ye walked according to the course of this world, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."§ In the 5th chapter of the same epistle, Saint Paul evidently makes strong allusions to the bacchanalian practices of the heathens. "Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because, the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise." Mn yivεobe appoves-do not become madmen. In this passage allusion is made to the Orgies of Bacchus. The votaries on these occasions ran about, tossed their heads from shoulder to shoulder, and acted in various frantic and indecent ways.|| "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit."¶ That is, be not partakers with those who follow the intemperate practices of heathen worship; abstain from their wicked customs, walk circumspectly, redeem the time, and be filled with the Spirit. This passage, also, refers to the bacchanalian excesses of the heathen, and to the highly stimulating and intoxicating wine which was used on those occasions, wine wherein is declared to be excess.

St. Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, thus describes these lovers of pleasure: "For many walk who are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame,

* Rom. xiii. 12, 13, 14. † Galatians v. 17. § Ephesians ii. 3; iv. 19, 20, 22, &c. Ephesians v. 15, 16, 17.

Idem. 21, 22, 23, 24.
Chap. iv.

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who mind earthly things."* The epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, contains many appeals to that portion of the primitive church, on abstinence from fleshly lusts. He therein describes the dangers of the times, and the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence. Watchfulness and sobriety in their conduct is strongly urged, in reproof of the practices of those who indulge in intemperate habits. "But ye, brethren," says he, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but, let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation."+

The epistles of St. Peter were also written to the Gentile Christians, who had abandoned their former evil practices. Hence the apostle exhorts them in the following manner: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." And again, "I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles,"§ &c. The apostle evidently looks upon sensual indulgence as incompatible with Christian holiness, and warns them against it, as inducing them to return to their old practices. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were redeemed from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers."|| "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles; when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine,¶ revellings, ban

§ Idem ii. 11, 12.

* Philippians iii. 18, 19. † 1 Thessalonians v. 4-8. 1 Peter i. 14. || Idem. i. 18. Banquettings, TOTOS wine feasts. In the Greek and Latin the word which signifies banquet is derived from a word which signifies drinking. The banquets of the heathens during their days of luxury and refinement, were sensual and intemperate. The use of intoxicating wine among the ancients was almost altogether confined to these banquets, or periods of dissipation. They took place in the evening. The Greeks and Romans, as a general rule, never drank wine of this kind at dinner, and certainly not at an earlier period. Aufidius is censured by Horace for drinking as a morning draught, Falernian, or strong wine, even when mixed with honey. (See p. 370.) Evening was the period allotted for relaxation and indulgence. The dinner was considered rather as a refreshment than as a meal. In this manner did Horace dine. Pransus non avide, quantum interpellet inani ventre diem durare. Seneca also makes particular reference to this practice. This meal consisted in general of a light repast, of which neither animal food nor wine formed a part. For this reason it was often denominater]

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quettings, and abominable idolatries." The apostle, in a previous part of his epistle, alludes to the necessity of their conduct exhibiting a proper example to evil-doers Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."

These Scriptural exhortations lead us to the following inferences:

1. All unnecessary and luxurious consideration about food is interdicted; at least such as would tend to lead mankind to neglect the more important concerns of the soul.

2. The necessity of great caution is enforced, lest the affections be ensnared by improper indulgence, and continual prayer is recommended as a means of escaping from such temptations.

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3. "Lusts of the flesh," an expression embracing every thing, which could at all tend to inflame the body or the mind, and war against the soul," are forbidden as ensnaring, and contrary to the spirit of the gospel. An express declaration is made, that they that indulge in fleshly pleasures, cannot please God.

4. The causes of sin, and of course all temptations or

prandium caninum vel abstemium, because dogs abhor the taste of wine. Intoxicating wine was not so much used at banquets as an article of nourish. ment as for the animal excitement which it produced on occasions, which were devoted to festivity and indulgence. To denounce banquettings, therefore, or wine feasts, was almost tantamount to the prohibition of wine itself. How far it would be consistent for the professed people of God, to make use of liquors acknowledged even by heathen nations to be articles purely of a sensual description, is for the sincere and self-denying Christian to determine. * Excess of wine. There appears to be considerable affinity between the nature of this passage, and that in the epistle to the Ephesians, where the apostle says, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess." The word in the original (Peter iv. 3,) otopλvyta oinophlugia, is derived from two words, otvos oinos, wine, and pλvw phluzo, to be hot, to boil. Wine heats, there fore, or that state both of body and mind induced by the use of stimulating or heating wine, whether taken in moderate quantities, or to excess. The apostles in their allusions to intoxicating wine, appear invariably to point out its stimulating or inflaming properties. Homer, in the saine spirit, uses similar language::

"Inflaming wine, pernicious to mankind."

Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, or in other words, as it appears to the writer, the use of which is inseparable from excess. Asotia, the word used in the original, means the state of one who is asotos, luxurious, dissolute, profligate, prodigal, &c., the word evidently has reference to such vices as are the concomitants of indulgence in such wine. Inflaming, or intoxicating wine, in its nature, has a tendency to lead to these deplorable evils. The use, indeed, as a general rule, is inseparable from the abuse.

† 1 Peter iv. 3.

+ Idein. i. 12.

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