The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 238

l'0wer:,., rnkC'S :rn11y his cleame&- of hcsd, his ste:uiiness of hand, and his general vigour, iu,~u,'t's ,ii,-:ease a?d premature death (:igain violnting the previous precept iu throwing away years that. m the pat.hs oC temperance wouldhavo been his). The drunkard is pl"l.s:iflll ,,f his trorUi to his ft1lo111S, as the temperate mnn is preservative in this respect. \\-hen the lndi111;1 gen~ral row disaster waiting on his country's arms, because, nlns ! in nn emergency his regiments were found besotted with drink, "Call out Havelock's &'lints!" he ex:claimed; "they are nc'7er drunk, and Hnvelock is always ready." The drunkard is prodigal of his better feeUngs. He deadens his home feelincrs. He does not value the society of his wife and children; he does not study their happiness; nay, he can see them want in order that he may be gratified. He deadens his spiritual sensi- bilities. And to liis wife the most dreadful thought may be, not that she is set aside or the children neglected, but that for his idol be is casting off his God. • (2) The word "riot" points to the noisy manner of the drunkard. Men under excitement-are naturally demonstrative, and the drunkard is peculiarly noisy (and in that senseless) in his demonstrations. There is the noise of drunlcen laughter. "As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so [empty and shortlived] is the laughter of the fool." .There is the noise of drunken songs. There is the song ( of its own kind) which goes along with the drink- ing of wine (Isa. x:x:i,. 8). In the convivial song men tell each other vociferously of, their freedom from care, of their good-hearted.c.ess (though there may be the spectres of poverty, of broken hearts, in their homes); or they may go to the lower depth of the indelicate and the profane. But how all such hilarity is out of place! ."I will turn," it is said in the Prophet Amos, "your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation." And there is the echo of this in James: "Be afflicted and mourn and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness." 'l'here is tlie nvise of dnrnl;;;n brawls. There is often, under the excitement of strong drink, a combativeness in words and a combativeness in acts. "Who bath contentions? who bath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? They that tarry long at the wine." It cannot be said that the apostle gives a decision in favour of total abstinence. He nowhere counsels total abstinence as a duty in itself or in relation to his times. At the 69.Ine time, he gives no decision ad.verse to total abstinence. And we know that else- where he lays down a principle of expediency which, under certain conditions, makes total abstinence a Christian dr.ty. Many good people think that these conditions exist in onr country at the present time. They feel that the evil of intemperance has risen t-0 sach a height as to be 11. national vice. (threatening our very position as a nation). and they wish to stand as clear of it as they can. They feel· that there are endangered persons in their home, or circle of their acquaintances, or Christian congregation with which they are connected; and they wish to guard them ns well as they can. They feel that they are in danger themselves, and they wish to be on their guard. And· those who for such reasons as these can sacrifice their gratification are dcserv.ing of all honour. Let ns see that (in the discouragement of drinking) our influence is duly on the side of temperance, that we are doing nothing to hinder others in their struggle (often painful) towards virtne and happiness. 2. Pers'IJ,(l,Sive to true ezcitement. " But be filled with the Spirit." The apostle does not ,forbid all exciteine~t,;. rather for the excitement which he ner<alives as false would he S11bstitute o. true excitement. (1) We. can be drunken with wi~e; we are to be filled (never can be d:unken) w~tl1 the Spirit. ']'here is warning connected with the use of wine; but there ls no warnmg connected with the reception of ~be-exhilarating influences of the Spirit-. Oar appetite is enco~r~ged Lere : "Be filled with the S:pi,rit." ,v e can never be too much aband?ned to spmtual appetite; it can never grow in us to dangerous strength. In our carnality we ]mow t;oo little of what it is to be joyfully excited in our highest nature. Cowper tells us hqw he must ha~e died with joy if special strength bad not been given hini to'beai:,'the Divine disclosures. And Jonathan Edwards tells bow he felt as though rapt and swallowed up in God. Doubtless such a state (so far ordinary), was the foundation for the super- natural communications which John received in I'atmos. Let it not be thouiht that till!! is too high. There must be something of this pure excitement experienced in us, if we would be cured o!' love for false excitement.. We do not despiso other cures; but this is the best cure for drunkenness, this is the all-efTectual positive which we are to J•ut in it,; place. (~) Tl,e manifestations of excitement from wine are unseemly; the ,,-,,ari>jesfoti<m~ of c'J;,;itement fro111, tl,o Sz,irit are Jl'l.ire and lovely. (a) Si119i11g. It is CII, V. 1-33.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 239