If the construction put upon the words “but shalt not drink wine” were the proper one, it would be just as correct to say that the Bible forbids anointing with oil. The fact is, a curse is put upon Israel, and the _blessings_ referred to are to be withheld. The same expressions occur elsewhere, and are similarly misconstrued; as, for example, the writer just referred to quotes Isaiah xxiv. 9, “They shall not drink wine with a song,”[104] which he calls a “warning example.” And here he has been either very careless, or something less pardonable, for he quotes half a sentence. We will give the context as completely as possible, for we think it will serve to satisfy the reader’s mind on the whole question. Ver. 3, “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.” Ver. 6, “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate,” &c. Ver. 8, “The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.” Ver. 9, “_They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it._” The true interpretation of the text seems to us to be that the enjoyments which the Hebrews believed to be permitted to them, music, wine, and strong drink, were, owing to their disobedience, withheld by Jehovah, or deprived of their enjoyable accompaniments. Beyond these two examples of what appears to us misleading in the arguments of our temperance friends, we cannot further trespass upon our space. Nor is such reasoning at all necessary in their cause, for the Old and New Testaments both contain ample testimony of an incontrovertible character in favour of temperance, nay, even in encouragement of total abstinence. * * * * *