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idol's temple, though designed by him only as a social courtesy, might be construed into reverence for an idol. The perversion of the Lord's supper that had arisen in the Corinthian Church seems to indicate that, as Jesus partook of His appointed ordinance at the close of the Jewish feast, so the Corinthians partook of the Lord's supper in connection with a social feast. The generic meaning of the word here rendered “is drunken" (1 Cor. xi. 21, methuci), is to "surfeit," either in eating or drinking, as has been noticed. This usage is here both proved and set off by the contrasted word "is hungry" (peina), or is in want. The main lesson of the connection is found (1 Cor. x. 31), "Whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." In attaining this end two subordinate aims are secured; first, self-mastery and the "athlete's" reward for abstinence (1 Cor. ix. 24–27); and second, the guarding of the conscience and conduct of a fellow disciple (1 Cor. x. 28).

The second allusion of Paul to wine is found in the expression (Eph. v. 18), “Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess." The word asotia, literally "without salvation," rendered "excess,' implies in its derivation abandonment, which makes one hopeless of salvation. The noun is elsewhere (Tit. i. 6; 1 Pet. iv. 4) rendered " riot;" and its adverb " riotous" (Luke xv. 13, lit. " living

riotously "). The question might arise whether it is drunkenness with wine, or simply the use of wine in any quantity, that is declared "excess" or hopeless abandonment. Grammatically the words rendered "wherein " (or " in which ") refer only to the word wine; and so Jerome in his early translation, made in Palestine, renders and comments on the word; stating that Paul declares that the use of wine is in itself the road to hopeless abandonment in a Christian.

The third and last allusion by Paul to wine, is in his pastoral epistle. One of the qualifications of a "bishop," or pastor, is that he should "not be given to much wine" (1 Tim. iii. 8; Tit. ii. 3); an expression which Jerome explains by reference to 1 Tim. v. 23. This latter is a pregnant hint of inspiration, giving the key to the whole New Testament teaching as to the use of wine. The expression is, " Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." How counter to the almost profane perversion of this counsel, sometimes heard on the flippant lips of one seeking an excuse for self-indulgence, is the necessary conclusion suggested by thoughtful and devout minds like Jerome! Timothy has manifestly understood, that, like the "athlete" seeking success, abstinence from intoxicating wine is essential to him who would without fail gain the Christian's crown;

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and he abstains from even that wine, destitute of the poisonous alcohol, furnished by the laws of social morality, and especially by the materia medica, of his day. It requires a direct apostolic counsel to prompt Timothy to use even this wine; and the apostolic direction, as Jerome observes, has two characteristics: first, it is prescribed only as a medicine; second, he is to take only "a little" as a medicine.

WINE IN THE JEWISH WRITINGS OF THE AGE NIGH THAT OF CHRIST.

The three centuries from B.C. 100 to A.D. 200 produced eminent Jewish writers of four classes: historians, philosophers, paraphrasts and commentators. All these writers throw light on the Divine law as to wines, as recognized by the Jewish people and by Asiatics at that age; and they illustrate both the Old and New Testament teachings as to wines. Among historians the works of Josephus are prominent; who wrote about A.D. 75, and who records facts illustrative of the Old Testament narratives. Among the philosophic thinkers of this age, Philo, who wrote about A.D. 40, presents principles as well as facts connected with the Jewish faith. Both Philo and Josephus wrote in Greek; but the terms they use as translations of the Hebrew are all the more instructive. The paraphrasts,

or writers of "Targums," or paraphrases of the Old Testament, and the "Talmudists," or commentators, wrote in the Hebrew of their age, which was Aramaic, or Hebrew modified by the kindred Semitic dialects of their time; and their writings are important links in the chain of testimony as to the meaning of Hebrew terms.

The historian Josephus but confirms allusions already noted in the Old Testament histories. Philo is full of important statements. In his treatise on "Monarchy" he cites, as indicating the duty of entire abstinence from wine, the prohibition to the priests; and says it was given for "most important reasons; that it produces hesitation, forgetfulness, drowsiness and folly." Dwelling on each of these bodily, mental and religious evils, he says: “In abstemious men all the parts of the body are more elastic, more active and pliable, the external senses are clearer and less obscured, and the mind is gifted with acuter perception." Further: "The use of wine.... leaves none of our faculties free and unembarrassed; but is a hindrance to every one of them, so as to impede the attaining of that object for which each was fitted by nature. In sacred ceremonies and holy rites this mischief is most grievous of all, in proportion as it is worse to sin with respect to God, than respect to man." Speaking of the ascetic sect of Therapeutæ, he

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says, "They abstain from it (wine) because they regard it a sort of poison that leads men into madness." On " Drunkenness" he cites the case of Noah, the second head of the race; and says (c. 36, 38) "it is evident that unmixed wine is poison." Alluding to Aaron's name as indicating "loftiness of thought," he says, “No one thus disposed will ever voluntarily touch unmixed wine or any other drug (pharmakon) of folly." Again (c. 52) he describes the varied inventions in wines, " in order to provide some whose effects shall speedily go off and not produce headache, but on the contrary shall be void of any tendency to heat the blood, admitting either a copious or a scanty admixture with water." The effort, perceptible in all ages, still seen in all Oriental religionists, to secure, especially in religious rites, an unintoxicating wine, finds here a link in the very days when the New Testament records were completed.

The principal Targums or paraphrases are those of Jonathan on the sixteen prophetic books, written about A.D. 250, and those of Onkelos on the books of Moses, written early in the second century after Christ. These Targums are utilized in the invaluable Polyglotts of Castel and of Walton, brought out by the spirit of revived learning at the Reformation. The words "yayin" and "tirosh and “tirosh" are usually rendered by