Beecher On The "red Hot Boys."

ïhere are many temperAnco uien who lave thought t necessary to vevile those who sell intoxioating liquors, and to dejrade tljem in the eyes of their fcllow men. In our mature judgment, suoh a course s not wise. It does uol deter men from :he occupation whenever therp is a fair induceuieut of gain held out, and it shuts :heir ears to all reasonable persuasión, [f kindness and sound reasoning will not win them, nothing wil!; cortainly not abuse. But, now ar.d then, there is a retailer who places his business on moral grounds, and suoh a one comes fairly under our lire. Thus, we bave a card sent to us hy the proprietors oí a Western saloon, " with the oompliraents of the 'Bed hot' boys - G. & G." We do not write out the names in i'ull. The card on one side advertises the liquor saloon, and on the other 6ide it justiiis tha business by quoting Scripture, thus - OLD TESTAMENT. NKW TfcnTAMENT. Give stroiitf drink unto Drink no longer wuter, him lh;tl is reudy to hut use a little wine for ïsh, and wiue to tliose thy stomach's sake, and thtit ht: of heavy hearts. thine otten infti'iiiitic-H.- Lel luu. drink and tirst Epitle l'aui toTiiuget lu-j poverty, and re otliy, Chap. v.: 23. mnraber his mi&ery 110 mole. - Provcibs, Chap. xxxi : 6, 7. lie that don't like Wine, %Vomen and Song, Kemaintí a t'uol iii.i wliole -ife long'. Why were the versea preceding those from Provurbs omitted 't ïhey expressly dissuade all respectable and prosperous people from driuking, and also are a reply to the distich about " wine, women and song." " Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways unto that vrhich destn.yeth kings It ia not for kiugs, O Lemuel, it is not for kinga to drink wine, nor tor princes strong drink, lest they drink and forget thn law,"etc. ïhen the wise man says in effect, that wino is a medicine, to be used by thoso " ready to periih," and by those of "heavy hearts." Vagabonds, people run down at the heel, and those overwhelmed with affairs, and who wish to hide their minds from their aftairs by getting too drunk to see things as they are - these afe invited to drink ; while men having responsibilities and duties are íorbiddtn. For, if a king may uot drink wine, how much less a bubject. Would it not bo wise for " G. & G." to quote the prophöt Habakkuk's opinión of retail liquor dealers '( " Woe unto him that givuth his neighbor drink, that puttest tby bottle tu him and makest him drunkeii also, that thou mayest look ou their nakedness." We would suggest to " G. & G." that they amena their card by putting on it a few oiher verses from Proverbs, as Prov. xxiii. 20. " Be not among the wine-bibbera;" and verses 29 to 32. Who hiith woe V who hatli sorrow ? who liath couteutions 't who hath babbliug 't who liath woonde without causo 't who hath redness 0Í eyes 't They that tarry long at the wine ; tliey that go to seek mixed wiuo. Look uot thou upon tho wiue when it it is red, when it giveth hm color in the cup, wheu it moveth itseif ariht. At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like au adder. As to the quotation {rom Timothy, one f.aunot help nimiring the rigor ot' temporáneo in Tiniothy thut reqnired an apostulic oommand to ranke liiin drink even when his enteebled stouiach requiied medicine. If no one drink intoxicating liquors until comuianded - we will not say by an apoatle. but by good medical authority - the sale of alcoholic drinks would hardly support as many as it now does, and at the expense oí the comraunity. With what reverence these men must iearch the Scriptures daily. Or are the 1 two txt indoiMi upon their oard the only " marrow and fatiiess" in the whole bookK We wondor wliether uuch Scripture passages work convifition In roluctant Christian men tlmt it is thoir d'ity to drink V ' G. ás Q ," in stnding their i:mk1 Io us, cali themselves in the inclosiug lettef, "red hot boys," Wo havo sten mon whose noaes looked as it" they were " red hot." We do not know how it is now with " Q. & Q.," but if they keep on, they are likply to bc hot enough by and by.