Abstinence and Health
Luke 1:15-16
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink…


Before I became an abstainer I was much subject to fainting fits. I even fainted in the pulpit, and my life was a burden; and when I had made up my mind to abstain my medical man came from London and said, "If you do you will probably die. You want the 'whip' for your constitution." I did not believe him, and I said, "Very well, doctor, then I'll die, and there's an end of it." But I have not died. And when I met that medical man in London three days since I said, "Now, doctor, what do you think of it?" He said, "You beat me altogether. I was never more mistaken in any case in my life. And now let me tell you that if there was no such thing as alcohol I should have to put up my shutters. Nearly all the illnesses that come before me have, in one sense or another, come from that; not always from the personal indulgence of the patients, but because this is hereditary."

(Canon Basil Wilberforce.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

WEB: For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.




A Strange Greatness
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