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for granted that "ever and ever," in both instances, must mean to all eternity. "This phrase," ever and ever, "is used," says Dr. Dwight, "if I mistake not, eighteen times in the New Testament. In fifteen instances it is applied to the continuance of the glory, perfections, government, and praise of God. Once to the righteous in the kingdom of heaven, They shall reign for ever and ever.' Rev. xxii. 5. In the other two it is applied to the torments of the lost in hell. Rev. xiv. 11; xx. 10. Now let me ask whether a man, even of moderate understanding, could be supposed to write with scrupulous integrity a system of theology, and employ this phrase sixteen times to denote an absolute eternity, and twice to denote that which is infinitely different; while these were the only instances in which the phrase was applied to a given subject, and that of immeasurable importance to those for whom he wrote? But if such a man cannot be supposed thus to use language, nor vindicate it when used in this manner, can such conduct be safely attributed to the Spirit of God?"

Again we read of "Eternal Salvation." Heb. v. 9; and of "Eternal damnation." Mark iii. 29. Thus we see that salvation and damnation, in the abstract are alike eternal. Then it undeniably follows, that those who become the subjects of either one or the other, shall be either eternally saved or eternally damned. We might avail ourselves of the aid of the history of doctrine to show that the Scriptures we have adduced in proof of this doctrine, have been generally understood and regarded both by Jews and Christian to teach the eternity of hell punishments, and thus show that it is not a crotchet of some eccentric theologian, nor a dogma of a singular sect; but the universal belief of those who receive the Bible in its entirety and integrity. And we could further strengthen and confirm this doctrine by answering objections to it; and by exhibiting the absurdity of opposite views. But our space being about occupied, we defer doing so for another occasion, if it should ever arise; or we commend it to abler hands. But here we may remark, that the doctrine of eternal punishment cannot be gainsaid or discarded, except by blinking the plainest facts of man's spiritual and moral being; and by distorting and racking the plainest and most precise assertions of God's Wordthat is on broad neological and sceptical grounds. If any doctrine of revelation is credible, that of eternal punishment is; because there is not any doctrine substantiated by more convincing and irrefragable evidence.

But why preach the doctrine of eternal punishment? Why? Because it is clearly and fully revealed in the Holy Scriptures. It is interwoven with all the other truths of the Bible; and if this is left out of your ministry, then you do not preach all the truths of the Book, and that ministry which fails to include every revealed

truth, is so far a crippled ministry-lacking in completeness and force. Do you ask "what good will the preaching of the terrible doctrine of eternal retribution produce? It may startle and alarm but it can never save?" Even so, but are there not tens of thousands of dead and careless sinners that will never be saved unless they are startled and alarmed by announcements of the wrath which is coming upon the ungodly? We know of many good Christians who were first aroused and awakened by the threatenings and terrors of the Lord. If the curses which the Bible denounces against sin did not save them, they stirred them up to seek the Lord's mercy, and to grasp by faith the promises of the Gospel. What is the use of offering salvation to men before they are aroused to a consciousness of their danger? Ought we not first to warn the wicked from the Lord; then promise them salvation in his name? Some pretend they cannot preach about the torments of hell! If they cannot it may be questioned whether they ought to preach at all? Was not the gracious Saviour an awful messenger of doom? Are they who cannot speak of the undying worm and of the unquenchable fire more tender, merciful, and benevolent than Christ? Some try to excuse themselves from preaching this awful doctrine by saying that it is not preaching Christ. But if the doctrine of eternal punishment is not Christ; it forms an integral and important part of the Christian Scriptures, and it is not within the province of any one to suppress any portion of God's truth. We admit with Paley, "That it is very difficult to handle this dreadful subject properly; and one cause, amongst others, of the difficulty is, that it is not for one poor sinner to denounce such appalling terrors, such tremendous consequences against another." Yet with him we maintain that it is "absolutely necessary that the threatenings of Almighty God be known and published."

L. W.

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ART. V.-THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.

HAVING been much struck with the increased facilities afforded to the public by the licensing of small shop-keepers and grocers to sell intoxicating liquors, the writer deemed it to be a fit time to bring before thoughtful and Christian minds the injurious effect of these liquors upon the human system. Not a few of the members and office bearers of our churches are engaged directly or indirectly in the liquor traffic, and are habitually dispensing this most potent evil. To them we would address the words of Dr. Nott :--"Brethren,-inn-keepers, wine-vendors, hasit never occurred to your minds, that the liquors dispensed were destined, unseen by you, to blanche some glow of health, to wither some blossoms of hope, to disturb some asylum of peace, to pollute some sanctuary of innocence, or plant gratuitous, perhaps enduring misery in some bosom of joy? Have you never in imagination followed the wretched inebriate, whose glass you have poured out, or whose jug or bottle you have filled? Have you never followed him to his unblessed and comfortless abode? Have you never mentally witnessed the wistful look and stifled cry of his terrorstricken children, waiting at night-fall his dreaded return? Have you never in thought marked his rude entrance, his ferocious look, his savage yell, and that demoniac frenzy under the influence of which he drove both wife and children forth, exposed to the wintry blast and the pelting of the pitiless storm, or denying them even this refuge, how he has smitten them both to the earth beneath his murderous arms?" We would ask, is this a Christian work, to sell that which has caused so many brethren to stumble? The fearful results of the use of alcoholic liquors are confined to no class, the learned and illiterate alike fall into its snare. Neither the divine in the pulpit, the lawyer at the bar, nor the doctor with his patients, can be certain that some day or other he will not make shipwreck of a good character, and be brought at last to a drunkard's grave.

It is the object of this paper to deal rather with the physical than the moral effects of alcohol, and to prove that so far from being nutritous it is positively injurious to persons in health.

When alcohol is taken into the system every organ seeks to get rid of it as soon as possible. It has no share in that assimilation to the blood which other articles of food possess, since it is not in any quantity capable of being mixed with the blood. "It is nowhere found in nature. If we search throughout the wide range of vegetative and animated forms, there is not one plant or flower, not one

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creature or compound resulting from the formative processes of life and growth in which it can possibly be detected or developed, but when found in contact is destructive to both." When food is taken into the stomach it is there reduced to a pultaceous mass by the action of the gastric juice and the muscular walls of the stomach. The gastric juice consists of hydrochloric, and holds a peculiar ferment called pepsine in solution. On the introduction of alcohol part of the pepsine is precipitated and congulated by its action, thus hindering the process of digestion; in fact, if it were not that wine and spirits are very rapidly absorbed, their introduction in any quantity would form a complete bar to digestion.

Dr. Beaumont had the singular privilege of looking into the healthy stomach of a young man named St. Martin, who had a part of the skin, muscles, and ribs of the left side of the body blown away by a gun shot wound, which laid open the stomach, leaving a permanent opening into it. Through this opening the doctor introduced various kinds of food, and withdrew from time to time the gastric secretion, and also the aliments in their different stages of digestion. The man was generally healthy and temperate, but Dr. Beaumont tells us under the date July 28th, 1833, “That the stomach is not healthy, some erythema and apthous patches on the mucous surface. St. Martin has been drinking ardent spirits pretty freely, for the eight or ten days past, complains of no pain, nor shows symptoms of general indisposition, says he feels well and has a good appetite. August 1st; inner membrane of the stomach morbid; considerable erythema, and some apthous patches on the exposed surface; secretions vitiated. August 3rd; inner membrane of the stomach unusually morbid, the erythematous appearances more extensive, and spots more livid than usual, from the surface of which exceeded small drops of grumous blood; the apthous patches larger and more numerous, the mucous covering thicker than common, and the secretions much more vitiated. The gastric fluids extracted this morning were mixed with a large proportion of thick, ropy mucus, and considerable muco purlent matter, slightly tinged with blood, resembling the discharge from the bowels in some cases of chronic dysentery. St. Martin complains of no sympathy indicating any general derangement of the system, except an uneasy sensation at the pit of the stomach, and some vertigo, with dimness and yellowness of vision on stooping down and rising again; has a thin yellowish brown coat on his tongue, and his countenance rather yellow, pulse uniform and regular, appetite good, rests quietly, and sleeps as well as usual. By the 6th of August the inner surface of the stomach had recovered its healthy

appearance; the patient having in the meantime entirely abstained from alcoholic liquors, and having been confined to low diet."

In cases of continual indulgence in alcoholic drinks patches of effused blood are found distributed over the mucous membrane of the stomach. Its walls become considerably thickened, and ultimately so damaged and hard that it can no longer exercise its proper functions.

In the annexed table the result of experime nts performed by Dr. Munroe will be seen to verify the statements as to the fallacy of alcohol assisting the process of digestion:

Liver. The liver is the next organ that suffers and attracts a great proportion of the poisonous fluid. The opening through which the vessels enter this organ is surrounded by areolar tissue; this becomes the seat of chronic inflammation, matter is thrown out, becomes slowly organised into contractile fibrous tissue, and thus presses on and reduces the calibre of the branches of the portal vein, as well as the hepatic artery and vein. In consequence of this pressure the proper structure of the liver wastes, becomes pale and contracted, the surface is drawn in at some parts, which gives it the peculiar feel and appearance of the drunkard's hobnailed liver. The cells waste and have no longer power to convert the starch, sugar, and gum, into the natural fluid bile. The veins leading to the liver thus become so congested as to lead to dropsy.

There is also another change to which the liver is liable, viz.— enlargement. This is due not to an increased growth of its proper substance, but to an accumulation of fatty matter. Dr. Peters of New York remarks, that "in moderate drinkers the liver was generally found to be larger than usual, its texture softened, its