The Columbian fountain., 1845-12-02
TEMPERANCE SERMON.
pY RKY- DAVID NERAILL.


then the OK shall be stonsd---5ut the owner shall
be quit But if the OK were wont to push with his
horn in time past and 1t hath been testified to his
owner, and he hath not kept himn but that ne hath
killed man or woman, the OK shall be stoned,
and his owner also shall be put to death" Exodus
xxi, 2S 80, Gaua3lss.i 9<t4a4i /
This is rule which Col himself has cs-
tablished; AID it applies directly to the OBJ
iect of this address. Is ardent spirit wont
to produce misery, and wrelchslness, and
death Has this bcsn testified TO those who
deal in it, that is, makers and retailers II
these two thing; can b., established, tho in
le.eaca i, insyitable--thsy are responsible,
ON principle perfectly mtelliglbls--a p-in-
ciple recognized and proclaimed, ana acted
upon by God himself It is possible soms
may bs startled at this conclusion, and look
around for some way to escape it.
What is a man responsible TO God for
the effects produced by all tho spiri. which
he makes and sells2 This is most fearful
responsibility. Indeed it is. Bat if these
two things are true, every retailer and maker
must bear it. And can either Of these be
disputed9 Turn your attention to these two
facts lst. Ardent spirit is wont to pro-
duce misery. "a. Those who make or sell
it are perfectly aware Of it's effects. will
not insult any mans understanding, by en-
tcring into a labored proof Of either Of these
POSITIONS. Upon the first point, let me re-
fresh your recollection, and bring wildly be-
fore you, the hopes which ardent spirit has
blasted, and the tears which it has caused to
flow. Most of us cln remember many a
shocking scene which spirit ha, p.odncei.
Let any one Of us set down and count up
the number Of Its victims, which we have
known--and their chaacte. and their stand
ing in society, and their prospects and their
happy families, and what change few
years use Of ardent spirit has caused, and
what they and their families are now.
What n catalogue Of wretchedness might any
one Of lis make out Very few but could
remember %, 30, 50, or 100 families ruined
in this way-some of them once our most
intimate friends--and their story is soon
told.
They were once promising exciting high
expectations, wee high spirited, despised
every thing mean, AMI hal a special con-
tempt 70, drunkatd: anl hala prophetpro-
claimed that they themselves shpall BE- all
that they despissI, thay would have rspalled
il a, thing impossible SIS thy servant a
d,g,n az said Hazael, $ tina. he should do
this thing''' 81 a.''.
Bul they could drink occasionally, just
for spree, for the sake Of company. III
this way the taste was acquired, and habits
Of dissipation formed. They became idle
and Of course uneasy. And they drank part
ly to crafty taste, and partly to quiet consci-
ence. They saw that the tide was coming
upon them, and, for time, perhaps, made
some earnest but irregular struggles against
it. But it gained upon them. Every flow
of the tide. drove in some barrier-the resis-
tance became weaker and weaker---by and
by the struggle is ended, and they float with
the current: and where are they? One has
been found by the temperance reformation a
mere wreck-in property, character, body
and mind, mere wreck, and, O., miracle,
reclaimed. After years Of dissipation, after
causing unspeakable misery, he is saved yet
so as by fire. Another is dead his consti-
tuition could not endure such continu-
ed couse of dissipation. Another died in a
ft--another was found by the roadside one
cold morning a stiffened corpse. Anothe.
was thrown from his horse, and is a cripple
for life, but still can contriye means to pay
daily visit to the grocery. Another is a
mere yayabond, unp-incipled and shameless
wandering from g,ocs-y to g:occ.y-it
companion for the lowest company. DIN
king upon their bounty, yea drinking their
leavings-lhe mere rinsings Of tile glass
a nuisance to society, and curse to his
kindred. Anothe, is i'll the penileniiary, for
a crime he committed in drunken frolic
Go into the crowded courthouse, and you
may see another; his countenance haggard.
and ghastly, and his eye wildly rolling in
despair. What has he done? One night
after spending all his money for drink, and
lettering about Till all the shops were closed,
he returned to his miserable habta!ion lie
found few Goals on the hearth, and his
wife and children sitting by them. He
threw one child this way, and another thai,
for he was cold. His wife demonstrated,
aad withal told him that what little fire there
was, was none ofhis providing. With many
a horrid oath he declared that he would not
be scolded after that sort. He would let her
know who would govern, and by way Of
supporting his authority, beat her brains out
with the last remaining stick of wood. He did