The Columbian fountain., 1845-12-06
TEMPERANCE SERMON,
BY REy. DAynp asERRnL

By REV. DAVID MFRRnL.
LII an OK gore q man or a woman that they die !:
then the OK shall be stoned--but the owner shall
be quit. But If the OK were wont to push with his
horn In time past, and Il hath been testified to his
owner, and he hath not kept him n but that he hath
killed man or woman, the OK shall be stoned,
and his owner also shall be put to death.n Exodus
xxi, 28, %. tg N .f .'isas4 H4a
How many thousand families have been
ruined in some such way as this The faith
er was drunkard, and the mother-what
could she do' She endured, hoped against
hope-and for the children's sake bore, up
against the current and many time dis
gnised sad, despairing heart under joyful
countenance, till at length she died Of a bro
ken heart or died at the hands Of him who
had sworn to protect her g ,salaya9
These, and things like these, are the eff
fects Of ardent spirit casual, accidental,
but common, natural effects, seen every
where, In every town, in every neighbor-
hood, and in every connection. Look which
way we will, we see some of these effects.
The greatest wretchedness which human
nature in this world is called to endure, is
connected with the use of Ardent spirit.
There Is nothing else that degrades and de-
bases man like it-nothing SO mean that a
drunkard will not stoop to it---nothing too
base for him to do TO obtain his favorite
drink. Nothing else so sinks the whole
man 80 completely destroys, not only all
moral principle, but all self-respect, all re-
gard to character, all shame, all human feel
ing. The drunkard can break out from eve
~ kind Of endearing conn ection, and break
over every kind Of restraint so completely
extinct is human feeling, that he can be-
drunk at the funeral Of his dearest relative,
and call for drink In the last accents Of ex-
plrinlg nature, ,ma.e9 IIg, as5s..,s es,a3as 5tfr
Now look alta human being, whom God
has made for noble purposes, and endowed
with noble faculties, degraded, disgraced, pol
luted, unfit for heaven, and nuisance on
earth. He is the centre Of aFcircle--count
up his influence in his family and his neigh
borhood 1.-The wretchedness he endures, and
the Wretchedness he causes count up the
tears Of a wretched wife, who curses the
day other espousals, and sighs Of wretched
children who curse the day Of their birth.
Ia all this positive evil which ardent spirit
has caused, add the happiness which but.
for it, this family might have enjoyed and
communicated. Go through neighbor-
hood Ior town ia this way, count up all the.
misery which, follows in the train of ardent
spirit and you will be ready to ask, can
the regions Of eternal death send forth any
thing more, deadly Wherever it goes,
the same cry may be heard--lamentation,
mourning and woe; and whatever things are
pure, or lovely, or venerable, or Of good re-
port, fall before it. Those are the effects "
and ! need not say more upon this point
Can any man deny that /" the OK is wont to
push with his horns 3'' ZIP smilol sesi qe3
3D. Hath this been testified to the own
err? or are the makers and retailers aware
of its effects The effects are manifest,
and they have eyes, ears, aud understands
ings as well as others. They know what
ever profit they make is at the expense Of
human life or confort; and that the tide
which is swelled by their unhallowed mer-,
chandise sweeps ten thousand yearly to,
temporal and eternal ruin. But this is not
ALL The attention Of the public has Of late
been strongly turned to this subject. The
minds Of men have been enlightened, and
their responsibility pressed home upon
them. The subject has been presented to
them in a new light, and men, cannot but see
the absurdity ofireprobating the tempted,
while the tempter is honoredz -of blaming
drnnkards and holding in reputation those
whose business is to make drunkards. But
are the makers Of ardent spirit aware of
its effects 7 Look at the neighborhood of a
distillery an influence goes forth from that
spot which reaches miles around--a kind Of
constraining influence that brings in the poor
and wretched, and thirsty, and vicious.
Those who have money bring it-those who
have none bring corn--those who have nei-
ther bring household furniture---those who
hayeanothing bring themselves and pay in
labor. Now, the maker knows all these
men, and knows their temperament, and
probably knows their families. He can
calculate effects and he sends them off,
one to die by the way, another to abuse his
family, and others just ready for any deed
of wickedness. Will he say he is not re-
sponsible, and like Cain, ask, {" Am my
brothers keeper p He knew what might
be the result, and for mere pittance Of gain
was willing to risk it. Whether this man
should abuse his family; or that man die by
the way, SO his purpose was answered, he
did NOT care. The OK was wont to push with
his horn. and he knew it: and for a little