The Columbian fountain., 1845-11-15
COLUMBIAN FOUNTAIN, No v.

uOm tic encouragement oicoeiy iCSCScu5
and the still further prospect of success and
usefulness which we are authorized to look
for. We have received several exchanges,
and several communications from our friends,
all of whom speak encouragingly Of our
neon" and others, and thanking them for
their aid, hope they will continue to aid in
this labor of love. 1t is an enterprise in
which no pecuniary advantage can accrue to
the persons engaged in conducting its col
umns-they- look for reward in peace
full conscience, having done what they can to
be useful in their day. Some there are, who
look alone to pecuniary advantage, accruing
to self, in whatever they do; such may say
that the persons engaged in the dissemina-
tion OF information and instruction, with re-
gard to the Temperance Reformation going
on in our District, had better attend to their
own pecuniary afairsgather Of this world
for themselves, and let others alone; and
the future-let it not interest us in refer
ence to others All, friends, there is pc
riod in futurity, that will certainly, when it
arrives, arrest your attention, however little
you may think and act in reference thereto.
Then you will be convinced of the impor-
tance of labor now, in reference to that fu-
turity-whether we refer it to results in time
or eternity. All men, however little they
may mediate upon the fact whether they
will or not, are acting upon the destinies of
futurity. If men acquire wealth or inau-
ence to use itin the suppression of vice, and
the promotion of virtue, they are certainly
laying up in store good foundation for the
time to come-not only may many rise up
and bless them i'll this life, but the Saviour
who all his life went about doing good to
the souls of men, will call them the bles-
sed of the Father, and welcome them to his
rest in heaven; all this blessedness will
grow out of their obedience to the claims Of
humanity which they, in reliance upon di-
vine influence, labored to fulfil in time.
Look, then, at the distribution of talents,
and all that we have are talents to improve)
look at the disposition of these (in the hands
and under the control of accountable beings)
in relieving misery and distress; look at the
approval of those who use them Alright !;
look at their reward look at the condem-
nations seen in Matthew, XIV, of those who
misuse, or make nor use, to purpose, and
then tell us, is it vain to labor now in refer
ence to the future, and for the benefit of
others.
Again, no one will deny the fact that it is
virtue, or good thing, to relieve the suffer-
ing, and promote the happiness of our spe-
cies; that vice in every form has a tendency
to produce and increase misery. Drunken
ness is a vice, therefore increases misery.
Whatever, therefore, has tendency to pro-
duce drunkenness is vice, and will pro-
duce and increase misery. Whatever in
creases misery lessons and destroys happi-
ness. Now we ask, in view Of all this, with
full knowledge thereof, can you, friends,
remain careless with regard to others and be
innocent? Hear an apostle on this subject,
.sTo him that knoweth to do good and
doeth not, to him it is sim"
We could with kind feelings, yet with
warm solicitude in behalf of many men who
do not purpose to be guilty, (and others
who do,) who are, nevertheless, fearfully
guilty-enlarge on this subject, if possible,
to wake them and keep them awake-bring
them to act with us, or, if not, at least re-
ceive enough of their attention to show us,
if they can, that we are indeed acting con-
trary to our duty as rational and account
able beings. The same liberty we take
with them, we grant them to take with us.
They shall receive respectful notice, if
they wish TO speak. For the present we
leave them, intending they shall hear from
us again. In number six, we will chat a
little more with the dealer. Perhaps, in the
meantime, we may hear from him.