The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-04-28
Patent Serm0n---On Avar:ce.

IeTl-'ou maze man, man made money;
God made bees, bees made honey.
MY DEAR HEARERS If you were to ask
me for what purpose man was created, |
should say at once, he was created TO love,
serve and obey his Maker, and do all the
good he can, without directly meddling with
the business of Others; hut generally speak
ing, he does not like to believe this doctrine
He'd rather believe that the chief end of man
Is to keep what he's got, and TO get what
he eau.
| think, my hearers, that man has made
money his chief end, whether he is designed
for il or not. Go where you will among the
nations of the earth--alnong the enlghten.
ed, civilized, half civilized, savage, heather,
barbarian, unitarian, trinitarian, bibletariar,
Nottingham, and money is the god bowed
down to by all. Yes, my friends, it is the
general or universal god for the whole world.
There is but one greater or more powerful:
but it makes the feel bad to say, that this
greater One is most shamefully sighted by
the unhallowed attentions paid the other.
The difference is one is worshipped six days
in the week-aye, ] may say seven--while
the other is worshipped only one day-and
III thousands OF cases not even that. You
may well hang down your heads, we prose.
lyteS Of modern avarice, and blush at the
shameful truths that ! fire off at you! |
shoot no blank cartridges-mine are no pa
per wads-but with the leaden bullets Of
conviction, ! mean 10 pierce your under
standings chests, which, alas have been
converted into sub-trea>nries for misery,
worldly, gain getting, hard currency tho'ts.
Surprising, my hearers, that should in the
superabundance Of truth and honesty, have
the superiluous kindness to say that You
were all worshppers of false gods, the same
AS are those pagan idolaters Of the East, who
don't know enough to move back when too
near the fire; surprising that should say
thiS-what might you do ONE? You might,
perhaps, tar and feather me-you might ride
me on rail, as averse as | am to that mode
OF travcling-you might prosecute me to the
fullest extent of the lynch law. Therefore,
! shan't say any such thing but will ven
ture to say that between you and the igno-
rant heather, there is practical likeness.
They bow down 10 log OF wood, a piece of
stone, pair of stuffed brooches; aud you
worship pieces of gold, bits of silver, and
scraps Of paper. How much better then are
you than they? Not but precious little,
when the moral and intellectual advantages
which you possess, are thrown into tie scale
Of consideration. They, poor things, are
surrounded by the thickest darkness of ig-
norance-so thick that their little sixteen to-
the pound candles Of instinct can burn but a
s'ckly glare; but you, my dear friends, are
differently situated. Here you are placed in
an ever blooming garden of knowledge.
The sun of enlightenment shines down upon
you from al unClOudcd armament Of peace :
around you on every side, flow streams OF
learning, enrching the soil of your intellects.
and identifying the ilowery wales of virtue :
before you stand the two trees Of good and
evil, aud you know which is what as well
as do. With all these advantages. how is
it possible that yOu, We children of avarice,
can be content TO wallow in the filthy mre
of lucre? But you willkeep gnawing at the
root OF al! evil, regardless Of tho poison tina,
Turks therein, the effects of which are mos,
awful. II causes some 10 steal sheep, rob
hen-roo>'s, lie, cheat and Observation-Disclosures
To pnt on the robe of piety, and 20 to church
To pick pockets III prayer time-otherS Ia
squeeze a poor mans SiXpence in his clutch
Is, till it squcalS out Tor mercy. So mote il
/ be.