Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-08-25
-~- PATENT SERMON. !.
ON THEPAYMENT OF DEBTS.
BY DOW, JR.,

BY DOW, JR.,
TExr.-If ye are honest honorable men,
Go ye and-and pay the printer.-ANoN.
NY HEARERS there are many seeming
trifes in this world which you are too apt
to overlook On accout of their apparent
unimportance, the noblest of which has
plunged thousands into the deepest mire of
misery, and sunk their characters into in
extricable degradation Among these os-
tensible trihes, that Of neglecting to pay
ones honest debts is the most common and
attended with the worst of CONSEQUENCE
es. 1t takes off all the silken furze from
the fine thread Of feelings creates sort of
misanthropic GOODNESS about the heart
skins off all the cream that may chance to
rise upon the milk Of generosity and makes
man look as savagely upon his o'her man
as does dog upon one of his own species
while engaged in the gratifying emyloy-
ment of eating his masters dinner, One
debt begets ano ther. have always observ-
ed that be who sows a man dollar is sure
to owe him also grudge; and he is al
ways more ready to pay compound inter
est on the latter than on the former. Oh,
my friends, to be over head and ears in
love is as bad predicament as a person
ought ever to be in; but to be SO deeply in
debt that you can't sleep of nights without
being haunted by the ghost of some insatate
creditor, is enough to give man the hyd-
raphobia make him bite wheel barrow
cause it to run mad, and crea'ea general
CONSERVATION among the lamp posts.
My dear friends-the debt that sits keav-
lest on the conscience of a moral man
provided he has ene-is the debt due the
printer. 1t presses harder upon ones bo-
som than the nightmare-g'lls the soul
frets and chases every ennobling sentiment
-squeezes all the juice Of fraternal sympa-
thy from the heart, and leaves it drier than
the surface Of roasted potato.-A man
who wrongs the printer out of single cent
can never expect to enjoy comfort in this
world, and may we'll have doubts of finding
happiness in any other. He will be sure to
go down to the grave ere Time shall have
bedecked his brow with the silvery blossoms
of age; and the green leaves Of hope will
fall before the FIRST bud of enjovmment has
expanded. 1t is true the mushrooms of
peace may spring up during short night
Of forgetfulness, but they will all wither
beneath the scorching rays of remorse.
How can you, my frieLd, ever have the
wickedness and cruelty to cheat the printer,
when you can consider how much be has
done, and is every day doing, for you. He
has poured into-the treasures of your minds
some of The most valuable gifts that any
thing short Of a God can bestow, aye riches
with which you would not part for the pos
session Of the whole world and mortgage
on small corner of heaven With the
keys OF magic, as it were, he has opened
the iron-cased doors Of human understand
ing-dispelling the darkness of ignorance,
and lit up the lamps of knowledge and
wi dom. That mighty eng ne-the Press
lis surrounded by the glory, and its efful-
gence extends all over the broad empire of
the mind, illuminating the darkest avenues
of the heart: and yet the printer-the
man who tolls at the lever Of this soul en-
Instruments often robbed Of
his hard-earned bread by tn Sc whom he has
delivered from mental bondage and placed
IN paradise to lay off and grow fat upon
the fruits Of his labors! -
Oh, you ungrateful sinners! if you have
hearts mois,ened with the dews of mercy.
instead ofgizzards filled with gravel, take
heed what say unto you. If there be
one among you whose account is not settled
with the printer, go and arjust it immedi-
ately, and be able to hold your head up in
society, like giraff: be respected by the
wise and the good free from the. tortures
of a guilty conscience the mortsfieation
of repeated duns and escape from falling
into the c'utches ofthose licensed thieves,
the lawyers. If you are honest and hon
orable men, you will 60 forthwith and ray
the printer. You will not wait for the
lnorrow-because there is no tomorrow; it
is but visionary receptacle for unredeem.
ed promises, an added egg in the great nest
Of the future, the deb ,or's hope and the cred
itot's curse. Ii you are dishonest, low
minded sons Of satan, / don't suppose you
will ever pay the printer as long as you
have no reputation to lose-no character to
sustain-and no morals to cultivate. But,
let me tell you my friends, thatif you don't
do it your paths to the tomb will be strewn
with thorns-you will have to gather your
daily food from brambles = your children
will die ofthe dysentery, and you yourselves
will never enjoy the blessings of health. i
once called on a sick person VIII m the doc
tors had given up as gone case. asked
him if he had made his pence with his
maker? Hesaid he thought he had squar-
ed up. / inquired if he had forgiven all
his enem es? He replied yes. 1 then
asked him if Re had made his peace With
his printer? He hesi.ated for moment,
and then said he believed he owed him some
thing like about two dollars and Fifty cents,
which he desired to havepald before he bid
good bye to the world. His desire was i'm
medfately gratihed; and from that moment
he became conyaleseent He is now living
in the enjoyment Of health and prosperity
at peace with his own conscience, bis
God, andthe whole world. Let this be al
example toayou my friends. Patronize th'
/ nrinter. take the papers, paw for them II