Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-15

to be-"a most perfectly confidential, and
large-hearted, energetic man, as staunch q
friend as ever was" A man, wrote the
Bishop, "whose mind is" one 'of great in
fluence." And on Friday last l received
from this eminent Christian minister la
ment from which must read few words
Il have no heart to write-but to be dumb
except to say 1t is the Lord in refer
ence to this most awful death of our poor
friend. What blow to you as his Pas
tor. For nearly twenty-seven years has
his house been my kind and afectionate
home, and never anything but the most
generous and affectionate hospitality did ]
receive from him, and never did l see any.
thing in him inconsistent with his profss-
sion as Christian" Ineed say no more
in his praise. Many of you knew him
we'll; if any knew him better than myself
he knew more of the nobleness of his ma
ture. Yet this is the man whose name has
for a week past been in every mouth
whose sad, sad end we can never cease to
deplore.
More than two years ago, as bis pastor,
l could not but see and lament the begin
ming of a change in the aspect of his Chris
tiau character. Business troubles annoy
ed him and called him often from his home.
l feared that he was forming new and in
furious associations. Soon bis attendants
at the Communion table become irregular,
and ere long it ceased. At last the fearful
truth was made too apparent that there
we're tempters about his steps, Turing him
to h ruin. / shall not recite what took
place in the repeated interviews between
the pastor and this, his erring brother.-
He ever took kindly my admonitions and
counsels. He ingenuously, and with self
loathing, acknowledged his faults. He
wept, be prayed, be resolved, he struggled,
he promised, he tried; but the arch tempt
er had many willing helpers, watching,
laying snares for the destruction of body
and of soul.
Where were the men who ought to have
been this our brothers keepera
God only knows how far be was respon-
sible; God only knows, whether by mir
acle of grace, in the last hours, after the
fatal injury was received, when, perhaps
seemingly unconscious, he so sought Gods
mercy in Christ-so believed-and the
work of Gods Spirit was SO wrought as to
rescue his precious soul. That soul is now
in the hands of the Judge of all the earth
who will surely "do right" Happy is it
that man is not the final judge Of bis fel-
low-mortal. But here arraign as guilty
of his death every man who, knowing his
weakness, partook with him in that most
debasing of vices, in which only when reason
was dethroned by ALCOHOLIC drinks he could
stoop to indulge! These men-druggist,
saloon keepers, hotel keepers-who, know
ing the first glass would open the flood
gates ofevil, supplied him with that mad
dening poison, must answer to God when
He maketh inquisition for blood; and wee
to them if they dare say with the first muir
derer, Gam l my brothers keeperG"
Those men, who, masking themselves as
friends, lure their victims into their lurking
dens, and when they have destroyed for
the time all self control, piunder them of
that which belongs TO their families, it may
be, their creditors or their employers; those
men must meet the Investigations of an
Omniscirnt, inhexible Judge, who has power
TO cast soul and body into hell. There will
:hey find what is the guilt of him who, not
his brothers keeper, has been his brothers
destroyer. There they will find what is
Gods estimate of conduct like that which
the past weeks investigation have disclos-
ed what the decision of Heavens Supreme
Court will be as to the man who, profes-
ing friendship, could take to his own room
a companion who, he knew, lost his self
control as quickly as he partook of the first
glass; who made of that room
what the just verdict of society's unani-
nous execration call hell; who with
that one might have looked for
only in the realm where the devil-the
first murderer-rules, piled his companion
with the draugbt of moral death; who won
from him $50 the world describes this trade
of robbery all the money in his possession;
and who Gf his own tale be true) opened
bis door, led forth his victim--then inca
pable of standing unaided-aud, as though
he would ensure bis injury if not his death,
extinguished the light and left bin in dark
ness on the stairs TO grope and to stumble,
and to plunge headlong to destructionl
To each one ofus, my hearers, the Prov
dence of God in this calamity has voice.
Itspeaks to each of us of sin of fdrunken-
ness. There is not word in this sacred
book, from first to last, of the disease of
drunkenness. i do not say it is never a
disease, nor ever TO he treated as disease;
but where man has such use of his mental
and moral faculties as enables him to know
right from wrong, he cannot excuse him
self before God, if, whatever be his appe-
tite or propensity, he yields to the temp
tation. God classes the drunkard with the
murderer. He says that for such there is
no part in the kingdom of Christ and Of
God. Not that it is an objectionable sin;
but that it is like any other SIN of the flesh,
and one which the Divine justice cannot let
90 unpunlshed. The current conversation
Of society, the common language OF the
press deals altogether too lightly with this
offence against God and against man.
Even Christian men and women are too
ready to make jest of the drunkard and
Of his habits, fault which may well re-
mind US of the Divine declaration--.Fools
make mock Of sin."
OF the other vice into which our friend