The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-02-10
A Short Sermon.
By TIMOTHY T1TCOMB.

The universal fact, based on universal ex-
perience, is that there is nothing in the world
that makes so poor return for its cost, as
sensual pleasures. No man ever traded ex-
tensisely in this line without becoming a
bankrupt in his happiness. 1t doe: not pay
ard cannot be made to pay, and every man
should see and understand this if he would
keep an account Of his receipts and expendi-
lures. Let me help you t" open book Of
this kind. Credit sensual pleasures for a
spree-a night of hilarity,produced by drink
ing and feas,ing, and then turn to the other
side of the account and debit it with the SOL
emn details of cost-money enough to fur
nish bread for a hundred hungry mouths-a
day Of ianguor, pain aud intioicnce-a dam
aged reputation which may interfere with the
projects and prospects of whole life-a loss
of self respect and deadening of moral SEN
sibility-a reduction OF the capacity Of enjoy
ment aud of the stock Of vitatity--,he suilen
panss of a reproving csnscience-the tears
of mother and the severer anguish of "a
ther-a!l these and more for an hour Of art-
6cial insanity How does the account look
now
Suppose we try another. Credit sensual
pleasure for the illicit indulgence of a power
ful passion. Then place the cost upon the
debt side of the ledger-shame and fear
conscious loss of puri,y-,he possession Of
foul secret that is to be carried into all socie-
ty, and into all neutrality-suspicious. and
rrmorse, or hat is more than all this, hard
ness. brutality, and the formation of habits
whose only ent; is ruin. NAV not through
fear of giving otiense, enter into all the de-
tails of the debit side of the account. They
may be- found and read rf all men in grave
yards, in hospitals, in bro,hels. IN garrets, in
cellars. in ruined families and ruined hearts
and ruined hopes. Now does the thing
pay?
| have presented only the private side of
this account. and that hut imperfectly. There
is public side. The innumerable paupers
whose life is supported ov the state owe their
pauperism directly or indirectly in three CD
ses ont of four to sehsualitv--to strong drink
-liceniiousness or some form of extrava-
gance that proceeded from devotion 10 SEN
.ual pleasure. Idiots beso,ten in drunken
ness, lunaticS through various forms of sem
Jail and prison like wild beasts. diseased crea-
lures alike loathsnme to themselves and 9TH
ers. crnwded into numberless pes,ilen, hospi-
tas-al these are public burdens imposed
by the sin Of scnsuaii,y. five run through
the whole catalogue of crimes we shall find
them all growing directly or indirectly out of
this comprehensive vice. In fact It may he
said thai all crime with all its Consequences
is but manifestation of the dominence of
sense over reason and conscience.
In this ,iew-and TO one knows better
than its Victims that it is the correct view
sensuality rises into the position of the grca,
scaurse of mankind. 1t is the mo,h.r of dis
ease, the rurst OF crime, the burden of taxa
,ion and the DESTROYER Of souls. Oh, if this
world would rise out of the swamp of sensu-
ality. rank with weeds, and damp with dead
|, vapors-full of ypers. thick with pitfalls
and lnrid with deceptive lights. and stand
upon the secure hei sh,S of virtue " here God :
sun shines, and the winds of heaven breathe
b!andiv and htal,hful'y. how would human
lie hccnme blessed and beautitulo The
great burden Of the world rolled off. how
would it spring forward into grand Career
of prosperity and progress? This change
for the country rests almost entirely with the
Young men Of the country. l, lies with them
more than all other classes to say whether
this country shall descend still lower in its
path to brutality or rise higher than the
standard cf its lof,iest dreams. The devo-
tees of sense themselves have greatly lost
their power for good, and comparatively few
will change their course of life
I Woman will he pure if man will he true.
Young men. this great result alides with
YOU. If YOU could but see how beautiful a
flower grows upon the thorny stalk of self
denial you would give III, plant the honor
it deserves Ii it seem hard and homelv dc.
spise it not. for in it sleeps the beauty of
heaven and the brcsih 0: angels. If YOU dc
not witness the glory of its ilo>soming dur
ing the day of life. its petals will open when
the night of death comes ard gladden. vonr
closing eyes with their marvellous lovclinc>.
and fill vour soul with their grateful per
fume.