Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-04-29
EXTRACTS FROM THE OK SERMON
BY REV. DAVID MERRILL.

BY REV. DAVID MERRILL
Among the laws given by the Divine LaEgivs
through Moses TO the Jews, was the following
I ''lf an OK gore an man or a woman that the
1 die, then the OF shall be stoned-but the owne
shall I've quit But if the Ok 1ere troHt to gus
with his horn in time past, and it hath been tes
tiied to his owner. and he hath not kep
him in, but he hath killed a man or woman
the OK shall be stoned, and his owner also shal
| be put TO death. Exodus, NxI, %, -
The principle OF this law is very plain one
I and very broad one-here applied in a specif
case. but extending 10 ten thousand others 1
is ,his. Every man is responsible to God for th'
evils which result from MS seihshness, or his in
! difference to the welfare OF others.
/ The principle Of this law is a principle 0
| common sense. Every man Is respon-
I sible for evils which result from his own selfish.
ness or indifference to the lives Of men In Other
words, 10 make a man responsible for results. if
Is not necessary 10 prove that he has malice. OF
that he intended the results. The highwayman
bad no malice against him he robs and murders
nor does he desire his death, but his money. and
# he csn get the money be does not care. And
he robs and murders because he loves himself
and does not care FOR others; acting ia different
way. but on the same selfish principle with the
Is he held responsible.
In the trial Of the owner Of the OK, the only
questions 10 be asked were these two Was the
Ok ironf 10 push with his horn in time past Did
the owner tR0ir II when he let him loose II
both these questions were answered ia the ai-
irmatiye, tine owner was responsible ior all the
consequences. This is a rule which God himself
has established.
!. Is Intoxicating Liquor wont 20 produce
misery and Wretchedne,s, and death las this
been testified TO those who make and deal in It as
a BEVERAGE Ifthese two thin.s can he csiab-
lishei, the inference = iueyitable-they arc res
ponsible on principle perfectly ineligible, \
principle recognised and proclaimed, and acted
upon by God himself
Turn then your attention q these two facts
!. intoxicating liquor IS wont 60 produce
misery.
:. rho-e who make or traffic in ii know tins.
The greatest wretcheiness which human ma
ture in the world is called to endure. IS connect
ed with the use OF nehriatug drink There is
nothing else that degrades and iehsses man like
t-nothing 30 mean that ia drunkarl vii not
stOop 10 it-nothing too base i0r him 20 d. 10
obtain his iayoriie drink. Nothing else So siuss
the whole man-so completely destroys, not on
ly all moral principle. but an self-r.-pect all
regard 10 character, all shame, all human feel
ing The drunkard can break out from every
kind of endearing connection and break over
every kind Of restraint; So completely extinct Is
human feeling, thai he can he drunk Al the fun
eral Of his dearest relative. sni call for drink 10
the last accents Of expiring nature.
Now look At human being. whom Col has
made for noble u,poses and endowed with mo-
be faculties, degraded, disrracei. polluted. un-
So f.y- -.
the centre Of circle-couut up MS Influence IN
his family and hs neighborhoci-the wretched-
ness he endures. aud the wretcheiness he causes
count W he tears Of 2 wretchei wife who
curses the day Of her espousal-, and If wretched
children who curse the dsv Of their birth. To
all this positive evil which intoxicating liquor
has caused, add the happiness which but for II
this family might have enjoyed and ccmmuni-
Gated. 60 through a neighborhood or town
in this way. count up all the misery which fol-
lows in the trsin If intoxicating liquor, and You
will be ready 10 ask, can the regions Of eternal
desth send forth any thing more deadly Nher-
ever he goes the same cry may be hearl-la-
mentsiion, and mourning, and wo; and what
ever things are pure, or lovely, or venerable, or
of good report, fall before II. These are IT. e.
fect- Can any man deny that "the OK i wont
TO push with his horn -
are the makers and venders aware Of its effects
The effects are manifest, and they have eyes.
ears and understanding rs vel rs others.
" i'll be say that he is not responsible, and
like Cain ask, "Am | my brothers. keeper -
The OK was wont to push with his horn. and ne
knew it; and for little paltry gain he let him
loose and God viii support his law by holding
him responsible for the consequences.
But common excuse IS that "verv little Of
cur manufacture Is used in the neighborhool
we send il of And are its effects any less
deadly In this way You avoid seeing the ef-
fects, and poison strangers instead of neighbors.
What would you say 10 a man who trafei IN
clothes infected with the smallpox or cholera,
and who would say by way of apology, that he
sent them off, he did not sell any in the neigh
borhood Good man, he is willinz 10 send lis
eases and death all abroad but he IS too kiud
hearted to expose MS neighbors. Would YOU no
say to him. 'syou may send them of The eve
God goes with them, and al the misery which
they cause viii be charged TO you" 80 We say
to the man who sends of his intoxicating IL
quOr.
'But if do not make it or traffic in it, some
body else will What sin or crime can not be
excused in this wsy, know offs plot 70 rob
NY neighbor; If do not plumber him somebody
else will Is it privilege to bear the RESPONSE
bility Of sending abroad pestilence and misery
and death "Our cause IS going down." said
Judas, ''snd price IS set upon the head Of our
Master, and if do not be,ray him somebody
else will And why may not as well pocket
the money as another %
Says another, "I wish il was banshed from
the earth. But then what can do" What
can you do, You can keep one man clear; you
can wash your hands Of this wretehed business.
"A co. do
reliance can be placed on your good wishes
The days of ignorance on this subject have pass
ed by; every man acts with his eyes open.
Look at the shop and company Of the retailer.
There he stands in the midst of dissipation, sur
rounded by ths most degraded and filthy of hu-
man beings, in the last stages Of earthly wretch
einess Hrs business is 70 kindle strife, to en-
courage profanity, 10 excite every evil passion.
to destroy all salutary fears, 10 remove every
restraint, and to produce a recklessness that re-
cards neither God nor man. And how often
in the providence Of God Is be given over to
drink his own poison, and 20 become the most
wretched Of his wretchei company. Who can
behold an instance Of this kind without feeling
that God is Just. "He sank down INTO the pit
which he made, in the net which he bid IS his
own foot taken"
Another will say, II neither make nor trathc
II
As YOUR influence supports It and gives il cur
rency. so far are you pstaker Of its evil deeds.
If YOU lend your influence TO make the path Of
ruin respectable, or vii not help to ailix dis
grace u the path. God will not hold you guilt
le-s You can not innocently stand aside aud
do nothing.
\ deadly poison is circulating over the land
It's victims are Of every class; aud however wide
-he difference in fortune, education. intellect, 1t
brings them to the same dead level. An effort
has been made to stay the plague, aud success
~urpassing all expectation has crowned the ef-
fort. still the plague RACES to an immense ex-
tent What will every good citizen dc, VIII
he not clear his house, his shop, Ms premises Of
IL. VIII he not take every pre;autiCn 10 defend
hin.-sli against il. and Use his influence and his
,.xcr,ious TO diminish it's circulation and thus
diminish human misery; fhe fears God or re-
CARDS man, can he stop short at this , 81 sPeak
as unto wise men judge ye what say