Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-05-07

aMrm the happiness OF Ill lne ueau- SoHi
of the dead were bad men. Bad men can
not be happy. Good men, and good me
only, can be blessed any where. The tex
does not say that the works-the results {
all labor are blessed. Some kinds Of labo
axe followed by works that curse all con
cerned But it says =" thar labOrs til
labors of those in the Lord, who have Hi
spirit, and do good as lie does Capi
tai VIII you preach from that tex
for NE on Sunday night? May | an
nounce on Sunday morning that you will d
SOP object as general thing to tina
form Of notice. But you may do as yo
think best
The notice was given with assurance tina
the subject would be ably treated. A crow
attended, including liquor sellers with Others
The first part of my discourse evidently in
terested all Great attention was given L
it, The minister seemed much gratihed
The liquor seller seemed to be great,
strengthened in the hope Of being anon.
the blessed. My last argument was, tina
the text commended itself TO the judgmen
and conscience Of all men . not one was 4
be found who dissented from it. ! be.
leave to illustrate it. | am stranger il
/ this place, but it must be a strange place in
/ deed if no man in the Lord, who labored t,
I bless and did bless those around him haC
ever lived and died here. There mus
have been-may be is now some one, who
/ ike Lot, could say d" when the ear heard
me, thsn it blessed me when the eve saw
me, then it gave witness TO me- was eyes
/ 70 the blind, and feet 10 the lame. The
blessing Of Him that was ready to perish
came upon NE ; and | caused the widow
heart to sing for joy
Suppose such a man dies while am here,
and consent to ofhciate at his funeral, on
the condition that all affected by his lators
shall attend. They obey. As the body Is
lowered into the tomb, say Hark voice
from heaven SAYS Blessed l. the dead !;
he rests from his labors and his works do
follow him" Would not the widow, the
fatherless. the poor, the wronged, the OPP
pressed, the mothers, fathers, children,
Young and old, in and out Of the church,
say Amen 1t Is true let my life and
death be ike his?' Would there be one
over that grave denying the truth Of the
text? Not one-n0 not one.
Evidently from the deep emotion and
tears Of many, was bringing up the
memory Of some good man whose laboIs in
the Lord had blessed those around his
grave.
Now let another death occur, and be
called to oifciate insist as before, that all
who had been affected by his labors shall at
tend hi burial They d. 50. lie was an
educated man, and great friend Of public
education. He was wealthy man-gaye
good dinners in his hospitsble, splendid
mansion. He was leading politician-held
honorable office. lie was held in high es-
teen for many proper acts. His character
among his fellow men was regarded as good.
A. he Is being lowered out Of sight Of the
living. exciaim Hark | hear a voice
from heaven, saying, " Blessed IS this liquor
seller. He rests from has labOrs, and his
works do follow him" Would not heaven
and earth, and he'll cry out - Il lsa he?'
Would not the murderer marching TO the
gallows, stopping for moments respite,
say, - Had there been no liquor seller, !
would not have been a murderer - Would
not almost every one from the States prison
say, " Il there had been no liquor seller,
| would not have been here - Would
not the inmates Of the asylum say the same
Would not widows, orphans, many OF them,
i0in in the accusation Would not gray
heads, brought to the grave, mourning for
ruined sons, pronounce the statement false
Tel me. would there be one of the countless
multitudes ruined and made miserable by
this earth-cursing beverage who could be
lieye the voice No, not one. Liquor sellers
labors never yet blessed the earth, and ney-
er Will, and never can. Therefore no voice
from heaven will ever be heard saying that
which no man can believe.
felt that some new views were enter
tanned in reference to liquor selling by the
many who heard ne. | saw that the min
ister never expected that illustration. 1t
gave him some trouble to make the liquor
sellers believe that he did not expect that |
would preach as did. He had no thought
that any such use could be made Of that
text-it was unexpected TO him. fear
he did not succeed in calming their feelings
Probably one reason was that | had preach
ed the truth. He could not do this and if
it We're true, he had to account for it.
Father Hunt, though the weight Of more
than four score years rests upon his head, Is
yet the most bold, active and persistent tenn
perance worker in the Valley. Frequent
visits at his hoSpitabe home, last autumn,
as well as previous acquaintance, showed
this lie i the special guardian Of the
poor and oppressed by tine traffic in the city
Of Wilkesbarre and surroundings Twice
Or thrice during the few days spent with
him was he appealed to for this purpose.
Once by a mother whose husband and son
both had fallen under the power Of the de
husband being in Jail for drunk
enness and disturbance in the streets, and |
The son under summons to appear at the |
police court, for some misdemeanor while |
inder the influence of strong drink. The
mother came to inform Father Hunt, and |
yet him to have the law executed against
hose that had unlawfdlly, and against the
mothers warning, sold her husband and son
he liquor that maddened them. The next
ase was that of hqU0r-seller himself who
ppealed to Father Hunt TO have the law
xecuted against neighbor and brother-li-
uor seller, who was selling without license,
nd thus depriving the frst-a licensed sell
r-of part of tine revenue he had paid
Jr.
Father Hunt has done more TO influence
sgislsti0n and enactment on the subject of
than any other man in Pennsylva-
ia, ifnot in our country, recommending franz
e and advocating laws and statutes for this
urpOse, attending at Washington, Harris
urg, and many other places often, to do so.
lay he be spared yet many days and when
e is taken up may his mantle fall upon others
till this demon is driven from the land
A. D. b.