The Ottawa free trader., 1879-04-26
THE TEMPERANCE PULPIT.
Ey pEy. u. G. nAHCuCk,


The Drunkar,i- Maker Described.
lie sitteth in the lurking places of the villages
in the secret places doth he murder the innocent;
his eyes are prlvily set against the poor.
I " He leth in wait secretly rs II lion in his den
he licth in walt To catch the poor; he doth
catch the poor, when he drNwch him into his net.
/ h" He croucheth, and humblcth himself, that the
poor may fall by his strong ones. .'-Ps y $40.
Several Of the Psalms are written IN general
terms, and lave Il general application. This
is one of that class. In it the writer complains
to Jehovah Of the outrageous character and
conduct of the wicked (vcrSos 2-ll9
We have selected our text as peculiarly ap-
plicable TO the liquor dealer But before con
siderng that description Of his c0nduct let us
notice lis hoJacter rs given in verses 2-6.
| FiiSt, lie gets up devices to catch the poor
the ignorant, weak, and detenceless. Second,
He buasteth of his hearts desire and blesseh
the covctous.' He is after money, and those
who make gain the chief end Of lite are men
after his own heart. Nor does he care who
goes down, so he gets his hearts desire" He
openly defends his own wickedness, and i'm
piously blesses God for his unjust gains and
dishonorablc successes. 7hird, He shows that
"God is not in all his thoughts'-i,e., in all
his plans and purposes God is left out. His
whole life says, There is no God" He ut
least shows that "there is no fear of God be-
fore his face" lie may use very smooth words,
and seem very friendly but "Thc words of his
mouth are inlquiy and deceit . He
lcvisc,h mischief upon his bed; he scttcth
himself in IL way that Is not good he abhor
reth not evil" (scc ps NXXv) Such is the
character of rumsellers, as n class, in our day.
No one with the 81 fear of God before his face"
will enter upon or continue in such business
now.
! /. NOTICE THE CONDUCT OF THE RUMsELLER.
/. "He stitch in the lurking places of the
villages" He is like spider watching for
prey. He has fitted up Il place to attract vic
| Tins; but he turks behind screens and bars
and ground glass.
| 3 "In the secret places doth he murder the
innocent; his eyes are prvily set against the
poor" He is Il rohbcr, and sets his eyes on
those whom he thinks he can victimizc and
lrob-viz., "thc innocent" the unwary, "the
poor those without friends and projectors
poor in knowledge and experience, easily
misled.
>. "llc licth in wait secretly, as a hon in his
den; he lietl in wait to catch the poor" He
is crafty and cunning.
4, HE doth catch the poor when he drawcth
him into his net" When he gets the weak ones
to listen to his tiattery, and "come in and take
a lemonade he has caught them. He has
them then, and will not let them 90 till he has
robbed them of money, virtue, and character.
). "fIe croucheth and humbleth himself
that the poor may fall by his strong ones" The
strong ones" by whom the poor fall are the
intoxicants given in exchange for their money
character, and souls--burning spirits, that de
stroys both soul and body in hell.
Thus forcibly does the Psalmist present the
conduct of the liquor-seller He reterates, with
| slight changes Of language, the thought that is
prominent in this graphic description of the
rumsellcr. He sits in lurkingplaces, in secret
places, he ieth in wait secretly, he crouchcth
and humblcth himself, that he may "catch the
poor" in order to rob them, that they may fall
by his strong ones" and thus get IN his power
Oh! the mutitules that have been made to
fall by the strong ones" Of the rumseller. He
may not indulge malicious intentions, but he
knows the awful results of his conduct, and in
the face Of them pursues his course" setteth
hi"$ef in way that Is not good"
H. INFERENTIAL TRUTHS AND DUTIES.
! /. Against such wickcdness the poor, the
weak, the innocent need protection; but, in
stead of getting it. protection Is given to these
vampires, who devote themselves to the bust
ness of numbering the innocent, of drawing the
unwary into their nets that they may suck out
their substance, after which they cast them out
upon society worse than murdered. See the
thousands OF tramps and vagabonds made such
by the llquOr-tratfic and left to perish
:. 1t is horrible that the state should protect
such persons in their dlabolical business. The
money gotten from licenses to sell is blood
money, and when God makes "inquisition for
blood" He Will remember the widow and the
fatherless " He forgetteth not the cry Of the
humble"
3. Every patriot and Christian should free
himself from completely with this awful crime
We mnst protest against it by voice and vote
We should give all the people power to protest
themselves from this great curse.
Finally, we should, like David, pour out our
complaint to God. Why stoadest 7hou ofar
Of, Lord? Why hidest Thou 7hyself in times
Of troublc?" We should do our duty and con
tide in Him as able and willing to bring us
the victory. Let us say, like David
Thou hast seen it for Thou behodest misc.
chief and spite, to requite it with Thy hand: the
poor committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art
the helper of the fathcrlcss.
Break Thou the arm Of the wicked and the evil
man; seek out his wickedncss till Thou find
none"
The other evening, at a little dinner party
one of the guests, the younger brother of an
cll SoI