The Hartford herald., 1880-04-21
THE MSEI.I.Eu.

The following lines We're written by
Rev. q. III. Hays, now Presiding Elder
of this district NJ. L. Church South,
when i'm charge of this circuit in 1866.
The lines first appeared in the Guiding
Star" paper edited 10y Hartford Lodge,
|. o. q. T. 1t first appeared in print in
the Temperance .ifrOcufe, published in
1867 by Rev L. +. Richey. by request
we reproduce it,.
Bold defer OF Gods law, with mans consent.
Is he who gets, not earns, his daily bread
BY traffic, In the death -ladened poison rent
BY man, from tortured natures dread decay,
With deepest woes of others still content,
II only he can stem lifrs current strong,
Like hungry vultures, ever keen to scent
And pounce upon the prey that daily throngS
His vcstibuie of Death.
No thought of death, or of eternal things,
Dweils in his Inind or In his conscience rings.
No thought Of happiness besides his own
Was ever in his wretched bosom born
Or, if born, at once twas banishcd far away
AS though he were immortal and could stay
Forever here, and with his iil-got gain,
BE happy and escape the dreadful pain
Awaiting him in hell.
III man by his Creator will be brought
TO judgment, and for every idle thought,
In that dread day, to strict account be held
BY Him from whose creative hand he fell
o! what must be the doom of him who stands
Midway twixt life and death, with out
stretched hands,
To snatch, from worse than orphaned chill
tlren, bread
ard-earned by him. who now is worse than
dead.
A victim of his sins.
Who, blind himself to every interest dear,
Would fain, To all his blindness make appear
Clear sighted wisdom, born of reason high.
Gods laws to spurn, his judgment to defy,
And, wreckless of his own and others veal,
His heart as adamant, his conscience, steel
He drives his trade OF death To every door,
And like the leach for blood, his cry is more
More money and more ,rOe.
II the inexorable law of Heaven,
Eorbids that life eternal shall be given
To his victim, in yOn bright world SO fair,
And all admit they do not enter there
What must be his doom whose success in trade
is rightly measured by the drunkar,i's made.
By orphans tears, and anguished widows
And other woes, that follow I'm his trail
Too numerous to be named.
sure even handed justice hath not mere,
In providential dealings, made appear
The crime enormous, OF his deadly trade
no present penalty on him is laid,
For daring disregard of laws divine,
In putting to his neighbors' lips the wine
Which, moving mocks and mocks but To
betray
In paths of drunkenness, to lead the way
quite on the verge of ruin.
Nor have the laws, by man himself devised
10 mete out even justice, yet sufficed,
Else he who reaps the profits, would endure
The penalty of crimes by him made sure,
BY paying fines and suffering prison pains
Of gloomy dungeons and their clankins
And If 'twere possible, the very throes
OF the demoniac's madness as II goes,
With hurried yellings by.
Alas! twas either not designed, or man
Too feeble Is, in intellect, TO plan
The government, of man by laws that bind,
In equity and justice, all is kind,
For here, q law in equity not known
The man, who of his property is shorn,
And robbed, by laws, of reasons exercise
Is heavy fined or in prison lies
To eXpiate his crimes.
While he who, tempting robbed him of his
means
BY legal documents from justic screens
Himself, eXulting, i'm his fiendish joy,
That he's engaged i'll government employ.
Yes-who the thought can bear? An agent he
OpcidUy, employed whom now you see;
With practiced hand, as Satan's surest guide
Throws wide, the door OF Desolation's tide
TO drown your dearest sons!
shall he, who thus deiies the laws of God
And here escapes the vengeance of His rud,
In that dread day with common sinners share
The doom of death and blackneSs of despair
Or shall the fires OF death intenser burn,
And black despair To denser darkness turn,
While mocking friends, on earth his warmeSt
friends
Shall echo back the fruitless prayer he sends,
To Heaven alas too late.
And shall the law itself-designed for good
To helpless orphanage, and widowhoOd
Its teeming thousands add from hour To hour.
BY succoring him with legal power?
oh horrid thought !stupendous wickedness.
That monstrous law, tO license crime like
this
Enough to make the angels blush
For man, and cause the praising hosts to hush
In silence to behold.