West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-23

| QeSpa1flnS cry OF Une WIDOW Hcdl
those children weep a father slain
view yourself as the author Of all
this; then turn from your cursed
traffic Take up this lifeless, man
gled form, hold it in the face of this
sorrowing woman, these weeping
children, these neighbors, these
friends, these relatives Of this man,
and say, Il did this" confess your
evil, and swear before God and his
angels you will dose no more. Seek
God, if haply he may have mer-
cy upon your soul.
Mr.. Gum was a kind and good
neighbor-industrious and honest
he respected the cause Of religion
his family know his worth. But
alas the tempter held his pathway
the destroyer walked after him,
enticed him. This is terrible work
for men to think about.
AS Antony stood and exhibited
the bloody garments Of Caesar and
called'upon the people of Rome to
avenge his death, so to-day [ exhib-
it to you the mangled, bleeding,
lifeless form Of a neighbor, a friend,
a husband father, and call upon
you to put this evil from your land.
No longer tolerate in your midst
this horrible work. Who are re-
sponsible for this? Shall we say,
the men who have kept and sold
rum? Not wholly so. The commu-
nifty which has connived at this
business, which has given support
and encouragement to such men !;
the Church which has suffered so
much Of this in her own body; the
pastor who has failed to let his
voice be heard in full and absolute
rebuke Of this terrible traffic. The
man who has sold rum, has done it
under the shadow and protection of
the people. Whisky has been
made honorable, by exalting the
drunken, [ cry not against the
man now in this coffin. | am will
ling to throw over his follies the
mantle Of charity: his virtues, for
he had many, I hold up to you for
your imitation, for they are worthy.
He merited our pity and trust God
has shown him mercy.
But who ought to- pity, or who
can pity the men who sold, gave or
tempted him, which is the cause of
all this? John says, 81 saw under
the altar the souls Of them that were
slain for the word Of God, and for
the testimony which they held, and
they cried with loud voice, say
ing, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost Thou not judge and
avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth p So cry the
souls Of them who have been slain
by rum.
We have made a departure from
our text. Who could speak within
the limits Of q text on such an occa-
sion? Who could restrain his
speech in the details of q text when
the murdered lies before him? In
the quiet study Of this discourse, I
trembled at the plainness Of my
thoughts and the sharpness of my
speech but a voice within me said
Speak" How much of life's I'M
certainties are brought about by
rum-by the work Of the saloon
keeper. "Ye know not what shall
be on the morrow" Your husbands
and your sons 90 out from you: you
know not their return. The enc
my dogs their path, he trails them
with the scent of a bloodhound, he
scents their blood from afar, he dis
tends his nostrils and he taketh in
the life of men. Where is safety
while he liveth in the land?
Many would have me conceal the
facts, but they cannot be hid
Faithfulness in my mission and the
duty which God imposes. compel
me to speak. Arouse, every man,
woman and child seek safety-seek
it to-day, for We know not what
shall be on the morrow.
II. The text impresses us with
the Importance of securing great in
terests now.
1st. Is thy soul cared for? Has
heaven been sought and attained?
If not, delay is dangerous-"ye
know not what shall be on the NOR
| / l.