The Portland daily press., 1899-07-01
THE OK SERMON.
An ola but striking Discourse Repeated
az henfeet,ns Of the w. Q. T.U.

Il, u. ~ their weekly meeting yesterday
afternoon. and speak upon sofuniqus a
subject as "The Ok Sermon" brought
together an unusually large number Of
W. @. 7. y. members and their friends
Many were the inquiries that were rife
as TO the purport OF the strange theme,
but curiosity gave away to deep interest
as the sermon unfolded itself. 1t was
written many years ago BY writer un-
known TO the present.generstion, but full
Of good ideas that will answer for the
basis Of work In our modern temperance
warfare.
We give 1t In part: 'sAmong the laws
given by the divine Law givsr throug b
Moses TO the jews, was the following:
II an OK gore man or q woman th at
they die, then the or shall be surely
stoned. but the owner of the OK shall be
quit But II the OF were won't to push
with his horn in times past, and ID hath
been testified to his owner, and he hath
not kept him In, but he bath killed man
or a woman the OK shall be stoned and
mis- owner also shall be put to !, death,
Exodeus, 81 $3.50
1.-THE principle of this law is a very
plain one and very broad one, here
applied in specific case but extending
TO ten thousand others. 1t is this. Every
man is responsible to God for the evils
which result from his sel1shness, or his
indifference to the welfare Of others.
ages before this law was given, God
says to Nuah, Your blood of your lives
will require. AT the hand Of every beast
viii I require 10, and &C the hand Of
man.. A stigma shall be fixed upon
man or beast that shall destroy him that
is mnde after the similitude of God. Bnt
why in tie case first supposed is the
owner quit, or quitlessf Simply because
the death is not In any way the result of
his carelessness or of mis- selfishness From
anything within his knowledge be had
no reason to expect such q result But
II the OF had been won't to push with his
horns and he knew IL, he shall be respon-
sible for the consequences whatever they
that mischief would be done, and took
no measure to prevent 1t. And II the OK
kill man or woman the owner hath done
the murder and he shall be put TO death.
Whya The death was the result of his
selflshness or his indifference to the lives
of others, and according to the law of
God his life shall go for 1t. The principle
of this law is principle OF common
sense.
"You Sue . fellow struggling in the
water. You know that he never can
deliver himself. AndSyou know that a
very little assistance. such as you can rem
der win rescue him from q watery grave.
You look on and pass by. True, you did
not thrust him. But he dies by your
neglect His blood will be upon your
head. At the bar Of God and at the
bar of conscience you ara his murderer.
Whys You did not kill him. Neither did
the owner Of the OK lift hand. But he
shall be surely put to death. You had
10 malice, neither had he. You did not
intend his death--at the very most you
did not care. This is just his crime. He
turned loose wild, fiery, ungovernable
animal, knowing him to be such, and
what mischief that animal might do, or
what suffering he might cause, he did not
care. But God held him responsible.
"Every man is responsible for evils
which result from his own sellshness or
indifference to the lives Of men.
sin the trial of the owner of the OK, the
only questions to be asked were these
two: Was the OK won't to push with his
1t when he let him loose:' II both these
questions were answered in the affirma-
tive the owner was responsible for all the
consequences. This is a rule which God
himself has established.
SIS Intoxicating liquor won't. to pro-
dnce misery, and Indebtedness, and death?
Has this bsen testified to by those who
these two things can b. established, the
Inference Is insvitabls--they are RESPONSE
BILE on principle perfectly intelliglble. a
principle recognized an proclaimed and
acted upon by God himself
Turn your attention then to these two
facts: First, Intoxicating liquor Is wont
Ito produce misery; second, those who
make or traffic in it know this.
"Then follow many cases of proof that
| intoAichting Hquor 10 Wout 70 produce
misery, wicked lives. despairing wives,
mothers and children, insane asylums,
penitentaries testifying more strongly
than anght else what that misery means.
| "You take into oognisance all these
facts and ask yourself. Can the regions
of eternal death send forth anything
more deadlyP
Wherever it goes the same cry may be
heard. Lamentation and mourning
and woe; and whatever things are pure
or lovely or venerable. or Of good report
fall before it. These are its effects
Can anysfnan deny that the OK is wont
to push with his hornsf
Second. Has this been testified to the
owuerr' Are the makers and vendors
aware Of Its effectsf The effects are mani-
fest. and they have eyes, ears, and UNDER
standings, as well as others. 5sThey know
that whatever profit they make is at the
expense of human life or comfort; and