Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-04-03
A SERMON
BY Or. w. n. Washburne Deliver
ed Last Sunday at the N. E.
Chupab

This text is sort of danger signal,
Have you been on the train, moving
along at forty miles an hour, when you
heard blast from the engine, and i'm
medately the grinding of the brakes
against the wheels, and the train came
quickly to a standstill. The engineer
saw red light or red flag or danger
ahead. and without farther orders stopped
his train-he did right-that was the
safe thing to do-and no matter in how
much haste may be, l always wish the
engineer to do that very thing when
ride with him.
This makes one think of Samson, the
finest physical development the world
has known; had seen Samson when he
commenced his downward course, l
would have cried, stop-and if Samson
had needed, he would not have been
blind and weak and bent and enslaved,
before he had lived out half his days.
Often paths that are inviting at the be-
ginning-end in sorrow and disgrace; on
entering upon a course ( life and con-
duct, it is highly proper to inquire how
it ends.
Edgar Allen Poe had one of the bright
est minds this continent has ever known
his foster parents were properly very
proud of him, but at West Point posi-
bly,, he learned to sip the wine-a mere
youth. II someone could have cried,
stop-and he could have obeyed that cry
he would not when scarcely forty years
old, been picked up from the street in
the early morning by the police, after
debauch and in "A few hours was dead.
This book of Proverbs did not origi-
nate from processes Of reasoning. 1t is
not the product of metaphysical inves-
tigation, nor the outcome of phiosophi-
cal study but it is rather the result of
observation, experience and inspiration.
What is the relation of strong drink to
the individual and the community. The
use of wine is prejudicial to health. In
a case of pneumonia, the physician said to
me, if his system was not full of whis-
key-The man died. and in a few
months that physician was taken with
the same disease and died; he was far
from being a teetotaler. The use of
strong drink is prejudicial to morals
said IA policeman of much experience,
and on his way to prison with an ironed
man, II have never taken teelotaler to
prison"
Strong drink certainly produces power
ty-men by the scores, once in comfort
able circumstances, are now lmpoverish-
ed, and homeless, through the use of
strong drink.
The religion of the Christ has no
greater foe than strong drink-youth are
taken from the Sabbath school, members
from the pew, and ministers from the
pulpit. There are two men | will never
forgive, the keepers of Andersonville and
Libby prisons-the nearest | come to
forgiving them is to pray "that God will
deal with them as their sins require. :"
| have always voted with the Republic
cans, sometimes of two evils | have
chosen the least. but | have quarrel
with the republican party, because they
lay so much stress on the revenue from
the liquor traffic. The revenue is large
but if the business is destructive to mans
best interests, why consider the revenue,
why legalze that which is so productive
Of trouble-sorrow, poverty and death
and so prejudcial to happiness, moral
ity and religion. There is no question in
my mind, but that for every dollar re.
ceived by this government as revenue
from the liquor traffic, we pay out for
prisons, asylums and poor houses, ETC.,
two, three and even four dollars.
Those engaged in the traffic are justly
alarmed, because of the almost wholesale
turning of the Southern States TO prohi
bition-and the plea is that the saloon
may be legalized, and the promise is that
it shall be reformed, and that the break
ers of the law shall be put out and a
more respected class put in.
Before the Legislature of New York
last week two ministers spoke for the
legalized saloon, and declared that what
the gentlemen who had spoken against
the saloon had said was not true, that
the Christian church was opposed to the
legalized saloon and mentioned three
churches or denominations that were in
favor of the legalized saloon.
This town has voted No, and may this
town continue to say No. We thus get
in between the saloon-and the boys and
youth. Look not on the wine when it is
red, put it where the boys will not see it,
for it is attractive. Destroy the saloon
and save the boy.
A BOY up in Maine wished to 90 hunt
ing, the father gave him gun, and told
him to come back soon-the boy did not
return. and the father went in search of
him-found his trail, but was Mortified
to discover a panther's track following
the boy's-he hurried forward and soon
found a track at right angles with the
boys track and on examination discover
ed that this was also the boys track, in
his confusion he had crossed his own
track-but there were no panthers tracks
so the father discovered that he was
between the panther and the boy; when
the panther came along the father shot
the panther and then fonnd the boy.
SO we must destroy the saloon, and then
care for the boy.
Our text is in perfect accord with OBJ.
servation and experieDce-"At the last it
biteth like serpent and stingeth like an
! adder -