The liquor dealer will not hesitate to collect the debts of the drunkard from his suffering family, and will take the very necessaries from the home to pay the drink bill of the deceased husband and father. What is it to him if the children of the dead starve? He looks upon them as debased and ignorant creatures, who have been abused, kicked about, and degraded; and he has no care for their welfare. But the God that rules in the heavens has not lost sight of the first cause or the least effect of the inexpressible misery and debasement that have come upon the drunkard and his family. The ledger of heaven contains every item of the history. The world and the church may unite in eulogizing the man who has tempted the appetite, and answered the craving of the appetite he has helped to create; they may look with a smile upon him who has helped to debase a man who was formed in the image of God, until that image is virtually effaced; but God looks with a frown upon him, and writes his condemnation in the ledger of death. The world may have approval for the man who has gained wealth by degrading the human soul, by leading him down step by step in the path of shame and degradation; but God notes it all, and renders a just judgment. He may be termed by the world a good business man; but the Lord says, "Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; that saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. Shalt thou reign, because thou closeth thyself in cedar?

Spiritushandleren vil ikke nøle med at indsamle gælden af drankeren, fra hans lidende familie, og vil tage selv det nødvendigste fra hjemmet til at betale spiritus regningen af den afdøde ægtemand og far. Hvad betyder det for ham om børnene af den døde sulter? Han ser på dem som lave og uvidende skabninger, der har været misbrugt, sparket, og nedværdiget og han bekymrer sig ikke for deres velfærd. Men den Gud der hersker i Himlene har ikke tabt synet af den første årsag eller den mindste effekt af den uudtrykkelige misere og fornedrelse, der er kommet på drankeren og hans familie. Himlens hovedbog indeholder et hvert emne af historien. Verden og kirken kan være enige om at lovprise manden, som har vækket appetitten og tilfredsstillet kravet, han har været med til at skabe; de kan se smilende til den, der har medvirket til at forsimple et menneske, der blev skabt i Guds billede, indtil dette billede faktisk er udslettet men Gud ser vredt til ham og indfører hans domfældelse i dødens bog. Verden kan have anerkendt, at den mand der har vundet rigdom ved at nedværdige den menneskelige sjæl, ved at lede ham ned trin for trin på vejen af skam og nedværdigelse; men Gud noterer det hele, og giver en retfærdig dom. Han kan af verden være regnet som en god forretningsmand, men Herren siger: “Ve ham, der bygger hus uden retfærd, sale uden ret, lader landsmand trælle for intet, ej giver ham løn, som siger: "Jeg bygger mig et rummeligt hus med luftige sale," som hugger sig vinduer ud, klæder væg med cedertræ og maler det rødt. Er du konge, fordi du brammer med cedertræ?”