The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-01 00:00:00

ST. PETER'S, WALWORTH.

The Rev. F. Statham made a very aripropriate ad-
dress from Psalm 18, and verse 29 :—" For by thee I
have run through a troop ; and by my God I have leaped
over a wall." Mr. Statham's sermon was almost exclu-
sively devoted to the war, and, while acknowledging the
reasons which the nation had for thanksgiving, he treated
the subject, on religious grounds, as exhibiting the re-
tribution of God for offences against the Scripture and
against nations. After quoting from the Psalms in re-
ference to the victories obtained by David and Saul, Mr.
Statham referred to the glorious victories obtained by
the allies since the commencement of the war, which had
been crowned by the possession of Sebastopol. He al-
luded to the perils and 'privations encountered by the
allied troops. Notwithstanding all these, our noble army
had held the enemy in check under the most adverse
circumstances, and, in concert with our allies, had ob-
tained a brilliant but most dearly-bought victory. There
was, therefore, a just reason for the thanksgiving of that
day, not for one, but for a series of victories, ending with
the downfall of the celebrated fortress, the stronghold of
the Russians. Our allies had there planted their victo-
rious and unsullied standard. He trusted, however,
that although we had cause for rejoicing, no feeling of
rancour would mingle with it. While we rejoiced, we
could not but sigh also for the brave hearts who had
purchased glorious victories with their blood. The rev.
gentleman then traced the progress of the war, and men-
tioned the various victories which the allies had obtained
in the Crimea, deploring the awful waste of human life
which bad occurred through the reckless ambition of the
late Czar. The loss of life was almost beyond calcula-
tion. It would seem, however, as if God had determined
to punish the crime. The massacre of Sinope had met
with signal retribution. All the admirals engaged in it,
and indeed all concerned in- the foul and dastardly act,
had since succumbed. He (Mr. S.) had never doubted
the eventual success of the allies, and we were not only
successful, but God had punished the wrong-doers.
While, however, he deprecated any vindictive feeling,
he (Mr. S.) felt that be should not be doing his duty if he
did not refer to the retribution with which the offence of
the great culprit bad been visited. Success had always
been on the side of the allies. The Russians had lost both
their fleet and their army. They had been defeated in
the Baltic, the Black Sea, and in the Crimea. Their
last stronghold in the Crimea, which bad cost the Rus-
sians more than 7,000,0001., was now in the hands of
the allies. The Emperor, as was reported, had said he
would not sue for peace ; but if this were so, he would
be compelled by further reverses to agree to terms. God
appeared to have some gieat design in view in permit-
ting this despotism on the part of Russia, and perhaps
it would lead to the freedom of her serfP, and perhaps to
the freedom Ortfie Phica 'and the Hungarians. The
friendship of France and England bad been cemented,
and some smaller Sta4s,had claimed to have a voice
among nations. The rev. gentleman, in conclusion, ad-
verted to the reasons which existed foe thanksgiving,
not only for the successes .wh-!ch we had achieved, but
for the blessings and advantages which, those successes
would bring in their train.. .