Arkansas intelligencer., 1847-12-25
The substance of an Address delivered to The Cizcs
OF Huntsville on Thanksgiving Day, by the
KEW. ID. l.. SAUNDERS.
Founded on Psalm 65

DteShfen ana friends Of Huntsville with be
coming gratitude and reverence, trust we have
aSseihOied on The present occasion TO make pub
lic' our thanks to God, our Heavenly Father
Tor His divine providence, SO graciously bestowed
IN the extent and abundance of our present nm.
Paralleled harvest. And that we may at once ad
dress ourselves to the task before US, propose &c
shew -
lst. The propriety and obligation of such
thanks.
! I'd. The manner in which our gratitude and
thanks may be expressed.
sd. Some practical reflections
First, then, we remark, that the pivot on which
the prosperity and obligation of our THANKSGIVING
hangs, IS, the reality of special providence
lhhoenty after struggling long and hard to sha Ike
the foundation Of christian religion has pushed ont
platform OF turfy materials middle ground
DnlIh' D' IL received instead OF proving to be the
ROCK OF Zion, would as rotteness, submerge be-
meath the wake of sure destruction. I mean thot
| doctrine OF unbellef, which denies and dstrusts
the special providence of God. and substitute in
Its stead, what is termed, the ph ysica law of mat
ter, or the law of nature.
At single glance, you may perceive the un.
bounded sweap which this doctrine gives to the
adVersares OF religion. 1t cuts asunder the whole
machinery of physical agents. by which Jehovah
as Supreme Arbiter, wields and governs the mora
world His lightning. his thunder. halls. famines
ana Pestllences are willing instruments TO scourge
the guilty nations; are all transferred from the
God that answers by fire, to the mooted God. call
ed natures law.
In this matter, however, we desire to be well
UNDERSTOOD. we by no means discredt the ply
sIcal laws of nature. But, who is nature but M
ture's God Prompt and obedient to his will she
moves on the great mark assigned her neither
ialting or falter'ng in any thing from the finer
nerves and pores of physical functions to the
greater machinery of the planetary system
Both the inner and greater functions of her sphere
are' nevertheless, under the controlling finger of
special providence. But to the proof
he great objection TO q special providence is,
that IT is mysterious. An unering rule of philo.
sophy, however, is that facts which can be well
established, should not be rejected because some
circumstances In connection with them NAV be
mysterious BelshaZzar, in the da VS. of the pro.
phet. saw the hand which wrote the sentence of
the Lord against him. In the fact itself there
was no mystery, no possibility of deception Yet
there were circumstances in connection Herewith
whch, TO HIM, we're entirely mysterious. Hence
be e's,utlsned ;,"shie fIe; wnoiui nrecrfery may
be mysterious.
Again. by facts known, it be made to appear, that
an incident which has transpired could have trans
pred In no other way than that which is alleged
II is proof demonstrative. that it happened al
legged. For instance if bv Known facts it be
made appear that murder which has been COM
mitted, could have happened in no other way than
Dy the hands of the accused, presumptve demon
stration arises that the accused perpetrated it..
We take then, for illustration, the instance now
before us-of fruitful season scarcely equalled
at any time IN our former history that which
may be OF more easy appllcation-a great and
extensive drouth of several years duration. A nd
submit it the consideration of the learned, whe-
ther, or not, the physical laws of nature, philo-
sophcally considered, could of themselves bring
nh nch a Eao,o =.
In succession and then restore the to their
healthful order. Now, it be borne in mind,
that the laws of nature invariably uniform.
That is, the same causes. under similar crcum-
stances, will invariably produce the effects.
With these premises, let inquire into the mat
ter. The planets all have their stated and regular
periods and revolutions. Consequently, famine
from drouth or fruitful season from other eau
ses, need not be expected, except at their stated
periods But should the change once take place,
and the drouth continue several years in success
sion the influences of matter being uniformly the
same the planets being regular In their bearings
upon the earth if one complete period fail, what
hope is there that repetition of the same could
! succeed The clouds are vapors; the driving
winds, the solar and lunar influences, &C., have
all been in exercise during the several successive
seasons; but yet, the '' clouds drop down not in
rain" What hope now can be suspended upon
/ similar resolutions In vain, we think, might we
cut ourselves and cry unto our God-Nature.
| Mark, moreover, the ordinary changes of COM
mon seasons, sudden. rapid and entirely irregular.
Can this be the regular work of nature, conse-
quent upon cause and effect the arguments above
answer that it cannot Our Heavenly Father it
is true, marks tie various changes through and,
by the laws Of nature. But nature is His hand
maid the master of the machine, he touches
the strings. changes the current, or, stills the
whole action according TO the wisdom of his pro-
vidence; but we forbear, we appeal to the Divine
i Revelation.
! The prophet david 2:2D assures us that He
changeth the times and the seasons. Again, one
of His ancient servants COB 5:lO) declares, /" He
gveth rain upon the earth and sendeth water upon
the fields. Again, in lofty diction, Jehovah, him.
self, by his prophet will also command the
clouds thai they rain no more upon it," To-wit
the guilty land. Again, King Solomon, in his in
imitable prayer and suppicalion at the dedication
Of the temple" When Heaven is shut up, and
there is no rain, because they have sinned, &c.
if they pray. Then, he, thou in heaven, &c
; and give rain upon thy land" So, also. in the
language of the text :" Thou vsitest the cart
and waterest it thou preparest Them corn whef
, thou hast provided for it thou crownest the yeal
with thy goodness e...f
Then we find that philosophy, when rightly un