The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-11-21
Davenport, Nov. 8, 1850.
FAST DAYS.

TX is source OF regret 70 observe, III
this aud in other countries, that when
day of humiliation and player 10 dsemedne.
cesssrv for any calamity. these in auihoti-
is, as well as the holy fathers ot the church,
do not simply designate the day and lis
objects in q few brief and appropriate
words. but a pompous proclamation IS made,
Or long prayer composed, Ia which we
are told that the Col OF lore cad mercy.
whose name should never be mentioned
without. the deepest awe and reverence.
has ssvisited The nations Of the earth" that
in ihe whirlwind Of His .iwratb, thousands
have fallen BY the destroying pestiience,
or by SHE sword of his destroy ing angel,
that the 'spufposes Of his jndgmea, might
be fulfilled
They address the high and mighty God,
architect of heaven and earth, whose mer-
cy is over all, aud entreat him to stay ''the
ferceness o. his anger as il he wero a
miaister of destruction, revengeiui, wrath
fal, and rejoicing in The destruction Of mil
lions Of helpless beings. War arises from
the passions Of men, the result Of human
neutrality-suspicious. from the order OF IN
,ufe and the pecuIisrities Of climate-tam-
Inc from blight, mildew, drought, and their
concomtant evils. live are taught 10 be-
lieye chat these are special judgments oil
the Almighty, ysitatinns are punishment
for sin, well has it been asked, how is il
that the most moral and pious OF Gods
creatures have been swept from the earth,
while he has spared masses OF The most vi
cious, irreiigious, or criminal? IL il is his
divine will to stretch forth his hand and i'm
pregna,e the air we breathe with pesiiiencd
and death, and this is done in wrath" ane
10 "yenGeance," how is it that we appeal
10 the healing art, that we adopt sanitary
regulations, that we carry about US the
medicinal gems which are to cure and 10
save us? 1.-THE '.fesceness,' SO inlpionsly
called, Of Coils divine wrath will not be
stayed, Of what use are all our efforts to
avert the deadly blow? snd il i; is his d.
vine will to arrest the sword Of destruction,
where is the need and requirement Of any
effssrt on our part!
The deadly sin Of all these charges a.
gains. a nercifui God, speaks trumpet
tongued'' against us It is IN love, in ten
derness, in mercy towards us, tina, The Al
mighty requisites the changes of the alnlos-
pierre, which, governed by the order Of IA
ture, strikes down the few while il protects
tho many. We are admonished by The
visitation Of peculiar disease, produced
by atmospheric influence, but developed
and cherished BY local causes, how can il
DO modified. stayed aud arrested We are
told in mercy, by the premonitions Of this
disease, how can il he cheeked--wo are
warned 10 tenderness against da'gencies
which provoke It, and by human agencies
and human skill. We find, ia population
ef half million OF souls. that only five thou
sand are struck from the bao. D. life, and
we call this the "wra,h" and the '.ven-
geance Of God" And yet, ia the midst Of
these yisilations, The PECULIARLY Of The al
lnosphere, and the moisture q the csntln
ned eas,erly winds, have produced abun
dant hnryests, sayed thousands from fam
inc, and arrested The arm Of death through
the visitation Of other diseases, which in
the midst Of choIera. alone preserved the
general health. WHIST right have We 10
Llaspheme the acts an.l the attributes Oh
Almighty God, by ascrhing 10 him iIdg
ments in anger which are ia themselves
acts of mercy and protection.