The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-08-10
For the Free Trader
Divine TisiiatiOns.

Divine visitatiOns.
The belief in Divine Nsitations or Special Pro
vileuCea, seems to he a fundamental doctrine in
ali the valious Christpn determinations oi tie
present day,-WithoIt attempting TO investigate
the grounds upon which this belief is based, II
may not he out Of place to examine little into
the objections to such article Of faith, III order
Il possible, 10 Gomez. an evil which appears ~
arise ont Of il.
That the reader msy precisely comprehend
what Is raerL 10y Divine Fisitatian or Special
Providence it may be necessary to give full def
nitOnofits meaning lts this ANY event brought
about through tie direct ins,rumentality ui tie
Almighty, without any reference TO the establish
eel itwS Of cause anl effect, with view Of cor
rectlng 4 certain evil or Of bringing about Ger.
tain amount Of good: rs, fer instance, dcuging
tie world in Consequence Of its snfulness; the vi.
station sent upon Solom and Gomorrah or the
miracles of Christ, which were wrought 10 au.
tbor,cate the Divinity cf his mission; and in
snort, every deviation from the established course
Of nature, is Divine Visitatlon--an independent,
operation Of Divine power In theology the term
Special Providence is defined tn mean favorabls
Visitation of the Lord upon the church; but in
reality there can be no difference between y
special providence and a Divine visitation, for Ell
ther must be a miracle because it is as mpossi.
ble for the laws OF nature TO change az it is for
the same cause in like circumstances TO produce
different effects; therefore, any thing occurring
independent Of tbose laws must be the effect Of
some supernatural cause, and may be termed n
Divine visitation OF special providence.
No one will contend that such means were ret
resorted 10 by the Almighty in the earlier history
uF the human race; and We're even practised up
60 "a ate reriod "a the resurrection Of the Sa-
vio"r Bat the expeiiency Of such means seems
'N..
which may be said to have been only completed
after the death Of oil the Apostles whom he had
endowed with the power Of working miracles
Il IS generally admitted that since the apostles
no rn?n has had tie power Of working miracles;
and 10 every instance where a wonderful feat has
been performed it has either been traced to some
natural cacse or some deception played off by the
performer,
The reason fr this change is obvious: Ire ligh,
which the nncient Jews had respecting their Gre
at0r, and thgy obligations TO Him, was inadequate
to enable them 10 understand lie iu!lncss OF His
law and the iIAmensi;y Of His power. And vhere
we now have the revelations Of the Holy Scrip.
tures, they received ther lish, directly from tie
Creator, Bu. when Chris, came into the world
he revealed % man al that rece ssary for him
10 know in order to secure the salvation Of h;s
soul from sim and consequently, after His ascer
sion The necessity OF miracles-of special inter
ference O, Divine pover-or particular commun
cations Of Divine instruction, no more existed
: for if liay had his work would not have been
finished, q. he declared It was, just before expir
, ns upon the cross; and his mission woSld have
been failure. But, owing to the confidence pla
Ced 10 the perfection Of Christ's redemption, and
/ tie utter ineEpeGIcncy Of displays Of Almighty
/ power, no one Of common understanding, when
! Ge discover anything in the ordinary refine Of
Z events which lie Cgn0ut understand, will be go
stupid as To attl.bl'e It to some supernatural
! cause; for ii he should, lie would, doubtless, le
laughed at aud ridculed by every intelligent per-
SON who should become acquainted with tie ioct
To believe then, at this age in supernatural caus
cs acting upon the affairs ofmen seems more like
trusting IL fiction than on well founded truth
and should he ranSei with belief in ghust stories
/ and tales ui witlhcrsft,
/ In view Of these facts low unpleasant TO q
thinking mind must appear this doctrine Of Divine
ysItutIcns which is daily put forth by the leaders
of the various religious sects TO influence their
/ followers. Scarcely DO sc hear sermon preach
ed where it is not dwelt upon either to console or
Tighten the congregation just rs the case may ie'
/ quwc Il a community is sinful the good preach
/ or cuGcayors to scare them into the worship o!
! God by threatening them with soms terrible ,iS
/ tIt.du ni Divine wrath, instead Of showing them
lh.Nt Nt+lhNs,u kAN.s "lNhtNl.tNff w AbN IVY
course 0f nature they were bringing a serious le.
! tuLuuor upon iheusevur. While good and
moral community Is driven into . slayish obed
. ,Gcc 10 tie will Of God, lrtycry causGlty with
4 Which /. may, in accordance with the progress ci
4 events, be visited; instead Of being gently led
TO love aud adyre lin for His goodness.
Particularly l. i mace the theme Of funeral
! scrnlo1s.--WAle The gi,i q the be,cavcd is al.
most usu,t,rgble, II minister Of the ~ pel will
ascend into the pit ami leaning over tie sacred
pages Of The book Of books, charge them with
some vile sin for which the Almighty, III his
wrath, had thls afflicted thca.
| father tes:ows upon his son the whole volume
os hio love, aud daily he raises his eyes to God
and with parents iyIr0uy implJres the blessings
/ ofheayru to rest upun him but some malignant,
disease ,eacs hold OF lin, and, like thousands md
thousands Of others lie dies The good mas in
/ black comes in and says to the -eepln5 father.
"Bruther, weep not. God has done this. You
loved Your son too much; you forgot the love
you owed to your maker and he has thus afflicted
you 20 bling yon 20 a sense Of your duty. Ho
thu, teaches YOU q lesson not to place your aaec-
ti,us On earthly dirgs but on him alone !"
Again; the duHug Of a mothers heart is taken
by the cold hand of death from the embraces o.
her affections aud laid low in the silent grave;
and while her heart Nrthes in anguish, she is ad'
mOnsAeu 10 beware now sne UestOWs her auec'
lions upon her oIkpiing--that God would not sui.
fer her 10 love :d,m and neglect Him! and that,
instead Of her mourning over her infant, which Is
now in heaven, she had better hc making her
peace with her Maker, lest he send upon hera
still heavier aiGiction
But" says the advocate Of tils doctrine, God
knows what is best for the human family, and
though We cannot understand his ways, he does
NIL thirgs for our good lie took the son from
the ft6cr lest both should be lost; and the infant
from the mothers breast to lead her to see tho
error OF her ways, and eventually bring her to
heaven where she would again meet ler child IN
the form of an angel aud where they could live in
each Others embraces throughout eternity"
To show the death Of this argument, let "a SUP.
pose another case, Here is a large family of
small children they have just arrived IN the
country; their parents are pous. industrious citi'
zens, but poor; having but few friends or &C
ouaintances. they attend to their own bus'ness
aid let every body elses alone. In their humblc
abode they ave all happy, md morning end oven
,n- thew ma, be sccn gathering around The fsrnilv