New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-05-08
AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY AN
NAL SERMON.
BY THE REV. HENRY SMITH. D. D,

By THE REV. HENRY SMITH d. d.
The annual in behalf of this Society was de-
verod last evening the Church OF the Puans by the
Rev HENRY SMITH ID. d. President OF Marietta College,
Ohio The text in ID Kings cd Chapter 18th verse:
And .nd cried Ny Father Father the chariot
of Irael. eud the hoFsemsn thereof"
The puport of this apostrophe not TO be mistaken.
twas spontaneous ouburs of grief the language OF Orr
entail panegyrc What then the character OF the man.
Of his departure from earth that stirred the depths OF
emotion, and elected these words of rapurous euogy
What had he done for his country be regarded the
very chariot of Israel and the horseman thereof
He was no military chieitain; he WAS man OF
peace. Was he a second Moses or Lycurgus
who had renovated the Constitution and purged the laws
the land The people the contrary were IN the pos
session Of perfect political code Was ne philosopher
some Plato, OF Aristotle or DOgenes No he was man
of speculation he an artist or poet. What
then his contributions 10 his country He was the
prophet of the living God He prophet not simply be-
the curtain OF the future uped before his Wis
ion; simply because the fire of heaven broke forth at
his bidding; because the clouds poured forth their
precious contents through his suppcaon; not because
The of Jordan parted at the stroke OF his man
lie. These not all the essentials OF a true
prophet. The fundamental idea of true proph;
ct was that he was the depository OF the word
Of Jehovah and authorized to proclaim that word
in the of This the fundamental element Of
the christian ministers he possessed the truth OF God and
was able TO say Thus saith the Lord. He the leg
ale Of heaven the herald of eternal truth the Embassa
dor Of GaOn There was no safety for the individual
soul Ike safety of holiness and humble obedience to
the Word Of God There was no national escueheon be-
meath which the people could M with snch fearless seou
riiy this that Righteousness exaeth nation but SIN
I" is reproach 10 any people Elisha typhed tne pro-
tectng power of the virtue which emanated from the Word
of God guarding the people with force more potent than
forresses. In endeavorng to vindcate the claims OF
the Home Missionary Society he would not at
tempt to justify the parallel between the
Prophets Of Israel and the work of the Christian minis
ter That not essential 70 his purpose. The God
of Israel was the Christians God and the proclamation
OF His word essential 10 the welbeng OF men now
AZ in ancient mes The sentiment, therefore fairly de-
ducbe from the text this: That the truly Christian
pulpit was the strongest national defense. There two
elementary forces OF the Gospel two prime operations OF
Christian truth-he one remedial, and the other COM
pensaory. The regarded the faith Of Christ the
corrective of earthly evil the other regarded II a. the
supplement Of earthly good justification Of the
timent would be found in the power of the pulpit a.
the buwark against widespread and destructive spec
ulatiye and political The question between
the truly Christian pulpit and no pulpit, between
truly Christian prophet and prophet not the ques
ton submitted their decision but between the true pro-
plet and the alse-between pulpit dispensing the word
Of God and pulpit dispensing for that word the doctrine Of
devils. The propensity 10 worship innate IN the human
soul God made man a religious being and ii
sary for seek object of religious worship The
which Hume put into the mouth of the erryman of
the Syx who spilled for extension of his life that he
might the result of labors removing the supersons
OF men, that he could not be permitted 10 wait because II
would take many hundred yearhsd deeper significance
than even the profound skeptc imagined reaching down
to all the profoundest depths of human nature
depths which that philosopher had never sound
Cd Human superstitions in the sense which he
attached the word would be condurng with the e.
sence Of the human The human spirit put forth the
endrs its destiny and the vine chung the oak 80
the spirit Of man wanted God Neglect TO supply that
demand and the principle Of human nature was not al,
tered but would east lis tendrils about the things oil
earth and fancy in them Deity. Il would say 20 me
stock thou art my father, and TO the stone uVu hass
brought forth" Human nature had away, e M.
everywhere demanded prophe'-s9mie nS ~ .esn in
FOUNDER Of the religion Of heaven This ccuu DC seen ~
the whole history Of the wordin the
tan the Christian dispensaon in the religion Oh 10rss