New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-06

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cur snuness and misery do they not teach us the press
ing necessity that under to prepare to meet
tr d in peece
Thee indeed are not new lessons bat prone to
forget higher duties and most important interests
Lat need ~ have line upon lh0 prece oD preceP
Our Lord ara Mas;cr while he condemns the sent
mtIi that then prevailed that extraordinary suffering was
the evidence OF extraordinary guilt certainly di coacede
that mems SuferIgs Of divine appointment and that
thay do indicate our sinfalness.
In harmony with all tie other parts If divine revelation
Jous Ihst dses here teach the doctrine OF God prov
iCenCe.
Those cruel blades of the Roman soiieSs were indeed
welded by human hands and directed by tie proud spin,
Of human inhibition, but behind al those Immediate causes
lay alotker power permitting and experimenting directly
ell and yet perfectly free from all the snfuness thsi ia
herd in those human actions and dwel, in those human
passions That tower in Slaam, the Immediate ealse of
Ia crash have been detected was the ignorance of
the architect it the carelesness OF the builder or the
victims themselves may have been blamed for their reck
ssress in exposing themselves 10 the danger but behind
all these there the III OF God exercised in omnipo
tenCe directed by infinite wisdom. Il the will OF God
that that tower should fall it the viii OF God that
those eighteen human beings should then and there be
crushed.
There was the operation of natural cause. there may
have been gross blame but still there proper sense
in which il was the will of God. the act of God
On this point Of Gods universal Providence the Holy
Scriptures more explicit
The whole of the O4h psalm is beautiful description
Of God proydental OF his creatures We read that
God "wOIketh ali things after the counsel OF his will
His own explicit affirmation is 81 God and there is
none like declaring the end from the beginning and
from ancient times the things that yet done say
ing my council shall stand and will do all my pleasure
And aeein rs there evil calamity in the city. and the
LORD hath not done it, And again, what says
Teacher from heaven Are not two sparrows sold for
farhing and one Of them shall not fall to the ground
without your Fathers notice There are those who
ready 10 acknowledge that God exercises general super
Itedence the world but do not admit his agency and
hardly his notice in minute events But 10 this view there
two objections ls dshonors God in representing
him either Indifferent to the happiness Of his
Incapable of attending to the infinite miauta of events
But before the infinite God comparisons and proper
tions sink nothing In his sight the greatest insight
fcan and too small TO attract his notice
his regard Thus heros truth although in another view
there is gross error in these lines OF one Of poets
"To Him hish. low, great, small
lie ieeh be bounds connects and equals all
lie d with equal eye, Is God II all,
A Ss'' p g'r ,sc,o .. mp I'I [6S b i,
And a bubble burst and world
The second objection to this theory that Gods hand is
only in hat deem great and important events that it
involves absurdity This great event which deem
worthy OF Gods inerposon has grown out of thousand
trifng evens and inextricaby connected with them
How then can this important event DO the OBJ ject of
God providence while he utterly indifferent to these
minute events that lead TO it, II is il should say
that the matchmaker intent upon accomplishing
tain Of the hands Of the watch but was nlider
the movements OF the wheels. II God regards the
great fruit bearing must he DO! have regarded the
tiny root ON which that tree grew
In the Accomplishment OF his purposes God he's
infinite variety of means. Some may seem puny and
insgnfc but what is there trivial that God may
not make il the e1ocutisner of his vengeance the
minister Of his blessing single spark may enkindle
city, an arrow drawn OF venture, or wretehed worm
may miie the pride of naughty king and change the
Gessnes Of an empire Most ee that human life is the
object Of Divine Providence but what an infinite va
rity OF agencies does il depend and how apparently in
significant do many of them appear Naught so vast IN
Gture nGugbt insignificant that on il may not depend
the question of life death The earthquake that swal
lows pp city, the unseen masma borne on the wings OF
tie wind ne insect in whose pathway follows famine are
all the servants of God
The single spark of fire which kndles the forest and
the lightning which in the twiakng OF an eye smte' its
victim, alike do the bidding of Jehovah.
In regard, then to the melancholy event here among
us, may We not truly say it the hand of God r.
But says one, we not trace here the operation OF
saws another Was the result of human careless
nesst IL there not blame and guilt resting somewhere
However answer these questions, stall say III was
"the hand of God
Suppose there in operation that the svent
perfectly natural these laws of nature some self
existent power operating without Gods knowledge indie
pendent Of his will
We do not deny that God works by means bu, al
firm that without his energy there power in
The proper and fixed connection Of and effect pro-
dued this result but suppose it had pleased the Al
mighty to direct another course ofevont II il easy for
us with limited faculties TO think of thousand cir
cumsances by any VI which the dreadful result might
have been ayerted But if is possible for to imagine
these prevenyes how easy il would have been for the
Almighty to have nterposed something by which the
catastrophe might have been prevented.
Even granting that there is blame in the matter, still
cling to the principle that Gods hand is in such events
Ii had pleased him he could have prevented it, if had
been his pleasure those seventeen would yet have
been living among us.
In regard n alleged cupability in this matter,
feel that this not the place to pass sentence My master
refused to Judge and | wish to initiate his example.
But whatever may be the conclusions to which we may
individually arrive this subject let us bear in mind two
three facts perfectly natural that at such time
strong feelings should be excited and that they should be
expressed in strong language 1t is to be expected that
culated perhaps without the intention Of doing !
wrong Let u, beware how we found our opin
opah faEA fha ~ uAr j
We are bound carefully consider the asceained facts
AZ ain let remember that by law Of very nature
persons long engaged in any employment however dan
gerous may be, become accustomed 10 il as to lose
their Of the danger and thus thrown of their
guard Now while this certainly does not
lessness, it Ought to lead US to judge charitebly.
Caresssness indeed criminal God has wisely placed
universe OF law that by the exercise Of proper wis
dow may the happiness that results from ODE
diencs 10 law.
Gods providence does not appear in the suspension of
his law but the accomplishment Of his purposes in the
natural operations of his laws physicsl and moral True
consists the knowledge OF these laws ana IN
conformity to them.
But with our present powers shall always be liable
to contingencies that Did not anticipate so that We may
rejoice that God has not le ourselves but that
have bis assurance that the steps Of good MAJ are or
dersd by the Lord and that all things work together for
good to them than love GOD We have not his assurance
ed that the path by which he may please 10 lead
shal be always smsoih path there may be hills Of diff
fcsy, there may be slOugbs Of despond there may be
valleys Of gocm-but the end thereof shal be psee
Life 10 journey TO the best Of mena journey of
tolls and sorrow but to such lie 10 homeward and
the language OF his faith Is;
MY Fathers house on high:
Home o. soul how
At times ~ faiths lOressspg sys
Thy golden satss appear"
But the life that Is, is life Of discipline. Our ig
noraroe the Of many of suerinss and these
eYIeriences Of sorrow admontiOns to warn us lis
happy thing that God does govern this world by liked
laws: thus wisdom is rewarded and folly is punished
us there is furnished us basis which may resi-
our heres and construct plans Yet how well do we