Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-07-22
The Miter against the Crown.


WHILE Jebu was driving across the neck of Jez-
ebel and her stem in Samaria, Athaliah was dri-
wing with equal fury across the neck of the house
of David and his system in Jerusalem.
Endowed with all her mothers attractions and
abilities, she developed now all her motherss feroc-
ity and ambition. With Oriental inscriptions
ness she exterminated the seed royal that might
obstruct her reign. The throne of David was
usurped by Gentle idolatress. The crown which
had shOne on the intellectual brow OF Solomon, adj
ded luster to the baleful beauty of a daughter of
Jezebel. DOubly insulting was this to the house of
Davd-for it was the rival blood of the house of
Israel which domineered in her, as we'll as the for
eign blood of the court of Tyre. 1t was as it we're
the coalition of the systems of Baal and OF the son
of Nebat to trample in the dust and sface forever,
the hated system of Moses. For seven years it
was given into her hand to revenge her mothers
overthrow by every species of outrage and indig-
nifty. The temple even came into her power. Her
sons broke down its golden gories; pillaged its
treasures; stole its utensils of gold and silver and
left it desecratcd an ruinous.
1t is a curious problem to attempt to imagine
how the worship went on in those days. What
became of the morning and evening sacrifices? Did
the yearly feasts and solemn festivals 60 on as usu-
al Would such woman permit it? Would
she not make clean sweep, and drive out the whole
LeVitica system with all its ministry and appara-
tusg
Or was there certain point beyond which even
she dared not go? Did she find that that system
had been by its author so curiously contrived, so
inwrought into the very structure Of the nation
that nothing short of the disorganzation of the ma
ton ilself would avail to eradicate the system
And was she at length admonished by such dis
coveres as the most evil natures are constrained
at times to make that in making war on Jehovah
to the utmost she was tearing up the very founda-
tions of her own throne; annihating the very con-
ditions of her own supremacy?
She could have groves and affairs in Jerusalem,
and all over Judah. She could massacre all the
seed of David. She could pillage the temple. She
could discountenance its services, and leave it an
unsightly dismantled wreck. But-she could not
dig down that altar, nor wholly quench its fire.
She could not ohliterate Moriah nor the steps
thereon of Abraham, and of the king of Salem,
thousand years gone by. Nor could she m ddle
with the proud memories of these things, and Of
the days of David, in the heart of the infammable
popuace of the metropolis.
And provideniialy there was a man in the high
priesthood, who knew how to hold the helm in the
hour of blacklist peril Jehoida was true to the
Lord God of mis- fathers, and knew how to avail
himself of every advantage resulting from old u.s.
sociation and patriotic feelings. Eutrenching HIM
self with the house of Aaron in the costers of the
temple, MOriah became TO him a citadel of strength
And when its gates Of brass and gold fell, there
rose about him the invisible gates and bulwarks of
popular sympathy.
He kept the altar fame unquenched. He main
tanned the sacrifices and festivals. He spoke Sc
crct words of pungent power TO the hearts of de-
vout worshippers here and there all through the
realm. In those days the value Of man became
known. The worth of a true worshipper became
appreciable. By the freemasonry of faith all true
believers learned to know each other-and while
the whole nation might have seemed swayed BY
the crowns to idols there shot crystals of true wor
ship hither and thither through and through the
fluid mass-fne, ilmy at first, and invisible, yet
ntcrlac:ng and strengthening day by day, till at
length the mobile element became solid rock of
moral influence. Then the admirable structure of
the system revealed itself Then was tested its
amazing conservative power. Then the relative
bearings of the throne and Of the altar were ex-
permnentally ascertained. 1t was as if God had
chosen out be most diabolical nature, and thrown
the government wholly into her hands, and said,
8 Do your worst! Come in to the heart of the ma
,ion Stand in the very center of public influence.
Weld the whole political power. Now see what