Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-02
OUR DUTY IN PERILous TIMES

OUR DUTY In PERILOUS TIMES
Sabbath before last before a very large con-
gregation, in the church in Asburton Place,
Boston, Rev. DR.. Kirk delivered deeply in
teresting sermon, in allusion partly to the pre-
sent state Of affairs in our country and our du-
ty in relation thereto. The morning lesson,
which preceded it, the ID chapter of Lamen-
tatlons, was very appropriate to the occasion.
DIR. Kirk selected for his text-JoeI, chap
ter II, verses 16 to 1S,-'Blow the trumpet in
Zion, sanctify fast, call solemn assembly !;
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
assemble the elders, gather the children, and
those that suck the breasts let the bridegroom
60 forth out of his chamber, and the bride out
of her closet lie: the priests, the ministers of
the Lord, weep between the porch and the al
tar, and let them say, Spare thy people, o
Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach,
that the heathen should rule over them; where
fore should they say among the people, where
Is their God 2 Then will the Lord be jealous
for his land, and pity his people," Joel's min
istry, he showed in the outset, was mainly
message to guilty people calling them TO re-
pentance-in time of mans degeneracy and
Gods vengeance-s'a day of darkness-gloom-
iness." Our own day he compared to that,
passing thus from the Jewish theocracy to the
American Republic, and he believed we were
called to the same course as was then prescrib-
ed for them.
God had fearful controversy with this na-
ton. as was evidenced in our sins and embar-
easements. And there was q sufficient reason
for the divine indignation against US. To whom
much was given, much was expected. Our
trust was the highest of all committed to na-
tions, and the very denial or ignorance of it
was among our greatest sins.
Ours was from the very beginning, in its We
~ origin a religious history it abounded in
wonderful interventions of providence; ours
was an untrammeIled religion; and position
of security from all the political agitations and
military despotism Of Europe. Ordinary sins
became with aggravated and extraordinary
sins; even as God bore with the heathen of
old, but when the Jew did wrong he became
liable to divine vengeance. We had, if ever
a nation had, holy, inestimable trust for 9th
er nations, for posterity, for mankind. No
people could ever have done so much, from
their circumstances, for the worlds advance
meIt in holiness. Yet where God had looked
for grapes he had found wild grapes-he had
found us boastful, naughty, self-complacent
and independent before him, when we should
have cherished beneyolence and humility, and
looked at ourselves as the almoners Of his
bounty.
But probably our greatest sin, was ourAthe-
l., Il hoI
put the divine being under foot, by not &c
knowledging him in all the affairs of life.
What atrial of God's patience must our con
duct be. But we ought to notice, in the sec
ond place, that His judgments had begun a
mong US. The father Of our country clearly
saw the intention of Providence, and had coun
selied us to live at peace with other nations
having none but peaceable connection witt
them. But God had suffered the contrary t.
take place, and no human sagacity could pre-
dict the result. We were making treaties will
Persia to the satisfaction of Russia and the a
larm of England we were constantly in fric
tion with England, and tempting her, will
France andSpain,t to turn their arms against us
''And in what condition. said DR.. Kirk
f'are our affairs at home A glance at then
is all we may undertake. But two powers arr
now al work in the midst of US. as antaponis
tic, as terrific in their convulsive encounter a
the northwest hurricane rushing down upon
southeastern swell Of the Atlantic Ocean. |
you can to-day strangle Hercules in the cradle
with your feeble hand, the day is coming whe,
no human power can withstand him. 1 won
der that any American citizen should dout
whether we have reached a crisis in advanc
OF all the critical periods of our former history
eeThere lies on the statute-book of each
fifteen Of our States,a peculiar doctrine, ,whic
is expanded into various enactments. Ther
exists at the same time, in the minds of th
majority, probably seven-tenths of the citizeI
of the thirty-one States, belief that that dot
trnc is unsound.
sit will corrupt the community that believe
and practices it; it will corrupt legislation