Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-05-05

New YORK, May q
Mesas. Editors IL have just returned from
DR.. Cheever's church. The subject of his dis.
course this evening was the revival and its rela-
ton to slavery. The large building was complete
y filled. Never before have l lound my ideal of
the preaching of the old prophets and reformers
realized but in the denunciations hurled against
the monster iniquity, slavery, was brought vivid
ly to mind the bold front Of Knox or Gran
mer. He raked down unceremonously that pety
which holds in bondage four millions of slaves,
and makes merchandise of brothers, sisters, chill
dren-that nondescript, anomalous slayehodipg
Christianity, which passes current in some por
tons Of our country. 1t was the most scratching.
whitening rebuke OF this blatant, insolent, gigan
tic iniquityto which have ever listened. Well
may he be called the Isaiah of the modern pulpit
commit few ideas and expressions to paper
hut do not you sappose they convey any idea Of
the discourse, which lasted over two hours They
are mere fragments. Talk about backbone of
men at the North, and subservency of the pulpit
TO popular sins the lustre of one example for the
right like DR.. Cheever is enough to lume the
whole land. He said the effect of a revival of
true religion would be to break up this bondage
forever. The moment the slave is converted it is
his duty to seek for freedom. The moment the
master is converted it is his duty to confer on his
seek The first Gospel command is tc free them
from bondage and pay them their wages The
Bible cannot be read far, whether we begin at
Moses or the prophets, without finding out that
holding men slaves is man-stealnp Why
should not revival operate on the same sin and
in the same way as in olden times The revival
of religion, If it be Gods work, reprobates and
casts out this iniquity-it must redeem the Oh.
pressed from the system Of deceit and violence by
which they have been sacrificed to Moioch But
fhVOpv heir ina
in the church to sanction the sin OF saveholding
such fruits show it to be Satan's work yea. self
ish, sympathetic delusion. 1t is a subject on
which many at this time would like to nail IN
the way, and not allow Of its being spoken of in
the pulpit. Bat we cannot safely keep silent for
any length Of time. They say why intrude This
subject in the midst of revval-wait until this
work is oVer-the work Of gathering souls to
| Christ is too sacred to bring this in 1t is be-
cause we are in the midst Of revival that this Il
introduced, 1t is impossible to speak TO men eff,
! iectually when they are in a sound sleep /; when
4 they are awake is the time to speak to them But
suppose you apply the same reasoning to every
other sin, then the revival Of religion would be too
sacred thing TO allow the rebuke OF any mi
| guilty.
Are we sure that in the midst of a revival Il IS
| our duty to remember those in bonds as bound
with them : Tits the time 20 fash the tight Of
Gods word on the enormity of slavery when a
whole race of our common humanity are stricken
color and birth, mo rights which the white man
| is bound to respect" We take Gods day for
this work. in preference to any other, because Il
is Gods missionary work. He alluded to the sin
| of attempting to force slavery on a State. made
| the last Winter at Washington, saving that there
had been no possible excuse for the silence of the
church and clergy on this subject. II was time
when il seemed as though burning Goals from the
| altar Of God should have been thrown on the peo-
| pie for he would ask it, in the history of man
kind, was there ever anything recorded like this
iniquityi The false Christianity thar would sus-
| tain this wckednees is even reviving the slave
trade and raising up hideous public sentiment
| to sustain it.
III said that II we do not exclude this subject
II will exclude hearing. But God is not limited
| by the Tract Society for the promulgation of His
truth. They say, buy our tracts. and you may
sell your slaves but by all means buy our tracts
| II you preach Gods word in opposition to this
sin, you will drive away the people. You must
be silent in regard to this sin, as to get hear
ing you must have popularity. at all events. II
| II cannot be obtained BY preaching against SIM it
must be secured by being silent But Christiani-
ty is not Of such a nature that il can shake hands
with such an iniquity as oppression.
He alluded to the case recently decided IN ref
erence to the right Of a colored person TO ride in
| apublie conveyance, and dashed his congrega-
ton, because there had been no protest against
| this tyranny. saaM
Bat / cannot pretend even to give you a report
| Of the principal points. The services closed with
the appropriate paraphrase Of the 72d Psalm:
f" He comes TO break oppressons rod.
WE To set the captive free" 40. a.AM