New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-03
THE REVIVAL AND SLAVERY.
A SERMON BY DIR. G. b. CHEEyER.

A SERMON BY DIR. G. b. CHEEVER.
DR.. CHEEvER took "a his text, Psalms Xxi, 4. He
said that he would speak in succession of the elements
of piety; of what this revival demanded and what it
forbade; of the nature Of oppression and its peculiar
and intensest form enc SIM OF the effect OF true
conversion to God the remuneration Of this sin. He
would give come for taking up this matter and
urging it now, and finally speak Of the power of this
sin in blasting the fruits of the revival and destroying
our national usefulness. 1t most remarkable that
this Psalm mostly occupied with the effects of
true piety, the test of true Christianity. When it
came oppression should cease, the poor and needy
should be redeemed from violence and the oppreisor
be torn in pieces One great reason why Christianity
was TO tranple down kings and oppressors was that
kings and oppressors would that it was to trampe
down oppression, and yield to it. The forms OF oppres
zion various and all were shvered by the lightning
of Gods Word; but our national form of oppression
united aud concentrated them all. Concordance
showed the passages in which the Scriptures
enour ced oppre ssion. Dr. Cheever read them. Per
sonal Slavery by God word and the common consent
Of mankind, the greatest possible sim Its aggra-
walton the making of II domestic institution,
turning the family which God meant to be source OF
beppiness into q source of woe. BY the nature OF
Slavery the sacred names of wife, father other son
and daughter become chattezed and the expressions
of value with reference to sale OF Increase Inns vas
ten thousand times than the disorgan cation OF
the family in savage life. We, a nation, had con-
scented to this guilt had entered into the covenant
of unighteousness. Its greatest crime was its effect
truly Christian. The Gospel said I" fe are bought
with price; be ye not the servants of men, for ye
" are Christs freemen.' Beneath master there were
so many obstacles to contend with as - 70 render IL
siby get free, be free. As general rule, every man
is to remain in the calling in which he is called, but
Slavery is such terrible state as to be an exception
1t clear that a revva of true pety would break
pp this sin The moment the masters were converted
they constrained to grant to their slaves that
which the Gospel commended the slave to Obtain he
LII If ~ AZ he free n ae
Christian could not read far in the Word OF God be-
| fore he would find that Slavery was stealing: lie
would find that his mssion wa, to break
every yoke and let the oppressed 20 free.
| lie could rot shield himself under the plea
| that be was living subject to the Roman law;
He would find that it was one OF the marks OF go0d
man that he refused and despsed oppression do
would find it proclaimed it his duty to re,
member them that were bond. He would
find that the justification of Slavery was proof
of the greatest corruptness. And why should not
revival Of true religion have some effect now as then
We had the condemnation Of oppression and OF
wicked laws in support Of it, in Gods word now, as IN
| the days Of Roman Slavery II merchant after
passing through revival, used his influence IN MS
business in favor Of oppression that showed 1t to be
| delusion of Satan and not revival of religion We
were in the midst Of the most glorious revival OF Gods
work which the world had ever seen; aud people SAID
to u.s. "Ths is too sacred to be interrupted by osoach
Gig subject about which there are such different
Opinions. You will grieve the Spirit OF God: But
carry this out apply this to every sin, and the re-
viva would be nothing at all. But now, when zoo
was hearing prayer and converting men by thousan
and the windows OF heaventwere opened and God
angels descending TO u.s. this was the time TO AWAKEN
| men TO their duties. Furthermore revlvatof re-
Lis ion must not be used as sort of wraprascs; as
picture of the Virgin Mary, to scare away reiormers
from loo king into abuses false camp.tres to cover
| the retreat Of the enemy. When whole race was
dehumsnized who but the churches and the mnist rs
| Of Cbret were their keepers! He took the Sabbath
for pro claiming the Word Ct God against this sin, be-
cause the work was Gods work, and the Sabbath was
Gods great day of mercy, and the appointed time for
preaching the Word es Of God against oil s'u' W.
| And we take this time Of revival, because We con-
fess with shame the sin Of the Church. the pulpit and
the ministry in this country 10 that WHILE during
whole Winters session OF our Natona congress- Tue
project Of forcing on Free State the inquty Of
peiual Slavery as constitutional obligation has been
under discussion and al moral as well as poltica
powers have been required in array against II, the
| Churches and the ministry have still been silent; the
| Word of God has been restrained its power has not
been brought TO bear upon this nefarlous scheme az
ell. The Word of God has been kept almost as silent
as il God himself had sent an angel with commission
| TO seal up its thunders under an lnterolet lom
Heaven. On the most momentous and compre aensive
question of right and wrong before God OF equity ana
iniquy CT justice and injustice, that ever came be-
| fore q nation-on the question of defiance against
God ard disregard to his authority of obedience to
him, and of righteousness and mercy to mankind-on
| question Of the claims Of humanity and Of the OPP
pressed from generation to generation and for future
sgss-tte pulpit has been nearly dumb and Gods
| Word which sets the seal OF Gods Reproduction and
wrath this ibiquity, and commands u TO open our
mouth for those drawn to living death beneath II,
| has been bound and not glorifed.
There Is no possible excuse for such silence. In the
Constitution 50 proposed to be enforced upon CHRIS
tan people, there has stood out continually to the
outrage of humanity, the shame Of Christianity, ana
the defiance Of all the sentiments and laws Of freedom
and of charity the central declaration, which Is the
Object and end Of the whole scheme, that property IN
man is the most sacred and unassaisble Of all prop
ery and that the right to such slave and its increase
Is TO be secured forever such property TO the pos
session Of the master and owner. The Word OF God
| ought to have been made to tighten and to burn
against such an enormty. The pulpit, Is the shechi
nah Of Gods holiness the disbursement Ct the divine
reprobation against such Infinite EN- ought TO have
been clothed with robes of judgment and of supplies
his people to march through the land in indignation,
and to thresh such heathenisn in his anger consuming
il with the spirit Of his mouth and the brightness OF
| his coming. 1t was time when burning Goals from
bis altar should have been thrown upon the NATION.
Ard is not yet too late. God is pouring down nis
spirit 20 as to render the scattering OF such coae
douoly effective. God in pouring down his spirit Is
| uying US with the last argument OF mercy ne ever
uses, and Is throwing in the mightiest OF all elements
or the conquest Of this tremendous EVIL ths ietluC
SIN. IL Is falsifed. corrupted rotten Christahlly,
that has taken down this niquity of Slavery IRON Tue
gauows where il was hanging the scorn OF ali man
kind, and has galvanized It's bleaching bones ana SCI
up as the keeper of the Bethesda Of the Gospel the
benevolent missionary agency Of Heaven
lhis fase Christianity rene wing even ,ne sia'e
| trade. true Christianity must revive ana resuscl-
tate the hono' OF men q. It. Il must be cu up " US