Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-14
From the Nelo York Herald
The Telegraph and the Church.


A new use for the Atlantic telegraph has
| been discOvered--a new effect of its working
| which probably had never entered into the
| minds OF its projectors or those actively con-
cerned in the work of laying the cable. 1t is
| its utility in spreading the light of the Cos
! pei in diffusing religion, and in concentrating
| praise and prayer to the Almighty. When
| the success of the great enterprise was an
| nounced the other day in the Fulton street
| prayer meeting, several suggestions of this
character were made. One gentleman called
for prayer "that the cable which now unites
two worlds may De blessed as IA new instru-
ment in Gods hands for the diffusion of the
Gospel and for the fastening on of that day
when all hearts shall rejoice in the Saviour"
Another saw in it the means for the fulfilment
of the prophecy that the knowledge of the
Saviour should be communicated TO all the
ends of the earth. The clergyman was aware
that the facility thus provided would be I'M
proved 10y the powers of darkness. which
would be ready to send with lightning speed
iniidelity, pollution, vice and crime; but still,
he prayed that the cable might bind together
these great nations which possess the Bible
and the Gospel. and that the event might be
improved for the spread of true knowledge
and the blessed influences of the Gospel
And that through this instrumentality we
may hear of the outpouings of the spirit, and
that each city may say to its sister city, LET
us go up and pray to the Lord together, and
the response shall be, I'VE will go;' ard as
this great instrumeutality shall circumvent
the globe, nation shall speak to nation and
kingdom to kingdom, from the rising TO the
setting of the sun. III
Another clergyman in the same meeting
claimed the electric telegraph as "a direct
revelation from heaven, narrating the fact
that during all the preliminary processes OF
the invention. Professor Morse made il the
subject of daily prayer; and one OF the gen
tlcmen present suggested that when all the
apparatus was perfected that meeting should
send Christian salutatOn To some similar
meeting in England, 50 rs TO secure a con-
cert of prayer. Finally the congregation
Joined in singing the very appropriate verse-
Wan, wait, ye winds, hs story
AM you, ye waters, roll
Tilt like "A OF glory.
II spreads from pole 70 pole.
But not in this city alone was the event
hoa0red on account of its connection with
religion. IL was announced at the sem-een-
tenual dinner of the Alumni Of the Andover
Theological College, in the presence of about
Thousand guests, including large proper
ton of clergymen. We are told that the news
was received with enthusiastic applause. aud
that Ia honor of the event and acknowledge
ment of it's importance, the doxology was
Immediately suHg and prayer and lnanks-
giving offered, IN Inch the officiating divine,
Rev. DIR. Haws, made use of the expression:-
I'VE have consecrated this new instrument.
81 IA as our agency is concerned, TO the bull
ding up OF the truth
The Importance Of telegraphic commitment
ton between the Old and New Worlds had
been hitherto considered "a commercial, pol.
Iueal, aud social points of view alone We
question If il had ever been considered in the
light OF Its religious elect. This gives il
nes, aud To many the most desirable and i'm
poriant phase. And 80 ali interests. for
eternity well for time, have been pro-
NOTED by this great enterprise and lis sue
cessful termination.