Smyrna times., 1859-12-01

The trebIy hundred trlumphs and the dav
when Brutus made the dagger's edge Surpass
The conquerors sword in bearing fame awav
Alas! for Tully's voice and Virgl's Law,
And Livy's pictured page! But these shall be
! lier resurrection--all beside decay:
Alas for Earth-tor never shall we see
The brightness in her eye she bore when Rome
was free.'
! What has produced this mournful desolation 4
What has ensaved Italy but her idoatrous re.
llglon, whose motto is, Ignorance is the mother
OF devotion ~! And what has given such vigor
to the thought, such life and power to the vir-
tue OF this nlnetecnth century, but the PrOieS.
tGnt JGath which is inspiring 1.-THE faith
which has come down to US from the primitive
church, through the night Of the Middle Ages.
and the fire and smoke of the Reformatioo. and
the bloody Martyrdoms of Smithfeld-tbat pre-
clous faith which is engravcn upon the paoes off
our Bibles and upon the hearts of millions of its
students. That, my brethren, is the glory off
our age, the heritage Of our land, and the safe |
gnard OF our institutions aud our homes Thanks
70 metcliul providence that we were born un-
DER the night OF It's teaching, and in the atmos.
Phere OF us pure, heaven descended holiness
Whatever else we may rejoice in today let lis
net forget this common privilege granted to all
throughout our land-tO read their Bibles and
near OF Saviour crucified for sin. While we
ADMIT That there Is much admixture of heresv
ana lnhdellty pouring in with the food of fnr.
elgners, as we'll as springng up from its native
soil here, still there is less of it than in onv
civilized gOVernment,-more vital Dietv. moro
faithful evangelical preaching, more simplicity
ana earnestness In modes Of worship and eccle |
sastical government than in any other land
ana all this, dear brethren, Notwithstanding re-
liS 'ouS S'oletatlon-notwthsan the fact tha
t,hnrCb 10 ipIo =
this because God has poured out upon our neo. |
pie the spirit of Protestant, Evanrelical fai,L
has blessed the lubors of His servants and
crowned the thousand voluntary agencies of
the Uospel with surprising success How else |
can we account for the fact that in proportion |
10 our population, there are less Pupists. less
lhHuels' than among the same number in anv
ether country There is more domestic han,
Plness-!ess pauperism and beggary-tban in
any other governments of the Earth. That
mere the Sabbath is more sacredy Observed
the mlDIstratlons of the church more renerallv
suPported-and more intelligence. thrift and
prosperity to be found on these shores of the
A'iunuc thah an any east Of theml The an
S"tt 49, because OF our Protestant, Evangelical
iaIth-because of the Divine BLESSING upon It's
diffusion and hence, my brethren. Ict ms ar
knowledge In all humility and gratitude, " lie
nan not deGH so NTH any nation"
anu mere we might pausc-for the time
would lail' to recount all the national advanta
ges conferred upon this people. We migb,
cnuhefate her surprising achievements in the
Arts her munlfcent addition to the Sciences
the world wide extent of her Commerce tho
increasing oPulence of her Literature. the diff
fusion OF knowledge by her systems of public
euucatlon' the multiplication of her libraries ,
anu colieges' and presses, and all the applan
10 h10rfn
US VI 'he highest civilization and refinement
ou' t"lS we cannot more than hint at. Confn. q
lug I ourselves strictly to our text, we have en-
deaVored TO point out three important na-ticn.
lars IN which God has merclfuIlv dis,inrr;shoa {
US above all other natons-in The Kond IEo Los !
Stpen as, an the cirU government undrr ,rLicL :
"e "Ve, and the ride diffusion oCa Protestant !
SVa't9 etcat .JG1M. Oh how thankful shouId Il
''eTy man IN this favored country be for such
are and priceless blessings! How cIoJIy
'hould we unite our hearts and voices in tho
'h'nems OF praise which express the Divine n
5oouness! And yet, dear brethren, how nanv lo
'ccusiohS of gratitude suggest themselves to y
i9' do churcil, as congregation, as commu "
l''y' In our domestic and our personal mcrcies 81
'eI us acknowledge the goodness of God in ie
residing over tho deliberations of our lata u
iohera! ConVentlon-ln preserving our beloved
-loh' at thIs season of distractng political ex "
teInent, from the rancor aud bitterness of mar OF
spirit, ana The Jealousies of local civil inter co
ets 30 IataI 10 the zeal, and charity. and off III
Iehcy ol church. When we consider tho &C.
"tcnt Vi country represented, the diversity of he
P'"tonS' the positive antagonism of political
reeds, and remember, too, where the soat nr re-
onVentIon was-ln the very CAPITAL and co,tro ~, ~;
southern institutions and Southern measures to
-"@V9 We not great cause 10 be thankful - TIN
II local political differences were p,.rooJ o,3 u
fSotten IN the Cannon faith of Christian bro- ~,
e'' ana that rather tIan allow such questions con
sever the bond which unites US as one cburcb
~ :" uhu oouth, we would trust to it as one ~
t"o e''on SeSt INKS IN the chain of historic SIN
lu rational associations that bind ne tor,o,ho.
one people. Let US rejoice and nivo shamta f
the signs Of increased zeal. barmon,, n,'J A
e' Which were manifest in the assembling of ~
lurch of our love VI 'ne con
.~ our oW" prosperous DeIaware, too. let Ms the
,, >, O'Set now many mercies surround us the
o some OF our sister States arc convuIsed ..s I
y" Tue seeming, boiling eruptions of fanat. Sho
'"l' tna' spread desOlation and misery wber. far
CT 1hey how-while loyal Virginia is bor. lad
oSou anu alarmed for the peace and safety of M poi
: i.l'izenS' ana their property been made to As
"T WIN 'ne loren OF the ncendiary-while colo
I"u towns have been brislling with o. OF r
- or 49, 1u "e. forests ringing with the re- fash
II OF the deadly rifle and revolyer-wLilo ,5. ,yh,
Graiy'" " her blood dyed waters murmur far er,
ioWi ana tuH.uItuOus murder ~ sb,1,os a. is ii
alT"-perfect peace and order las. las.
sns through borders; and, instead Of tho sr, sSn,
'.n alarms ans#arlIke dispatches of Distress now
anu angry oihcIals the silver trumpet of Re. asso
ION prOclaims q renpr,l ;uLiIoa - I, N'' colo
Citizens of DnI,woro. ,"i the oIess- broI
div r,,bo. ., -; u"u net happy people prct
- '" 'Heir churches, to their fire. prai
co anu thelr festive tables. like tho cLoeo al b
DPie OF God' with none to hurt nor to destroy most
re let us acknowledge that good Providencc aye ahs
- P'O'cCteu our homes, our DruDpr. tact
ourselves and little ones. On this dav 10, the
humble and hearty Thanksgiving arise from !, ihay
,iy member oil the Commonwealth for such ibo ' +