Newbern weekly progress., 1860-12-04
THURSDAY MORNING, NOV. 30, 1860.
ThauEksgiving Day.

forward to this day as one that they would de-
vote wholly and entirely to humiliation and
prayer? Oh is not this perverse generation !?
Have we not forgotten the God OF our fathers,
and is not His vengeance being visited upon US
as a State as q people and as nation Exam
pies of virtue and godliness are the exception, |
not the general rule; and though boastilg of
our civilization and christian privileges we
stand more in need of bibles and missionaries |
than many of the heather lands for whom our
hypocritical prayers are offered. AS a nation
we have sinned and as a nation, it seems, we
are to be cursed Looki see the funeral pail
which hangs over our national existence and
the hideous darkness which fills the Heavens !
Let us this dsy bow ourselves to the dust, hide
our faces from the light of day and fervently
pray the Ruler of nations to strengthen US in our
great weakness. As people we have sinned
grievously and our repentance must be ferVent
and sincere God win not be always mocked;
Hehas smiled on US as people and nation, but
the gratitude of obedient children has been per-
versely denied Him. and now shafts of His ven
geance are suspended over US and who bat Him
who rides upon the storm and holds the sea in
the hollow of His hand can save us from de-
struction? Let our supplications this day be
no hollow show, our prayers no cold, formal
mockery-but from every heart let the cry go
| up to the fountain ofmercy, Lord have mercy
upon me q sinner.
| In the language of a cotemporary I'VE are
called upon by public authority to devote this
day to humiliation and prayer. The summons
| Of -;c1o
We will be greatly aided in the proper per-
| formance of these solemn duties by clear un-
derstanding of the nature of the movement we
are paeparing to inaugurate We should raise
ourselves to level with the sublime occasion.
We should contemplate its most serious as
poets. The demonstrations already made were
fitting and admirable. But to-day is a Sabbath
throughout this Commonwealth. Let US for
bear all JOYOUS exhibitions. No hurrah should
go out upon the air; let the banners foat but
throw no new one to the breeze till to-norrow's s
sun rises: let the orator be silent that the peo-
pie may hear the voice of the Minister; let us
Law aside our employments, dismiss care, Danish
plans for gain from our thoughts, deny tn e
| flesh its accustomed Delights and accepting
the tunef1l invitation Of the church bells, let
father and son, mother and daughter, old and
Young master and ervant, assemble in the
House of God and prostr ate themselves before
His altars.
This is an occasion for universal humala-
ton We all have snned: and we must ali re-
Dent. WHO of US can stand "ncn God is
angry? Is there one of all our thousands who
would not tremble were the sword shaken over
our land? When 1srel was threatened by a
vast army JFHosAPHAT proclaimed fast
; throughout all .Iudea When the princes OF
the people were informed by JEHAMtu of the ca
lamites that were dccreed against them, they
required all the inhabitants Of Jerusalem t.
humble themselves under the mighty hand oI
God. Fear took hold upon the pagans OF Nine
ven at the hearing Of the terrible denunclatlons
of JONAH, and the contrite king commanded
{ that man and beast should be clothed in sack
CLOTH and ordained rigorousttast and requlr
ed all to offer supplications to the God of th'
] Prophet.
: But we must n OF lose ourselves IN the mul
titude We must not confess as Common
wealth, but as individuals. Personal SIM
y make up the fearful aggregate of national SINS
We are known to the Great Ruler by oul
names, and every transgression is recorded II
that book that will be read in the light OF burn
ing worlds We should call up the iniqutie
we have committed, one by one, and contes
them separately. We should scrutinlze ou
conduct with exact care and exceeding minute
. ness. Even though the cries and tears OF tn
y multitude should turn away the anger OF Coo
if and cause Him to visit US people with I'll
5 bright shining of His countanance, II the olle1
IF ces that have been written against US as md
,r viduals are not blotted out we will be IN n
p wise the better for the general outpourng
r grace and mercy.
2 We only feel the exceeding sinfulness of s
N when our own hearts are throbbing with tn
& anguish it produces. We may engage in COZ
fession of general transgression without dlstu
e. bing the conscience. The words fall from OF
n lips, but there is no sigh and no tear we 81
i, fer our thoughts to be diverted by Ill dong
n of others-by the foul misdeeds of enormo'
S. offenders We think of the swearer, the sa
,e ,s bath breaker, the adulterer, the murdere
10 while our own transgression are entirely owe
e. looked. Our transgressions should be remen
bered, that, moving before our termed hear'
lie we might hear them in thunderous tones sa
to us, ''Thou art the man."
IS single transgression may be the cause
Id dire and universal suffering. A crowd OF ba
If, Beniamanites committed crime that unsheat
w ed the sword against their whole tribe, al
@ the land ran with blood. David number
us the people of Israel, and the pestilence c
sS,
d, voured seventy thousand men-the effects
that one mans sin extended from Dan
~ Beersheba. The army of Israel was discount
'O ed by those whom they were commanded
70 destroy, because the anger Of God had be
ly killed by the pride and avarice af Achan
At Abstinence from food, denying the flesh
y, - wonted pleasures, is not all that is comprehe
RS ded in the duty imposed upon us this da
10 This, indeed, is but the outward expressl
r of an act that, without the cooperation OF
soul. will only be an offence to God There
or no virtue in the sackcloth and the ashes, t