Smyrna times., 1860-12-13
REV. JULIUS E. GRAMMER.

AHSt'J IAo LAY oSb apart Dy Lne GOV-
ernor as Day Of Thanksgiving, by
REV. JULIUS E. GRAMMER.
God IS our Refuge and Strength-A Very
Present Help in Time Of 1rouble-PsALMs,
46th ch. LIST vs.-These are the words Of hope
aud trust which the Psslmist uttered when
the Church and the Nation were threatened by
their enemies. The particular occasion which
calls them forth seems to have been the dslv-
erance of Israel from the Atsyrian host uader
SenAacharib No instance 10 Sacred History
excites our wonder and praise at the miracu-
lOus power of God, in the preservation of his
people, more profoundly than this. la one
night an army of heather invaders are smtten
by the Angel Of the Lord, and their camp
strewn with " an hundred fourscore and five
thousand" dead men. Without a single
weapon of defence, without the aid of Hebrew
warriors. fighting tor their religion and their
homes, the God of their Nation, with his own
right arm, had gotten them the victory We
may well imagine how their temple echoed the
voice of gratitude and praise for this signal
example of divine help. With what whole
OCNOsIOu tHu6l kuSlt LTIOeS ana IdInllleS
and priests have prolonged the Thanksgiving
hymn of David, "God is our refuge and
IIrength, a very present help in trouble
Therefore will We not fear, though the earth
be removed aud the mountains be carried into
the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and
be troubled, though the mountains shake with
the swelling thereof. The Lord of hosts is
with us-lhe God of Jacob is our refuge. He
msketh wars TO cease unto the end of the
earth; he breaketh the bow aud cutteth the
spear ia sunder. He burneth The chariot in
the ire. Be still aud know that IN God |
wIll be exalted among the esIh'n. | will
be exalted ia The earth" Upon how many
other occasions has the Church and the Nation
had cause to repeat this sacred and inspired
composition! How many inIerpositions of
kind aNd all governing Providence does the
HISTORY of the world and of individual man con.
tain! Surely, this hymn was not written for
the Jew only, but fer all the kindreds of the
earth. Martyrs and Apostles have sung it as
theH pean Of triumph, as they aseended from
fields of slaughter and the dungeon to their
bright reward. This was the song of Luther,
when the thSnders of an angry Pontitf were
hurled to crush him. Though the mighty
mountains of Romish error were being unheav-
ed snd cast into the sea-though Christian Eu.
rope seemed shaken with the swelling waves OF
reforming Truth battling with Error, like a
Columbus Of the Church he quailed not, but
looking to Jesus as his Pilot, the Word of God
as his unerrng cOmpass, he guided man into
new world Of Protestant Liberty, and claimed
for mind the Empire of Truth. His hymn of
praise tor the Church was, "God is in the
mIdst of her; she shall not be moved-God
shall help her and that right early" With
this inspired Psalm would we celebrate the an-
8 H.,
which, tor more than eighty years. the Union
has kept with our God. "He is our refuge
and strength. a very present help in trouble. Z"
What words could better express the hope oil
Christian America at this time! This Is a
time Of trouble. Ia many of the sister States
Of his National Confederacy, flags wave half
masted-the people are bowed i'll humiliation
and fastIng-they are gathered in the solemn
assembly and the grave ecOHVention-the swo orc
Of battle is bra rsndlshed in the sight of threaten
ed cOuntrymen-domestc evils are alternating
the great branches Of this Republican family
and engendering that most implscable of al
hatreds, the hatred Of brothers. Consuming
PassIons are being kindled by the torch Of po
lIticat incendIarles, which, If not smothered
will blaze up into fire that will curse the Lane
from ocean to ocean, and, upon a soil baptIset
with the blood Of patriotism and valor, seattle
the ashes Of smouldering nation, the frag
mente OF crumblIng Institutions, and the ruin
Of once happy ho@es.
Darkness 10 gathering over our Star of En-
pire, aud it pursues it's way IN the political ca
nopy. struggling through clouds and mist
which well nigh conceal it's brightness. Sc
confident seers are already beginning to pre-
die It's eclipse, and to date the reign of civ
anarchy. IL is a time Of trouble. Wise me
are full Of msgiving. The heart OF the Natio
begins to yearn like that OF a parent who's
children plot against and talk offorsaking hin
The strong bonds OF civil union and fratern
affection are yielding in this unnatural stra
spOn the public feeling. and unless pre- judiC
aud sectional jealousy loosen their malicio
held, they will be disrupted and forever. IT
Nation is like a SICK man, (sck with burniT
fever). Its pulse beats fast and strong-i
sysIem indicates the presence of disease
diseased excitement Of the heart and brai
bordering upon delirium and dissolution.
cannot last long. We feel that it suffers fro
an uaheaIthy action of its powers. Ii nee
the soothing aRodyne Of wisdom and model
tion. The medicine oft Constitution cam
purge and relieve this over charged and fever
body, and restore its functions to their unifo
and accustomed yigor. The trouble at &
time 10 not only with the government. II
reached subordinate organization. We see
effects upon corporations, communities and
dlviduals The channels of commerce
blockaded-an embargo is laid upon the p
ducs of the fields, and grievous taxation u
the products of the loom and the forge.
n blsy whee 8 Of mechanical industry are rest
upon their axles--the hasd Of the labore
acknowledgements and dread are stand
like armed sentinels at the Threshold of ba
and coun,ing rolms. of grs0aries aud The M
of hssiness-credit is questioned everywh
and Want IS beginning to stare millions 10
flces with its ghastly features. Who can
scribe the trouble which is now coming u
us, like the waters Of the sea when they
driven by the fury Of the storm.
2. But what are the sources Of this trou
4 Does any f6es like that Of the Assyrisn al