Spirit of the age., 1861-05-15

4
ing, then-ohl then-it will comfort you
The giant is preparing to wrestle with US; the
oppressor is lifting his foot to put it upon our
necks the cry ofdying martyrs has already
gone up to the everlasting throne.
The tides of emotion moved the people to
| audible sighs, and even tears. The men bent
i forward to catch every woRd, and sobbing
women covered their faces.
i Sweet, tranquil peace continued the ora
tor, has fled from our beloved land. The
butcher, the robber, the unsparing are tread
ing the SOIL Men, look to. your weapons
woman, look to your virtue
God in his mercy help US y murmured an
aged listener
" Help yourselves, r' exclaimed Caldwell.
Help yourselves, repeat, and the God of
the Bible will stand with you. In the day,
and in the night in the battle. and in the
victory, in the sorrow, and in the joy
Z" Amen ~ went from one to another.
:" We have fight he went on to say,
(which none but heroes would dare to under
take fight for that liberty which is born
of God, Snd which is our rightfal Inheritance
Are youyready p Iam.''
He paused, grasped his pistols, ana held
them up to view. After some moments, he
returned them to the desk again. The con-
gregation seemed hardly to breathe, so intense
was the interest
IAN ordained servant of the Almighty, as
am, he remarked, resuming, II bid you to
the field have given you the cup of the
sacrament, and would now place the sword
in every hand The battle is for Christ, and
for freedom Upl-up to the duty of saints
and of mem Have you wives and little
: ones? place them in the keeping of your Faith
er in Heaven. Have you lands and gold !?
Give it all, to hunt the minions of England
) from our shores Be ready, my beloved
people. To arms Ito arms will soon be
! the proclamation from hilltop and valley.
2 Be ready
Then he pronounced fervent prayer 1t
] was as powerful and moving as his sermon.
After hymn, came the usual benediction
1t was now discovered that smoke was
4 penetrating into the church from the front,
I and small retiring-roOm of the minister's
: Fire 7 was called out
Fire Fire!'
There was shout and the galloping of
3 horses heard outside.
, 1.-The tories p cried ALL
7 Fire Within. and devils without I" ex.
claimed Caldwell, rushing from the pulpit
! with the Bible "Secure the guns I"
5 terrible panic ensued. The men sought
| their weapons, and the women and children
t stood screaming, but fearful to move The
d terrors of the fire were hardly worse than
g those from the hardened wretches who had
S kindled it.
S 1t was found that all means of escape from
e the church, by way of the doors, was stopped
S Huge fires of dry wood had been made, and
smoke rolled through the doofnnTs amss and dht
cIaspng tsf ias ebfiidfsssnf bfidssf
l. God will deliver us 7 cried Caldwell,
is coming from the ante-room singeG and
It blackened. "Come, brethren, out by the
: windows, and face these imps of darkness
re Follow ~
Of Pistols in hand, and the Bible under his
: arm, he mounted up to one of the windows.
E He soon broke away the SASH Springng to
n the ground, he was followed by such of the
: men as were armed. No'foe was to be seen
$. In the midst of the preaching and praying,
e the tory desperadoes had silently done their
lie fell work. But it was no part of their pur-
r. pose to face the heroic defenders of these
I'd women and children. They had fed
The women and children were taken out
N at the windows. In great terror, they retir-
ed little distance, and stood melancholy
group. Presently, the men, with their guns
ready in case of surprise, gathered as a
n body-guard about them. The flames, at first,
~ u sent their red tongues out and in one win
u dow, and then another; but famed into
IS greater volume, they shortly enveloped the
u whole building in sheet of fire.
IS The altar of these Christians would soon
i be ashes. Here, where they had been bap-
"a tized where they had sought and found
at their God where there were ten thousand
7 tender and sacred memories-yes, here, the
: vindictive tory had put the frebrand. Nc
+ wonder they watched the progressing con-
a.
ne grief. The minister was the first to speak
l. 1T is good he said, looking from counte
Ill nance TO countenance, for Israel thus tC
suffer- Through these flames, brethren
you shall walk to happy hereafter. Let u
~ pray for our enemies
ne He fell upon his knees, as did all tn
~ others. The flames roared, the sparks wen
III whirling upward in the columns of smoke
"a, and the timbers dropped away with lou
'ss noise. But, above ALL was heard the voic
~ of Caldwell in prayer.
y; The prayer ended. AL the building wa
now gone, except a few tottering, smokin
rs timbers. The pulpit, the familiar pews, th
ne Steeple seen from afar were totally destroyed
t, Nothing but Caldwell's Bible had been say
ed.
ne The people gazed in silence. Anothe
no timber fell, then another. Then, with
n loud crash, all that remained came down.
fo- So, said Caldwell, so shall the wicke
IS. be consumed
ne ne After pause, he continued
;: ''The DEVIL he remarked, has sneceede
IN in burning a temple dedicated to the eve
ie' living God He has sttewn the ashes
'lt, your altar where it was erected for you
Sin pray. Be of good cheer, my people, an
he look you to that greater tenRle-the huma
MS heart There will be burnings and ashes
,cn there will be blood and bleaching bones j
ID the days which are To come. But libert
Ut will arise the more beautiful because OF sol
NE row and tears
"A With another benediction, he suggestt
~ that the people should 60 to their homes
,an - After bidding them farewell, he mounted
M bar horse, and, with the Bible under his arr
non rode away.
ng- The outrage of burning this church caus,
cry widespread indignation. The perpetratol
veil although suspected, could not be brought
hen justice or punishment 1t proved, howev'
his in the hands of Caldwell, circumstance
Yere tremendous power, to rouse up the inha
ega. itants to meet the crisis. At a subseque
period, he preached in the camps, and VIII
rery the battle came, shouldered his musket
e of might be expected, he became more a
be- more obnoxious to, the enemy, and especia
nee to the tories. He was obliged to bear a t