The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-11
Gbt Daily 5reemau.
THONTPELIEEs, VI,
TUESDAY, JUNE II, 1861.
Extract from a Discourse by Rev. w. II.
Lord


We publish below portion of very able
discourse preached by Mr. Lord, in his church
in this village last Sabbath. His text was
Thy shoes shall be iron anu brass and a.
thy days so shall thy strength be. Dc1u. SO 2j.
The sermon needs no commcndation of ours.
1t speaks for itself:
Even the Justice of our cause cannot excmnt
us from most Of the evils of war. 1t should be
our aim to limit, to modify and reduce them
as much as possible, but remove them all we
cannot. The judgments Of heaven include the
Innocent with the guilty. and it is not possible
tor us to ragM our wrongS, without often suffer-
ing as much as to endure them. Bar, never.
theleSs, the crucible burns off the alloy which
it detects and exposes.
| care not to enquire who is responsible for
the evils of the day ; and yet, some stern and
true words should be put before those who have
walked such spirit, and chosen to refer to the
decision Of the sword their professed grievances.
There is a tremendous responsibility incurred
in organizing and in continuing such strife,
and envy not those upon whom rest, in any
degree, such sponsibility-who are or have
been willing to promote the awful hazards, the
enormous crimes, the cruel sutferings, OF con-
aict like that of our days. Nopryate sins will
ever rest upon the soul like those upon him to
whom these evils may be traced. They will be
an everlasting burden upon every heart that is
implicated; upon every spirit that has project
ed, promoted, desired or g|oricd in the dark
and angry desolatious Of human violence. Un-
der that burden would not be willing to rest.
Better lie the manned soldier, the ruined
laborer, the bayonetted child, the dishonored
mother, better endure the whole misery of snch
strife, heapcd up upon one person, it such Il
thing were possible, than lave the ia tai respon-
sibility, in any measure, which lies upon those,
who in wantonncss or houghtlessness, in rash
ness or selfshness, in reckless mscaculations,
or impious treason to all sound principles, nave
been the promoters of the evils which might
have been avoided 10 such, who, person.
ally endure here so small u share of their
mis-dongs, who make places for owls and
bats, where there should he only the singing
OF sweet birds who lift the lid of Pandora 5
box, and let loose all dark and baeful passions,
to sting and destroy human souls, eternity must
find o penalty adequate to the offensc. To
those who have been the cause Of the evils,
then as their day is, so shall their weakness be.
Bat if we share in the evils themselves, without
having sought to bring them on, if we are the
innocent sufferers in troubles promoted by 9TH
ers, then, looking to God, as our day is SO shall
our strength be- God will give US grace to
bear evils, where they are not mixed with the
bitter conscience Of sin. As we walk over
the red hot floor of the furnace which other
hands have heated, our shoes shall be iron and
brass The God of Jeshurun who rdeth upon
the heavens shall be our help, and the Lord of
Hosts shall be the sword of our cxcellcncy.
But what is the character and extent Of the
strength we may obtain? Broad, wide and
deep as may be our necessity, yet to the upright
mind and heart, g its strength shall be as ITS
day." We are now passing through the days
that try mems souls, that test their principle
that reveal their integrity and soundness We
arc going through the tllal places of Christian
faith and morality The ordeal through which
the Nation passes, brings out the hidden char
acter of individuals, communities and Churches.
Here our virtue, our hardihood, our courage,
our loyalty, our Christian thoughts and afec-
tions. our patriotism, our sense of obligation
AMI justice, are all subject to the severest test.
Through every conceivable trial, physical, men
tai and moral, we are to pass. War has sharp
and relentless alchemy. 1t brings out and de-
velops all the latent evil principles and pas
sions, that in times Of peace are restrained and
hushed 1t removes the checks Of 4 salutary
social order, and gives loose rein to whatever
of sin is to be found in man. 1t is the sat
urnaa of evil powers, and gives often u legal
countenance to the widest passions Through
that Turning mari, over that frenzied re-
gion, this Nation is now walking. The war
will enhance and develop all that is really good,
making the truly wise, wiser, and the truly
holy, hoier, the truly sanity, moro like Christ,
and it will also mature all that is really evil, |
making the bad, worse, the mpious, more
profane. By its tests and reagents it purifes
ind builds, and at the same time discrepancies
md destroys Socially, as a people, religious
", as Church, personally as moral and spirit
ia beings, we shall rapidly be made far better
,r far worse in this heated alembic of human
strife, mo which, under the permission of
Providence, we are now cast.
How shall we stand the ties! ! Will the at
nospheric influences Of evil permeate and de-
,troy US, or shall we gain strength from conflict
With them and victory over them? Shall we
ose or extend our Christianity? Shall we
hasten to an absolute ruin, or shall we endure
he test, and come forth purer and brighter
gold? The great, best ends Of life are to be
facilitated or defeated. We are to come forth
stronger and better, OR to be precipitated as base
md irredeenable alloy! Even while our cause
s one that righteous man might rejoice to de-
end even while it has divine and all-human
approval even though our enemies should be
,yerthrown and their enmity forever oblitera.