Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-05-01

men are as thoroughly convinced they
ought to be masters, as their conduct
could possibly prove they were con-
yinced that they ought not to be slaves.
Those conditions OF mankind which are
alleged to resemble most nearly the con-
ditlon claimed to be natural to man, are
the very conditions in which seryitude, in
some form or other, is the most spontane-
Gus and complete; and it is in conditions
Of advanced civilization tina. the extreme
for ms of servitude gradually expire, un-
less some peculiar element in the state of
society opposes an insuperable barrier to
Its extinction. 1t takes nothing from this
boardIesS testimony, to afsert that the
dreary conclusion il establishes is contrary
to the reason, the impulses and beliefs of
: for if the assertion were true,
1t only shows that maklnd cannot be.
what mankind asserts, desires, and be-
lleves 1t should be. And the more desc
late the conviction th1s begCtten may be
the more are we compelled to look for
the mitigation of human servitude-nOt
to revolutions based on our notions of the
Law of Nature, but the wise and temper
ate ame.loation o! existing institutions,
under the influence of the love of God
And the more all other rules Of law and
Judgement fail us, the more ought we t.
feel obliged to submit ourselves t.
the guidance of God, in matters which
concern US so nearly as these now do
What remains, therefore, is to consider the
question Of humble servtude in the light
of divine revelation.
1. 1t is in the Word Of God that thi,
great problem is completely solved. Ilu.
man servituic. in all its forms. is one of
the badges oI the fallen condition of the
human race, and every incident
of it. that Rgg avate3 any palticu ar
form OF it, or that auLments the severity
OF all the form Of it from the very lightest
to the very heaviest, is separate uroof
that our natural condition is one of sin
and misery. And whatever revolt there
may be in human nature against any form
or servitude, is kind of testimony to Il q
original freedom in which man was crea-
ted in the image Of God, and to the re-
naming susceptibility ofthe depraved ma.
ture to be restored while the utter ina.
biIlty OF the race to escape this part Of its
deploraJle condition, show how deeply
the grounds and reasons of that condition
are laid in its nature. fallen race. ly,
ing under the wrath Of God and the con.
demration Of his holy law-but having
his promise Of deliverance even in this
lito and Of immortal blessednesa in a bet
ter life to come is making way, in this
condition Of probation, through the ages
AMI across the earth. The accu llulated
experience OF the entire existence
of the race, and the up;form
course of divine providence, and the eX.
plcit declarations of Gods Word, show us
in the clearest manner, that the career Of
such a race, in such state, and yet undoY
such a probation. must necessarily eXhib-
it much tGat Is, so to speak, unavoidably
utciitH to such case in some respects al
levaIing and in some respects agglavat-
ing its ordinary, average condition. War
is inevitable; sometimes in its result nlo>
rious and blessed, sometimes frghtful in
all its issues but war, So far from being
of itself, and to all who engage in it either
Just or sinful, is often atrociou and often
amongst the highest duties OF mankind.
Sickness is the product Of Gods lust sen.
tence of death npoE our sinful race, and
is of itself temporal evil covering the
whole earth yet it is often made an un
spelkahle blessing, and no one venture,
to say is of itself sinful, Sorrow ana af
Fiction are brought on us in Vulnerable
forms, and from every quarter and offer
, by means Of our truest, and nobest, ant
wisest impulses in e3ery instance the,
are incidents CT sin, direct or remote, bu
perhaps not in one instance OF a million
d. 81. Il |. Ia n
and its conSeqent suffering, is Of itself ont
OF the direst and most universal caami
ties Of manklud and yet it is the paren
of many of our highest virtues and attain
ments-and so tar from being sirful o.
itself, is the subject of raany of the mos
tender an urgent provisions both of tn,
law Of God and the Gospel Of Christ
is to this great class of incidents of the ac-
b, tual conditions o. our race, that human
servtude in all its forms belongs. Evis.
ting, like all we have named, AMI multi
tudes besides, because our condition j
iu-t what it is-a condition of sin an
misery in state OF probation wrou ]
inevitably, in some form or other, in til,
bosom o. such condition modified in
definitely, by every circumstance that af.
fGClS any cons uetaOle portion OF the race
but utterly incapable Of being permanent
|, and universally abolished, while ou
race continues in state of sin and mis-
cry, attended with probation 1t seem
to Us as absurd to call the relation Of mas
ter aud servant lin any form Of seryitudc
sinful OF i.seif, or to expect the relation T.
cease upon earth ; a, it is TO call the reIa
tiol between a sick man and a well one
an afflicted man and happy man, ric
man and poor one, sinful of itself, Q
except either of them TO come to an enc
, And this, it seems to us, is the simple til
, rational and the scriptural account of hl
man servitude in all its possible aspect
, and in its essential nature in the sight {
/ God.
5. five acknowledge the sacred Scrip
turos to bo the divine rule ofour faith an
our practice, there ought to be an end t
all extreme opinions, and all violent pre-
ceeliugs, en- this entire subject. Flol
the days OF Abraham, TO the death of til
!