Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-06-06


! religion, in our parishes and in the hearts {
} our people. The strong impulse that send
! out our young men 70 the field, continues !
! our homes. II tends to make oonimO
] things uninteresting. II would oonoentrat
all the mind on one simple subject. Tn
I concerns of Eternity may even seem out O
place beside IL. The sacredness Of the Lord
Day is in great danger because Of it,
What spiritual desOlation will it not max
if strong barriers be not set up against it +
Who Of you have not felt It's temptation
in the usual reading Of the Scriptures, il
the regular seasons of secret prayer, and il
the devotions Of thehouseholdP Which o
you, my brethren, in the ministry, have no
been conscious of 1t in your preparation
for the pulpit; subjects Of the most vital i'm
portance always, and the more needing L
be urged in such tmes, seeming in & meas
ure out Of place, because not sufficiently IN
unison with the special tension Of the pub
lie mind. If ever there was time when
the most diligent and Watchfui labor Of thu
spiritual husbahdman was needed at home
IN the daily work of his ministry, il is The
present. However plain the duty and right
fulness Of our cause, it is time for Satan 70
!. do his most evil work -it is time for the
world and all the powers Of things seen
and temporal, TO carry all spiritual mind
edness away it is time for the love Of
nancy 10 wax cold, and for the Jealous CO.
operation of christians in good works for
the spread OF the gospel TO grow weary OF
well doing. Ientreat my brethren Of the
lsity, as we'll as of the clergy, to be on the
watch and to witch unto prayer. We want
such home guard in every house and
heart. To every one we would say, keep
thine onw heart with all diligence" (" Take
care Of the seasons for secret prayer, that
! they be not abridged. Shut the door Of your
closet against distracting intrusions from
! present excitemen emit. See that family
prayer is faithfully kept up. In private
and in family worship pour out your hearts
for your country and for those who hold the
helm OF our Government, that God may be
their guide and strength. Pray for peace,
and be ready thankfully TO hail it, as soon as
it can be had consistently with the honor
and welfare of the nation. exhort you,
ministers Of the Gospel, that you labor in
! season, out Of season, The m re the trials
and burdens Of the public mind, the more
important your office. You have in the
treasure committed to you the great conso-
lations, the great motives, the great encenr
| ageInents, the precious medicine fox the
mind in the present needs. Remem Der that
the appropriate subjects for your preaching
! are just those which at all times are the
most important for sinners soon 10 die and
soon to stand atthe judgment seatof Christ.
Be not drawn away from them for the sake
of Ginning in the more with sounds, with
which the ear Of the population is now 80
constantly filed. is Preach the word,'' lust
as you preach it in times Of peace,only with
such applications as present dangers and
trials and duties among your people may
suggest to spiritual mind. As much as
possible keep the war. feeling out of the
Sabbath. Let there be rest from its
exactiOns on that day. Preach no war
sermons. You have probably all said
enough already to make your principles and
position in regard to the present conflict dis
tinctly known. Let it suffice. There will
be no lack of fuel to the flame, for want Of
our sermons to feed it. "Support the weak,
comfort the feeble-minded p-guide the van.
dering keep God, eternity, the salvation of
Christ, Gods law, Gods promises, constantly
before the people. You will thus have enough
to do. Endeavor to have your Sunday schools
Bible classes, and all the parish work 60 on
as usual. They need your special attention
now. If bodies Of troops are quartered near
you, do all you can to promote their spiritu-
al good. There is reason to fear great tri-
al in our missionary operations, unless taere
be special effort of the clergy and people to
maintain them. Let us do all We can, deny
ing ourselves in all o:her departments of ex-
penditure before we deny ourselves the plea
sure Of contributing to the promotion Of the
Gospel and the salvation of men. In all the
trials and troubles, that may be before us, be-
tween this and the joyful day when peace
shalt again smile upon the land, let us patient
ly trust in God, and dc His will. Whatever
the uncertainty before US, one thing we
know: "All things work together for the
good of them that love God n-ior the
good of His church-the final consummation
Of the promises made to it-all currents, all
strife, all convulsions are made coutFibu-
tors to that great end. They loOrk together
for it, surely and constantly, little as we
may see ko10, or l0here, or Io6ence So that,
in the language of the Psalmist, " though
the earth be removed and the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea-" yet
" we will rejoice in God-we will Joy in the
God of our salvation "God is our refuge
Ia very present help" In all such tribu-
lations, "there is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city Of God, -
river of life out of the throne of God and
the Lamb, the course Of which, through the
desert places of this world, no convulsions
can turn aside, aud the fulness of which no
desolatiOns can diminish.
And now, brethren, release your attention
that it may be given to my Right Reverend
Brother, the Assistant Bishop, whoh much
more abundant labors than mine to report,
and for whose efficient services and wise
counsel in the oversight of the Diocese,
am most truly thankful.
- CuAs. P. MOILvA1NE.
On motion of Asst Bishop Bedell com
mittee Of six was appointed, to whom was
referred SO much Of Bishop Mcnvaine's
Address as relates to the duty of the Church
in the present war crisis. The committee
consisted of Drs, Brown, Bronson and Fitch,
and Messrs. John ". Andrews, G. B. God
dard and Bellsmy storer.
Asst Bishop Bedell then proceeded to
deliver his statement of the condition of
various parishes in this diocese. The latter
portion of the address, relating to the in
Auence of the war upon diocesan interests,
we extract 0B
Our reflections naturally turn to consider
what effect viii be produced upon the pros
perity of our Church, by this momentous
struggle for the maintenance of our Consti-
/ tuition, and our National existence, in which
we are now engaged. It is, perhaps, too
early to venture a judgment. A state Of
war would, at the first view, seem very in
imical 70 religious growth. But we are con-
tending only for principles of order and law.
The passions on which most wars feed are
not yet excited beyond restraint; and whilst
we grieve over that singular obliquity Of
reason in a portion of our States, which has
compelled US TO takeup arms in defence of
our national existence, we may love and
pray for our brethren who are opposed to
US. with the same ferYency as ever, and long
the more for peace which shall put an end
to the possibility of fratricidal strife. This
war is an anomaly. The past furnishes no
records, out OF which we may determine the
! effects Of this condition. But when we re-
feet en- the rapid evolution of events, which
are tending 70 the reign of the Prince of
Peace, we can hardly doubt, that however
seemingly untoward, these trials Of our real
Christianity are to form an important ele-
ment in the progress of our Saviour's King
dom. As relates to our own Diocese, I 80