Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-12-20

brighter still as the reflected lustre Of some new
conversion goes back to glitter on the inscrip'
tiOn Of that conversions human instrument
The door of Heaven is still unclosed, and the
promises of peace are unwithdrawn. Oh, shall
we not thank God, even at midnight, for the
means Of grace and the hope of glory, and his
inestmable love in the redemption OF the world
by our Lord Jesus Christi
And yet again, once more. To him rising at
midnight and looking out upon the sky, is there
not sight of such peculiar splendors as is never
given to him who looks by day Those glitter
ing stars, which in the bold aud hrazen light OF
noon, had hid themselves in the crystal caves OF
tho firmamcnt come forth in all their sparkling
beauty, and flash their lustre down. All the
light OF the past day had only served to make
them invisible. And though by painful descent
into some dark aud deep well, strong-eyed
man might see, perchance, the faint twinklings
of one or two OF the brightest ones; yet 1t is
reserved for him who rises Mt midnight and goes
forth, to see the full magnifcence Of that arch
ing sky, and those corruseating stars.
And, in our midnight, friends, is II not
cause Of Thanksgiving, that, if we will rise up,
aud 20 forth, and look with instructed eyes aud
steady gaze into the very blackness Of the night,
we shall see what stands in place of stars to our
mental vision know the spirit and have
heard the speech which refuses to acknowledge
that there is anything but the profounIest dark
strife, and at last destruction which is stub
bornly ungrateful, and as il refused to recognise
in our prosperity the hand Of God, is equally
unwilling TO see in our adversely the working Of
his Christening love. And though can he sorry
that such feeling should have possession Of
any soul, yet it is no very hard matter TO one
who has heen watching and considering, TO un-
derstand how that disirust of Providence which
hluckened the day time, should lend deeper
gloom to the night. 1t is not hard to fancy how
some false and fsithless heart mny think that IN
spite Of this wonderful opening up Of q new
world to civilization, mud this Proyilential bring
ing in of that noble Pilgrim stock, and this con-
tinual progress through prosperity, and this
wide and vafious sweep Of our domuin, mud this
development of our national industries, aud this
showering down of all physical, aud intellectual,
and spiritual blessings-that in spite Of all this,
| there is lttle to be thankful for. | read indeed
but day ago that n presumptuous preacher n
u neghboring State so openly declared And
see reasons truly, why infidels in Gods care of
US and in Gods purposes concerning us might
so presumptuOusy say. Taking a mere short
sighted, human view Of the matter, there does
seem cause for sorrow and shame, rather than
Joy and nksgiving, in that on ull sides there
are such evidences of some new and strange
dispensation Of Providence towards us:-that
mills are stopped from their usual work and
turned 10 new uses that great merchants are
4 ruined that idle ships Of commerce are rotting
by the silent wharves, and only Navy Yards and
fTigates busy that over all the land you may
see mems hearts failing them for fear; and in
all the air you may behold the red cleaning Of
the bloody banner OF II terrible war.
Aud yet tell you, that when one rises from
the mean and narrow view Of more human
seliishness and poor mortal ignorance, Into the
larger and clearer light Of the Divine vision
these very things, while they are to be prayed
. H.. - IT4.l1t
pleasure, nre yet, nevertheless, 10 be considered
as causes of praise and deepest thanksgiving
for they nre also signs of Gods love.
For WHILE doubtless, 10 n certain extent, ships
and colonies, and cities, and mills, md wide do
maiUs do contribute TO Il nations prosperity ant
power; yet, just as in the physical develope
nent of individual men there comes time wheI
an increase of size is not an increase of strength
aud gives fat instead OF muscle just 70 IN
nations life there may be u point when her ina
terial prosperity shall become only an elemen
of weakness; when, as her physical form grow
greater, her spirit shall sink into slOthlulness
when her courage aud her endurance aud he
primal patlOtis shall he clOked in the flabb
corpuleuoe OF her luxury and pride mud misuse'
, magnifceuce. And then when God has som
great purpose for her performance, he must pre-
pare her for the work, not by dispensatiou G
, more, but by deprivation of what she has. llav
, you not read how boxers train themselves 10
battle? How they by no means gorge overload
ed and dyspeptic stomachs with all manner {
[ delicate meats and spend as many hours
/ possible in lazy lolling on beds of soitest down
= and count every step loss of strength, refusin
/ to make longer journeys than from the couch
i the table, and then back again ;--how that b
4 no means they do thus, hut rather restrict then
4 selves to the painest food, and the simple
drinks, and the hardest cOuches, and tun, an
/ wreste, and leap, and, for hours together, pl
# with their hardest blows great sand bags;
It that with temperate life, and vast exercise, il
: stead of luxury aud slOlh, they may be read
/. when the trial comes be ready through Il
q long hours of some hot md weary morning
Il strike mighty strokes upon the adversary, al
d to receive without loss the storm Of blows whiC
n he returns? | tell you ii is Gods plan, by 6
10 enforced temperance, aud by u aternly con
IA manded exercise which we cannot escape, 70
n prepare this nation OF 0urH for some great pit
e Of His wise Providence in the world. We We
lie growing too large, too proud, too tender, Il
soft and sotbful for the mighty deeds OF 4
n Pilgrim Fathers AMI their Revolutionary son
= And God is rousng us from sleep, and traluil
in us for that greater battle that is coming on 1
A. earth. Let us be thankful for The discipline.
Of Aud while to human view it does setm gre
ID pity that any such question MS this which is nc
hi distracting us should have arisen at oil ;-th
- there should have been even any thought of di
" rupting this splendid Union OF free and christi
1. States, yet, since in this matter Gods though
lie have not been as our thoughts, and lie has se
ir hest that the question should be asked and a
No swered, somehow and sometime then | t
ID much cause for thankfulness to-dny before q
be that it has been asked in just this way, aud
this time.
If. For while it WAS to me and TO every pntrio
is source Of sorrow thnt those misguided brethI
%. OF ours should have passed their causeless u
a .at fla
re was as the putting out of right eye, or
nd cutting off of n right arm, aud as the dashi
at into fragments of the magnificent palace Of Q
en- hones, 10 witness those violent, and yet thl
nd yniu struggles after dissolution and destruotO
ng yet can imagine something much more sorro
he fu than the sight of that frantic impotence.
IL Oh, tell YOU it would have been sndder si(
mt to see the question stirring, not in the hearts
he some disappointed demagogues, but in the hei
of the whole naton;-to see, instead Of 80
a scattered and obscure conventions plotting
lie ruin Of the lAnd, and the blasting of the worl
'k. hope, and the confusion Of Gods purposes
rh instead of them, q gathered and grand cOnV
nj ton of the American People, bent on destroyi
TO- the fabric their fathers blood cements resol'
,or on separating into worthless fragmenisi Diet
we mined blindly aud impiously on the most terri
ive political suicide thnt the world ever witness
DIV Some men who called themselves statesmen
,er thought of some such thing. Let us be thar
he full that Heaven ordered otherwise
,ht Let us be glad also in regard to the partcu
I'M time when the question was sprung upon US.
IN Us rejoice before the Lord to-day that it v
ev not pressed 30 closely in the earlier days Of
sh. republic before the stones Of our national te
1r; pic had time to settle, and the mortar had ii
dle to harden to that solidity and strength which
va bids fair to resist every attack, and stand
inc spite of even that earihquAke-like commot
,sss that now is striving to shake it down. A
h moreover, let us rejoice, that as it did not &C
ind earlier, 80 also 1t was NOT put on 10 later Ill
atic when perchance the gray walls ana Venera
We; towers OF our political eaihoe shouiu naVe 80
"A Naa fap hahfuH