Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-06-16

human reason has been common 10 slu1osS all age.
81 nA.lons. Every where in ancient tines It wa.
uns1Sly associated with all saericsl offerings &c
God This, to the ancient Phep;cians. Assvrians
~, te1ans, aod other nations. is we'll known e
Az VINO READ history. It Is affirmed that immedi
a.ely PrsesoIng their stated sacrifices, the Ezyp
'lAns lassee .or several days. The Greeks, who a
you are aware derived their origin. and their n,
structions from Egypt, observed the same solemntv
IN sm1iar manner. At Rome IL was observed hy
emperors, kings, and people, with great .
ity. Numa Pompilius, Julius Cesar Augustus.
Vespasian, and many others. had their rev1,lar 49,
RODS for this service. and never intermtfsd to
any account OF Julian especially il is said that he
was more exact in his facts than the most ascet;c
of his priests. The scrupEl5us attention given bv
modern pagans, 10 services Of this character can.
not have escaped your observation
Sacrifices may remark, we're instituted BY God
himself immediately after the fall of our first pa
| rents They were appointed in connection with
| the promise of q Delivery from ain. who should
save his people by suffering. The design was tc
manifest the character, and work, and perpetuats
i the promise Of Messiah These sacrifices therefore
having been eDjoyned upon the head of our rae
and constantly offered by him, passed into ali na
ticns and are found still prevailing wherever th'
gospel, ANNOUNCING that Christ has long since como
has not been preached. Humiliation, fasting, am
| prayer have ever accompanied them. Therefore
like sacrifices. may safely conclude that this IS
primitive institution of Ged.
But humiliation, fasting and prayer. was a serv-
ice especially eDjoyned upon Israel in the law
| OF Moses. 1t occurred as a regular observance,
| but once in year, and embraced the great day
of Expiation, Is was conducted by the High
Priest with impressive solemnity. On that day the
whole people publicly bowed before God, confessed
their sIns and the sins of the nation and earnestly
sought His forgiveness and blessing Besides this,
however, similar services were held incidentally +,
on more limited scale, whenever the prOvidences
of God seemed TO indicate them az desirable and
proper. Those to which the Jews were called in
our text were of this latter character. Such we're
the laws and usages of the Mosaic Ritual
Under the gospel no specific period for this peeu-
liar service has been instituted. We all familiar
with the doctrine of certain churches in regard TO
the period known as Lent For that observance,
however, there is in the New Testament no autho-
rity whatever. Humiliation fasting and prayer, as
solemn observance, is, nevertheless, approved and
inculeated by our Lord Jesus Christ and his spOs-
ties. When the Pharisees censured our Saviour for
his disregard of these pubic fasts, which custom
had established among the Jews, he answered =
"Can ye make the children Of the brides chamber
fast while the bridegroom is with them? But ire
ferring to HIST own ascension he addsl the days
will come when the bridegroom shall be taken
away from them, and then shall they fast in those
days And instructing his disciples on this sub
Ject, he said in his Sermon on the Mount: when
We fast mot naming any specific time for it. be not
ye the hypOcrites are, of sad eountensnee; for
they dsfgure their faces that they may appear unto
men to fast; verify say unto yOu they have their
reward. But thou when thou fastest, snnOnt thy
head and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto
to, fast, but thy father who is in secret, and
thy father who seeth in seerect shall reward thee
openly" With these instructions agreed perfectly,
and in all respects the personal habits of our Lord
Jesus Christ, himself and the personal habits and
Instructions Of apostolic and primitive christians
AMI churches. They were accustomed On suitable
occasions publicly, well as privately to observe
these solemnities.
From these inspired authorities, and apostolic and
primitive examples, we ascertain definitely, that
while all outward show, for effect, is odious
in the sight of God, yet when chsstened by his pro
vidences, when evils are apprehended, when dan
gers threaten and when pressed as we are now by
perplexity and distress, IL is in accordance with
the divine will that we seek our God by humilia-
ton, fasting, and prayer.
s. Promises numerous and rich encourage the
assurance that thus seeking Him. with sincere and
contrite hearts, God, for Christs sake, will look
with favor and mercy upon us, will hear our pray
ers, will pardon our sins. and will avert any ca
lamities due to us as people.
That these promises may be fulfilled 10 US, il is
evident that in heart well as in form our kumii
a.ion fasting and prayer, must be characterized by
the spirit Of true religion.
In them God must be distinctly and intelligentiy
recognized ss presiding with absolute sovereignty,
over both the evil we depreeate, and the good We
implore.
The hearts of all men are in HIS hands. and He
turns them as the rivers of water turned"
When he would scourge the guilty, he permits the
passions of men to arise, and rage "a devourging
flames. War, civil and national, consumes, desc
lates and destroys, and famine and pestilence com
plete the horrors Of the scene. When he would
bless the penitent and sincere, he mfuses into the
hearts of the people love- friendship, forbearanee
kindness. and peace, and he gives fruitful seasons.
and Joyous health. As God wills, these are dis
tributed among men, and He will be sought unto to
avert the one and bestOw the other. So much at
least is asserted in the Divine Work, In the hand
of the Lord there is q cup, and He poureth out Of
the same. As for the dregs thereof the ungodly Of
the earth shall drink them" This doctrine IS so OBJ
viously that it recognized even by heathens
themselves. Homer, for example, in the last Had.
II quote the version of Pope) represents Achilles
81 addressing Priam thus:
s.TEo urns By Joyes high throne have ever stood,
The source OF evil one, and one Of good
Prem thence the cup Of mortal man he ala,
blessings 10 Theses those distributes Ills
To mos. he minges both the wretch deereed
To taste the bad unnixed. is cursed indeed
If the service of this hour shall be approved,
and blessed of God il is evident that the cause the
promotion of which seek, must be just and
righteous.
a holv God can never be the supporter Of in
iouity and Injustice. Sin and oppression, neV er
can permanently prosper. Dare we, dare any one,
thus solemny approach him, and ask his blessing
upon an iniquitous cause? Surely not. Whether our
cause be lust and righteous is question we have al
ready considered in presenting the reasons for the
observance Of this sOlemnity. 1t need not now be
discussed further. will only add, that, to my mind
nothing be more clear than the right OF people
to establish governments as often as the cOnsttu
tonal forms of the old one, designed for the preser
walton of their liberties in their opinion turned
into instruments of oppression and 1t IS equally
plain that in the exercise OF this right they may
defend themselves against every injury sought to
be inflicted upon them. Without this the self-gOv-
ernment of which we boast is mere Pigment Of
the imagination. And such is our cause
sIs hath this sxtsat more
It must be Just it must be righteous and if L
is approved of God.
To claim. however, the fulfilment of the divine
promise it is further requisite that these services be
charaeted on our part by a contrite spirit, and
hearty recognition, confession and forssking Of all
our sins.
titndinous how criminal are our transgresslOns !.
What woe in the catalogue of human suffering
might not Justly be visited upon us If from the
treasury of his wrath, God should send upon US in
addit on 10 war now commenced, famine and pesti-
lence and worst of all, subJugstiOn to our enemies,
we could not impesch his righteous decision But
if we repent of our SINS and forsake them, God is
merciful and lust to forgive US our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let us then
to-day. in the name and strength Of our great
High Priest who has passed into the Heavens, 'come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace 10 help us in time of need"
lmOenflcQG
ony contradiction in itself, it is more it is horri
BILE mockery Humble yourselves, therefore, I'M
der the mighty hand Of God" Let your secret
heart correspond in all respect with the external
forms of this day, and Gods blessing will be rich
upou US all.
It is proper to state further that to be effective,
these services must, the one hand be character
lied by faith in the promises Of divine mercy, and
on the other by a spirit of submission To the ap-
pointment of God.
Do you believe the promises of God: Are you
prepared cheerfully to scquiesce IN Il ere suit 70
which his providence may bring you He IS fnu
of compassion towards nations as well as indIslo-
uals Upon the repentance Of one as well as tne
other he will pa don and bless them He himself mas
said; cat what instant / shall speak concerning
nation. and concerning kingdom to pluck ., up
and to pull down. and to destroy 1t, II that nSuon
sgsinst whom have pronounced turn from heir
evil viii repent me Of the evil that ! ~ thought
to do unto them And at what instant snsll spesA
Concerning nation and concerning kingdom
70 buiid and to plant it. if it do evil in my sight
that il obey not my voice then will repent s1aI me
~ W. sns S,,-elv commit the destiny of our natl