Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1862-12-23
SpurgeOn ON American Slavery
and the Lancashire distress.

in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, on
Sunday, 9th November, Mr.. SpurgcOn,
in regard to the suffering operatives,
said, Remember that their poverty is
no fault of their own. They are not
brought to it 10y excess of meats or
drinks. They are not reduced to it
by riot or disorder. 1t is not idle
ness it is not a willul strike against
the masters. 1t is utterly unavoiJa
Bile ; and here, therefore. it is the
right place for benevolencc to dis
play itself. The Egyptian hieroglyph
for charity is very suggestive. 1t is
a naked child giving honey to a bee
which has lost its wings. Notice, it
is child-we should give in meek.
ness, and not for show. 1t is child
feeding a bee not a drouc, but one
that will work bee that has lost lis
wings one therefore, who has lost its
poNcr to supply Itself: a picture
before yoI Of those martyrs and con
fessors of industry whose cause |
plead to-day. \ bee that has lost lis
wings, makes its appeal for 4 little
honey TO every childllkc heart here TO-
day, and they who are true to God
will MOI refuse it their aid. Rcmcm
Der, too, that the cause of this suffer
ing is a national sin-sin Of slavery.
We have not yet passed the third Gen,
Grafton, and upon a nation God visits
sin to the third and fourth genera
ton. We have rid ourselves. at last,
of this accurScd stain, so far as our
Government is concerned We are,
therefore, delivered from any fear in
future on that ground !: bat still, il
slavery bc now III America, We must
remember that it would not have been
there if it had not been carried there,
and we are partners in guilt. More
over, there has been too much wiuking
ut slavery amongst the merchants Of
Manchester and Liverpool. There
has not been that abhOrfcnce Of the
evil which should have been, and
therefore it is just in the providence
of God that when America is cut with
the sword We should be made to smart
with the rod. If the Lord is pleased
10 smite our nation in one particular
place, vet we must remember that it
is meant for US all. Let us all bear
the inlliction as our trihulatiOn, and
let us chcerfully take up the burden,
for it is but li;tlc one compared with
what our sins might have brought
npon US. Better, far, for US TO have
famine, than war. From all Nilwar,
and all the desperate wickedness
which it involves, good Lord, deliver
US and if thoa smitcst Us as thOu hast
done, it is better TO fall into the hand
Of God than into the hand Of man. |
must also refresh your memories with
the fact Of the patient endurance Of
those who have been called 10 suffer.
There was never upon earth a noblcr
spectacle than that of these men sui
fcring so frightfully with their wives
and children, and yet enduring it 50
patiently. If ever there was a case
IN which human ears must hc opened
10 hear the cry of woe, this Is It. II
You and had our wives and children
starving, and had nothing but the
charity of the parish, and the little
relief Of the committees, making only
some Onc-and-fourpcncc or Onc-and-
sixpence head TO live upon for q
week, | am afraid we should begin to
think that We could re-adiust the ma
chincry OF Government Or it might
happen, that, if We saw bread, amd
could not get it, We might break in
the window, or do some unrightcous
act TO take away another man prop
crty. They suffer well, brethren and
we DO not we'll unless We help them.
Moreover, remember how widely
yurcad is this distress. | know too
many of my dear hearers are often
brought to as great poverty as the
operatives in Lancashire ; bu' then,
you have some little help sometimes
the church can give it at other times
some friend, not quite so badly off as
YOU are, will help you. Bat there, If
n poor man wants a loaf, he can not
get Of the tradesman even on credit,
for the tradcSman has no power TO
give him credit. Nor can these peO-
pie borrow of their neighbOrs, for
where all are equally destitute, one
can not help another. Even the
churches fail TO do what they would
wish to do. In the case Of one dear
brother, late a student in our college,
to whom we constantly send supplies
week by week, and who maintains a
class of some forty young women, and
in answer to the cry Of faith has found
all the means, | hope 10 aid him by
this collection OF to-day. The dis
tress is not only with the poor, now.
but with those q little above them.
and God only knowcth TO what cNtcut
it must 20 unless in His gracious
providence lie by some means or
other bringeth supply Of cotton, that
they may once again bc at work.
Wherefore need | urge you. my hear
ers? feel that you are ready, now
TO assist these suffering ones. Let
YOUR own gratitude 10 God move yoG.
plo-Sn1 lao God that NOu have NOT