The Portland daily press., 1862-11-04

Who died at Chambersburg, Pa, Oct 18th,
from wounds received in the battle of Anti
etam, delivered in the Baptist Church in
Yarmouth, Oct. 25th, by Rev. CHARLES F.
FOSTER, Pastor.
TEXT There is no discharge in that war.
[Ecc viii s.
We live il a sorrowful day. The quiet en-
joyment of the flreside is broken by the sound
of weeping. Mourning hearts fill the land.
We go forth in the morning hopeful; We re-
turn at night bowed down with grief; for a
great shadow has swept across our path. The
news of sudden disaster reaches us, and our
hopes are dashed in moment. Such has been
the experience of many hearts,-of many
households during the past twelvemonth.-
All this is the result of strife. 1t is with us
the fruit of astern necessity which has driven
the strong and vigorous but beloved ones of
our homes to the conflict with wicked and
desperate foe.
War is, in its best aspect, calamity to be
dreaded, and to be avoided if possible by eve
ry means consistent with regard for justice,
truth and order. II is to be reckoned as the
greatest curse which has fallen upon the ma
tions Of the earth since the dawn of history
And though the Bible has exhibited the plans
ofcampaigns and the pictures of conflicts under
the superintendence of Jehovah Himself, and
though the sacred writings imply the necessity
of strife so long as error and injustice seek to
obtain the mastery over the true and the right,
yet war is an evil, curse, and Judgment up
on our people. In this light is it presented by
the inspired historian, when he records David's
sin in numbering his host, and the sad conse-
quences of the act. Three forms of chastise-
ment were offered to the SHINING king, from
which he might select; either seven years of
famine, or three months Of disastrous fighting,
or three days of pestilence. Even the warrior
was daunted at the thought of that devastation
which must attend repeated defeat, and he
chose rather to fall directly into the hands of
God.
War, existing as necessity on our part, and
also as Divine judgment we believe, is now
upon us. Looking over the face of our strick-
en- land at the disorder in our public, our
business, and our domestic interests, gazing
with tender hearts at the sight before US, OF
the wasted strength and beauty of manhood
and remembering that this is but a repetition
of the wo of many whose horizon has been sud
denly darkened at MONDAY, we cannot help
referring to those words of the Psalmist, ex-
pressive of deep humility under the Divine
chastisements, come, behold the works of the
Lord, what desolations He hath made in the
earth!'
Yet brighter day is hoped for. This state
of things cannot last forever Peace. with the
blessings of a free and Christian government,
and the reunion of these States, rises in pleas
ing prospect before u.s. to he fully realized
when the chastisement of war shall have been
sufficiently endured. When Jehovah shall have
seen that We pentently and trustlully seek His
face, and that the purposes of discipline are
accomplished, then will He doubtless with
draw the scourge. For He too, maketh wars
to cease unto the end of the earth; He break
eth the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder
He burneth the chariot in the fire. Yes, in
this war, dreadful as it seems, there uM be a
discharge. The welcome shout shall ring
through the land, 1.-The arm of the foe is brok
en-, the giant head of the rebellion is in the
dust, and peace with her attendant blessings
returns to us again. God grant that this time
shall speedily approach, when the loved ones
shall come back to our homes, freed from the
obligations under which they are now placed
in the arduous defence Of our country
But, beloved, there is a war; in which ther,
is no discharge. The wise man has most graph
icaly inserted the illustration of the text. III,
here alludes to that event which must befal
all mankind. He likens death to a struggle il
which every one of us is compelled to partici
pate. The illustration, no doubt, covers th'
idea Of the apprehension as we'll as that of th
final realization of the event. Man is a frai
being. Born with perishable organization
which needs to be watched and guarded a
every point, the whole of his life may be re
garded as an attempt to ward off the approach
OF death. There are multitudes, who all thei
lifetime are subject TO bondage through fear
and even those who are apparently the mos
dauntless or indifferent, are nevertheless care
ful to shun the path where danger turks. Th
appropriateness of the figure of the text is a
once manifest, when death is viewed in il
true light, as retribution. As a penalty for sir
it is an all-controlling evil. 1t is part of th
original curse SO manifest in its character. tina
men would escape it if they could. The ide