Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-09

! shat The outward form mas not been duly OBJ
served. Now. what has been the result? Has
| il been al il vain that we have thus
| waited ur1u God in the way OF his
| own appointment? And ara we obliged
t, look up tp Heaven this day and
say, with the ancient few, "where'ure
nave we tasted and thou seest not?-
| Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and
.hnu ta;cst no knowledge" Doubtless, my
hcarcr.. complaint thus unqualified would
no, lie warranted by the facts of the case
| For if there lie n proposition susceptible of
| moral nroof, it is thas God has prospcrcd us.
| Never did people enter upon great struss-
s!n under greater disadvantages, yet never
| did anv people sustain themselves with more
signal ability; and surely those who believe
| shat the Lord rcigneth, must admit that bus
Gr His blessing, the result would have been
! d iierent.' We cannnt, therefore, takc up the
| complaint Of the Jew in all iis extent. We
| dare not say God has not heard our cry and
| that lie has taken no notice of our humiliation.
And yes, my brethren, VIC ell feel that the
answer to our appeal has not, by any means,
met the full desire Of our hearts. We sigh
fr independence and peace; but besicgcd as
we are. by SEA- and land, yea, tn large exi
| tent. Ovcrrun Ivy cur enemies. and living in
cGrStant draal Of more extensive and run"us
| iuvns;r,S. it would seem Us if the yoke Of the
| nprrrSsor was unhrnkcn and the day of an hen
orlbc rcaco still far distant Under the ia
! yoring providence Of God we have had sue
r"s-e. enough to prove the greatness of our
| strength. and the impossibiiry of our suhlu-
ra'inri but still tremendous war is upon Our'
| hands. Of which We seem not TO sec the begin
ming of the end So that whilst through Gods
! mercy rur enemies have not swallowed us up
qn,r vet thcY have laid upon us 4 burden
which already presses with fearful power, and
whose weight increases with every rising and
| setting sun. Whit, therefore, we must, with
grateful hearts, acknowledges that Col has
hrl?c,l uS, there j. a sense in which we may
look M 10 Heaven ana say: "Wherrinre have
we fastcd. and thou sceSt not? Wherefore
have We afflicted our soul, and thon takest no
knuwlelgc?' And, why is it 50, dear hreth-
rem? l. the Lords arm shortened 80 that it
cannot save? Is Iris ear heavy 50 thar he
| ca, MT hear? Is he otable is bel rlt willing
I" fl up to the full the measure Of our desires?
4 little consideration would suffice u show
that God has done more than We deserve, and
rha. If he has drne less than VIC desire. il is
because we have not sought Him afi,ht.-
And here, to cnInc ut nnce To the ' ,int ! ven
;urc to suggest hat tie main d;alc!ltv lying
in the wav of the more abundant manifeSta-
ton Of Gods power in our behalf. is precisely
tha. which closed His ears AGAINST the cry Of
the Jews. and His eyes against that humia
tinn Of which they hoastel. What was that
diFculty 2 1t was the foul AMI ficnli>h spirit
nf covctousucSS which hal ovcrsnread the
laTh, making the inhabitants thereof deaf 10
the yuice Of justice and the cries of suffering
hu unianiIy. The reply Of God to the com
raint "f His rcnplc is an assault throughout
upon thi8 sin, and strikes ut its very ronts.-
Hence hey aro commanded not only 10 re-
nn;ncc tic vices to which it lcals hu5 also to
cherish those virtues which stand opposed to
it, and in whose presence it can:Ot long sur
vivc. To this end, they were TO deal their
bread to the hungry and provide raimcnt for
| the naked, and throw open their doors to tho
homeless, as well as loose the bands Of wick
elneSS, and undo the heavy burdens, and lct
! the oppressed 90 free, and break every yoke.
Now, this ia the sin of which I propose 10
sneak to-day-a sin naturally suggested by
| the tcxt-a .in Of increasingly tearful prcva-
| lerre ut this tilne-a sin which is working I'm
| mcnsc mischief both to the nation AMI to indi.
viina+. Mt that this is the only sin which
iarkcnS our sky. and; in measure, hides
| cfe2.t perhaps more than any other and that
| it, propositions already of trem' 'ndous mayni-
| tulc are rapidly enIarging. No careful OBJ
| server of the times can fail To see ;hat just
| here is tho rock on which VIC are most likely
to he wrecked. We have little, if any. cause
| for fear either in regard TO those who plan or
tho who execute 'he cr"at tai we have M
dsrlal:en. What il they may have dnue many
things which ought t" have bceu left undne,
and left unInne many things which ought 10
huyn been done? Yr; it must hc confessed
hy thr charitable and the candid that,
! unnn the whole. they have acted we'll their
part and rs it has hrc". thus We may hope
| thai it will he, so that, under Gnd, We ought
! - he will 10 leave our destiny in their
haudi But is there nothing to be apprchen-
dcd from t!:ose who take m nctivr part in the
struggle? Brethren, there is a moral as well
as II material power necessary 10 conduct
.rcat mil tarv rcrtCst tn q successful cUnciu-
| sion, md this moral power must manifest
| :~r.f as well in the citizen rs in the soldier.
| AMI here ii seems t. me is the point of danger
| with us now There is lack Of this moral
| power among us: not indeed, So much among
| tn - who bear arms ~ among those who re-
main at home, and esp rcial!y among those who
| have nus hHcn disturbed in the possession IF
| their ordinary blessings. Thank God we have
much canse 10 congratulate ourselves upon the
| rInral condition OF our armv. hundreds ct
! Thousands of the flower of our land have, c,,dedi
Gated themselves 10 thc service IF their cnun-
| try, and with unselIiIll patriotism and steady
| rnr-cveran"c are submitting to all the hard
| ships and hazards involved in such an engage
meat. With less than the pay Of our day
| la'urcrs. and often with less than half Their
| food, they toll and fight and suffer on with
| "ut murmurng, not knowing whnt day may
| hri,,. fnrih and how much of life and limb
may be left tfirm at Its close. And even better
| things than these are reported Gf them. If
a"v reliance is to he placed in human testi-
| mOnv. the word If God is having Tree course
| among them, and being gloriiied in remark
able desre" and they are being enlisted in large
and increasing numbers, in n far higher and
noller service than that Of their country,
h; ;gil and noble as that may be, end unques-
tionabiy is. But now suppose we turn to those
| who are left behind: what is the spectacle
| which meets the eye of the beholder? where
are the evidences of such lofty patrio-
tsm. and of such earnest piety? Where the
proof that the interests Of country and religion
occupy the first place in our anIistes and Of
fc"tiuns: Take first tin interests Of religion,
and it mus. be obvious, n the most careless
observer, that they are snferisg not little.
Jud ring from the testimony which comes up
from all quarters Of tho Church of God, it
would seem as if the people of the Lord were
i'rr thc most par: in state OF suspended spir-
|. i:u4I animation. Never within the reco!lec-
ton of the speaker nave the signs Of vitality
been fewer and more feeble ; never has that
energetic and encrsising power. which ought