Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-03-27


i fruit of the great rebellion, at the centre
i and heart Of our nationality above all
y that is national there, floats our flag over
d soil henceforth and forever free
y Gods name is written on our arches.
s 1t is known to the ends of the earth that
r this is land of b ibles and land of
: churches land Of Sabbaths, land of
r christian ordinances, land of missions,
g Of great and benevolent schemes to car
ry the light and hope of the gospel to the
: ignorant and benighted of every tribe.
S Can he sweep away such land without
! dishonoring its published alliance with
. the fortunes O. Christ's kingdom on the
) earth Is it not Of US, therefore he says:
"Since thou vert precious in my sight,
I thou hast been honorable and have low
ed thee therefore will l give men for
thee, and people for thy life."
And if we ask to-day, where Is the re-
demp:ion of this pledge-is there no an
} swer ? Did God give little for this ma
ton Did he put the price low when
J he led us to the threshold of this conti-
: nent and said--"Behold what [ have
hidden and reserved tor you these ages
enter in and possess it ?" Did he not
cast out the heather before US, giving
savage peoples, the red men of the forest,
for our life !? Did be not raise up great
and gifted leaders in our perilous days
men cast in heroic mould, the very sound
of whose name stirs the heart like the
blast of trumpet ? Did not he take
from England the brightest jewel of her
crown, to set it on the brow of this forest
maiden, and make her queen of this out
rivaling western continent?
Why art thou disquieted, Oh land of
the pilgrim ? Hope thou in God. When
God has done so much for US, shall not
we as a nation do as David did, excIaim,
Why are we cast down ?--hope thou in
God. When the nation has cost God so
much, will he suffer it to perish?
In what nation has The advancement
been so great in the members of the Wis
IDLE church as in this land for Go years.
Increasing from few thousand to more
than 100000, including only those that
possess essentially the evangelical doc
trines-That men must be born again
born of the water and of the Spirit, in
| order to be saved that those who be-
lieve on Christ truly, shall be saved. and
those who believe not will be damned
All who have been truly born of the
Spirit are those who pray, and will not
the effectual, fervent prayer of the right
eous avail much with God?
We indeed have no reason to expect
that the three and half millions of pro-
fessed christians are all true Disciples
If the proportion Of false professors is as
great as of foolish virgins yet may we
not still hope If ten righteous would
have saved Sodom, will not millions be
heard when offering the prayer, "Spare
thy heritage, Oh Lord, and give it not
over to the will cf its enemies" IF the
proportion of the truly gody be only as
great as the cleansed lepers who gave
God thanks, is not still the proportion
greater than the number that would
have saved Sodom
Are we disquieted because SO large
number Of those who were valiant and
faithful to the constitution, have fallen in
battle Because 1888 of those who
entered the loyal army have heen killed.
wounded or made prisoners, and only
lO8,707 of the rebels ? And because
number nearly as large have died in
the camp by sickness Did God forsake
Israel before Al, because some scores
fell before the men of that city, while
not one of them were destroyed2 Even
Joshua said, "Alas, Oh Lord God
wherefore hast thou at all brought this
people over Jorda n, to deliver us into the
hand OF tie Amorites to destroy us ?"--
'Oh Lord, what shall l say when Israel
urn their backs before their enemies =
For the Canaanites and all the inhabi-
ants of the land shall hear of il. and
hall environ US round, and cut off our
lame from the earth; and what wilt
hon do unto thy great name ?" God
proclaimed the reason Israel had sinned
-Achan had committed tresspass and
wrath fell on the nation. But was God
bout to let the Amorites and Canaanites
riumph ? Could the sin of Achan pro-
uce such results, and do not immensely
reater sins lie to the charge of this ma
on that must be repented of, confessed
nd forsaken?
And yet, how slight the suferines of
ne loyal States to the sufferings of those
rebellion, and which they have bro't
pom themselves
Why should the loyal be cast down /?
las God ever refused TO pardon bis peo-
lie when they have confessed and forsa-
en- their SINS! Did he utterly forsake