Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-10-20

/ liens who have changed their residences
! within the city since last December should
give early notice at the office of the clerk,
morning.
SERMON ON WoMAN's INFLUENCE AND La
Dor IN THIS CRIsIs.-Rev Mr.. Souther de-
livered on Sunday evening, at Rev. DIR.
Sweetsers church in this city, discourse
appropriate to the times, from Esther II
''And who knoweth whether thou art come to
the kingdom for such time as this 2" Com
mencing with reference to two of the nara
tive books of Scripture, Ruth and Esther, the
one detailing the life of the humble cleaner
in Bethlehem, the other introducing us to a
queen in the palace of Persias proudest mon
arch, exhibiting both, in detail of their
works, as daughters of the true Israel, mem
bers Of the wide family of Gods faithful ones,
the speaker passed to consideration of the
question, "What then can woman do in the
present emergencies Of our country?" She
has reused her energies to supply by her own
eXertions the lack of service caused by
! the withdrawal of so much physical
strength Many wife and sister have sup.
piled the places left vacant by husband and
brother absent in the army. She has gather
ed again and again, with patient, unwearied
assiduiiy, the oft-needed supplies for the sick
and wounded on the battle field. She has
! gone in person to the hospital and ministered
| as only woman can to the suffering ones
crushed and mangled on the battle field, or
wasting'away under protracted sickness. She
has laid in the grave the very jewels OF her
heart, wrapped herself in the garments of her
early widowhood, or been written childess in
the earth, and risen up from the blow to go
on in lite's journey alone, in the midst of her
deep sorrow, radiant with trust in God and
sweet submission to His will.
Can farther service be demanded OF her?
Yes. These sacrifices and sutferngs are fit
ting her tor a service which no other can so
well accomplish. Through this baptism Is God
calling her to Il mission she only can fulfil.
She must hold the public conscience to the
great issues involved in this struggle. She
must invigorate the public heart, bring it up
to her own pitch Of patient endurance, teach
it the great lesson OF mistaken faith. of I'M
movable tenacity. Her innate love of Justice
must pervade the public mind, till TO place can
can be found for thought of yielding in this
mighty graphic with oppression.
The denial of the great primal truth of our
common humanity is the very root and cause
of this dire rebellion, and there can be no
peace till it be trunlphanlly asserted and
maintained. Peace must rest on the basis of
everlasting justice. BY all the sacrifices
which woman has made, the untold Sutierings
sh4 has endured in this struggle, she should
demand this only issue. The only adequate
return for such expenditure is the breaking of
every yoke. the full, fee, unqualified redemp-
ton OF every bondman.
| And this but opens for woman a new and
unbounded field OF labor-the raising up of
race from the deep degradation into which
| long years Of bitter bondage have plunged
them. Be it hers to cleanse the polluted
fountains of social life, bring back to her out
| ragged sisters the sacred deiences of chastity
| and domestic peace, re establish the sanctites
| OF marriage, restore the holy prerogatives of
| motherhood, and rekindle on manhood's desc
Grated affairs the fires Of purity and truth.
| Millions of waihng voices, now beginning to
change to tones OF hope, call her to this work.
Millions of hands, freed, we trust forever
| from their manacles, beCkon her on. Millions
of aching hearts, now feeling the first strange
| throbs of freedom, are waiting and longing to
| receive her.
And most nobly is woman entering the door
thus wonderfully opened. At point after
| point is she commencing the work thus given
| into her hands. At fortress Monroe and Cra-
ney Island at Newbern, Roanoke, Port Royal,
and Fcrnandna, all along the MisSs
slppi she is already engaged, applying to the
| fearful masses OF ignorance and degradation
the leaven Of gospel truth and love. This
mighty power, and mostly through her hands,
is to leaven the whole, for it is omnipotent.
In this work, in one or the other depart
ments OF it, the devoted women of our city
have engaged. From the genial atmosphere
OF home, from circles of refinement and the
kindly intercourse of friends, they have gone
TO meet all the harsh experiences of hospital
and missionary life Some are ministerng to
the sick and wounded, and watching with and
cheering the dying soldier. Others labor to
wake into new life the long wasted, decayed,
| almost blasted powers of race whose name
is cast out as evil, and who have been made
the otiscouring of the earth. The hearts of
multitudes go out after them in this mission
OF love. At many household altar are they
and their blessed work remembered and daily
commended to Him who heareth prayer.
Warm hearts have been prompting, wise
minds have been planning, and during these
weeks past busy hands have been preparing
what will enable us all to send them aid. TO
high partnership in their labors we are in
vited.
1t is to be marked week in the bcnevo-
lence OF Worcester. Mechanics Hall is to
be consecrated temple of charity. Thither
let our offerings be gathered, till, like Israel
OF old In the over abundant gifts of our love
and zeal, the people must be restrained from
giving. Anda the offerings for the tabernacle
parted with their secular character and became
sanctified by the holy purpose to which they
were devoted, SO shall these gifts be raised
above all groyelling ideas of mere mercenary
traffic, and made resplendent with the light Of
christian benevolence.
And more and more let us feel the magni-
tude, the sublimity of the object aimed at in
one department of these labors-the redemp-
ton of fallen race. High is the privilege
and holy the work. If to the women of our
land God is committing chiefly sacred
trust--if upon them he is placing a response
bility so tremendous-wel may they initiate
the example of Esther in her conservation to
the work God gave her, and in her prepare
ton for it.
The Third Baptist church was filled on
Sunday evening with an attentive audience
who listened with much apparent pleasure to
an address by the Rev. E. Kelly colored
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