, 1863-08-10

Sermon by Bishop Simpson,

Sermon by Bishop Simpson.
On Thanksgiving dny, there were Unicu
services IN the Clark street n. E. Church, in
which ali of the churches Of this denomina-
ton united The exercises were conducted
by the clergymcn Of the several churches,
Bishop Simpson preaching the sermon. This
discourse Was probably one Of the most elo.
qrent md powerful ever delivered In Chi.
cago: -.-..-. -...,.
The speaker took for his text Psalms 62d,
11thv-
God hath spoken once; twice have heard this
TINT power beloDgeth unto God
Bishop Simpson said:
All through the HolF Scriptures, God is 1apre-
sented as taking an interest IN the affairs Of men
.Hc dclighteth IN his way;' and Of nations, III,
raiseth up one, and putteth down another. The
Garth Is called upon to rejoice because the Lord
reigneth; ard otwithstanding men are often Ekep,
tieal in reference to the government Of God and
His ruling power In heaven and on earth. yet no =
in the wonderful way He breaks through all the
usual events and arrangements Of tho world, men
Gods hand hath changed tho history Il the world.
In view Of sotnc remarkable events the PBalmist
exe1aimB: !" God hath spoken once! Gods voice
once only, but thrice; again aud ayain God hath
said that power belongcth to Him that He ru1cth
aud notwithstanding men Mncy that By their own
results 1T God declares that power befonscth IN
i DO rot pEopoec further to enter upon any ez-
eumstancss that convene US this day. A little
more tlnn three months ago we were called cpon
TO- 60 into our churches, 10 1eaSe our shops and
ourselves before God, 70 Keep day Of Tasting and
humiliation. and prayer for the forgiveness Of our
gins; The Nation came to tho call Of its Chief
eyes to God for succor and help in its time OF need
and now after the lapse Of these months. the Pro-
elamation Of our Chief ruler, who in the Pcovi-
derce OF God stands at the head Of our Govern
mcnt, has summoned US again to the house Of
prayer not for sectional purposes not for the sake
Of arguing Theological points. but US citizens. to
In our distress, ard who looked upon us ia our
misery and Whose right hand has been 60 stretched
out that the clouds hare been taken from our Bkles
We conc to raise onr hearts In ihanisgiying to
God who has wrought 20 naasyel'oualy for US.
The fret thought that arlscs IL THO propriety OF
snch Thanksgiving as nation. as said before,
We arc sometimes skeptica1 as to the government
Of God, aud We forget that He directs the armies
OF the earth, and arc SO absorbed III noticing, the
and the men IN position who enact our 1aws aud
direct onr policy, that We forget to look beyond
them and think OF that God n whose hands ara
the hearts Ct the children Of men i y therefore
purpose, and show that, while VII honor oar ccnc-
Eala On land and sea- and pay al respee: to ~ no.
Bile men y no fight cur battles tos us; aid while We
accord them honor who reign over Is, yet that our
Supreme homage and highest devotion are due TO
the God Of heaven and earth. God xorka through
the world oi society, 80 in thc natonal mind Cod
works through subordinate Influences; and as He
guides the tempest which seemingly sweeps aver
no rs
ravirg, so He Influences the mind Of men.
H. not only directs matter, but Ills almighty
will guides tho mind 0l Iual, and you and cannot
tell what Suggestions drop on the portals Of our
intellect ffoa4 high, to many and important &c.
suits. God nay send Suggestions by tue friend
memory that NC think Of some ions. forgotten
truth; or uc may by some unseen method whisper
into our ears great tKnths, and gfyc them to us
and hours ofiatk1,esa. In iii cur ways in iii our
measures. III all VIC may Eay. and do, and arc, VIC
must scc Hts hand, and acknowledge that il Hin
''Ne live end E,orc and have our being. We must
remember We are all instruments In the hand OF
Of tie earth to - Acknowledges tho be- fsad Of
God in uus origin aud gradual progress. The men
who b1aSing the dangers Of the deep. came oycs in
Tue fragile vessel, gayo themselves up in dumble
p3aJer, and recognizing the danger Of the nnder-
takilg. Jet Trusting In tho ann q Almighty God.
tbs midst Of a wintcs's storm they Ianded, tleir
1rst act was 10 render thanks to God who had
guided them sately to o1r unknown shore. The
ea5ly listtory X. Of our colonies eonta1n many ID
The Revolutiorary fathers were not uuulinuful Of
Cod. Washington wa5 q man Of prayer. Before
going into battle he Invariably invoked tho God Of
hattes and even men who were not religious tn the
comnon acceptation Of the term, recognized God
in all things; such men as Jefferson and Franklin.
Who rs among tbs g,eas men ot !ho
hearts Of the people, called the nation together
days Of humiliation and Thanksgiving were ap-
pointed ard because Of thcir natioial tevotioa God
was pleased to breath success upon them. After the
Revolution NaE over and a convention was called
aud our Constitution was about to be formed there
was found TO be an cxttene difficulty in harmon
discussions run loose then one Of these very men
proposed that the convention ehould talze leces5
and taat prayers should be offered to Almighty
COG: PIaJer was offered, public crecoguItion ofttu
hand OF God uEs male. the convention came to-
gc1Aer the oinlcultiea Ind suhsided, the elements
it we Eavc enjoyed untold blessings.
Thus l cay, We hare acknowledged God as peo-
pie, In many periods Of our history. and 1t Is but
meet and proper that We should, cs nation. come
together this morning, and Acknowledge Hin In
our recent Victories. thlnl; It is more Necessary
becausc there has been disposition to clai1a
~ honor e a2 Il there fs any one
guilty., it Is the spirit OF hoasting Our Fourth Of
July o1ations have been eulostcs upon ourselves !;
e2a 6 Ts aeH;f aas
Of orr land. tccning vita countless thousands,
upon the commerce which core1s our oceans and
lakes; we Eel s xs hare = lsnd ot which W we a. az
own right l.snd, aud forget Cod; As We look
around, upon our scruinatlts and our schools, our
il al' 1Aings, and The high position we occupy
among tbs rations Of the ea.,h, We feel too much
Ike thAt :ncn.rch OF old. who sail: Tas is Bao
ive. ~ S1c s , fst un0 W.T.
ut. Goahas humble d us and severely classified us
But without following this ides oat, notlca
tas Il s2Ea t's1es
victories He has yo7chsasd to us as q milton.
When We contemplate the present struggle, 1t Is
s sha asast
TIE Mest1not .r! pa1ty AGAINST paIty w ase 70 1se
Is s na 10 t; ns aTs isea @
as readily in hody to defend the nation from Its
peril, lad the blow come tom the North rs from
,nS ueon a 5os pnN
speak not now Of any peculiar section Of coun-
II or class Of men, but Of free individual people.
fee Il ON az opposition whatsoever, whcsesocret
The magnitude Of these victories demands our
snEEgiriEGs; Im9y say that "a at H. time tue
La 81 &c et snef to %he
we were exposed. 1t wGs not, 81 in Other battles,
single contest, from which, had there been de.
fsat eo4d hsxe .sa nan bss thste
poscd to danger. think that in this military.
Enterprise there were gathered nearly ell the
available military power in rcbeldom against U.S.
that events have proved that concentration OF
all the power they could muster made to make
an inroad npon cur Northern border aud the TACT
that the whole country has been left bare, chow,
there has bctn concentration Of nearly all the
available power which tho rebellion could count.
This was not oniJ so, but there was good evidence
Of we'll laid Plan By which the Whole country
should be simultaneously attacked. While that
army WAS adyAnGing oycr tue Io;omae and drtv-
Ing in orr Wcst, whereby the army Of Bragg was to
break through on the daik of Isosecrans, Morgan
crossing Into Indiana WAS to close that section Of
the so1nen a. Pit Of S4 dto a6 ETng an
d. With Washington Itsclfi In danger, TIC snizcd
rots in New York, with men high In influence and
deep In igncminy at their head. to hang ont tho
soun, ffon Eastto Wet, tho elements were and
had been against u.s. When the news went over
to Great Britain, and 1t was expected there that
this WAS to put IN end to onr Government, when
don M % 7in4es stated il was VI aissppotntmenf. they
expected blow to be struck which should end this
war by Eising oaE enemies the capital q our
an E hs ay
the battle Of Gettyshu5g had little conception OF
tbs magnitude Of tho da1ge1s that then oTc1hung
Ircpcaf here now what I have said before, that
believe TIC greatest danger onr eonntry has TO
fear, md has had to fcar, Is the Intervention and
the interference Of the French Emperor; and my
Lost us, today the Southern Co1fcderacy would
have BEEN recognized by that po,cr and received
help as IN independent power. Think there is no
Of oI southern borders. Eexieo, CcntTa, America,
md our Western Coast, than does the Emperor Of
the FreEch. When some uire years ago Ihad oc-