Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-09-21

great domain made for each other.
Such are the unmistakable indications
of the Makers will What God hath.
therefore, even with river and plain
and mountain fas' nesses Joined to-
gether, let no man, or set OF men, put
asunder, nor let them even SO much as
sympathize with such attempts, lest
they be found fighting against God.
AS preparatory to the position |
shall next take, | may remark Just
here, that it seems to be admitted on
all hands that the desolating war that
is now upon us us a nation, is "a vista,
tion from God.
A. Il people, we are all so we'll versed
in scripture theology, that we are at
once ready to subscribe the maxim
Of the great historian who says,
"There is a God in history" And al
so, that other saying, Man proposeth
but God diSposeth" And also, this,
'' That there is a Deity that shapes our
ends, rough hew them AS we may"
All these of course as regards the
things Of this life
In keeping with these universally
received maXims, it must be admitted,
lst. That this war has neither hap
pcned by chance, nor,
I'd. That it is the result alone of the
wicked piottings OF Il. e eating South
ern politicians, nor,
3d, That it could have resulted en-
tireiy from the abuses and aggressions
Of Northern AbolitioniSts, even if
these be allowed to have existed, nor.
4th, From any wicked design Of the
acting administration, allowing that
also, nor.
9TH, From all these causes combined.
But hold, says one, are you not, by
these sweeping positions, screening
everybody and leaving everybody in
n0cent OF these great evils?
| answer, by no means. There are
too many Of us guilty. And God is
furnishing us for our guilt, and there is
just where the trouble is.
But the question may be asked,
could not this war have happened by
the sinful plotting Of wicked men,
without any agency of God in it? |
answer promptly, no. 1t could not
have so happened. Men might "pro-
pose" war, and in SO far be guilty. Of
war, and so be accountable therefor
But if cod loving those against whom
such war was contemplated. was dis
posed to screen them from it, could he
not so screen ii EN-? Would he not so
screen them? Has he not always 50
screened his innocent people? Has he
not promised always to continue to do
so? Need | tell you Of Daniel in
the lions den. or Of Shadrach, Me
shech and Abednego in the fiery fur
mace? Need | refer you to the City
Of David" when menaced by Senacha-
rib, that wicked and naughty Assyrian
monarch, and the Staying by an angel
in Il single night Of an hundred and
eighty and five thousand of his chosen
warriors, SO that J Jerusalem might not
taII "What shall we say then to these
things? If Gud be for us, who can be
against u.s." In such n case, therefore,
would not God SO ''dispose" that all
their wicked schemes would fail and
that their proposed war would fall
still-born and harmless TO the earth
Such my brethren are the incontro-
vertibe and, so far as i know, univer-
sally believed, teachings OF the Scrip
lures.
If these things be so, then | am
right, and this war is Of God, and is
upon Us OF His wrath And He hath
hence, taken away his restraints, aud
gwen us up to confusion, and to our
own hearts luSts, even that we might
slay one another with the sword, and,
because, as nation, we have been
wicked in his sight.
| am now prepared to assume my
4th position, which is, that, as indica
ted by Providence, this desoating war
is upon us. because ofone particular sin,
and because of that alone. And that
sin is a"oery
| am aware, that in opposition to
this position. it may be said, tha' while
the war which is upon us, is a new
thing. slavery is not That this in
stltution dates back to the very begin
nng OF our nations history. And that
Notwithstanding its constant existence
amongst us, we have enjoyed all
along, IA nation, until recently. the
most marked evidences of the Divine
favor and blessing. Why then, it may
be asked, do assume, that the Divine
wrath, now being poured out upon us,
is in consequence of slavery.
l reply what though slavery has
been amongst US from the first. vet,
tie sentiment and purpose of the nation
concerning it, were not. at first, nor for
many years, what, in more recent
times, they have come to be. And that
it is this change in the nation, that
has produced our .haher's change to-
ward us.