The Portland daily press., 1864-04-23
WHOLE NO. 562.

anu All corrupting lnfuences<may be done
away. But do not be astonished 70 know
that IN the charter-election of that day, he
voted for the candidate of the marty ,b.t
went for licensing dram. shop on every other
street-corner of the town. DO not suppose
that he Is not in favor Of good moralsi
prayer-meeting is one thing, a party-nomina-
ton is quite another. The idea that one
principle ought to bold sway over both, seems
to the good man little short of profanity.
Worse instances than these are, perhaps
not out OF the reach Of occasional obserya-
tion: Take iaet-a rather extreme one in
deed-but yet fact not without its fainter
.likenesses too often discoverable. give IL
essentially In the language of a narrator ac-
quainted with the circumstances. "a wealthy
gentleman OF high spiritual professions, sub
scriber 10 gospel charities, believer in super
natural grace, speeulates in stocks of a fickIs
character; and, unknown himself In the
transaction) embarks, by the means Of an
agent, far beyond his resources. A downfall
OF the unsteady market comes. He declines
to answer to his agents claims. He cannot
be held, for the transaction between them is
one Of honor only. So, at the expense Of ut
ter ruin to his factor, he escapes with COM
paratlvely easy loss to himself The agent
being but an honorable sinner OF the worldly
class, i struck by the blow into great depres-
sion. His employer is enabled TO take a more
cheerful view, and rallies him on his detected
aspect. But ahl / forgot he says with .
sigh, forgot you are not blessed with my
religious consolatensrn
This case acknowledged was extreme;- -
too much so undoubtedly for the broadest
mantle OF charity to cover. Yet even this In
It's very exaggeration, serves to bring out
into view, that antagonism between.two kinds
Of life, two unlike codes OF action. discerni-
BILE IN lesser measure certainly, but still dis
eerniblel In many whom FIVE dol not suspect
OF conscious serving of two masters.-
we look upon them in their better hours,
and we cannot find it really in our heart To
deny their sincerity; and yet there are other
hours which it seems hardly possible to rec
oncile with such belief You desire to put
favorable construction on their conduct, yet
your very kindest observation cannot fail to
discover an uneasy misadjustment Of the
forces which have control over them. They
do not seem to have learned how TO bring all
things under one law; but move with q kind
OF halting gait, one foot on holy, one on COM
mon soil; and like inhabitants OF a doubtful
province, vacillate in their allegiance between
Caesar and God.
Nay, We need not use the third person in
this description. Every true man feels this
in himself You feel ii. feel il. 1t is one
OF the great, hard problems OF life to US, how
to make life Of one quality, and that the right
quality all through.
And there is no way of doing II, till we learn
forever to renounce and put away from us
the false and impertinent distinction-the
very trap Of the deyil-between things called
sacred" and things called "profanen We
can never live the serene, harmonious life
men ought TO live till we rid ourselves of the
notion Of necessary antagonism between
earthly and spiritual relationships; and come
TO look upon every act and interest of life, As
0yy1f IA oh.
ligion.
The Gospel recognizes no such antithesis
between secular and religious matters All
right things are religious. The whole scope
OF life and Its actions are wrapped in the en-
brace OF duty and piety. Heavenly things
are not future only, they gid the very COM
mon-metal Of life, and give the value to
every hour Whether you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do all TO the glory Of God" |"
Is rule which takes religion out from the
naraow nook behind the alter rail. where II il
too often tucked away, and brings it forth to
cheer BY its smile, and sanctify by its benedic-
tion every duty Of life. When Christ encour-
aged US to pray. Thywill be done, as inheay-
en-, so in earth," he encouraged us to believe
that every action ofexistencs-the humblest
and most servile-might be acceptable as
praise andsacred as prayer.
More than two centuries ago George Her
W0T04
whose sweet melody and Gospel uuthiulness
prolong their notes till this day.
Teach my God and King
In all things Thee to see;
And what do in any thing
To do II as for Thee.
All may of Thee psrtake:
Nothing can be mean,
Bni truly done. as for Thy sake,
VIII not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine.
Nho sweeps q room as for Thy laws
Makes the and the action due
III. But 1t Is time that we proceed to the
application of this doctrine Of the coertsa-
sieeaeSs Of the Kingdom Of God ,citA human
ggdrs, TO some more pnblic matters. We
look Out to-day, as We have done for many
weary months past, upon a scene of grand
and awful struggle. On the field of physical
conflict, and the tleld OF moral cont sst. tha
utmost energies OF our nation are put to the
strain OF iie-and death grapple with an i'm
placable ioe OF our own household. Such q
struggle cannot but be attended by wide
spread sorrow, suffering and calamity. That
scourge which the wise Of all ages have dep
recated as the most terrible of human woes.
has for three years rayaged and desoated our
territory, our communities, our homes.
Now as wise men, taught solicitude by suf-
fering, We naturally ask what interpreta-
tion Is TO be given of all this? Out of what
terrible birthplace could ealamities like
these emerge? What wrong-doing was IL
that begot them? And what wroug-doing
may beget them again? And the answers
men give TO these questions vary, naturally
enough, according as they look from one or
another standpoint of observation, and still
more as they take into view nearer or more
remote, less or more fundamental facts and
causes. There is an element OF truth in
about all the answers that are given, various
As they may appear. IL troubles me not at
all to be told that abolitionism" Is the cause
of the war and all its attendant woes. There
is a sense in which It is true. All good, In its
attempt TO redress evil, Is wont to make tur-
mol. He has but shallow head, however,
who sees not that II Is the presence OF evil
which makes the struggle for redress neces-
safy.
A good deal nearer the truth, therefore.
most men think il comes in assigning the
cause Of our public calamities, to saw IL IL
slavery which originated them This Won
well enough know is the belief which has
been the foundation OF every discourse of !.
public character which | have had the privi
lege, during five years past, of speaking in
your hearing. 1t is the true answer.
And yet to-day, looking out upon the wild
scenes around US from the standpoint of this
nt,erance OF Christ. "Thy will be done. As In
heaven, so IN earth,"I think another reply.
and one very instructive to consider, NAV be
also given.
What has caused these things? This. mora
than anything else; Men have forgotten the
claim OF Gospel principles TO control and eiye
the law TO all public acts. Men fas thav ara