Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-12-12
COLUMBUS. OHIO, TUESDAY MoRNINc95D

| IOuIl
grdce In the t5i1Jor7ieSs. ."-J EREMfAH XXI: 2. :
| t'N .'.''.| .t ---J EsIU'gY .rf
1 All the Prophets of old were ministers o
the Gospel; though Wenpdern ministers 0
the Gospel are not Prophets. Yet, strang,
to say, some of, us of late have imaginet
ourselves secrs, having most weigbty "bur
dens" todeliyertoour rhlersin both Church
4 and State, on ther recently made known vii
4 OF God and duty Of man-said bardetS be-
ing an alligate mixture Of sacred and po,
litiCal compOnents, in which the latter hai
very generally a great preponderance.-
Notwithstanding the glory of these latter
day gifts, the Prophets possessed the supe-
riOr excellence over all Of us OF being in
spired of God and not of passion or Satan,
which enabled them to unveil the future
with its coming events for the admiration
and interests OF all who heard and believed
what they proclaimed.
Thus they sOOthed the minds of the sor-
rowful with the balm of Hope, that noted
medicine of the miserable to which we all
look for relief in times of distress. -
| The broad seal that heaven enstamped
upon their commissions avOuehing their
authority to speak in "the Lords name, -
was the immediate fulfllment in ways of
mercy or judgment, of some of these pre-
| dictions before the very eyes Of those who
heard them. This was an earnest of the
truthfulness of the whole aud should have
begotten a corresponding faith in it as a
divine revelation. W ri..-U ... ..or
| Superior and peculiar, however, rs was
| this great gift to these Jewish ministers,
they never exercised it to crafty their UNI
hallowed passions in giving pain or alarm to
real or supposed enemies, but always with
humility and for the glory of God. Nor
| 81 la fp
| of the opposite and more common flnc-
| tions OF reflection, which related to what
had been, as prophecy did to what lgds 10 be
the former having as truly an object to
awaken thanksgiving and praise, as the lat
| ter to enkindle expectancy and hope. r.
How constantly do they refer to their
own history as Theocracy, to elicit the
gratitude of the nations heart to the great
Giver of all good! .....
With what stirring emphasis does David
rehearse, again and again, the wonderful
history of his people in the sweet lyrics of
his inspired Tyre! Hear him: 80, that
men would praise the Lord for His good
ness, and for His wonderful works to the
children of men," "Give thanks unto the
Lord for He is good; for His mercy endur-
eth forever" "Let Israel"--that is, the
church-''now say that His mercy endureth
forever" "Let the house of Aaron"-that
Is, all true ministers of the GOspel-"now
say that His mercy endureth forever"
"LGt them that fear the LOrd"-that is, all
christians-"nOw say that His mercy en-
dureth forever.n uu .l.urH.
Thus sang the royal son of Jesse. He
was as pious as he was poetic. Hear him
again: THY loving Kindness, 0 Lord,
is before mine eyes, as l look upon thy
dealings with myself and with the wonder
tul kingdom over which l have been
called to rule. Therefore, Z" Bless the
Lord, o, my soul and forget not all His
benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquites:
who healeth all thy diseases; who redeem
eth thy life from destruction; who crown
eth thee with loving kindness and tender
mercies." Such crown, unlike those COM
posed of costly gems by human hands, can
never cause pain to the head or heart of the
warer; but it will give Oontentment that, |
--"Waks the sunny glade .
And feels bliss spring DER the soul .. Id.
Beyond the wealth of Kings to purchase" M
For, true content is crown that loyalty
seldom wears. David knew this, and, hence,
he adds--"Let them eXalt the Lord in the
congregation of the people, and praise him
in the assembly of the, Elders. 1t is better
to trust in the Lord than to put confidence
in man, or in Princess .f...-..g o..
in such grateful reflections Indeed, it |
seems to me the picture reaches the sublime,
as in fancy we view these mighty men of |
God standing before the assembled thou
sands of Israel--their breast swelling with |
the love, and their faces shining with the |
light OF heaven-reaching with one hand
into the future, and with the other into the
past, and bringing together from each the
sensible evidences of Gods loving favor to
his people in rich meroies eniOYed and in
still richer promises to be fulfilled. Such
sight, say, was enough to raise the soul of
every ,considerate beholdor into the sublime |
of devotion and fill his heart with thank
fulness and his lips with praise. s'. ..-
AS for ourselves, here convened, we are
not prophets. Welay no claim to lnspira-
tion. We cannot divine the efuture-we are
not able even to tell what a day may bring
forth. Yet, as Christians, we can reflect
on and feel the goodness of the Lord to US
all in the past, as we unite and lift up our |
voices in the old song that thus begins: G |
1E when all thy nnerciesI, o my God, --. sal
.'fy.y My rising sOul.surveys f.. U,.... . ~ |
Transported with the view, I'm lost , -...'
in wonder, love and praisc'- tN l..i. goo /
So that if the ancient prophets had the ad-
vantage Of us In that power of prediction,
we have the advantage of them in scope of |
reflection, for, we have thousands of Years
more of the past with its concomitant his
tory, as field for reflection, than they pos
sessed-that is, we have all they ever had
and twenty-five or thirty centuries be-
sides: and need | say,, that many Of the
most Important events that have occurred
since time began, have taken place since all
hose prophets have fallen asleep In death
--events that once glimmered to them, in
he dim and distant visions of expectancy,
low glow, upon JUS from the pages of his
DRY in all the beauty and rich glory of ac-
From the vast catalogue we, name--the
dvent of the Sayior-His eventful life
works, words, sufferings, death,
"a ascension and glOrification,
The outRouringy of the Holy Spirit77Call-
ne of the Gentlles-Spread Of the Church: |
is trials, triumphs and glory over all op-
'osition-7The Reformation-The discovery [
4 the new world: Its colo, lization-Th {
docking of tout into Individual States {
ihe building oflthese into a consolidated
iovernment-The rapid growth of this to t
reatness-lts march Westward led by the
tar Of Empiges till now it. reaches from |
cean to ocean, covering a,continent; or, to t
hange the figure, like amightyl giant clad
n armori its. military trampnow shakes the
World, causing tyrants abroad and traitors {
t home alike to tremble. svgas- r,Sar
Truly, as a "people left of the swordn of s
treat Britain, we shave found grace in the q
1ilderness" of the West--in a wilderness
nee wild in solemn wastes, or terrible in /
avage grandeur, we have found the grGoeo of /
'Teedomof thought and aetion--the grace /
independents Of the dicta Of tyrants--