Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-06-03

not HAkOHE4 70 leave tue UD3l
Sermon by Rev. II. w. SpaIdIng.
Oae OF the most eloquent, intellectual
and feeling diseouFsss ever heard in
Evansville, was delivered a. St PauTs
(EpiscopaIian) Church on last Thurs
day, the day set apart by the President
for the purposes Of humiliation and
prayer, on account Of the National sins.
The sermon was preached by the
Rector, Rev. H. " spalding, from the
following text, taken from Isaiah, tx c
10 y.
Through the wrath Of the Lord of
Hosts is the land dsrkened, and the
people shall be as the fuel to the fire.
No man shalt spare his brother"
After remarking on the appropriate
ness Of the text, aud asking for it the
sincere consideration Of the audience,
the speaker proceeded to comment on
the terrible ordeal through which the
country bad passed and the goodness OF
Providence in making the wrath Of man
to praise him The gradual growth IN
he minds Of the people Of spirit of
devotion and of recognition of the hand
OF God as the war progressed, was
shown, and the fact emphasized that it
was not until rulers and people realized
the necessity Of the Divine support aud
guidance that success crowned the ef-
forts Of the Government against the
Rebellion.
The speaker then commented 10 sor-
rowrul terms on the bacchanalian and
I goddess manner in which the final Veto.
ries Of our armies were celebrated by
/ the people at large. He pronounced the
I tragic and terrible death Of the Pres,-
dent to be q still further Judgment on
the Nation, and impressiveiy declared
/ that the heart Of the people was this
/ time reached AS it had not been reached
| before" ''The confession Of the Egypt.
! ian magicians, This is the finger OF
God fourd response in every heart for
the time being
The necessity of regard for religion
in nation vas demonstrated by his
torical instances which showed that
dissolution and death were the sure con
seq lences Of a Disregard Of the Divine
| law This portion OF the discourse was
surprisingly eloqu aut and erudite Tie
audience were completely absorbed IN
the orators majestic flow Of ideas, and
charmed by bis ornate periods and ele.
gam Illustrations.
lie then proceeded to point out spe-
ci6cally some OF the chiefest of those
sins that have brought down upon VI
the heavy hand of God, in all this war
and lately in the terrible death Of our
Chief Magistrate"
He enumerated the irreligion Of tbs
nation; the non-Fecogniiion Of God anC
the Christian religion IN our Constitu
ton and earlier proclamations the east
with which the dissolution of the mar
riage contract IS obtained; the abolish
ment ii capital punishment in many o
the states the growing disregard lol
the Lords day, and for his sanctuary
the rapid increase Of profanity and Oh
sceuitg the disregard Of the obligation
of he judicial oath; a public censori
ousaess and lack Of charity; aud an im
perfect realization Of the idea OF justic,
and false sympathy with deliberate
yiolators Of the laws
he speaker descauted at some lengtl
upon the true idea and object OF Tia
punishment Of crime, and showed up il
its true eolors, the sickly sympathy will
those who violate Law, human and divine
which IS growinl SO rapidly ia our caun
try. He represented the Supreme Beini
as God of Justice, as well as a God O
Love, and spoke in way tina, was cal
culated to convince his hearers tina
sympathy with murderers and traitor
was destructive If all law and good gov
eument, and a sin against Heaven.
Mr.. Spalding's style is earnest an
impress ve bis enunciatiou distinct
his voice well modnlated aud sonorous
his diction classically pure Thes
qualities and manifestations, togethe
with his energy, sincerity aud intellect
ual power, render him a very etfeetiv
orator and persuasive minister Of r.
ligious truth He has a rare gift o
making his discourses appropriate t,
the occasion, aud Of educlng moral an
religious truths from the current event
of lie-tbus drawing human affairs 80
reli lious teaching into harmonious an
profitable companionship His mini
traiions in our midst cannot fail to
productive Of great good.