Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-13
A Startling Scene In Church.

New England churches during the Revolu-
tionary War. The following one occurred in
Sharon, Conn, under the ministry Of Rev
Cotton Mathet Smith. 1t is found in Head
ley's "Chaplans Of the Revolution"
Mr. Smith one Sunday took for his text
part Of Isiah xxi, H. IL l2:-"Watchman, what
of the night? The watchman said THE
morning cometh" The question in the first
part Of this passage had been the daily, al.
most hourly, inquiry for nearly q month, Of
every one of that congregation, and hence its
appropriateness was keenly felt, but the start.
ling announcement. "The morning cometh,"
took them by surprise; and they Guild not at
first comprehend its significance, or how it
could be adapted to the present gloomy pros
pect Had he heard any good news2 What
had happened that he could say SO confidently,
"The morning cometh2' No, he had nothing
new to tell them only to proclaim over again
his unshaken confidence in Gods promises.
He did not attempt to conceal Or lessen the
calamities that had befallen the country, nor
deny that fearful criss was at hand. He
acknowledge that to human appearance "clouds
and darkness were round about God throne"
but said that the eye Of faith could pierce the
gloom, The throne was there, though wrapped
in impcnetrablc darkness. In all the disas-
ters that had successfully overwhelmed them,
he traced the hand Of God and declared that,
| to his mind, they clearly indicated some strlk
ing interpostion of Divine Providence about
10 take place in their behalf Mans eNtrem.
| ity had come, and now was the time for him
to make bare "Els arm for the dnlivcrance oi
the people. " a
| Proplet-like, kinliing' with the vision on
which the eyes Of his faith rested he boldly
dropped the gcuerAl subject Of Coils faithful.
ness, and told his astonished hearers that he
believed they were on the point Of hearing OK
traoranary news Of victory to our arms, He
would not wait for an indefinite future to
prove his faith to BE well founded---he was
willing to bring it to the test of the present
They might judge whether he was right OF
wrong, for, said he, The morning comrth. u
see its beams already. gliding the mountain
tops, and you shall soon behold its brightness
bursting over the land. .'.' .
One cannot imagine the effect of such Ian
guage uttered by the minister of God in such
d time of doubts, and suspense. He ceased,
and as he closed the Bible and exclaimed
"Amend so let it be- silence profound and
| death like rested on the audience each one
seemed to feel as if an invisible presence was
there and some weigbty announcement was
just nt hand
Suddenly the deep hush was broken by the
distant clattcr Of a horscs hoof along the road.
The sharp and rapid strokes told Of swift ride
ing and Of urgent haste, They knew at once
what it meant For days and weeks their
eyes lad strained up the streets that led north.
ward, to catch sight Of the messenger Of good
or evil tdings that was hourly expected. He
had come at last, and as nearer, clearer, rang
the sound of that wild galop ON the listening
into his neighbors face. Light on through
the place, straight for the meeting house,
tlarted the swift rider, and drawing rein at
the door, leaped from the saddle, and leaving
his 70 I'M covered steed unattended, strobe into
the main aisle On the deep silence that
filled the building like a sensible presence,
his armed heel rung like the blows Of ham
mcr As he passed along, sudden palencss
spread over the crowd of faces turned with a
painful eagerness toward Lin. But looking
neither to the right hand nor the left, the
dread messenger passed on, and, mounting
the pupit stairs, handel the pastor letter.
Notwithstanding the good mans faith, his
hand trembled and an ashy hue ovcrspread
his face as he reached out to receive it Bur
goyne has surrendered" were the first words
that met his eye, He staggered under them
as under blow. The next moment radi-
ance like that of the morning broke over his
countenance, and he burst into tears. Rising
to read the incredible tidings, such tide of
emotion flooded his heart that he could
scarcely utter them aloud. The audience sat
for moments overwhelmed and stupifed, then,
as their pafor folded his hands and turned
his eyes toward heaven in thankful prayer,
impelled by Simultaneous movement Il e.
fell like one man on their knees and wept
aloud. sobs, sighs, and fervcntly uttered
Amen" were heard on every side, attesting
the depth of their gratitude and the ecstacy
of their Joy "The morning had come;
bright and glorious and its radiance filed all