The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-22
A vi Z RIGA.
The Providence Of God, as Un.
folded in It's History.
A Discourse by the Rev. George w.
Smiley, D. D., Delivered at the
Second Congregational
Church, October
81, 1865.
tspEo1AL PHoNoaRAPuIo REPORT FOR THE EVEN.
ING TElE0RAPH.l

tsPEeIAL PHoNoaRAPuIc REPORT FOR THE EVEN.
ING TElEGRAPHl
A large and attentive audience assembled last
evening at the Second Congregational Church,
Eleventh and Wood streets to listen to DR..
Smiley's inaugural address to the young men
and women of America. After the preliminary
exercises the eloquent divine came forward and
spoke as follows:-
We propose to commence tonight series of
some hall a-dozen discourses which we propose
to address to the youth of America In unfold
ing these discourses, we propose that the frst
three or four shall be upon topics that are not
ordinarily introduced into the pulpit-a little
more secular than those that are ordinarily in
troduced, especially on the Sabbath; each In the
main, If possible, 10 be an address to the con-
science. It certainly cannot be wrong.
We will pursue this subject ON next Sabbath
night and on the one succeeding. We wish to
explain why Providence has placed the Rocky
Mountains where they are, and the Alleghenles
where they are, and the mighty range of the
CordilleIas where they are. We design, In this
series OF dscourses, to unfold, 80 lar as we
may, the Divine design as indicated in this mat
ter On next SabbAth morning, by special
request, we will preach discourse from the
text, BLESSED are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God.n
This world was made for man, not man for the
world.
Hence the Divine Artidccr had for thousands
OF years prior to mans creation, prior to the
advent of man, been fitting up this world with
direct reference to the hour of his creation; had
been collecting materials. arranging 1t Tor
home, gracing it with beauty, surrounding 1t with
ten thousand things that were calculated, or that
should be calculated 70 add unseen 10y to his
heart. Hence He crowned 1t with light, paved
it with verdure, deck ed ii with blossom, voiced
1t with mildew. There was sound In the gale;
there was fragrance in the Hover; sweet scent
in the air; soft hue for the eye; and all this was
but the fitting up, indicating the arrival of an
expected guest.
Ii there was an intelligent being looking down
upon the unfoldment of the plastic power Of the
creative hand in this world, he must have rea-
soned that that beautiful temple is being fitted
up for the worshipper; and SO 1T was. II was
all stately, all beautiful, all glorious. Light
was flashing. but there was no eye to see. The
sohg birds were carrolling, but there was no
ear to drink in their music. Treasures were
abundant, but there was nohand to take them up.
The mountains and hills were all garnered up,
but there was no hand to push aside the rub
bish, and bring forth their precious treasures.
One being was wanted to crown the whole,
and the Divine Being is represented as intro
ducing this being into his gorgeous Alhambra
with magnificent form. know of nothing in
the whole compass OF mans history, save the
death upon the cross, that speaks SO loftily of
mans ability, as the fact that the counsel OfIthe
eternal world held a consultation, and the being
that is introduced into this world Is represented
as being introduced as the result of that con-
sultation-inspired by the inbreathing of the
Godhead.
Let us make the Adam in our image, after our
likeness. 30 the IOIu UTedtu6u lnLO L0e Auam
the breath of life, and man became living soul.
Now there was correlation between the being
that was thus introduced aud the world into
which he was introduced. There was harmony
between the temple and the worshipper. And
from the harmony of these relationships, the
design of the Divine Being might have been
interpreted.
And now, what is Providence but the unfold
ing. the evolution, or carry ing out of the Divine
design in reference to man? This Is what we
call Providence: God carrying out His mighty
plans and purposes.
1t is true, indeed that it is not often in the
history of the Divine Being Divine Proyidence)
that He comes out plainly. II is not often that
we see Him walking forth with Ills forked light
nings and His sandals of flame, and yet He has
been thus seen. There the iron swims in the
water like cork. There the water proves hrm
as adamant, and bends not beneath the footstep;
and there in the fiery furnace is q faith only
seen like unto the Son of God, and you hear
the song going up from It.
Ordinarily the Divine Being walks invisible In
His Providence on the globe that He has
formed. In the language of Job, "He holdeth
the face of His throne, but spreadeth His cloud
upon it." Although sometimes we seem to think
His footsteps are slow and tardy, and the cry
goes up from the patient sufererer, How long,
o Lord Why are the chariot wheels of the
king so slow in their progress, that they seem
10 have retrograde movement? Yet PrOvi-
Gence is always and everywhere on the onward
march towards order, and unity, and perfection,
II is true, indeed, that His footsteps are some
times slow. Ages are needed tor the mighty
evolution. Providence is slow but sure. There
is an old proverR.in regard to the punishment
of transgressors. ''The mills of grind going
slow, but they grind to powder"
Providence moves through time as II IL were
eternity. Indeed, time is nothing to an eternal
being. One day with the Lord Is as thousand
years, and thousand years Is as one. day: but
| that which endures conquers at last. Therefore,
the kingdom will come, and the whole earth be
The movements of Providence looking
at the successive developments of human
civilization, are not restricted to narrow
bounds. 1t is not anxious to deduce to-day the
consequence of The premises laid down yester-
pay. 1t may defer for ages, until the fullness of
time shall come. Its logic will not be the less
conclusive Tor reasoning slowly. Providence
may have been committed through time as the
gods of Homer through space. 1t makes step,
and ages have to wear away.
How long a time? How many suns HOW
many circumstances before the regeneration OF
the moral powers of man by careful exercise of
this great, this legitimate influence upon bis
social condition? Yet who can DOUBT or mis-
take its nowers The Reformation OF the six
teenth century has come and gone, and now all
thinos are nreparing, doubtless, for the second
and Greater reform atlon. Obstacles oppose IL.
hnf Vel who doubts but wnat 1t will GOMEZ
Who doubts but that the whole world shall Vet
see The glory of GodG And In that great drama
which Is just beginning TO unfold, and which.
perhaps, shall unfold majestically ybefor0the nine.
teenth century shall close, doubtless the con.
tinent Of America, especially the United 9ts'-
has magnificent part to perform.
The curtain Is just beginning tc
tn