The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-11-07


ther hath il entered into the heart of man
to conceive things which God hath pre-
pared for them that love him." Tn re.
viewing my past lifS my mind loves to
dwell on the interviews, on the times /
have passed in the Rciety OF the good
II affords much comfort in my last hours.
And if the society bf the good affords
such delight in this imperfect state, what
must it be, in that state Of existence,
where the spiritsso 10 just are made
perfect. And il, the presence Of God,
and bis holy saints and angels, we'll might
the Poet exclaim: "If thus exalted, thy
enlivening treasures, in these dull regions,
how sublimely, poriously mid the bright
mansion. where dernal friendship blooms
in perfection. If query arises in the
minds of any, Why l have never Joined
myself to some religious society, would
answer: I hare not found a church,
whose members fellowshipped together, as
should the followers of the peaceful Sa.
vior. And lest I nigh myself be STUN.
bling block and come short of my profess
sion, | have stood aloof and endeavor to
to worship, without going up to Jerusa.
lem, or to the mountains Of Samaria. In
deed, l know of no acceptable worship Of
God but obediance to His la'cs. That
comprises all. Every act of kindness we
perform to fellow man, every friendly
word or even look, that is calculated to
relieve distress or awaken kindly feeling,
is worshiying God in "spirit and TRUTH" a
worship far more acceptable than the cold, 4,
formal observance Of creeds and rituals
On examining history, it's not easy to de-
oide whether mankind have suffered more
from the infdelity of the worlds people,
or from the hypocrisy, the superstition
and bigotry Of the church. Man. in his
individual capacity, never persecutes his
fellow man, never makes martyr. But
when men began to form themselves into
church organizations Then, as it writ
ten, "They being ignorant of Gods right
eousness, went about to establish their own
righteousness" A spirit of rivalry arose
between them strife and contention for
the mastery iollpged, which, in most
instances, ended in wars of attempted OK.
termination and in these holy wars, as
they term them, men seemed excited with
a cruelty, ierOsity, surprising the most
savage wild beasts. And the lives Of
countless thousands, charged with no fault,
but difference of religious faith, have
been crushed ont by the most inhuman
tortures the ingenuity Of man could in
vent, to punish horesy, and establish a
true religious faith. Ihave not so learn.
ed Christ" therefore have not entangled
myself by connection with any society,
whose practices had a tendency to cor
rupt the holy Christian faith. And 1
have preferred remaining with the worlds
people, whose history is a much fairer
record, than the his,ory Of the churches
1t chills my blood with horror, cnly to
read of the suffering, the martyrdoms of
the untold thousands of victims, tortured
to satisfy the spite of ignorance, bigotry,
and superstition. And all this done in
the name Of Him who taught us-"Love
our enemies, and do them good, that we
may be like our Father which is in Heav-
en-" find many things TO console me
ir my last days. I have endeavored to
throw wholesome moral influence around
me. l have made my home a pleasant
abode for my family and friends. / have
not tried to cucumber myself with a load
of useless wealth. Neither have l eat
the bread that other men have earned. I
have used my best energies to be a peace
maker among men. The stranger and
wayfarer, have ever been Hospitality wei.
coined at my door, and | shall leave marks
that will enable people to track me when
have been gone an hundred years. The
fields / have cleared, The trees I have
planted, the roads and buildings l con.
structed will remain q long time, land
even the dust, as it lies on the ground, is
engraved With some deed I have DONE"
There is another source of comfort, and
the thought will cheer me in my last
hours 'Tis this-my hands are not
stained Nth The blood of this p0ar. No
act of mine, no word has had tendency
10 bring on q war, which has clothed the
nation in mourning, and involved in
bankruptcy and degradation, the con.
querors as well as the conquered. And
while the tears Of hundred and fifty
thousand widows the war has made, the
wailing of half million orphans, and
the blood Of two millions Of our best
young men slain in battle, are ascending
to heaven and calling down the Almighty
vengeance on the authors of theirs and
their country's ruin 'tis conf, rt, to
know, that none Of their woes and griefs
will be imputed to me. Hcw long, O,
Lord, how long shall tyrants bear rule in
the earth. How long, shall the meek,
devoted follower Of the peaceful Savior,
fear the scourgs Of superstition ? How
long shall the faithful, toiling millions,
be borne down by want and suffering,
that unfeelng despots may riot in luxury?
How long shall judgment be turned away