The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-13

the Government, and from which shock we
have not yet recovered. In April, 1851, q
requisition was made for volunteers to de-
fend this capital. A number Of young men
in this church enrolled themselves and be-
came soldiers for three months. On the
10Th prepared O discourse from the text,
al am ready to be offered" Il had two OBJ
Iects in yiew-the first was 10 teach the duty
Of tho text, In confesslug the Lord Jesus on
the following sabbath OF the communion;
the second was TO assure my congregation Of
my purpose TO be true 10 them Ia all events
and to sustain the Government by all my
influence, personal, social aud official.
In that discourse I spoke, and for four
years and three months acted with q pure
heart and high motives In ministeriug to sick
and wounded soldiers brought from battle
fields 10 Judiciary Square hospital. Ny com
mission as chaplain Is signed by President
Abraham Lincoln and Secretary Of War Ed
win N. Stanton, and dated May 81, 1869. Ny
honorable muster out dated July Goth, 1865.
The necessities OF the army In 1869 were SC
great, by sickness and battle, that the Sur.
gcon General had to occupy several Of ouI
church edihces. Among these was this
house, from the 10th Of June, 1862, to the
18th Of February, 1868. I was chaplain Of
Judiciary Square hospital, and the volun.
teer chaplain TO the soldier patients In this
church hospital In the periods named. Reli.
gious services were held, preaching on the
Sabbath and prayer every evening. Great
changes have occurred In these thirty years
In our political relations and condition.
These have not yet been settled.
May we not hope that wise counscls shall
prevail, and that our people will be taught
Of God, and see eye to eye, because each
heart Is right with God, and beats In sympa.
thy with the Lord Jesus Christ, on whose
shoulder Is the government. And In this
government is the Wonderful Counsellor,
the Mighty God, the everlasting Father,
the Prince OF Peace! Blessed are all they
who put their trust In him. oh that the
people were wise, and would see these things
before they arc forever hid from their eyes.
Living as have for these thirty years,
God has granted me grace and strength, 30
that my ministry has been uninterrupted
nm seldom from home, or scarcely ever out
Of my pulpit. Few pastors have been more
highly favored; for, however unwell | may
have been during the week, have here dis
charged my duties on the Sabbath. For
this am always grateful, and make special
note Of this because In this, as one item,
believe has been the divine blessing In the
peace and prosperity Of this family Of our
Lord. My purpose is and has been to In
crease the spirituality OF each communicate,
and to have our numbers increase, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call.
The family relation, parents that believe
with their children, have always been pre-
scented as the Bible directs. Hence the bap-
tlsm Of our infants has had q prominent
placei while the duties In the family and 10
the Church have been stated and pressed,
and not without happy results. A number
of our baptized children have been led by
the Holy Spirit to the Lords Supper in a
profession Of faith In Jesus. The Church
Is the family extended, and the authority of
love is the rule In both Of these. Baptism
to infants, administered In the family home
on the faith Of parents, in the covenant OF
grace, Is most significant, and the duties
faithfully performed the baptized must come
In and personally believe IN Christ and
openly confess with the mouth.
Our Church government Is simple, and
when administered In Its simplicity the effect
Is to develop the mind, the heart and con-
science, and have each act In personal re-
sponsibility to our Lord Jesus, the head Of
the body. Baptized children are members
Of the Church, and subject to the discipline,
while all hopes are In them as the seed OF
the righteous. To this part Of my pastoral
work i have given constant attention, and
have guarded the rights Of each individual
lions work together for the edi6catlon Of
this body Of Christ.
My work in the Sabbath and week ser
vices Is only part Of the labor. In jan
uary, 1915, arranged plan Of visiting the
families and individual communicates three
times q year. l entered with anxiety on the
work, but my books will show that I have
carefully and successfully executed my plan.
l can tell where I have been and what
have boon doing for twenty-five years. |
am going to the Judgment seat OF Christ
with fhaGa rarprta In tlta tpoaaaant hos
Of thirty years will be found the success OF
my long aud blessed passionate. As I have
been, so / Intend to be. The time may
come, and soon, when l must cease; but
now say, in the words OF the text, my love
for Christ and for your salvation has been
my inspiration, though the more love you
the less | be loved"
Ny pastoral relation has reached almost
the average period OF human life, and Is full
Of meaning to me and this family OF our Lord
which have served 10! these many years.
have had many and true friends, most cor
dial and earnest fellow-laborers with me.
These have nobly sustained me by their pres.
ence In all services and In the sympathy which
a pastors heart can best appreciate. What
has been accomplished 10 because OF divine
grace through faith in Christ Jesus and this
Individual, cheerful, hearty cooperation.
Soon after the war ended we began q pro-
tracted prayer.meeting, which has been
large and rich blessing to many. The meet
ings are now as then, not In numbers, but
10 the order Of exercises and one purpose Of
heart. We have gone to the grave with
many, many Of our loved ones, "helpers Of
our Joy" The places of some Of these are
still vacant, while my heart confesses to the
void.
"Giye Joy or sIisf, give ease or pain,
But let me mad them all again
In that eternal day"
The future Is all uncertain to us, but fixed;
diyinely fixed by Him who seeth the end
from the beginning. lie Is too wise to err,
and too good to be unkind. "The Lord Is my
strength and my shield; my heart trusted In
Him and l am helped; therefore, my heart
greatly rejolceth, and with my song will
praise Him." "My cup runneth over" II
here have been drops Of bitterness In that
up, even these were sweet because Of the
land divine holding, pressing, guiding for
'ull thirty years Of blessing.
renew my conservation here In my place
IS have In my study, TO the duties OF my
pastoral relation, and will seek that reward
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
give to me In the day Of His coming. What
shall be the future of this church, is with
YOU, my brothers-my sisters. In the words
Of the church covenant GAS you walk, so
""i w hchoiSu VI
The sermon preached by DR.. Smith on
April 10, 1851, and which he alludes to In
discourse, will, as announced by
llm, be published 10 the REPUBLICAN OF
Wednesday. II will be Interesting to large |
numbers Of our readers.
In the afternoon a Union prayer meeting
as held IN this church OF all the Presby.
srlan churches in the city. The following
llnute adopted at the meetings Of the gen
raj assemblies Of both branches, held In
ew York In May last, explains the objects
the meeting
"That the counsels Of infinite wisdom may
ulde our decisions, and the blessing of the
roat Head of the Church must rest upon
lie result Of our efforts for reunion, it is
lrnestly recommended TO the churches,
trough both branches of the PresbyteriaB
hurch, that they observe the second Sabbath
September, 1869, as day of fervent and
nlted pray to Almighty God that He would
rant unto us all the spirit of counsel and
light, the spirit Of knowledge and OF the fear
the Lord And In the new relations
enable us TO keep the unity
the spirit In the bonds Of peace
Rev. DR.. Smith presided. The ministers
the Potomac and District Presbyteries &C.
lpled seats on the platform. The church
lihce was crowded to Its utmost capacity.
he meeting was opened with reading the
Tlptures by Rev. Mr.. Van Doran, of the