The New York herald., 1870-05-02
vElrGD ragsEyTERgay CHURCH.

The Calamity In Richmond Due To sin--
Denuncsnilon of Free l.aYc Preachers
ond S!onderous Pub'icists--IEere Is n
nevii--Evl Days in Church aud statc--
Soynon by she Ttev. g. u. Gmytl.
The members OF tho United Presbyterian body
worshpped yesterday, to the number of 100, in ,he
Welsh Congregational chapel, Eleventh street, be-
tween First and Second avenues. Sngularly extra
vagsnt amid the unadorned gravity OF the proceed.
ings was the appearance among the staid worship
pers OF half dozen ''girls OF the peliodr whose
'saucy" hats, sarmounting pie OF cgaon made the
grave and reverend elders stare and provoked IRE.
pressible wrath TO urhallowed whispering, done,
however, with batod breath.
The trial of the Rev. @. b. smyth the pastor, for
breach Of the Sabbath said TO have been committed
some Sundays ago by inviting Of the reporters
TO lunch at public bar, and In having pro.anely
imbibed himself soiae gin ana milk upon the occa-
sion, would 1t was announced, come Off OH Tuesday
morning at ten O'Clock, and the Speaker exhorteJ
the Presbytery to muster IN all It's strength. the
matter In dispute was of much interest to the body.
He wished call New York was present." IL Is anti
cipated that there viii be lively tine OF It upon the
trial, as the Sabbaarans are sturdy in their Puri-
tansm, and Mr.. Smyth Is strong In his sense OF
having done no wrong in extending little hospi.
taty TO gentlemen of the press, nor even TO the
conduct has led to this "tempest III teapot, as he
did net know the character OF his guest. end took
him TO be man.
Before the sermon tho following hymn was given
With immense piety but without any regard for The
musical OF ornamental IN psalmody:-
How lcng, Lord lookest ,hou on?
From those distractions they Intend
hescuo Iny SOU from Ions young,
The discourse was upon Proverbs xviii l-"Trou
knowcs5 not what day may bring fortl.n lie said
ne had preached upon THIS text two months ago
tlnct nom that he then delivered The application
OF the text at present would be 10 the uncertainties OF
NE Life was male ~ OF ylcisstu1es rom the cradle
TO the grave, and scarcely one OF these revolutions
accidents was anticIa Iated. Where Is tie man who
closed 3 life as he expected to dor where tie one
who walked IN tho path he had ma ked unt for him.
sclf2 Why were nor these changes such as were ex-
pectea and desired? Iecluse the iatare was Curl
a oasy en.hrouueu N mystory. one thing Tas how
their origin. " course this proposition must be
UNDERSTOOD generally Take the late appalling ca
lamity In Richmond, the greaiest disaster recorded
for many years past. WIS this hecaiomD OF victims
and all these he1rs cruelty wrnnga Why those
homes male deso.ae2 Was it not because VI roltl.
cal musilceP Hal there not been sin and crime TO
9rg1ate @ M tae gaaIes s9Rslt 70 be appeaasd here
the Capitol and bring death to many doors
The Pharisees believed the contrary, aud were re.
buited by the Saviour, who said OF the blind man, in
reply to their question, 'Nether this hah SIN
ned nor his parents but for the glory God,n sc.
me world was vale OF tears; There WAS more
| someness was ike q bird OF passage. Bnt in special
vlsitatons Of Providence there this thing remark
able, that punshmeDt5 were sent 10 the wicked In
anger While they descenie upou The just to chasie
them. The destruction visit ed upon s0lom ana upon
| the antediluyians wGen the cup OF their inquiries
was filed up was al illustration o. the former While
In correcting The plou5 and godly God acted at all
times like parent doing IL in sorrow Rather than
anger.
| The vlcssitudes to which the preacher alluded
moro frequently took the shape OF domestic bercaye-
ments The death OF the partner OF onc's jOys and
sofrows and the object of q mans earliest and
strongest aiicctlons--wlat blow it was Yet such
line, pratlling boy, with noble developments ia body
and mind whose intellect justified the hope. II It did
not give the promise, that nc would IN a leader IN
The land-perilaps guiding the national army To vic
monWealth or evangeizing The Lords vineyard.
All no. The Angel Oi Death swoopS over the nur-
sery ana sweeps him 10 the dust Of the Onlo. Such
was life. But there were bterer sorlows. Such
were those that sprung from treachl ry deceit
when friends deserted and betrayed the friend who
told his soul TO them while he leaned upon them for
support. SO it must ever be- Christ was betrayed
by disciple and friend. And now he was again
betrayed by raven!ng wolves, cloaEea in ny.
| pOcrisy, who entered the pulpits to scatter
the sheep OF the LORD by teaching and encouraging
free love, heterod0xy and ali such doings and who
even had the impley ami laeliy to proclaim that
''there was no devil" BY reference to the Book or
Job and TO the Eplstles Of st. Paul he proved that
to SIM and behind these apostles o. Auto h.is very
particularly Evil days had come upon Church and
state. This was the evil time, because wickcdness
legslated rampanty In me Senate, rioted in the
halls OF justice, dcSecrated the Christian pilpit and
overspread the world. The arch fend, 100, prompted
bad men to publish to the world lbels and SANDERS
about Christian men, that 20 the weak might be
scandalized and the lniirm seduced. And with such
developments beore them men were mad and
wicked enough to 3 ~ there was no deygi.