The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-12
AMERICAN FREE CHURCH.

The Frnnco-PrussIun Wnr-King William
'sWide Awake" Whilo Taking ssNap''-
Eloquent Discourse by the Rev. Charles Il.
Smyth.
An interesting sermon was delivered yester.
day by the Rev. G. B. Smyth, at Masonic
Hall, Thirteenth street. After the usual prelimi-
nary services, which were listened to with
devout attention, the reverend gentleman took his
text from Ezekiel xxXiil., 1l-"Turn We, turn yd
from your evil ways for why will We die House
Of Israel ?" He said:-Since the first rumor Of the
present war in Europe we have delivered several
sermons that subject. To-day we shall not dwell
so fully upon 1t as on previous SabbathS' but refer
to it en- PEASANT in the way OF Illustration The text
was originally addressed as Its terms indicate. to
the
NATION OF ISRAEL.
They had repeatedly apostatized from the truth
and worship of God, and received national castise-
ment at His hand for so doing; and being in state
of aposracy and suffering when the text was penned,
they warned that unless they repent they shall
perish The dealings OF God with Israel are recorded
for warning to all other nations Those who reject
Him must suffer unless they repent The speaker
showed that TWO things chiefly are taught III tins
textFirst that destruction Is visited upon ungOdy
natons secondly, that to avert It they must repent
In abiding to
he said that paradOXical as 1t might seem, 1t was,
nevertheless, true that King william was wide awake
while taking Nap: and that the Parsians had gone
mad for want of Nap. Napoleons last act was
the Belgian frontier he might have stepped over
and taken refuge from his foe In neutral nauion;
raa ,s sa shned mich saaaty He
proved his confidence In the chivalry generous i'm.
pulses aud high tone OF his victorious enemy, ana
threw himself upon the noble
GENEROSITY OF MONARCH
who knows how to appreciate such conduct; and
accordingly he has been treated with every mark
OF respect and consideration by King William. lie
said that until that moment-the moment OF NapO-
leon's surrender in the manner In which 1t was
made-he had supposed that the Napoeonic reign
was ut an end forever; but now he should not DO
surprised 10 find it resurrected. Had the
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF France been composed OF different class OF
men-men OF calm Judgment craftsmanship ana
solid Christian principle, and not OF persons VINO act
more like unatics than sane persons, the prospect
would be very different. Every person imbued with
American sentiments must sympathlze with a re-
public, and rejoice to see one established in any ma
ton III EurOpe and the more we sympathize with
dea o, az ar 80 UG n sae s we
any conduct Which is calculated to defeat the object.
The provisional government ought immediately to
have dsavowed Napoleon's unjust declaration OF
war; and to have sued for peace. Had it done 80 1t
might have come to terms with King William, and
secured his recognition and Its own permanently but
by eSpouslng
NAPoLEoN's QUARREL
II has saddled his responsibilities, and made King
William It's enemy, and put an end TO all hope OF
being able TO treat with him. and we may conse-
quently expect to find ere long the Prussian flag
waving On the Tuileries. William debating his own
terms IN Paris and securing the
RESTORATION OF NAPOLEON
In this connection he referred to the Importance
OF national lasts and especially at the present tlne
IN France. He instanced the good results which
nowed to our own country during the late war from
the Gays OF humiliation and prayer appointed by
Buchanan and Lincoln, and applied the sermon by
urging upon his hearers the necessity OF repentance
In order To work the
JUDGMENTS OF GOD
which are threatened against all impenitent sin.
ners. He announced that next Lords day he would
the mutual bearing OF Paris and Rome upon each
other and the bearing Of both upon the Kingdom OF
Christ" AT the close or the sermon a respectable
looking elderly gentleman, stranger asked per-
mission to speak, and On being accorded the privi-
legc by Mr.. Smyth he delivered an interesting ad-
as the most remarkable age of the world, destined
usher III the destruction OF all existing govern.
ments and the establishment OF universal tho
ncra