The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-20


universal application He thought, therefore, that
at every time when men were assembled TO-
ge:her the truths Of religion had an appropriate
place, and place that was becoming more and
more recognized as the inVinc,ble spread OF truth
progressed He then laid down the principle that
the fireman In marked and peculiar way walked
| In the line OF Providence, and was an exponent
and symbol, In no small degree, OF the mercy OF
| Providence. The fireman was IN armed apostle, a
soldier OF peace, with duties 20 less arduoas and
perilous than those OF the soldiers OF war The
latter hail stern and oftentimes aohorrent duties
to PERFORM which he was compelled to perform
without rejection as to their justice or humanity
| for the soldier was the unthinktng sword OF the
State, while the fireman was the shield OF the
State, In whom was discretion, courage, manli.
ness and virtue. The mission OF the soldier was
to destroy and punish, that OF the fireman 10 pre-
serve and bless. The preacher drew vivid pic
ture OF the fireman engaged In his perilous mis-
sion OF mercy, and described, with an eloquence
that told OF per .onal participation the confagra-
tiou that once laid desoate the busiest portion OF
the City OF Charleston, drawing from both an argu
men: Of admiration and gratitude for the nremen
who were always ready to forget their own COM
fort and imper their lives for the preservation OF
the homes and families Of their felow.men
Cities, he said, had always been under the espe'
cial care OF the Almighty, and he cited many
passages OF Scripture in which those sggr ga
tfons or mankind were spoken Of with peculiar
tenderness, and in which city had been used as
The type OF the rest that Is prepared IN heaven.
he would not say that God loved the CITY better
than the country but that He had an especial In
tefest In those dwelling places OF men, anu nad
graciously declared himself the vlgilant Keeper
| OF the CITY, In this sense, the fremen marched
In the direct line OF Providence, and was the
direct instrument OF the will Of God and as sach,
entitled to honor encouragement and applause
While, however, he gave them with all his heart
this honor TO which they were entitled ne desired
also to add one word Of caution. There was
always danger, he said, in large aggregations OF
men that lacked the refining influence OF the pres
ence OF women, danger In those pursuits and oc-
cupatIens that were 30 srduous as to seem 70 de-
mand at times an artificial stmulant, and danger
In that hilar,y which ls born OF raternal and con.
ylvial compauionship, and he warned them 10
remember that 1t did not become them, whose
mission was noble, responsible and honorable, to
become known as simaly boon companions; or to
indulge too frequently in what the reporters now
nippantly called "a smLe,' bat which carried
many tear aud heart.pang to the de.
serted ones at home. He then directed
the attention Of his hearers to the
rewards that followed the vlsitations Of Provi.
dence in connagradons. he showed why they
were permitted In the providence OF God, and
said that II properly viewed they brought In their
train blessings more enduring than the calamity,
and fitted the bereaved ones to say, 1.-THE Lord
gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the name OF the Lord" Even In material sense
they were attended with compensations. After
the City OF London had been swept by nre from
the face OF the earth, there rose more ssubrious
London, and the pestilence is now unknown
where formerly was plague stricken city. In
place OF Chicago now sitting in ruins there would
soon arise more substantial and enduring
Western metropolis, and even the calamity
which has left Charleston scared and blackened
for 80 many years would yet result, he had faith
to believe, In more cleanly and beautiful City BY
the Sea. There had been cities that had been
utterly destroyed by IRE. Sodom and Gomorran
had been swept from the plain by the wrath OF
God, and Babylon had been burned as related In
the text, Int he did not believe that In the provi.
dence OF God the flames could have permanent
potency over any city which was the home OF
Christian cviliz alton and the seat OF civic virtue.
1t was, however In lis spiritual effects that the
compensations Of devastating nre were most
apparent. 1t was related in the Scriptures how
that In time Of great distress to the people OF
Israel the prophet Elisha had gone to cavern In
q rock TO seek sign from God, and here he had
been astonished by series Of most wonder.
full phenomena. First there was tempest Of
wind and rain, but God was not In the storm;
then came an earthquake that rent the cliffs
asunder, but God was not in the cliffs; then
streams Of fire came pouring from the mountain
side, but God was not In the 1ime; but, at last,
when the fire was qucnchei and the turbulent
elements were hushed, there came SO still, small
voice." and Elisha knew that he Tad received the
revelation Of the Most high. In this case the
Almighty did not clothe himself with the fame
and appear to his servant in form OF terror, but
he used the fire as herald to announce his ap.
proach, and to command attention to the still,
small voice. Aud in these latter days the names
have the same mission, to cal our thoughts away
from the petty mortal cares Of earth, and awaken
our senses to the still. small voice OF conscience
and to the contemplation Of the power and majes.
ty OF God, as portrayed In His works.
DR.. ELIAS HoRLBEcK.-We learn that IN
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