The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-29

Rev. DIR. Bond, the principal writing
editor Of the 81. Louis Christian Aduocate
Che resides in Bal'lmore), is blessed with
so agle stock OF common sense that bis
editorials are always worth reading. See
how he treats a difficult subject in Tho fol-
lowing article
ADMINISTERING GODS JUDGMENTS.
Sitting here in Maryland, where the air is
foul with the smoke and scent Of western
tires, ravaging prairies. devouring towns,
and calc!niu2 the ashes OF Chicago, our
thoughts have been directed TO the awful
subject Of the judgments Of Coda phrase
by which the sef-complacent religionism OF
all times is accustomed to designate afllic-
tioas That fall upon those that have hum
blcd It's dignity, or outraged its propriety,
or contradicted its theology, or excited its
envy hy uni1si itlsble prosperity in worldly
pursuits. which, as others pursue them.
appear elninently ungodly. Sins to which
rellglcDism has no MUD are very offensive
10 II. Tue man who will not gamble at
faro. but only in stocks, is profoundly stir
red with 'ndi2nation toward the unscrupu-
ious rascal who plumbers flats in the wrong
place. Should sudden calamity overtskc
him, il IS judgment should the visitation
meet the pious stock jobher just az he turns
=" 4 corner" 1t Is an affective providence
that puts church in mourning.
When workman in Rome, irrsvercptly
handling an imsge, or donnine an ecclesi-
aStica garment, falls i'll, the RELIGIOUS by
ISLANDERS see in the calamity the manifest
anger Of God. When priest falls dead 1T
the altar, 1t isa compIacept summons to 60
Up higher. The hcatben who saw the
friehtt}ll consequences Of protesting Chris.
tianity in the days Of Nero. inferred that
being Of all men most miserable, the Chris
tians were The most wicked. The Chris
tians drew counter inference from the Ca
lamitles Of the Emperors. So the Jews
thought that the man born blind was de-
prived Of eyes because Of his parents sin,
or may be his own, and regarded the fall Of
the Sloan tower as special judgment
upon the poor lnen crushed by the tall. So
The spectators who SAW the serpent fas,en
on the hpnd of Paul Inferred that he vas :,
murderer, who, though he had escaped the
sbiywreck, was not permitted to live.
Now, all this is natural, and the teaching
Of our religion, which lays such stress upon
the immediate sovereignty and providence
of God. is easily made to corr0borate the
habit Of judgment. Exposed, rs human
life aud property always are, to dcstruc-
tive agencies, calamity is continually pre-
sentiug itself for Wind cation before our the
ology. and as our theology acknowledges
that God does send judgments upon men,
and yet that affection is not nominal eX-
preston Of oispleaSurc, but often the re-
verse, it necessarily happens that if we
Judge AT I'll we judge partially and arbitra-
Iily--HOt according to the mind Of God, but
according 70 the easy 1u'e o. dl,ccrnmclt
furnished in our own.
The great fires in the West, like Ill other
great rnlalnllics, have bccn eagerly i'm
rruvcl' by many preachers ana writer's to
sUa'aIn their different views CT philosophy
Gnd 10 give impetus TO their particular
hobbies. When the cholera first visited
Boston almost all the preachers saw in it Il
judgment against iDtempcrance, because
an,-tirink was the hobby Of the time. Sub
scqueutly it was anti-slavcry, and calgni-
ties were interpl cted accordingly. The
multitude and variety of sins in large.
suddenly. created city afford singular oppor-
tunity to select the crime that brought
down the vengeance Of fire. Brother
Haven, who is always ready to declare the
Elind Of God. interprctS the fire to te Il
revelation against SHINING on Sundays, be-
sides on other days. as Boston does. MIR.
George Francis Tram seems to trace the
fire 10 certain Chicago misdcmeanors to-
ward himself, who WAS irrcyerentiy han.
died in lbat city. Many who remember the
broad flames that swept the flanks Of Sher-
mars march, and the horrible burning Of
Columbia, see III the fires Ct the Northwest
and uf lis great war emporium the retiiDu-
tive judgment OF God.
There is no lack of sins to be burned fer.
Chicago is z proud, vain, and wicked city.
The Inhabitants were much gwen 10 the
NcbuchadncZZar way Of contemplating lie
great Babylon they had built. 1t was
city Of eag"r traders, and commercial COM
nun ties are not remarkable for the DON'T
uiun Of the higher qualities Of the soul.
Many OF the people of Chicago had sprung
from vulgar, unscrupuiouS grGediness to
vulgar, uuScrupulous weallhiness. AL
then bad natule had been expanded and
hardened by prosperity. There was pro
fuss osterta:ion, gross self-lnGulgcuce,
coarse pride, snd abominab}e hypocrisy.
Many adren;urers from other places had
brought contributions OF sin to this great
tever-!ouse Of domestic ungodliness. There
wss much low vice, many grosgerics and
gambling houses, and worse resorts OF
depravity. Religion itself was vulgar,
ostcnt.tious, ptg-hcaded and feeble
hearted. It built tine churches, cult
ya,ed dcnouinationaIiSm, sortened the
prescriptions Of the gospel by all the
comforts Of luxury, snd sustained the
loWline>s of the spirit by. surroundings
that reminded it Of its right to be proud.
There WAS an enormous quantity OF whls-
KEY distilled III Chicago, and there was q
great deal OF it drank, amidst oaths and
hrawls, obscenity, and blood. There was
& great deal OF gambling done i'll secret
dene, i'll elgrina temples OF fortune, III
stock boards and counting-houses. There
was n great deul OF coarscr, uDmenti0na-
l,le wicEeduess. There was q great deal Of
iii.gotten gain there. Much Of he city was
cemented with blood and stuffed with plum
der. Chicago vas q favored vulture glut-
ted with the "protits" Of the war
"protits" being the modern plural of tho
ancient "prey," and signlfyine spoil taken
from both Sides the fruits OF both plunder
aud contracts.
Now, that is 4 terrible bill Of indictment,
und capable OF great ampiticatlon. But,
ON the other hand, there was SAT- there.
There was real, honest manhood there
was true piety; there was teryent
prayer ; there were kindly hearts; there
was holy struggle for The truth IN the
midst of q crooked and perVerse genera
ton. God had much people in that place.
Suppose the fire had swept over Boston
and devoured even the holy place whence
Brother Haven sends forth the oracles Of
God, could not u revealer III Chicago have
sdduced whiskey. drinking, aud Sabbath
breaking, and ciild-murder, and pharisee.
ism enough to justify the fiery ways OF
God against the worn-out hub Of the uni.
verse;? Is New York any better! Is
there not sin and mock virtue enough
there TO make it prudent for the people TO
look TO the rainbow for sense Of security
against another deluge? Is Baltimore or
st. Louis kept safe by Righteousness! Was
the great fire in Charleston, or Richmond,
or Columbia the testimony Of God that the
sins of those cities were worse than the
80 IL .n,n,l;tv of phiIa6rlDhiaf