Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-11-19
EBeechcr on the Fire.

Let us not. in looking upon so great
a calamity as this. be led into specu
lation as to its significance, and try
to find Interpretation of the meaning
of ID vine providence In other days,
when men knew less, it was not
strange that they tried to interpret the
reasons, and some may say that this
calamity was sent to humble the
proud hearts of the people of Boston.
As if. if God sent caIamities to hum
BILE the proud hearts, there would be
spot on The globe chat would be
spared-as if New York or Brooklyn
would escape. Shall one pupil take
all the punishment when the whole
school is at fault? 1t may be said i,
is sent to punish avarice. Who shall
dare to say that this disaster has
been sent for any such purpose as
this. or that it has been sent in any
way than as summer or winter is sent?
Can a sparrow fall to the ground with
out the bOtice of the Maker? No:
but they do fall to the ground. and he
sees it, aud yet they fall There is
not an iccburg that breaks with thun-
der from the solitary North to sail
down to lower attitudes that is not
also a creature of providence. and il is
the providence of the administration
of natures law. There is no provi-
dence Of God working through all life.
10 ri n
laws. So god sends cholera upon our
nation, and plague upon another. but
who shall say it was because one ma
ton is Mohanmedan. or another was
Catholic, or another was Protestant?
The prophets are all dead, and there
are no authorized interpreters of how
God acts. There is a moral use of
this calamity. but it is one that looks
toward the future. 1t asks not why
this was done, but this being done
how shall we make benefit out of that
which is disaster? We are to inter
pref in the future, not in the past
Cities, which are the grandest pros
ducts of civilization, have had the |
most stumbling irregularities of histo-
rieS. Some have grown almost by |
accident, although certain great laws
detc rmined their position yet much |
is left to bungling chance or indiv;d.
ual caprice and within. Why should |
there be narrow streets? Individual |
rights have been protected to block
up the way aud hinder public advance
ment. aud this has prevented econo
my and set at naught wisdom. clean
illness. sewerage. Things which are
comparatively unimportant when
live in the fields become Of
vital interest," when ten thousands of
are huddled together in large
cities, were hundreds of thousaI d of
men are making malaria by their
breath, by their Offal. by all their
filth. Is st wise. then. to dwell thus?
And yet men learned nothing of these
things until the plague taught them;
and the fever and the plague are the
architects of London the plague and
the fever, the cholera and des"lation
have been the architects of many a
city, and these diseases are but nature
with her secrets unrolled. a
teacher, Schoolmaster teaching
men wisdom. David thought that the
.hree years of famine was because he
numbered the people Are we then.
% breed famine every ten wears
when we take the census? But i'm
people, people like the
Italians. that have shorn their land
If the forests, and, so have their sea-
IONS of deiIuge. believe them to be
-isitatiou of Providence. and they
,ray that they Iray be averted: in
instead of praying to God they should
liant trees Is it not God? Yes.
,ut men dc not understand what he
ays. They say pray and repent. and s
hat is all very well-these things I
H. - L. Jo,~ t@,,t 80 lo.-~ AZ 4.