St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-05-15


and disgrace.
As nation we owe God everything.
For all that we are or expect to be, for
all that we have or expect to have, we
are indebted to him. He it was who
opened this vast continent to the teem-
ing millions of the oppressed and per
secuted of the nations who established
upon our shores colonies of men, whose
strictness of life. and devotion to prin-
ciple, have left their impress upon our
country's laws, and customs, and have
made this land what it is, the shrine of
liberty: IL land where no shackleS bind
the limbs or fetter the. cOnsciences of
its inhabitants. Trace our history in
whatever line you may, and Gods
hand is seen, directing and developing
our growth. But, yet, many sins have
crept in. Some of them have existed
from the beginning of our national his
tory. Canker-like. they have silently
gnawed their way to the very heart of
our system, and threaten to bring down
upon us once again the vengeance of
God.
NATIONAL INGRATITUDE TO GOD.
One of these sins is that of ingrati-
tude. Owing. as we do. the develop
ment of our national life, energies and
prosperity to the hand of God, one
would think it was no more than Il Just
acknowledgment of his kindness and
love. to afford IA suitable national re-
cognition of our Indebtedness to. and
dependence upon him. But, yet. search
the Constitution of our country over
and from beginning to end, there will
/ l,o 81 4 nI
of his being. or expression of our in
dehtedness and dependence upon hiS
sovereign power. We cannot regard
that memorable preamble to the Con
stitution, which commences. I'VE. the
people of the United States, in order t"
| form il more perfect union. establish
! Justice. insure domestic tranquility.
etc, otherwise than as ignoring the eX-
iStcnce and rights of the Being. through
whose blessing alone success can attend
human efforts to establish justice and
insure domestic tranquility. The eN-
ampleS of the past uniformly show us
the futility of endeavoring to maintain
power or secure prosperity. except
through the blessing Of Jehovah. cod
uniformity claims in his word the right
of dispensing power to. and ruling
among the nations. And the nations
which have forgotten him have i'll times
past. and will in all time to come. fall
under the ban of his displeasure. \
very striking illustration of this is found
in the history of NehuchadneZzar, king
of Babylon. BY the mouth of the
prophet .Jeremiah (.Jcr. u: ). 6.) God
had spoken these words: Il have made
the earth. the man and the beast that
are upon the ground. 10y my great power
and bv my outstretched ann. and have
given it unto whom it seemed meet
uuto me- And now have | given all
these Lands into the hands of Nchuchad-
ncZZar, the king of Babylon. my ser
want" OF this fact. with what follows
in the context. Nebuchadmczzar. from
revelations personally received. (se,
Dan. ch., i'll was cOgnizant but he
forgot his dependence. and as he walk
ed forth to view the grandeur ot his
city and pal &c. the pride of his nation.
The Kin spakc and said. Is not thi-
great EIhyl"n which | have built. fol
the house of the kingdom. hN the might
of my power. and for the honor of m'
majesty? While the word WAS in tn,
kings mouth there fell Il voice from
heaven. saying. o king Nebuchadnczlar
:. to thee it is spoken; the kingdom /,
departed from thee. And they >hal
drive thee from men. and thy dwelling
shall he with the beasts ot the field
they shall make thee eat grass as oxen
and seven times shall pass over thee
until Hou knor that the Most High rUIcI
IN the king1om Of men. and girch it Il
rhom he rW." Dan. / :IO-:'1 Was il
Il, f
which brought down upon him the bias
of the Almighty And, vet. what i,
the declaration of the preamble. hu
that the "PcopIe Of the Emjtcd States.
are able hy their OUn power To establish
Justice. and insure domestic tranquil
lity, etc. declaration which. in rcalit
is very like to that of the smittcn kin.
of old. And the Indifference and Op
position which meets the cndcavor t'
rcctify the wrong. show that the fcclln:
of human pride which would aScrihl
the honor to man. exists to-day. auG
constitutes Il national sin. over whicl
we It's Christian people should mourn
while we show the sincerity of our re-
pcntance, by au act which cannot fai
, to CRAFTY and honor him.
THE BIBLE IN THE SCHOOLS.
But there are other evils which af1rc
us. and which, strictly considered. ar
logical outyrowths of the sin. to whicl
we have reverted, and to which w
would direct your attention. In gain!
over our land we can see a DANCE
creeping upon us, our Indifference +
t which, and in some cases our indulgence
of which, threatens to become, and ha
: become sin. have referred to tn
endeavor of designing men VIII" ar
striving to effect the overthrow of tina
f which has made our land what it is
country where all men can worship Coz
freelv-I mean the Bible. Their at
| tacks are insidiOus and in many case
fatal. The Ostensible object is to bans
: the Bible from the schools; but the re;l
object is to undermine and bring it
1 precepts into disrepute. And the peo
p pie seem careless of their danger. Man
e who profess to venerate, and do reall
venerate. the God whose laws it teaches
e are among the foremost III this so-calle
4 reform. WhyP because forSooth, Ii
e root of sectarian bitterness must cree
. in This is IL country of free inStitu
: tions, where conscience must he respec
: ted As though that from which con
V science derives its activity and ctfec
n tiveneSs. could hurtfully affect an
e conscience trained under its influence
i Why, the whole history of its introduc
# ton and general Use among civilize
n nations, shows that it has ever elevate
n and ennObled humanity. 1t is alon
q where the Bible has gone, and wher
e its precepts have been generally taugl
d and believed, that the truest toleratio
h and regard for the rights of conscienc
IS exists. You may point to instances