Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-06
BFECHER'S SERMON ON SUNDAY.


The following extract from a spe>
cial to the Cincinnati Commercial
gives something of the services in
Beecher's church last Sabbath.
Among other things Mr.. Beecher
said:
All men have generous and just
appreciation of the value to the ma
ton of the man who lies on the bed
of suffering and peril. I am not sur
prised at this. When the sound
echoed over our whole land of his
peril, there was no party, no advos
cate or adversaries. We were all
citizens, and not politicians. We are
all On one side. II some unmannerly
tongue has given utterance to rude
and coarse remarks, we must think
that it is the hasty utterance of ig~
norance, and not the deliberate act of
sane mind Men shook hands with
the pressure of grief at the sad news
and eyes were dun. All men had the
same sentiment; all heads were bowed
as if in the very presence of the God
who dwells in the darkness, and we're
awed by his power.
It is related by naturalists that III
countries where freshets and floods
prevail, when animals are driven by
the water to take refuge together in
the high ground, and herded by a
common terror, they forget their ami
mosities and evil designs, and dwell
in peace. The rabbit and the fox
the lamb and the wolf, the bear and
the deer, and the serpent i'll common
peril dwell quietly together and for
get opposition.
Mr.. Beecher then read the 39tl
and 41st Psalms. He read with es-
pecial feeling this verse:
"The Lord will strengthen hin
upon the bed of languishing. Thou
wilt make alllhis bed in his sickness.
At the conclusion of the prayer
the choir sang, Beyond the Smiling
and the Weeping [ Shall be Soon.
Mr.. Beecher said the first effect oi
such all astonishing event as this, il
apt to be confusion and fear. AS il
an earthquake, men lose their trus
in the solidity and safety of thos
things in which their life is built. S.
that when God re1ds the heaven ant
a blow is struck at the center of ou
affections, we ask, what can happen
what will the end be?
| Fortunately for us in all this W,
need not look for an unfavorable is
sue. In the Providence of God there
is nothing to fear except the evil
incident to prosperous times. Sucl
is the nature of free, intelligent gov
ernment, by an educated common
. people, that the strength of the go1
ernment is not in itself at all. n
official taken away shakes the fabric
There have been times when th
ends OF the earth seemed to rest ol
single men. Such was Moses to Israel
Washington to us, Cromwell to Eng
land, Cavor to Italy, Bismark t
Germany, TAiers and Gambetta t
, France. Were they taken it woul
seem as if the buttresses were gone
! and the bridge must go, too. Thes
! are extreme cases. In our histor
when, the war not done, our proud
est leader, our distinguished an
double head, and now our revere
martyr, Lincoln, was taken,it SCENE
as If all was at an end. But nothin
= suffered. We have not planted th
: power in any department of th
t government. The power is in tn
1 people themselves, and they lend il
S IF the hand using the power fall
Y the power is left. The nation stand
s on four squares, as the pyramid
stand, but net desolate and not O
t the bAre sand. But around it al
a as many men as grains of san
around the Egyptian pyramids. Tai
n ing the head would not change tE
+ great interest. There would be no LEI
ships to sail or building on the stock
Warehouses would be no fewer
wheels in factories would be no les
The hand would work at the anv
), the same, and the plow would SCOT
II in the soil. Business would flow c
with no check. No school, academ
or college would be out. No churc
would be closed
e The nation is broad, variou
S strong and immovable. Until it ro
at the sills by it's own infidelity an
corruption, it will stand as unmove
q as the mountains. We are spare
IS anxiety from national peril. 9th
is hands would take the reins of go
n ernment if death should relax Il
l. hands. now holding them. Every d.
partment would go on the same, al
all interests would be advanced.