Year: 1864

ern Christian Advoeafe, of Feb "a, under
the head Of .'The Acceptable Year Of the
Lord" eloquently defines the position of
the Church, and also his, in regard to
the war-which is one that every truely
good man and patriot can conscientious
ly subscribe to, and concludes his ar
ticle thus:


Providence marches before His Church
and overturns nations in the way. I'm
til his chariot shall rest the world will
not have peace; it will not stop nor tar
nv until the world ceases to defend Or
ganized crime with the sword. Christ is
now the illustrious warrior; his sword
glitters on his thigh; his stained gar
ments tell of the deadly strife. He is
travelling in the greatness Of his
strength !" he is mighty to save" and
will continue his triumphant march for
''the day OF vengence is in his heart, and
the year Of his redeemed is come" "He
will tread down the people in his anger
and make them drunk in his fury, and
bring down their strength to the earth" !"
Every victory of our army is a victory of
civilization over barbarism, Of truth over
falsehood, Of freedom over oppression, of
Christ over his enemies. In the Ian
guage Of the elegant and most excellent
proclamation of Gov. Swift, Of Mime
sota-'.Let us thank God for the glorious
victories achieved by our brave soldiers
In the fierce struggle for the maintenance
OF our government against traitors in tn e
field, and for the loyaAy which inspires
our people to continue and support q Wig
orous prosecution of the war until rebel
Lion shall yield to respect for constitution
Ia~ ot foe 1Ana
it is for the world and the ages to come
1t hastens the millenium--it is the grand
est contest of time We have here no
Peter preaching a crusade to rescue Jeru-
salem, but Christ preaching for Gods
hallowed day, the return Of q period sur
passing the ancient poets dreams OF the
golden age, an era of peace and of love,
not disturbed by the clanking of chains
not the sounds Of the oppressor's lash.


We believe in Christian meekness, but
we despise the meanness that consents
to consort with sin for the sake of rest.
We do not admire war, but war is better
than the triumph of crime. 1t is better
to hunt down and slay robbers than to
permit robbery; it is infinitely better to
destroy traitors than to permit them to
succeed. Saints may fight when God
commands, and he always commands
when violence would rob humanity Of its
right to life and redemption, or raise its
polluted hand to dehle the holiness of His
church. Before this rebellion should at
tain its end, we should rally the old men
at the affairs and stir their blood with the
fires Of youth, should arm every minis
ter and every man, and let the women,
like the ancient German matrons, go to
the war to help, by every means, their
lords. We would conscript the last man
in the Republic and let him die in duel
with the last rebel before we should suf-
fer this atrocious conspiracy to succeed
"A conspiracy which has shamed that of
Catalina, a treason that blanches every
other the world has seen. Weindignant-
" denounce the miserable priests who
arc willing to minister at the affairs of sla-
very, and the pusillanimous Journalists
who pretend their religion forbids the en-
couragement of patriotism contcnding
for the life of the nation. Such relig
ion is nothing but a disgraceful, coward
ly, vile conformity to the world, an in
famous compromise with Satan. We find
in our hearts inexpressible disgust of the
delicate, velvety piety which is passive,
negative and altog ether contemplate at
such time. We may as well say out
that we admire Cromwell and his battal-

amy, and Havelock and his saints, and
our armies so true and faithful Il came
not to bring peace but sword" said the
Son Of God The acceptable year has
tens, divinest charity urges it, it is mercy
that arms US for the day Of God.
" The day Of the Lord is at hand-a hand,


The storms roll up the sky;


A nation sleeps starving on heaps Of gold,


All dreamers toss and sigh.


When the pain is sorest the child is born,
And the day is darkest before the morn


OF the day Of the Lord at hand.
"Gsther you. gather you, angels Of God;


Chivalry, Justice and Truth:


Come, for the earth is grown coward and old


Come down and renew us her youth!


Frsedom, Self sacrifice, Mercy and Love,
HAsss " the battle -held-stoop form above,


To the day Of the Lord At hand.
"Gather you. gather you. hounds Of hell


Famine, and P,eague, and War;


ldlsssss, Rigotry, Cant and Misrule,


Gasher--and fall in the snare!


Hirelings and Mammouites -Pe,iants aud knaves
Crawl to the battle, sneak 10 your graves,


In the day Of the Lord at hand.
"who would down and whine for . lost age Of gold


While the Lord Of all ages is heref


Tsos hearts viii leap up At the trumpet Of God,


And those who suffer dare.


Each past sse Of gold was iron age too,
And the msckest of saints may find work to do,


In the day Of the Lord At hand"


Our duty is plain; we ought to be
grateful to God.


Halleluiahs should rise with every
morning sun, and greet the stars at
night


Praise should quiver on every lip and
sound from every tongue Sounds of
melody should vibrate from every instru-
ment and tremble from every heart in
sweet, hallowed praise:


~ Praise We the Lord.


Sing un 10 the Lord n sony.
And his praise in the congregation Of saints.
Let Isreal rcjcicc in Him that made him.


Let the children Of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name with the pipe;


Lot them sing praises unto him with duhrs and harp
For the Lord takcth pleasure in his people;
Hs win bcautify the meek with salvason.