Year: 1861

tent of the fires Of the political volcano


over which we We're treadng, Gnti tho


feartdl crater was opened, and the sc0.ching
lava belched forth upon the country. The
sudden change in our political condition and
prospects have taken the nation by surprise,
and we stand as it were aghast, strainine
our vision upon the unwonted spectacle, not
knowing what next may be tlvuiged in this
unaccountable freak of treason and secession.


A writer in recent number Of the AtIam.
TIC Monthly remarks:


"Men cannot think or write or attend to
their ordinary business. They stroll up and
down the streets they saunter out upon the
public places. We confessed TO an ilustrious
author that we laid down the volume Of his
work which we were reading when the war
broke out. 1t was as interesting as ro-
nance, but the romance Of the past grew pale
before the red light of the terrible present.
Meeting the same author not long afterwards,
he confessed that he had laid down his pen
the same time wo had closed his book He
could not write about The sixteenth century
any more than he could read about il, while
the nineteenth was in the very agony and
bloody sweat Of its great sacrifice Another
most eminent scholar told us in all simplicity
that he had fallen into such state that he
would read the same telegraphic dispatches
over and over again in different papers, as if
they were new, until he felt as if he were an
idiot"


II is to be feared that this absorbing topic
may too exclusively occupy public attention,
and other duties may be neglected. We shal
as individuals have nothing to fear if our
national calamities only drive us nearer to
the Throne Of Grace, and Induce US the more
firmly to trust in God. Then We may safely
hope that all Of those things will work to-
gether for our good. But if our attention
should be drawn from our spiritual interests,


it may prove our spiritua ruin On this sub


ect, personal set,cxaminaton is Important
If we are inclined to neglect private prayer,
the CLASSROOM, the prayer-meeting, the mis-
sion cause, and other objects Of Christian
benevolence, through the pressure Of the
times, and the exciting topics of the hour,
we are allowing the interests of time to in
trude upon those Of eternity.


The Christian may learn an important
lesson from the passing events We are here
admonlshed OF the uncertainty Of all earthly
interests. We see how unsafe it is 10 lean
for support upon earthly hopes, We have
been accustomed to regard our Government
with fond idolatry, and we have relied upon
its permanancy and continued prosperity, but
here we see our liability to he deceived. We
should place our affections on things above,
and not on things on the earth. 1t matters
comparatively but little what may be our
earthly circumstances, life so soon is past,
and the great concern of lite should be to DO
fitted by grace to spend our everlasting days
in the enjoyment of God and Heaven.


There never was period in our history,
that demanded greater activity and watch
fulncss on the part Of the professed disciples
of Christ than the present. We are liable
to indulge in wrong spirit towards those
who are in arms against the Cove rnment,
and to have our attention diverted from the
great work before us, Of spreading Scriptural
holiness over these lands, and sending to
those in darkness the light and influence of
the Gospel. Amid these passing events, time
does not inger, but with a ceaseess flight, is
bearing us all away to the scenes and desti-
MES of eternity. There are no circumstances
that should divert the Christian from his ap-
propriate work, for it is fitted for al! tho
phases of human life, whether peace or war,
prosperity Or adversely, life or death