Year: 1863

bow with him before the throne of Cor


For myself. 1 thank God that be SO dis


tinctly confesses his own weakness an


expresses his dependence upon th


Lord; and that in recalling the wonder


full things which God has done for us


be has placed upon record the convic


tions which God has impressed upon hi


soul. He says "no human council


hath devised, nor hath any mortal hant


worked out these great things. They
; are the gracious gifts Of the most High


God, who, while dealing with US il


anger for our sins has evertheless re


membsred mercy" And again be


says that "to the bounties which are SO


constantly enjoyed that we are prone


to forget the source from which they


come, others have been added which


are of such an extraordinary nature


that they cannot fail to penetrate and


soften the heart which is habitually in


sensible to the ever watchful providence


of Almighty God" For these we


come "with the sacrifices of thanks
giving into the house Of the Lord"


And God grant that inseusible hearts
may be penetrated and softened as the


Nation bows before the footstool fthe
King of Kings.


The circumstances under which we
are called to give thanks to-day, are
certainly peculiar. We are engaged in
a war of the most fearful character. A
conflict is raging which in its issue in.
wolves the life of the Nation. For
nearly three years we have been called
to endure one Of the most terrible OF
the judgments Of the Lord. The blood
of thousands of the bravest and best
Of our land has been poured out like
water, in the deadly struggle. We
have been called to mourn as the SOL
dier's grave has closed over the lifeIess
forms Of those whose lives were bound
up in our own. "The mighty man
and the man Of war. the judge and the
prudent. and the ancient. the captain of
fifty and the honorable man, and, the
counsellor and the cunning arti6cer,
and the eloquent orator." have gone
from the peaceful walks Of life to the
field of death whence they will
return no more. And to-day. all over
the land-or that part at least which is
free from the terrible dominion of
treason-as the church bells peal out
their call to the sanctuary, does not the
feeble mother go with sadness as she
remembers the time when she leaned
upon the strong arm Of her noble boy
who is not with her to-day? Does not
the wife come with an aching heart as
she knows that even while we pray and
praise, the battle may be fought and
the bullet may be speeding which will
leave ber widowed and broken. hearted?
Are not the absent loved ones whose
voices used to 'mingle with our own,
yonder on the field where messengers
Of death are flying thickly and swiftly?
And while we lift our songs Of praise
and listen to the music of joyous instru-
ments, do they not listen to other
sounds? "The death angel" is touch.
Ing the "swift keys" which utter their
notes not from organ pipes, but from
musket barrels and the crashing can
non. They hear Il
"The bursting shell, the gateway wrenched


asunder,


The rattlirg musketry, the clashing blade;
And ever and anon, in tones of thunder,


The diapason of thecannonade."


And are there not thousands of those
but lately gone from our very sides.
who are sleeping the sleep which
knows no waking" who will listen no
more to earthly music, or hear again
the cry Of human agony9
! Yesl my dear hearers, yesl All this
is true, and know / need not here re-
mind you how truly it comes home to
our hearts in this assembly. Some Of
you know thatsince we last sat.together
around the table of our Lord, one has
been taken from the. little flock to
which / minister, another victim in this
cruel war. and another who then en-
listed as a soldier under the banner of
The captain Of salvation has gone with
his life in bis hand to serve bis God in t
defence Of his country. And Jknow G
that my brother at my side when he
prays for his fock,. remembers that l
there are many far away who may i
never return to praise God with him 10 Z
..templesi made with hands" Under l
such circumstances then. can we rejoice I
and sing praise? = Yesl dear brethren. }
yesI we may still with grateful hearts I
repeat the words Of tie Prophet and 7