Year: 1861

We must not expect to be free from the
operation of principles that govern all the
world beside. The Jews were, in one respect,
an exception among the nations of the earth,
but no such exception as allowed them to dis
regard their obligations to God, or man.
We regard our country as an exception among
the nations of the present day. But there is
no exception that frees US from obligations
which God has laid upon all none that au-
thorizes US to make to ourselves higher laiCs,
to contraVene the common Ian be has given US.


If man in one part of the country may
plead q higher lalo for violating one provision
of the constitution who shall deny another
the right to plead higher law for violating
another This resembles the rationalistic in-
depreciation that has been given to the Bible


ITSELF in which human reason is placed above
| Bible authority-and thus that authority is
wholly set aside Who is ready to nuLlify
the Constitution Of these States? We must
be kept by the divine power, or we shall not
be kept. We must be blessed of God or we
look in vain for blessing, to any quarter of
the universe. If we would be blessed of Him
we must have a regard for the principles of
right he has given US in his word. What he
! has in store for US we do not know, but GER
tain it is that if it be any thing good, it will
come in answer to the prayers of his people.
Even when he had foretold by the prophet
/ what blessings he would bestow upon the chill
! dren of Abraham, he added" Yet will be
inquired of by the house of Israel to do these
things for them"


1t has been thought inconsistent in the
! President to appoint a day of fasting for
! nj Oh ho tho
means put into his hands to attain it. But he
does not pretend that the idea originated with
him. 1t was at the suggestion of good men
in different parts of the country. And even
| if it had, aud he had been ten fod-we were
going to say more unfaiMful-if his admins
traton had been ten-fold more unsatisfactory
than it has, that would be no reason why a
christian people should not hold such fast
and pray most earnestly, to God, for his mer
clful interpoS.ion.


Our present Chief Magistrate does seem
sadly to have disappointed the expectations Of
those whose votes elevated him to that Office
| 1t is very probable he is in great straits and
knows not what to do Then it is every way
suitable that wisdom be sought for him from
above, e,-both the head and the heart of man
are in the hands Of the Lord.


If he is wiIfully unfathfu so much the
more need of calling upon God to interpose
and save US from threatening evils.


His advisers too, need divine direction in
| their responsible duties. 1t is much easier to
see that something must be done, than 10 tell
achat and hoW to do it,


Our members of Congress need the wisdom
which is from above, which is first pure
Where is the patriotism tina: can make our
country our great object? We need more of
the spirit that says / had rather be right
than be President !"


First pure then peacea6l'.


Let not your good be evil spoken Of There
is such a thing as striving unlawfuly for a
lawful end. There is such thing as counter
acting, by our manner, the very effort we make
to do good. At such a time as this we have
special need of peacea6Le spirit We cannot
expect It without the influence that is from
above. We can think Of no persons, under
any circumstances, that more need special aid
from God than our legislators and men in re-
sponsible stations in the general Government,
at this time.


We need to pray for our citzenS-al We
are prone to use harsh words when mild ones
would do better. Every hard speech we inter
only provokeS the like ia return. Every IN
kind feeling we indulge is hindrance to the
restoration of peace-an obstacle in our own
bosoms, to the enjoyment of peace. When
DAVID was driven from his throne, and reviled
withal in most opprobrious and provoking Ian
guage, the feelings of his friend were outrag-
ed, and he asked permission to silence the Of
fender by taking off his head But DAVID
looked upon it all as from the hand of God,
- GG La
for the Lord hath hidden him !" :" 1t may be
God will requte me good for his cursing this
day P' Could we witness similar spirit in
our citizens a similar sense of sin, similar
trust in God,-there would be hope.


We must submit to have many things very
different in this life from what we would de-
sire. We should beware of making such op-
position to what we regard as evil, that will
not only fail of removing, but tend to aggra-
vate the evil There is a sense in which we
must obey the injunction" be still, and know
that am God p While there is a sense in
which we should chide our ineffciency by the
startling inquiry" Why do ace SIT stA?"


AS our present difficulties have arisen from
disregard of the requirements of the Constitu-
tion, they must be removed by a return to our
duty in this matter. Let every State and
every citizen rally around the Constitution
with calm, heaven supported resolve to
abide By its provisions, and to maintain It's au-
thirty. The whole thing is included in the
dying words of the patriotic President-"I
WISH YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF
THE CONSTITUTION l WISH THEM CARRIED
OUT l ASK NO MORE -


The PLANNING OF CIrIEs-The London
Builder says that a spiders web furnishes a
hetter nlan for the laUinr ont Of new cities