Year: 1860

THE MISSION OF JOHN BROWN.


Had the churches and the ministry in this coun-
try only thirty years ago begun and continued al
earnest united peaceful protest, with the word of
God, against the wickedness of slavery, John
Browns protest in action would at this day have
been superHuous; such an interference would not
have been needed. \ right and faithful proclama-
tion of that word Of God which made John Brown
a Christian Abolitiouist would have broken up
this whole system of wiekedness in less time than
1t pleased God to take for the moulding and dis
cipllne OF his character and life, as the first great
martyr before the Aloloeh Of the sin. We thank
God for the grace of God vouchsafed in him. He
is the Legitimate fruit Of that piety with which the
study Of the word Of God by prayer baptizes, in
forms, energies the soul. lie is the masterpiece
Of that school Of the old masters among whom he
had his education and brought up his family,
BunyGn, Baxter, John Fox. Doddrdgc. the Saints
Hest, the Book OF Martyrs, and the Pilgrims
Progress. We thank God for the unaffected deer
humility towards God, mingled with such iirmness
towards men, conspicuous IN his nature. We
thank Gcd for all the precious evidences of his
Christian experience and character. We thank
God for the triumphant testimony ne has been en-
sbled 10 leave IN gratitude fer tho infinite grace
lot God, to the honor Of His word to the efficacy
os prayer, to tie reality of fath in the confidence
of his own soul in God, in Jesus Christ, mistaken
10 the most trying hour and circumstances of ex-
istence' one such man, one such great heart one
such noble Christian, outweighs the baseness of
million hypocrites; and his single testimony
against slavery shines like the sum- in spite of all
the darkness and lying of all the pro-slavery
churches in Chrstendom. In an age of shams,
here is one reality; in age of speculative theo-
logical and editorial skeletons hung round with
broadcloth, here is one living soul, in an age of
paste, here is one rude gem liz an age of dough-
laces here Is one OF Gods fn;s; here, in time
OF hoIowness and cant, Is man Of faith-a man
to whom the idea Of disinlerested benevolence
was living expresson--a man to whom the ne
gro was n brother and mana man who to the
deathrrejected religious communion with slaveho-
ding ministers as defing 10 his soul but, on the
way to the scaEold, stopped down and kissed q
little negre child whom God had put in his path


that through that little one his last dying act
might be the giving of cup Of cold water to
that enslaved race tor whom he died Here is
grandeur; here is Gods own work and grace; here,
in an age Of sounding brass and ,inkling cy ymbals,
is one great soul, like living organ, through
whose trumpet tones God has blown an anthem
that shakes tho land like an earthquake. Can
Senator Mason put down John Browns ghost BY a
bill Of inquiry? Can Senator Trumbull put down
John Browns ghost by standing up to be chate-
chized VIII 1t put down John Browns ghost to
declare that slavery is no crime You might as
surely imagine that you had imprisoned his im-
mortal spirit in the grave by putting an additional
screw in his coffin. Presently you will hear of
some new miracle Of dsinterested love to them
that are in bonds az bound with them; aDd a new
battering ram Ui Gods divine word aud proyi-
dence will be driven against this wckedness, and
Herod again will start from his uneasy slumbers
John have beheaded, but who is this ?" John.
the beheaded, is but the furerunner of Christ the
cOnqueror; and il need 6e in this conflict he will
raise up soldiers fer his truth out OF the stones in
the streets But whoever comes, on whomsoeyer
the mantle falls, he cannot go beyond John Brown
In his iaithinlness living or dying no man can
strike more terrible blow at the heart of the
Slave Power, nor bear more emphatic lawful
record in life, in death, to the incum patibity
of slavery AID Christianity. Rath er than seem
to admit 10 the world that a man defending this
wckedness could be Christian minister. he
would pass to the scaiold and the grave alone, re-
jeclng the offer Of the gospel from such man.
But God was with him, and John Brown felt that
any man who by defending slavery, maintains the
moral assassination of the living as consistent with
the gospel is unworthy and unit to convey its spir-
itual revelations even to the dying We rejoice in
the sublime and sacred scorn with which he refus-
ed the spiritual services of any apoogst for such
a crime. That dying protestation was a blow
against slavery more effective than could have
been struck by the living victor in battle


Thanks be to God for the frmness and consistency
of John Browns testimony even to the close; for
the awfuIly solemn Witnessing, on the verge OF
eternity, aga inst the wiokeduess Of slavery as 60
wicked that the man who defented it would NOT


be suffered 20 worship the same G ID with Ch ris.


tian about to die for his opposition to it, Let tha,


work. and work it will, in the hearts and con


sciences Of millions. Let that work, as by the


grace Of God it can be made to work, till our