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Show 194 Edwin M. Wheelock. And this, my friends, is the sacred, the radiant "Treason" of John Brown. God bless Lim and all such traitor ·, say I, and let the Great North re pond Amen. The tate that has parted with the bones of the dead vVashington, and that has, long since, parted with the last shred of his principles, may now fittingly put the livinrr vVa hington to death; but after all, it is but little that th~ rage of man can do. There it! One above greater than Virginia; and across the obscene roar of the lave power comes !lis voice soundin rr 1• 0 . ' 0 the can:; of that scarred and manacled old man, '' Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye did it unto me." And. again, " lie that loseth his life for my sake, slzall find it again." Yet a few days, and the bells of New England will toll fox her departed hero; not slain, but made immortal. lie goes to the Puritan heaven of his free forefathers. He leaves with us two sacred trusts; hi inspired example, preaching to all, " Go thou and <.lo likewi. e;" and the bcrca\ ed families, whose husbands and fathers have fallen while fighting our battle. God help us to be faithful to these trusts, and to be true to John Brown's life and example. IV. SERMON BY FALES HENRY N EWIIALL.* 'JliiE exccut ion of John Brown sets forth in bo1~, cl~'ar j_ reli ef the mortal conflict between Christianity and American 1 lavery. The smouldering fires carefully trodden down for years and generation , h re bu rst forth in a volcan ic blaze, that rises as if to " lick the stars." There is a shaking of statesmen and States over all the nation, a throbbing of telegraphic wires from centre to circumference, a swaying to and fro of va t popnlations, a ru hing of armed sqmH1ron along the national highways, and all to tread down that flame that comes roaring " up from the burning core below." Christianity and Slavery have been tryiug to live together in America. Churchmen and State men, Synods and Conferences, Tract Societies and l\iissionary Societies, (alas ! that a Chri tian and Christian minister should be forced to pcnk the humiliating words!) have striven to train them into brotherly harmony. It is as if men should strive to build a house of gunpowder upon a foundation of fire; as if they should strive to train the lightnings to port harmlcs ly in a magazme. To und~rstand this event, and rightly read. its * Enlitlt• tl "'file Conflict in America: n. Funeral DiRcourso occasion ed by the DPath of John Brown of Osttwatonlic, who entered into Hes t from tho Gallowf!, a t. Chnrl<!l:!· t own, V 1 r~ini:t, December 2, 1 50:" preach ed nt tho Warren l rcct Methodi~t Jo:pil:!· cop~tl Ch nrc·h, Hoxhury, 1\lnssncllllROtts, Dot'ollllirr 4, 1850, from .J ml ~es xvi. 30 : " And Samson St\ id, T.. et me di e with tho l'hilis t inrs. And h e howell llimst.lf with 111\ hi:> nti~ht ; tLn•1 th<' house fell upon the lord:;, ttnd u pon all tho p eople t.h:1 t " ':re therl'in. ..:U the dead whk h be slow at hit> death woro moro than th ey which h l· ~low iu hi!; life." (10.)) |
