Friends and Brethren,—I arise before you this morning to reiterate in your hearing an interesting and an important truth, with which, however, you are well acquainted. We are a branch of the tree of liberty planted on the 4th of July, 1776; and as the first display of oratory and burst of eloquence from this stand, on this interesting occasion, was a flower that bloomed on our boughs, and was immediately succeeded by the precious fruit, there remains but little for me to do but to feast myself and you on the theme which has been so ably and beautifully presented, illustrated, and enforced upon your hearts, under the banner of our common country, on whose folds is inscribed "The downfall of tyranny, and the rising star of Israel's hope."
The great family of nations on this globe, among which ours occupies the most enviable position, stands in the same relation to the Supreme Ruler of all that servants do to their earthly master. There are some designed to perform an honourable part, and shine with more brilliance and splendour, and exert a controlling influence; while many others, like "the vessels of dishonour," are equally necessary to cause action and re-action, until the elements of nature, in all their various ramifications, shall retire to their common level, "and the knowledge and glory of God fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep." Not every member of this great family does the will of God by choice; but the wisdom, providence, and power of Zion's king will over-rule the acts of every nation to the furtherance and execution of HIS designs; and therefore the nations will be constrained to say—"Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name belongs the glory." While, therefore, we acknowledge the hand of Providence in all things, we acknowledge not the designs, plans, and schemes of all nations, any more than we acknowledge the correctness of the plans and designs of Joseph's brethren in selling him into Egypt.
Considering the earth a stage, and the nations and powers thereof so many actors, what part has our nation chosen to act in the grand scenes of the last days? The days of farces are gone by; realities now claim our attention, and we should discipline our minds and accustom them to sober thought, and prepare our hearts and nerves for the substances that have so long cast only their shadows before them to, awaken our fancy and speculations, and pleasingly or painfully excite our unstable souls.
Observe Christopher Columbus in his silent meditations; mark his untiring and faithful observations! Behold him watching the western breeze, and marking, with zealous eye and anxious heart, every substance that floated on the ocean's eastward-bound current as, probably, from the New World he sought. Listen to the philosophy of his reasoning, that a Western Continent was necessary to preserve the equilibrium of the earth, and to balance it correctly on its own axis. Inspired of the Almighty God of heaven, he encountered the ridicule and jeer of a faithless and unbelieving world. Bound and hampered by the chains of poverty, he possessed not the ability to prosecute the voyage of discovery so dear to his heart, and so intimately connected with his hopes of future greatness and renown. Brooking every difficulty—combating opposition, calumny, and reproach from almost every quarter, he surmounted every obstacle, obtained an outfit that was as little fitting and proper for the great enterprise as was the manger for the birthplace of the Virgin's Son. The time had arrived for the discovery to be made. Millions of spirits in the spirit world, who had not yet taken bodies, nor passed the ordeal, in earthly tenements, of a residence on this benighted globe, were waiting with anxious eye for the area of heaven-born intelligencies to be extended or opened to the gaze of mortal eye, that there might be room for them to come down and play their part, in their time and in their season, on the stage of human life. The three old crazy vessels were enough! The Spirit Angel was their guardian and their guide, and was with them on the stormy deep. Another important reason why the discovery should be made: The history and record of a fallen people, containing light from the spirit land, and truth from heaven, were buried in the soil of the Western Continent; and although engraven on golden leaves in a strange and unknown tongue, still they must come forth, being among the secret things that should be revealed.