HARRISON is not! The nation mourns! Afflicted and grieved are the children of men! Great was the joy of many when he was constituted Chief Magistrate; great were their expectations. Now that he is gone, great must be their sorrow.

The Great Arbiter of nations has, by this dispensation of His providence, "destroyed the hope" of many; and shall we therefore murmur? Nay; rather exclaim, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord."

II. We are taught in our text that, though the Lord afflicts, He does it not willingly.

His nature is love; therefore He hath not pleasure in our distress. When He chastens, we must remember that a Father's heart guides His hand. Therefore, though "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." For God is

"Good when He gives, supremely good,

Nor less when He denies :

Afflictions from His Sovereign hand

Are blessings in disguise."

God afflicts not willingly not "from the heart," as the marginal reading is. He never afflicts individuals or nations without a sufficient cause. His frowns are not dispensed, as are His favors, ex mero motu (from His mere good pleasure). If He show us kindness, it is because so it seems good unto Him; but if He write bitter things against us, it is because we justly deserve them. If, therefore, we are afflicted as individuals, we shall, upon examination, discover that we have justly merited it; if as a nation, we bow under the chastening rod of the Almighty, as a nation have our sins richly deserved it.

The Lord mercifully gave and has preserved to us a national existence. We have been elevated to an honorable standing among the nations of the earth, and yet have been ungrateful to the Almighty Donor of all our mercies. Instead of acknowledging our dependence, and humbly seeking after that "righteousness which exalteth a nation," we have been proud and lofty, sinful and rebellious; and thus gave evidence of the sinfulness that is "a reproach to any people." Our political views have been productive of much discord and strife; and in our heat we have forgotten that we are brethren.

The Lord therefore afflicts, but not willingly, and by His rebukes would lead us to repent of our offenses, to acknowledge our dependence, and by deeds of righteousness to rise to a true exaltation.

III. I desire to make some application of this subject.

Our Chief Magistrate has been suddenly and unexpectedly removed. But one month elapsed from his inauguration until the period of his exit. It appears, as far as we are prepared to judge, that the citizens of this Union, without respect to political views, were desirous that General HARRISON'S life might be prolonged to finish the term for which he had been elected. But the Great Arbiter of human affairs has seen proper to disappoint our hopes and to blast our expectation. Good, however, may result from this national calamity; for our God is able to bring good out of evil.

Permit me, fellow citizens, to say that this national bereavement should have the tendency, 1. To unite us more firmly.

I do not profess to be a politician; neither do I think the pulpit is the place in which to proclaim our political views, or to speak in high commendation of one and disrespectfully of an

other class of our worthy citizens. In so doing the preacher certainly transcends the bounds assigned him, and justly renders himself worthy of reprehension.

Though we see not "eye to eye" in political matters, and it may be for our common country's weal that this disparity of views exists among us, yet certainly we should bear with each other, nor rashly pronounce anathemas on all who do not think as we do. The recent national bereavement should, and I devoutly pray that it may, be so sanctified to our good as to moderate our partyspirit, and cause us to be more friendly and more firmly united as citizens of one great and glorious Republic.

I am happy to say, as far as I have been able to ascertain, that great unanimity of feeling has prevailed throughout our country in commemorating this sad event. And those who did not see proper to give their suffrages in favor of General HARRISON have not been deficient in showing their respect to his memory. This is as it should be, and demonstrates most clearly the spirit characteristic of true republicans.

May the cord of union never be sundered, the bond of brotherhood never be broken! Then shall

the liberty our fathers so dearly purchased bless generations yet unborn!

2. These bereavements should cause us to love our country more ardently.

When we consider the privileges, civil and religious, with which we are blessed, surely we have abundant cause to exclaim, "The lines have fallen unto us in pleasant places, and ours is a goodly heritage." This country we call our own; and we should prove ourselves unworthy of it, were we destitute of true patriotism. Let the love of our country be ardent, and then shall we demonstrate ourselves to be the sons of those worthy fathers who prized liberty more than life.

It appears that the venerable man who now sleeps with his fathers had his mind intently fixed upon the good of his country to the last. Hence, a short time prior to his dissolution, as though addressing his successor in office, he exclaimed,

SIR, I WISH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION FULLY UNDERSTOOD; I WISH THEM CARRIED OUT. I ASK NOTHING MORE."

May this devout wish have its accomplishment! May those to whom are and shall be entrusted the interests of our beloved country, fully understand and faithfully execute our Constitution. Thus shall they prove themselves patriots