Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1820-08-22

which ne was now wrapped had been
10 the cottage for many long year, and
white as 1t was, even as the undriven SNOW,
scarcely was it whittier than the cheeks
and the locks now bound 10 its peaceful
folds. To the eyes of my childhood the
Elders face had sometimes seemed, even
| ia lis benignity, too anstere fer my care
less thoughts, impressed as it ever was
witlr on habitual holiness. But all such
austerity, II indeed 1t had been ever there,
death had now removed from that silent
countenance. His last moments had been
blessed by his sons conirition--his daugh-
ter's love-his grandchilds pity--his pas
tors prayers. And Tie p.cies:aaaa peace
which his parting spirit had enjoyed, left
an expression on his placid features, con-
sclitory and sublime.
The Penitent Son was sitting at the
bedside. We all took our places near
him, and for while remained silent, with
eyes fixed on that ecuntenance from
which beamed the best memories Of earth,
and the lottiest hopes of Heaven.
Hear" said the humbied man, how
the thaw is bringing down the Ioosened
torrents from the bills even SO is my soul
flowing within metz Aye, and ii will
flow, till its waters are once more pure
and bright as a summeE stream" said the
Pastor with benign voice. g But art
'hou sure that my fathers forgiveness
was perfect p . Yes, William, it was
perfect Not on his death bed only, when
love relents towards all objects glimmering
away from our mortal eyes, did the old
man take thee into his heart; but, Will
liam, not day, no not au hour has pass
ed over these his silver hairs, in which
thy father did not forgive thee, love thee,
pray for thee unto God and thy Saviour.
1t was but last Sabbath that we stood TO-
gether by thy mothers grave 10 the kirk
yard, after divine worship, when all the
congregation had dispersed. He held
MS eyes on that Tomb stone, aud said, so
Heavenly Father, when, through the mer-
its of the Redeemer, we all meet again, a
family 10 Heaven, remember thou, o Lord,
my poor lost William; let these drops
plead for him, wrung out from his old IA
theirs broken heart !''-The big tears,
William, FLASHED like me drops of ihun-
der-shower on the tombstone and at the
time, thy fathers face was whittier than
ashes; but divine assurance came upon
his tribulation and as We walked together
from the burial place. there wassa happy
smile about his faded eye, and be whis-
pered unto me, my boy has been led
astray, but God will not forget that he was
once the prop aud pillar Of his fathers
house. One hours sincere repentance
will yet wipe away all his transgressions. }
When We parted, he was. ] know it, per-
fectly happy and happy, 10 doubt, he
continued until he died. William many
a pang hast thou sent to thy fathers heart !;
but believe thou this, that thou madest
amends for them all at the hour of his
dissolution. Look, the smile Of joy, at
thy deliverance, is yetupon bis face
The son took his hands from before his
eyes; gazed on the celestial expression Of
his fathers countenance and his soul was
satisfied.
6 Alas /! alas!'' he said in humbled
voice, what is reason, such poor, imper-
feet miserable reason as mine, to deal
with the dreadful mysteries of God !
Never since I forsook my Bible, has the
very earth ceased to shake and tremble
beneath my feet. Never, since spurned
its aid, have understood one thought oil
my own bewitdered heart Hope, truth,
faith, peace and virtue, all at once de
serted me together. / began to think oil
myself as Of, the beasts that perish my
better feelings we're areproach or riddle
to me, and I believed 10 my perplexity,
that my soul was Of the dust. Yes Alice I!
believed that thou too vert to perish
utterly, thou aud all thy sweet babies,
like flowers that the cattle oofs tread into
the mire, and that neither thou uor they
were ever, in your beauty and yonr inno.
cence, to see the face of the Being who
created you y
Wild words seemed these 10 that high.
souled woman, who for years had borne
with undiminished, nay, augmented af
j
lection, the heaviest Of all Affections, thai
of husbands alienatad heart, and had
taught her children the precepts and doc.
trines of that religion which he in his de.
fusion had abandoned. A sense of The
fearful danger he had now escaped, and
Of the fearful wickedness, brought up from
the bottom Of her heart all the unextin.
guishabIe love that had lain there through
years Of sorrow land she went up TO him
and wept upon his bosom. "Ohi say i
not, that one SO kind as thou could eve,
believe that l and my little ones wonlt
never see their Maker--,hey who wer.
baptised in thine own arms, William, By
that pious man, in the name Of the Father
the Son, aud the Holy Ghost!" "Yes
A - a