The Wilmingtonian., 1824-03-18
pou THE wILMIEGToN1AN.
MEDITATION ON DEATH.

MEDITATION ON DEATH.
"Ip1at n.a, is he that Eoeth and shahnot see
Death how dismal thy appearance, and how
tcrrif, ing thy fes,ures to those whose thoughtsl
cannot overlook this present transitory scene oil
things Who have not learned to expatiate in theI
unknown regions of eternity; and knowest n"
where they shall fix their everlasting abode How
dost thou rend the mp, in twain, turs,lng incl
|" sill, er cord" which knts the soul and body in'ol
lone! From what dost thou snatch US away Tul
what regions dost thou convey us' Through
what dark paths wilt thou conduct us from ttisI
world to the next These all conspire to height
en- thy terror, and make thy gloom more dread
Itul. Thou ritlest the treasures Of the anxious
lmiser, and suliiest all the honors of the proud.
| At thy appearance aud command, the drunkard
must finish his foul and intoxicating debanch
and the delicious epcure, becomes the sweet re
past Of worms and reptiles. How wilt 'hou quench
leach burning lust in thy icy arms, o King OF Ter
srors The man of letters forgets his favorlte
books, which now vainIy adorn the shelves, CO.
jvered with dust The sceptred hand now drops
1.-The reigns Of government. The stately rooms OF
1.-The palace no more behold their honored lord.
(" Thou changest our countenance and sendest
Is away" And whittier, o whiher viii thou
Ncarry us, when we renounce our correspondence
with the sum- When our dull body drops into
the grave, and moulders away unseen hy human
ewes, where will our immortal souls have their
fixed abode What sights shall we sect What
sounds shall we bear' With whom shall We con-
verse 1t is truly state of which we know com.
paratively but little. world Of spirits, and OF
|disembodicd beings, with whom we have very
Imperfect acquaintance here. How dark is the
transition How dreary is the path that lea;ls us
through thy deep and shady vale, o death who
knows tn, secret chambers? 4? And which of our
departed friends has returned to tell us what
thou art Yet too must we tread, to us, the un'
known road, nor when once entered ON it, are our
steps to be retlaced. "No man hath power oyel
his spirit, to retain the spirit neither hath he
power in the day OF death. SO. How uni
versal is thy dominion! How Unsuitable is thy ap
peti,c, which never says i, is enough Long has
thou spread desoIatNp through the world no
lsrnong animal and Vegetable creation alone, bu
jalsu among MANS imperial race, in every perloe
lot revolving time. Void of compassion tor th'
lovely smiling infant. the blooming youth; thu
venerable sage; thou bendest them in one inds
Itngushed ruin. Thou regardest not, the force
iot strength, the charms of beauty. nor the gold
en brbes Of riches. Thon pourest contempt up
lon princes, in whom there is no stay, because
lthey are born TO die We need not search TO
thee in the plains Of battle, or the fields ofumaI
carnage, nor among the rocks and pillows ot th'
ocean, neither on the loaded tables Of luxury ant
intemperance.
Numberless unforeseen in cdents, and variou
ghastiy bands OF pale diseases, surround US II
terrible array. But unexpected circumstance
apart, and diseases put aside, old age soon alien
uates the brittle thread of life, and hastens th,
cspproacii. Three score and ten, or four scor
revolving winters may. perhaps, be numbered b.
=. IA few OF us. Alas how quickly is the perios
exhausted! How exceedingly dnnnt're 1t ap
pears in reasons eye And in the eye ct him VIII
!, is lust now about to render up the ghost AS TIN
shuttle sweeps across the loom in moment-a
n the post who, carrying some message OF import
ance, is despatched away, gains upon the road
and takes no time to view the adjacent countr
!; as he runs along-as the fast sailing ship, wic
has the wind fair and full in spread sails, skim
!, over the watery mainland as the fleet eagle, VIII
spies out his Frey from on high, descends witt
/? headlong precipitation,
|" So pass the shadowy scenes ofmortal life away.
Yet boast not Of thy victories over the Church Q
God. There are, who can behold thee with
'e smile, and laugh at the shaking of thy spear Jr
sus the Saviour, received into his soul thy fats
y, damnng sting, and exhausted all thy deadly vei
ON. In vain didst thou think to hold HIM unde
Il thy dark and gloomy dominion: for" though h
was dead, yet he is alive again, and liye,h evel
more" He entered thy dreary gates and taste
c, of thy bitter cup, for every ransomcd soul. Wh
n. should we fear to taste thee, or TO tread tn
leI Idreary vale, when the Resorer is gone UP betor
Ius, VIII" " brings the blind by way which the