The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register. (Wilmington, Del.) 1824-1825, 1825-03-24
SERIOUS REFLECTIONS.

o4kAh&Oo - 4A4A6 A1x2O - A04S0s
"Know We were born to range yon azure field
ain Yon ETHEREAL founts of bliss to lave
F." Force then, secure in faiths protecting shield.
"1he sting from death, the victory from the
grave" MASON.
Notwithstanding the bright visions of I'm
mortality which are opened to us by the
Gospel, such is the weakness of human ma
ture that we look on Death as the greatest
evil, and emphatically style him The King
of terrors." We cling tenaciously to life
and prefer it with all its manifold distresses
to the enclosure Of the grave. So blind arc
we to the glories of eternity, or SO incredu
lous of the assurances of the Gospel, that we
pass them by unnoticed, and in the midst of
disease and pain, and sorrow, strive with all
our little might to prolong lingering exist
encc-This may proceed partly from the
limited nature OF our views of futurty, part
ly from sense Of guilt, and partly from the
love of life, natural to all the animated Gre
alton; but believe much of it arises from
the prejudice of education, from the force
of impressions that we are constantly re-
Giving from infancy to manhood. When
death has served bis summons, on any of
our friends, how does sorrow and gloom fol-
low in his foot steps, grief and melancholy
seem to mark. his way; we "sorrow as with
out hope" and mourn, as though we had lost
friend forever; the sable vestment is put on,
and the cloud of despair darkcns our dwell
ings.
have often recollected with pleasure, a
motto once saw engraved on the tomb of an
infant, and I am persuaded, were the sentim-
ent to gain place in our minds proportion
ed to its truth, and the happiness of its ten
dency, it would often dispcl the mists OF I'M
availing sorrow; it would enlighten the heart
with the sunbeams Of peace, and light up a
smile ON the cheek of depression.
"Not lost but gone before
How expressive is the sentence, 1t seems
to say-Dear partner of my affections,
friend of my heart-though the cold hand of
death has wrested thee from my embrace,
and those eyes shall behold thee TO more;
vet thou art ssnot lost"-we are not sepa-
rated forever; few years few short years,
shall restore thee to my arms; thou hast en-
tered the gate of Paradise before ms--but
in little while my measure OF duty shall al
SO be filed up, the day of my release shall
arrive, and we shall meet again to part no
more.
BY considering our deceased friends as on
" .seone before we shall not merely allie
viate our afTiiction for their departure, but
enjoy substantial pleasure in rejecting on
their escape from the pains of mortality,
their indispensable felicity in the immortal
heaven of rest; and though we see them not,
vet we still enjoy their society, feel them IN
manner to be present with us and rejoice
that we can yet call them our friends.
would not be understood to condemn all
expressions of grief for departed friend: ma
ture claims tear, and let it be paid; It's
debt, which to discharge does honor to the
dead and to the living; it bespeaks the worth
of the one, and the scnsibiity of the other
but let not grief be encouraged-'tis dan
gerous and useless guest, and when unreas-
onably entertained turns out each better
companion ofthe heart; resignation, peace ane
tranquility fly her presence-she dwells II
darkness and in storms-discontent and muir.
muring hover around her.
Grief to be meritorious, must be spont;
neous; that heart only is honored by hel
presence, who strives to turn her away-s
!, thousand times more interesting is the pros
pect of mind struggling to suppress or t.
!, hide it's sorrow; than the one who is indulg
ing passionate bursts of grief-for vanity i
often bathed in tears--A desire to be though
the possessor of great sensibility may promP
e us to tears, but real sensibility hideth he
sorrow.
Let us then, while we indulge the spon