The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-10-24
ron rHr vtRGISIAN.
o. TIE DEAlu Of A ERIENn

ron rHr viReisIAN.
OF THE DEATH OF A FRIEND.
Notwithstanding the warnings Of phioso
pliers, and the daily examples OF. losses aud
nlstoronvs, which lie forces upon our obser-
vati1n such Is The absorption ol our ihn'ts In
the business Of The present day, sucl, the re-
sigraiior ot onr reason to entity hopes OF
future felicity, OF, such eur uawIlingness TO
torcsee what we drcad that every calamity
comes suddenly npon ~, and mol only presses
AS "a bnrlheu, but brushes rs blow
There are evils which happen out at The
common course OF nature, az snst which It Is
40 rrproach moi 10 he provided A nhsl OF
lightning intereepls The traveller In his mHv
the uoneuSsion oi M sauhgunlte heaps the "a.
ms Of elts upon their inhabilauts Rot O.
Their mise,ies llms brings, though silently, yet
yi,biy, forward by II, even lapsr, which yet
approach US unseen, because we turn our
eyes away, and seize u uure'islcd, hereuse
we could not arm ourselves against them tut
by setting them before US
That II is win IT, shrink trom what cannot
he avoided, aud To hide that from ourselves
which must some time be found, is Truth
which we all know, bnl " hich MI neglect aud
perhaps none more lhHn The speculative ren
suner, whose thoughts are nlNnys from home
whose eye wanderS over lite, whose tnncy
dances over mrteors of happiness kin.
died by itself, aud who examines every thing
rather than his own state. Nothing Is more
evident than that the decays 81 age must ter-
minute in death.--Net there is no man, says
| Iully, who does not believe that he may yet
live another ,ear--and there il none who
does not, upon the same principle, hope nno.
Their year for his parent or his inrnd-but The
lailacy will I've in timn detocted-thr year
the last DAY must come. II has come, und
IS passed Tie lite which made my own lite
pleasant /, at an end, aud the gates oil death
are shnl upon my prospects.
Tie loss OF n friend upon whom the heart
was fSed, to whotn every wish aud endcnynr
funded, is state oil dreaty dcsolallon in
which the mind looks abroad impatient ct II
set, aud Gnds nothing but emptiness and hor
ror. Tho blameless lie, the nrtless tender.
ness, the plous simplicity, the modest resigua
ton, the patient sickness, and the quirt death,
are remcmbered only In ndd value 10 The loss,
10 agra, ate regret, Tor whni cannot br IA
mende !, to deepen sorrow Tor what cannot
be recalled These are the csamitIrs by
which Providence gradually discngagrs Us
| from the love OF lie. Other evils torlilude
may repeI, or hope may mitigate, hut lrrepa.
rable prlyation leaves nothing Ia exercise re-
| solution, or hattrr expectation. The dead
| cannot return, and nothing IS lett US here but
langusament aud gr,et
ie such Is the course of nature, that who
ever lives long, must outlive those whom he
loves aud honars Such is the condition #
our present existence, lhat lie must one time
lose lis associations, and every inhabitant OF
the earth must walk downward to tie grave
alone and unregarded, without any portion
| OF JOY or grief without any Interested wit.
ness OF his mlstortuues or success. MIsior-
tune, indeed, he may yet teel for whore J.
the bottom OF III" misery OF man But what
is success to him that has none 10 enjoy il
l-llappiness Is not found in sci -contemplNti
on, it IS perceived only where il IS reflected
from another. We know little OF the state OF
departed souls, because such knowledge is not
necessary to u good lite. Reason deserts To
at the brink OF the grave, and can give no fur
Their intelligence. Revelation isuot wholly
silent. Tere rs joy IN he angels Of Hema
oCer one SINNER mt repetteM aud surely this
JOY is not lncommuaeahle 10 souls dl ~ntnn.
glcd from the body aud made like angels.
Let hope, therefore, dictate what rPvelati-
on does not conlute, that the uniOn ol soul
mny still remain aud that we who nre srug-
Cling with SIN, sorrow and infrmlles, may
have onr part in the attention and kindness
OF those who have flushed their course, and
are now receiving their reward.
These are tho great occasions which ioree
the mind to take refuge in,religion When we
have no help in ourselves, what can remain
but that We opk up TO higher aud greater
Power , aud to what may We not raise our
Eyes and hearts, when we consider that the
grrAtest Power is the Best
Surely there IS no man, Who, thus afflicted,
docs not seek snccour in the G0spsi, which
has brought " If aad ibHloriaidy te light
The precepls OF Epicnrns, who teaches ~ 10
endure, what the laws of the universe make
necessary, may silence but not content u.s.
The dictates nt Ieno, who commands rs 10
look with Indifference on external things may
dispose us To conceal our sorrow, but cannot
assuge it, Real alienation Of the loss OF
irenis, and rational tranquility IN the pros
pect Of our own dissolution, can be received
only from the promises ol IIIn IN whose hands
are life and death, aud from the assurance al
another and better state, in which all tear
will hc wiped from the eyes, and the Who'll,
soul shall be filed with 10Y PhGOSopbg may
infuSe stubbornncss, but Rttgi0n only ran
give patience. ROMEO.
TayIor,elIe, Oct %, 1928.