Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-02-19
WINTER.

leave your Wiit u IA CnhuItu sD'
WINTER
The cherries season Of the Winter Is
as full OF instruction to the religious and
thinking man as the other seasons. All in
magnificent succession awaken the purest |
sentiments Of pety in the human heart
The living & exhllerating green OF Spring |
the genial and Joyous warmth of Sum-
mer-,he grateful abundance Of Autumn,
and even the inclemency OF hoary Winter
each suggests their appropriate topics OF
gratitude to HIM, who from his throne on
hlgh "remcmbcrcth the things which are
in heaven and on earth" Pehaps we
learn the most ennoblng lessons of religion
| from the storms and clouds Of Winter
The splendid variety Of nature is no more
the gay livery of earth is hidden from
our sight by snowy mantle, and even the
light ofthe sun himself is obscured. Drv-
en- thus from the contemplation OF things
l
lec,s Of thought. Other seasons draw our
attention 10 the earth we lqhabit--but this
exhibits to our wondering eyes myriads OF
other worlds and naturally leads the mind
to the contemplation of heavenly things;
and even (such is human fraltyl to specu
lations as sinful as they are presumtuous
No language (Reverlation exccptcd) is
/ so plain and SO readily understood as the
t language ofNature, and at no season does
size speak so forcb!y and solemly TO The
heart as in the season Of Winter. She tell;
n us in the buried nowers-in the icy stiffness
: OF the trces-in the snowy coverings OF the
: far and beautiful vines Of Summer-o
decay written by the finger of God upon al
his works We are thus warned that n:
e wave succeeds wave, so generation sue
: ceods to generation, and that we must 9ooT
y mnrle with our native dust. The little
!, prattler Of to-day soon fills our place II
h society, and the tcndrils Of earthly affection
d are severed at our departure only to b'
- transferred to our successors. But ii teach
# es nober lesson-t tells US that the bu
e ried vine will soon in renewed beauty wav
J. its delicate leaves in the breath of Summer
II and the ice-mantled trees soon put tortI
- their strength and beauty and tina; we too
,p HAVING left our chrystnIized shell to monl
ct der in its native earth, shall wing on
FIGHT to worlds above. "Thc mighty res
=. directions of nature have been these 81
I'd thousand years, annually giving to me
lr their eloquent teachings" and the glouou
OF powers God thus annually cXerts are NJ
Cd vet marred-nor even subject to deca.
es He has thus taught US that while ever
en- natural object seemed dead, the princIp
y of vegetable life was still increasingly ope
atng and preparing silently this earth
til resurrection--and that in his wise COVER
to there exists no evil.
Ms "Whcn gathering clouds around we view,
ia And DAYS are dark and friends are few"
,r He tells us in the voice of Nature
NV look upward for support and consolation
m. that no enemy hath done this, but that
no an additional mantle Of ice grief rs throw
oh over us, it is only 20 assist the 'prIncF
of life" in so renovating the system as
81. prepare it for lis glorious resurrection.
h. The wear of nature is an emblem of t
49, wear of the soul. and while we see t
:, wisdom of the present evil to the plar
7. and trees of the earth, shall we not a.
=, believe in the wisdom of Affections to [
,ho soul.-Whle the natural objects of sen
hv are annually dying, man still lives
cd sees the beginning. life and end OF mira
,o of the nanimate creature of God,
Let then, the storms OF Winter bio
IF and the ice mantle still cover the earl
v,ll they are the signs ofthe same Father W
inc beauties the Spring and the SUNNI
INV "and crowns the year with his goodness
our They are to US as evidences OF that H
hand which makes the "nomentous c
productive of final good" and teaches
~. look through Nature to its God I
:. natural winter is but typical of the mo
oil winter, and amid the weaknesses OF q
,oir assures us that a spring shall visit the gra
20 and every man arise to be judged acc
ess. ding to the deeds done in the body whe
,ed- er they be good or whether they be evil
ell, Darlington W. ~ Gasette