The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-11-28

devotion 10 the work of God. 1t was youth
who had friends and hatterers around him, ana
BRIGHT prospect before him; and more than all
this, was held back by his mother, his widowed
mother She could not give mp her first born
she could not spare her son. lie loved lhe scenes
of his youth:--he loved the comforts OF life, ana
nc loved his mother deeply. The struggle had
been long and hard, but in the strength OF lsra-
els God he had conquered; and he stood before
the people for the first time willing ana mum
BILE but noble sacrifice. As he rccounled Few
of his trials and dwell for moment upon the
past, pictured to myself the agony OF mind he
had endured, the earnest, agonizing suppcations
| he had offered up; / thought Of the midnight
hours he had spent in reasoning with ms IdolS
and his God-of The shrinking from the great
work, the almost giyingup to despair and then
Ct the victory he bad obtained; and as thought
of all these things, and saw the deep feeling OF
his soul rs he glanced at them, JU 1t! All
felt it. And many, Wow, in that great day, to
which he cited rs for IL reason OF his present
course, will thank God that they were witnesses
to the solemni,es of that hour There were
those there, who had long since given all for
L
sleuk0bc Joy, when the young speaker pointed
them to the rest which awaclh him, when he
had run The race set before him. Ut is in vain to
attempt 20 paint, in its Colors, the ecsacy and
peace the self denying christian feels, when he
looks forward with an eye of faith to his reward.
1t springs from hope which will sweeten all
the ills ofife; II hope OF more value than millions
on millions Of worlds like this, with all its riches
and honor, glory and spendor and would be hap
piness Give me this hope and let it be contin
ually imparting its fervor to my heart, and l can
live and die as TRANQUILITY and peacefully rs the
lake. when no breezes ruflle its beautiful surface,
Notwithstanding may be rs a mark for misfor
tune adversely, the world and the devil to aim at.
Their pointed shafts could have no effect IL
heart clad in such an armour, and my happy
spirit would go to its eternal rest rs calmly and
swcetly as the infant mlled to sleep in its mothers
arms. There were those there, too, who still
cluug to the hollow vanities of earth, and who
were still seeking for happiness in the gaudy
nothings Of the world. I tanccd J could read
their hearts. There was yearn;ng after some
thing which was not possessed; reaching for
ward to something they knew not what; and a
were heaping up against the day of wrath; and
as looked upon them, and thought ofthe awful
sentence which would ring through eternity, in
the cars of those who procr0stnatcd until too
late an hour 'ye knew your duty and We did it
not" my soul sickcnrd and ! fell 1t! Who
would not fccil 1t was II solemn scene Ma
ny, Ibeeve, were choosing for eternity; and if
the vows made in that hour, are kept, heirinflu-
cncc will tell years hence. And shall wc my
dear young friends, forget them? Shall we for
get ihe responsibility that rests upon us. as beings
possessed Of immortal souls, and having infu-
encc either directly or indirectly over tho desti-
mics Of many Of our fellows? God forbid but,
rather following the example of our former com
panion, who has torn himself from the world
and placed himself upon the altar of God, let us
shake off entirely the moral torpor which has
made lis its slaves these many years, and be de-
cided'y for God; inasmnch as we know not the
day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh
Lyndon, Nov 10, 1887. S.