Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-11-22
'Thc EzOEaIist.
FOR rHE SPECTATOR.

Vanity" What is il bu, vanity: View il, in
what light we 'lease--use il as we msy-en-
IJ'y uaswe can't is delusIve. nnsuhstantial
aud unsatisfying. The wurd has ills pleasure
know, and the rational mind should eniny
LINEN but then Il has its miseries, and the
sinful heart must encounter them And if
we could but strike The balance between
these two nppos:tes, in every mans expert.
ence, IA which scale would he the odds !!
Each individual Can only answer this que..
'ion Tor himself. No one can answer II for
dho'her The heart OF man is ''drceiiuI a.
move all things; his actions of course are
deceptive "Alan may smile ADD be a vii
Jain ill" and so Aemay present IA buoyan,,
play full and happy demeanor, and vel he
wreched being. lie is q rational and in
te'l'eent creature.-ilec on.emplaies worlds,
he enjoys the beauties Of nainre's scenery,
and his ambition is unsaisfed, his pride
humbIcd that lie enjoys and knows so Inle.
lie enjoys the company Of friends, he is an
'mated 10y the social circle, but these things
are only Tor moment. and while he contri-
! hutes his share In the happiness of others,
! his vanity is mortified that no higher esti>
mate is placed on his capacity To please
| His body and mind are sensitive and vul-
nerable al every pnint lie is exposed to
pain, suffering and death. He hates, fears,
anticlpnies-be is the subject OF envy, malice
and revenge, anxiety aud snliciihde. En-
bowed with accute sensibility he sympathi-
ses with those who suffer, and weeps with
those who weep. Created a social being, he
iorms friendships the most intimate, connec-
IONS The most endearing, and all that can
| animate and elevate the soul, seem nj one
Tmoment TO surround and dwell within him;
al the next, his fnndest, dearest, brightest
hopes are gone. The sweet OBJECT of his ailec.
lions, that which bind. him TO arih and makes
| II tolerable, is snstohed away and he is lett TO
m"urn. a nd in rejecting upon the anxious
s"iiciIude OF him who watches the last, and
may be, lingering illness oi some dear friend
my mind has often fanced TO itself sol,a.
ry beng, Who had lost his way in some deep ;,
| dark cavern. He is lost but yet he wan
ders-he casts an anxious look AT his taper
as II consumes, and still he wanders and
hopes for light. lie looks az lin aud trem>
bies-he wanders on, and locks and hopes !.
gam wearied with Toll he rests his body
~ ,orro. Ills -ne,. S.:ii ,3,ro,,sau, lis t..
pie rays, unconyuci atyfo' iIuyc sf,.fne, up H.
"anders aud hopes and hopes again, I'LL the
last giimmeriag light has left its socket, and
then, all Is darkness and despair. Existence
then is hut hts misery. With no friend with
whom he can S. mpaihse, no Saviour upon
whom he has ever cast himself no hope for
light from the natural sun, nor hope ipr G.
tetnal light from The Son at righteousness
long leap, and then an awful eternity
And now, where is the difference between
such an one and him, ~ho has been deprived
OF all that makes life desirable He has
watched and feared and hpped and tlesuaretl
and hoped again, and now he is alone. The
minister may preach suhmission-'iis right.
BREADS may sympaihise and constle-'Is
soothing To his troubled soul But he only
who has had his home made soliiary-he =,
lone who has been calIehto cut eartb's near
est, dearest, fondeS lie. can feel Can realize.
He may he surrounded by kind and tender
friends, but yet he is solitary, his mind
irendless and forsaken. He may join the
social circle and put M the cheerful air, but
yet he is alone Where then is all his hap
piness:' Where his hope? Where his cons
ISOLATION Not alone, for there he is pecu
ljariy solitary. Not in the social circle, for
there he is reminded Of one who was wont
10 Contribute 70 lis pleasures. Nc! in the
gay company, for here there is e!ee and
mIr!h and happiness, but not for him. No.
Il is 10 scenes higher and more holy than
these, ie which ne looks world in which
there is neither suffering nor sorrow. And
In this he differs from he wanderer describ-
ed, as eternal bliss differs from eternal pain
There is hope for nan there Is happiness
Tor him, even 10 this world, il he will bot
seek Alright, which is not vain, nor ,deiu
sive, nor unsstisiying. A hope eternal as
aeaven-a hope 10 meet with friends " he C
parting shall be nn-more-a place where
pain aud suffering Can never enter. Ills
the hope OF the gospel II is the consolation
! which Willingness TO submit 10 the wise dis
poser OF ali events ;mpasts TO the soul. IL is
that bright faith which knows that the Gov
eFnor OF the universe will do right Al.
though his ways may seem hard, man ~ i'll
!, not compartments dispeusstions raay he mys.
ferrous and painful yet man will NOT say " hy
This anguish sent. This is hope, buoy n
: arimaling, consoling-a hope which this
world can neither given nor take away. Al.
Fiction and death, come when they may he
{ who places bis hopes upon Saviour, is rea-
dy To bear the one; the other will have lost
nslerrors. The shroud, the coffin, The deep
DARK vault casts no gloom over his eeva led
thoughts. His mind scars alost. Animal.
ed oy The brightest, the most cheering hope
, he cheerfully bids sdeu 10 world which
has lost its charms for him, in the swee
contemplation of Immortality beyond IN,
the grave. How delightful The thought tina
/ when he puts off mortality, he is rid Of 3
I heart which is afflicted by go many painful
bitter emotions. When ne leaves bod
which - subjected 10 so much suffering
there is on unspeakablc and ndescribablt
happiness in reserve Who would not live
: and suffer ard die for hope like this? Whc
, would complain al The dispensstions of Vi,
wise Ruler OF the destinies Of man, " hen hi
very affections are hut the means To prepare
n'm for immortality? None Satan ma,
tempt, unbelief may spgges, lis doubts, ,ht
World may allure and dszzie and present III
niu'"g pleasures, yet sober rejecting ma,
4. Il n