The Madisonian., 1840-01-21

spirit, which pervades him, discovers itself
in all his visible actions. The true-bred pu-
pill OF Jesus Christ is the same in prosperity
and adversely, in ignominy and in honor, in
veal or wo, in the circle of admirers and
friends and under the calumnes Of enemies,
in public and in his closet, in the full flow of
his health and spirits and in the cold embraces
of death.
ADVANTAGES OF SICKNESS.
OF all the temporal gifts of God, health is
the most pure, valuable, and desirable; the
blessing most worthy Of the petitions of the
good, and least exposed to abuse by the
corrupt. Sill it is no paradox to assert that
the loss of blessings may itself prove a bless
ing that the maladies of the body may prove
medicines of the mind Though that com
placency, which is described as the attendant
OF a healthful and vigorous constitution, may
be the maximum of corporeal enjoyment, yet
we may venture TO assert without play upon
words. that such uniform freedom from the
infrmities of humanity may gradually gene
rate a selfish complacency and confidence in
health which are nearly allied to ignorance
of our own frailty, and insensibility TO the
pains and sorrows of others. The man, who
has never yet bowed to the power of disease,
nor felt the restless and unmtigated irritations
of pain has not entered an important school
of religious discipline, nor exercised himself
in the ample field of passive virtues. Could
he but know his moral wants. he would even
lament the absence of those personal trials
which are adapted to call forth the highest
excellcncies of the Christian character. What
then! Do we say that he, whom God has
blessed with the temperate luxury of uninter-
rupted health, has not reason for personal
gratitude BY no means. We say only,
that in the assemblage Of graces which com
pose the character of the Christian, there are
some which afflicton may improve and sick
ness invigorate. We say only, that adversely
must be mingled with prosperity, to form the
most perfect character, not only in the view Of
God, but in the estimation of society. We
say only, that, for the present, indeed, though
no Christening seemcth to be joyous, but
grieyous; nevertheless, afterward, ii yieldeth
the peaceable fruit Of righteousness unto them
which are exercised thereby. Wherefore" !"
my brethren, /" lift up the hands which hang
down, and the feeble knees" if such there be
among us, and let us see if we cannot dis
cover some roses on the cheek OF disease,
some intelligence in the languid eye Of de-
caying health, and hear voice of instruction
even from the still chamber of the sick.
The AGENCY OF GOD IN SICKNESS.
The secre, and sudden attacks, especially
Of those acute diseases whose approaches hui
man foresight cannot discern, and whose i'm
mediate causes human wisdom cannot assign,
call the attention directly aud lorcibly to God.
Wherever we can discover second causes, 10
them we confine our reasonings with kind Of
attcstica short ightcdncss This calamity
we attribute to our own imprudence and that
to the negligence of others. In one instance
we hatter ourselves that our affilction comes
forth from the dust; in another, that our
trouble springs out of the ground. Here, we
think, precauion would have secured us; and
there retreat would have effectually removed
us from danger. But when we are called to
look in vain for the origin Of illness, when
even the physician pauses and hesiiates TO as.
sign reason, when the malady, which walks
in darkness, enters silent and noIseless, and
the hand of pain strikes unseen "a staggering
blow--then it is that experience gives no con-
ISOLATION, philosophy is confounded, art is bal-
fled, presumption is abashed, security is
alarmed, though,lessness awakes and ponders;
then it is recalled that there is II God in the
earth, and the sufferer casts himself at the
feet Of Almighty power, saying, "lt i the
Lord, let him do what secmeth him good"
Hence, whenever we can II cover the Ini-
mediate instrument, the proximate causes oil
any event, on this the mind, occupied by ma