Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-01-30


DfUT. 81. go o that hty ,oere plss,
Mat hry unttrstood his, that Hey Oould con.
Siier Mtr Iutier end"
1t would be doing wrong to myself
and to you, our natures would not for
give us, it would seem like quenching
the spirit of God himself, were we to let
this day go by without giving utterance
to some Of those thoughts and feelings
which during the past week have per-
vaded every bosom. Our minds cannot
yet have lost, cannot yet have ceased
to feel most vividly the unearihly sen
sations which were awakened by the
tidings Of the recent calamity. The
sound brought n chill to our hearts and
spread an almost visible gloom through
the atmosphere. And as name after
name Of that sad catalogue came to
light, we started t. think how near the
stern messenger of death had passed by
our souls-wc almost felt the sweep Of
his sable wing, We almost heard his
dread knock at the door of our hearts,
saying: "Thou too must die The
son OF man cometh ~
We had repeatedly heard of events
OF this kind before, on our rivers and
along our coasts. The few last years
have been marked by several of the
most distressing character, and III
which many Of our ncighhors and towns
men were intimately interested. But
the scenes in which they took place
were distant from us-were not familiar
to our imagina,ions--we did not, all
or most OF us, give those events, how
ever exciting they were, place and a
bodv-thcy did not come home TO our
hearts with all tho vividness of reality.
But the event of which we are now
speaking has occurred in our own wa
ters-in position with which We are
more familiar and when the idings
came, they placed before the mind S
eve distinct and dismal picture Of the
scene, which the cold sea and the ST.
lent stars of Heaven must have wit
messed on that fearful night. We
heard the shrek, the groan, the plunge,
the struggle--we saw that agonlzed
company crowding, clinging together
between the flames and the tlood-We
saw the wild look OF despair, we heard
the passionate prayer Of woe, and the
calm prayer Of resignation-we saw
the promise of childhood, the hope Of
youth and the glory of mature age and
mind, all quonched together in the mid
night waves. But our better feelings
and our faith in the gospel OF mmortall-
ty bid US add, not quenchcd forever,
and forbid VI to contemplate this event
with gloom, while we must and should
view it with solemn thoughtlulncss.
/ How many has the beginning of this
New-Year ushered into the endless
year of an untricd eternity--how many
have gone since the last Sabbath to that
bourne whence no traveller returns!
How many have finished their course
over lllc's strange ocean, and landed
on the shores of that unknown world I!
How many, who had expected long ere
this to he enjoy ing the cheerful glow
OF the familiar iresidc, and the brighter
faces of kindred glad and grateful Tor
their safe return, perhaps from an ab-
sence OF wears, have been suddenly 4.
when almost on the very threshold of
an earthly home, summoned To their
last long home, and found themselves,
more or less resigned, in the arms OF n
mercitIl--a holy God.
. For them no more the blUi". hearth .hhl Lum
D No be-, housewife 81, her evening Care
NO children run UI tsI t.tir s.fts return,
" Nor Ciimb his kHtor the VuVtgG niss lu s"a''
How many broken and bleeding
hearts are at this moment following
with the eye of ycarnins affection ana
anguish, the forms of the departed OBJ
iects of their love through the dark val
lev orthc shadow ofdcath-ayc, through
the gloomy gateway of that waIcry tomb
--straning their gaze us II tears and
prayers might recall them from the cold
arms OF death How many, perhaps,
have been stunned by shock so sud
den, aud arc not yet aware of tho depth,
or even the reality Of their aiilictIon -
When their amazed aud bcnumbcd
hearts shall como to themselves and Ia
\ sense of theu ,ruo situation, then God