The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-11-20

scarcely bring ourselves to believe ,ha, tn,
reality is the truth.
For what were we born !. Was it tina
we might accumulate this worlds goods
and possess gold and silver in abundance
If so, our existence would be a curse
and disappointment be our hourly compa
nion,-for millions of our fellows seek fol
them in vain they toll, labor, and grievt
after, yet never possess them, and even
the few who have them, cannot but ac.
knowledge their insuiliciency to insure
peace or happiness.
For what were we born Was it that
our names might be sounded aloud by the
trump of Fame, or we be the honored of
the people !-ifso miserably inded would
our lives be spent, for vast numbers of
mankind during all ages of the world have
toiled by day and by night, at home and
abroad for these distinctions, and never
received any thing but disgrace, or they
who may have been the fayorites of the
people to-day, tomorrow may be sunk in
oblivion, and even cursed or, if not So
by the time they reach the goal, and re-
celve the prize they drop off the stage of
existence, ere they reap any benefit or
pleasure from the reward.
For what were we born! Was it that
we might engage in the pursuit of plea
sure by gratifying all our animal and base
desires and appetites ?--if so, each of our
fellow creatures would constitute but so
many particles of one vastmass of corrup-
ton, and our worlfbe, but a field of car
mage and blood.
For what were we born Was it that
we might excel in the arts and sciences!
III so, uselessly indeed would our time
be employed, for it would only grieve us
to know, that our theories would be ex-
ploded by those of our successors, and as
for our works Of art, they only would sur
yive us for a short time, and then crumble
into atoms.
For what were we born Was it that
we might make great attainments in lite
nature !-nuch as it would afford to inte-
rest and delight, yet even this, is unwor-
thy of being the sole object of life time,
and our intellectual capacities are so limit
ed, and so many obstacles hinder our re-
searches, that after all we could but say,
we know nothing to what ought to be
known.
We are immortal formed to live for
ever, and shall witness the sun fade-lhc |
moon darken--lhe stars fall-and the vast
universe burnedu up! We who shall stand
unframed, amid the wreck of matter and
the crush Of worlds, and gaze on NATURES
funeral piIe-for what were we born p
we may well laugh at the idea Of Riches,
Fame, Honor, Pleasure, Arts, Science,
pr Literature, constituting the sole or even
chief object of our existence we must
have been born for higher and noblcr OBJ
ects,-we certainly exist for far more glo-
rious objects.
For what were we bore! II certainly
was that we might glorfy GOD,-s,udy
and practice His precepts,-pursue no.
thing that has tendency to create sorrow
or unhappness. but to "do unto others as
we would that they should do to us" In
fine, we were born, and are sustained alive,
so that we may prepare TO exist hereafter
IN happiness; and spend eternity with
The author of our being in jog, Peace, and
Lone; far beyond the reach, or rcmem-
brance of the cares of life, and be in real
lty, what we were at first created, beings
in the likeness and image of GOD.
w. X. S.