Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-05-08

Pulpit E~LOQUENCE.

by the Rev. G. VAN RENSSELAER,, the other
by the REV. 8. g. BuLLrtNclf.
The text of the former IL found,
Peter /, "a, 221---ffor Ill flesh Is us grass
and all the glory Of man as the flower OF
grass. The grass witfefeth and the flower
thereof falleth AWAY but the words OF the
Lord endureth forever.
We are compelled to make very limited Sc
~lectiol,s from the eloquent disconrses men,
toned above. But volumes Of instruction
may be gathered from tile following remarks,
upon the holy declaration, proclailning the
eY aueseent character OF human
GLORY.
"And all the glory Of man is as the flower
Of the grass.''--"t the lbwer thereof ialleth
away
Not only is the holly whitening grass,
but MI the glory of man 9 earthly existence
is as The falling flower. Neither body nor
spirit have an abiding honor in this world
Of vanity and degradation.
l.. All the glory Of man 9 intellectual en-
d~oumsats--ot what ayail are thoy when
God roq1ireth The soul ? Though tive I'M
derstood all mystery and all knowledge"
vet in these alone we are " nothing La
the hour of death, the mlghtiest mind parts
Tor ever from all Its pride of attainment.
Though we may pass, in the visions Of In
tellect and science, from star to star, and
giorv amidst distant wol'ds, in the disco.
very OF new laws ind fats in the govern
tnent of %..'fiuite creation, our knowledge
vanisheth away like the shadowy thoughts
of an infants only drealn Where is The
ssiaa man whose vision is available
against the terrors Of The gtave7 How
vain becomes the %learnits, OF Il race, which
q perishes from m%orningto evening T. The
acquisitions ofscience, the nobiest asplrlngs
of Jurisprudence, the knowledge OIL choices.
antiquity, the aims and measures of poilfl-
chi sagacity--all the pfofoundest study OF
~life--is to u dying man like the folly of
fools. doth not the excellency, which is
in them, &C away They die, even with.
cut wisdom" Though "the well-spring
of wisdom be us u flowing brook, it is lost
in the waters of the swelling Jordan.
2. The glory of rah and eleration like
wise disappears ut death. 1t is as perish
ing as the power which gave it Icing, OF
as tho pomp which is The emblem of It's du-
ration. "On the eyelids" Of kings, there
is the "saadow Of death = in the carts OF
rulers is "vexation Of spirit. The cor
ruption, which belongs TO our bodies is
ira nslorred TO the glory Of our best estate.
" Mar in his best estate is altogether vani-
The possession OF rank and station
tends indeed to crafty ambition, by sccur-
ing homage and multiplying the resources
of power. But the honors TO the brow are
without peace to the heart. Their Ell joy-
ments arc the temptations Of worldlness to
%depravity, and are inferior to the comforts
of p verify, integrity, and toll. The royal
PrgaUfrer detiares, q was gfoutt and iii
creased more than all they that were before
me in jerusalem, " ind 81 withheld teot
my heart from any JOY" "And behold
all was vanity and vexation of spirit; and
there was no profit under the sun. Al!
the glories OF Solomon have fallen like the
cedars of Lebanon. His palaces and tenn
pies, and all the insignia of his reign have
no abiding place on the earth; are un-
known even in the memory of man. II
such glory thus passeth away, like the
flower of the field, (Which it eqaalled not
what glory of mar can hope to survive in
in tho visions Of most presumptuons ambi-
ton! How brief and uncertain, too, is
the period Of present enjoyment? We have
bct n taught by impressive Providence the
end of all human distinction. Our lresi-
d mt has been suddenly taken from the
honors of a grateful people, to be placed
beneath the soil on which they tread. The
distant echoes ofhis Inauguration triumphs
are rcverbcrated beyond the mountains, to
mingle with the MORNINGS of his funeral
solelnnities. Yonder mansion, which he
lately entered in glory, has seen him car
ried out of it in dust. Though "the glory
of his house be increased" yet when he
dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory
shall not descend after him. "All the
glory of man is as the flower of the grass,
the flower thereof falleth away
3. The glory of riches is of the same
fleeing character. Strange that man
should set his heart so firmly upon that
which perishes, and then cleaye to it as
though il were to endure! Yet there is
hardly any possession, which more engages
the aim and pursuit efour race, than wealth
Ii is sought for with. an avidity that scorns
oceans, and mountains, and deserts and
climates. Stcop down for the flower which
your feet have trodden from Its stem OF
of grass, and learn, from its decay, the va.
nifty of your anxious toll. "I'hey spend
their days in wealth, and in a moment &C
down to the grave" The wealth of the
Esterhazys, treasured up as a glorious in.
heritence, is of no use to those who assisted
in its accumulation, nor will long serve tho
vanity Of It's present possessors. "For, We
brought nothing into this world; and it is
certain that we can carry nothing out. p
Yet, our race IS bent on evil, IN the evil o.
the glory Of wealth. If Canova were
awaiting directions for a man, who woult
fifty represent the race, we would say te
him Especially for his generation, J.
"Chiscl him in the attitude of grasping!t'
And when be had completed the statue, we
would add, Make another in the attitude
of deah!" The two together-the one
representing the spirit, and the other the
end of riches-wouid fifty describe the ma
ture of its glory.
4. The glory of arms is similar in it:
shadowy end. Many mighty warrior:
have been conspicuous in their generation
receiving, when living, the applause Of ar
mics and nations, and when dead, the
highest honors. But their glory went no
with them beyond the darkness of tht
grave. dissatisfied Alexander could weei
in want of an unconqnered world; and Ma
poleon, trembling at Moscow amidst TIT
flames, and at St. Helena amidst th'
waves, was at last insensible TO the honor