The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-11-12
sHORTPATENT SERMON.
have selected the words of my text for
occasion:

Still PUSHES on the tide OF men,
As though the past had never been.
NV hcarers-Man's heart is Il slate upon which
is written, with the pencil of memory, The record
Of past events but the sponge Of time soon oblit-
crates the whole and traces are left to tell Of
their occurrence, save here and there, perhaps,
scratch of former grief OF woe. Well, my friends,
it is all for the best that the wave of oblivion
should so frequently wash our by-gone ills from
the shore of recollection into the dead sen of for
geCuuess, 1t is happy for us, that, after having
eaten the oysters OF pleasure, we are not obliged
to lug about with us forever the shells Of care,
burthen our memories with the load of troubles we
incurred IN obtaining them. 1t is surprising,
nevertheless, now soon the heart lorgets its
miseries. A cloud drags its gloomy shadow over
the sunny landscape but it leaves no stain behind,
a person reads upon our corns--we dance Span
ish findango for a few moments, indulge in half
dozen gratuous gruns, groans and curses, and 90
our way, as though no collision of "human under
standings" had occurred And o,my dear friends,
it is with the human heart. To-day ii is narrowed
up with pain and trouble, and tomorrow it is as
smooth and placid as pan of unskimmed milk
II will not always cling to the recollection of The
past while the cares of The present and the hopes
Of the future conjunctive'y oppose, no more than
a musquito will persist in his sanguinary purpose
while the finger Of death is pressing hard upon
him.
Nv friends Tn order 10 see how soon the heart
fnrgpts iis mnst poignant priefs, you have only IL
observe II thing or two as you journey through life.
For instance II man--alter n blisSiully tedious and
excru,atingy delightful courtship-entels into
matrimonial partnership with II young, beautiful,
and aIeconate creature of the fancy sex. Sud-
denly death stalks into their blooming bower OF
love, and upsels all their connubal arrangements
by committing adultery with the lovely object of
the husbands affections, and bearing her forever
from his sight in his icy, marrowless arms; or, in
other words she dies-yes, dies like the flower Of
the field, cropped by the mowers sythe. The
fond husband pours out his sorrow in flooding
tears upon her new made grave, and seeks no COM
fort this side of the threshold Of heaven. Life to
him hath no pleasure; for he has been robbed Of
that which he thinks can never be replaced by any
substitute the earth afford in the shape OF FEM
mime worth. He deposits his love in the urn thai
contains her ashes wanders sad and dlsconsoIae
along the gloomy vale or widowhood, and re-
solves never to marry ill soul weds soul at the al
tar of the Omnipoent. But, my friends, this thick
coat of misery soon wears Off from his heart, in
spite of the care he takes TO have it remain. 1t
won't stick any how it can be fixed. His bitter
grief lessons TO pensive sorrow-his sorrow, to sad
rcgre,-his regret TO partial iorgetfnness; and soon
you behold him evelIing again in hymenlal sweets,
as happy rs a hawk ut Il hcn-roost,and as gay and
as cheerful as though he had never experienced
any conlugal classification.
NY friends-when friend accidentally takes a
slide from time to eternity, what do we do why,
we shed few formal tears over his mortal
remnins-deposite him in his narrow home-shov-
ell on the gravel, and go about our business. Aye,
we even run over his grave to pick up pennies,
aud care no more for the sacredness Of the dust
L. 1T al, Gar vnnt
"The ever rolling tide Of men still rushes on as
though the past had never been. When n poor
feow-being falls from the car Of existence, a few
merely look back, out Of idle curiosity, TO behold
the damage, but they interest themselves no iurh-
err If shade Of sadness come over the heart for
the moment it is soon dispelled by change of
scene: location or circumstances. The reckoning
word for man in his mad career is on,uard, which
he ins,inctvely obeys, even though it lead him as
straight as chalk line to the devil.
Nv dear rrends-.There il no doubt but it is a
great blessing that our hearts are so disposed TO
forge, the woes with which we are visited. Chill
dren are ever forgetting and are always happy
They wash away all grief by single bnrst of
tears; and then laugh to dry up the spalterngs.-
Care, disappointment and sorrow only draw faint
lines upon the surface Of their hearts, which are
easily oherated; but they are craven upon the
hearts Of the aged aud the burrows sometimes
deepen into death. The old canno, so easily for
get their ills as the young; because in their de-
clininr age when both the physical and intellectual
faculties begin to fail, ideal troubles will present
themselves as fast as those that are rubbed out with
the rng Of forgeifulness But o, my dear friends
amid all your hearts forgetihgs, don, forget that
YOU are ali made out Of one kind Of sIuF-,hnt
your duties are all The snme-that all belong 10
one great family-and that you are in duty bound
TO aid cherish and protect one another till you en-
iyra,e to another and better world, where every
one mus, look out for himself So mote it be