The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-11-25
PEN lip A p T. Il g.

81 have had my share of sorrows-morc than
the common lot, perhaps-but have borne them
i'll. have broken when should have bent-and
have unused and brooded. when my spirit should
have mixed with all Gods creation. The men who
learn endurance are they who call the whole world
brother. have turned from the world, and pay
the penalty" Boz,
Not all those whom the world calls brave, are
brave Many n coward has led armies and com
mandcd nnves, subdncd empires and cities, and
lived and lives upon the tongues Of men as the
braycst OF the brave. Many Il brave man has
worn his ow-rock, dug his potatoes, eat his crust,
never lived upon mems tongues at all--only
lived in hmse'--and passed away from the world
as of no account at all in its doings. He is the
braves, man who best learns caduraacc lie is the
greatest coward who most lily submits to the IT,
remcdabIc necessities Of life, and like n whipped
dog, wines Il, every stroke of misGollpne's lash.
Life, existence, is inscperabe Gon llering. 1t
cannot, nay, it should not be otherwise. The ore
must be mcltcd--e!sc how shall we get the fine
gold from the dross' The air must be purified
|
and lightning The rainbow, beautiful as it is
did You ever think lit is the child Of the temp
est 1t never spans the sky, with its glorious
arch till the storm has gone before. Not sorrow-
not temptation, no, a disappointment dims the
eye, bcscs the heart or weighs down the spirit, but
is for our good-our publication. All are angels
of mercy, sent TO separate the gold lIom the dross
TO purify the almost here, and build over the in
,e'lec, the magnificent how Of that peace that is
born Of faithful endurance of suffering. 10 SUI
fer is 10 haow, and to suffer ba'GIy like true men,
is the highest philosophy Look upon the portraits
Of Jesus of Nazarelll--su imperfect ones as we
have! Sec how calm endurance,& pa,ien. suffering
is the prominent characteristic Of that noble face and
that majestic brow, lie, the bravcsi being history
patiently suffering, calmly enduring all that was
written for him TO safer, all that was wrilt,n for
him to endure, leaving to history most perfect
specimen of mnn-Iiit. Look at Martin Luther,
John Knox, and an hundred others ha, nigh, be
named; brave as lions, these mcn And yet, how
much they suffered! how much they endured!
They did not bear their lot lily they did what was
set before them to do, like brave md faithful men.
They never complained and yet their lives were
perpetual wara'e. They bore well and they have
their reward
He who Yields one moment 10 the circumstances
Of life, fortunate or unfortunate; mean, he who
allows circumstances TO throw him from his man
centre, is weak feliow--a weak fellow indeed;
and he who shrinks and sknlks when the rains de-
sccnd and the storms bca. is coward; no less than
that; and farther, he who hroods and grows sick
hearted and wrong headed over his fortunes, and
CREATION" is IL fool. All the mighty struggles Of
the spirit only reveal lis powcr-hring out its
strength and give it prophet.eycs. We wrong the
glorious and the god like within US when we tramp
it down lcwhine md mcwl under the lash ola little
trial. II would no, do so-bui we lnlce it. That
spirit hath par, in call God crenliou," from the
c!oud that is under his fee. 10 The flower in the
wall, Let it OUTLET i, out and you shall see
with this glorious world before it, how little it will
grow sad and misanhropc, and hypocond,iac, and
dispcc'ic.
Gods crca'ion!" live in that. in the grea,
heart Of that, like glorious cd VIII Shakes
peafc, enduring like man, all that you meet in
living and then YOU shall be here to some purpose
Bah! lie, II trial here and a loss ,herc--a house
burned, horse killed, an oni'e intrigued away
from you or friend e':ransai, make yon grow
sick and odwomanish Get you out into Goods
creation" and be quick for your life! Put on the
aspect Of a man. Open your eyes and see
yOur cWrs aud hear ,und make the most and the bcs,
of everything. never had any sympathy with
these broken-hcarlcd people. can no more IN,
dcrsaud than could Ralph Nicloby what is meant
by II brOken heart. God never breaks hcarts-hc !
bends them, he. bows them, he huub!cs them
lie never lays blow upon any heart that will
break it. 1t is against his will that his creatures
pine and grow jaundIced eyed I'LL they see moth
thing beautiful or desirable in all he has made
I'LL they become dead things having only name
that he gave lha, heart the power to endure it, and
mean, that it should endure it aud he the better
for it. But we, towards as we are, give up at the
first lash, and beg and cry. and say we can't en-.
lure it. 40 must die. FiddIestcl! have the
utmost conemp, for such fools. There is not the
shadow Of man about them! or woman elhcr-
A true man allows nolhingt daunt him, nothing
10 daiken the light that is within him, and whit
ever fortunes he meets he learns to s'ard up to
hem like the eternal hills, immovablc. 1t Is only
in This way tina, he ever becomes true and strong,
md he should be thankful for the yicissitudcs
hat try and temper his spiih. Think You ha,
splendid weapon will, which 5aladn Glove the pill
ow, was tempered with the heat of new milk or
,lo L.. ,l,