Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-07-07
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY q, 1912.

the heavier Affections of sickness and
death, offer subdued and touching. Win
her confidence, and she will tell you that
u reiresbes her in severe labor TO look out
upon the pleasan, sun and remem Der Gods
goodness, and that she finds now and then
a passage in her Bible which opens her
eye TO some common beauty in creation
which she had hitherto passed by-that
the eloquent psalm Of the King of Israel,
or the glowing fervor of the Prophet has
sent her out by night 20 see the Heavens
that " declare his glory" and ponder the
sweet influence Of the Pleiades - and
that every created thing has assumed an
interest to her, reminding her constantly
OF Him who made the :" goodly wings of
the Bird and "clothed the neck of the
horse with thunder" New and delight.
iul topics of thought are thus given her
which while away her care, and as she
dwells less upon the low and degrading
images of her lot, and more upon the
beautiful contemplations Of her Bible, an
lmperceptible refinement is wrought with
in her, and the narrowing and depressing
tendency Of her employments effectually
counteracted.
There is peculiar tranquility in reli-
glon which unquestionably lengthens life.
The wear Of violent passions, even the
common one of anger, upon the system,
is too obvious to need proof; and the ex.
cesses Of the more deadly need still less of
comment. The precepts of piety bear
particularly upon such indulgencies. The
distinctive feature of Christianity is its for
gIveness to enemies, and the whole bear.
ing of its morality is to noursh the kind
ly sympathies of our nature, and make
the stream Of common feeling flow calm
and even. This is so true that it is al.
most test OF religious sincerity. | have
never seen an exemplary Christian whose
countenance did not wear that winning
calmness which betokens inward peace
and heart tempered with universal love.
There is spirit oil violent sectarianism
abroad which passes with some for zeal,
but which enlists too much earthly pas
sion and stamps upon the features Of its
Possessors harsh gravity too indicative
Of inward violence to be the result of pie
ty. We are so constituted that the tenor
Of feeling may be read in the countenance,
and as in old musicians the eye is always
peculiarly liquid, from constant pleasure
BILE sensation, so in religion, the sincere
and loving disciple of his Masters mild at
tributes is distingushable by his serenity
and gentleness. had an impression when
a child that none but beautiful women
brought up their infants for baptism. 1t
was the maternal look that had won upon
my boyish fancy. The baptismal moment
to Christian mother is too tender an in.
terest not to call out the fullest expression
Of love; and the moist, uplifted eye, and
the look Of beseechingness and trust which
almost always accompany that touching
ceremony, affect me to this day indescrb-
ably. This tlanquilizing influence is ano.
Their proof Of the wonderful adaptedness of
religion TO our common need. have no
doubt that years are added to the life by
its temper of repose. The intimate con-
nexion of mind and body reduce i, to a
certainty, that the peculiar quiet Of
heart governed by its mild precepis, must
be like medicine to the springs of
health" The "silver cord" is not SO
soon loosed, and the "golden bowl" not
SO soon broken.