The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-21
HUMAN LIFE.

How strange a thing is human life !--how filled
with vicisstudes and how chequered with cares and
disappointments The sport of circumstances, is
borne along by the resistless cure mt of time, and
finds himself at moment, contending with the
pillows of adversely, and at another gliding onward,
peacefully and quietly beneath the cloudess sunshine
of prosperity until at length he is enguphed in the dark
fathomess of eternity. In vain does he strive
steer his by the pole star of good ntention
for when he least expects it, he Isl too often turned
aside by the circng eddes Of selfnterest hurried
away by the whirlpooIs of conenJing passions. Be-
meath his trackess way, lie unseen, the rocks of mis-
apprehension and misrepresentation, ready 10 shatter
his ffail bark and tear her. plank from plank and, not
unfrequently at the instant when he beholds all
| heaven around him, > he finds himself sinking into
the abyss of obloquy, whilst tie waves of despair,
black and Kissing in their fury, gather above the head
of their helpless, hopeless, victim. Such is human
life; but, thanks to the Power that made weak
tenants of day. it is not all of the life appointed
for man. There is an existence beyond the reach of
vcissude and disappointment; state of being, over
which present gries cast shade, and which, like
the long sunny lapse of summer days light" woos
us softly to the dreamess sleep from which shall rise
renewed, reBenerateu ana uisehluIaieu. w III "h"'
fervor and with what extacy does the mind, conscious
of its own rectude look forward TO the dark portal that
is to usher it to the bright realms of everlasting peace
and 10y "t is the Divinity that stirs within us, it
is heaven itself that points out an hereafter and intl-
mates eternity to man." With its bright promise be-
fore him he beholds unmoved {" the war Of elements,
the crush of matter and the wreck of WORLDS and
gathers himself up "to flee away and be at rest. -
This is no gay illusion, the fgment of the poets
brain, but grand glorious, and bright reality attest,
ed by every feeling of the human breast and Swallowed
forth in all creations mighty handywork, that claims
ian architect divine" The vallies decked in their
GORGEOUS attire and the hills clad in the wild bazon-
~ Of the tempest the mighty rivers the with It's
countless living myrads, the stars and the greater
obs set in the hea bespeak alike their common orr
ain and cry aloud the hand that made us is Divine
Can it be imagined that HE, who made this vast ma
chine for mans subsistence and enjoyment, can have
created him to exist for few short years and then to
m;nqe with the senseless eless, clod of the valley
and Z" sleep the sleep that knows no waking y
there on earth dark dolaer of chance" so lost to
the dignity of his kind to believe that man, lor
whom this system of wonders was made was not IN
tended to be the companion and delight OF his Urea
tor. and chat what He delights in must be happy p
If, then, man was formed for happiness, and IL mas
pleased the great director of events to test MN II
this vale of tears where that happiness to be found
C This world is all feeting show,
For mans illusion given,
The smiles Of Joy, the tears of woe,
Deceitful shine, deceful flow,
There's nothing true but HEAVEN ~