The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-10-24
Moral and Religious,
DEATH OF THE CHRISTIAN
From the German of Tholuck.
How still is the grave
How cool is the air about it!
IL the body sleeps so quietly,

If the body sleeps so quietly,
How blost must be the spirit!
There lies the garment which the mortal pilgrim
wore through the whole period of his pilgrimage, in
sunshine and in rain. o what thoughts crowd upon
the mind when stand before corpes-thoughs
which come to us at other time! We could then
have so much to say, so much to hear, so much Tor
which TO ask forgiveness But his eur hears not, his
mouth speaks not. How different should we act to
all men, could we anticipate how we shall ieel'
when they lie before ps in their grave clothes upon
the bier.
Soul purified in the furnace Of affection, thou art
now with God, o when the bands fall from
thine eyes, when faith is changed to sight, how will
II be with thee When from the mouth Of the Lord,
upon whose hand thou has leaned when thou
couldst his face, thou shalt receive the well
comc come thou faithful servant into the JOY Of the
Lord" when this joy Of the Lord shall illuminate
thy spirit, show will it be with thceH' The fruit
has fallen because it was rpe Blessed spirit, it was
appointed TO thee to rpen upon earth; thou hast
learned fully the value of human life, its labors and
its sufferings-nnd hast not learned in van;what thou
hast laborcd upon without, has been also labored
within. All thy toll in tho world at the same
Tune PepuutluH VI ivy suuI loi tcnpIc W Sou
When ut evening after a hot day, the wagon laden
it'll fruit enters the barn, all the inhabitants rejoice.
Thus imagine thee serene, blessed spirit, entering
tho house of thy heavenly Father and the inhabitants
Of heaven rejoice. Since there is great joy in
heaven, lamentations upon earth must be hushed.
Could thy voice be heard from the place where thou
art, surely it would say nothing else thun"Weep
not!'' Therefore must we dry up our tears.
Thou ddst not belong to us when thou wort upon
earth; thou vast the Lords We should therefore
be thankful that thou vast lent to so long, and
hold fast what we have received through thee Bes-
sed spirit thou must yet remain among us; from the
riches which belong to thee, hast thou dispensed
literally to U.S. that yet have thee, after thou hast
left us. Thou art among almost iu n visible form,
that may take counsel Of thee. and thy mouth
may teach after death has closed it. Thou
haat labored and watched for with such fidelity
and eornesness that the blessing of thy prayers not
yet exhausted, but will CONTINUE descend upon us
long we live, like the dew from God. Even in
the contemplation oc the Everlasting Light thou wilt
not forget us, for eternal light is only the light of love-
and thy thoughts will be prayers for us.
Thy fight Of faith is finished. We have learned
from thee that hold himself by the Invisible,
as if he saw Him; and since we have learned it, we
need no longer mourn as those who have hope.
What they have buried, that was not thyself, it
thy vesure, and with the vesture have they laid all
thy tolls endured in it, and thy tears; and when thou
shalt receive it again, renewed by tho hand of the
Almighty, it will no longer bear any traces of tears.
He who said, "Where am, there shall also my SER
want be-" has taken thee to HIMSELF and where he is,
there it is good 10 be. Why should we MOURN
Thou indeed art wanting to us, but He who could
give such father, such husband, such friend,
must himself be greater father,a greater husband,
greater friend.