Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-11-09
SHORT PATENT SERMON.

MY hearers-It is astonishing with what
rail road velocity we perform the seemingly
short and yet literally long Journey of life.
Seventy years. whom divided into DAYS and
hours, show US at once that it is consider.
able while for man to travel upon this
rough. rocky and thorn.covered terrestrial
ball; but when tired, weary, and almost
worn out with age, we look back and sur
vey the distance over which we have foot
ed it, it seems but n short and easy step
at the longest. 1t is Time that pushes US
on so rapidly. If he were outof the way,
we should never grow old, but remain
young, and abide forever upon earth. Were
we warranted time proof and made up
OF ncver-dccaying materials, we should con-
sequcnty be forever free from the thousand
and one petty perplexites that rub off tho
varnsh from Joy, and knock SO many cogs
out Of the great wheel Of life. We should
then have no use for clocks. watches and
other time pieces, for our DAYS would be
registered in the same book with those Of
our Creator--our years reckoned with his,
and his with ours. The sands in our glasses
would run 10 all eternity without the ne
cesslty of inverting them; and the stream
Of existence would flow on, or rather re-
pose, like a siyery lake, in brightness,
beauty and peace. Centuries might then
be counted as sands upon the sea.shore,
passing away as sands are washed off with
the tide and buried in the obivious wave.
But we are pershing mortas, and ought
not TO entertain desire to exist here always;
tor our souls garments must rapidly grow
worse and worse, like a shirt washed with
potash and water, till finally they are not
worth the trouble and expense Of patching.
My dear hearers-it grieves me TO think
how ruthlessly Time tears away the green
chaplets that bind the brows of youth.
To-day boy is born into the world, and
tomorrow, as it were, he is borne TO the
silent tomb a wilhered, wrnkled and dried
up, old man. 0, would that Time might
allow boyhood to last forever! During its
delightful season, the thorn tree is covered
with sllvery bIossoms-the briar bush bends
with its burthen of berries-daisies and
dandellons oyertop the young venomous
netlles--and the brambes bloom with beau
ty. Every departing shower wears rain
bow upon its bosom, and the streaks of
sunshine that intervene in youths cloudiest
days are wider than those of age by great
number of feet, at the best calculation. To
the child, all things are observed by the
|
that sleep upon the mountain, seem as
though the spider spirits Of heaven had
woven their webs to entangle the sylphs
The rusty hours that roll heavily by the
aged, fit by the careless and young, secured
as bright as the brass kettle of a neat and
tidy housewife. Sorrow never hovers
long over the happy bowers of youth. She
only drops an occasional feather from her
raven pinion, and that is soon waited away
into the dead sea of forgetfulness. Ills
hasten by the young in a hurry and disap-
pear forever, like the shadows of the wind
driven clouds of April that scud Ger the
landscape, and appear no more.
My worthy friends--it is melancholy to
think how Time robs US Of our youthful
Ienjoyments. True pleasure is only found
in the early stage of existence. as |
have asCeriained by experience. Blooming
boys it almost caused black hair 10 shoot
again from my winter-kiiled caput to see
you revel in the sweets Of youthful enjoy
ment--to behold with what emotions Of
delight you spin your top fly your kites
and roll your hoop; and gr!eve to think
how soon all your precious toys will be
wTcstci from your grasp by the iron
clutches of Time-how soon the day will
come when your large slices Of boyish
bliss, which are now bultercd on both sides,
will not be buucrcd at ALL. Every dog has
his day, says the proveIb, and can assure
you, my dear Juveniles that every pup has
also his day. As soon as you put on the
boots breeches and long-Iai!ed coat Of
manhood, you will feel as though you were
driven out of Paradise into vast wild
of wilderness and We; for then YOU will 10
= longer brood under the wings of childish
ignorance, and the thorns Of knowledge
7 will goad you upon every side. Then will
the veil of delusion be drawn aside. and
the sad v.srge Of +, atty appear. Then
will the fires of love. ambition, envy, jeal-
. ousy and revenge, be kindled upon the al
tars of youthful innocence; and Peace,
= afirghted, will wing her way to her native
, heaven as swift as a swallow on lis migra-
5 tory mission.
/ My hcarers--it is all fair enough, no
doubt that Time should rob US Of our
youthful enjoying hts. never found fault
! with the ways Of the Omnipotcnt; and
yet l cannot help but mourn for the rava-
ges committed in the gay garden of child
=, hood, the green fields Of maturity, and IN
f he autumn scared fields of age. 1t touches
! the tender spot when think how soon a
Young beautiful and bewtching creature
of the feminine gender Uhe last and love-
: Hest Of the Almighty's works. is disrobed
! q L.. lef