Democratic banner., 1845-03-01
SHORT PATENT SERMON.

this occasion:
"Ah! what awaits, with giant power
To wrest the trophies Of an hour;
Ore moment write with sparkling eye
Our name on castle turrels high,
And yield, the next. a broken trust,
To earth, 10 ashes and TO dust"
My hearers:-lt makes q ersons
supper sit cold and heavy on his sto-
mach, and sinks the lhermometer Of
ms spirits below zero, 10 reflect upon
what we have all 10 come 10 at last;
10 think that when the strings Of vi
tally are snapped. and i'ie's con-
tents spoiled upon the ground, what
q pretty mess we shall make of it!
Earth amalgated with earth, dust
mingled with dust, AMI ashes inden-
tiled with ashes. compose ,he mnnld
OF Wondering morality, in which
the pureSt vIrtnre aud lie fiIthiest Of
~ are compounded together, with
out regard a. the value of the OF the
WORT !essness Of the other. 1t. is
melancholy, NV friends, 10 mediate
upon this pnltry pile of dirt. from
which the mcrta!s were moulded, &
10 which we must finally return; and
vet II Is fiji that we should now and
then squander u few thoughts on this
subject, in order that naughty pride
may sometimes look downward to-
wards the tomb, and climbing aubi-
lion measure The distance it is 10 fall
from HE towering sleple of fame,
10 the sePulcher that yaS.ns 4, It's
base.
All my dear friends. YOU have aIl
got Ia come Ia the scratch al last
The grave is the common receptacle
tor all that mass OF corruption which
the soul destined 10 drag about Tor II
time. over the bills aud the rocks,
through the mud and The storms Of d
P~recaTiJGs existence; aud into bis 10
p"silor, Tor the refuse Of humanity
you must ali be dumped. sooner or
later, 10y that dnt cart Of Death,
which VIC So often have seen stand.
ingat tie doors OF relatives. friends
and acqUaIniances;and we know not
how soon 1t may halt 10 receive u
sfovei iu.I or woo dust, which had
once been alive in our own a
sions. Al the father extremity Of
iiles winding vale, is a secluded spot.
surrounded by the gloomy umbrage
OF the weeping willow and the
mourning cypress, with small aper-
lures 10 admit Z few cheering rays
from the sun Of immortality. Here
IS written upon 4 slab of marble, and
In.iegIbie characters. The deaih bed
Of ldaiiy and the end Of Ambihen;
and at this %iorbidding spot. every
poor mortal must eventually be rob
bed OF all he ever possessed. save
that bright jewel of hope which lie
permitted TO carry with him into
The kingkom of everlasting glory
What else, | ask, is the corpureal
portion good for, when the soul, that
preservatIve principle has forsaken Il
forever? II is doomed to decay and
to its original dust; and dust,
alter all, is nothing more than dust
no matter how holy and sacred
are the associations that connec, il
With that which is now living in CO.
with mind and ieeling.-
And | advise you my friends, not to |
'Xpend too much moaey, nor TO sac !
alice great amount of morality fer |
he sake of bodily appearances; for, (
iepeEd upon it, there is something ia
nan, which like an oyster, is great
Ieal better than it looks 10 be; and ali
he outward attractions you can be.
tow upon it will prove TO be of no )
nore value in the end than ppplica- 4"
OF gold Leaf 10 the shells of said
'ys,ers. {
That then, my friends. can human !,
xert'ons avail? Nothing a, all, :,
nswer for the want of an echo.--' y
The nightdews of thegra,e are sure !.
. take out all the starch from the '
TIL dickeys Of pride--ambilion must e
ct down from Its stiles, and crawl
Ike a reptile beneath the turf that =
ow affords shelter for worms and c
he vIlest of earth's vermin--while U
blast from the trumpet of fame will =
c as dead a failure as a broken pair '
f bellows putting at the p%hosphores- o
en-. glow OF n purified shad. You >.
'ay with the nerve and power of n :.
Iant, wrest from the world and ap. "
ropriate TO yourselves the bright {
nd valuable trophies Of an hour; but ~
icy arc of no use SO long as Death u
ms rapid among US. unmuzzled and -
lcontrolled by lear or favor. You OF
ay n moment climb 10 the very W
- 90 mt tho ,A, Ill