The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-31

the confidence and respect OF his fellow-men-whose
voice little while ago was heard IN this chamber, bat
shall be heard here more-whose shrouded and cof-
fined remains now before us % Cod rightly exer-
else minds that we may profit while engaged IN these
providence the vanity OF all earthly hingsthe empi
OF tite the weakness OF human strength, and the
folly OF all earthly ambition; especially may we see the
imperative necessity OF setting our own house IN order
and OF so living from day TO day, that when the sands
have wasted in glass, may have nothing TO do
but to die o. lei not this be heartess pageanta mere
idle ceremony-but open Thou To heed and our
hearts TO improve this solemn visitation Make use OF
instrument in rebukng every angry spt, In sub
DUNG all aspeny OF feeling IN healing all dlssension-
and may the unity and the amity characerZng this last
offering be guarantee of maternal love and respect among
those composing the Congress OF these United States
long they in session We commend especially TO
Thee the wife Thou hast made widow. Prepare her
for these sad udngs and when they TO fill the eye
and crush the heart, Thou who didst weep at the
grave of Lazarus-Thou who hast carried TO thine
mediatoral throne the same compassionate heart Thou
didst manifest earth, may she find in Thee the
Widows stay and reposng upon the promises OF Thy
love, may she have faith TO say good is the will OF the
Lord May the children rendered fatherless, nestled
beneath Thy oyershadowing wing, find in Thee the
phan's shield Bless Thy servant who may speak to
Thy blessed Spirit seal home the truth TO hearts All
which we humby supplicate for Jesus sake. Amen.
SERMON
The Rev. H. SIIcER then delivered the following dis
course
Being called upon, virtue of my connexion with the
Senate OF the United States, to take part in the solemn
services Of this occasion, with eye 10 the solemn
reckoning that awaits all and with ardent desire
TO say words that may be available for the benefit
OF the living, rise to address you with trembling and
with deep emotion Whoever looks upon the face OF
human society will be forciby struck with the convc-
ton that abstract truths make but slight impression the
human mind and heart and exercise but very partial nu
ence upon the human character But there comes up
casonally IN the history OF mans fe-there comes
up occasionally in the history of associated body,
circumstance, event. in the administration OF all
wise unering and powerful Providence which performs
10 m of he Of of
proelaming in the ear, and impressing the heart
the lesson OF mans mortality. When the abstract truth
becomes thus developed and pronounced il is set forth
with commanding influence and power and is calculated
to NIL the eye with tears overwhelm the heart with sad
ness and toput upon the headong propenstes OF man
for the time being an efectua check Such period has
come up in the history Of this body-such occurrence
has taken place in the midst of the Congress OF this great
nation But few short days ago entered this cham
recognition of the being and providence OF God and there
IN his place sat one who had promise OF long life and
years OF pleasure, perhaps beyond any OF those asso
neither YOU he who addresses you have been scarcely
able to realize the appalling fact that that athletic form
shall meyer more be looked upon BY, us-the mild
quent voice no more be heard in the councils OF his
country! He hath given up the ghost, and where is
heP cannot better improve the hour allotted to these
services than by asking your attention to the impressive
language TO be found in the 23d of the 3Oh chap
ter OF the Book of Job:
" For knoio that thou tcH bring me to death, and 10
me mouse appointed J0f al Hping
1t will be perceived, my hearers that the language of
the text PERSONAL and less concerns the whole of
humanity than the individual who utters it, Ii is only BY
this application of the truth to own case personally
and individually that any practical beneficial result be
secured. So long minds carried out ON the
general mortality OF mankind-so long as our minds are
occupied only with the mortality of other people,
and other nations, and other indiyiduas-so long
will we fail 10 be impressed But when the matter is
brought home to ourseves-when in Imagination we fold
arms on the breast close up eyes the last slum
Der, put on graves Clothes lie down coffin, and
in imagination follow spirit to the worldt
only then that the truth its beneficial influence
upon the mind, and heart, and character "For know
pointed for all living" My first inquiry is with respect
to the of this change We derive our knowledge
IN the rs place. from the general and rrevocabe decree
OF God, which consgns men to the dust So long
cess was had TO the tree OF lfeso long was man free
from LIABILITY to disease death But when after the
first apostacy, God posted the cherubm with flaming
sword to guard the way oil access to the tree OF life lest
man should put forth his hand and and live forever
began to descend TO the tomb and although the SEN
ence was not executed upon him Immediately, yet from
that moment he began to die. The seeds of
mortality were sown in his physical frame and
he commenced to verge towards that sc bourne
is declared in the epise to the Hebrews in corrob-
Grafton of the original declaration, "dust thou art and
unto dust thou shalt return p st appointed unto men
to die and after that the Judgment 1t has fallen
to the lot of two individuals only Of all the muudes of
mankind to escape the influence of this general decree
Enoch was translated that he should not death Eli
Jah ~ Vi IRE PdSSeu Oh
probation to the triumphs of his Immortality God
pended the laws of the universe in the which the
sun stood still in mid heaven for the space of day
and he suspended the operation of this general de-
cree of mortality in the cases in which Enoch and
Elijah were exempted from the common lot As a |
sovereign, he had the right to suspend the operation
OF his own decree. In the case of Elijah we |
have beautiful llustratont of the truth Of Scrip
ture doctrine that the soul antbody are destined OF
God to be immortal, and in that possession of immortal
y are destined to enjoy the reward Of future glory The
translation OF these eminent personages affords
fortng that when the turmoil of life is over
man. soul and body, shall be admitted to share the glory
OF the eternal world In the second place. derive
knowledge of this fact that God will bring us to death
from the universal experience of mankind The patr-
archs, where they' II you look into the record
which this blessed book affords of the times before
the flood you perceive striking fact connected with
the brief memorial of the whose names there
written "And Jared lived nine hundred and sixty-tw
years, and he died. That's the sequel "And Methuseah
lived nine hundred and sixty nine years. and he died."
And SO of all the rest When the world was young-In
its robust and vigorous youth--and man lived not
to the extent only of hreescore years and ten, but
for nearly thousand years, still even then death
came upon all men. The patriarchs, where are
they? Sand the prophets, where are they? Do they
live foreverp Where are the Roman CAESARS and the |
Greclan chiefs, the boast of classic story Where is
the hot Drained YOUTH who the tiara tore" from heads
Of all the kings Of the then discovered EARTH and cried
forsooth because his arm was hampered and hal not |
he had been and although the Pompeys and Casas
and Hannibals of former days filled the world with the
fame OF their deeds, nought remains but the winding
sheet And where the fathers of our own republic -
race of men such the neer shone upon before,
and shall neer look out upon again Go to the rounda