Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-01-15

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kindness Of our companions, and give our last
blessing and utter our last prayer 10 the mother
Of our children and the pledges Of our mutual
love-where a wife's hand may smooth the last
pillow and wipe off thelasttear-and where there
may be the pnviege-the sad yet sweet conso.
lation-of hearing the last articulation Of friend
ship and the kind and mutual "adisu"-''adieu
till we meet in Heavenl" Or we may die a.
mong strangers, as was the lot Of this honorable
gentleman whose lifeless remains are here. or
US also it may perhaps one day be said
"By strangers hands his eyes were closed,
By strangers hands the decent limbs composed,
By strangers honored, and by strangers mourned."
The fact Of our death is fxed-,he time of it is
unknown, and place and circumstances are alike
in the Divine mind. All services Of this kind
are unimpressive and irreverenlial when they are
hurried; and while we would not hurry the ser.
vices allotted TO this occasion, we would still re-
strict our remarks, and close what we have to say
now with few practical lessons, such as may
be briefly stated, and which may tend to rivet
upon our minds the impressions which have been
made by this appalling event. For we shall all
die. We shall all be brought 10 the house ap.
pointed for all the living. The first practical les.
son which ought to be learned from this mourn.
fdl event is to moderate our earthly attachments.
That was ST. .Pau's doctrine. but this say,
brethren, the time is short; it remaineth that
both they that have wives be as though they had
none; and they that weep, as though they wept
not; and they that rejoice, as though they reioic-
ed not and they that buy, as though they possess.
ed not and they that use this world as not abus.
ing it; for the fashion of thsworld passeth away"
The fact that we must die, should lead US TO mod
crate our earthly attachments. As we shall die,
we shouldLe strongly impressed with the heeting
nature of the present and the permanent and sta
BILE nature of the future. My dear srs, when
you set off man for the future world, his exist.
ence is perfect riddle-an enigma. No philos.
! ophy can explain, no wisdom upon earth can un.
ravel the reason of his existence. Class him
with the brutes, class him with the irrational
tribes of animals that lend their carcases to en-.
rich the soil, but soon their life departs. Why
he but begins the lesson here, and fees away to
complete it in the spirit world. This earth is
llie's Vestlbule, mere entrance 10 mans exist
ence. His A, B, c is learned here; the rudi-
ments Of his education are acquired here; and
through the lapse Of ages unending that educa
tions continued-continued forever! Thelhing,
which are seen are temporal, the things which
are not seen are eternal; and by how much the
things which are seen are inferior and transitory
and by how much the things which are not seer
are permanent and abiding, by so much The
things which are seen should be adhered tc
slightly, and the things which are not seen should
be grasped and held with tenacity.
"And is it in the flight Of threescore years
To push ETERNITY from human thought,
And smother souls immortal in the dust!
A soul immortal, spending all her fires,
Wasting her strength in strenuous idleness,
Thrown into tumut, rapturd or alarm'd
At aught this scene can threaten or indulge,
Resembles ocean into tempest wrought,
To watt feather, or 10 drown fly"
Man is immortal, and in view Of his immor,
taity, he should set light by earth, and grasp the
future with firmness-a firmness that nothing car
shake. "Here," says the inspired apostle, "here
have we no continuing city; but we seek one tc
come" "Our days are swilter than post."--
"Our days are as an handbreath." sour days
are swifer than weaver sshute." Life is van
ity; it is nothing, For the inspired penman re-
cordsatime to be born, and timet die, but makes
no mention of time TO live. "There is time
to be born and time to die," but so short is hu
man life that no mention is made Of time to live
The grave is near the cradle; soon, and we mus
be gathered to the house-though it be narrow
we must be gathered to the house appointed
for all the living. 1t sometimes happens, as it diC
in the case of the prodigal and his elder brother
that our house upon earth was too small 10 hold
two brothers. Alas! an elder brother was angry
and would not come until an aged father came
out and intreated him. But in the house &c
which we go, a long-robed preIate, and the un.
pretending presbyter-the mighty oppressors o
the earth, and the down rodden millions lie side
by side-their dust to mingle, forgetlul of theil
former feuds-"For know that Thou wilt bring
me to death, and to the house appointed for all
living" Finally, as we have no continuing ci.
ty, and it is settled irrevocably that we must die
we should inStanter-without delay-secure an
interest in Him who is the resurrection and the
life. thank God that his blood was poured out
for aIl-that his intercession is available for all
that the arms Of his compassion are open wide
TO embrace all-and that all may repose theil
aching heads and fainting hearts upon His bosom
and find succor and comfort in the assurance ol
life and glory. Rob me of my bibe-deprive
me of my Saviour-giye me the cheerless hor.
rors of infdelity, and lieis indeed sober, dread
reality! Blessed be God, there is better land
than this, of which it is written, "There shall be
no more pain, and no more cares, and no more
night, and no more sorrow, and no more weep
ing, and no more death; for the former things are
passed away" | Icannot express to this audience
the unfeigned satisfaction that it afforded me tc
be privileged, on yesterday, to witness the con-
current testimony, and the generous outpouring
of affection and friendship, which witnessed in
this hall in relation 10 the deceased. While the
lip quivered, and emotion was too big for utter.
ance, and the tear fell upon manly cheek,
said to myself, "this is an hour sacred to friend
ship--sacred to fraternal feeling-sacred TO the
hearts best affections. When men are brought
to the graves mouth-when death has stricken
down an associate-stricken him down suddenly
as by bolt of Heaven-when the evidences oi
death are thus near them, they recollect thai
thew are hrethren-children of n common narant