Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-12-22
Live not to Yourself.
ny REV. J. TODD.

s.9., By REV. J. TODD.
- On the frail little stem in the garden
hangs the opening rose. Go ask why
II hangs there. i hang here says the
beautiful flower so sweeten the air
which man breathes TO open my beau,
ties. TO kindle emotion in his eyes, to
shew him tina hand Of God, who pencil
ed every leaf and laid them thus on my
bosom. And whether you find me here
10 greet him every morning, or wheth-
>er YOU ind me on the lone mountain
side, with the bare possibility that he
viii throw me one passing glance my
end is for the same. live not to my
self, ssa
Beside yon highway stands an aged
tree solitary and alone. You see no
living thing near it, and you say surely
that must stand fof itself alone. NO.
says the tree, God never made me Tor
purpose SO small. For more than a
hundred years have stood here. In
summer have spread out my arms,
and sheltered the painting fiocks which
: has:ened tony shade. In my bosom
I have sheltered and concealed the
blood Of young birds, as they lay and
rocked In their nests in The storm. |
have moro than once received in my
BODY, the lightning's bolt, Which had
else destroyed the traveller; the acorns
which have matured from year to
year, have been carried far and near,
and The groves offorrest trees can claim
.sae as their parent. ! have lived for
. afe eagle which has perched on my
sop. for the hrmming bird which has
paused and refreshed it's giddy wing
: err il danced away again like blossom
: 90 the air; for insects that has found
home within the folds Of my bark, and
; when stand no longer, / shall fall by
the hand Of man, and shall go to
strengthen tho ship which makes him
lord Of the ocean, and to his dwelling 10
. warm bis hearth and cheer bis home.
live not to myself. - ~s5
On yonder mountain side comes
down The silver brook, in the distance
resemsling ribbon of silver, rnnning
and leaping as it dashes joyously and
iearlessly down. Go ask the leaper
what il IS doing. So saa'5
Il was born says the brook high up
tn.the mountain; but there / could do no
good; so hurried down, running where
/ could, and leaning where must; but
$ Fastening down to water the sweet val
ley,--where the lark may sing on my
margin--where | may drive the mill for
the accommodation of man, and then wi
den into a great river and bear up bis
steamboats, and shipping, and finally
plunge into the ocean, to rise again in
yapof, and perhaps come back again in
the clouds to my own native moun>
! tain, and live my short life over again.
Not drop Of water comes down my
channel. in whose face you may not
read, None Of us liveth 10 himself.
o,, Speak now to that solitary star that
hsngs:in the far verge Of heaven. and
ssk The bright sparkler what it is doing
there. Its voice comes down the path
Of life, and cries: i am q mighty
world. / was statioued here al the
creation. was among the morning
stars that sung together, and among tie
sons Of God:that shouted for joy at the
creation. Of the earth. Aye, aye, ]
WAS there .zsss.f .a <
SsWhen the radient morn ofcreation broke,
And the world in the smile Of God awoke
1nd the empty realms Of darkness and death
Were moved through their depths by hismigh.y
fIs..g .ss. breath,
And the orbs Of beauty and spheres Of fame
From The sold of abyss by myriads came,
Inths joy ofyouth they darted away
Through the widening wastes Of space to play,
Thsir silver voices in chorus rung,
And this was the song that the bright cnes sangn
And thus God has written upon The
flower that sweetens the air. upon the
breeze that rocks the flower upon its
stem, upon the rain drops that swell the
mighty river, upon the dew-drop that
rsfreshes the smallest sprig of moss
that rears It's head in the desert, upon
the ocean that rocks every swimmer. in
ifs channel upon every pencilled shell
4hat sleeps in The caverns Of the deep,
as we'll as upon the mighty sun which
warns and cheers the millions. of crea.
torres that live in its light-upon all has
he written, sNone Of us iivethto him.
SELF y aa z4z -; a5Tfo
ss I, And if you viii read this lesson in
characters still more distiacf and strik.
ing, YOU will go to the garden Of Geth
semane. and hear the Redeemer in
prayer, while. the angel Of God strength