Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-11-04
miscellaneous.
A BEAUTIFUL SERMON.
THE VICTORIES OF LOVE.

Love is represented as the fulfilling of the
lava creatures perfection. All other gra-
ces, all divine dispensatons contribute 10 this,
and are lost in II as in a heaven. II expels
the dross of our nature; 1t overcomes sorrow
ii is the fully of our Lord.
Let us contemplate It's capacities and re-
sources as applied to the experience of life
Property and business may fail, and still the
eye Of hope may fix itself on other objects,
and confidence may strengthen itself into 9TH
er schemes, but when death enters into our
families and loved ones are missing from our
sight, though God may have made their bed
in sickness, and established their hope in
death, nothing can then relieve US but trust
and love. Philosophy and pleasure do bu,
intrude upon and aggrayate our grief But
love, the light Of God, may chase away The
gloom of this hour, and start up in the soul
trusts, which the victory over ourselves. The
harp OF the spirit, though its cords b. tern
never yields such sweet notes, such swelling
harmony, as when the world can draw no
music from it, How often do we see strokes
fall ON the heart, which it would be but mock
cry for man 10 attempt to relieve, and which
yet served to unlock the treasures of that hear,
and reveal a sweetness TO il, which il had not
known before. See that mother. She loves
and nIourns as none but a mother can. Be
hold the greatness and the sweetness OF her
grief! Her child is dead. and she saws ST
is well with me, and its is well with my
child. 1t is well because God has taken him
He has said 'of such is the kingdom of hea.
ven,' that he DOH not willingly afllct, and |
know it must be WELL" Can there be any
greatness greater than this? Did ever any
prince at the head of invincible armies win a
victory like it? Her heart is in heaviness
and her home is desolated, but she has been
TO her heavenly Father and unboSomed her
griefs before him. There is peace on her sad
dened countenance, peace in her gentle words,
the peace Of God has come down and is filing
her trusting soul How sweet and soft is her
sorrow, and how it softens and awes without
agitatng others!
1t is related that on a small, aud rocky, and
almost inaccessible island, is the residence OF
a poor widow. The passage Of the place is
exceedingly dangero US 10 vessels. and her cot
tage is called the Lighthouse" from the fact
that she universally keeps lamp burning in
her little window at night Early and late
she may be seen trimming her lamp with oil
lest some misguided bark may perish through
her neglect. For this she asks no reward
But her kindness stops not here. When any
vessel is wrecked, she rests not till the chilled
mariners come ashore to share her little board
and be warmed by her glowing fire. This
poor woman in her younger, perhaps not hap.
| pier days, though happy they must have been
for sorrow cannot lodge in such heart, wit
messed her husband struggling with the waves
and swallowed up by the remorseless pillows.
sin sight of home and friends who throngod to
save"
This directed her benevoenre towards those
who brave the dangers Of the deep; this
prompted her present devoted and solitary life,
in which her only, her sufficient enjoyment is
in doing good Sweet and blessed fruit of be
reavement, What beauty is here! lowell
ness would little speak OF, but more revere
flower crushed indeed, yet sending forth its
fragrance 10 all around Truly, as the sun
seems greatest in It's lowest state, SO did sor-
row enlarge her heart aud make her appear
the more noble, the lower it brought her down.
We cannot think she was unhappy, though
there was remembered grief in her heart
A grleved heart may be richly stored one.
Where charity abounds, misery cannot.
''Such are the tender woes of love,
Fost ring the heart, they bend"
A pious lady who had lost her husband, was
for time inconsolable. She could not think,
scarcely could she speak Of any thing but him.
Nothing seemed to take her attention but the
three promising children he had left her, i'm
agining TO her his presence, his look his love
But soon these were all taken i'll and died
within a few days Of each other, and now the
childless mother was Gained even by the
greatness Of the stroke. The hand of God
was thus made visible to her. She could see
nothing but his work in the dispensalion.-
Thus was the passion OF her grief allayed--
Her ndsposition TO speak Of her loss, her SOL
emn repose, was the admiration Of all behold
ers. The Lord had not slam her; he had
slain what to some mothers is more than life,
that in which the sweets of life were treasured
up, that which she would give life to redeem,
and yet could she say, 81 will trust IN Him."
As the lead that goes quickly down to the
oceaO's depth rulfles ia surface lsss than