Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-12-06


er, OF scoller. For such We are OF di.conr-
sing especially If that blackened pie itself
has no power but 10 darken and dcaden. But
for those Who have any faith ir providence
and the sonl that scene, it seems 10 me,
and al like it should kinde, rather than
quench, the spirits life aud hope. You do
not be 'eve it has quenchel the who'e life
of one human beiEg least of those who
have passed through the fire to their G cd
Literally may the promise have been fulfill.
ed TO them" when thou walk-st through
the FIRE, thou shalt not be burnt, neither
shall the flame kndle upon thee" Not on
the body even, until it is pasl sense and suf-
fering. Not in agony, surely there is less
OF .ha; in such death, probably, than in
most others. The departing did no, suffer
the half that The survivors do, or the many
mourners. And if you ask why aay ever
suffer--you ask why any are capable of en-
joying why thsre are natural and uniform
laws, iustead o! frequent miracles; why
fire burns, as if it we're not a common and
incalcuIable blessing why evil exists as
If you could be finite and free, yet infalible
and perfect in word, why safety and
monotony, liberty and impunity, health and
vigor, property and life, are moi absolute,
universal and ndestruciible, subject to no
change, capable of no improvement or prog
ress. There is truth which meets all
such demands, all Ordinary doubts and fears;
and we see one of the kind purposes of
startling calamities, in their power and ten
dency TO proclaim this tru,h-viz., that
happiness alone, or directly, is not the OBJ
jsct of our existence, but virtue, holiness,
goodness and happiness only as it flows
from these and these IN as they come
by conscious motive, strenuous effort, con-
fct whh evil, conquest of self, faith in
Christ the great Sufferer, absorption in God
as Light and Love.
A few months ago, in New England
State, an aged, wealthy, benevolent and
Christian woman, at the close Of peaceful
Sabbath, after life Of one unbroken Sab.
bath, laid herself down to rest, and before
morning her beautiful dwelling was her
funeral pyre Is it not from association
and custom, rather than fact, that we
shrink from this disposition of the body,
which SO many nations and ages have pre-
ferred 10 ours, or any other sepulture Be
this as i. may, we have little f1i.h, and
singular affection, if we care more, or think
as much, of the body as Of the spirit, or of
death in any form, as OF life. eternal APP
propriatc here are the lines which brother
used on the occasion just referred to, SO
similar to the present
We sec but dimly through the mists and vapor's
Amid these earthly damps,
What seemed to us but dim funereal tapers,
May be Heavens distant lamps.
There is no death what seems so is transition,
This life Of mortal breath
Is bnt a suburb Of the life elysan
Whose portal we call death.
In that great cloister'r stiffness and sccluson,
by guardian angels led,
Safe from temptation, safe from sins pollution,
She hucs whom zoe call dead
We were to speak, noxt, of the relation
of these events TO a sen of dependence,
dependence upon God. But, iru ly, the
re'ation is too obvious, and the lesson too
familiar, for many words. think | could
find all the proof we need, and show the
moral purpose and power OF this calamity,
if could read the thoughts, and hear the
prayers, with which you laid down in your
beds the night that followed that eventful
morning. Was there one of you who did
not pray then Was there one in this
city to whom God did no, seem peculiarly
near Not, l believe, wholly, from
sense offearful danger, but of absolute de-
pendence. 1t was not fear. but awe, tina,
cane upen us and an awe that inspired
trust. Dependent we felt, verify yes,
utterly helpes.ly ; and yet, in lis, very
conviction, uus'lngly. On whom am ! 10
rely, but God was the questioning Of
many heart then. Who is TO guard ny
dwelling this night, but God Who is to
snatch me, or my child from the deycurine
fame Not msn--ii | expected j! from
him before, cannot now, OF always. Man
is kind, skillful, powerful. He will rush
TO the rescue with noble promplitude.-
He will lator, and venture, and suffer, for
me and mlne-and will thank him. But
| and he must look to a higher helper
If Gods messengers come not TO our aid, if
Ills elements oppose, if the wind rage, or
the water fail, or the hidden fire spread and
enwrap, ere it bursts upon us with mocking
fury, human strength is vain. Kindness,
skill, courage, might the clearsst heed, a
thousand hands-what are they Power
less, mute, and sad witnesses Of the resist.
less torrent Of flame.
BE still, and know that am God -
Ii is well TO know it. 1t would not seem
needful, With all our experience Of helpless
meas that we shonld ha tauoht n hy ,n IN