Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-01-03
NEWPORT:
THURSDAY MORNING, Jan. 3.

al that remains Of the year lSi9 will quietly be
consigned to that heterogeneous sepulchre 1.-the
silent Past. Its conspicuous events " i'll live, for
they have been written ON the page Of History,
"nd will be read by coming generations. But the
other and by far the greater portion Of its charac-
terisics and ITS very items are registered only on
one scroll 1.-The unerrmg record book Of HEAVIER.
They may he forgotten here, some Of them, Dat
least, but they will appear fresh and familiar here
after, and will come up in memory with strange
aud unwecomc potency. At a time like this, it is
well to settle with the heart, to adjust long-stan.-
ing accounts, or thy final reckoning, q Time,
will be a fearful one During the past year, how
many unlioly desires have been gratiied, and yet
how many brilliant hopes have been cruelty and
forever Lighted What fond aspirations have
arisen in gorgeous beauty, and gone prematurcly
down in darkness and confusion How many
true heats have been swelling with cxtatic hope,
and were then blasted by disappointment which
shall never be removed The ubiquitous mind,
ever restless with its own organic fires, has
graspcd after delusiye phantoms which appeared
IN the guifr of valuable substances, but they van
ished by the light of Reason. These are all the
little ronlances of life, they termed, but
they will Ultimately be found to have been the
stones Of the temple Of human existence--thc pill
ars that f Il and thus demolished the fabric, or, at
least, thrcw il into an uncomely and useless delor-
unity.
How many hundred thousand haze gone home
during the last year Yes, gone home to the
grave, the welcome refuge from storms and afc-
,ions---tho receptacle Of broken hearts that this
esrth has no consolation for, and that humanity
can offer no balm to cousoe. Many have gone
down from the battlefield, amidst the din and con-
fusion of contending armies, andbccn thrown pro-
mi.cuously into a soldiers hurried grave ; others
have been ,aed from the fascinatons of the gay
crowd, and the stir Of the busting world others
still hay" gone from the quiet and peace
ful calm Dfthe domestic hearth, surrounded by all
its comforts, and in the full enjoyment Of all the
luXurics Of home, sweet home.
The death-angel Of Almighty God has spread
the white nanoply ofhs destroying wing, like a
poisoned cloud in the air, over the earth, and hon
ored age, sterling maturity, buoyant manhood
blooming south, smiling and innocent infancy, all
have gone huriedly down to the graves quici
slumbcr The record of their worth stands silent.
iy in the church-yard, and their indellibe impress
has been eft upon human hearts which were more
closely allied to them by the ties Of consan.
guinty, by the alliances Of holy faith in Gods
decree Of love. These have been thy deeds, Old
Year, stern in their nature and fearful in their
memory
Will not the living pause a moment at this
marked milestone on life's pilgr image 7 Shall we
not make note in the book Of Memory Shall
we not review the past, and make atoncment for
its errors, well decide upon better resolutions
for the fiure, with determination TO live more
honestly and more acceptably in the sight of Him
who will finally Judge Us, not by warped stan
dnd Of c'Ith, but by high and holy measure OF
Justice ;ulated at the throne of Eternal Omnipo-
tencc.
We can settle with our hearts better now than at
ans furn time ---better now than when in life 5
dccliniug vale, when the mind will he palsicd by
the iniH lies Of agc,---or when upon icvercd
bed, thc b. ain in ireuzed iirc, and the mind al
hp'l WIZ Ni'Il tit " idpi'l1 tiSNp'Hb
n,turc Man annually adjusts all his cant. ly ac-
counts ut the close Of the year, and begins his
dealings anew how much more necessary is il
that he should settle his lfc-dccdS. his ycar-dcbts
with hi. : and obtain f W Him u f Gis
charge from all liability. II We could not Hqui-
date the obligations Of lifetime, aud settle the
tlansac IONS Of our earthly career, Of pccmiary
nature, ON the verge Of the grave, and which ac
no comparative Importance, as death will soon
cancel them all, and consign both debtor and cred
itor to ths same dark prison.housc,- ,--how much
more important is it, then, that We should not
postpone uil that fearful and busy moment, the
adjustment f the whole dealing, ofthc heart here
On earth, aud its final reconciliation with its God
against " HON it has ever been warning, amid the
contcntou, Of humanity's field Of hope and fear,
peace and strife, love and hatred, prosperity and
alversry, success and despair. lifc's last day
should r ono Of melancholy beauty and solemn re-
osc,---nol N warning with devils and lends, but
in calm .ud hoIeful waiting for the lcatifed an
gel wh.u tod will commission to attend us from
His wild lo.tstool to His perennial and dazzling
Throne Life last hour should not bc one Of
hurried ,houghts, frantic rawlings, and unsettled
altcrna.io3s from hope to fear, from encourage
ucnt to h spair, ,--but il should be one of digniied
Quictudc milling resignation, and consoling joy,--
settle lhcu with thy heart, . thoughtless mortal,
aud disch rye Thy last obligation let this days
sun 20 down on an undistubcd conscience. .---quiet
because it IS clear and pure, and not because its
nmmru !, IS are stied and lis iriquitics are con-
ccaed,
Farewell, Oh Year thou Jocst as tributary
q the grc Ocean Of Eternity taou Dearest up
ON thy ha "a the deeds aud the events of thy cy-
he, aud n will soon dcrosie them in that great
rcceptac Of departed things, over which God
alJnc ha. control. The fulhllmcut tf thy mission
will soon nc made, but thou wilt prove AN unpro6t-
able nc Igcr to many Of Us, when we again be-
hold H., lr,miscuous charge that VIC have com
rptted To by custody, Thy freight may be dis
charged r an irrevocablc oblivion, as Ear as we
ac now "'n'crned, but we sh bchold il all again,
when oit.r has once more been merged in chaos,
md con.ipn has again bee, restored to the origi-
oll perfection Of earth, ms on the morning Of is
Paradis'aca beauty. Deal Gently with Us. o Clo-
sing Nca., while We bid thee a hast and lingering
fncwoli Some Of thy a sociationi have bcea
painful ia The extreme, but Tiers have hccn and