Daily American telegraph., 1852-03-01
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
Reported for the Daily Apsrican Telegraph
Discourse ON the Death OF .Rey. Stephen
Asbury RoszeI.

D1sSOurso the De eat IA .Hoy., Sfeph an
Asbury HosLeI,
An unusually l1rge. congregation attended. the
MKendree Chapel yesterday morning, to hear a
discourse by Rev. Wm. Hamilton on the death
Of the late Rev. Stephen Asbury Roszel J.
The preacher announced for his text the 23d
verse of the 30th chapter of job: 1~ &l& s
"For know that thou wilt bring death aud to the
mouse appoiu ted for ell living
He dwelt first upon the certainty OF death.
Whatever else might be uncertain, this was sure.
| All must mLngle with their native dust It was
| the lot of each to say to corruption, "Thou art
ny brother" I" II was Impossible tsissvrid this
event Had we the wings of the eagle, we could
not fly from Deaths approach; had we the
strength of the lion, we could not resist his
power. Riches could not bribe him-the voice
| of eloquence could not dissuade him from his
purpose.
| He next proceeded to notice the grounds of the
patriarch's conclusion-'sI know that thou wilt
| bring me to death" 1t was deducible from his
knowledge of the history of our race-from the
| circumstances surrounding him-from what he
| saw in his family-from his own bodily suffer
ings--from the teachings of the volume of nature.
Autumn was the, grave of the year Its winds
stripped the trees of their foliage, and left their
bare limbs standing like so many skeletons on
| the plain Night was the grave of the day. Sleep
| itself seemed a temporary suspension Of life.
Revelation, the best Of teachers, taught the same
| lesson: 'There is an appointed time to man
| upon the earth Death was not an accident 1t
| was in accordance with the purpose of God, who
| '.doeth oil things we'll"
He alluded to the nature and effects of the
| change "For know that thou wilt bring me to
death, and to the house appointed for all living"
Death was the child of sin. 1t was not annhila-
ton, but n separation. The soul left the body,
as the lightning left the cloud. No change was
SO unwelcome. Yet the Christian was willing to
pass the fiery ordeal, because he felt assured OF
! safety, "The house appointed for all living u
was the graye-the common home of humanity
The palaces of the great the halls of legislation
and the dwellings of the humble, all poured their
contents here. If ever he felt catholic spirit
it was when he stood by the graves mouth
There could be no contention there This was
a dark house. The "shadot0 Of death was there.
| No lamp was suspended from its ceiling; no sun
| beam illumined its walls. 1t was a solitary
house. Though crowds were there, each was un-
conscious of the presence of ther None Of
! the tenants were ashamed OF thass companion
| ship, The price lay composedly with the beggar
by his side. 1t was silent house No word
was spoken-no faint whisper heard. The tongue
of the eloquent was dumb 1t was an ancient
house. Its first stone was laid in paradise, and
each generation since had added q layer to its
walls
But was there no relief to this dark picture
Yes, there was; it had q sunlit side. The grave
was not an eternal prison-house 1t was but the
resting place of the weary. There was resur-
rection to follow. "Al that are in their graves
| shall hear the voice of the Son of God and come
forth" a." said Jesus, cam the resurrection
and the life"
| The truth of the text was forcibly impressed
| upon his mind, when a week ago, he sat, amid q
number of his ministerial brethren, in the pulpit
of the church at Alexandria, and looked upon
the coffin which enclosed the mortal remains Of
| the amented Roszel. A voice seemed to proclaim
in his ears, :" l know that thou wilt bring me to
death"
Stephen Asbury Roszel was native of this
District. He was born in Georgetown. He died
in the forty-frst year Of his age and the eleventh
of his ministry. Soon after he reached the years
Of discretion, he embraced religion, and became
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
| Ho lived and died in her communion. Though
not educated at any school, his education
was thorough. He particularly exceiled in his
knowledge of the Greek language, Associated
with his brother, Stephen Wesley Roszel, he con
Quoted classical academy in the city of Balti-
more with great success, While in that city; he
commenced the study of the law, under as the
speaker believed) the Hon. Reyerdy Johnson
| He subsequently obtained license to practise at
the bar, with the intention to make that the bust
| ness Of his life. About this time, vacancy oc-
curing in the preparatory department of Dick
inson College, the trustees believing Mr.. Roszel
to be the most suitable person, invited him to fill
it. He accepted the invitation and entered upon
his duties, expressing determination to make
| the school one Of the best in the country. He
performed the task with his characteristic energy,
| and fully succeeded in accomplishing his ex-
pressed design. 1t was acknowledged by all that
no young men were better prepared for college
than those who had enjoyed the benefit Of his
training. His excessive labors however, soon
made inroads upon his health and though for a
time he struggled against his infrmities, he was
finally obliged to resign his places Having ap-
Piled to the Baltimore Conference to be received
as travelling preacher, he was appointed, in
view Of his feeble health, as a supernumerary, to
Leesburg, Virginia. While there, his health i'm,
proved, and he was subsequently appointed to
Loudonn circnit where he lahnrel two yenrs