The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-11-06
MORAL e. RELIGIOUS
TIE STING OF DEATH.

In a biographical notice giving an account
q. the ~. few DAYS of GOOD man who was
tli,,irrui>h.I for his serene and lofty faith he
i, porte, l. SAYING. II appear to sut.er.bnt
do not 1t seems as If some angel wcr"
sandiny Iy me, he hearing all the pain, and
this poor body of mine only exhibiting the
outward >ignS of it." \ striking instance OF
thr sane Lind occurred not long since within
our own knowledge. a lady of exalted picty
was suffering from protractrd and fatal sick
ness and at certain intervals there came
.Is,.ms and commissions. giving externally all
the ,ymptnn> Of intolcrahle agony. Once
when these Spa~ms were evidently coming on
and her friends were bending over her with
anNiou, faces. she looked up with a sweet &
TRANQUIL >nilc and said DO not be troubled
about me. You think suffer cxtrcmclv.h ut
do not. know not how it is. but somehow
when these commissions come ON, there comes
with them sense Of the Divine presence. an
inward power that takes upon itself the bur
den of my >uiirrineS: and these spasms are
only an appearance"
1t is a most beautiful and bcncfccnt law.
that when the mind is exalted with great con-
ccptonS or filled with an all-ab>orhing love.
the body becomes less sensible to its ntirlni-
ties and >uiicrn.> and sometimes torgct> them
n, III, r,,1
passions have power. though in limited de-
gree, of >uspendine our bodily sensations
\ mother who little while ago was pale and
dropping under the smallest burdens, is bye
and bye seen hanging over the bed of her
stricken child: and how changed from what
she was: Her countcnancc that was so pale
now beams with life. and the arm that hung
down is nerved with energy. The aStrono-
mer in his starry CONCENTRATIONS becomes free
of the body, and cold, hunger and fatigue are
alike forgotten. But religious faith when
warm aud clear. and its eve open wide on
Immortality. elevatcs and changes all our at.
t,ctI0ns. and then it reacts upon the whole
frame, and sends lis tranquilizing influence
along all its nerves. 1t was this that made
the MARTYRS almost in>cnSible to suffering,
and they rose 70 God out of the fires while
singing triumphal HYMNS. And the idea is
suggested to us that the facts here cited NAV
range themselves under benignant and all
circling law whose operations We experience
rs vet most mpcrtcctv and that when our
mere belief and make-bclict shall change into
full rcfulgcn faith. it shall DESTROY the sting
Of death, not merely by giving us patience to
bear the burden Gifts sutirrings hut bv roll
ing off that burden from HUMANITY For the
soul, cleanScd and inhabited bv God. and con-
stantly borne out ofit>rlf toward the objects
it alorcs and loves. frees Us from the more
painful conditions of mortality and enables
Us every day to pnt on interruption. Words
worth has finely described this state of mind
-.liat blessed mood
In which the heavy and the weary weight
OF Ill This nniutrg;h,, world
J. li"iItrl: thH: and sod mood
IL which the affections gently lead IL on,
ntil The breath "!tl- corp ,rr Il franc"
And even the motion " ~" human Mood
Almost >u~Icn ,",l We az. llil a~'cnp