The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-05-19

deluded by mere golden shadows. And
thus lifetime is spent clutching and gras-
ping at these vain delusions, until sudden
ly he totters and sinks into the grave, his
visions fed, his hopes destroyed in
the cold charnel house no ray of hope il
limines--itis starless, rayless. His hopes
were limited to the vagaries and follies of
short life. mere fading, dying embers,
which fickered and expired with his brief
existence.
Hope is the life and energy of the hu-
man mind. 1t is that all,inspiring, ever
prompting passion, without which Mans
life would indeed be gloomy and drear.-
Extinguish this vital spark, and you leave
him mere inert mass, without action or
power to accomplish. 1t naturally assim-
ilates with itself an object of attainment; :;
but when its life is destroyed or its pow
ers benumbed, then we wander and grope
our way, veiled in gloom and black des-
pair and it is seldom we find any one,
however Respondent, however sunk he
may be i'll degradation and infamy, but
that there still fingers within his bosom
hope, and if, perchance, we do find such an
one, we are almost sure to discover that
his reason has fled with his hope, that he
IS poor, helpless, perhaps raging maniac.
Therefore, we can well imagine the woe.
the terror, the despair, that gathers around
the man who, having thus limited his
hopes, and having exhausted and consum-
ed them to their utmost extension while
in their earthly enjoyment, finds himself
upon death-bed without single ray to
brighten his dying mome' Is and to cheer
him in the measureless depths of eternity.
But let us carry our imagnations farther,
and view him writhing and struggling in
the Regions of Black Despair" buried
beneath its scorching lava, and rs the end
less ages roll on in their ceascless flight,
sinking deeper into the very core of hell,
walled in and excluded from single raw
OF hope-forever lost and ruined The
genial rays of this glorious luminarv can
never pierce the adamantine walls and the
eternal gloom that hovers over and en-
compasses the bottomlcss pit. Such is the
termination Of earthly hopes.
Hope in its pure and exalted state is
lieaven-born. 1t is one of those ccles-
tial virtues which cannot be confin-
ed to the narrow limits of the lower world,
but expands and grasps eternity in its fru-
ition and it is so constituted that altho'
man may endcavor to corrupt and dcgcn-
crate 1t within an earthly compass, and
may fancy at times that he has attained
1t, yet it will still soar, still brighten before
his imagination, still render him the more
insatiate.
The Christians hope is founded upon
firm foundation, which cannot be over
turned by the storms and advcrsities of
this world; but having earth for its base.
1t rears itself, proud monument into the
heavens, its lofty apex sublimely towering
above the mists and clouds of earth, and
rejecting thousand glad beams of divine
ctfulgence.
Although he may feel its joyous fcrvor
glowing within his heart, vet there is n
certain restlessness or happy impaticncc,
which tells him that its accomplishment
is not attainable in this world, but that il
will be swallowed up and resolved in the
glories of brighter sphere. 1t associates
with itself reward far more precious than
an earthly palm. And oh when it is
bright and clear, how it scars far away
and bathes its pinions in the regions Of
eternal Light! How, with buoyant wing
1t leaves the dark visions Of earth. and
hovers, in sweet anticipation around the
Heavenly courts.
AS soon as the heart is rcrcncratcd its
dawning begins, and it sheds halo Of
light around the Christians pathway, re-
vcaling to him the hidden prccipiccs, and
dangerous Instructions with which he has
continually to contend. How incstimablc,
then Is the gift What n priceless boon
bestowed by Heaven is this anchor upon
which the tcmpest-tossed soul may rcposc.
How sure safeguard against the wild
waves of lifc's stormy ocean.
Thus we see the mighty contrast be-
tween earthly and heavenly hope. The
one visionary fading spark, the other
exalted, ver-brightening and immortal
in its nature. And thus w. might con-
tinue expatiating and charging upon the
beauties and pleasures Of hope until we
had prolonged these reflections to great
extent, but to be brief, let us draw q few con-
solitory, and We may hope, useful inferen-
ces from It's consideration.
Doubtless, every Christian experiences,
more, or less, the happy hope Of bliss
ful Immortality; and when thus cheered
onward by this divine spark implanted in
his bosom, he feels that the combined
powers of evil cannot move him, but strug-
Cling with the most dangerous enemies of
his soul, he comes off more than conquer
er, through the atonement of crucifed
Redeemer.
Although clouds may gather thick in
his spiritual horizon, and seem for a mo-
ment to obscure and exclude every ray,
and the wild storms of life pour their fury
upon his devoted head, yet sooner or la
Ter, IN the hoarse mutterings Of the furious
y contending elements will cease, and the
dark masses Of clouds will be driven away
before the glorious beams and glad res