Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-03-15
Wisdom Of God In Sleep.

10 know what God IS, ana 10 reaIlze
the greatest proofs Of his wisdom and
power, there Isl reason why we should
have recourse TO extraordinary events;
they are sufficient, seen in the daily
changes tina, ore taking place in nature
around US and even in ourselves. The
preservation of the universe is thought
by many TO be greater work than the
creation Of it; for as it requires a con.
stan, effort Of Divine power to keep it in
being, and prevent i, from rushing back
into nothing, its continued existence
may be considered as equivalent TO an
indefinite number OF creations taking
place in every instant Of time, and lis
whole duration in the future, as we'll as
the present, as b basel on the sovereignty
of the Divine will. That the creatures
do nothing in the way Of self sus,en,a.
tion is evident for there are moments, as
in sleep, when all the voluntary powers
and perceptions, to speak in the popular
sense, ure buried in profound in,cns.
bilily; anil yet, in those silcn, moments, +,
we are as much preserved rs when we
are sensibly awake.
The coming on and passing Off Of
sleep, when we closely consider, is one
Of the most won lerlul subjects with
which we are acquainted. 1t is proof
Of the wisdom Of our Creator, that we
60 TO sleep impercep!ibly. Let US try
only TO watch the moment in which We
are falling asleep, and that very at,en.
ton will prevent it. We shall not 60
to sleep till that idea is lost. Sleep
comes nncalled. 1t is the only change
in our manner Of existence in which re.
Aec,ion has no share; and the more we
enleavor 10 promote it the less we sue.
ceei. Thus God has directed sleep, that
it should become an agreeable necess.
ity TO man; and he has made il indepen
dent OF our will and our reason. Le,
us pursue this meditation, and reflect on
the wonderful state we are in during
sleep. We live without knowing it,,
without feeling it. The beating of the
heart, the circulation Of the blood, the
digestion, the separation Of the juices;
in word, all the animal functions con-
tinue AMI operate in the same order
The activity of the soul appears for a
time, in some degree, suspended, and
gradually loses all sensation, all dis.
tine, ideas. The senses deaden, and in.
termit their usual operations. The stu.
alton OF the brain becomes such, that it
can not transmit TO the soul the same
motions as when awake. The soul sees
no object, though the optic nerve is not
altered; and it would see nothing, even
if the eyes were not shut. The ears are
open, and yet they do not hear. In a
word, the state Of person asleep is
wonderful in all respects. Perhaps there
is but one other in the world so remark.
able, ana this is death. Sleep and
death are so nearly alike, that it is right
to observe it. Who, in reality, can think
Of sleep without recolIecting death also?
As impcrceptibly as we now fall into
the arms Of sleep, shall we, one day, fall
into the arms Of death. 1t is true that
death often gives warning Of its ap.
p1oach several hours or days before; but
the real moment in which death seizes
us, happens suddenly, and when we
shall seem to feel the frs. blow, it will
already be our last. In the same man.
ner, the ideas are confused, and we for.
get the objects which surround us. To
the Christian, the moment Of death will
be as agreeable as the moment Of fall.
ing asleep.
But we said, God had made sleep an
agreeable necessity. The question is,
for what? During the day we eat and
drink. During the day we digest. The
chyms becomes chyle. The chyle pass.
es into the blood. Here ends, physiolo.
gically considered, the business Of the
day. Nourishment is prepared. but it
needs to be added to increase the sub.
stance Of the living tissues Of the body.
This is the business Of the night; and it
is accomplished during sleep. The di.
gestive organs :epose, circulation be.
comes slow, the lungs act at fuller in.
tervals; other organs at length go to
work. the material prepared during the
day is added TO the frsme in the very
moments Of our Inconsistencies, and
by the wonderful processes Of that great
! workshop ofths whole interior, man BE-