Columbia gazette., 1853-12-24

California, Dec 18th 1858, on the oc-
casion of the death Of ARCHIBALD D.
GILLESPIE.
''Ir IS APPOINTED Unto ALL MEN ONCE
TO DIE. ."-uc5re,es 9th CT, 27th Tefse.
The occasion calling us together at
this time, is mourntul indeed, We are
assembled that We may Go honor to a
departed friend and brother of the Ma
sonic fraternity, ,cho as no more The
passage Of Scripture just read as a foun-
da,ion for on present discourse, embra-
ces our apostolic declaration Of Heav-
ems decree concerning men, AMI the
realization of which on the part Of man
will only be the accomplishment OF Je-
hova's announcement to Adam the first
man. and our federal head and represen-
tative, soon after his transgression, the
account OF which is given in the Book Of
Genes.s.
"Dust Mou art, and unto dist hah
. thu re'arA."
This appointment of God in regard to
the family Of man, no matter what may
have becu the cause, or occasion there
OF, is Of universal import, admitting OF
but few exceptions.
t.noch, who livei before the food,
and in the Patriarchial age did not suf-
fer the pains OF temporal d,ath. He
was translated and carried Up 70 Heav-
en-, soul and body. So also was Elijah,
oue Of til Prophets Of Israel under the
Jewish dispensaiion But these wccc
all up to this time, OF that shall be thus
favored, until the second coming oi
Christ-until He comes in the glory Of
the Father, with the holy angels TO Judge
the world III righteousness Then those
who are alive upon earth sl.a l.a c,.:sa.
cd in a III oment OF tin.l, in the twink
ling of an eye. And ot course VIII no:
die in the ordinary wa
But what does death inclU l.; Death
is the nega,ion OF absence oi .ife-tht
separation Of the soul from tn. body
"the total aud irrevocable cess s.tion o.
Ill the functions OF animal life The
tieath Of III Iii is in his no,triis, ana Ike ;:
slender and nysterious thread NAY b.
broken III IN u.exp, cted moment
Death enters and there's 10 def; nee
His time there none can tell"
How soon may the spring OF life give way
Very frequently without ANY previou,
warning, or he most distant intination
death inars!i:.l; his forces on the dark
fields of destruction, aud in the shape OF
disease or acciieut scizes upon his viz
tin. And behold, the man learns to hi.
own a>to'.l> l>hnent, ami those who mourn
his approaching dissolution, that he i,
pierced BY the arrow OF terror's fearful
king. lie scarcely has time to make ur
last message 10 be co veyd to absent
i.'iends, and commcnd his soul 10 Cos
i'll prayer, before ''the silver cord is loos
ed, the golden bowl b oxen, the pitcher
broken at the fountain. and the whee
at the cistern" :" It is then, "that ma,
goes u his long home, aud thc mourn
ers 20 about the sfrcets.'' s'The dus
shall return to the earth as il was, ant
the spirit to God ,eh" gave it.n The
realization of this event in the period o
mans cxistsnce, shall srpcra;c hin
from all earthly connections and a>,oei
ations. For there is no work nor de
vice, nor wisdom, nor knowledge founC
in the grave whittier thou goest." Th,
day OF trial Is now passed: and the con.
netions of lite however desirable, inter
es;ing, and delightful are all severed
The sufferings likewise of earth and tial,
are no more
And as death separates from life anG
time, so 1t renders to one common level
Distinctions are destroyed between men
In the dreary regions Of the deal, all
shall be equal. There the rich and
poor meet together-the bones of the
king wire with, and are not distinguish,
able from those of his meanest subjects
The servant shall be as his master
Death is a universal leveler, and the
grave Is no respecter of persons.
The pale horse and his rider have
gone forth in all ages, through every
country, and among all people, execut
ing their faithful work. Death has
reigned; so that generation after genera.
tion have passed away in swift success
ion And if the inquiry be instituted
There are the fathers and the Proph.
cts, do they live for ever' Echo an
swers from the prison house of death
The Sarcophagus, the Mapsoleum, anc
the tomb stand as witnesses Of the tri
umph of mans last enemy,-an enem,
which has conquered for ages, and vii
continue to be victorious over all that il
mortal of man through all time to come
But thank Heaven, our faith in i'm
mortality leads US to rejoice in antici
pating the time when the graves shall
give up the dead, and death be forced
10 release all his victims. And thi:
will assuredly take place when Jesu:
Christ shall come the second time "with.
out sin unto salvation, when upon al
inperial flaming throne the Lord of al
shsli make His appearance to the JOY
and admiration Of all who have loved
Him, and the dismly and cons,err.t;or