Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-09-02
Lsssoas Taught By Sudden Death.


Lessons Taught BY Sudden Death.
The present season. has been remarkable
for gu unusual number of sudden deaths.
From cities and villages and towns IN va
rious directions, We hear of the uneSpect-
Ted death Of those who manifested none
Of the usual premonitions Of dissolution,
The father has risen from the table and
suddenly fallen while surrounded BY his
family; the mother has been sm''ten BY
the invisible angel when still engaged IN
her work of love; the man ofbuslness has
been called in All instant from his count
ing room TO his final reckoning: the wor-
shipper in the sanctuary, and tile preach.
er in the sacred desk has been summoned
even there; the little infan, this moment
smiling in lis mothers face in all the VI
vacious p!ayfulness olinnocence, has IN
the next closed those eyes upon the scenes
OF earth forever.
These are all lessons tothe living. and
wha, do thew teach us9 Do they not re-
mind US of what we are most likely 10
forget, Of what we do indeed forget unless
often reminded OF them? Do they moi
enforce the truth that God oveErules and
determines this event! What do men
/. guard with more watchful care than their
Lives, and the lives Of their friends and
their children! No care, nor skill, nor ef-
forl is spared TO preserve them in safety.
Yet there is no man that hath power over
the spirit TO retain the spirit; neither hath
| he power 10 the day Of death; and there
is no discharge in tina, war seeing his
DAYS are determined. The number Of bis
months are with INcc Thou hast ap-
pointed his bounds that he cannot pass
If our friends were unitormely taken a.
way BY lingering disease, our attention
would be- directed too much to second
cause.-the nature Of disease and remedies
and We should be likely 10 forget that
God rules equally the planets course
through the heavens, and that ofthe falling
sparrow.
Such events admonish ns not to build
our hopes Of happiness upon the con'Eu-
ance life. Those hopes and expectations
should have little dependence as possible
on the present. The Interchangeable rec,i-
,ude, Infinite bancyolence Of God, are al
ways,obe replied on. But earthly things
are subject 10 change, and all the hopes
founded upon them to disappointment
To-day we may rcioice over lovely and
unbroken circle, tomorrow the fairest and
sweelet, may be numbered with the dead.
We need 10 be often reminded Of the un-
certainty Of all things earthly, and nothing
does il 50 elleclually as the sudden death
of those we love most tenderly.
| Andwhat but such events would thor
onphly convince us that We are soon 10
die, This is The truth which we all &C.
knowledge III theory. "l'he living know
lha, they must die.' But how many are
| there who live as though THEY believed
this 10 be true? And il there were nc
deaths Of children none Of those who are
apparently in the mids, OF lie, who are
| in The hustle of business-il there were
no SUDDEN deaths, the living would prnc'
tically forget that they are soon to die
/ Batwhen God does, as it were make h''
Inland Visible in The sudden removal O
sohiRae dear object Of our objections, whet
we can SEQ in the circumstances, proofs
tina, He was there 10 teach a lesson which
we are SO slow 10 learn, and So unwilling
TO REMEMBER, then we are sof,ened and
BUNDLED and led 10 look Of death as real
and certain event 10 ourselves.
When by a disastrous sbipwreck, or
the explosion ola steamboat, u large num-
Der oil human beings are hurled into The
world Of spirite, the attention Of the liy'
Hing is directed 10 second causes such as
!. 1.-THE wan, of skill or OF attention on the
par, Of men. Blu, 10 CASES ofsudden death
Hike those TO which God has been calling
our attention no such circumstances inter.
yene 10 draw The mind from himself In
every instance we may hear him SAYING
abehold | kill and make alive, and there
lis nonei;ihat can stay my hsnd." "Rc
|, still a6dsknow that am God" "lor asthe
,iteayens are higher than the earth so are
4 hy ways higher than your ways, and ny
Ssihopghls llian your Thoughts