Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-10-31

they esteemed themselves rich in q more
precious treasure, and eloquent in o
more sublime language mobiles by the
right OF on earlier creation, and priests by
the imposition Of migh,icr hand. The
very meanest Of them was q being 10
whose fate terrible and mysterious i'm q.
portance belonged--on whose slightest
actions the spirits Of light and darkness
looked with anxious intercst-who had
been destined before heaven eand earth
were erected, TO enjoy felicity which
should continue when heaven and earth
should have passed away. Events which
short.sighted politicians ascribed to
earthly causes had been ordained on his
account. For his sake, empires had ris.
en-, and Gourished, and dccayed. For
his sake. the Almighty had proclaimed
his will by the pen Of the evangelist,
and the harp Of the prophet. He had
been rescued by no common dclivcrer
from the grasp Of no common foe. He
had been ransomcd by tho sweat of no
vulgar agony, by the blood Of no earth.
Iy sacrifice. 1t was for him that the sun
had been darkencd, that the rocks had
been rent, that the dead had arisen, and
all nature had shulLerod at the suaerings
Of her expiring God
Thus The Puritan was made up Of two
diff rent men-,hc one all selfabase.
ment, penltence, gratitude, passion the
other proud, calm, inncxible, sagacious.
He prostratcd himself in the dust before
his Max er; but he set his foot on the
neck ofhs king. In his devotional re-.
tirement, he prayed with convulsions,
and groans, and tears. He was half
maddcned by glorious or terrible illu.
sions. He heard tho Tyres Of angels Or
the tempting whispers Of fcnds. He
caught glimpse Of the DeatiGc Vision,
or woke screaming from dreams Of ever.
lasting fire. Like Vane, he. thought
himself entrusted with the scep,re of the
millenial year. Like Fleetwood, he cried
in the bitterness Of his soul that God
had hid his face from him. But when
he took his scat in tho council, or giri
his sword for war, these tcmpes,uous
workings Of the mind had left no trace
behind them. People who saw nothing
of the godly but their uncouth visages,
and heard nothing from them but their
groans and their whining hymns, might
laugh at them. But those had little
reason TO laugh, who encounte red them
in the hall Of debate or on the field oil
battle. These fanatics brought to civil
and military affairs a GOODNESS Of judg.
ment, and dn immutabilty Of purpose
which some writers have thought inc on
sistent with their religious zeal, bu,
which were, in fact, the necessary con.
sequences OF it. The intensity of theil
feelings on one subject made them tran
quill on every other. One overpowering
sentiment had subjected to itself pity
and hatred, ambition and fear. Death
had lost its terror, and pleasure its
charms. They, indeed, had their smiles
and their 'ears, their raptures and lhei'
sorrows, but not for the things Of this
world. Enthusiasm had made them sto.
les, had cleared their minds from every
vulgar passion and prejudice, and raised
them above the influence of danger and
corruption. II sometimes might lead
them 10 pursue rnwise ends, but never
to choose unwise means. They wen,
through the world like Sir Artegale's s
iron man Talus with his fail, crushing
and trampling down oppression, ming.
ling with human beings, but having ne;.
ther part nor lot with human infirmi,es
.--insensible to fatigue, to pleasure. and
to pain ; not to be pierced by any wea'
pom, not to be withstood by any barrier
Thomas B. Macaulay.