Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-12-22

Albany, NY Delivered In the Firss Presbyterian
Church, BY Rev. J. r. Barnss.
The First Presbyterian Church was well fill
led on Sunday last, to listen to sermon on the
death Of Mr.. Terry, who had been but short
time in our city when he was overtaken by the
hand of DEATH The Rev. gentleman chose the
following text: :.
JAMES, L. l4-For life? II vapor that
.ppeareth for a little and then vanisheth
After abiding to life, its shortness and its
uncertainty, and dwelling at some length on the
moral advantages resulting from course Of vir-
tue, the speaker remarked that every case of
death was preacher Of righteousness, les
son OF virtue, word Of wisdom, a voice of SOL
emn warning, call to duty, a new invitation
Of love and mercy. We have not space to give
the sermon entire, though we should be glad to
do so, but give that portion relating to the de.
ceased. The Reverend gentleman remarked !:
God, my friends, in recently cutting down
one of your number, speaks pointedly to you
In the prime Of manhood, and enjoying the
friendship and confidence Of some of the first
men in your honorable profession, he was pre-
pared to take high stand among you. He
foresaw the coming prosperity Of your city and
state, and had resolved to cast in his lot with
yours. But his work on earth was done. He
was sent here to die-to die where your hands
might bury his body and your cars hear the
summons of his death. He lived long enough
to see that the brightest earthly prospects were
nothing compared with well-grounded hope
of heaven. He expressed no special desire to
live longer, but only that he might be fully pre-
pared to meet God in peace. His mind had for
several years been exercised on the subject of re-
ligion, and he had agreed with his wife to EN-.
brace the first favorable opportunity here to
publicly profess his faith in Christ, and unite
with this Church. l saw him, for the first time,
two days before his death. He told me in
great simplicity and candor the history of his
feelings and of the sweet influence for good
that his beloved companion had exerted over
him for years-waiting on him with many
prayers and tears for the precious hour when
they might go up together to the public altar of
Christ. After sickness of several weeks
here, she had concluded to return east and
spend the winter with a sick sister, who was
fast declining to the grave. She left only
few days before her husband was taken sick,
and their parting was one of marked sadness
as if their loving hearts already OWNED that
they were not to meet again this side of heav-
en-. He has gone, we may hope, to the saints
everlasting rest. She lives to mourn, to mourn
as the true-hearted wife only mourns, as the
widow only can mourn. May the God of the
widow put underneath her his everlasting arms,
bind up her broken heart, and speak peace to
her wounded spirit.
Our departed friend, told me that, in looking
back upon the past, the sin Of ingrattude to
Christ seemed to him the great sin Of his life.
AS he realized what Christ had done for HIM,
ingratltude to such Savior appeared the bas-
est and the blacklist of all crimes. Such IN
deed it is, my hearers, and if you do not see it
TO be so, you have yet to learn the first princi
plies Of the highest law and the ruest love-
Christ has taken your nature and mind-sanc-
titled it, immortalized it, gloriied it and en-
throned it in heaven as the great central light
of the moral universe, as the brightness of the
Fathers glory and the express image Of his
person. All this TO inspire our confidence and
our love. To treat Christ or his cause then
with Indifference and.neglect, is to renounce the
birth right of the soul, pour contempt on the
overtures of love and wound the very heart of
your only true friend, yet it is the sin which
you commit perhaps with the least conjunction
and with the greatest frequency-yea it may
be the current and constant sin Of your daily
life. Admit for moment that all which the
Bible declares respecting sin and its atonement
by Christ, the incarnation of the Son of God
for the very purpose Of dying on the cross for
you and for me, to be strictly true-histOry and
fact. not poetry and delusion, then you will ad-
init that this sin of unbelief, Indifference and
neglect of Christ is indeed the sin of all sins
and must doom the soul to the utmost horrors Of
future remorse and eternal retribution.
The death Of our friend, illustrates the i'm
portance Of the present hour. Life is made up
of hours-they are few and precious-not one
should be lost till our great work on earth is
done-al are lost, whether spent in pleasure or
business, in the ballroom or the workshop, till
we have given our hearts to Christ and secured
an interest in his eternal kingdom. This first
great duty done, it matters little whether we
live for years or die to-morrow-whether We
occupy pauper's grave or lie down beneath a
monument of beauty and spendor
This death repeats the solemn language
"Be We also ready-for in such an hour as We
think not the Son Of man cometh." Readiness
to die is indeed the only true readiness to live.
In your plans for life, your aspirations for sue
cess and distinction, you may have overlooked
this matter altogether. Pardon me, my friends,
for urging upon you what may seem an unwel-
come subject speak as l would if l were
called to your death-bed, before another Sab
bath. Ii you think a readiness for death
would stand in the way of your true success in
life oh cherish the delusion no longer. Some
of the best christians l have known are law
yers-lawyers thronged with the best business
of the profession and to whom was open every
desirable post of honor and trust. Let God
have your heart and duty to him be your first
law of life and this worlds best blessings are
yours, and q crown Of eternal honors awaits
you in heaven.
Blu, this death speaks to us all Of every rank
and profession.
OK THE WEST SIpE.-We learn that James NJ.
Winslow, Esq, has laid out a town on the west
side of the river, to be called West st. Paul. 1t
is enterprise of considerable importance to the
prosperity of our city, and in the hands Of Mr..
W. is bound to be successful.
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