Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-08-07

Ital and stock. A mariner needs more thdn
compass and chronometer. The ship itself
must be sea-wor,hy and well found. Try
yourselves, and compare your powers with
your pursuits
"-virsate diu quid ferre recusant
Qud valeant humeri" HoR-
You are not only liable to make false es
tmale of yourselves, but sure to do so without
Gods teachings and Gods gifts. Meekness.
forbearance. benevolence, love Of justice, and
a good conscience, will be more to you than
all classic lore, all scientific knowledge.
Now, iii. Turn and survey the future.
What do you see! 4 life Aye, and
death. too! and a judgement! and an eterni-
y! As to life, prize it as you may, its value
is diminished by just SO much as has elapsed;
like treasure reduced by expenditure,or or pro-
visions by consumption. Common expendi-
lures may be met by income, and provisions
replaced by purchase. but you can not earn
time. nor replace opportunities. Not only is
what is left is less valuable. Try to feel this
factl
You leave this rostrum TO begin that career
which is 10 test the value Of your present at
tainments. Among these, good and extensive
as they are, experience is yet wanting; and
you may acquire it at dreadful cost. Happy
for you. if by hearkening to wise councIls,you
avail yourselves of the experience of others.
This hour. responsibilities cluster upon you
, You are now to play the part CT men, of
young men, Of young Americans. of educated
young Americans, Of educated young Ameri-
cans in 1857 What more could be said to
show your responsibilities,
If your education has only taught you things
you were ignorant OF, it has amounted only 10
a decent diversion, a mental entertainme nj !;
for "leters," as Lord Bacon says, "do not suf-
ficently teach their own use" But ifyou are
trained men, as well as taught, as we hope
you are. blessed shall your career be, and
blessed The world for your culture.
One principal feature in your circumslan-
ces this day, is, that you stand on thedividing
line between help and hindrsnce. Up to this
point, from your very birth, you have been
under the care Of those who gave you warm
sympathy, true counsel and sound learning
Z
versity Of lot may be yours, one part of it, SO
prominent as to characterize the whole, will
be the overcoming Of difficulties. They lie in
every path but that of brief and boundless in
diligence. Your best plans will be opposed;
your best efforts obstrucied; resulting often
in your utter defeat. You will have more bad
advice than good, and be more easily inhuen-
ed by it than by good. The whole history of
man is a record of his procliviy 20 listen TO
evil eoensel. Hence shs easy spread OF .rrer
and the difficulty of establishing truth. Hence
out spoken honesty gains few friends, while
fartery pleases all.
Great as may be the outward evils you will
encounter, they are slight compared with your
inward combatants. Pride, envy, anger, sell
fishness, love Of ease, &c, will be your bad
promp;ers. To-day amid rejoicings and hopes,
honors and admiration, you are in fact CON-
mencing a career where the odds are all
against you. But there is greater than all,
and if He is your trust and your ruler, every
obstruction shall be discipline to higher vir-
ture, and a preparation for higher rewards.
Look far on, then. even beyond this whole
coming struggle, and SO steadily final judg-
mcnt as to embrace il in every plan and ev-
cry pleasure. All the honor or use of life,
lies in its reference to its fnality. In vain
will you submit to drudgery, refuse ease, and
postpone pleasure, if the whole is an abor-
ton. Let it not, then, seem uncoulh that l
this day. amid your pomps and rejoicings.
Ill, s I, ,n
none is so huge, so utterly preposterous, as to
suffer the thought Of death to blight our fes-
tivities. o: make US sick at heart. The very
reason why there is SO little happiness on
earth, is, that such thoughts will sometimes
come, and to shun these men give themselves
to qualifications which exclude reflection,
Spending life in chasing false goodsand tast.
ing frivolous indugences, they either die in
the hot pursuit, or turn from the whole with
disgust, and end their lives denouncing the
vanities Of the world and declaring as the re-
suit of their experience that happiness is not
attainable on earth.
But the Word Of God says happiness is at
tainable on earth. Millions have enjoyed life;
and so may you. But il can only be by using
life's goods in full and impressive view of
life's end and life's law. Happiness is not in
things of earth, and does not therefore depend
on what we have, but on the satisfac,ions of
the inner man. Ills just so in heaven. Even
there, happiness consists not in repose, or
crowns. or harps, or wings, or golden streets,
but in the presence Of God, and the abSorp-
ton Of our will in His. This all can be had
on earth; and so earthly happiness is just as
attainable as heavenly, and BY the very same
means.
81 frnctus illabatur orbs
Impavidum ferent ruinm. HoR.
Thus the fear of God is, to earthly enjoyments,
what healthy hunger is to feast-the very
essence of the goud. 1t will make you so use
the common blessings, that your home shall
be no whit less pleasant to you than Paradise
was to Adam, for you will learn like Paul to
rejoice even in tribulaiion,
o what a beautiful and bles sed thing will
your life be, thus lived! Death, instead of
being grim ghost, to haunt and horrify. will
be bright angel, standing by your goal to cheer
and animate you. All YOUR work and all
your relaxation, your studies and teachings,
society and solitude, success and defeat, shall