Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-03-11
ORIGINAL PAPERS.
For the Spirit of the Age.
Familiar Letters to the Afflicted No. 2
BY INVALID

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For the Spirit of the Age.
Familiar Letters to the Afflicted No. 2
BY INVALID
NY dear friends: Did you ever contem-
plate what monsters Of ingratitude yon and
[ would have been, hid not our Father in
the exercise Of His abundant mercy deem
cd it conpltiole with our own wafare, to
lay his Christening had upjn US? Have
you not often had OCCASION to remember
the incessaut, though gradual growth off
vanity, of vauiting self reliance, Of inflated
arroglIce vi ain your bosoms; which, like1
noxi0us brlmbles ware inssnsibly but sure-l
ly roofing out and retarding the develope-l
ment of humility aud patience, of gratitude /
and veneration-those beautiful graces
which peculiarly adorn the christian char
acterl In a word, have you not been en-
'abled to detect countless evidences Of the
salutary influences which have been exerted |
upon you through the agency of affection
--of the invaluable, though perhaps pain
ful discipline and the efficient cultivation
which it has afforded those attributes Of
the soul, which are essential to the enjoy
ment and full appreciation, not only of
temporal but eternal blessings And at
al times aud under all cireumste nees, have
you not been constrained to recognize your
sufferings as indications rather of God love
than his anger-as his chosen instruments
to rebuke your disobedience and insnbordi-
nation; to remind you Of your puny insig-
ni6cance and entire dependence upon a
Sovereign Power, for the varied blessings
which you enjoy in such profusion; and to
arrest your footsteps, when pursuing the
gilded phantoms Of pleasure you tread the
paths Of sin, aud reclaim you once more to
the ways Of duty and Of safety2 If you
have Motif all your physical pain and
debility, has not conduced to your spiritual
health and vigor, if you have waded through
all this fiery ordeal aud come forth still un-
purified and uncon6rmed-if all these suf-
fering of the flesh have not purchased any
comfort for the soul, then indeed you are
unfortunate--aye, truly the objects of com.
miseration and sympathy; and / pray
God that he may speedily open your eyes
to proper comprehension OF the relation
which you sustain towards him, while bow
ed down beneath the weight of his heavy
hand
In earlier life-in haleyon sunlit boy
hood-fancy frequently portrayed to m,
mental vision the beau ideal Of perfect hap
piness. And ueed ! say, that no clouds Q
sorrow, no tiats Of sadness were allowed Z
mar the beauties Of this ideal picture !
It's sky was all azure and sunshine, il
groundwork all yerdure and flowers. Th
recipient of genuine happiness, whispere
the subtle syren, must, drain the cup
pleasure, without tasting its bitter dregs-
must pluck the rosebud of grati6catio
without wounding his fingers with disaI
pointment's lurking thorn But alas, the,
were but the baseless speculations Of yout
which we're to crumble like castles Of sar
before the angry food; ID experience b
long since taught me tne falIacy Of the
conceptions. Indeed, l have long bet
impressed with the conviction, that
whom the world is wont to regard as pee
liarly blessed and favored Of Heaveo-
at whose feet Fortune has poured her CT
nucopie of choicest temporal blessings
is indeed the most unfortunate, the lea
to be envied Anl incre iible as may sec
bn0 dcStittfuJ WIZ ~ phostbiG tOt nun
being to hve aud die, with perfect exem
ton FROM the scathing blight of sorroy
were il possible for his barque to gil
smoorbiy down the stream of time, frC
its source to the outlet through which
empties its turbid waves into the shorel
ocean of eternity, without meeting witt
rock or reef, a storm or tempest,
would not exchange with him my own CT
dition, cherries and gloomy, painful a
deplorable though it be may, | would
exchange that severe discipline, that p
paration to which have been subject
for higher sphere of enjoyment than b
sin-strainad orb; that abiding hope of p
feet and unadulterated bliss, which susta
and upholds me, when wadingin adyersit
deepest waves, for all the imagined yet
substantial happiness which has been
ished upon him with such prodigal han
What think you, my friends, knows 81
an individual of that humble sense Of
dependence and gratitude to merci
Parent, for the countless bounties VIII
notwithstanding our affections, are yet
bene6cently voachsafed to US, that wa
glow of sympathy and love for our fel
travellers along the rugged road of sui
ing and sorrow; of that unrufled con
sure with which we contemplate the
proaeh of death, indeed Of that fer,
loaging with which we await the con
Of that angel of mercy, who is to strik,
our fetters and announce to us the edit
our delivery; ] say, what knows he of Il
gushing, those iuexpressibly feIicitous Z
tions with which our bosoms SO freque
thrill, 50 often overfow2 Alas moth
and though he may enjoy to surfeitiu
pecies of negative-of passive pleasu
Of exemption from pain and suffering