Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-03-17

ClIne anu sdnOIner at some OLner, couiu
one part enjoy the needed repose for the
noise and confusion of the other!
How instructive and entertaining to adjust
the retrospective glass and contemplate the
scenes and occurrences which lie along the
dark vista of the past. Themindl's eye In
stinctively falls on that delightful pano-
rama displayed in the garden Of Paradise.
In this garden. man, uncont animated BY
SIN, shines respiendent in the beauty Of ho-
liness The earth, clothed in perpetual
verdure, produces, spontaneously, the vine,
the fruit, the flower, unsullied by blighting
winds and chilling rains. The highly fa-
vored occupants of this garden have the |
lose without the thorn, the gold without
the alloy, the pleasure without the sting.
The crystal fountain emits its hmpid wa
ters in unremitting streams. The feather
ed choir, pouring forth their vocal notes
in harmonious measures, chant their morn
vesper. But alas the fair Eve lured on
by the treacherous serpent, aspires to for
hidden knowledge; plucks and eats the in
terdicted fruit, and hence the sad fall of the |
human race hence the thorn, the thistle, !
the chilling rain and blighting blast hence
sickness; sorrow pain and death. 1t is in
deed delightful to raise the dusty veil which
hangs over the antediuvian world and view,
in imagination, its stately edifces, magni-
fcent cities and suburb palaces as they
stand in their primeval glory. Behold
proud Babylon towering aloft in the atti-
tude of defiance Consider her dense pop
,,lot;ov. ,,noee;,yo 1yolls opoplo
stored with ammunition, and say where is
the army sufficiently powerful to conquer
her III open combat The treacherous
6end, Intemperance, enters, throws open
her tightly closed portals; Cyrus with his
small army rushes in while the inhabitants
are buried in beastly intoxication and Bah
ylon, the proud daughter of the east, is laid
low in the dust Where are Ninevah,
-Thrace and Rome How literally the pre-
dictions made by the prophets concerning
these places, while they were in their glory,
have been fulfilled. Behold Jerusalem, ex-
alted unto Heaven. All nations pay her
, homage. Royal feasts, glittering retinues
and kingly courts, she daily witnesses.
Rich gems sparkle in her sanctuaries.-
Wealth, power, talent, influence are hers
In ner vicinity the willows, on which the
children of Israel hung their harps, wave
|, their pendant boughs in trembling lowell
ness and awaken pleasant emotions in con-
, sequence of their association with one of
the most memorable events of sacred his
, tory. Priests minister daily in her temples.
! Clouds of incense rise profusely from innu-
. merable censers and load the atmosphere
I with the sweetest perfume. Here stands
. the "Holy of holies" Here the Sanhedrim
q of the Jews is periodically held. Here the
o renowned prophets utter their inspired pre-
4 dictions and the apostles perform the most
Il startling miracles. Does not the Prince
70 of peace select Jerusalem as the grand the
a atre in which to display His holy attributes
70 With what profound humility and low
o ought this people, so highly favored, rever
r ence the Deity. But alas they, receiving
Mt the gift, forget the Author, and puffed u
h. with pride, become more wicked daily III
til the God Of infinite love, in mercy, stop
od their mad career, and Jerusalem, the typi
ali cal Jerusalem, is totally overthrown. VIII
be Ldoes not covet the heart-thrilling emotion
az which glow in the pious travellers mind {
,is he stands on the ruins of this city and see
h. the prophecies uttered by the inspired WI
I tiers thousands of years before its decline
I'll literally fulfilled. How plainly the dool
nor of the impenitent is set forth in the follow
oS ing word of the most High, relative to til
he city "Oh Jerusalem.! Jerusalem no
air oft would have gathered you together /;
M hen doth gather her brood under h
\ wings, but you would not" Was the
iIv ever any other earthly structure compar
On ble with SoomOn's temple Was not tn
an edifce erected without the report of si
~ gle stroke! Moses to-day floats he pie
me babe in wicker basket on the rough W
10 ters of the Nile Years pass by and we s
ON him the chosen one to lead his peop
- Israel at his Masters bidding. Safely
nd guides them through untried scenes. T
hv day he feasts on mamma from Heaven al
nj calls forth the waters from the calcario
or rock to satiate the raging thirst of his su
m iects. Pursued by an innumerable no:
in the waters of the sea divide and he lea
NO his little band safely to the opposite sic
div The enemy attempting to follow are sw
od lowed up in watery grave. To-morrc
- he disobeys the divine command a
- though the rock withholds not its crys
Iow % stream at the touchof his rod, yet, Il
,;e. stream, instead of allaying his thirst avail
Hov U the most bitter pangs of self condemnati
80 and remorse of conscience. Oh /! WI
hot deep contrition must agitate his bres
nta' % when from Mount Pisgah's top he vie
lou the desired, the enchanting promised lal
On and reflects that he deprived himself Of
. - possession of it by his own rash disobedien
v;er What mysterious, yet sublime phenoms
,r.ol are connected with the burial of this v
tho cradle patriarch. Is it not an incomr
1. hensible, yet sublime truth, that he
Srn- peared on the earth many years after
nap. ascension; was recognized by human
omo ings and conversed with the holy Lar
orr To-day we see Sampson removing the i
sont bolted gates and massive walls with
rro,,, own hand. Tomorrow we see him
r,ar BILE creature subject to the articles of a
Snn % signing woman. See the faithful Abrah
Tho with axe uplifted high to sever the hea,
ma his only son. Now having fully evin
,dnr r his faith, he hears voice saving, Abrah
800. stay thy hand. Oh what sweet pc
80 of glows in the faithful patriarch's breas
-. he realizes the assurance that he had oil
Ia - ed all the commands and met the di,
ou - approval of his holy Lord To-day, |
,,a sne Nebuchadnezzar, clad in royal robes, w
'aans - the streets of princely Babylon in triun