American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-06-22

or wealth. These are all right and prop
er in themselves, but what are they all,
| ask. when viewed in the light of eter-
nity-a few feeting years in this world,
spent in the enjoyments OF Its riches and
honors. its toys yanities and pleasures,
and an eternity of existence with God in
the blissful and sanctifed enjoyments of
Heaven There is no comparison here
to be instituted. Says the blessed Saviour
himself. "What shall man profit though
he should gain the whole world and lose
his own soul, or what shall man give in
exchange for his soul"
1t is the part then, of true wisdom,
dear friends, to spend our time and ener-
gies in the service of our God, in all that
VIC do, glorifying his name here, that we
may be fitted and prepared for the enjoy
ment of himself in heaven forever.
But in this respect, we may see likewise,
how trifingly and wickelly the men of the
world doact. Why they manifest less ofwis-
dom and discretion, and forethought, than
even the lowest orders of creation, for
while bird and brute, and insect, make
wise provision for the future and lay up
store against the time of need and trouble
man, reasonable man, but o how unrea-
sonable he acts lives for the present re-
gardless of the great, the eternal future
that lies beyond Men frequently live in
this world, as if there were no God above
them to whom they were accountable-to
whom service and honor is due, and the
promotion of whose glory should be their
highest end and aim in life. Live as if
there were no duties important enough to
make life in this world worth living for;
no high and holy interests and destinies,
stopping not within the narrow bounda-
res of the present. butroaching out to the
widest limits of eternity. But instead of
thus improving time and opportunities to
the glory and service of their God, they
act rather like playing children, chasing
winged Butterflies, quafiing desire from
earthly fountains of business or pleasure;
plucking bright flowers along lifes way
side-pursuingempty bubbles which burst
ere they reach them, and trifing vanities
and toys, which perish in their hand
while lyingand iniquity are in their hearts,
and Christ, and religion, and eternity, are
not in all their thoughts.
The feelings of false security which
the devil sometimes sends to men, to lull
them to spiritual death and slumber, to
retain them within his grasp, to keep them
away from God and Christ, and from heed
ing the striyings andmonitions ofthe good
Spirit in their hearts, and thus making
them as hcll-dcserying as himself, are the
means and influences most abundantly ef-
fcctual in hurrying multtudes away in
to the darkness Of rcmedilcss perditlon
The voice of God, in his word and by
numbcrless Providcnees, speak to men
loudly and warningly, addressing Them
= Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, :"
calling upon them to awake from their
spiritual sloth and slumber-to shake off
the garments of their wickedness and inf
delty, and arouse them to a true conscious
ness of dangers to be feared and ofduties to
be performcd-of a Heaven with all its
amount of bliss and happiness to be gain
ed, as likewise of Hell, with all its ac-
cumulation of darkness and horrors to be
Stunned.
How strange it is, my friends, that men
should be led to think of everything else
almost in this world, JmHot, which above
all others, should be their highest, their
chiefest, their deepest concern. The one
thing that is needful. The pearl of great
pricc-the souls salvation.
Though with the Apostle, we should
possess all knowledge; though we should
have all faith so that we could remove
mountains; though we should possess all
the pleasures, the riches and the honors
that this world can bestow, and yet, with
all these, are destitute of this, we are of
all men most miserable.
TO number our days then, so that
they may be spent proftably in the ser
vice of our God, so that our hearts may
be applied unto wisdom-so that we may
be benefited and blessed, presently and
eternally, o this, my friends, is the die
tate Of reason and judgment, and yet,
simple as this knowledge may seem to us,
it is that something, nevertheless, which
will never be comprehended properly by
mans understanding alone, until God shine
in upon that heart, with the light of his
holy spirit, opening the eyes of the dark
ened understanding and discovering to the
soul a sense of Its nakedness, its needs, its
ignoranee-making US all so to compute
the days, hours, and moments of this fleet
ing life, that true wisdom will character
ize them all, making every moment and
every opportunity, to be properly treasur-
ed and improved
BY all Gods Providenees towards us,
dear friends, and around us in the world;
by this solemn Providence that we are
called this day to contemplate, let us take
home to our hearts the solemn lesson we
are taught; the lesson ofour own frdibyand
mortality Lieut. Williamson, ayoung man
welland favorably known to large portion
: of my audience, who, buta few short weeks
ago, went out from our midst in the bloom
of health and full vigor of life and man.
hood, to join his comrades in arms; whose
prospects for life and usefulness in the
, future, seemed as bright and as fattering
to human view, as any whom | now ad.
dress-who, from all we can learn, had Sc.
cured high place in the respect and con
fidance of his sunerior officers and cold