The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1866-12-20

Yesterday. were not at all prepared with
| view to publication, yet, DESTROYS as you ar,
of showing your appreciation of the life ant
labors of good man, at your solicitation
! place them, such as they are, in your hands
| | have the honor to be, gentlemen,
Your obodient servant,
JOHN HUNTER.
! In tho Wise and inscrutable providence o.
| God. we are called upon 10 carry another o.
our christian friends and fellow-eiuzens tC
his long home. Death, You see, in the ordi
| nary course of executing his work of destrue
ton, is still busy in our community, dimin
ishing our households, bearing away from us
| the objects of our most tender affections, moi
contenting himself alone with the aged, but
| LAYING his ruthless hand also upon the tender
infant, the blooming youth, and the middle
aged. Twice this week you have seen the
| funeral procession move from the same door
| Twice, in a few days the destroyer has entered
| the same happy home, where domestic quiet
| and 10Y dweit in undsturbed repose, TO sum
| mon two of its most cherished inmates TO the
| realities of the unseen world thus realizing
| to us once more what is so often remarked in
| our experience, that " troubles seldom come
to us singly."
| Sad and hopeless indeed were our lot could
we not look forward through our numerous
| groups of sorrows to more blissful period
| beyond, to a region within the limits OF
| which this disturber of our peace, this de
| stroyer of our race, shall never be permitted
| to plant his blighting foot And therefore,
| how eagerly our faith grasps the heaven
| taught truth that death himself shall be de
stroyed that there is another Conqueror
mightier than he, who proclaims concerning
his faithful people, land He will make it
good al will ransom them from the power
ofthe gravel will redeem them from death;
Oh DEATH / will be thy plague; oh, grave, |
will be thy destruction" Hos. 10, IA.
Upon this blessed truth we fix our hopes,
and we are warranted in so doing by Him
who is able and mighty to save. II would
be an extrayagant hope, w0 must allow, We're
it not that He who invites MS to entertain IL
is the Mighty God who has done so much for
us already, and who is able to do for MS ex-
ceeding abundantly above all we are able to
hope or imagine land therefore il is neither
extravagant nor vain when we come TO meas
ure it with the love and mercy of God in
Christ Jesus. My brethren, it is with no vain
delusion we would comfort ourselves, rs we
contemplate the ravagos of death. We be-
lieve in God. We glory in the redemption
of Ghriet In Him we learn tho oonsolinS
truth, that Earth has no sorrow that Hca-
ven cannot cure" Call this what you please,
divinest and most practical philosophy;
philosophy which, though it does not Danish
all our present sorrows, will at least alleviate
them; which, though it does not now enable
MS to unravel all the mysteries OF Providence,
will at least teach and enable MS to trust our
Heavenly Father, when we do not under
stand, resting in our Savior's promise, that
He makes all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are
called according to his purpose
1t will not be very much longer that we
shall have to bear the ills Of this life. Our
years wear imperceptfbly away. Our race
also will soon be run; and / say not this TO
make YOU sad, but to animate your hopes, to
excite emotions of joy at tho coming relief
Many who have journeyed with us have
gone, and to-day we are met to bear TO their
last resting place all that was mortal Of our
friend and christian brother, Professor VIII
liam Merrill He died in peace with God
aud man. During seven of the most remark
able years of our lives he dwelt among us
years which, with the severest scrutiny, put
to the test the moral integrity of every one
of us years during which he stood faithful
in his lot, and faithful to us-heart and soul
with us in all our aims, with his full share
in our trials and disappointment, in our
griefs and bereavements, our sniferings and
poverty. Seven such years was long time, |
as most of them dragged their slow length |
heavily along, deepening the traces OF age |
upon our faces, whitening our locks, laceIa- |
ting our hearts, and calculated to impart the |
experience of a generation 1t was while he
was bearing his part in these heavy burdens
that we came to know him, and learned 10 |
appreciate and love bin. Had we not so |
learned would prove us ungrateful FOR the |
man who, for our cause, freely gave the hope |
and stay ofhis honse, his only son, who sleeps |
on the memorable field of Chickamuga, |
could not but command our confidence and |
affection nor could the breath of suspicion /
tarnish his reputation as a patriot.
But we are far from saying that II is for |
his patriotic integrity alone that we cherish /
his memory and follow him to his grave /
with our tears; but also, for very much that |
was excellent in the citizen, the gentleman,
the teacher and the christian. His was one /
Of the most useful of lives. Throughout his |
whole career he filed one Of the most i'm
portant stations, viz that of an instructor
of youth. He was hfe-lcug teacher, be-
at the age of nineteen, and follow
ing that vocation during the period Of thirty |
one years. He was an ornament in that
noble profession, to the pursuance Of which
he brought liberal education, an extensive
with the classics, both in the
ancient and modern tongues, an acute, vigo-
rous and well-trained mind, and thorough
with the arts and sciences.
Rarely could you meet with a more thorough
and accomplished teacher. He cherished
for his profession an enthusiasm which made
him successful, and which never abated IN
til his labors on earth were finished. He
magnified his Office, by the manner In which
he discharged its functions, as well as by the
lofty ideal Of its nature and end, which he
kept steadily before his mind. His aim was
to cultivate both the intellect and the heart
Of the pupil, not by the process Of cram
ming" as it is termed, or by flooding the
mind with heterogeneous mass Of ideas
which he is unable TO digest, as Is the prac-
tice Of some instructors, but rather by dill
gent perseverance, to qualify and stimulate
him TO acquire knowledge for himself
Prof. Merrill had learned his profession
well. and followed il, not merely for the
gain il brought him, but fer the ardent love
lie cherished towards it. For, had gain been
his object many other eallings would have
been far more inviting and remunerative 20
a man of his talents. For, ne have to say
with regret, that considering the trials and
the tolls Of a teachers life. (and both are
very great considering the distinguished
talents which many Of them bring 70 that
eshfia1 profession, there is scarcely any
other class, % poorly rewarded in this life
and therefore We say. that the man who ?