Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-08-06

the land promised their fore
fathers, a country abounding il
all the comforts and luxurie.
necessary for ether happiness
Here they were separated from
the gods of Egypt and per-
mitted to worship the mos
High, the God OF their fathers
here they built the sacred anc
holy city of Jerusalem, within
whose walls was reared the
beautiful and magnificent tenn
pie, whose sublime grandeur
and beauty has never been e.
qualed by the architecture of
man. They became prosperous
and wealthy nation, and while
they obeyed the commandments
of God, no people Were so hon
ored of heaven. But as wealth
| and power increased, their NOR
| ais became more and more cor
rupted; they forsook the path
Of wisdom and virtue, and were
Joined to the idols of the heath
en-, and finally the Most High,
in accordance with divine prorh-
ecy overthrow them, and des-
troyed their cities and temples.
Even chosen Israel could not
withstand the temptations Of
wealth and fashion, but was led
by their enticement to destruc-
ton. By retracing the history
of individuals cities and ma
tions, we find that wealth and
fashion are as straWs swimming
upon life's surface, which II
followed, will allure us from the
pear-banks of virtue and truth
and lead us on into the dark a.
byss of ruin; but by the culti-
walton of mind and truth, we
may gather pearls from its
depths, which will serve as a.
dornments to fit us for any pO-
sition in life. and will sparkle
in our crown throughout eter-
nifty.
In the holy scriptures We
learn of pearl more exceeding
ly valuable and precious, than
all the gems of earth-the un-
dying and immortal soul. Man
created in the image Of God,
was placed in a state Of infinite
happiness, but by transgres-
sion he fell from his blissful
state, and was plunged into
the dark ocean Of sin, from
whence there was none found a.
bic to deliver him, until Christ
looked down in pity upon him,
and seeing him sinking deeper
and deeper il the gulf of des-
pair, He left his shining courts
above and descendedupon earth,
where He suffered and even shed
his own precious blood striving
against sin. He even entered
the dark portals of the tomb,
and there grasping the pearlfrom
the hand of satan, he assembled
from the grave, and having CIV
Ell counsels of heavenly wisdom,
and cheering words of COM
fort to bis disciples, he again as
cended into the bright realms
of glory, where he has gone to
prepare a place for the recep-
ton of his jewels. Christ hav-
ing delivered this immortal
pearl from the gulf of sin, it
lies within our power, by pure
and Yirtuous actions, to bright
en- and fit it for his reception, or
by sinful deeds to so blacken
and tarnish it, as only to be fit
ted to be cast away as dross.
We have been laboring here
together, to obtain the pearls of
useful knowledge, and # we
will only cherish the few truths
which we have obtained, and
continue to seek for those which
yet lie hidden within the pearl
banks of science, we will sulti-
reap the reward Of. our
labors. But while we are labor
ing for the cultivation of the
mind, let us not neglect the ,enl-
of the heart, which is
of the utmost importance. We
are all placed upon earth for
some useful purpose, and it is
the mission of the heart to
guide and direct us through life;
therefore, if the heart be uncul-
tivated, though we may possess
all the accomplishments of an
intellectual education-our life
will be but an empty dream
void and proftless. Then let
us cultivate our hearts, and
may we go forth in life, ever
as our sentiment the
language of the poet, that
Life is real life is earnesti ~
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art. to dust returnest,
Was act written Of the ssul