Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-01-02

I lSIS-1Hr. ". ". VGttace-At
request of the Masonic Lodge,
send you the manuscript Of TIE
eulogy pronounced by me on tie
life and character Of NEWTON
WHITAKER at Lodge of Sorrow
held in the Methodist church al
Mulberry, Friday night, Decem-
Der 18th. The Lodge desires tc
see it publishedin the OBSERVER.
Respect. w. II. ROBERTSON.
My Masonic Brothers, Ladies
and Gentlemen-Man's creation.
his ultimate destiny, is he subject
to immortality, will he have an
existence beyond this life has en-
gagged the thoughts of thinking
minds in all ages, and upon the
first pages of golden history is
a story beautifully told of the
creation of man and the abode
prepared by God for him. The
Garden of Eden was the first a.
bode of man in state of innO-
cency. Planned by Divine wis
dom it must have presented a
beauty of arrangement Of which
we can have but little concep-
ton; golden luscious fruits, flow
ers of every hue, the melody Of
birds, streamlet and river, it pre-
sented a miniature resemblance
to the dwelling place of God,
and a symbol Of the final home
of his sainted children. The
questions often arise where was
this garden and how long did II
remain blooming and the lowell
est of all below the sky, under
what circumstances did its final
ruin come, at what period of the
worlds great history when the
blight and mildew came, when
the earthquake opened wide its
mammoth jaws, when the storm
cloud spent its fury, when the
last lingering angel harped a
melancholy dirge and paradise
was no more. Sacred story is ST.
lent in regard to these specula-
tions and from profane history
we can CLEAN nothing, yet III the
lands of Bible history there are
monuments Of human genius a.
round which the winds Of heav-
en- have sighed for ages; they ST.
lently point back to the triumph
of arts, the pride of ambition
and mighty tide of populations.
Though the earthly paradise is
no more, vet the few references
to its early history made deep
and lasting impression upon the
mind Of future ages. And hca-
then poets who knew nothing Of
Bethlehem, rising star, or Of
lands bright and -blest beyond
the sky, yet they sung of Hes
perian garden and of a golden
age. What a happy dwelling
place this must have been for
man before sin entered with It's
accompanying evils, how over
flowing and complete must have
been the happiness of the first
pair in the morning of creation,
when the morning stars sang to-
gether, man himself created but
little lower than the angels en-
joying direct communion with
God, he could satisfy his appe-
tite upon the golden, luscious
fruits of the garden so luxuriant-
ly and beneficently administered
by the Divine hand, he could
drink deep of the pure crystal
waters that flowed from the rich
fountain at the very base of the
throne of God, having dominion
over the beast of the field, all an
innate nature bowed to him in o.
bedience, and then how sweet
and happy must have been his
association with the beautiful
Eve. Although the divine
writer's have not favored us with
a description Of her person, yet
when we consult the traditions
of time, or allow our thoughts to
wander in the realms of imagi-
nation, every thought, every con-
ception of the human mind pre-
sents her to us as possessing ex-
traordinary beauty, the queen of
Paradise, the daughter of God;
artists have in all ages endeavor-
ed to make the canvas speak,
the marble breathe in portraying
their conception of her beauty;
poetry too has rivaled the paint
er and sculptor in giving forth
its conception of her person and
character. But, alas, in the
midst of elI this grandeur, beau