The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-08-09
There Is q Path From The Lowest
Depth To The Lyftiest Height.
(oration Delivered by G. A. Ross, at Washing
ton Dec. %, 1897

,oration Delivered by G. A. Ross, at Washing
ton Dec. %, 1881
When the human soul receives its
amid the impenetrable
gloom that hovers along the oriental
coast of the Island OF Life, and mortal
feet touch the shore of time, at the
port Of nativity, there has begun an
existence that shall never end. The
finger OF Divinity has made a ripple on
the bosom of the ocean OF time that
shall roll on, with ever increasing mag
nitude, through all eternity. There is
no rest for those feet that have once
touched the dust OF LIES great high
way. He who sets sail for eternity
can never stay the swift flight OF time
or check the rolling tide Of lifes tenn
pestuous sea. While we are inevitably
forced by the law OF nature on toward
the great unknown, into which we
must sooner or later be ushered
through the dark portal of death
which open to close our earthly jour
ney and close to open our endless
march across the eternal fields beyond.
Yet, the Omniscient Deity has given
to man the high prerogative to cross
the isle of life by almost any of the in,
finite number of paths leading from
sea to sea. Some cross it where it is
wide and rugged, and, though they are
careful to observe all the marks and
sign boards made and erected along
the way by their predecessors, they
find many steep hill to climb and
dark valleys to pass through from the
cradle to the grave" Some cross it
where it is narrow and smooth and
consequently their lives are uncheck-
cred and uneventful While the lives
OF others are so short as to be a mere
isthmus between the two great atermi.
ties-a bubble that floats but an in
slant, strikes the shore and goes out
Yet man the short lifed creature is ev.
rr under the direct oversight of tho
great Creator. No matter how obscure
his birth, how isolated his sphere Of
action, how long or short his life, GOD
is ever mindful of him, and leave;
him to choose for himself which one
of the many roads he will travel.
We might say that from the early
dawn OF life the years Of accountable
ty, there is but one road but on this
eminence the path OF the Juvenile
traveller crosses the great moral high
way one end of which leads to eterna
light and life and the other to everlast
ing darkness and death. When the
youth approaches this great turning
point in the history of life all the pow
ers OF light and darkness are brough
to bear upon him. The hosts of perdi
ton and paradise are hushed in silenc,
and await, in breAthless anxiety for hi
decision. Thus he stands while tht
busy, bustling world around Thin
knows nothing OF his birth and exist
ence, and are ignorant of the fac
an immortal soul hangs trembling il
the balances OF fate. Thus he stand
on the great divide, between RICH
and wrong; but he can pause onl!
an instant, he looks to the right anC
left, sways to and fro for momen
and proceeds on his journey that shall
meyer end. If he takes the marrow
right hand way II low moan OF disap
pointment resounds through the darl
corridors, and is borne upon the smok,
OF that hopeless dungeon whose grea
wide doors were open to receive him
while the shining hosts of the re
deemed clap their hands for Joy, AM
the twelve pearly gates of the Colder
City are thrown open to to admit him
ii he takes the broad left hand wa,
all the doomed demons OF Pandimoni
um set up hideous yells Of exultatior
aud the flags on the glittering dome
and jasper walls Of Heaven will b
lowered to half mast. Thus we Sc
With what interest He who create
man and He who would destroy hin
watches his course through the mo-
NJ and spiritual word. The assuranc
of such Divine manifestations shoul
shine like IA bright star beyond tn
field ofhumble toll and fierce battl,
giving fresh aspiration and forbidden
encouragement and.dejection in an
apparent failure or defeat.