sant care? whence comes it? how went it away?-what is it? The flesh is not life, nor the blood, nor the complicated system of nerves; the eye cannot see it, nor can it be subjected to any sense, nor has reason explained, and defined it; it is a thought which baffles enquiry, inspires terror, teaches wisdom, humbles the most aspiring being, by telling him, that there is a Creator, a master; and then, too, a punisher above. You see before you, too, on such occasions, and see with no common interest, a man who has tasted of death; who has been subjected to that agony which we all must feel, and exposed to that peril which we all at last must meet; how natural to ask, "What were your feelings at such a moment? In what shape, in what array, with what host of terrors, with what new, and stupendous machinery of feelings, does death come? What is it at which we all recoil with so much horror, and which we learn, from our earliest youth, to consider as the great bane of human happiness?" But upon such points as these, the veil of nature cannot be penetrated, nor can living beings know the dreadful mysteries beyond the grave; this we know, however, from the universal assurance of all who have been exposed to this anticipation of death, that their last recollections have been the mercy, and protection of God; that they descended, as they thought, to death, calling on his name, and supplicating his forgiveness; that this was the last notion with which they seemed to resign the world. And so it always is with us all; religion is natural, and necessary to the heart of man; where else can that being seek for succour, who is in death, in the midst of life? what other hope, in the perils of land, or water; on the bed of sickness; in the hour of death; in the day of judgment? Do not mind what the ministers of religion say, but in all the stupendous events of life, if you find men falling back upon religion, not only as their greatest, but as their only consolation; if those, who have thought themselves perishing in secret, tell you that at that dread moment, it was the rod, and staff upon which they leant; this is one of those powerful,, and unprepared evidences in favour of religion, which outweighs all that eloquence, and argument can produce. I am afraid, that I have already ex tended what I have to say, to an improper length, but I am most anxious to succeed in my object, and to prevent a repetition of those melancholy scenes, which have given to us all so much pain; think what it is to save one father for his children; to rescue one child from untimely death; to diminish so much alarm; to diffuse so much heartfelt joy; to place under the control of skill, and prudence, some of the bitterest calamities of the world. God knows how often the life of man has been cast away; the little account that has been made of it in all the great changes, and revolutions of the world; the millions which have perished, for some object which they did not comprehend, and by which they could not benefit; it is delightful to think, amid all the works of bad ambition, amid all the groans, and bleedings of the earth, that in some little part of the world, at least, men are occupied with the preservation of life; that there are some human beings, who can derive the highest gratification in restoring to those who love him, the lowest, and poorest of mankind. These thoughts are pleasant, and refreshing; |