The Works Of William E. Channing (Volume 5)

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The publisher of this book utilises modern printing technologies as well as photocopying processes for reprinting and preserving rare works of literature that are out-of-print or on the verge of becoming lost. This book is one such reprint. Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DISCOURSE OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OP THE REV. DR. FOLLEN. On the 13th of January, 1840, the steamboat Leiington wag burned on Long Island Sound, about fifty miles from New York. Of the crew and passengers only four escaped. Among the lost was the Rev. Charles Follen, LL. D. These circumstances gave occasion to the following discourse, which was deferred, until all hope of the escape of Dr. Follen was taken away. DISCOURSE OCCASIONED BT THE DEATH OF THE REV. DR. FOLLEN. 1 Pet Eh iv. 19 :" Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." These words suggest a great variety of thoughts, and might furnish topics for many discourses. I ask now jjpur attention to the clause, in which we read of " them that suffer according to the will of God," or by divine ordination. I wish to speak of the sufferings of life in general, of their greatness, of their being ordained or intended by God, and of their consistency with his goodness, and I shall close with reflections suggested by the particular suffering which we have recently been called to deplore. Suffering fills a large place in the present system. It is not an accident, an exception to the course of nature, a " strange work " exciting wonder as a prodigy, but it enters into every life, and may I not say, enters largely into every life. Undoubtedly, a great amount of suffering may be traced to human ignorance and guilt; and this will gradually disappear, in proportion to the progress of truth and virtue. Still, under the imperfections which seem inseparable from this first stage of our being, a great amount will remain. Youth is slow to see this. Youth, unable to sympathize with and appreciate sorrows which it has no...

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