The Weekly Comet

Christmas.—Another great anniversary has arrived—and a few days more takes us to the threshold of another year. It is but meet and proper that as Christian people—we should pause for a moment; if not to look back into the darkness and gloom behind us, to look forward in the bright anticipation of better things in the time to come. Useless indeed is our moral philosophy, and the teachings of the "Fathers" if you continue to practice dispositions on one another, and disregard the things necessary for your present and prospective happiness; it is verifying the poetic phrase of "casting pearls before swine." What in the world is the use of preachers of all denominations wasting their time and talents in teaching as near the truth as they can, to you, when you go out side the meeting house and lay a trap to catch some rogue like yourself, and pick his pocket? There is no use. And if the clergy did not receive something in the way of a quid pro quo for their labor, this class of virtuous citizens would be deeply wronged. Now, the question is, how many practical good every day working sermons have each reader of this paper received during the past year? Not from the paper, but from other respectable sources? Pause and reflect, for this is the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Savior of Man, and you may well afford to indulge in a few moment's reflection. The good sermons you have heard, and the many truths which have been gratuitously told you, will rise up when the books of life will be closed and the account balanced.

You should all think of this, and recollect how directly contrary the golden rules of life you act, in your daily transactions? Time is not at fault, though much blame is put upon his shoulders: like an honest old man conscious of his rectitude, he marches forward regardless of abuses. He brings flowers, and after they loose their fragrance, brings frosts to kill them—he replenishes the earth with new things, and takes back to his kingdom, all the moth-eaten materials of Earth. Time is a public benefactor; he procrastinates, that people may do better, and be more happy—that every man may repent his sins, and practice virtue, instead of making his tongue perpetually belie his actions.

All that are not dead—have traveled safely up to the present Christmas morning 1853. Look back upon the tedious road, and learn a lesson from the past. Here endeth the morning service.