Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-10-07


ture Of man-to learn and practice life
of rectitude-to be devout in all Christi
an exercises. ~
Realm the face Of Heaven, and in the
| Stars,
Tie Godimtress'din glowing characters.
DRYDEN.
MAN was not formed by the divine
architect, for creature Of low and mean
condition. He was givin reason, and
thrown upon this vicious world as into
vast ard spacious amphitheatre, to
view and examine all around him. He
became, at once, an actor in the scene
and a candidate for fame and immortali-
ty. In his soul was implanted strong
and invincible passion, for all that is
great and divine, with a contempt for
meanness, and an adherence Of wick
edness. Hence it would seem, that 1.-THE
globe itself and all which it inherits," is
not capacious enough for the extensive
CONCENTRATIONS of the human mind and
that our thoughts often soar above the
Heavens, and penetrate beyond those
boundaries which terminate the universe.
Disdaining as it were, to be limited
BY the narrow powers Of our senses, we
open the field to our imagination and,
A. If the earth we tread was too small,
we contemplate worlds that revolve at
immense distances. We conceive that
We can distinguish behind and hey ond all
these, others not less in magnitude but
seeming so because at a greater dis lance.
This genious we receive from Hea"en,
extensive as the infinite space which it
contemplates, and in which it is, as it
were at length mingled, swallowed up
and lost. 1t knowsno mote Bounds than
that in6nisy ofspace it would examine,
or than the power itself which i, sapPos-
es to have furnished that in6nity with
worlds innumerable.
" Lo the poor indian, va6se unsutoyed
mind,
" Sees God in eUery cloud, or hears him
IN the wind"
VT
Thus human reason acts when right
1y directed and thus sovereign pride
grows on confessed humility, as know
ledge upon conscious ignorance. He
who faacies himself great, who, seeing
some things less, supposes himself SUI
perior to all, glories in what is little more
than nothing. When we have the mo-
desty to know ourselves, we at once dis
tinguish the soul to be something supe-
rior, and find it's separate nature by ex-
erting its independent faculties. In con-
templating these subjects, we feel a gra-
titude to Con, we feel a power Of divi-
nifty within us we discover that to en-
terrain a sense of these, his operations,
is to enjoy, tho at an unreasonable dis.
lance, something of his own nature, some
emanation from himself, and therefore
too great for mortality:
He whohas the power to think, feels
within himself conviction ofthe true dig
nifty, and real superiority in his mater.
above that Of other creatures. He now
believes that he has proof Of the souls
Immortality, while he contemplates hra-
ven and earth, the sea and air, and those
innumcrable worlds formed like this, and
mos: likely, Peopled like it; and he
giows with pride, that he is the favour
ed Creature Of that great power who made
him. He will see the extent of his cree
ator SO far as it regards himself in the
disposition of things about him and
conforming his actions withlove and with
obedience to that design, he will exert
every virtue.
This was the design for which Cop
conferred this dignity and bestowed those
powers upon the human mind. They
should only be applied to virtuous ends,
and thus cannot fail giving relief to the
disordered, and happiness to all. This
is the consequence ofemploying and exc
ersing them; and this being the conse-
quenee. it is virtue so to employ them =;
and with the ignominy, there is tine
a..