Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1806-11-24
@onttoriai.
Communicated far me Gazette.

~
NOTWITHSTANDING the les
sons Of mortality we receive from the
daily dispensadons Of providence, we
forget that our days are numbered.
and that their end il at hand. One aE-
ter another out of our social circles
receives the summons BY the king Of
terrors but we neglect to be also rea-
dy. We read " frailty" on the face of
created nature yet we 80 on fran one
design TO another, as though the pre-
sent were state Interchangeable. Sc
gree ana SO apparent is the infatuation
OF the mass Of mankind, that though in
the Sacred Scriptures we are every
Where tod that we are born to die, and
commanded to mind our own business.
yrt It cannot therefore b said that we
stand in no necessity OF their precepts.
And 50 strangely preposterous is our
conduct, that though eternal felicity is
offered as the reward Of our faith, and
perseverance in the ways of well-do
ing yet we seem to lay aside all con-
Germ for our own Salvation, to CRAFTY
an Idle curiosity about the affairs of
our neighbours. While the actions Of
others have no immediate relation to
ourselves, and are not 50 dangerous to
the wslfare Of society as to render in
a crime, they ought never TO
be the subjects Of our enquiry or con-
temptation. For surely the care Of
our respective families, and Of our Sc
cular interests the government of
our passions, and the work Of our own
reformation require constant watchlul-
ness, and 81 the energies of our souls.
IN every city and village this" evil
under the sun" is obvious. Few of
the Precepts inculcated on the Sab
bath reach the bosom Of the auditory
They are mostly laid up in some Sc
Parate repository, and carefully applied
to the conduct of others. Taking the
customary rounds in my own parish
1 seldom pass the grog-shop (Which
oy the way, IS Kept by Justice of the
peace 10 open defiance Of those laws
ne mas sworn to support,) but see
some inSiyiduals neglecting their own
avocations, to sit in Judgment, by the
side OIL pint of wiskey, on the trivial
affairs OF the week. Even a new hon
net OF the parsons wife becomes a
subject OF interesting debate nor dare
/ exchange my rusty cassock for q
more decent garb, without first sound
ing the deacon, to know if there be
any objection among the people. But
II TINS respect all classes seem equal
ly culpable. Too often | myself and
nay brethren Of the cloth neglect our
own souls and those Of our flocks, 70
crafty a gossiping kind Of curiosity,
which we have rendered proverbial.
Let not that propensity which is inn
planted IN our breasts for the acquisi-
ton OF useful knowledge be any longer
perverted let its excuses no long
or endanger our future happiness.
y here our own temporal or spiritual
interests have no concern, let us leave
the professional and domestic secrets
and conduct Of others to their riehtful
proPnetors. Let US carefully watch
and guard that vineyard which our
Heavenly Parent has given Us in
charge For man also knoweth NOT
his time: as the fishes that are taken
~ an evil net, and as the birds that are
caught in the snare so are the sons
Oh men shared in an evil time, when +
talleth suddenly upon them.'e
THE VILLAGE CURATE.