Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-29

ample Of job. Look there for consolati.
on. Remember his words in the midst of
his anguish; they sanctify his memory
with sPiendor 10 which the lustie of
thousand diadems is pale. Behold the
extent OF his desolation! Behold this
shipwreck of every remaining comfort,
this last and bloody scene of tragedy Of
horrors You may have wept over the
grave of one child, perhaps of another
or OF another; but he, of all he, in one,
moment the delighted father of a hume
rouS offspring, is, in the next chi!dless.
Nor did they expire gradually and gently
IN their beds--nor did he sit by them
nor did he feel the last faint pressure oil
| their hands--nor did he hear the dying
whispers OF affection. Even these sad
soothIngs were denied him. Nor was ag
RraValion wanting, which can add TO the
bitterness of grief. They died not only sud.
denly, but In their youth, not only in youth,
out IN innocence unconscious of evil, un.
suspicious OF rnisfortune.--Int the sons and
daughters OF Job, he had watched every
oud OF virtue as 1t opened they shone
IN all the varieties of human excellence |;
they were worthy of all his love, aud they
were all beloved. If any one ofthese cir
cumstances would have swelled the tor.
rent of adversely, what must have been
Its fury when they were all seen united,
when they all rushed together against
him g The enemy of the world had put
forth all his strength, and attacked him
wiih all the malignity of his nature; he
had bereaVed him of all his enjoyment !;
he had left him no hope but for death.
4
!, "When we think how these thing
/ were boIDe, my brethren, we are lost in
amazement ! we behold miracle of the
Almighty The storm had howled among
ms branches, had stripped him at once o.
| all his fruit: 1t had passed over him an,
ne stood Ieatless tIunk--but he stood.
) The angry waves Of a1hietion had rolled
upon aim, but his bark still hoated IT,
sea oil sorrow-All the foundations of his
taith were undermined, but the towe
was mistaken.
" In the intervals of pain, when disease
had suspended her fortunes, that the Sc
veral tortures of reflection might be III
HIcted, what must have been his feelings
His thoughts iew back to the children he
hid lost--sad recollection to father
He remembered also their filisl tender
ness, their obedience, their endearing qua
litlcs which had increased the natural
affection of parent, and now aggravated
his misfortune. Had they been vicious
the unworthiness of their lives would
have been some consolation for their
deaths but the memory of their virtues
showed him the inestimab!e value of bles-
sings snatChed from him GoreYer.--He re.
mem6ered also that, alas he had lost all
that not one was spared-lhat he had
no earthly object of his love remaining.
: Had only one survived, how would he
have cherished it How sweet would
have been such comforter I'D his mise
: ry! But where now was wretched ia
: her, deprived of ali bis children, TO look
for comfort? He remembered also the
audiences of their fate. The force oI
grief, as of JOY, is strengthened by being
unexpected. How often, when death
had seized upon his victim, after few
days illness, do we hear complaints o.
the cruelty of lie aih Yet he had beheld ,hs
> destruction of MS children,no in few day,
: nor in few hours, nor in one bu; in a mo
men I'm a moment the scene oflheir Sc
cIal festiVlty was made den of slaugbter-
D their habilalion their tombl AT this fu.
neral pile, my brelhen Behold father
He searches among the ruins--he graspi
= a broken pillar of the building--it is we
with the blood Of his children. With
one trembling hand he removes ;
e stone--lhe other shrinks from the
a mangled limb of a child. Their mutt
= lated bodies are before him-the illusions
= of hope are vanished. There is neithe
= life, nor form, nor feature remaining. II
vain does he attempt TO recognize lhei
h we'll known llneamenls, in vain to distin
o guish one from ,her.--They are al
u alike; all laceraled with innumerabl
. wounds: all crushed into loalhsome mas
n of deformily.
You are agita,ed, my brethren! be
. hold your tears. IL you cannot hear thos
n things, how would you have borne them
If your hearts can be thus melted by
n cold recital of anoiher's calamity, thin
}. what must have been the agony of IN
. man who beheld it--of the father who en-
d dured ul Amidst the wailings ofdistres
y do you hear the vo ice Of upbrsiding? Doe
e he say, Wherefore is this evil com
e upon me Is this the reward Of benevc
81 ence Have opened my doors to tn
NJ STRANGER Have I distributed INV NgrsItI