Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1812-10-12

den calves, and proclaim " Behold thy gods,
o Israel " how readily will the infatuated
multitude bow the knee & pay their homage
to the false deiues Of the son Of Nebst -
Or, should he, like some Of more modern
date, manifest an Indifference whether his
neghbor believes in twenty Gods or no
God, the specious sentiment is at once inn
pliciily adopted ny his deludea followers !;
and from an ind III renee concerning the re-
hgIon OF their neighbOrs, the transition IS
readily made 10 indifference concerning
their own from +" twenty Gods or no
God" they soon learn to disregard any God.
From a.yeSardto religion, they soon slide az
TO al affected contempt of 1t, and from that
into haired OF every thing which wears its
semhlsnce and ofevery one who processes
to feel ITS power, or be subject TO MS Intiu.
ence. Religion once Invested OF respect,
immortality, vice, licencIousness, anarchy,
with all their concomi ant horrors gradually
ensue; tie independence, and perhaps the
existence Of The nation, expire in convulsons,
or the disorder is hushed by the iron hand
Of military power, and all the tranquility TO
be found IS in the dead solemn caIns d des-
,ootis7r, and thar of the sevcrest kind.
That this is The general consequence OF
one who Is not fear the Lord his Cod
is abundantly proved by the experience Of
all ages and nations, from ancient Israel,
the nation favored IF God, down 10 the a.
! pocslyltiC beast, imperial, despotic France /;
| and well may We be thankful if we should
not have cause to say, down-tather still
The cause is well calculated to produce
the effect. The natural propensity OF the
4 huma II heart to evil, needs but the slightest
! Stimulus and encouragement from the exam
| pie, the precept, or the coEDiVGnce OF those
above them, 10 prompt mankind to the com
/ mission of those excuses and vices which
demoralize, degrade, and finally destroy a
nation
But-the effects Of the i'll examples or
| treacheyouS negligence of rulers on the morals
! of a people, afOrc not the only cause OF a.
! larm. He, who is not man that he should
! lie, Aor the son OF man that lie should repent,
hath said " The Lord shall Sfl1ite Israel, as
a reed is 5hdkeH in the zva,er, and he shall roor
| up Israel our Of This good land which he gaze
TO their .fathe,s-Aad he shall give Isrds. 10
because Of the SIN Of .1eyo6oa1n, sDho did SIN,
| and SgAO made Israel 70 SrI
To what fearful hazard then do those
nations expose themselves, who voluntarily
elect 70 walk before them TO direct their en-
ergies and control their destinies, one whose
God is nor the Lord; one who wears the
mark Of the beast in his right hand and on
bis forehead one, the voice OF whose law.
deep resounding through their land, pro-
claims in their ungIing ears sDho IS ike IN
I % tie beast 2 Vho is able 10 make sDar SUIth
! him
Americans an important and interesting
crisis is before YOU. A solemn duty will
! shortly deyoive on you; in the exercise Of
Y which you may be instrumental in deciding
( not only your own fate, but possibly that Of
I unborn millions to whom viii descend that
! freedom, peace, and happiness, which, by
| the blessing Of God, your virtuous excruOns
may secure-Or, that slavery, poverty, and
wcetchedness into which your decisions,
your folly, or your wIckedness may plunge
yourselves and entail on them.