Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-20

d
ofevil, as might easily have been fore
seen, and in degree that the good was
entirely absorbed and lost, The chill
eren arising from this connection are
called giants. The original suggest,
the idea. not of men Of enormous sta
ture-but of men failen--eorth.6orn--
m,ustc,s in wiekedness--apostates from
the true religion-possessing sensual
mit.ds; who acquired name by daring
exploits they overlooked their high
destiny, and were so brutal!zed as to
relish nothing but bodily qualification;
all was corrupt within, and all unrigh-
teous without: neither the knowledge,
nor the practice of religion existed
The leaven leayeHed the whole lump
None knew God, nor abstained from VI
olence The fountain being impure e.
very stream was poisoned. Attempts to
reform them we're resisted: There Was
no interval of good they would not for
a moment reflect, nor purpose amend
ment, nor even do one good act: by
degrees wickedness grew to SUCH enor-
nifty. The worship of God was cor.
rupted: wor.hippers did not cease from
doing evil ; they assembled in cities
where the influence Of bad example be.
came governing principle ; invention
was at work to produce destructive wea-
pons, marshal music, and whatever tends
to ehcminate, to debAuCh and to tarnish
the character. The inventions them.
selves were useful, but abusing, what
might have been conducive to amcllo-
rate the circumstances Of man on earth,
for destructive purposes, is what now
blame, and mention in proof Of the &C.
neral depravily.
TO throw degrading traits into the hu.
man character, gives no pleasure; but
truth requires that the worst appear
Penetrate the nature and malignity Of
disease, and if remedy exists, i, will
be sought cut and applied,
Cain worshippcd God, but not in the
manner which God required. He was
willing to offer thanks-but not to cou-
fess guilt. This PRIDE was offensive.
God wi,hdre" and left him to himself,
when his guilt became evident, and his
separation from society vss necessary,
that all night not be contemplated.
The lesson which this affords is humi-
Wy trust not in thyself, but 10 him
who made thee; and neither neglect his
worship, nor expect that any worship
Can be accepted bat such as be has pre-.
SC ibed.
Gains descendants, in principle and
practice, were irreligious anu immoral :;
they lived like brutes; they thought OF
nothing bet of eating and drinkipg; Of
buying and selling Of marrying s. Civ
ing in marriage. This sensual lie left
them a prey to sudden ruin warning
future ages TO assert the dignity Of their
nature, and to live as expectants of i'm
mortality.
Men, in society, acting under the in.
flucnce of fixed and pious principles,
experience safety and happiness but
men OF no principle ale prepared for G.
very species Of mischief and violence !:
This suggests the necessity Of instiling
I good principles into the minds of the
youth, and Of giving them good exam.
pie, otherwise the rising generation will
be worse than the preceding, anG .he
progress to extreme depravity be rapid.
Cam was bad; his offspring, whose re-
hsIou' education had been neglected,
were worse aud the neglect continuing
a generation succeeded fit only for dc.
struction.
The force of example is astonishing.
Shew me what company man keeps,
and will SLOW you villa. he is. Birds
OF leather flock together. Man Cannot
be safe in close connection with those
who have no principle and arc loose in