Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-07

HUT on man only is bestowed the erce'
gait and lofty countenance when DC
speak his affinity with the skies Woe'
we regard ourselves assmen and chris
tians, how many relations crowd upon
! our mind. which attach US TO God' to
! his love and to his service Our whole
| being, viewed either in reference to Its
movements or thoughts, its sensations or
| its sentiments, should exert no other &C.
tiyity or will, but for God, and in Cod
Every thing becomes detective and TO-
reign to our nature, as sooH as we With
draw ourselves from our preserving and
life giving principle: Great then and
lamentable, must be their blindness or
perverseness, who appear to blush, not
only at the worship, but at the very name
of God. 1t is reserved to the affected
wisdom, or rather contemplate impiety
| of our day, to employ in serious discus.
.ions every ingenuity of expression,
which eludes the mention Of God. Mo
dern sophists aye not ashamed to read
in pagan writer's constant references to
the Deity, in which the unmeaning and
ridiculous terms nature and destiny. the
iargon Of modern inidels, very seldom
occur. Perish, for ever, such vain phi.
!osophy but may call that is within
US bless the holy name Of the Lord !"
He it is. who cheers our fainting spirits,
who pardens our iniquities, and crowns
us with mercy and loving kindness: He
realises the desires of our hearts, re-
/ news our youth like that of an eagle, &
regards US with the eye and feelings oil
Father: He knows our frail,y, that we
are but dust and ashes; yet scattcrs
bis blessings from one generation to an.
other. on those who fear him He has
prepared for us,a place in the mansions
! of bliss, where "of his reign shall be
no end !" When he laid the foundations
of the earth, be had respect to US, and
| when by the incarnation of the eternal
word, he renovated the world, ii was to
place US, in the road to everlasting hap.
piness. Ifall these claims upon the
love and gratitude of man be lost upon
him, can he be considered much above
the level of vegetable matter, or endow-
cd with reason! And yet the day will
surely come, and is probably not very
distant, when the present system OF
thiags with all its amusements and oc'
equations will vanish away, and God re-
main the only object of contemplation to
the human mind. Then will appear the
necessity Of studying and practising his
holy laws. David made this meditation
the delight of his life. 1t animates the
enrap,ured body Of poetry. which he has
left US in his Psalms and which persons
ola correct and elevated taste, prefer
to all other flights of poetical fancy
They are indeed, strains Of heavenly me-
lody thoughts that glOzu, and words that
bxrn' with gratitude and love. Being
Of Beings Thou who hast formed me,
and breathed into me the breath of life ;
whs hast unlocked my lips, and unseal
ed my eyes, who hast strengthed all my
Joints, who hast numhrred the hairs of
my head, and the drops of blood that Cit
culate through my frame, who penetrat'
est into all my thoughts, designs and in.
clinations; who strengthened my me-
mory, eniightenest my understanding,
and dilatest my heart; enllvenest my
fancy 6llest me with hopes, crownest
me with blessings, and bestowest even
now, the faculty of recording the mer.
cies Thou my reason tells me, art tru-.
ly my God /: Thou, the Supreme Mover
& Director of the universe, her only re-
fuge, light and consolation /! In the first
stages of the union of my spirit with
matter, this reason was nothing more
than a transient spark amidst the gloom
of night; but guided now by thy divine
revelation, like permanent star she en-.
tiers upon her unreasonable career, wait.
inr on Thee a. the Sun and centre Of her
system, and from Thee deriving all her
brightness and glory. Instead therefore,
OF debasing, as some weak and pleus
christians have done, the noble faculty
efreason, how ought we rather to aPprc-
ciate that prerogative OF our nalurewhlch
enables US to command the animal cre-
alton, and to soar up to the throne OF
God himself Precious and ,gloriods
prerogative, which like the Sun amidst
the planets, communicates light to all
our action. and desires. Without rea-
SON. we could derive no idea of God. eli.
Their from the book of nature, or rsvela.
ton: and without this idea, what alas
should we be Uncertain as to the ex-
istence Of any religion whatever, we
should never lestow thought on vlr-
tuous life, Or a happy death. Reason,