Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-01

image Of Con, but little lower than inc
Angels, and crowned with glory ard no.
nor" After he came out OF the hands
of his Creator, he was pronounced "Oe
ry good" appointed lord of the universe
before him, and placed in the most DE-
liehtful situation in it. Heavenly WIS
dom shone resplendently IN his under
standing, and God,lik purity sat en-
threned in his heart, Tbs excehehcies
Of Eden he enjoyed in the highest &C.
| gree; celestial spirits were his constant
companions; he conversed with his
Maker face to face, and was as happyaS
Paradise could make him. Thus lovely
wa. man at his first creation. But now
alas! what melancholy change bath
sin produced +" How is the gold be-
come dim, and the most fine gold chang
ed 7" Instead Of thai perfect order, ard
delightful harmony, which once prevail
ed. the soul of man is become the sea;
of various contending passions. his un-
derstapding is darkened, and the ncblest
mowers Of his nature, are willingly en-
shaved, by tho lowest and meaneh spPe.
,ite.. who that properly considers this
melancholy change, but must drop
tear over the ruins of human nature.
Had man have kept his first estate, y
continued obedient to the easy and bea-
yeply command of Con, whatpure' IN
.ullied happiness would have been per-
pctuated to his posterity. The genera
tons of men would have known no guilt;
no angry passions would have disturbed
their souls; ard brother would never
have cmbrued his hands in brothers
blood. But man, unhappy man slnned
and fell; Gods iaage was esfaced (; and
the awful curse succeeded Thus was
the favor OF Heaven forfeited, Paradisla.
cal happiness abandoned, and man and
his posterity Justly liable to death, tenn.
poral and eternal. The apostacy Of man
from his Maker, was attended with the
most awfu! consequences. He soon be-
came wholly depraved -" For God saw
the earth filled with violence, and that
the wickedness of man was grea; n the
earth, for every Imagination ct the
thoughts of bis heart was only evil con-
,inua,iy." This evil he eEtailed upon
all his posteri,y -" For in ADAM all
die" Therefore, from generation to &C.
neration, evil continually flowed, as the
stream from the fountain Truly then
NAV we say with David, Behold | was
shapen in iniqu.ty, and in sin did my mo-
Their conceive me-" How Infinite is the
evil of sin, that it should thus miseraoly
deface the noblest works of God
The experience of all the generations
of men perfectly agree with The Scrip
lures that maa is fallen. Every thing
around us bears marks Of his fatal apes
tacy from God. The whole creation
proaneth. The voice of lamsntation and
woe is heard from every quarter. Let
us turn our eyes to what part OF the
world we may. and We behold the awful
effects of this deadly evil. The fatal
poison hath spread through every part
of the visible creation of God, and en-
Filtered every cup of human bliss -
Where is the nation, where is the city,
where is the family or individual, but
| wha, has felt the bitterness of human
woe All the evils and affections in.
| cident to man, are the baneful effects OF
| his sin. And to complete his wretehed
| ness, death at length arrives, and puts all
end here, to all his schemes, pleasures
and pursuits -" For dust thou art, and
INTO dust thou shalt return" What
contempt does death pour upon human
,,raI What = dark cloud does 1T cast
over all the beauty and glory Of cur out
ward condition The body which we de.
light TO beautify and adorn with all the
,rappings OF fancy, must become food
for worms. and mingle with the clods of
the valley. All these are the sad effects
of mans apostacy from God =" For the
.e - .. laathO IS And hv one