Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-06-16

duubt a favorable tin.e. rot onlv Tar g.
tending the influence, bat for a,!,arciu-
The purity OF he ,Churth; for he cSt;,.
patipn otany err,irs, aud tie a5n..nca =
any unchristian praclises which may !Nye
found entrance among Us, during the l"nr
period of C, imperative darkness auu d..
,er,ion lhrous il which we have passed
And although we do not bell, We that spv
thing ImmnI or ,sici,us is mese pre,:.
lent now than at sCme tcrmer peticLs, cr
teven as much so, yet tie existence ii
such things at the present time, stIiks,
the minds OF serious Christians With "a
appearance OF greater deforGIty, and ell,
TEN with moe puneent Iegret as il is
exhibit led in such dark contrast with thst
promising and wonderful! a.pec, Of things
80 extensively displayed by tire CHRISTIAN
world. The free conversation IN III.
state OF religion, ha, brought Some such
things to ourr;ew, against which we ieel
constrained to bear our decided tc.Ii.
mony; and we would enter upon ih,
duty with the tender Iess and meeknes,
out at the same time with the iirurr.,
and authority which becomes a j9diclury
Of the church Of Christ.
The first thing we shall notice is lie
crime Of drunkenness. This crime hs,
at all times been curse 10 GU. Country.
and has often made lamentabIe Iurc.is
upon our church. We are CONVINCED
that it may be opposed More successfully
by prevention than in any ther .ay.--
When tie charac. er Vt drunkenness, il
fully formed, the uLhapp, victim is lps
to those motives which ordinarily ilhu.
ence all other classes Of men. In this
state Of thlrgs nothing but a miracle CT
divine grace can cRtc, his reioru.auop.
The &C. tsin and acknowledged prospect
of the wreck Of BIS family, his fortune.
aud his cha. acter; and even Of lie ruin
Of his immortal soul, is not sufficient 10
arrest his course: and yet perhap: ne
same man may formerly have been n
such q state of equilibrium. or ndecis.an
Upon thi. subject, that tie mSIIrst mo-
uyss might have prevented the formation
ot habit, which IN 1t, maturlt, has be-
come 20 irresistible This consideration
Is ce, talnly sufficient 10 justify an effort
Tor saving our fellow mer from the dcmi-
nstor OF so destructive 4 vice. For this
purpose we earnestly recommend to the
Officers and members Of our ohurcA tG
abstain even from the COMMON use Cf ar
dent spirits. Such VOLUNTARY prlyatiGn
IS this, with is motives publicly asOved,
will not be without its, effect in caution
ing our fellow christians and fellow citi.
zens, against the enrroachmen, Of in
and we have The more canfi-
1ence in recommending this course, a. it
has already been tried with success in &c.
geral sections OF the church.
The vice Of Gambling has also been
foI csd upon our attention. We Indeed
nope that tew, or perhaps none, Of our
actual professors, have INDUCED them
selves in the practice Of what they con.
slider as coming under the denoaiinaticR
Of GanbIing.-But perhaps there ara
some addicted to this practice who have
e,ineed prediction for our church, ard
forms Of worship, ard who are not un-
willing to receive the word Of admoni.
ton from US. Such, We would earnest
" exhort to consider in the most serious
the consequences ct the course
they are pursuing and the lessons which
the experience of the void, is every
day exhibiting on this subject. But it
IS further our duty 10 testify, that all
of lotteries. and purcha-
sing Of. lottery tickets all attendance
On horse r. cling. and betting on such, or
oa any other occas ODS.; ard ali attempts
II whatever kind to acquire gain without
giving an equivalent, involve the Gamb-
ing principle. and participate in The guilt
which attaches to that vice.
On The fashionable, though as we be-
ieve dangerous anusenen,s, OF 1hsafri-
al exhibitions and Dancirg, we deem it
,eeessar to make a few observations
The Theatre we have always considered
IS a school Ct immortality. IL any per.
ION wishes for honest conviction on dis
ubject, let him attend t. the character
II that mass Of matter, which is general.
y exhibited on the. siege. We believe
III will agree, that comedies at least,
With few exceptions, are Of such de-
criptien, that q virtuous and modest
'crs"n Cannot attend the representation
II them, without the most painful ard
EMBARRASSING sations. II, indeed, Gus.
on has famiIiarized the scene. and thsss
PAINFUL sensations are no longer iel,, it
'nly proves that the person il question.
las lost some Of the best sensibliItIes OF
our na.u'e-that the stror gcst SAFE guard
II virtue has been taken diwn,aEd that
he moral character has undergone BE-
'iOus depreciation.