Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-02
Original Miscellany .
PRoyIDEyCE....NO. III.

through the dark clouds Thick clouds
are a covering to him that he seeth not;
aud he walketh in the circuit Of Heaven"
AS we may arrive at the conclusion oil
the being aud attributes OF tod, in the
temple Of natural religion, so also the be-
lief in Divine Providence is placed
within reach of the light Of nature and
to deny the Almighty fiat and agency in
the creation of The world, aud his proUi-
dencs in governing it, is the most danger.
Gus kind of athsism fer, like the arch
spostate transformed into an ansel OF
light, il aims de idly and concealed blows
at the existence Of the Deity-it strikes at
that while it makes professions OF fidelity.
through this means to surprise, if posi-
bic, the more successfully, the relaxed
yigilence of his friends. Epicurus, there.
fore, was consistent in his creed, in de-
nyiug Jehovah both his creative power in
the formation of the world and his proVi-
dental care over his works.
But what an inconsruous absurdity DO
they fall into wha deny the government
of a Divine Providence in the world p
At the creation Of the world, when the
morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of Sod shouted for joy, they would
have the Ancient Of days slumberiRg on
his throne, while chance was busily EN-
Ployed in building the mighty fabric Of
the universe, bringing light out Of dark.
ness and order out of chaos ; and shall |
say-but do not shudder-they would
have chance peOp!ins the world with in
tclligent beings, who have providence
to forecast and contrive how to preserve
aud govern that which they make or ac-
quires
From such horrid atheism as this even
an enlightened heather would turn away
in adherence and disgust. And what
the light Of nature condemns must be too
absurd indeed to deserve a serious an
swer from revealed religion.
What can an argument prove, but that
he who urges it has lost his reason on the
dark and stormy ocean of atheism, which
supports the monstrous thesis, at which a
heather is offended, that he that made
the eve cannot see-that he who put
providence in the heart of man has none
himself? We have shown from the
hight of nature, reasoning apart from re
violation, that there must be God, who
created by his infinite wisdom and al
mighty power the world that intelli-
gence every where shines from the face
Of nature and intelligence involves de-
sign, design mind to forecast !; and that
this infinite mind must reside in GOd-a
being tar removed from the finite con-
ceptions and Comprehension of his crea-
lures and we now must be convinced
Of the remark, thatto deny him provi-
dence 4" who rules in the armies Of Hea.
ven and among the inhabitants OF the
EARTH" is the readiest way to impugn his
very existence.
The existence OF the Supreme Being is
deeply involved in the conceptions which
we form of his divine nature, being, cha
racter, and attributes, and will always
be endangered in a just proportion to the
erroneous opinions we may entertain OF
any Of these. The remark is a just one,
that defective Deity IS no Deity at all
Consequently, the Supreme Being, to be
worthy Of his creatures alterations, their
confidence and their trust, their gratitude
and their. obedience, must to their finite
minds be
A God full orbed.
In his whole round Of attributes complete.
And then, and. not until then, will they
repose in confidence in their trust in
him, and dwell in delightful security un-
der the shadow of his thrOne-uE who
possesses 0mnipotenee to
Summon into being, 4ith like ease,
A whole CT cation, and single grain
Omniprssenes to attend them in their
1 IA l..