Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-04-27
MOTIVES TO SUPPORT SUNDAY
SCHOOLS.

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immortal souls. So far as the children are
individually concerned, l again remind
you that their temporal interests are the
lowest object Of pursuit. Your first and
highest end is the salvation Of the immor-
tai soul. This is your aim, to be instru-
mental in converting the children from the
error of their ways, and training them up
10 the fear of God for glory everlasting.
What an object! The immortal soul! The
salvation of the human spirit! The soul
was the last and the noblest work OF God
in the formation OF the world; the finish
and ornament of this material fabrick, on
which the divine architect bestowed his
most mature deliberation, and expended
his richest treasures. 1t stood amidst
creation the fair and beauteous image OF
the Creator. This was the object which
upon his expulsion from Paradise, first
caught the envious eye OF Satan, and in
the spoils of which his malice sought a
ifiendlike solace for the loss OF heaven.
This was the object which dragged the
creation into vortex of ruin. This was
the object selected by the great God in
the counsels of eternity, whose salvation
should be the means of exhibiting to the
universe the most glorious display of the
divine projections; on which mercy, wis
dom and power were to exhaust their
united resources. This was the object
for which the Son of God could justify
himself to all worlds, as not demeaning
his dignity, or disparaging his wisdom,
when for its salvation he veil'd his divini-
lty in human flesh, was made lower than
the angels for while, tabernacled amidst
the sorrows of mortality, and closed life
of humiliation aud suffering upon the igno-
minious summit of the cross. This is the
object for which all the revelations of
Heaven, and all the dispensations Of grace;
all the labours Of prophets, priests and
apostles; in short, all the splendid appa-
ratus of redemption was arranged. This
is the object whose interests render angels
Iunquiet in their heavenly seats and draw
them with exquisite solicitude TO minister
to its safety. Such is the retinue attend
ing upon the soul of man into whose train
| you have fallen. What then must be the
value of the human souli Now you see
the business of our Saviour's language !:
What is man profted if he gain the
whole world and lose his own soul, or
what shall man give in exchange for his
soul Now you perceive that this is no
hyperbole, and that literally, the globe
weighed against the value of one human
spirit, is less than the small dust OF the
balance. Convert the sun into one blazing
diamond, the moon into pearl, and every
star that decks the armament into gem,
all this bears no proportion to the value oil
soul. Arithmetic with all its powers is
here Of no use; it cannot aid our con-
ceptions. Think of the Immortality Of
the soul, and this one property of its ma
ture raises it above all calculation. 1t is
10 consequence Of this, that it has been
said with justice, that the salvation Of
soul amounts to a greater sum of happi'
ness than the temporal deliverance of an
empire for thousand ages, for the latter
will come to an end, but not the former.
By the same argument the loss OF one
soul is greater catastrophe than the sum
total of all the temporal misery endured
upon the face Of the globe from the period
of the fall to the general conhagration.
Say now-is not such an object worthy
all the means that are or can be used for
its attainment Do you hesitate /? Ponder,
intensely ponder again. The subject can
never be exhausted; the more it is studi-
ed the wider will its compass appear.
Should you be the happy instrument Of
converting but one soul to God, what
honour are you providing for yourselves,
what happiness for others My fancy has
sometimes presented me with this picture
of faithful teachers entrance to the state
of his everlasting rest. The agony of dis
solution is closed, the triumph of faith
completed, and the conquering spirit hast
ems to her crown. Upon the confines Of
the heavenly world a form divinely fair a.
waits her arrival. Wrapt in astonishment
at the dazzling glory Of this celestial in
habitant, and as yet stranger in the world
of spirits, she inquiries, SIS this Gabriel,
chief of all the heavenly hosts, and am /
honoured with his aid to guide me TO the
throne Of God ? With smile of ineffable
delight, such as gives fresh beauty TO an
angels countenance, the mystic form re-
plies, Dost thou remember little Eliza
beth, who was in yonder world Sunday
scholar in thy class Dost thou recollect
the child that wept as thou talkedst to her
of sin and directed her to the cross of the
dying Redeemer? God smiled with ap-
probation upon the effort, and by his own
spirit sealed the impression upon her heart
| 10 characters never to be effaced. Provi-
dence removed her from beneath thy care
before the fruit Of thy labour was visible.
4 MI. -...l h.sunr-nu l,nI tnIr or, .aoA al a