The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-12-12

nit me to illustrate my position by
fact There lived, not long since, in.
our land, man whose early impress
sions were virtuous-for he was born
and educated a Christian, and was
cherished by affectionate and good par
ents. He became, when quite a youth,
respectable for attainments, and distin-
guished for genius, In an evil hour,
chance threw in his way the. works Of
Paine, which he read with avidity, and
drank deep Of their moral poison. His
appetite for this vile reasoning increas-
ed; and he pursued his researches from
doubt to Doubt. from seepticism to
atheism. He rung the usual changes
upon fate, destiny, chance,. and all the
hateful terms in the vocabulary of inf
deity. To get rid of belief which
was sound and honest, lie substituted
the most credulous conjectures. He
talked.of reason, until thatgodlike prop
erty was degradeds to instinct; upon
instinct, until that british quality was
placed upon the throne of reason
Creation, in his creed; was never Great
ed, and would never expire-right and
wrong were idle distinctions, varying
with time and place. He held that an
assassin and a saint were alike when
dead-there was no difference in the
grave: yet he preferred honesty be-
cause it was the easiest course. He
often, by the subtietieseofhis reasoning,
shook the faith of the aged, and per-
yerted the minds of the young for his
doctrines had the attraction of novelty,
and there is to every ore, something at
fist seductive in being. released from
restraint and fear. Many visited him by
stealth, who wouldt not associate with
him publickly; but his singularity made
him however an isolated being, His
wife, whom he tenderly loved, died in
the perilous hour of nature, and left him
afamily of small children.-He was too
proud to repine or seem to- mourn but
it was easy to see, through the assumed
ealmness, that he deeply suffered, and
had no relief from religious consultations.
All human sympathy he spurned, as be-
ing beneath the dignity and firmness Of
a philosopher. His own constitution at
length gave way but he languished.
without murmur. His neighbours,
Kindly wished to turn his attention to
future state. Devout men, of various
religious creeds, waited around him 10,
discourse upon the affairs of eternity
With'the curled lip of scorn, he taught
ingly told them to agree among them
selves, before they attempted to con-
vince him of his errours.. The youths
who had listened to his strange doctrine
drew near, and timidly enteredthe room,
@to'learn if he could now support such.
opinions. But at this moment, when
the dews of death were upon his brow,
and he, had gatheredhimself in his bed
to'meet, with savage fortitude, all the
agonies of dissolution, he still breathed
the irreverential accents of doubt. All
human exertions for his salvation SEEM
ediat an end. Patience was exhausted
pity wept, but entreated no more
.-andt hope, which fingers last, was
changed to- despair. 1t was moment
of horrour 1t seemed like the precise,
point of time when mortal wickedness
had: come to the end Of league with
some demon, and the everlasting thral-
dom of, the soul was claimed.
At this instant his children came into
the room TO take aslast leave Of. their
dying father. He gazed on them with
the glazed, and sunken eye of expiring
nature. For moment he seemed,to
revive One of the children, he said,
reminded him of his dear departed wife,
the other, of his venerated mother; and
the next words he breathed, were, sOh!
that; had never left tire simple pre-
cep:s Of that mothers faith, nor forgot
ten to,pray,. as she taught me- A. few
minutes of silence ensued-then, look
ing up to.heaEen, he exclaimed, ooh
God! visit. not my sins upon the heads
Of these babes; but be to them parent
Ohrholy nature J; thy author must be
God.of wisdom, and.goodness, and mer-
cy-before thy influence, false reason
vanishes,- and pride expires A calm
hour succeeded, and he died. Parental
feelings, the sweetest touch of nature,
dissipated mental error, and chased away
those cold mists which doubt and I'M
certainty cause to,hang upon the souli
the silver chords of affection were
made the conductors of divine revela-
ton TO the mind The seeds Of virtue,