The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-10

ol the deepesi aye, II seemed In tie minus
ter of the religion of mercy, that BIZ repen-
lance, aud belief IN the atonement that had
once been mad for sinners, he, too, might
perhaps hope for forgiveness at the throne
of God.
" / warned You, miserable man, of the
fatal nature Of sin, when first il brought a
trouble over your countenance, and broke
IN upon the peaceful integrity of your life.
Was not the silence of the night often ter
rible 10 You, when You We're alone in the
moors, aud the whisper of your own con
science told You, that every wicked thought
VAS saerilege 10 Your fathers dust Step
by step, and almost imperceptihitY, per-
maps, did you advance upon the road that
leadeth 10 destruction; but look bacl, now,
aud what long dark journey, have You
taken, standing, rs you are, ON the hrinl, Of
everlasting death. Once you were kind
gentle, generous, manly, and free. but you
trusted TO the deceitluncss of your own
heart you estranged yourself from the
house of the God Of your fathers, aud what
has your nature done for you at last, but
sunk you into a wrrtchcd, savage, selfish,
eruel, S0wardly, and in good truth a slave !.
\ lelon are you, and forfeited To the hang
mans hands Look ON that poor innocent
child, and think what is man without God
What would you give now, If the last
three years Of your reckless life had been
past IN a dungeon dug deep into the earth
with hunger and thirst gnawing at your
heart, and bent down under cart load Of
chains Yet look mol so ghastly, for
condemned you utterly nor, though
know you guilty, can | know what good
may yet be left uneorrupted and neK tin
gmshed IN your eyes upon me- lift them
upwards, and then turn them in upon yonr
own heart, lorthc dreadful reckoningis be
tween it aud Cod
Mary Simpson had now recovered all
her strength, and she knolt down by the
side oil the groancr. Deep VAS the pity sho
now ielt Tor HIM, who II her bad show 10
pity; she did not refuse 10 lay her hahl
arm tenderiy upon his neck. Often had
she prayed 10 God TO save hi, soul, even
among her rlefu sebs of shame IN the soil
tary glens, and NOW that she bchcId his
SINS punished with a pemofsr more than
he could bear, the orphan Nould hive vii
lngIy died, TO avert lromhi, PROSTATE head,
the wrath of the Almighty.
The old man wept nj The SIGHT of so
much innocence, and 50 much guilt, kneel-
lng together before God, in strange union
and fellowship of common being. With
his own fatheriy arms he lifted NJ the or
Phan from her knees, and SAID - Nary
Simpson, my sweet and innocent Mary
simpson, for innocent thou art, the elders
will give thee token, that will on sabbath
day, admit thee mot for the first fine, tho
so young 10 tine communion table. Fear
uol 10 approach il look at mo and on my
lace, when | bless the elements, and be
thou strong III the strength of the Lord
norman Adams, return To your home.
10 INTO the chamber where yonr father
dled. jet your knees wear ou the part of
the noor ON which lie hueced. Ii is some
what worn already you have seen the
mark ofyour fathers knees. Who knows.
but ihat pardon and pence may descend
from Heaven, even upon such Il sinner ~
lhou! On none such Is thou, have mine
eyes ever looked in knowledge, among all
those WHO have lived and died under my
care, for three generations. But great IS
the unknown suiii, that may be hidden g
ven IN the ciQrcll-yard OF a small quiet
parish like tlis Dost thou feel as if God
had forsahen thee ? Or Oh say ii unto
for repentance.n
The ni,iiiol tonc - tho old r,oa,s ,.or,=
bjng ynice and t,a ,,o,;o, 81 i'I oal 't','
ard W5hered ban4 T.. ,r,. -. ,, ,.'.'',''a
anost in IN attitude If hcnnJ;,,,n NJ, ro, -"
nletrd ,ha nrostr,tian Of ,,at ...anr, ~;
III. All bis hettsr n,t,... ,'.hi,, La5 -,
laoc becn onn,s,.,J ,dor ' anor, ' nr
ordinances and tho cole 'ess or ,. f, 9
ard tbn s,IesLs.a. arIa',I,3. Ia. - -
soI,n now, ,''' ,.en ~ ''' '"eS w mo1 "'7I
respect liz r;rbts .Vbcn r,,,o,pbcr,d
what once Was, ran bonnz.nbnn f,;,l'