The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-23


TO take upon hitnseifa holy charge; to pro-
mise to hook aiterhis chld'sinmorta soul !.
and To keep its little feet from the paths Of
evil, and III those OF innocence and pracc.---
Such Thought eleyatts the loves, mind q
bose itself-dill,ses additional tenderness
over the domestic relations; and makes
them who hold mp th,il iGauts 10 the bap
tismal font, better fathers, husbands and
SONS, by the deeper insight which they then
possess into their nature and their life.
The minister consccrates the water and
as it falls on his infants face, the father
feels the great oath in his soul. As the
poor helpless creature is waliug in his arms,
he thinks how needful indeed TO human in
fancy is the love of Providence And when
after delivering each his child into the arms
of the smiling maiden from whom he had
received il, he again takes place for admo
milton and advice before thepupit, his mind
Is well disposed TO think on the perfect
beauty of that religion, Of whom theDiyine
Founder said, "suifcr little children to be
brought unto me, for of such Il the kingdom
of heaven"
The rite of Baptism had not thus been
performed for several months in the kirk,
OF Lanark. II was now the hottest time
oil prosecutions and the inhabitants Of that
parish found other places in which 20 wor-
ship God and celebrate the ordinances of
religion. II was now the Sabbath duy--
and small congregation of about hun,
dred souls had met for divine service in
place of worship more magnificent than any
teinpla that human hands had ever built TO
DEITY. Here, too, were three children n
bout To b. baptized The congregation
had not assembled To the toll OF the bcll l.
but each heart knew the hour ard observed
II; for there. are hundred sun -d ils among
the bills, woods, moors aud fields, and the
shepherd md the peasant see the hours pas
sing by them in sunshine and shadow.
The church in which they were assem-
bed was hewn by Gods hand, out of the
eternal rocks. A river rolled SIS way thro'
a mighty chasm of cliffs, several hundred
feet high, of which the one side presented
enormous masses, and the other correspon-
ding recesses, as if the great stone girdlc
had been rent by convutsion. The chan
mel was oyerspread with prodigious frag-
ments of rock or large loose stones, some
of them smooth and bare, others containing
soil and yerdnre IN their rents and assures,
and here and there crowned with shrubs
and trees. The eye coald at once com
mand IA long stretching vista, seemingly clio
sed and shut up M both extrcmities by the
coalescmg cllilt. This majestic reach of
river, contained pools, streams, rushing
shelves and waterfalls innumcrablc and
when the water was low, which il NOW was
n ha a "a
ap this scene, with the calm blue Sky over
head, an utter and sublime solitude. On
looking 1.-The soul was bowed down by the
feeling ol'that prodigio,s height of anscalo-
able II often oyerhanging cliff. Between the
eliannel and The summit of the far extended
Precipiccs we're pcrpetually flying rocks
and woodplgeons, aud now and then a
hawk, filling the profound abyss with their
wild eawing, deep murmur, or shrllly
shrek. Sometimes heron would stand
erect and still ON some little stone Island,
or rise up Ike white cloud along the black
wall ofthe chasm and disappear. Winged
creatures alone could inhabit this REGION
The fax and the wild cat chose more Access
sble hamts. Yet here came the persccu-
ted Christians and worshipped God, whose
hand hung over their heads those magnii-
cent pillars and arches, scooped out those
galleries from the solid rock, and laid at
their feet, the calm water IN its transparent
beauty, in which they could see themselves
sitting in reflected groups, with their Bibles
in their hands.
Here, upon a semicircu,ar ledge ofrocks,
over narrow clasm, Of which the thy
stream played IN murmuring waterfall,
aud divided the congregation into equal
parts, sat about hundred persons, al de
voutiy listening TO their minister, who stood
before them on what might well be called
a small natural pulpit of living stone. Up
to il there led short Hgll, Of steps, and o.
yer Il waved the canopy Of a tail graceful
birch tree. This pulpit stood o. the mid
die OF the channel, directly facing that CON
sreSaiion, and separated from them by the
Clear, deep, sparkling pool, into which the
scarce heard water poured over the black
eped rock. The water, as it left the pool,
into two streams, and flowed on
each side of the Altar, thus placing it in
an island, whose large messy stones we're
richly eabowered under the golden bios
SONS and green trcsses Of the broom. Di-
vine service was closed, and row Of mai
dens, all clothed in purest white, came gil
ding off from the congregation, and cross
ing the stream on some stepping stones, ar
ranged themselves at the foot of the pulpit,
with The infants about to be- baptized. The
fathers of the infants, just as if they had
been in their own kinks, had been sitting
there during worship, and now stood UP
before the minister. The bapi:smal water,
taken from that p.lucid pool, was lying
consecratcd in small hollow Of one of the
upright stones that fosmed one side Of the
pillar Of the pulpit, and the holy rite pro-
ceed'd. Some OF the younger ones III that
semlcircle kept gazing down into the pool,
III which the whole scene was reflected, and
nnNy and than In unifn nf Tho nra w, LnnLo Or