The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-10-12
From the Connecticut Mirror.

pretending character OF a lay SERMON, are
taken from IN uncanonial haok. Who the
son ut Slraeh WAS. that with such singular
force and beauty. uttered his oracnlar say
ings am not sufficiently yerscd in eccrsi
aslcal history 10 tell Whether he gave
sttefJnce In his own wisdom. ar whether
he selected aud linked together the sayinss
Of "lhefs, tire dark and tue light, ~ hnys
string pearh meats, one thing Is crrialn,
that thf henk contains Il great deal of
truth. In the instance hrtoro ia, he seems
To have looked With u purified vision aud
though he WAS not inspired he WAS 10 have
, been gUed. Gifted ifnnt with the spirit of
prophecy yet with the spirit OF wisdom -
So that if he could moi predict particular
events, he could iorrt,ll from experience,
according IN the rules OF a higher writer,
that which has been done, IL is thai
which shall he doue, and there Is nn new
thing under the sun."
Methllks see that council which ditid
the Ap 'erA pa from the canonlc Il books.
hethink, see the hook of anNious doubt
an the face OF the presiding elder of Thai
venerable body, as he paused after reading
the words I'll the tent. Methnks ! hear
the cmphds,S which he Laid on the last
clause OF it--a clause lnll of assntancc--
" II " I'LL not burst thee \ clause pcclI-
liar'y happy lurrlcr' nc t. this enlightened
aye, the beauty Of Nhleh like the manu-
stlfpts IN Hcrculancum, has Gin had To
these days of steam hnats and boilers, when
t." word bursting has It's dcfatte aud
technical meaning.
Thus much Is necessary 10 he said IN
honor of the appropriated writer, aud with
a view To introduce his work In nnllce
upon the footing, al l,asi, oi modern fash
louablc authors. Not many even among
the good, are familiar with the book yc1
II stands On as high ground as the religious
publications of the dty. ii IL not in oppo
stion To the bible. The as though the one
should be read aud the other skipped. \
serious minded mas may read II una week
day, with SAFETY, at least, II not with pro
+ iii.
Something more must be said 10 vind
! cate the author Of the sermon His con
! srrgaIlon Is mtred, If II - not large His
| Pltl,h"nels have not one jaiM,elIher lnrcll.
| gion or politics. Arians. Inlarians, Me
lhodlsis, Pr.shytcrians, Eplscopaliaus, and
tnivrrsalists--D Democrats, federalsts, Re
/ pubilcans, and Tollcrallonsts, the believers
! IN SWcdrnhourg and the seekers for office,
differing rs they may FROM each other,
like the Cfetcs aud Elamitcs, and dWcllcls
in Mrsopotamla WHO heard htufd edrh IN
| has 0icn language, may rccetrc III common,
and IN common profit by the truth of Il teSt
winch admits OF 10 controversy. As well
might you question the authenticity of the
bible, or the strength of the passage 3" Il IS
appointed unto NIL men, ancc Ia dte," as 10
certificate yourselves from the desk that |
occupy, hecause your soruplrs of con
science put You At variance with the text
lia'lnS thus far proceeded Ia gain your
attention, will settle myself 10 the work
of my discourse, and adopt the common
m'ihodlcal form Of a sermon 10y attempt.
ing to show,
/. What is meant by hearing word.
2. What is intended by letting II die.
3. The nature oil the danger which Is
! called bursting ; and
4. From combination of my former
divisions, shew, that whoever hears u word
and lets it die, is insured against the dan
ger of bursting whatever that danger may
he.
First What is meant by hearing word
or rather what sOrI OF Il word is intended
: Many words are spoken, that They may bc
hedd and rcPcated aud CrcHiaitd uttered
publicly with Sulcc loud with zeal, thai
they may he heard still farther. The
preaching of the gospel for instance, IN,
public events OF the day, the common IN
pics OF speculation the STATE Of The weather
and all The Dnniriliglble politics and &c,
Ugraphy Of South America. But the wprt
spoken ol Is a word thai you should let die
In other terms, ii is "A word The disclusur,
of which would, in the estimation o
those who hear IT, prejudice your neigh
Dor. Who tbs nrlghbor is, can hi
told by the traveller between Jcrusa
lem and Jericho, and by the thcve. tina
lie fell among. Aud, with reference 1,
these ncshbofly rights, the " word that il
10 die with thee" may be divided into l.
The t9ord 0cerheafd by accident, perhaps
which was not Designed for lhine own ear
THIS accidental deposit is Of II sacred cha
raclcr: the communication is of Tie most
confidential kind. Let it die WITH thrr' for
tins reason If for no other, that whatever
come thus by the evidence of lis neigh
bor's evil report. is, If lie di,ulgc it, guilty
ola mealnlcsz, exactly proporlIoned IL the
secrecy required and Whatever the Edl
lns N quest II may have been, the volunta-
ny bctrayius ofths accldental confidence, is
Worse Than the nGrnllty which it disco
NcIs, and II ou9 int To shew, that As the wit
ness should not be trusted in future, hr
r ought moi Ia hrescd for the present ,.
The word SecoDd bandcd, or common
slandef that is oilrn heard in the form of
agreeable news, % pleasant conversation
For tins Kind Of bread eaten in secret
'peIe - - hlnan nature, an unlacky APP
peilic. Such storirs people love lo tc1
10 hear aud Ia repeat. The speaker, for
the time bcln2, Is listened to. lie has the