The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1830-03-06
For the Star.

"'o"o uPou Us on every hand
which Prove. that only a very limited
part Of Gods moral government. =.
Included in the present .hurt and
transient life. The unequal distribu-
''onTof temporal blessings taken in
c""nec.io" nith the perfect justice of
the Deity. irrefutably proves. that NOR
t"ls must receive their balance Cf
'eward or punishment in some .tsts
of existence other than thi..--Hrre
we see virtue and piety rldiculed and
dispised. We behold the wicked man
a"dtbe oPpressor aou'i,hing like the
green bay tree--he lires in prosperity
and at las: lies quietly sn his bed Of
death. But God has SAID. that the on
Pre,sor shall not 90 free SO we must
look TO that iaud :from whose bourne
no traveller returns, for an adjustment
OF The moral inconsisten cies Of this
life and an illustration of that ,ip;d
justice which Is one Of the tributes
OF Him who cannot lie. This being a
fac', proved both by nature aud revs-
la'ion--it well became the apostle to
enquire, what manner Of men we
should be-" to pass with acquittarce
the final and momcatous. audit before
the ju''gment seat of Christ. Ihsis
the enquiry which concerns every in
'l'vldual son and daughter of Adam
more-infinitely more than any other.
but alas ! il is one which is neglee tad
by too many, and considered ,s secon
Diary to the gauds Of EARTH creatures
that perish in he osing. As eternal
duration exceeds Ii ne-so much our
'utufe interests exceed all earthly ad:
vantages that can be possessed,in their
intrinsic ralue. But how few bel;era
'hi'-(that i-) practically in the life
and conduct.
Oh The busy mullitudes " no ,hrong
the " alks Of lie, the majority seem 10
be aching only with refe ence TO the
present world and as ir their destiny
held no relation to an invisible state
10 CONE. The st,ifs foI wealth, DOW.
er and fame, appears to absorp their
whole atteniion and Danish everv
thought Of futurity from consideration.
And il sometimes they 90 in the place
Of worship and hear the things Of re-
l'g'on discussed they forget in mo-
ment what has been said, as though
the subject was one Of the smallest i'm
oPrlance--an idle dream-a very whim
Df fancy. Though death is constantly
marking its victims, and indiscriminate
" ravagins among all orders and dis
Of men, this Indifference, this
recklessness Of conduct is moi d.min-
ished but the pursuits Of vanity and
dissipation continue to be prosecuted
with the same artlor,as if they were to
last Forever. And indeed, such is the
in:aiua'isn, that some are found who
not only neglec, to prepare for the
future, nut sDeer ut those who do man
ifss some indicp'ions Of Amending
their life and tu' ming to God with full
purpose Of heart This inconsis istency
between the profession OF So many,
and their daily practices in regard to
for the world to come, is
an anomiIy, hard TO be solved by any
rules Of reason. Men profess 10 be.
ieve in u future ctlibution, AMI act as
e they expected TO live forever in
midst of their earthly projects. They
reat subjects Of comparatively trifling
nportancr.: as though the issues Of life
md death depended on them ; and the
dsa Of future existence a mere spec
ilative proposition. Let those who
'eslly believe the tue AID sublime
Ioctr,ne Of Immortality, study to view
he things Of this world in their true
light and practically draw the great
contrast between time and eternity.
, o,r .onf;cu,nro harn a. vory chm.