Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1831-01-08

OF THE BALE AND IT'S AUTHOR.
This divine book, the only one " hich
is indispensable to tine Christian, need
only 10 be read with rejection TO II
sparc love tor its author; aid the most
ardent desire to obey its preceFts.-
Never did virtue speak SO sweet q ..ail-
guage; never was the most profound
wisdom xPrcssed with 50 much energy
and simplicity. No one Can arise iron
its perusai without feeling himself bet
ter than he was before.
The majesty of tho scriptures strikes
me with astonishmcnt,a aud tine sanctity
Of the gospel addresses itself to my
heart. Look at the volumes Of the
philosophers, with all their PomP: how
contemplate do they appear in com.
par.son TO this. Is it possible tina,
book. at oacs 80 simple .i.a saa3s 4sa<
can be the work Of man! Can He who
is the subject Of its history, be himself
a mere man! Was his L,e tone Of an
enthusiast, or of an ambitious sectary
What sweetness! What purity IN his
manners. What an affecting grace
fitness in bis Instructions " nat sub
limit, in his max. ms! What profound
wisdom in his d,scourses. What pres
ence OF mind, what sagacity AID pro
pricty in his answers! iiOw great the
command over his passions! W here
is the man, where the philosopher, who
could 50 live, suffer and die, without
weakness and ostentat:on! Whca Pa
to described has imaginary good nsans
covered with all the disgrace Of Crime,
yet worthy Of all tine rewards Of virtue,
he described exactly the character Of
Jesus Christ The resemblance was
50 striking, it could not BE- mistaken,
and all the Fathers Of the church per-
ceived it. What Prepossion, what
blindness must it be, to compare the son
of Sophroniscus to tine son Of Mary!
What An Unreasonable distance be-
tween them! Socrates, dying without
pain, and without ignominy, easily sup
ported his character to the last; and
If his death, however, had not crowned
his life, it might have been doubted
whether Socrates, with all his wisdom,
was any thing more than anere sophist.
He invented, it is said, the theory Of
moral science. Others, however, had
before him put it in practice; and be
had nothing to do but to tell what they
had done. ard to reduce their examples
to precept. Aristides had been Just,
before Socrates had defined what Jus
tee was: Leonidas had died for his
country, before Socrates had made it a
duty to love ones country. Sparta had
been temperate, before Socrates had
eulogised sobrietv; and before he ccl
ebrated the praises Of virtue, Greece
had abounded with virtuous men. But
from whom of all his cou:ltrynen could
Jesus have derived that sublime and
pure morality. of which he Only has
given, Us both the prccept and example!
In the midst of the most Iicen.ious fam
atheism, the voice of the sublimest wis
dom was heard, and the simplicity Ct
the most heroic virtue crowned one Of
the humblest OF all the multitude.
The death Of Socrates, pcaccably
phllosophising with his friends, IL the
most pleasant that could be desired!
That Of Jesus expiring in tosnenes,
outraged, reviled and execraEed, b. =
whole nation. is the most houible thnA
could be feared. Socrates, IN seceis.
ing the cup Of poison, blessa1 The snee
ing executiOner who SeseAle1ieS ~
jesus. in the midst ofcxcruciatiaR tpe@