Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-09-13
LORD BACON.

Lord High Chancellor Of EagIand, was
| born in tic year 1861. TGe following
account Of tbs celebrated ph7osopcr is ia
kcr'fron ADDISON.
| Sir Francis Bacon was a man who, for
greatness Of genius, anG compass ofknowl.
edge, did honor 10 his age and country; |
could almost say 10 human nature itself::-
lie possessed at once, all these cXtaordin
AIRY talents, which were divided amongst tue
greatest authors Of antiquity. He had the
sound ,dlsin It. comprehensive knowledge Of
Aristotle, with all the beautiful lights, .gra-
ccs and embellishments Of Cicero. One
does not know which 70 admire most ofhis
writings, the strength Of reason, the force
OF sylc, OF tie brightness ofimaG.nation.
I.was infinitely pleased. to fad among
The. works Of this extraordinary man, u
prayer Of lis own composing; whiclr for
the elevation of though, and greatness of
expression, seems ra,ncr the devotion o! an
angel than of man. His principal fault
appears 10 have been. the excess Of that fauli
winch covers. a multitude Of .flu;is. This
betrayed hin to so great an indulgence 10.
wards his servants, who made corrupt
use Of it, that it stripped linn OF those riches
and honors, which long series of merits
had heaped upon him. But in his prayer
at the sainc tino ilat we find him prostra.
ling himself before the great mercy scat,
and humbIcd under affections, which at that
time lay heavy upon him, we see him sup
ported by the sense Of his integrity, his de-
voGon, and his love of mankind which
give. him much higher figure, in. the
minds. Of thinking men, than that greatness
had done from which hcwas fallen. shall
write down The prayer Itself, as it was found
among his lordship's papers written, with
his own hand -
"Most gracious Lord God. my mcrcIful
Father my Creator, my Redccmcr, my
Comforter thou soundcst and searches: the
dcp'h and secrets of all hearts; thou &C.
knowledgcst the upright thou judgest the
hypocrlte; vanity and crooked ways cannot
be hidden from thee. ....
Remember, 0 Lord. how thy servant.
has walked before thee remember what |
haye first sought, and what has been princi.
pal in my intentions. have loved Thy
assemblies; II have mourncd for fhc dlvis-
ions OF thy church | have delighted in the
brightness Of thy sanctuary l. have ever
prayed un.o thee, that the vine which thy
right hand has planted IN this nation, might
have the former and latter ruin: and that ii
mig ght stretch branches to the seas and to
the floods. The state and bread Of the
poor and oppressed have been precious in
ray eyes; have hated all cruelty and
hardness of heart; | have. though a dcs,
pissed weed, endeavored to procure the
good of all men. If any have been my
enemies, thought not tihem, neither has
the son gone down on my dlspleasure but
| have been as dove, free fom superfdi-
ty Of righteousness. Thy creatures have
been my books, but thy Scriptures much
more so. lhave sought thee in thy courts,
the fields, and the gardens; but have
found t'.ccia thy temples.
"Thousands have been my sins, and ten
thousands my transgressions; but thy sane
,ilica.ions have remained with me and my
heart, through thy grace, hath been an un'
qpenched coalupon thy. altar.
40 Lord my strength, 4 have from my
youth, met with thee in all my ways i'll thy
iatirrry compassons, in thy merciiul chas-
| tiscments, and in the most visible provlden-
ces. AS thy iavurs have increased upon
me-, so have thy corrections; as my world
Iy blessings were exalted, SO ,ecrct darts
from, thee nave pierced me; and when /
have ascanded before men, | have desccn.
ed in humiliation before thee. And now
when have been thinking most of peace
! and horor. thy hand is heavy upon me:
and has humbIed me, accordingto thy hum.
bic loving Kindness, keeping me still in thy
iatfcry school, not as IA bastard but, as a
child. just are thy judgments upon me
. for my sins, which are more in number than
the sands of the seas, but which have no
proportion 10 thy mercies. Besides my in.
Vulnerable sins. | confess before thee, that |
am a dcb;or to thee for the gracious talents
ofthy gifts end gracos; which | have Meth.
er Put into a knapkin, nor placed, as ougtst
with cxchangers, where it might have made
best profit but have misspent it in things
for which was least fit so may truly
say my soul has been s:rargerin in course
of my pilgrimage. Be Be'merclful unto me,
0 Lord, formy Sa:iour's sake, and receive
me into toy bosom, or guide me in thy
ways" -
THE DYING BED OF a MOTHER.
OF all the relations on earth. none arc
more sacred than that of a mother. lfany
person tuis side Of heaven, has claims to su-
perior attention, it is an aflectionate, pious,