Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1839-09-05


elements of nature arc rendered
subservient to the operations ofmind-and
the genial influence of commerce, science,
and religion are shed down upon the ma
tions of the earth.
LIE, us now inquire, if gambling has the
remo.est tendency to carry into effect the
will of God, thus plainly indicated in the
constitution Of things, and The written
word. The business Of ihe gambler is to
employ himself at the card table, the faro
bank, or in some other scheme for the pur-
pose of winning money. His intellectual
energies are taxed to the ultermosf i'll so
playing his part Of the game, as to win
from his antagonist all the money that he
can. His intellectual effort tends to no
good. II does not enlarge his mind. 1t
fits him for no other employment. than that
of iniurins his felIow-men. The meraI
energies Of the gambler are made worse.
The second precept Of :he Divine Law
commands lis, TO love our neighbour as
ourselves. Love wCrketh no i'll to his
neighbor. Does the gambler obey This
law? What love has he TO lis neig ghbor,
who will win from linn his last cent, and
reduce him and his family. if he have one,
10 state OF degraded poverty! ltis such
love as vullurcs show to doves-tigers TO
lambs" The gambler does nothing in the
line Of his business to cultivate the earth,
enlarge the boundaries Of science, i'm
prove the arts. or advance the interests of
religion. The tendency of his pursuits is
to destroy all improvement, and render the
earth waste-howlins wilderness-to ha-
nish all religion from The minds Of men,
and tue knowledge Of God from the world.
Let US contemplate for moment the
scene which The gambling table presents.
Behold the company assembled. Do they
begin their work with prayer! They dare
not invoke the blessing Of God upon their
unhoIv doines. A dea,h-Iike silence per-
vades the assembly willis, the game pro-
ceeds, until some sudden turn of luck
draws forth an exclamation of horror or of
joy, from the loser or the winner, accom-
panied with an awful oath. When the
game is ended, the successful party with
draws 10 count over in triumph his ILL
gotten gains. The unsuccessful party re-
tires with confusion aud remorse, to exc
crate his folly.
Multiply such assemblies in the earth,
and what will he The result Mankind
will be divided into .wo classes-tLc win
ncrs and the losers. But from the nature
of the case, the losers will form The lar.er
body, and the winners the smaller. These
having engulphed all the property, Inc
Insers will becom" the abject vassals--the
degraded, servilc victims Of their covelous
deStroyers.
Now, suppose the Great Master JESUS
CHRIST TO come and reckon with these
his servants. What account will they
have to render? What improvement will
they have made OF Ihr talents committed
to their charge Neither will have the
insulting plea to offer -" | knew thee.
that thou art an hard man, rcaping where
thou hast not sown, and gathering where
ihou hast NOT sreweh; and | was afraid,
and went and hid thy talent in he earth.
Lo! there thou hast thu is thine
Sluthlulness cannot he alleged against
them. For they have been industriously
engaged in employing their talents-no,
for good, bu, for evil. They calnot offer
these talents entire, though not improved,
that they miel.l receive a better dIrccti"n,
but abuscd-pollutcd-ruined. Wha;
must re their doom If the slothful SER
want has that, which he hath, taken from
Iiu, aud himself cast out into utter dark
ness, where there is wailing and gnasfing
of lceth-whither, o! whittier, shall the
gambler be driven!
If the views just presented of gambling
be cor.,c CT, can it be consiste with the
profession of Christian, that he should
give cou"tenan in any nrm-even
in the shape q a lottery, the most plausible
form which it can assume! Surely not.
But let us take another view of 8 b.
linz. 1t is sometimes urged in favor Of
gambling, that it is transaction, like a y
other among men. proceeding upon fair
and honorable principles. The parties
agree to be governed by settled rules and
established laws. The loser has nothing