Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1840-11-07
FlLIAL PlETY.
BY CHARLES MANLY, ESQ

al
BY CHARLES MANLY, ESQ
"Yoa will ne yer know ill the bitterness
of ingratitude shall teach YOU, the extent
of your duties towards your parents, nor
learn the depth OF the abiding, unchanging
affection which they bear towards you.
| Neither loss of character, nor abandoned
life, nor even black ingraiiude itself can
eradicate this feeling from the parents bo-
som. What beautiful illustration oflhis
ruth are furnished in the Eialy Scriptures!
That volume, which, 10 the language Of
the greatest philosopher and jurist that ever
lived, contains "mcre true snhlimity, more
exquisite beauty, more pure morality,
more important history, aud finer strains
both Of poetry and eloquence, than can be
| collected from all other books, in whatever
age or language they may have been
composed.
"Let us pause and contemplate its sub
lime pages, IN the history Of one of The
Jewish princes. He was tall and come
~ youth, we are told, and his father loved
him exceedingIy.--Her Of The throne Of
Israel, reared in the lap of luxury and
ease, all the wishes Of his heart were in
dnleed with alacriiy by his Royal Father
and his alterations covered bv the mantle
Of affection. When urged by the direfnl
spirit of malice and revenge, he becomes
the murderer of his brother, and is com
PEELED to flee his country, the offended ma
iestv Of the laws is made 10 yield 10 the de-
mands Of parental tenderness, and the
wandering exile is brough, hack and res
tored 10 his fathers confidence and pro
lection. Sailed hy the corrupfions Of his
own heart, and simulated hy wicked
connsellors and corrupt associates, ihi4
airocious youth advone,s fpou' ,",u 'i,a'ou
Of enorm'y TO another, illl by the han.
dishments Of hatierv and the seductive
wles Of intrgues, he corrnp's the feal,v
II his fathers subjects, and plots deep
and dark conspiracy to rob him Of his
throne and hi. kingdom. Impatien, Of
the tardv dcvelopcmen, Of his treason and
rebellion. fired with the lust of rioing un-
checked in the yolupuousness OF the pal
ace, he approves the herrble counsel Of =
confederate, and raises his parricidal arm
10 Undue it in hi. fathers blood. A king,
/ the greatest monarch oi the earth, venera.
hle for his wears and victories, sacred in
his character, both for pretty and prophecy
renowned for proves and reverei for wis.
iom, is reduced to the condition OF a fugi-
tive-,o sudden and extreme necessity
or hyinp for his life 9om The presence Of
his own son! With heavy hear, and a
covered head, and a weeping eve. and bare
feet, David, we are told, went away from
Jerusalem; driven by the insnrrerion of
his own son from his house and from his
throne. Yet when the victorious hosts o.
Israel were issuing from unnatural peril ,
land 10 blast The machinaIinns Of this ruth
less bandit, the iius;rnus Patriarch re-
members that he is his son. Regarding
him with unbroken affection, and apologi-
ling for his crimes as the wavward vagi-
ries Of youth. he charges his captains that
'rhey deal gently with the young man tor
his sake.' And when arrested IN his
iraitorous warfare bv the vengeance Of
The Almighty, and suddenly overwhelmed
in awful destruction, this incesIuons mur-
jerc, and parricidc is found suspended be.
Tween the heavens nnd the earth, in token
Of his being an unfit inhabitant of either;
land when the intelligence Of his death is
announced, instead of exnliiug 10 his own
rescue and ia his restoration to his eslaies
and crown, the father is only overwhelm-
ed with sill deeper affection IN his be'ea-
vement of child. Forgetting he wrongs
and insults that has been heaped upon hlm,
regardless Of his own existence ana s'ran'
gled with grief, in the plenlilude OF near'
bursting with the pangs OF parental an
guish, no exclaims, in the reslslIess elo'
/. quence Of wo:
! ooh my son Absalom, my son Aosa-
lon,
Would to God ! had died for thee!