The Yazoo City Whig. [volume] (Yazoo, Miss.) 1844-1851, 1844-11-15
SCEL US.
The Awful Summons.

Great talents, great learning, great cele-
brty, are all utterly insufficient to consli>
tute man happy, and give him peace and
confidence in dying hour Yet how many
Of the great men of the world, and of our
own land, our statesmen, in high Office and
authority, treat religion practically and tram
pie on the Sabbath, and demean themselves
towards the friends of genuine piety and true
humility, as if the religion Of the Gospel
could never be needfuI for them, or they
want its consultations and supports Misgu~
ded men! with all their talents and influence
and affected disregard Of pioty, the time will
come, when, if they are awake TO the scenes
upon which they will be entering, they will
give all the golden earth, if they had il, for
the humble hope Of the Gospel, which cheers
and sustains the lowly Christian in the hour
Of his departure from this world. We wish
every such man would read and ponder we'll
the following letter, written by one who
ranked high in this worlds estimation, who
had enjoyed freely its honors, but who, ha-
wing neglected religion, saw himself on the
Tremendous brink Of eternity without hope
| DEAR SIR:-Before you receive this, my
| final state will be determined by the Judge
of all the earth. In a few days at most, per-
haps in few hours, the inevitable sentence
will be passed, that shall raise me to the
heights Of happiness, or sink me to the depths
of misery. While you read these lines,
shall be either grooming under the agOnie:
of absolute despair, or trumPhng in the ful
ness Of Joy.
1t is impossible for me TO expressive pre-
sent disposition Of my sOul-the vast uncer
lainty am struggling with! No words cal
paint the force and ViVacity of my apprehen
sions. Every doubt wears the face of hOr
ror, and would perfectly overwhelm me, Blu
for some faint beams of hope, which dar
across the tremendous gloom! What tOngu
. can utter the anguish of a soul suspende
between the extremes of infinite JOY an
eternal misery? l am throwing my las
stake for eternity, and tremble and shudde
for the important event.
Good God! how have employed myself
What enchantment hath led me? In VIII;
delirium hath my life been Passd? Whi
have been doing, when the sun in IFS rae
= and the stars in their courses, have lent the
beams perhaps, only te light me TO perditiOl
never walked till now. have but ia
commenced the dignity Of a rational bein
Till this instant, had wrong aPpreheDsi'
Of every thing in nature. ] have pursue
shadows, and entertained myself wi
dreams. / have been treasuring up du
and sporting myself with the wind. l 10
back ON my past life, and but for some n
MORALS Ofinfamy and guilt, it is all blank
perfect vacancy! / might have graz
with the beasts of the field, or sung W
the winged inhabitants of the woods, TO mu
better purpose than any for which | hS
lived And, OH. but for some faint no
: thousand times more blessed had be-
TO have slept with the clOds Of the vail
! and never heard the Almighty's fat, nor :
Gu ked into life at his command.
nc never had just apprehension of
solemnity of the part | am TO act, till M
>, have ofien met death insultingly on
m hostile plain, and with stupid boast, del
Pc his terrors; with courage, as brutal as
EN- Of the warlike horse. have rushed into
usl battle, laughed at the glittering spear,
reioiced at the sound of the trumpet,
had thought Of any state beyond the gr'
It. nor the great tribunal 10 which must b
been summoned:
Where all my secret guilt had been reveai'
It Not the mlnutest Circumstance concealed.