The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-12-22


with MI thy heart. and witt all thy soul. aud
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
and thy neighbor as thysclf In these ewo
ME CONTAINED all tnos. laws that regulate the
moral government of God. Every statute
every enactment. that can have any rcfcrsnrc
to the spiritual and moral well-hring Of His
creatures, is incnded in the wide range of
Of these two. Not u spiritual or moral fen =
,uIc in mans nature but is cared tor pro-
tcctcd and cultivated by tli,m. In their
raml'i"at,onS they reach to the most secret
spi ingS OF his being to every shade of thought
and temper and disposition of the mind -
| The statements and declarations such as
1.-THE soul that Snnrth. 1t shall dlc"-"the
wages Of sin is death to he carually
minded is death remember the Sabha' h day
to keep it huly thou shalt not take the
name Of the Lord thy God in vain ~ whether
ye cat, or drink. or whatsoever yc do do all
to the glory Of God. believe on the Lord
Jesus Christi Render not evil fer evil. :
Al! these, we say, with every specific prccept
on the pages Of the bible are but amplifca
tons, or particulars, under the general lulc,
and may he derived from it.
Nor are those laws which regulate the
! physical ard outward affairs Of men less
plain perhaps, And il they are not so gen
orally hnown in all their particulars to men
the reason may he found in the fact. tina,
they are not so important in their Influences
and Effects. We mean by this that white
| The former have to do with the interests of
the immortal soul. the latter apply more
particularly to those Of the prriShing body
and, ,h' rclorc, the Great Law glvcr has not
exalted them to that prominence given to His
| moral and spiritual code. This may be the
reason why some of them lie concealed from
the notice Of some men. Yet all know that
fire will burn that body thrown into the
air will fall to the earth and all nlay know
that Temperance ~ every thing relating to the
body promotes lis welfare, and intenp,r
aiicc its ruin.
Such then. briefly and impcrfrcily is y
summary Of those laws, by chewing winch
God has promised man prosperity AMI good
on the observance Of which He has con.
dit"ncd the growth Of the citizen and society.
Now we need no philosopher TO tell us this is
| ,,llc that prospective in all that pertains to
man as all individual nr collectively. follows
obedience to Gnl'S laws. The fuct is known
To you all it is known to the world. 1t can.
not tie denied. Why 1t is. we may not know
il an rases-- nor need we know. All knnw
tina, fire will burn. But the working of the
subtle, philoSoph,c principle in the process
of burning. we may not be able to under.
! stand. Yet, the fact we know. And we
! know as well = the soul that S;nneth, it shall
DIE, and that :" the wages Of sin is death. :"
| The operation Of the divine philnsnphv,- if
sc may so speak involved IN sin IS retariina
/ the progress. and working out the run of
man. we may not understand in all cases. -
! We know the fact, for God has declared It.
lie has declared it in his hoy word. in til,
conscience Of man. by the voice Of reason and
in thunder toI.cs. in the history Of oul fallen
world.
| What. then. is the conclusion from this
whole matter! Certainly that he does as
| surely rc'aid the growth and improvement o {
society who lives in the llabituai tranSgrcs.
| sion OF tod : moral statutes, as he who breaks
| HIS physical laws: yea, thousand fo!,.,
more. in rs much as the interests Of The Sonl
| transcend those Of the body. lie who wllfulr,
deSlcnrdly, and habitnaIly sins against any
one Of those naral prccepts does lay aS MUIR
| drroUS a hand on the welfare Of the world as
! in opposing Natures laws. He docs as really
send the hand Of min over the surface Of
mems a!l,irs who wiIfnliy breaks the Sab
bath, profancs the name Of God. or ISLANDERS
! his neighbour as when he breaks any one of
God $ physical laws. He who swcars, BIAS.
| phrmes the name Of God, keeps not holy tn.
day Of the Lord, refuses to love God, to Scrrr
! Him. who refuses to repent. to pray. to live
Il christian life docs as really stand in the
way Of his own growth and good, does as
| really endangpr hi, welfare as when he throws
his body in'o the flames, or dashcS himself
from the dizzy pr,cipice hcadlong into the
"hiiling pool. The fnrmcr, with the latter, is
equally a lranSe.c>sion of Jchovah's laws,
and VIII meet with sa,cr, if not so speedy,
a punishment.
! Thus, my brethren God puts into YOUR
hands to day the means OF blessing or the
means of cursing, puts into Your hands the
means. by the right use of which YOU may
." on in that march of improvement and
growth so beautifully dcincatcd in the text !:
or, on the contrary. in the abuse Of which to
secure the fiown of heaven. and the ruin and
loss of all good here, and OF all hope of any to
to come. What broad field for cycrtiun
here opens to the phlnnlhropist the patriot,
the christian. How shall you quicken the
march OF improvement in every department
of interest? How purify and elevate the
the standard Of public taste! How quicken
human energies from the dust of sloih to
active enterprise! How shall you Improve
your lands raise their value and secure your
crops! How secure general growth aid
improvement throughout society? How
hasten the time WHEN" the thrcshing shall
reach unto the vintage, and the vintage Shall
reach unto the sowing-timc - The answer
comes up from all last times, and every land
beneath the sun, from experience, observation
and the Word of Jehoyah--go, "walk in
Gods statutes and keen His commandments
and do them" Go each men so to do. Go
4. y Ice al. I H..