Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

but it was a brutal courage, whereas that of men should be such as became rational beings and Christians."

A quarrel having arisen between a celebrated gentleman in the literary world and one of his acquaintance, the latter heroically, and no less laconically, concluded a letter to the former, on the subject of the dispute, with, "I have a life at your service, if you dare to take it." To which the other replied, "You say you have a life at my service, if I dare to take it. I must confess to you, that I dare not take it: I thank my God, that I have not the courage to take it. But though I own that I am afraid to deprive you of your life, yet, Sir, permit me to assure you, that I am equally thankful to the Almighty Being, for mercifully bestowing on me sufficient resolution, if attacked, to defend my own." This unexpected kind of reply had the proper effect; it brought the madman back again to reason; friends intervened, and the affair was compromised.

MYRTLE, a character in "Steele's Conscious Lovers." delivers the following just sentiments on this subject: "How many friends have died by the hands of friends for the want of temper! There is nothing manly but what is conducted by reason, and agreeable to the practice of virtue and justice; and yet how many have been sacrificed to that idol the unreasonable opinion of men!

Betray'd by honour, and compell'd by shame,
They hazard being to preserve a name."

Sir Walter Raleigh (a man of known courage and honour) being very injuriously treated by a hotheaded, rash youth, who next proceeded to challenge him, and on his refusal spit upon him, and that too in public; the knight, taking out his handkerchief, with great calmness made him only this reply: "Young man, if I could as easily wipe your blood from my conscience, as I can this injury from my

face, I would this moment take away your life." The consequence was, that the youth, struck with a sudden and strong sense of his misbehaviour, fell upon his knees and begged forgiveness.

It is no uncommon thing, with persons of duelling propensity, to make a very liberal but inexplicable, use of the term "Satisfaction." An honest country gentleman had the misfortune to fall into company with two or three modern men of honour, where he happened to be very ill treated. One of the company, being conscious of his offence, sent a note to him the next morning, telling him, "he was ready to give him satisfaction." Why surely now (says the plain, hovest man) this is fine doings: last night he sent me away very much out of temper; and this morning he fancies it would be a satisfaction to me to be run through the body!

[ocr errors]

It is reported of the famous Viscount de Turrenne, that when he was a young officer, at the siege of a fortified town, he had no less than twelve challenges sent him; all of which he put in his pocket without farther notice; but being soon after commanded upon a desperate attack on some part of the fortifications, he sent a billet to each of his challengers, acquainting them, "that he had received their papers, which he deferred answering until a proper occasion offered, both for them and himself, to exert their courage for the king's service; that being ordered to assault the enemy's works next day, he desired their company; when they would have an opportunity of signalizing their own bravery, and of being witnesses of his." We may leave the reader to determine, in this case, who acted most like a man of sense, of temper, and of true courage.

When Augustus Caesar received a challenge from Mark Antony (in his decline of fortune) to engage him in single combat, he very calmly answered the bearer of the message, "If Antony is weary of his life, tell him there are other ways of death besides the point of my sword!" Now, who ever deemed

this an instance of cowardice? All ages have admired it as the act of a discreet and gallant man; who, sensible of his own importance, knew how to treat the petulant and vindictive humour of a discontented adversary with its proper contempt.

Section III.

A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

THAT book which we call THE BIBLE (that is, THE BOOK, by way of eminence) although it is comprized in one volume, yet in fact comprehends a great number of different narratives and compositions, written at different times, by different persons, in different languages, and on different subjects. And taking the whole of the collection together, it is an unquestionable truth that there is no one book extant, in any language, or in any country, which can in any degree be compared with it for antiquity, for authority, for the importance, the dignity, the variety, and the curiosity of the matter it contains.

It begins with that great and stupendous event, of all others the earliest and most interesting to the human race, the creation of this world, of the heavens and the earth, of the herbs of the field, the sea and its inhabitants. All this it describes with a brevity and sublimity well suited to the magnitude of the subject, to the dignity of the Almighty Artificer, and unequalled by any other writer. LET THERE BE

LIGHT AND THERE WAS LIGHT; is an instance of the sublime, which stands to this day unrivalled in any human composition.

But what is of infinitely greater moment, this history of the creation has settled forever that most important question, which the ancient sages were never able to decide; from whence and from what causes

this world, with all its inhabitants and appendages, drew its origin; whether from some inexplicable necessity, from a fortuitous concourse of atoms, from an eternal series of causes and effects, or from one supreme, intelligent, self-existing Being, the Author of all things, himself without beginning and without end. To this last cause the inspired historian has ascribed the formation of this system; and by so doing has established that great principle and foundation of all religion and all morality, and the great source of comfort to every human being, the existence of one God, the Creator and Preserver of the world, and the watchful Superintendant of all the creatures that he has made.

The Sacred History next sets before us, the primæ. val happiness of our first parents in Paradise; their fall from this blissful state by the wilful transgression of their Maker's command; the fatal effects of this original violation of duty, the universal wickedness and corruption, it gradually introduced among mankind; and the signal and tremenduous punishment of that wickedness by the deluge; the certainty of which is acknowledged by the most ancient writers, and very evident traces of which are to be found at this day in various parts of the globe.

It then relates the peopling of the world again by the family of Noah; the covenant entered into by God with that patriarch, the relapse of mankind into wickedness; the calling of Abraham; and the choice of one family and people, the Israelites, (or, as they were afterwards called, the Jews) who were separated from the rest of the world to preserve the knowledge and the worship of a Supreme Being, and the great fundamental doctrine of THE UNITY; while all the rest of mankind, even the wisest and most learned, were devoted to polytheism and idolatry, and the grossest and most abominable superstitions. It then gives us the history of these people, with their various migrations, revolutions, and principal transactions. It recounts their removal from the land of Canaan, and

their establishment in Egypt under Joseph, whose history is related in a manner so natural, so interesting and affecting, that it is impossible for any man of common sensibility to read it without the strongest emotions of tenderness and delight.

In the book of Exodus we have the deliverance of this people from their bondage in Egypt, by a series of the most astonishing miracles; and their travels through the wilderness for forty years under the conduct of Moses; during which time (besides many other rules and directions for their moral conduct) they received the Ten Commandments, written on two tables of stone by the finger of God himself, and delivered by him to Moses with the most awful and tremendous solemnity; containing a code of moral law infinitely superior to any thing known to the rest of mankind in those rude and barbarous ages.

The books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are chiefly occupied with various other laws, institutions and regulations given to this people, respecting their civil government, their moral conduct, their religious duties, and their ceremonial observances.

Among these, the book of Deuteronomy (which concludes what is called the Pentateuch or five books of Moses) is distinguished above all the rest by a concise and striking recapitulation of the innumerable blessings and mercies which they had received from God since their departure from Horeb ; by strong expostulations on their past rebellious conduct, and their shameful ingratitude for all these distinguished marks of the Divine favour; by many forcible and pathetic exhortations to repentance and obedience in future ; by promises of the most subtantial rewards, if they returned to their duty; and by denunciations of the severest punishments, if they continued disobedient; and all this delivered in a strain of the most animated, sublime, and commanding eloquence..

The historical books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, continue the history of the Jewish nation under their leaders, judges, and kings, R

« ZurückWeiter »