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The HAtlVlTr OF CHRIST,
44 And, there were in the same country ,
shepherds abiding in the Jieldy keep - \
ing watch over their flocks by night ” j
<Sfc, Luke ii. B—2o.
Palemon.
The silver moon emits her feeble light,
And dissipates the gloomy shades of night ; «
What men on earth a happier life can lead, j
Than-we, who watch and keep the woolly
breed I
From ivghtly prowlers we our sheep defend j
*Ti«, inn cent delight our flocks to tend :
Ko ci perplex our mind, —a shepherd’s
life * ’ , y !
Is all tranquility devoid of strife.
Melihaeus.
Twice ten long summers have roll’d o’er my
. y
Since l a peaceful shepherd’s life have led ;
1 fear nor summer s hea\ nor win.er’s cold*
Bu daiW leal mv harmless floe s to fold.
KeiirM fr m u bulerr and »usy scenes
Our tranqu 1 life, no trouble intervenes j
The praise of G and our leisure time employ* ;
‘Tie this which constitutes our chiefesi joys
Cofydon.
True, Melihaein., nought wrh this can vie,
The world's delights must soon corrupt and
die t . . /■ s "•
Religion ne’er can lose its heavenly pow’r j
nru%ur enliven'd by affliction's hour.
The sensual pleasures of the rich a »and gay*
Are Hu the rr-lived meteors r f to-day:
I wish nor 10 obtain this world’s renown,
My better aim is an immortal crown.
.Damon.
How sweet’s the bread which industry ob
tains ’
Far more dTicious to the rural swains.
Who da ly bv laborious toils are fed,
Than greatest feasts on royal tables spread.—r
But see ! What beauteous vision meets my
eyes,
Descending from the region of the skies,
Arrav’d in robes of dazzling lustre bright,
Far too resplendent for the mortal sight l
* First Angel.
Rood Shepherds, there’s nothing to fear,
No danger nor trouble is nigh;
An angel from heaven is here,
A messenger sent from the sky,
(Rood news of salvation I bring,
And to the earth celestial peace f
The birth of a saviour I sing,
A blessing which never shall cease.
Second Angel..
M asst as appears upon earth, i
A saviour is born to mankind ;
No grandeur is seen at his birth,
He’s meek, in a manger reclin’d ;
The Father’s all glorious Son
Is horn, guilty man to release ;
A heaven on earth is begun, s
A heaven of love and of peace.
Chorus of Angels.
Mxssi as to mortals is given :
We’ll tune alt our harps string’d with gold ;
We’ll praise him for ever in heaven,
But ne’er can his mercy be told.
All gldry to God thron’d on high,
Immanuel’s name let us sing,
Through all the vast courts of the sky, j
For ever the echo shall ring.
’ . . * y -;.$H
Shepherds.
Wha* jn\ful news to us are told !
The saviour promis’d long ; , t v,
Thl’ £l-nanus child let us behold, , y ■ ’
l.et him employ ou*- song.
Wni ‘* ange ! s t\ine m«ir hurps above,
And sing Messiah* b»r»n ;
Xetus proclaim on r sAvjyrn's love.
Who brings us peace on earth.
tltligimtf.
Wire ■ »
EXTRACTS
an essay on the Divine Authority |
OF THE HKir TRSTAXEtfr^
By DAVID BOUGE.
SECTION 11.
The Character of Jesus Christ,
Were there nothing e!*e to distin
guish the New-Testament from oth
er books, thU alone would establish
its superiority. That it is a real
character which is drawn, and not v
fiction, is evident from the very re
presentation. No human mind would
ever have conceived such an one—
\Ve find nothing like it in any anci
ent writings: Plato and Aristotle had
no such conceptions. Such a birth,
such a life, such a death, lie beyond
tlie bounds of human invention ; for
human invention is limited and re
gulated by human passions and pur
suits. There is a peculiar symme
try of features, a cert am original and
appropriate cast of countenance,
which proves the portrait to be
drawn from a rfcal person ; and not
to be a fancy piece,, which sprang
©ut of the imagination of the paint
er. ‘This is eminently the case in
the life of Christ. The discerning
reader will perceive* it to be no ro
mance, no effort of genius,< to pour
tray a remarkable character which
never and existence ; buta real per
sonage who lived on earth, and did,
a nd suffered, and spoke, and acted.’
wh<*t is rtlated of him. If in any in
stance human sagacity can discrimi- N
fmtjfc between real life and fiction, ii
is here ; for a thousand circumstan
ces are adduced, which furnisu Me
fullest opportunities of disimguisu
ing the one from the other. Hie
treated imagination of a writer m*.
«ds ae'o aetsautuiftliy V;»
on* situation* in which he
him ; and those likewise with w om
he ha3 intercourse. But one reader
more conversant with a peculiar
walk in life, sees one thing to be un
natural, and another, another ; and
thus the romance is discovered.—
But in the life of Christ no such un
-1 suitableness appears : all is in its
| proper place. Were the men of
Galilee such proficients in decep
tion ? No. The conclusion is obvi-
I ous :—They write a true history. v
The perfection of Christ’s charac
; ter is another consideration which
{ stamps a peculiar excellenpe on the
New Testament. A representation
• is given of one entirely free from e
very error and every sin-—of one who
! is perfectly wise and perfectly good.
< This character is not pourtrayed in
a few brilliant passages at the end of
the gospels ; it rises out of the whole
of the history of his life and death.
Jesus is presented in many, and in
diflf rent situations. He is introduc
ed speaking on an infinite variety of
subjects ; he converses familiarly
with his friends ; he discourses to
the multitude ; he replies to the ca
vils ; f his enemies. He is displayed
both in active employments and in
sufferings: but not one word is con
tra’ y to the dictates of wisdom ; not
one action contrary to the rules of re
ctitude. He is often thrown into the
most trying circumstances ; and sud
den and ensnaring questions are fre
quently put to him : but his con
summate prudence shines forth in
r his answers, and in his conduct ; and
; none can accuse him of folly or of
; sin. In his most bitter sufferings,
I from the hands of his Father and of
the Jews, there is neither murmur-
I’ ing against God, nor natred and re
venge, nor reviling of man. But he
does not rest in negative virtue he
is all resignation to the will of God.
Hi s treatment of Judas, when betray
ed, and about to be delivered up ;
his behaviour before Pilate ; his
wdrds to the daughters.of Jerusalem,
when they wept at his sufferings ;
and his prayer on the cross for his
enemies, all manifest the highest and
purest efforts of goodness. Not one
evil passion shews itself in the slight
est degree even in an unbecoming
word. No ignorance, no error, no
imprudence ;,a!Lis truth, and all is
wisdom. Enthusiasm and supersti
tion have no place in this wondrous
personage. There is from first to,
last a full display of perfect rectitude
and perfect goodness.
In persons of remarkable activity,
Who are constantly engaged in one
duty or another, and who are there
by thrown into situations of difficul
ty and temptation, how hard is it to
keep free from blame ! Something
is hastily said ; something is unwise
ly done : a reproof is given without
due consideration ; a reply is too.
bitter. Into the few years, of the
ministry of Christ is compressed a,
greater portion of* good works, and
active services,, than can be found in
the protracted life of the man,who
dies at three-score years and ten ;
and who has served God from his
youth. But no imperfection is to. be
found : u Which of you,*’ said he,
to his bitterest enemies, and he says
it you, “ which of you convicteth me
of sin ?»’ Examine the life of Jesus
s fully and maturely. It is written by
four men : and I venture to say with
confidence, you will find nothing
which can detract from the perfec
tion of his character. No other book
furnishes a like instance.—A few pa
ges of panegyric may be written
’ without a fault. A life of tranquil
inactivity it may be possible to re-,
; present without many ) prominent
blemishes ; but a life of so much bu
siness as thetNcw Testament exhi
bits in Jesus Christ, does not exist:
and it encreases a thousand fold the
.•difficulty of drawing a perfect cha
racter. Yet- they succeeded. No
.men of ancient or modern times can
furnish such an example. Take a
view of the writers, their education,
their manner of life, their social in
tercourse and relations,; and you
may justly exclaim with astonish
ment: u How were tbe*e men alone
able to do what all others, in ancient
or modem times, who attempted it,
have attempted in vain !” I can think
of no other answer but this They
were taught of God.”
But there is something still re
maining to be mentioned in the cha -
racter of Christ, which is equally, if
not more extraordinary. While the
Evangelists uniformly represent him
as a partaker of human nature, they
also speak of him as being more than
man : for he is not only called, the
Son of Man, but, the Son of GoJ.-*
Here then is an additional difficulty
ia delineating the character oi Jesus.
There must be added, to the pei lec
tion of a man, the elevation becom
mg * the Word, wno was in Hie be
ginning with God, and who was God.
by w.ioiu all things weie made
nor do we scarcn for it in vain. A
.Ol g with me most amiable condc*
vCcnsions mat ever adouied nu nan
uute* mere is united an oniibt
.**M.y oi sentuuent itnd couau^
as tut
Son of Cor], Jesm speaks with au
thority ; he promises with a consci
ousness of his power he confers
blessings as one Who has a right to
bestow. In every thing, and place*
and time, he preserves, without the
remotest semblance of pride or as
suming arrogance, the tone of a mas
ter, and the dignified deportment of
one who “ came down from heaven
to give life unto the world ; and who
was the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
There is another thing respecting
Jesus Christ which deserves to be
thrown into the balance ; and it is by
no means destitute of weight :
namely, that the Evangelists do not
present a popular character. There
is nothing of the air of an impostor
in it: it was not calculated to gain
the approbation of the Jews. They
expected a Messiah who would lead
them on to victory, who would sub
due ail their foes, and who would
exalt them to woxdly dignities.—
Their hopes of these things were
nigh and warm, and of long conti
nuance : They had drunk them in
with their mother’s milk : they had
received them by tradition from their
fathers. Those who wished to im
pose on them and gain their favor,
flattered their prejudices, and -pro
mised them worldly greatness.
Thus did the false Messiahs act. ■
We see them at the head of the ar
; mies, endeavoring to gam glory to
the Jewish nation, by the edge of
the sword. But Jesus ot Nazereth
comes in a wav which was altoge
ther unexpected ; in a way which
dashed all their hopes, and robbed
their minds of those golden dreams
which had so long delighted them.
In short, it was a total disappoint*
, meat in a matter winch was the sheet
anchor of their hopes,>and which oc
cupied their whole souls. But there
is even more than a disappointment .
Jesus enjoins an opposite temper on
the subjects of his kingdom. ; and
enforces it by his ovyn example. In
stead of cherishing their fond ex
pectations, that he would erect his
standard, and lead him forth tc ,
victory and to glory, he speaks
“ of the Son of Man being betrayed
into the hands of sinners, who would
scourge him, and spit upon him to
death.” Nay, more, instead of en
couraging their ideas of superiority
to tue Gentiles he utters various pa
rables to convey the unwelcome,
because humbling idea, that the
Gentiles were to be admitted to a
participation of the same privileges
with the Jews; and that men of all
nations, wjho received the gospel,
were to be melted down into one holy
brotherhood. Is this the conduct of
an impostor ? Can either the per
son described, or the writers, excite
suspicions, of an intention to de
ceive* ? <
The manner in which.the disci
ples nairate the life of Christ, is
likewise uncommon and worthy of
peculiar notice. There is sometning
here perfectly y unique g.- the whole
compass of human literature fur
nishes nothing similar. That the
men who, wrote the gospels loved
their master,, is too plain to be deni
ed. Their , renunciation of every
worldly advantage and prospect, their
‘entire devotedness to his cause, their
multiplied and bitter sufferings for
his sake, all display both the sincer
ity and feryor of their love.—-In
what raptures will they describe his
life and death !■ Blit on examination
we find no such thing.. The Writers
of the epistles speak in ectacy oft hjs
excellence and love : The prophets
do so too. Isaiah, especially,, has
all the impassioned expressions of a
deeply affected spectator of his cru
cifixion. But the evangelists are
pefect calmness : human fervor will
call it indifference. There is no at
tempt to move the passions of their
readers: they mix not their own
feelings with what they narrate.—
There is not a single commendation
of Christ, in the form of a panegyric,
through the whole of the gospels—
T ney describe his miracles and won
drous works without praise ; and in
a tranquility of manner which seems
at first sight unaccountable. There
is hot the most distant attempt to
magnify them, and excie admira
tion. Nay, when they describe his
; sufferings and death, and the cruel
ty of the Jews, they do not give way
to passion ami grief: there is no in
vective against nis enemies ; no pi
ty expressed for the sufferer ; no
acrimony against Judas or the chief
priests. They relate all as if they
had no concern in the matter.———
’ When Xenophon describes the deal.*
of Socrates, we observe nature ex
. pressing her feelings in sympathy
with the sufferer, in. commendation
of his virtues, and in crimination of
ais enemies. Wby do we not meet
• with the same thing in ihe biograph
ers of Jesus ? This is the moat re
’ markable, as they were not rasa who
».t*d been taught to disguise then
most certainly have
-ceil under “a superior guidance*
. mimmr .. .1* ■ ■
instead of soliciting permission, I shel,
etuilieu to matt us for inserting here the nu
.css Uiaa eioqucaq the iauouabie detenp*
tion of the character of Christ, drawn by the
hand of a master.
w I will confess to yon that ’he majesty of
the scriptures strikes me with admiration, as
the purity ®f the goq>el haih ns influence on
my heart. Peruse the works of oor philoso-
with all their pomp of diction: how
mean, how contemptible are they compared
with the scripture ! f . Is it possible that a book
at once so simple and sublime, should be
merely the work of man ? Is it possible that
the sacred personage, whose history it con
ta ns, should be himself a mere man ? Do we
tind that he assumed the of an enthusiast
cr ambitious sectary ? What sweetness, what
purity in his manners ! What an afi'ecting
g r acefulness in his delivery ! What sublimity
in his mixims ! What profound wisdom in
his discourses * What presence of mind in his
replies ! How great the command over his
passions ! Where is the man, where the phi
losopher, who could so live and so die, without
weakness, and without ostentation l
“ What prepossession, what blindness must
it be to compare (Socrates) the*son of Sophro
nicus to (Jesus) the Son of Mary ! What an
infinite disproportion is there between ;bem!
Socrates, dying w itheut pains or ignominy,
easily supported his character to the last; and
if his death, however easy, had not crowned
his life, it might have been u hether
Socrates, with all his wisdom, was any thing
more than a vain sophist He invented, ir is
said, the theory of moraU. Others, how
ever, had belfore put them in practice ; he had
only to say, therefore, what they had done,
and to reduce their examples to practice.—-
But where could Jesus learn among his com
petitors, that pure and sublime morality, of
which he only hath given us both precept and
example !—The death of Socrates, peacrabiy
philosophizing with his friends, appears the
most agreeable that could be wish, a tor ; hat
of Jesus expiring in he midst of agonizing
pains, abused, insulted, and accused by a
whole nation, is the most horrible that could
be feared, kocraies, in receiving the, cup of
poison, blessed the weeping executioner who
administered it ; but Jesus, in the midst of
excruciating tortures, prayed for Ins merci
less tormentors. Yes, if the life and.death of
Socrates were those of a sage, the life and
death of Jesus were those of a God.. Shall
we suppose the evangelic histori a mere fic
tion ? Indeed, my friend, ic bears not the mark
of fiction; on the contrary, the history of
Socrates, which n< body presumes to doubt, is
• hot so. well attested as that of Jesus Christ.—
Such a supposition, in fact, only shifts the
difficulty', without obviating it: it ismo>ein
conceivable, that a number of persons sftou’d
agree to write such a history, than that one
only should furnish the subject of it. The
Jewish authors were incapable of the diction,
and strangers to the morality contained in the
gospel, the marks of whose truth are so
striking and inimitable, that the inventor
would be a more astonishing character chan
the hero ’* ! ,
Whac a mind ! to conceive ideas so beau
tiful and so just! The divinity of the New
Testament s displayed as with a sun beam !
But what a heart ! to resist the force of all
this evidence, tobjind so fine an understand
ing, and to be, able to subjoin, «• 1 cannot be
lieve the Gospel V*
f . 1 . . j > ’
CONSTITUTION OF THE
North Caijomna
Bible Society.
Impressed with the great impor
tance of the universal distribution
J of the Sacred Scriptures, we, the
subscribers, agree to form ourselves
into a Society,; designated by the
name of ‘ the North Carolina Bi
ble Society; * Os this Society,, the
following shall be the Constitution :
I, The funds and operations of
this Society shall exclusively di
. rectedtto the gratuitous distribution
of the Holy Scriptures.
ll*. The-copies of the Bible distri
* butedßy this Society, shall be of the
version now in use’ among us, with
out notes or commentaries*, and in
such languages as utility may re--
- quire.
, 111. Any person, upon paying two
dollars and subscribing this Consti
tution, shjill be considered a mem
ber of this Society, as long as he
shall continue to pay the sum of
one dollar annuallyi And any per
son who shall pay the. sum of twenty
five dollars, and subscribe this con
stitution, shall be considered a mem
ber during life, without any further
contribution*
IV The business of the Society
shall be conducted by a Board of
Managers. This board shall con
sist of a President, a Vice-Prestdent,
a Secretary, a Treasurer, and six
teen other members, making in all
the number of twenty. The officers
of the board shall be equally officers
of the society. They shall be cho
sen by ballot, together with the mem
bers of the board, at the annual
meetings of the Society, by a major
ity of the members present; and
shall’ continue in office till others
shall be elected.
V. Five managers, duly convened
shall be a quorum of the board for
the transaction of business ; and ten
members present shall be a quorum
of the General Society.
VI. The annual meetings of So
ciety held at Raleigh,, on the se
cond Monday in December, when a
Sermon relative to the grand object
shall be preached by a person pre
viously appointed, and, a collection
shall be made in aid of the funds of
the institution.
* Vli. Special meetings of the So
ciety or Board may be called by the
President or by three of the mana
gers*, with the concurrence of the
Vice-President. /•>< •
/ VUl.’ The Managers are hereby
author"** •10 adopt any regulations,
*n cl - >rmity with the spirit ol the
Const tutioaj wfiich they may judge
;fo be nectesary or expedient to carry
lato idfctt tfca bcjstvokpt design of
r t, . . .v? * V . ‘ V *•
the society. They aliall keep a cor
rect account of the receipts and ex
penditures of money belonging ts
the Society ; and to every annual
meeting they shall exhibits written
report of the transactions of the pre
ceeding year, together with a state
ment of the funds of the society*
IX. This Constitution shall not be
aliei td except at an annual meeting,
&. then not without the concurrence
of two thirds of the members present.
The first & second articles- however*
shall not be subject to any alteration.
Officers of the Society.
Rev. Dr. James Hal!, President,
Gen. Duncan Cameron, Vice-Presi
dent, Ben. S King. Treasurer, Jo
seph Gales Secretary, Rev, Robert
11. Chapman, Rev. Joseph Cald
well, Rev. Wm. M’Pheeters, Rev.
Wm. YV. Hill, Rev. Josiah Crudup,
Jun. Rev- A. Emp'te, Rev. Richard
H. King,Col. Wm. Polk, Henry Pot
ter, William Shaw, William Peace*
Charles F. Bugge, A Rowland, John
Phifer, Thos. D. Burch, R. W il
liams, Pitt, Managers.
GEORGIA.
CLARK SUPERIOR COURT ,
ADJOURN SEPTEKBEX TERM, 18 IJ.
Jarr.es Thomas, \
( RULE NISI,
vs. V
Michael A. Gauvain. j
UPON the petition of James Tho
mas praying the foreclosure of the e
quity of redemption contained in a
certain.mortgage, given by a Mich
ael A. Gauvain to the said James
Thomas!, on a certain tract oT land
containing six hundred acves, being
part of two five thousand acre tracts*
of land granted to Charles Henry
D*Estaing, including a tract of one
hundred and thirty acres, lately oc
cupied by John Thomas and sold to
said M. A. Gauvain by saicl John
Thomas, the said land lying and be- v
ing in the county and state aforesaid »
on the waters of Trail creek, for the -
better securing the payment of as
certain sum therein specified.
It is ordered, that the said
Michael A- Gauvain do pay into this*
court in twelve months from this
date, the principal and interest in
said mortgage contained, and the*.
Cost expended in and about the fore-,
closing the same, or be barred of’
bis equity of redemption in.and to
;the same. And that .this rule be pub-*.,
dished-once a month, for twelve
months.in one of the public gazettes
of this state, or served upon the de
fendant six months previous to th©
time required by this rule, to pay off
the sum contained in said mortgage.
, ’ A True Copy trom the Minutes Os said.
Court this sth day of January, 1814.
STERLING ELDER, Clerk.
ADMINISTRATORS* SALE.
FILL BE SOLD
On thc ; 2sth day vs June next , at the*,
house of Owen Spullock of Clark.
County ,
TWO Negroes, Ben and Tom,
the property of Morning Spullock*.
deceased-^—for the benefit of the heir%.
of, said deceased.
OWEN SPULLOCK,
REFER WILLIAMSON,
Administrators •
May 5.
, , —* ■——
ADMINISTRATOR’* SALE. <
On Friday the 1 7th day of June next r
at the late dwelling house of Jjhtt .
Barntlty deceasedy of Clark county , ,
WILL BE SOLDy
on a credit of ten months , to tha !
highest bidder , part of the personal
property of said deceased —
CONSISLING of horses, cattle|_/j
goats, geese, an 80 gallon still* J
a cotton gin, saw mill irons, survey- m
or’s compass and chain, one box oP 1
pane glass and several other, articles* 1
too tedious to mention- *
Notts with approved security will
be required on all sums
three dollars.
JOHN F. BARNETT* .
\ Administrator.
? May sth, 1814.
| ; f NOTICE. 1
NINE months from the., date*
* hereof application will be made to*
the Honorable Inferior Court opJ
Clark County, lor leave to sell theP
Real Estate of the late CoL’ Peter
Randolph, deceased, or as much,
thereof as is situate in the said coun- ‘
ty ; for the benefit of the heirs and. 4
creditors.
THOMAS W* COBB,
Adm . cum. test • annexom
March 2 U 1814. x
~ XT’ PLEASE ATTEND.”
ALL those indebted to the Sub- yj
scriber for tuition, will oblige
uy calling on Mr. Josiah Newton pi*
Mr. Golding and making payment*
as soon as possible. J
U. W. DOBBINS 1
Aprils f I