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of feasons inverted-feed time and harveft fail the fea break down its boundaries-beauty changed into deformity, and the univerfe rufh into confufion; till then we must believe that the Lord reigneth-that his finger guides the planets in their everlasting round—that it is his hand which

"Works in the fecret deep; hoots teeming thence
The fair profufion, that o'er-fpreads the spring;
Flings from the fun direct the flaming day;
Feeds every creature; hurls the tempeft forth;
And, as on earth, this grateful change revolves,
With transport touches all the fprings of life."

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THOMSON.

If more be neceffary to affure the mind of that univerfal love which fhines around us, let us next attend to the evidence of this grand truth which nature has ftamped on every bofom; and the first glance will ftrike upon the breaft with more than demonftrative force. A beautiful French moralift has given us nearly the following analogy: "When I furvey the families of my, friends, wifely regulated, and fweetly enjoying in the bofom of peace the happiness of well ordered society, I inftantly conclude that they are managed by wife and intelligent guides. When I furvey kingdoms and states flourishing in peace, the laws revered, justice divided betwixt man and man, commerce and the arts daily improving and extending themselves to the comfort and profperity of the subject, I instantly conclude that wifdom holds the reins of empire, and that the moft confummate ability points its energies. When I contemplate the flocks peaceably spreading themselves over the plains, enjoying the bounties of nature, without terror, without apprehenfion, I conclude that a prudent and watchful Thepherd attends to their wants, and protects their defenceless company, When I fee the proud veffel with her fails diftended, pursuing her progrefs across the pathlefs deep, combating the tempeft, furmounting the billows,

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billows, and happily arriving at her defired port, I infer that an expert pilot holds her helm in his hand, and points her cleaving keel where to divide the waters." In like manner, when I fee the univerfe balanced like a bubble in the air; when I watch its progrefs from day to day, from year to year, find it ftill turning round its. center; ftill renewing its beautiful with. appearances, out variation and without failure, pouring forth its bleffings on its happy inhabitants; can I poffibly conclude that aught but infinite goodness produces this effe&t? Did atoms, uncontrouled, ever concur in fuch harmony? The emotions of my breaft compel me to fcout the idea. If order and regularity imply the agency of a wife fuperintendant in one refpect, they imply it in another. In fact, this is a conclufion which (with the exception of determined perverfity only) mankind have ever drawn; we all feel, we all act under the impreffion. "Where is the atheift," fays the eloquent Latin mo-. ralift, but in the moment of danger will call upon and implore the aid of that God whofe exiftence he is accustomed to deny ? But why does he turn his imploring eyes towards heaven? Why does he invoke the affiftance of the Omnipotent? Surely because the emotions of his bofom deny the language of his lips."

There is, then, an intelligence which prefides over the univerfe-there is an eye which watches over its every moveinent-there is a hand which guides its fecret energies! Nature, in every fhape, leads to the fame conclufion; from the reptile which creeps along the furface of the earth, to him who is conftituted lord of the creation; from the hyffop upon the wall to the cedar of Lebanon; from the earth on which we tread, to the fkies which are ftretched out over us; from the feelings of the bofom to the evidence of reafon, every thing concurs to proclaim the operation of the divinity! "We cannot go where univerfal love fmiles not around;" and must be without excufe if we refufe our concurrence to fuch an hoft of teftimonies.

W. H.

THE

THE

ALTAR OF PEACE,

AN

Addrefs delivered in the Council Houfe, at Greenville, July 5th, 1795, before the Officers of the American Army, and Major General Wayne, Commander in Chief, and Minifter Plenipotentiary from the United States, to treat with the İndian Tribes North West of the Ohio,

A

BY MORGAN J. RHEES.

Noble example for all generals and commanders of armies! Gideon, when going out to war, erected an ALTAR to the GOD of Peace. His object was not devaftation and plunder, but to defend the lives, liberty, and property of his brethren; when thefe objects were obtained, the fword was theathed, and he returned to his occupation, crowned with honour.

Gideon, as a worshipper of God, is worthy of imitation by all men; if there be a firft caufe, a difpofer of events, a diftributor of rewards and punishments, he is certainly an object of adoration. Some have fuppofed man to be a religious animal, that it is religion and not reafon which diftinguishes him from the beaft; but, without the exercise of reafon, I am at a lofs to know how we are to prove the existence of the Almighty. It is true, in most countries, favage as well as civilized, we meet with the temple and the priest, the altar and the offering; the mythology of the heathen, the mosques of Mahomet, the fuperftitions of popery, and the circumfcribed ceremonies of the Jews; all have a tendency to prove that there is fuch a thing as real religion. Let us fearch for it, not by rejecting wholly every thing that bears the appearance of religion, but

* Judges vi. 24.

by

by acting the part of the bee, extract the honey from every flower!

Although this Western world be a wildernefs, we meet here with abundance of flowers which would adorn the most beautiful garden in Europe. Shall we reject thofe valuable productions of the earth, because they grow in an uncultivated foil? furely not. Shall we then reject the noble precepts of Chrift, and defpife his inftitutions, becaufe they have been obfcured' by the weeds of Popery and Mahometanifm? God, forbid Rather let us cut down the groves of Baal and defpife his worship. Let us reject every hypothefis that will not bear the teft of examination let us believe nothing but what is fupported by evidence, and may be proved by reason.

That religion is certainly rational which reprefents the Supreme Being in the most amiable manner, rewards virtue, punithes vice, publishes peace to the penitent, unites man to man, and all good men to God. Such is the Christian religion in its primitive fimplicity: although its advocates are engaged in the most important war; a war with ignorance and vice; yet, after the example of Gideon, they continually pray for peace. The commander in chief has ordered them to publish peace in every houfe they enter; peace to the Indians, to Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Their commiffion is to preach the gofpel to every creature, to proclaim glory to God in the higheft, on earth peace, good will towards men!

However, if we wish to enjoy a permanent peace in the world, the private circle, or the confcience, the Bible declares we muft ceafe to do evil and learn to do good; the rule is fhort, the commandments are easy. All the precepts of Jehovah center in one fyllable LOVE. The law and the prophets, like the rays of the fun, collected to a focus, here fhine and burn.

The man who loves God as the fupreme good, and his neighbour as himself, furmounts every obftruction

with ease, because he is borne above earth on the wings. of love; the philanthropist is every perfon's neighbour, the white, the black, and the red, are alike to him; he recognizes in each a brother, a child of the. fame common parent, an heir of immortality, and a fellow traveller to eternity. He knows how to make allowances for the prejudices of nations and individuals; inftead of declaiming and tyrannizing, he endeavours to lead (with the cords of love and the bands of man,) all his fellow men, to think, and judge for themselves, what is right. Having done this, the foundation is laid for a glorious fabric! The man who dares to think few rioufly for himself, brings a complete facrifice to the altar of peace; his ear receives inftruction, the memory retains information, the judgment difcerns between truth and error, his eye or principle is fixed on the glory of God and the public good; and his feet or affections perfevere in the path which leads to immortal bleffedness.

Whilft on his journey the Chriftian ceases not to offer up the facrifice of praise for the innumerable mercies which furround his path and his pillow, but especially, for that life and immortality which have been brought to light by the gospel.

Brethren where we have fallen fhort in any duty, especially that of gratitude; let us move on with a firm and steady step in the great work of reformation, and as we are furrounded by temptations, let us combat the powers of darkness and the enemy will flee before us with the weapons of eternal truth let us fight the foc, and our rallying point fhall be the Altar of Peace.

Permit me to defcend to particulars, and apply the fubject to the pending treaty. The Lord give peace. But, firs! in order to establish a durable peace, fome facrifices must be made on both fides.

The love of conqueft and enlargement of territory hould be facrificed-every nation or tribe having an

indefeasible

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