Reflections

The above extract is taken from an exchange paper as a matter of historical vengeance. In fact, such specimens of the cruelty and corruptions of men serve as monuments, raised over the degeneracy, ambition and folly of past generations, for the reflection, contemplation and solemn warning of virtuous people.

In good cooking various articles are used to prepare a palatable repast for the appetite of man. Salt, pepper, spice, vinegar, catsup, cassia, and many other seasonables, make up the dish to please the taste: and thus have we brought in the Guillotine as a variation of death to please the vanity and wrath of man.

There is a consequence and a power attached to death, that man, poor weak man, has never fathomed. He, to-be-sure, has sought out many inventions; circumnavigated the globe; brought down the lightening from the clouds, and soared above them in baloons [balloons]-but he cannot cope with death. From the morning that Cain, in his ambitious thirst for power, without prudence, and humility, shed the innocent blood of his brother Abel, the spirit of the evil one has rambled forth among mankind to destroy life. The opposition to life has marched even handed with the anxiety to perpetuate it. Yea, more so; for when all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth, the Lord himself sent in the floods and made a wholosale [wholesale]

business of the whole earth, and all that had life, save what was in Noah's Ark, died.-By the time the saints have spent as much time in the next world, as they live in this, they will have learned that death is a person, and occupies a conspicuous place among the damned. Hell is a person too, aud [and] death, hell and the devil must fill the three lower kingdoms. It is written in Isaiah: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at an agreement: when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come upon us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold me [I] establish in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner, a fountain well founded, that on account of unbelief shall be hastened.'

Again, while this foundation is hastening to prostrate the designs of wicked men, death, hell and the devil, we read in the revelations of St. John as follows: 'And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat upon him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.'

But enough on this point. The great idea is, to show how many horrible modes of destroying life have been invented by the cunning, malice, and wisdom of men, in the various periods of time; stoning, crucifying, frying in pans, boiling in oil, and beheading; were among the many modes of olden times; as popular as the Guillotine, scaffold, drawing in quarters, burning at the stake, and inquisition, among christians; or faggots, pine knots, stuck into the flesh and burnt [burned], throwing the tomahawk and scalping, among savages. They are all awful, and bespeak degradation of soul, and a lack of pure religion. To incarcerate men in prison, through ambition and wrath; or to hang them in chains; or banish them among beasts on desert islands; or cast them into dens of lions; or plung [plunge] them into furnaces, heated seven times hotter than they were wont to be; or to skin them alive-show such an insatiable thirst for revenge, and display of power over life; that good men cannot endure it:-it will, require a God to judge such enormous crimes, an eternity for the punishment, and a case hardened devil to inflict it!

Modern times, by the invention of gun powder and fire arms, have made the exit of life more speedy. It will be noticed among the most ferocious of the latter day mobs, that swords and gun powder, are the dernier resort to destroy one another; and, perhaps, since there is a consumption decreed upon the whole earth, this method will be the mildest one allowed among the wicked, till all the plagues are poured out and death is taken out of the world. Cowper says:

'Variety's the spice of life,

That gives it all its flavor.'

And, when candid men meditate upon the horrid modes of destroying life, invented by tyrants, they can exclaim:

Jealousy's the bane of life

That gives it all its trouble!

Were it not for the glorious hope of a hereafter, what would be the consolation of the Lord's noblemen? Ah! says the apostle, 'if in this life we only have hope, we are of all men most miserable; eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!' There is a something in the inner man, which reaches beyond death; and like the ancients, we can exclaim: 'Awake, awake, Deborah; awake, awake, utter a song, arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive thou son of Abinoam.'

It seems cruel, excessive, and soul dejecting to let wicked and corrupt men, use power, unto the death and destruction of so many millions as frequently are murdered, butchered, imprisoned and otherwise inhumanly [inhumanely] treated for their religion; or for the sake of glutting the desire of despots; or for the gratification of an ignorant mob; but when the patient spirit of Jesus lifts up the imagination and we view in visions what must shortly come to pass upon all the ungodly, we can pray like Hannah of old: 'My heart rejoiceth in the Lord; mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies: because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none beside thee; neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumble are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased; so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low and lifteth up. He raised up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, and set them among princes, and to make

them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness: for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his King, and exalt the horn of his annointed [anointed] .'

In conclusion, our extract on the Guillotine, and our remarks on modes of murder, have perhaps exceeded the space which they should have occupied, what is the use of curtailing a subject of such immense magnitude?-Were it not that there is a day coming when the nations of the earth shall learn war no more, and when death shall be swallowed up in victory, we should not have had more courage to have written on such a painful theme. The Lord, however, having made a wholesale business of slaying the wicked several times when they became 'too plenty,' has promised that they shall be burnt [burned] up, root and branch, in the last days: Therefore 'let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand;-To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all the saints.-Praise ye the Lord.'

This will be glory enough for one world, and joy enough for those who have waded in blood to bliss. Then and only THEN will the saints understand what death is; and what the power is, of him that conquers all, in this world and the world to come.