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Article ESSAY ON STRIFE. Page 1 of 3 →
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Essay On Strife.
ESSAY ON STRIFE .
S TRIFE , like a pestilence , may be traced by the havoc which it makes . Every rank and every station of life is , at times , visited bv this plague of society . It embitters domestic scenes ; it sows the " seeds of everlasting enmity amongst the inhabitants of an obscure village ; -and plunges whole nations into faction and discord . Solomon says , " the beginning of Strife is as when one furnishes with but too
letteth out water . " Daily experience us many testimonies to the truth of the simile ; which strongly points out the necessity of attending to the caution which accompanies jt « therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with . " If the smallest fissure be made in the mound which confines the water , it will soon force for itself a wider passage ; and when once it disdains restraintand carries down
the torrent is at liberty , , before it whatever is thrown to impede it ' s progress . And , such is the violence of strife , if we give it but the least entertainment in the mind , it ' s constant attendants , malice , hatred , and revenge will soon force a passage after it . Then , Non sic aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis
Exiit , oppositasque evicit gurgite moles , Fertur in arvafurens cumulo , composque per omnes . Cum stabulis armada
trahit—Characters , reputations , every thing that is valuable and dear to man , will not be able to check it ' s fury . These are , indeed , often the first objects of it ' s rage . The tempest passes over the head of the bulrush , to wreck it ' s vengeance on the oak . The man who is carried by a rapid stream appears , to himself , to be at rest , whilst every other object seems to be in motion .
He who is hurried away by the violence of Strife is equally deceived both in his senses and his judgement . He ever fancies himself to be in the right , and those of the opposite party constantly in the wrong . Human invention , which has so abundantly supplied the world with mischievous weapons of destruction , has not been deficient
in discovering subjects for the exercise of strife . It is a melancholy reflection , that Christianity , which was intended for the comfort and happ iness of mankind , should have given rise to so many bloody feuds and contentions . The expression of our Saviour , " I came not to bring peace , but a sword , " has been literally fulfilled almost ever since the commencement of Christianity . Christianity had no sooner triumphed over the altars of Paganism , but she became divided within herself ; and « her foes were those of her own household . " But
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Essay On Strife.
ESSAY ON STRIFE .
S TRIFE , like a pestilence , may be traced by the havoc which it makes . Every rank and every station of life is , at times , visited bv this plague of society . It embitters domestic scenes ; it sows the " seeds of everlasting enmity amongst the inhabitants of an obscure village ; -and plunges whole nations into faction and discord . Solomon says , " the beginning of Strife is as when one furnishes with but too
letteth out water . " Daily experience us many testimonies to the truth of the simile ; which strongly points out the necessity of attending to the caution which accompanies jt « therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with . " If the smallest fissure be made in the mound which confines the water , it will soon force for itself a wider passage ; and when once it disdains restraintand carries down
the torrent is at liberty , , before it whatever is thrown to impede it ' s progress . And , such is the violence of strife , if we give it but the least entertainment in the mind , it ' s constant attendants , malice , hatred , and revenge will soon force a passage after it . Then , Non sic aggeribus ruptis cum spumeus amnis
Exiit , oppositasque evicit gurgite moles , Fertur in arvafurens cumulo , composque per omnes . Cum stabulis armada
trahit—Characters , reputations , every thing that is valuable and dear to man , will not be able to check it ' s fury . These are , indeed , often the first objects of it ' s rage . The tempest passes over the head of the bulrush , to wreck it ' s vengeance on the oak . The man who is carried by a rapid stream appears , to himself , to be at rest , whilst every other object seems to be in motion .
He who is hurried away by the violence of Strife is equally deceived both in his senses and his judgement . He ever fancies himself to be in the right , and those of the opposite party constantly in the wrong . Human invention , which has so abundantly supplied the world with mischievous weapons of destruction , has not been deficient
in discovering subjects for the exercise of strife . It is a melancholy reflection , that Christianity , which was intended for the comfort and happ iness of mankind , should have given rise to so many bloody feuds and contentions . The expression of our Saviour , " I came not to bring peace , but a sword , " has been literally fulfilled almost ever since the commencement of Christianity . Christianity had no sooner triumphed over the altars of Paganism , but she became divided within herself ; and « her foes were those of her own household . " But