The New Hampshire Gazette

From the Public Ledger,
Or, Daily Register of Commerce & Intelligence.

The VISITOR. - No. 46.
By Philanthropy Candid, Esq;

Who sings the Source
Of Wealth and Force?
Vast Field of Commerce and big War!
Where Wonders dwell;
Where Terrors swell;
And Neptune thunders from his Car

When we behold the great deep, without track, or without limit, we may well stand amazed at the courage of those, who first boldly dared to commit themselves to its unknown bosom, and to pierce into its pathless regions. Horace (who was not indeed a man of very great courage himself) is of opinion, that the first adventurers must have had hearts of oak, or rather of triple brass; their attempts were judged no less presumptuous than dangerous: since the ocean was esteemed by the ancients as the insuperable barrier, and grand separator of different nations, formed by the Deity on purpose to secure kingdoms from the attacks and insults of each other. A notion so very far from the truth, that the sea is the sole connector of distant nations; and to it we owe at once, all the advantages of commerce, much of the improvements of science, nay and the knowledge of the glorious Gospel. By means of this liquid vehicle, vessels of the largest burden, are borne along with the utmost ease from clime to clime, from one country to another; thus the rich produce of the East is poured into the storehouses of the North; and the inhabitants of every quarter of the globe, not only hold intelligence, but mutually exchange their commodities, and gain a supply of more than every want in life. Hence what abundance of wealth rewards the anxious and industrious merchant: what a happy provision is afforded for the thousand and ten thousands whom the demands of commerce continually employ. Thus our inferior brethren are engaged in useful labour; and become the strength, the sinews of the community: who if relaxed from the honest engagements of industry, most probably would corrupt in indolence, and be either the perpetual annoyance, or the speedy destruction of the public welfare and peace! How graciously hath the wise Creator of all things provided for the well being of his people: And let me add, for his people of our favourite kingdom in particular. Where not only plenty crowns our peaceful plains, but the golden wings of commerce waft blessings on every gale! Happy, thrice happy Britain! May the tender mercies of him, who is omnipotent, still preserve thy invaluable privileges to thee! And while amidst the horrid din of distant arms, and the melancholy cries of ravaging desolation, thou hearest only the pleasing voice of firmest union, fullest glory, and complete prosperity, may'st thou be wise, gratefully to acknowledge the bounty of the giver; and may thy sons, by every worthy and laudable virtue, by the work of humanity, and the love of religion, engage to themselves a continuance of the Almighty's protection!

When we visit the dock-yards, and survey the wooden towers rising there, beneath the artificers hands; their amazing bulk fills us with wonder to think that they shall not only when freighted to the full, and immense in burden, be buoyed up, and float, like the light cork, on the waves of the mighty main; but that they shall travel through its roaring surges, with a velocity perfectly incredible: And what is most amazing of all, be directed unerringly through a wild of waters, where there is neither land, nor path, nor land mark to direct the bewildered traveller; directed with a facility, that is inconceivable, and turned - unwieldy machines, turned as the directing hand of the master pleases. Behold also the ships, as the Apostle, which though they be so great, are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. To what we have said concerning the saltness of the waters, we must add, that this saltness serves greatly to the use of navigation, in aiding to buoy up the vessels; for it is specifically heavier than fresh; and it has been said, that vessels which have sailed safely on the salt, have sunk when they came up fresh water rivers. But not the saltness of the water: nor the management of the helm; nor the nice conduct of the bellying sails; nor the wondrous power of the air, which though invisible, fills them with such force, drives on the vessel with such impetuosity through the dashing flood; none of these, though admirable in themselves, strike us with such pleasing surprise, as the reflection on that soil, which though mean and contemptible in appearances, is invaluable to the sailor: for it unerringly directs him through the trackless regions of the boundless ocean. And when neither sun nor star: when neither land nor land mark are to be seen; when all is sea and all is sky: Nay, when neither sea nor sky are to be discerned: when all is darkness and tempest: then this infallible guide holds out its kindly assistance: and the loadstone informs the sailor where to steer his course: The loadstone, which has given to navigation its perfection, and enabled the undaunted sailor to traverse the globe.

From how small and inconsiderable causes doth the omniscient creator produce the most important effects. Who would conceive that a mineral of this sort should tend to such extensive utility! But we may observe, that in nature, as well as in grace, the mighty Master as it were to teach men humility, and to deride the vast efforts of human power thus constantly acteth; using the mean and apparently contemptible things of the earth to confound, we are told the strong and the wise. Let not then the low and servile appearance, which his only begotten Son put on among us; let not the shameful and accursed death he deigned to die: let not the obscurity of his Apostles, the lowness of their births, the servility of their occupation, their ignorance of human learning, at all disgust or offend us: Nay, rather let it confirm our faith, and satisfy us, that this is most agreeable to the Sovereign Ruler's manner, and the strongest proof of his intervening power, to whom easy and arduous are the same: who can work as effectually by the weak as by the strong: And who from the meanness of the instrument, more abundantly confutes the arrogance of mortals, and establishes his Own unparalleled glory.

Great and many are the advantages derived from the sea, considered as the grand vehicle of commerce, the source of national wealth and industry: but let us not omit to observe, that thus not only the riches of nations are communicated; thus also the riches of the gospel of Christ may be, have been conveyed to us; are conveyed to distant climes, and they who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, are revived with the light of his heaven-descended truth: America can witness this; whole realms ere while were obscured with a darkness, not less black than that which invests the tawny inhabitants; but now the day-spring hath arisen to enlighten -- and would to God, we could add -- hath perfectly enlightened these benighted climes! -- But alas! how slow is the progress, how imperfect the spread of the religion of Jesus! how destructive, how pernicious, in every view are the ravages of war! how fearful is the account, how horribly fearful are the accounts those potentates will have to make hereafter, whose desolating swords the fury of ambition hath drawn; whose instruments of war, the lust of sway: and the desire of conquest, hath brought into the ensanguined field! Religion, liberty: and every social virtue demand their just vengeance! Wretched Princes, what can be more deplorable than your circumstances! -- But not by war only; the propagation of religion is prevented by other causes; as others may propagate it no less than Princes. But tho' the blessings of the christian religion are everlasting, and its rewards, inestimable, we must observe with regret, that its professors are not so solicitous, if in any degree solicitous to diffuse its comforts; as they are to gather the perishing wealth of this world: which they will seek at the fearful peril of all things dear to them, seek in the frail bark, amidst all the extremities of heat and cold, hunger and thirst; tho' it will avail them nothing, when death demands his due, and the soul shall depart to an unbiased tribunal! How happy would it be, and how truly praise-worthy; if the vessel that traversed the deep in search of temporal wealth; would permit a small freightage of the eternal truth to sail with it; would not only by the dispersion of useful books, but by the exemplary demeanor of its mariners, and the seasonable hints of its commanders, endeavour to promote that religion, the knowledge of which is life eternal! How pleasing a confidence in the midst of dangers, would such a conduct infuse into the breasts of all who filled so happy a design: and surely if such a man whose

Thus runs the whole passage, which is in the first book of Horace, and begins Ille robur: Et
Sure he who first the passage try'd.
In harden'd oak his heart did hide:
Or with firm brass of triple fold;
His breast courageously enroll'd!
His hardy breast, in hollow wood:
Who tempted first the briny flood;
Nor fear'd the winds contending roar
Nor billows beating on the shore,
Nor Hyades portending rain;
Nor all the tyrants of the main.
What form of death could him afright
Who unconcern'd with stedfast sight.
Could view the surges mounting steep
And monsters rolling in the deep:
Could thro' the ranks of ruin go,
With storms above: and rocks below
In vain did nature's wife command
Divide the waters from the land,
If daring ships; and men profane
Invade th'inviolable main;
Th'eternal fences over leap,
And pass at will the boundless deep:
DRYDEN.

are so constantly exposed to imminent peril, should labour to procure that confidence: since it is terrible indeed, to hear the threatening tempests roar ; to see the blue lightning glare ; to behold the mountainous surges beat uncontrolled ; to view the shattered crashing mast, with horrible confusion torn away : to see death entering at the fatal leak to sink --irrecoverable sink into the fathomless abyss--emblem of that eternity, whence there is no return :--How dreadful thus to sink :--without one reasonable hope of acceptance with him, who is to determine our condition,irreveribly in that eternal state! -One moment's reflection certainly must be sufficient to awaken in every man's mind an attention to this most interesting of all concerns to human beings :-must be sufficient surely to engage our naval commanders, and all those who go down to the sea in ships ; and see the wonders of the Lord in the great deep, to act in so consistent a manner, that christianity may derive some advantage from their voyages ; or at least not be reproached and reviled amongst the heathen ; to whom we sincerely wish, no real cause had ever been given ; to whom we earnestly pray, that no future cause may ever be given, to say," Why should we become christians ? are they better than we? they lie,they swear,they steal, they cheat, they indulge their lust, they are drunken : -Tell us then, why should we become christ.ians ? wherein doth their purity or morality excel our own ?."