ELIVERED AT THE OPENING OF 
 THE "NEW CHAPEL 
 
 BX 
 
 9211 
 
 .P44 
 
 D57 
 
 1856 
 
 AT THE 
 
 iil.OR-S SNUG HARBO 
 
 Bv imm 
 
 
 ir'- PHILLIPS"! 
 
 uw!iV 
 
3,^1 
 
 ^ PRINCETON, N. J. ^ 
 
 Presented by A.G- CcsTne-TO-n , rn.U. 
 
 BX 9211 .P44 D57 1856 
 Phillips, W. W. 1796-1865. 
 
 Discourse delivered at the 
 
 opening of the new chapel 
 
DISCOU 
 
 DELIVERED AT ,^, 
 
 ERECTED FOR THE USE OF THE INMATES OF THE 
 
 SAILORS' SNUG HARBOR, 
 
 » 
 
 ox 
 STATEN ISLAND. 
 
 BY 
 
 W. W. 'P H I L L I P S , D . D . 
 PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE TRUSTEES. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 
 ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS 
 No. 530 Broadway, Corxbr of Sprixg Strket. 
 
 1856. 
 
EUiaarti ©. 3cnkins, printer, 
 
 26 FBANKFOBT 8TEEET. 
 
DISCOURSE. 
 
 Ps.vLM Ixxxiv. 1 : 
 " How amiable are thy tabernacle?, Lord of hosts I" 
 
 We have here an expression of the 
 strong affection which the Psahnist felt 
 for the sanctuary of God. He was dis- 
 tinguished for his love of devotion ; his 
 dehght was in the worsliip of his God. 
 He loved the house of God, and the 
 solemn assembly ; and frequented them 
 as the means of holding communion 
 with the Father of his spirit. 
 
 To have the light of His countenance 
 lifted up upon him, gave him more joy 
 than the increase of corn and wine 
 could give to the wicked. He valued 
 
one day in the courts of the Lord, more 
 than a thousand elsewhere ; and would 
 rather be a doorkeeper there, than to 
 dwell in the tents of wickedness. 
 
 When deprived of the use of his re- 
 ligious privileges, no one ever felt the 
 privation more sensibly, or regretted it 
 more deeply. When away from them, 
 he could say in sincerity : "As the hart 
 panteth after the water-brooks, so 
 panteth my soul after thee, God ! 
 When shall I come and appear before 
 God r 
 
 Whilst he was thus distinguished, 
 however, he was not alone in his views 
 and feelings with respect to divine or- 
 dinances. 
 
 The sentiment which he uttered in 
 the text, is that of all the true servants 
 
of God. They all cle^sire to honor him 
 in the way of his appointment, to do 
 his will, and to dwell in his presence : 
 they love the Sabbath, and the service 
 of the sanctuary : and when deprived 
 of them, feel like exiles, and find the 
 effects of such privation to be leanness, 
 estrangement from God, and the loss of 
 spiritual peace and joy. 
 
 ^Ve need spend little time in exjDlain- 
 ing what is meant by " the tabernacles 
 of the Lord of hosts." It is the figura- 
 tive language of the Old Testament, and 
 expresses in this connection, the p>laces 
 of religious worship, including the word 
 and ordinances of the Lord, wdiich were 
 there administered as the symbols of 
 the divine presence. 
 
6 
 
 We know that " Jehovali clwellethnot 
 in temples made with hands," neither is 
 worshipped as though he needeth any- 
 thing. " The heaven of heavens cannot 
 contain him." We know, also, that with 
 him is no respect of persons ; "but in 
 every nation, he that feareth him and 
 worketh righteousness, is accepted of 
 him." 
 
 He has graciously promised to be 
 " nigh unto all that call upon him, and 
 wherever two or three are met together 
 in his name, to be in the midst of them ;" 
 yea, he visits the private abodes of men, 
 and has promised to look to that man 
 who is humble and 'of a contrite spirit, 
 and who tremble th at his word. Yet 
 he has enjoined it upon us to assemble 
 ourselves together for his public wor- 
 
ship. From necessity and as a matter 
 of convenience, therefore, phices must 
 be prepared in which to perform this 
 service. 
 
 There must be liouses of prayer in 
 which we may meet for his worship, 
 where we mav come tosrether in the 
 name of Christ, in the faith that he will 
 record his name there, and manifest his 
 gracious presence in power and glory. 
 
 These are his earthly courts, his ta- 
 bernacles, the gates of Zion, which he 
 loveth more than all the dwellings of 
 Jacob. These are Bethels, meeting- 
 places between God and his people, the 
 birth-place of souls, the nurseries for 
 heaven. Of them it shall be said, this 
 and that man was born in them. The 
 Highest himself shall establish them. 
 
The Lord shall count, when he writeth 
 up the people, that many were born 
 there. 
 
 The tabernacles of the Lord are 
 amiable, desirable, and attractive above 
 all other places, on account of the ines- 
 timable benefits which are connected 
 with them being proclaimed and offered 
 there, and may be obtained by those 
 who seek them there. These are, par- 
 don, justification in the sight of God, 
 deliverance from the power of sin, and 
 eternal life, without which none can be 
 happy. 
 
 Considering our relations to Grod as 
 his creatures and as sinners, and that 
 we must sooner or later appear before 
 his judgment-seat to give an account of 
 the deeds done in the body, it is evi- 
 
1) 
 
 dent that tho pardon of our sins, and 
 restoration to his favor, is the first 
 benefit we need and the most import- 
 ant we can receive. It is essential to 
 our happiness, vital to our l)est inte- 
 rests, and can be obtained nowhere else 
 than of God in Christ. Without it, all 
 our attainments, personal qualities, 
 temporal possessions and enjoyments, 
 can be of no permanent value. With 
 the most amiable disposition — with all 
 the learning, knowledge, and skill in 
 arts that can be acquired — with wealth, 
 with honor from men, and all the plea- 
 sures which this world can give — the 
 soul of the unpardoned is lost. 
 
 He who is the great proprietor of all 
 — who is almighty, the source of light 
 and life — frowns on the unpardoned, 
 1* 
 
10 
 
 and will by no means clear the guilty. 
 When the Holy Spirit awakens a sense 
 of guilt in the conscience of the sinner, 
 he is made to realize this, "and has no 
 peace, but is as the troubled sea which 
 cannot rest." Nor can he even obtain 
 peace, until he receives assurance from 
 the throne of God that there is forgive- 
 ness for him, and that tJie blood of 
 Christ cleanseth from all sin. 
 
 We need a perfect righteousness, 
 which shall satisfy the law and justice 
 of God, before we can. obtain justifica- 
 tion and eternal life. 
 
 There must be an atonement made 
 for the transgression of the holy law of 
 God, of wdiich we are guilty ; and there 
 must be perfect obedience given to all 
 its precepts, or its sentence of condem- 
 
11 
 
 nation against the sinner must be exe- 
 cuted. Whilst the promise of hfe, as 
 the reward of obedience, cannot be re- 
 ceived. We have no righteousness, and 
 can never work it out ourselves ; for we 
 have a depraved nature, and are with- 
 out strength. The law is to us a killing- 
 letter, and worketh wrath, until we re- 
 ceive the righteousness of God by faith; 
 the perfect and everlasting righteous- 
 ness which has been wrought out for 
 us by the Lord Jesus Christ, and which 
 is freely offered to us in the Gospel. 
 
 We need dehverance from the power 
 and bondage of in-dwelling sin. We 
 have been taken captive by Satan at 
 his will. We have been enslaved by 
 corrupt lusts and affections, and by sin- 
 ful habits. We are infatuated and fas- 
 
12 
 
 ciliated by the deceitfuliiess of sin, and, 
 under its blinding and hardening influ- 
 ence, are hurried impetuously and heed- 
 lessly forward in the broad road which 
 leads to death. We are held in that 
 hard and bitter servitude, until we re- 
 ceive the assurance from the lips of the 
 Saviour : ''If the Son shall make you 
 free, ye shall be free indeed.'' 
 
 By drawing near to God in Christ, in 
 the sanctuary — by sitting under the 
 preaching of the gospel, we learn the 
 evil nature, the ill desert and tendency 
 of sin, and our ruin by it; at the same 
 time we receive assurance of the love 
 of God, of his gracious purpose to save 
 the chief of sinners, and have offered to 
 us a full and free pardon of all our sins, 
 and a title to eternal life. We have 
 
13 
 
 proclaimed to us, in the name of Christ, 
 the absohite promise of the Holy Spirit, 
 to quicken, to enlighten, to renew the 
 soul, and to transform it into the like- 
 ness of God. "A new heart will I give 
 you, and a right spirit will I put within 
 you." All who believe, who set to 
 their seal that God is true, actually re- 
 ceive the blessing promised. They are 
 inwardly changed, and made to hate 
 sin, to love holiness, to hunger and 
 thirst after righteousness, and to delight 
 in the law of God. They are enabled 
 to put off the old man which is corrupt 
 according to deceitful lusts, and being 
 renewed in the spirit of their minds, to 
 put on the new man. They learn the 
 truth of the promises, also : " Sin shall 
 not have dominion over you, for ye arc 
 
14. 
 
 not under the law, but under grace." 
 '' My grace is sufficient for you.'' "As 
 your day, so shall your strength be." 
 
 Our access to God in his taberna- 
 cles, is the source of our purest and 
 highest enjoyment. God is apprehend- 
 ed as a God of love and mercy, as re- 
 conciled and waiting to be gracious ; 
 His voice is heard as the voice of a 
 friend, as the voice of our Father in 
 heaven. We approach Him without 
 slavish fear, with filial reverence, with 
 the affection of children ; we feel that 
 we occupy the place v/here he has 
 promised to meet us as the hearer of 
 prayer, and concerning which he has 
 said, " This is my rest, here will I dwell." 
 Such an apprehension of Jehovah by 
 faith, and the contemplation of the 
 
15 
 
 truths which are here revealed, is the 
 most worthy and appropriate, tlie most 
 elevating and delightful exercise of the 
 powers of the soul, of which they are 
 capable. It is purifying and perfective 
 of our being. It is refreshing and ani- 
 mating. It fills the vast capacities of 
 the mind ; satisfies the desires of the 
 heart, and the longings of the soul ; it 
 lifts the true worshipper above tlie 
 world and its changes, and brings him 
 into the enjoyment " of thefavor of God 
 which is life, and of His loving kind- 
 ness which is better than life.'' 
 
 Here we learn how to live, how to 
 suffer, how to die. He who attends on 
 the instructions of the word of God, 
 given in the sanctuary, shall not walk 
 in darkness, but shall have the liglit of 
 life. 
 
16 
 
 He will learn contentment with his 
 lot ; resignation to the will of Gocl, 
 and the duty of trusting in Him at all 
 times. We read of one whose feet had 
 well nigh slipped ; who was envious at 
 the foolish when he saw the prosperity 
 of the wicked ; who had the cause of 
 his envy removed by gohig into- the 
 sanctuary. There he had the mystery 
 of providence explained. He learned 
 that the wicked are not to be envied. 
 Though they may for a time spread 
 themselves in great power, like a green 
 bay tree, and enjoy an outward, flour- 
 ishing prosperity, they stand in slip- 
 pery j)laces, and will soon be gone. 
 They shall be driven away in their 
 wickedness, be forgotten in the earth, 
 and shall never see Grod in peace. Yery 
 
17 
 
 dififereiit is the state, aucl very diller- 
 ent will be the end of the righteous. 
 Thouglithey may have many afflictions, 
 the Lord will support them, and will 
 deliver them out of them all ; their 
 path is that of the just which shineth 
 brighter and brighter unto the perfect 
 day, and their end shall be peace. At- 
 tendance in the sanctuary, with the 
 blessing of God, will keep in exercise 
 faith, repentance, love, gratitude, hope 
 and joy, and will constrain us to live in 
 newness of life as followers of them 
 who, through faith and patience, inher- 
 it the promises ; for it is a place of 
 remembrance, intended to recal to our 
 minds wdiat God is, and what he has 
 done for us ; who the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is, and the history of His humili- 
 
18 
 
 ation, sLitFerings, obedience, death, re- 
 surrection, ascension, and intercession 
 for us at the right hand of God ! 
 Every house of prayer is a memorial 
 of these great truths, and an earnest of 
 our eternal redemption, intended to 
 confirm and strengthen our faith. A 
 visit to the house of God recals his 
 dealings with us personally, and all the 
 v^ay in which we have been led. We 
 here, as it w^ere, live our lives over 
 again, learning wisdom from experi- 
 ence, lamenting our errors, and short- 
 comings our ingratitude, waywardness, 
 and unfaithfulness, as contrasted with 
 His goodness, mercy, and faithfulness 
 which have followed us continually, 
 causing true and ingenuous repentance. 
 How many tender and endearing re- 
 
19 
 
 collections are awakened by a review 
 of the gracious dealings of God with 
 us ? Throughout our whole course, 
 and in all the changes through which 
 we have passed, of prosperity or Qf ad- 
 versity ; in all the scenes in which we 
 have been actors ; in all our afflictions, 
 domestic, social, or personal ; in all our 
 trials, sorrows, or joys, His purpose 
 has been one, and all that He has done 
 has been done with a gracious design, 
 in infinite wisdom, love, and mercy. 
 At different times He has spoken as it 
 were, w^ith a voice from heaven, say- 
 ing, " Do not this thing which I hate ; 
 turn ye, turn ye ; why will ye die ? 
 This is the way, walk ye in it." 
 
 How often has He prevented the 
 mischief we were bringing upon our- 
 
20 
 
 selves ? Denied us, or taken from us, 
 that which would have ruined us, and 
 broken in upon our earthly comforts 
 which were drawing us away from Him, 
 and bringing us into a state of carnal 
 security and spiritual sloth. He saw 
 the danger, and provided the remedy. 
 He sent the chastisement, removed from 
 under us the false prop, took away the 
 endearing comfort, the darling idol, 
 and swept away the refuge of lies, 
 teaching us to be still, and to know 
 that he was God, and enabling us to 
 say, '' It is well." 
 
 We are reminded also, and not with- 
 out profit, of all those who have gone 
 before us in the same way, of the vol- 
 ume of incense, of the pure offerings 
 which have ascended through success- 
 
21 
 
 ive generations, of the worship, tlie 
 prayers, tears, holy communion, and 
 happy experience of all the devoted 
 followers of the Lamb, who have pre- 
 ceded us, and whose spirits now rest 
 with God in glory. They met, as we do 
 now, to honor God, and to be honored 
 by him. They sang his praise, called 
 on his name, meditated on the same 
 gospel which is ours now. They all 
 drank of the same spiritual rock which 
 is Christ, and partook of the same spi- 
 ritual meat. They all felt in some de- 
 gree, the same desires, hopes, and fears. 
 From time to time they approached 
 the table of the Lord, which is still 
 spread for us, with trembling, and yet 
 with rejoicing ; they wept, and prayed, 
 and prevailed ; they braced themselves 
 
22 
 
 for the warfare with sin, sataii, and the 
 world, strengthening themselves in God 
 as their light and their salvation, and 
 for the last conflict with death, and 
 they conquered. 
 
 To some of you, the tabernacles of 
 the Lord are amiable, on account of the 
 recollections of your personal experi- 
 ence in them. There first did you feel 
 convictions of your sinfulness and lost 
 state, and there first did you meet the 
 Saviour. You were drawn to him, and 
 made willing to give yourself to him ; 
 you have there sat under his shadow 
 with great delight ; experienced times 
 of refreshing from his presence in your 
 fellowship with him. 
 
 It is said of the Queen of Sheba, 
 that upon beholding the pleasantness 
 
23 
 
 of Jerusalem, the splendors of Solo- 
 mon's court, and, above all, the magnifi- 
 cence of the Temple, with the impos- 
 ing services therein performed, there 
 was no more spirit in her. How much 
 more affecting to us should be the sight 
 of the reality, and the enjoyment of 
 the substance of what was only sha- 
 dowed forth at Jerusalem and hi the 
 Temple ? 
 
 Even Balaam, when from the top of 
 Beor, he saw the children of Israel 
 abiding in their tents w^ith a sensible 
 glory in the midst of them, was con- 
 strained to exclaim, " How^ goodly are 
 thy tents, Jacob, and thy taberna- 
 cles, Israel." 
 
 How" much more amiable must be 
 the assembUes of the saints to him Avho 
 
24 
 
 knows that " the Lord God is a sun and 
 shield ; that he will give grace and glory, 
 and will withhold no good thing from 
 them that walk uprightly.'^ How in- 
 conceivably more amiable will be those 
 mansions of which we are here remind- 
 ed, and for which we may here be in 
 process of preparation ; from which 
 sin and sorrow are excluded. And how 
 much more goodly must be that camp 
 of the saints, and that beloved city 
 above, where righteousness and joy 
 reign triumphant, and peace and unity 
 are broken no more. 
 
 That w^hich makes the tabernacles of 
 the Lord amiable to every believer, is 
 the revelation of Christ in them, as the 
 only ark of safety, the true city of ref- 
 uge. He is, to them that believe, set 
 
here ' ' for a sanctuary, a refuge, a hiding- 
 place from the wind, a covert from the 
 tempest." In him there is a supply for 
 all our wants, a deliverance from all 
 our fears, a defence against all our dan- 
 gers, a relief from all our cares, a rest 
 from all our trials, consolation under all 
 our distresses, and hope in death. It 
 is because He in whom dwells all the 
 fulness of the Godhead bodily — who is 
 Jehovah, and yet our elder brother — 
 "who has been made perfect through 
 suffering as the captain of our salva- 
 tion, and is able to save to the utter- 
 most all that come unto God by him," 
 has promised to abide in his earthly 
 tabernacles until the end of time, that 
 they are amiable to the Christian. 
 They are also the means of the great- 
 2 
 
2G 
 
 est good to tlie community in which 
 they are located. The Christian Sab- 
 bath — the pubhc worship of God — the 
 administrations of his trutli and ordi- 
 nances — the instructions connected with 
 and imparted by his churches, are the 
 bulwarks and glory of the lands in which 
 they are enjoyed. There can be no 
 civil liberty, no protection of personal 
 rights, property, or of life, no well- 
 regulated social intercourse, no domes- 
 tic happiness without them. All must 
 acknowledge that it is the influence of 
 the Bible which distinguishes Christian 
 from pagan lands. But the Bible would 
 soon be neglected and lost, the Sabbath 
 would soon be universally desecrated 
 and forgotten, the Christian religion 
 would disappear and become unknown. 
 
27 
 
 without the teachings of the house of 
 God. Family rehgion, personal piet}', 
 private virtues, are waters which flow 
 from the sanctuary, and would be dried 
 up were the sanctuary closed. The 
 fire of devotion in the closet, in the 
 family, and in the social circle, must 
 come from the altar in the sanctuary. 
 God has wisely and mercifully adapted 
 his institutions to our necessities, to our 
 constitution and circumstances. We 
 need to meet in holy convocation for 
 public instruction and social worship, 
 and to enter into visible communion 
 with God, that we may be identified 
 with him, and known as his followers. 
 There is no other way in which we can 
 openly express our voluntary subjec- 
 tion to him, nor our approbation and 
 
28 
 
 acceptance of his salvation. Where 
 this is not done, and where these duties 
 are neglected, there is no true rehgion ; 
 children are not trained up in the nur- 
 ture and admonition of the Lord, fa- 
 milies are not well-governed, public 
 sentiment is not enlightened on the 
 most important subjects, public morals 
 are corrupt. 
 
 Facts speak louder on this subject 
 than I can speak, and utter a language 
 which cannot be mistaken. We, as a 
 nation, are indebted for our present 
 elevated, prosperous, and happy state, 
 under a kind Providence, to the knowl- 
 edge of God, and of his laws, which the 
 Bible imparts — to the influence which 
 the church, with its attendant institu- 
 tions, exerts — to the religious feelings 
 
29 
 
 and habits of our people — to that piihhc 
 virtue Avhich is the fruit of Christian 
 education — to the piety, pra3'ers, and 
 conservative example of tliose among 
 us who are the salt of the earth and 
 the light of the world. AVhat is it that 
 we need, in the present state of our af- 
 fairs, that our government, in all its 
 departments, may be wisely and faith- 
 fully administered, that our public credit 
 and national honor may be maintained? 
 Is it more infidels? more speculative 
 philosophers? more wily politicians? 
 more Sabbath-breakers? despisers of 
 God and negiecters of his worship ? more 
 practical atheists ? Could we trust such ? 
 Would they promote public peace, 
 purity, or tranquility ? Xo, my friends ; 
 but we need more pure and undefiled 
 
80 
 
 religion, more men of God, more 
 clmrches filled with devout worshippers, 
 more of the influence of the gospel. 
 Every man who has an understanding 
 of these things, who loves his country, 
 w^ho desires good government and tem- 
 poral prosperity, w4io loves liberty, if 
 he be influenced by no higher motive, 
 will love the house of God, as the only 
 means of securing these to him. 
 
 Once more, and above all : the taber- 
 nacles of the Lord are amiable in the 
 estimation of all the friends of God, 
 because through them He is most hon- 
 ored, and receives the greatest revenue 
 of glory. All his works praise him 
 passively ; but he has magnified his 
 word above all his name, above all the 
 ways by which he has made himself 
 
31 
 
 known. Here he has revealed his wis- 
 dom, power, and goodness, not only, 
 but his justice and liis grace — his mercy 
 and truth — as exercised in harmony ; 
 and his inteUigent creatures are here 
 taught to praise him actively, and to 
 ascribe to him the glory due unto his 
 name from all his works. The public 
 worship of the sanctuarj', is an acknowl- 
 edgment of Jehovah as the Lord, "the 
 Lord God, merciful and gracious, long- 
 suffering, and abundant in goodness and 
 truth — keeping mercy for thousands, 
 forgiving iniquity, transgression, and 
 sin, and that will by no means clear the 
 guilty." It is a recognition of all his 
 perfections displayed in the redemption 
 of sinners, and an ascription to him, in 
 
82 
 
 the way of his own appointment, of all 
 the praise which belongs to him. 
 
 He who would honor God, and give 
 unto the Lord the glory due unto his 
 name, must come to his house, con- 
 template Jesus Christ as he is here set 
 forth, evidently crucified before our 
 eyes, approach the throne of grace 
 through his mediation, and worship in 
 the beauty of holiness. 
 
 It is your privilege this day to enter 
 into one of those earthly tabernacles of 
 the Lord. Here we trust "Jehovah 
 will record his name, and will come 
 unto you and bless you." Here you 
 may assemble to worship Him accord- 
 ing to the dictates of your own consci- 
 ence. Here you have placed before 
 
33 ^ 
 
 you an open Bible, containing the word 
 of God's grace, " which is able to make 
 you wise unto salvation, to build you 
 up, and to give you an inheritance 
 among them that are sanctified." Here 
 3'ou may solemnly dedicate yourselves 
 "in an everlasting covenant, as living 
 sacrifices holy and acceptable to God ;" 
 here you may receive the symbols of 
 the broken body and shed blood of the 
 Lord, and have sealed to you all the 
 benefits of his death and resurrection. 
 Here you may actually enjoy those ad- 
 vantages, and receive those spiritual 
 blessings of which we have spoken as 
 connected with the sanctuary, and thus 
 may have in your own happy experi- 
 ence evidence of the reality of the mo- 
 ral power and hallowed influence of the 
 rehgion of the Bible. 2'"'' 
 
The Trustees of this institution will 
 feel themselves abundantly compen- 
 sated for the pains they have taken in 
 planning and erecting this building, if 
 it shall be appreciated, and filled from 
 time to time with humble, devout, and 
 grateful worshippers. If any who may 
 have been ignorant of God, and of 
 Christ, shall be instructed and brought 
 to the saving knowledge of Him ; if any 
 who may have wandered from the path 
 of duty, shall be reclaimed ; if the af- 
 flicted and tossed with the losses, dis- 
 appointments, and tempests of this 
 world, shall be comforted and find rest, 
 if the tried and grieved, the crushed 
 and broken-hearted, shall be consoled 
 and hghtened of their burdens ■ if the 
 name of God shall be hallowed, and his 
 
35 
 
 kingdom be advanced through tlie use 
 of it. Could we instrumentally in any 
 other way, exert over you an influence 
 so enhghtening, so elevating, so purify- 
 ing, so salutary, so soothing, consoling, 
 and comforting, as by preparing for 
 3'ou this house of worship, where you 
 may hear the blessed Gospel of the 
 grace of God ? Are there any other 
 means than those which God has ap- 
 pointed, and graciously promised to at- 
 tend with his blessing, efficacious to 
 produce so great and glorious a change 
 in men ? Is there any process or 
 known cause under heaven, except the 
 operation of the Holy Spirit on the 
 soul, adequate to produce in man that 
 "charity which suffereth long and is 
 kind, which envieth not, vaunteth not 
 
36 
 
 itself, is not puffed up, doth not be- 
 have itself unseemly, seeketh not her 
 own, is not easily provoked, thinketh 
 no evil, rejoiceth not in inquity, but re- 
 joiceth in the truth, beareth all things, 
 believeth all things, hopeth all things, 
 endureth all things P' Is there any other 
 efficacious remedy for the ills of life 
 except that which the Gospel reveals ? 
 Are there any other considerations ex- 
 cept those revealed iti the Gospel by 
 which men can become reconciled to 
 their own dissolution ? Is there any- 
 thing that can deliver us from the fear 
 of death, support us in the hour of it, 
 and make us willing to depart, except 
 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the 
 " Lamb of God who taketh away the sin 
 of the world ;" as '' the way, the trutli, 
 
37 
 
 the resurrection, and the hfe ?" Has in- 
 fidehtj a substitute for the Gospel — a 
 substitute for Christ? and for tlic hope 
 of immortaUty through him ? Can that 
 man be right, safe, and above all cause 
 of fear, who finds it in his heart to op- 
 pose, reject, or to neglect this system 
 of truth and righteousness, of godliness, 
 and of good-will to men ? who habitu- 
 ally absents himself from the house of 
 God, and stands aloof from doing any- 
 thing to honor him ? who can say, from 
 any cause, I care for none of these 
 things ; I care not for pure and unde- 
 filed religion which teaches us to visit 
 the fatherless and widows in their afflic- 
 tions, and to keep ourselves unspotted 
 from the world ? Has he no father, no 
 mother, no brothers, or sisters, no wife, 
 
38 
 
 nor children, nor friends ? Has he no 
 natural affection, nor earthly ties? Is 
 he an isolated being ? Has he no fear 
 of God, of death, or of judgment ? Is 
 he prepared for all the vicissitudQ.s of 
 life — for all that awaits him here and 
 hereafter ? Then need he feel no in- 
 terest in these things. But there is no 
 such being ; all have immortal souls, 
 .sustain earthly relations, and have du- 
 ties to perform. All are of few days 
 and full of trouble, are subject to death 
 and are responsible to God. All need 
 the provisions of God's house, and have 
 cause to exclaim, "How amiable are 
 thy tabernacles, Lord of Hosts !'' 
 
 The present is to you especially, and 
 to us all, my friends, a most solemn. 
 
89 
 
 intensely interesting, and deeply atVect- 
 ing occasion. As a congregation, you 
 are composed "of aged, decrepit, dis- 
 abled, and worn-out seamen." ■ What 
 memories are yours I ! of scenes through 
 which you have passed, from boyhood 
 to the present time. You have had 
 experience of leaving home — of part- 
 ing from parents, and kindred, and 
 friends, and from your beloved land ; 
 of the troubles and perils of the sea ; of 
 the toils, privations, hardships, storms, 
 exposures, and sufferings which fall to 
 the lot of weather-beaten mariners. 
 Having escaped them all you have been 
 brought safely into this Snug Harbor, 
 which a kind and beneficent Providence 
 has prepared for you. For you are here 
 not as prisoners, nor as convicts, nor as 
 
40 
 
 paupers, but as proprietors, in so far as ^ 
 your personal use and enjoyment of the 
 abundant, adapted, and comfortable 
 accommodations and privileges of this 
 Institution are concerned. It is held 
 in trust by those who are responsible 
 for its preservation and its faithful 
 management for your use. You are 
 here, however, not to spend your time 
 in idleness, in the mere animal indul- 
 gence of eating, and drinking, and 
 sleeping ; but you are here to refit. 
 Your voyage has not yet terminated ; 
 the most important part of it is yet be- 
 fore you ; there are breakers still 
 a-head 5 there are quicksands, concealed 
 rocks, whirlpools, and yawning gulphs. 
 There may be a darker, severer, and 
 more terrific storm, and a more awful 
 
41 
 
 warring of the elements still in reserve 
 for you, than any through which you 
 have ever passed — you may yet be 
 hopelessly wrecked, and left to sink 
 into the deep and unfathomable abyss. 
 Have you prepared your bark for this 
 last part of your voyage, and are you 
 sure all is right ? Are you making 
 daily observations, watching the clouds 
 and the winds, and the tides, and are 
 you habitually ready to launch at any 
 moment? Above all, have you en- 
 gaged Him who alone can pilot you 
 safely through this dangerous sea into 
 the haven of eternal rest ? This is the 
 place, and now is the time in which to 
 attend to this duty. Redeem it for it 
 is short. You are admonished by the 
 removal of some one or more of vour 
 
42 
 
 associates from month to month, and by 
 the rapid filhng up of yonder cemetery 
 belonging to this Institution, that you 
 cannot remain here. Knowing " that it is 
 appointed unto all men once to die, and 
 after death the judgment, and that 
 your life is even as a vapor,'' we do 
 earnestl}' entreat, and affectionately 
 beseech you to make your peace with 
 God by receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, 
 and abiding in him. " Seek him whilst he 
 may be found ; call upon him whilst 
 he is near," and accept his gracious in- 
 vitations. He assures you ' 'that all things 
 are ready," and that you may come as 
 you are. to be healed^ washed, sanctified 
 and saved by him ; he who has pre- 
 pared the feast will provide the wedding 
 garment. " Come unto me all ye that 
 
43 
 
 labor, and are heavy laden, and 1 will 
 give you rest.'' "If any man thirst, let 
 him come unto me and drink, and who- 
 soever Cometh, I will in no wise cast 
 out;' " The Spirit and the Bride say 
 come, and let him that is athirst come, 
 and whosoever will, let him take the 
 water of life freely." Call upon him 
 now, and "ask that he may be made 
 unto you of God, wisdom, righteous- 
 ness, sanctification, and redemption." 
 He will be to you, instead of home, of 
 kindred, and of friends, to make your 
 bed in your sickness, to smooth your 
 pillow in a dying hour, to wipe from 
 your brow the cold sweat, and to dry 
 your tears. " Having your heart stayed 
 on him,'' he will keep you in perfect 
 peace, w^ill receive your departing spi- 
 
44 
 
 rit, and present it to the Father — re- 
 deemed, regenerated, sanctified, and 
 made meet for the inheritance which is 
 incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth 
 not away. 
 
ADDENDA. 
 
 The Sailors' Sxug Harbor was found- 
 ed by tlie late Robert Ricbard Randall, of 
 tbe city of New York. He bequeatbed tbe 
 property now belonging to tliat Institution 
 to tbe Chancellor of tbe State of New York, 
 to tbe Mayor and Recorder of tbe city of 
 New York, to tbe President of tbe Cbamber 
 of Commerce, to tbe President and Vice- 
 President of tbe Marine Society, to tbe Rect- 
 or of Trinity Cburcb, and to tbe Minister of 
 tbe First Presbyterian Cburcb in tbe city of 
 New York, for tbe time being, and tbeir re- 
 spective successors in tbe said offices forever, 
 for tbe purpose of maintaining and support- 
 ing under tbeir supervision aged, decrepid, 
 and worn-out Sailors. 
 
46 
 
 The following persons have been Acting 
 Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor since 
 the incorporation of the Board in Feb., 1806 : 
 
 1. A."^ Chancellor of the State of New York — 
 
 Keuben II. Walworth. 
 
 2. As Mayors of the city of Neio York — Dewitt 
 
 Clinton, Marinus Willet, John Fer- 
 guson, Jacob EadclifF, Cadwallader C. 
 Colden, Stephen Allen, A¥m. Paulding, 
 Philip Hone, Walter Bowne, Gideon 
 Lee, Cornelius W. Lawrence, Aaron 
 Clark, Isaac L. Yarian, Eobert H. 
 Morris, Wm. F. Havemeyer, James 
 Harper, Andrew H. Mickle, Wm. F. 
 Brady, Caleb S. Woodhull, Ambrose 
 C. Kingsland, Jacob A. Westervelt, 
 Fernando Wood. 
 
 3. As Recorders of the city of New York — 
 
47 
 
 Pierre C. Vanwyck, Josiah Ogden 
 HofFnian, Kicliard Riker, Peter Au- 
 gustus Jay, Robert H. Morris, Frederick 
 A. Talmage, John B. Scott, Francis R. 
 Tillou, James M. Smith, Jr. 
 
 4. As Presidents of the Chamber of Commerce 
 — Cornelius Ray, Wm. Bayard, Robert 
 Lenox, Isaac Carow, James De Peyster 
 Ogden, James G. King, Moses IL 
 Grinnell, Elias Hicks, Peletiah Perit. 
 
 0. As Presidents of the Marine Society — James 
 Farquar, John Whetten, Charles H. 
 Marshall. 
 
 6. As Vice-Presidents of the Marine Society — 
 Thomas Farmar, Wm. AVhitlock, James 
 Lovitt, Thomas IT. Merry, AYilliam 
 Thomson, Jeremiah Dickenson, John 
 M. Ferrier. 
 
48 
 
 7. As Senior Ministers and Rectors of Trinity 
 
 Church — Benjamin Moore, D.D., John 
 Henry Hobart, D.D., William Berrian, 
 D.D. 
 
 8. As Ministers of the First Presbyterian 
 
 Church in the city of New York — John 
 Kodgers, D.D., Philip Melancthon 
 Whelpley, William W. Phillips, D.D. 
 
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