Library OF CONGRESS. I . nNlTED STATES OP AMERICA. | <3 SERMON ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OF April 18, 1841, BY REV. DAVID S. DOGGETT, PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE STUDENTS. EICHMOND: PHINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE CHBISTIAN ADVOCATE. 1841. Uv ^ SERMON ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DELIVERED IN THE CHAPEL OP April 18, 1841, BY REV. DAVID S. DOGGETT. PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE STUDENTS. KICHMOND: FEINTED AT THE OFFICE OF THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. 1841. L SERMON ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF GENERAL WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, LATE PRESIDENT OP THE UNITED STATES. Psalm, Ixxv. 6, 7. — For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south ; but God is the judge ; he putteth down one, and setieth up another. One of the most common, and yet one of the most startling obh'quities of the human mind, is that by which it labors to exclude God from an actual agency in his own works. A practically atheistic sentiment has supplanted that generous and universal re- cognition of Him, which, though it be not so natural, is a thousand times more rational and pleasing. A God is, indeed, acknowledged; unlimited dominion is ascribed to him, and the hope of obtaining his aid upon occasions of emergency, and especially of impending peril, is fondly cherished: and there are times, when human im- potence, prostrate before the altar, in the attitude and the tones of a beseeching earnestness, seeks to engage the Divine blessing; and the invocation is sometimes made upon the magnificent scale of a nation's prayers. Yet, while the scourge of famine, of pestilence, or of war, may lash an ungrateful and a disobedient people into the consciousness and confession of their helplessness, and direct the imploring eye to heaven for relief; in the ordinary course of events, it is virtually supposed, that man and his Maker, occupy very different spheres; that, although the latter be accessible, he does not interfere in di- recting or controlling the earthly destinies of his creatures; that he will award the final and eternal states of individuals, but leave wholly to them the management of all that appertains merely to the relations of the present life; that human policy and human passion are left, the one, to play its game upon the fortunes, and the other, to blow its blast upon the scattered wreck of human society, unobserved and unarrested by the Father of the universe; and that, mankind, however they may live and die, personally, as communities and nations, resemble the waves of the ocean, which, after rolling and foaming in the company of their fellows, sink with them into the common level. But whence originates this wicked, this godless sentiment? Who has expelled the Deity from one of the most important provinces of his empire, and made worms, all at once, in the success of an insurrectionary movement, independent of Him? What, but the pride and presumption of the heart, has had the tendency, by putting out the eyes, to hide him from the sight of mortals ; and will allow that myriads of intelligent beings, in their secular capacities, ap- pear and disappear from the theatre of life; that nations aggregate and dissolve; empires rise and fall ; and that princes reign and are deposed, without the special oversight and will of God? To assert this high prerogative, to shed a salutary influence upon the infidel mind of man, to exact the rightful tribute from his reluctant hand, to build the fortunes of a people upon the smiles of their God, to utter an indignant rebuke upon the self-prompted vanity of sinners, to warn aspiring states of their impending doom; the voice of inspiration publishes the high and solemn truth, that both in the minute and great affairs of the human family, there are the actual presence and agency of God. So much, at least, are we warranted in saying, is the doctrine of this passage: "For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south; but God is the judge; he putteih down one, and setteth up another." In the examination of this subject, we shall call up to your no- lice, nnd endeavor to illustrate several doctrines, as little anticipa- ted, perhaps, by you, as they were, a few days since, by myself; but which appear relevant both to the text and the occasion; and which need be inculcated upon the citizens, and especially upon the youth of our country; a duty which may be discharged the more freely to you, my young friends, since I was requested by you to perform it. I invite you then, to follow me in some reflections, I. Upon the wide and sublime relation, which the Divine Being holds to man in his associated capacity. Perhaps, I ought to be more definite still in this proposition. I mean that relation which he holds to man as a tenant of this world alone, and not as he will exist when he leaves it; the relation which refers to those shapes which society assuines for the common weal. To a superficial observer, the structure and the forms of society appear to be the result of obvious causes only ; of the aggregate wants of individuals, leading to the adoption of systems of reoula- tions, terriiinating in the general good ; and that, for these purposes, man of himself is amply competent, without assuming the neces- sity of a special Divine superintendence. Leaving the considera- tion of this opinion to another place, I proceed to observe under this article; 1. That the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures upon this question is, that God is the author and the arbiter of the social destinies of the world. It behooves us reverently to hear what they assert. It will enlarge our conceptions of the grandeur and solemnity of the Divine prerogative over man, to see in what terms they express it. And it may be well to make this inquiry now, as this subject, but for such an occasion, might not be introduced into the pulpit. The quotations which we shall make from the Scriptures, we will arrange in the following classes, viz : First. Those which express God's universal dominion. " Thou art the God," says one, "even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth." Says another, "God is king of all the earth. God reigneth over the Heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The earth i^ the Lord's and the fullness thereof.'' Again, "for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him and for Him : and he is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords ?" He is styled ; " the King immor- tal, eternal, invisible, the only wise God and our Saviour ; the Prince of the Kings of the earth." Again; "thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Secondly. Those which refer to the particular events of king- doms and states. " I, saith the Almighty, have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemeth good unto me. Daniel says, " He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings and setteth up kings. The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. And this is the writing which was written, mene, mene, tekel. tjpharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath num- bered thy kingdom and finished it. Tekel; thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting. "Peres; thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." "He looseth the bonds of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled and overwhelmeth the mighty." Finally, " Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. At lohat instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it ; If that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at tvhat instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it: If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." Thirdly. Those which refer to the origin of civil power. The forms under which this power may be veiled and exerted, constitute a diflercnt question. Perhaps, they are left wholly to the exig-ency of the times. It may be assumed that any form of government which, in its peculiar circumstances, actually secures the best interests of the governed is acceptable to God. Nor does that abuse of civil power which has so often disgraced the rulers and crushed the people, in the least degree, affect the scriptural doc- trine, that the power itself is derived from God, and is a gift depo- sited with man for the preservation and prosperity of human society. In respect to this fact, the word of God says, "by me kings reign and princes decree justice. By me princes reign, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. For there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation (condemna- tion.) For he is the minister of God to thee for good. Then said Pilate unto him, (Jesus) speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to re- lease thee? Jesus answered, thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." This collection of passages will suffice to establish the propo- sition as scripturnl ; thnt Gnd is the anfhnr and arbiter of the social destinies of the world, 2. This doctrine so explicitly stated by Revelation, so unfamiliar to the mind and so humbling to the pride of man, nevertheless ac- cords with the dictates of a sound philosophy. For, since God is the creator and preserver of all, since every creature is equally his, and since he is infinitely good, he must have a universal con- cern for them. And as they are aggregated into masses, large or small, involving and blending the interests of each individual com- posing them, so he must entertain a concern for them in these capa- cities ; and as he is not wanting in ability, so he must, in these capa- cities, contrive their advantage, or punish their crimes. Again : It is granted, that there are implanted in the human constitution, principles which incline, nay, impel men to associate under various forms of government, for mutual advantage, and that these are the obvious causes of their association. Yet, it can- not be denied that such principles were implanted by the Creator; 8 that they are his laws, and manifest his design. But, if so, can he be unconcerned about, or inattentive to the operation of the one, or the exhibition of the other? He certainly cannot. He must be admitted to have a part in the carrying out of his own plans. Again : If we consider that man in his associated capacity, is man still, though upon a larger scale; having, vvith the aggregate of wisdom and virtue, the aggregate also of infirmity and passion; we shall see that there is obviously as great a necessity for the Divine Providence over the body politic as over the body physi- cal, for its guardianship, for its perpetuity, the supply of its un- counted wants; and whatever appertains to the economic well-being of the whole. The one could no more subsist a moment, without the tender care of God, than the other. Furthermore: A mere reference to some of the great and spe- cial interests which are, of necessity, involved in society, whatever peculiar phases it may assume, will advise us of the importance and necessity of the Divine agency to secure them. What then are these interests? Let us inquire. Take for instance, national prosperity. Can God be unmindful of this. Infinitely happy himself, he rejoices in the happiness, and is touched with a Divine sympathy at the misfortunes of his creatures. If a sparrow falleth not to the ground without Him, shall a nation fall without Him? No, my brethren, from his very nature and that paternal relation he holds to man, he must be interested in the welfare of nations ; and all those events connected with and productive of it, must, on this principle, be ascribed to him. And particularly so, since na- tional prosperity can no more arise from mere national sources, than individual prosperity from individual sources. And it must be admitted as true, in the one respect, as in the other, that "every good and every perfect gift cometh down from above, from the Father of lio-hts, with whom there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning." The national wealth, the national strength, the national wisdom, the national health, the national happiness, are all the blessings of Him whose nature is love, and whose very smile lights up the lamp of universal joy. But the social and physical enjoyment of man, is a vastly infe- rior consideration to his intellectual and moral cultivation. It is ihe capacity for this, which designates man, attaches to him his true character, and points out his high and solemn destiny ; and must make him, therefore, more a subject of the regards of the Deity. How the social is bound up with, and influences the indi- vidual mind and character, it is very easy to conceive. The na- tional intellect and the national morals must give impression, more or less certainly, to the individual intellect and the individual morals. And when we add the reflection, that the influence of society upon these, must extend throughout all time and all eternity, the force of the observation is greatly increased. But, if such be the momentous fact, must not the Maker of us all, be supposed to have an actual agency in the shape and movements of society, since it is to exert such a tremendous power? The existence and the character of social institutions are inti- mately interwoven with moral truth, (which we may here take separately,) with all those principles and duties for which God may be said to be yet more interested ; because they constitute, in. fact, a part of his cause upon earth; are more nearly allied to his purity ; because they define what is sin, and enter into the very nature of righteousness; and because they are the conservative elements of society itself; and, acted out upon the greater scale of national conduct, possess a magnitude which would otherwise be inconceivable. God is infinitely concerned for the cause and the progress of virtue, because it glorifies him, and is the ornament and safeguard of his creatures. If, therefore, the condition of society be inseparable from the injury or success of such a cause, God must exert a controlling power, directly or indirectly over it. Yet, again: As in the smaller, so in the larger collections of men, one is designed to lead the other on in the great march of improvement; to exalt and to harmonize the whole. God, my brethren, operates upon a wide and extensive plan, and unites into it, materials of which we take no knowledge. In the compass of his economy, nations act reciprocally ; one chastises and instructs another, with the design of bringing all, under one general and healthful administration, as the diflerent parts of a vast and happy empire. I'hc world itself may be but one of the integral parts of <2 10 a grand and immense system of moral order and perfection in a state of vigorous operation under the gracious superintendence of its great Moral governor. Once more: God is the universal monarch. We have seen that " He is king of kings and Lord of lords." From this very relation, it is right, it is necessary, he must desire, that his autho- rity be acknowledged, and his eternal throne duly honored. Nebuchadnezzar was chastised and humbled for this purpose; and many of the providences of God over nations, have been designed to remind them of their allegiance, and to exact from them their unrendered homage. The very recognition of the rectoral rela- tion of the Deity, involves the conclusion, that jealous for the glory of his own name, he should assert his right before the kingdoms of the earth, and be ever watchful and ever working to maintain it. Finally. The christian religion must be, as it obviously is, God's first and chief cause upon earth: a cause, in which every other interest of men is embraced, and with which all that is noble or hopeful to man or to society in this world or the next is identi- fied: a cause, in reference to which, man and society subsist; upon the influence of which, human existence itself is doubtless predica- ted. To the progress and triumph of this cause, therefore, God must have a continual and unsuspended reference. Not to con- solidate the civil with the ecclesiastical, or to supplant the former by the latter, but to give his religion its utmost power over the hearts of all. It cannot be doubted that the legislation, the politics, and the habits of a people, affect its progress. In a word, that the condition of a nation repels or cherishes its influence. History abundantly confirms this opinion. If this be true, and what wo here assert of the gospel be true also, then it must follow that a Divine agency is actually put forth in modifying, restraining, or sanctifying the events of stales for the purpose of preparing the way for the admission and difTusion of Christianity. Collecting all these considerations together, they form an argu- ment which not only accords with, but sustains and confirms the scriptural doctrine, that God has an actual agency in the aflairs of kingdoms and states. We are required, 11 II. To define, as far as \vc may be able, the part which the Divine Being may be supposed to take in the aflairs of nations. I am required to do this, for two reasons, viz: To point out that ac- knowledgment which is due to him ; and to reconcile the doctrine which we have advocated, with the conscious freedom of human actions. For, if we were to leave that doctrine as it has been stated, it might seem to involve a contradiction. Two cautionary remarks ought, perhaps, to precede the statement of our views; first, that from the nature of the Divine will, the extent of his dominion, the vast and complicated relations of his government, our finite and imperfect minds cannot form an adequate judgment of its administration ; since there must be many particular move- ments which, though necessarily entering into his plan, come not within the reach of our observation. Secondly, that our judg- ment concerning a measure or a man, as in many of the minor affairs of life, are often actually proven to be incorrect. Thus, what we decide, even upon our best information, to be wrong, turns out to be right. The result is precisely that which w^e should have desired, and the means those we should have preferred. Thus it may continually be with the estimates which we make of the actual doings of Providence; and thus an individual or a party may be put into power, because God sees not as man sees, and be- cause, if he do not design immediately to bless, he does to chastise for some flagrant aberration from the path of duty. So that, not- withstanding, " promotion yet comes neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is judge; he setteth up one and putteth down another." We will again remark, that the part which the Divine Being takes, though constant and efficient, is not always and immediately absolute and irresistible : and that actions may be free in themselves, but their results be necessary. That we may see the question before us the more clearly, we will state it part by part; for such is our weakness, that the great majority of subjects cannot be otherwise investigated. It will be granted, 1st. That all good of every kind, whether in an individual or a nation, comes from God ; that under what form soever it may apv 12 pear, or through what instrumentalities soever it may have been eftected, it is all ascribable to his blessing. If there be a thriving population, healthful and salutary laws, wise and good rulers, an extensive and enriching commerce, pacific foreign relations, uni- versal harmony and happiness; these are the bestowments of a munificent Providence. 2. That national and political evil comes from God in the ex- ercise of his judicial character; though it "is his strange work." It is perfectly consistent with just conceptions of the Divine charac- ter, and accurate views of human nature, to adopt this conclusion ; and under the free workings of the human mind, when national evil is felt to its greatest extent, such a conclusion is actually adopted. These evils follow either as a merciful chastisement upon the sub- jects of them, who need to be brought by correction to their duty; or, as an expression of the Divine displeasure upon the incorrigi- ble: a principle as applicable to nations as to individuals. Thus, famines, pestilence, wars, discordant counsels, ill-advised measures, unsuccessful enterprizes, subjugation to foreign powers, the tyranny, the despotism, or the death of rulers, form parts of that august sys- tem of government which God Almighty wields over men. 3. Moral evil can, in none of its aspects, be attributed to God. Yet, in all nations it makes one of their chief exhibitions. Of this, we are at liberty to say thus much ; that while sinful men are free agents, God will not, or, it may be, cannot, consistently with that fact, prevent it; that he invariably resists, by his Spirit, word, and Providence, its influence, so far as is compatible with man's free agency; that when it does exist, he suffers it, in reference to its inevitable results; which results, are the actual execution, by God himself, of his own laws , vindicating, at the same time, his own honor, and displaying in its true light, the real cause of a nation's rise and fall. Thus we may explain, with entire satisfaction and consistency with the scriptural doctrine, what often appears and as often astounds in the progress of society. How, for instance, an arbi- trary despot, as Nebuchadnezzar, might reign over a servile and irembling people, and stretch the sceptre of his empire in rapid 13 and irresistible succession, over the awestruck kingdoms around him, and make the very theocrat of Israel, a vassal to his throne. How the obscure Corsican could wade through a sea of blood to a throne of sculls, and make obsequious popes and princes crouch- ing menials at his haughty foot-stool; or how the great and good Washington" could "lead to glorious war," what may not be impro- perly called, " the sacramental hosts of God's elect." In all these instances, we can still acknowledge, that " promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is judge; he setteth up one and putteth down another." We proceed, III. To point out the finger of God in the history of several nations, which, viewed superficially, exhibits nothing more than, what is called, the natural course of events. Tlie field of our ob- servation is here both large and difficult; but we shall make such selections as are most warranted by truth and analogy. If our knowledge of the whole range of history were as accurate as it should be, it would read to our astonished ear?, a full and over- whelming testimony to the word of God. We take, 1st. Those nations which are mentioned in the inspired his- tory, in which the hand of God is purposely shown ; and of which, did we not know the special fact from an infallible source, we should judge as we do of others of which we have no such information, but whose e.Kternal features are identically the •same, or very similar. To those who receive the scriptural account, (and we speak to such only) its declarations will be sufficient. That affirms that the whole Jewish kingdom, in its constitu- tion, in its prosperity, in its adversity, in all its events, was the object of God's special and ever watchful care. The settlement, the victories, the fruitfulness, the reverses, the captivities, the resto- ration of that people, are all said to be his acts. There were, indeed, some peculiar relations existing between him and them, assumed for the general benefit of mankind, but on no other ac- count was he a respecter of them, except, perhaps, for the sake of their pious ancestors. So that the notices we find in their history of the Divine interposition, are not to be interpreted as though he xvas solely occupied with them. No, he was the God of the Gen- 14 tiles also : and tho same history is equally explicit in its records of his transactions with such of them as bordered upon the land of Israel , in which we find the actual exercise of the same unlimited power and indisputable authority. The manifestation of this absolute sovereignty, in some of its forms, appears in several remarkable cases in the earlier history of our race; namely, the deluge; by which, God, being- displeased with the then corrupt generation of man, swept well nigh the whole of them from the face of the earth. Great God! How easily canst thou dispose of thy creatures! Another is the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel, the simple, and efficient method which he adopted, at the same time to chastise, and disperse its builders and to found the diffi^rent nations which have since peopled the world. Behold that same power overwhelming the cities of the plain; setting up and putting down the Egyptian monarchsat will, to serve his purposes ; and to show that thrones are as acces- sible and as manageable by Him as the seat of the humblest sub- ject; in expelling and exterminating the Canaanites; in giving the sword and the sceptre into the hand of the king of Babylon, guiding and crowning his victorious arms, so that he is emphatically called "the hammer of the whole earth;" the very instrument of the Divine choice to bruise and crush the nations. See him taking these ensigns back again, leading the dreadful conqueror himself captive, putting "a hook into his jaw," leading him by an invisi- ble influence whither he would, and finally humbling him to the companionship of the beasts of the field. Behold him calling the magnanimous Persian by name, one hundred years before his birth, to dissolve the power of the Chaldean tyrant; and in raising up the Median, who made his royal festival the precursor and oc- casion of universal carnage and captivity. These are some of those historical events in which the agency of God is pointed out by the finger of inspiration itself; events, which, if that explanation had not been given, would have been received as the results of ambition, of revenge, of the thirst of con- quest, of luxury, or of accident. If we see the same or similar changes in the history of other nations, at other periods, we have the same aiiihorlty to warrant the belief, that the same hand has been stretched out to produce them. Where is the dilTerence? Only in this, that the pen of inspiration has not recorded their his- tory. Had it done so, the same unbroken testimony had been given to the ever active agency of God. Yet, we have ample rea- son to conclude that God has judged ihem, and that he sits upon his awful and unapproachable throne, bidding them to collect and dissolve, that they may accomplish some great purpose, the whole of which mortals are not permitted to see. In this way, although not so apt to be perceived, were raised an annihilated the Grecian and the Roman, as, indeed, all the kingdoms of antiquity. Upon the theatre of three, in modern times, we witness the characteristic displays of the same omnipotent power, in different aspects. It was God who made the French people, in the dismal night of their horrid revolution, execute upon themselves the punishment of their infidelity and their crim3s ; and in fighting against him to destroy themselves. It was God that gave stability to the British throne, and accession to her dominion on distant shores. And we rejoice to trace the same Divine interposition in the liberties and the glory of our happy country. It enhances our joy and invigorates our confidence to appeal to that Being who was the God of our armies and the avenger of our wrongs. Illustrious instruments indeed acted their well remembered and well praised parts in the magnifi- cent drama of the American revolution. These very instruments themselves acknowledged and invoked his smile. His Moses and his Aaron led out the triumphant hosts. A Washington com- manded and a Henry spoke, but He gave nerve to the arm and skill to the plans of the one, and fire to the immortal eloquence of the other. He, unseen, within his dark pavilion, uttered the word ; his agents obeyed ; victory followed the track of battle, and freedom rewarded the righteous cause. Nor has our subsequent unshaken stability and unparalleled prosperity less perspicuously denoted his continued favors ; or, the occasional disasters which have filled us with consternation, his chastising rod. If a longer time and a better information would allow, the an- nals of all nations would unfold to us, what, perhaps, they did not to 16 themselves, the efficient operation of a superintending Providence, moving upon the sea of human beings, and causing nations to suc- ceed each other as billows upon its surface: and they would read a lecture illustrating the text; that "promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor from the south, but that God is judge; he putteth down one and seiteth up another." Yes, my brethren, he is the "judge." He weighs monarchies and repub- lics in the scales of his justice, and bids them flourish and fade as the flowers of the field. What an awful majesty is his! What an insignificance is ours! What might clothes his arm ! What a helplessness invests his creatures! What a confounding rebuke has the Prophet uttered upon the presumption and self-attempted greatness of infatuated worms. "Behold," says he, "the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance. All nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grass-hoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; that bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted, yea, they shall not be sown, yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth ; and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble." We shall inquire, IV. Into the duty which nations owe to God ; and thus into the elements of their deep and long continued, prosperity. We may more easily despatch this part of our subject. I mean, there will' be less difficulty in defining this duty or describing these elements. 1. We mention, the worship of God. If he be the God of na- tions, he should be recognized and honored in that stupendous re- lation ; a befitingf and a ceaseless homage rendered to his eternal JO *-' name. I wish to present this duty in a two-fold light. First, Every citizen should be a christian, and worship Him in his indi- vidual capacity. It is incumbent upon every one so to be. Thus, there would be a nation of christians. But, secondly, a whole nation should be christian, as a national designation. Not by 17 title only, but in fact: chrislidn in their acliml character, christian in their institutions, christian in their recognition of christian truths, christian in their national acknowledgments, and christian iu their policy. National assemblies, state legislatures, officers of government, should humble themselves in worship before God. And they can be and do all this, without a national form of wor- ship, at any time to be deprecated as a curse. This national homage may be rendered, and yet any and every man may ofFer his habitual and personal worship in the form which accords with his conscientious scruples. But while this tribute is due to God, christian worship is necessary to the prosperity of a people. Can a nation survive and flourish without honoring God 1 No : His ser- vice is identified with their interests. They may legislate, they may project schemes of outward extension, or of internal improvement, levy armies, mantle navies, raise bulwarks, erect monuments, and promote learning; but if God's worship be neglected, his name dishonored, his religion spurned, every step will be one to ruin, and their former glory written in the dust. He will abandon them to the luckless spirit of discord and of faction, convert their rivers of milk and honey into gall, turn their salutary laws into "a whip of scorpions ; and their well-balanced government, into a grinding despotism ;" and repeat the tragic scenes of demolished empires and of trembling States. Indeed, for the purpose of his glory in the salvation of men, do governments subsist; and when they de- feat that purpose, their destiny ia sealed. 2. A nation must trust in God. As they actually depend upon Him, so they should cherish and express a feeling of dependence. One of the most odious sins, is national pride, independence of God, and a reliance upon itself. He " is a jealous God and his glory will he not give to another." Nor is it merely a national crime, but the greatest national injury. For, the Divine blessing will be withdrawn when success is expected from man, and the honor of it appropriated to him. Rulers and officers may be great and good. But what are they? Only his agents. "Ministers of his to do his pleasure;" and are no more, without him, than withered leaves. Moreover, they are short-sighted and sinful, and 18 arc apt to err through weakness or passion. How precarious then are the hopes reposed in man or his works! Constitutions are fabrics of snow; counsels are bubbles; leagues are ropes of sand; swords are spires of grass; and navies and armies figures in the clouds, if God be not in them. " It is belter" says the Psalmist, "to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man." He repeats, " it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in princes." It is said by a Prophet, " cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and makelh flesh his arm." A spirit of hum- ble confidence in the Supreme Being should inspire the public in all their measures, and in all their disasters; a spirif, which would have the tendency to allay the public irritation, quiet their fears, stimulate to a godly enterprize, and rear a divine fortification around their safe and peaceful dwellings. What a want of such a spirit do we see ! The hopes of a people rest upon the shoulders of a man, the success of one party or the failure of another. Con- ventions sit, legislatures open and adjourn, (the sin of our own State) great works are undertaken ; all without God. The nations of antiquity, in some respects, even in their very idolatry, were less idolaters than we. The will of the gods was always consulted upon every extraordinary occasion. Amongst us, it would be as true as it is reproachful, to say, that the will of Jehovah is con- sulted upon none. 3. The people must be obedient to the laws; whether those laws please them in all their bearings, or the rulers have been men of their choice. The preservation of a State depends, exter- nally, upon the observance of its statutes. It is required as a ne- cessary part of a good christian, that he be a good citizen. And this obedience must be rendered conscientiously ; and when ren- dered, is reckoned as done to God. " Let every soul" says the apos- tle "be subject unto the higher powers. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake." Thus, must government be upheld as necessary to the ends of society, whenever it is not positively iniquitous; whenever it does not grossly violate the constitution of a Slate, upon which the delega- ted authority is based. And of ihi?. not a few, but the majority 19 must be the judges: an 1 thon again, since anarchy poises itself on the pivot of such a hazird, it must be well considered if it be not better to submit to sufferable iiijustiee lh:iu to rush into the jaws of a general revolution. If these conditions exisi, and these reqnishions be fulfilled, thon it may be asked, may not a people refuse submission to the laws? But not till then. 4, There must be a recognition of God in the dispensations of his Providence, whether prosperous or adverse. Do we enjoy freedom? God hath bestowed it. Does the tide of plenty roll its varied riches to our doors? He hath directed it thither. Do the fruits of our industry and frugality clus'er in luxuriant abun- dance around our peaceful habitations? He hath smiled upon our labors. Are our institutions permanent and influential? God hath imparted to them that character. Are our foreign relations pacific? He hath made them so Here I should not forbear a reflection uoon one of our greatest sins, blended, as it is, with one of our most commendable traits as a nation. The sin is ingrati- tude to God, terminating in human idolatry. The commendable trait blended vvith it, is veneration for the truly great. We should love the memory and emulate the deeds of such, but we should not forget Gol in the admiration of his creatures Alas I too often our patriotic celebrations are more fulsome ofTerings at the shrine of human glory, while the altar of God is left without a sacrifice. Man is worshipped, his Maker is dishonored, and an eloquent ingenuity is often strained, as if, on purpose, to withhold his rightful praise. Let our fourth of July never be forgotten. Let our Washington first in the temple of fiime, and first upon her roll, be ever dear to every American citizen, and admired by every tribe of man. Let the glorious chronicle of our illustrious namt s pass in brilliant and exciting review before our admiring eyes. But let God be honored first, and let them all be the means of ex alting him and of strengthening our obligations to do him service; and this very acknowledgment shall hallow and sweeten our festive enjoyments, and shed a heavenly fragrance through the atmosphere of our national anniversary. I know not but he has now a con. troversy with us for the dishonor put upon his name amidst tho 20 profusion of praises with which \vc have covered his instruments. On the other hand : Do sad reverses, desolating diseases, unfruit- ful seasons, internal discord, and ravaging wars form the mourn- ful incidents of a nation's history? Let the finger of a righteous and incensed God be sesn in the ominious tracery so fearfully de- picted upon its lowering horizon. Let humiliation and repentance, fasting and prayer avert the coming doom, as they did in the most remarkable case, recorded in history ; that of Nineveh. When the sentence of exterminating wraih was uttered in the ears of its in- habitants, every creature, from man to beast, from monarch to slave bore the emblems of a deep and universal sorrow. Havino- occupied your attention with such observations as seemed to arise out of our subject, I may now more particularly advert to the occasion which convenes us together to day. And, 1. Is there not an obvious fulfilment of one part of the text in the solemn event we now commemorate, viz: " That God is judge; he putteth down ?" Behold the exercise of his judicial preroga- tive in putting down not only a man, but the chief magistrate of this great nation, under circumstances which every way demon- strate that it was his act. Just entered upon the duties of the highest office in the gift of the people, with no symptoms of dis- ease or disability, but with a vigor unusual to a man of sixty-eight, and about to accomplish the will of those who put him in power; within one month of his inauguration, when the wishes of one party were realized, and the opposition of the other had ceased, he dies. Who, but God, hath done this? 2. Another part of the text finds an illustration in one of the concomitanis of this event; that is, God as judge, "setteth up another." For another is invested with the very office his prede- cessor was designed to fill; of whose incumbency friends had no hopes, foes, no fears, and himself no expectation. A feeling of surprise, scarcely realizes the fact, that the people, by long and earnest efforts, elevated a man for the space of four years, and in a little more than one month after that elevation, a different indivi- dual seems permanently placed in his stead : a movement evidently indicating the hand of God, and which, perhaps, places that indi- 21 vidua! in a position more favorable for the difficult measures of his office, than his predecessor. Not having been the object of the people's contention, he cannot now be of their unqualified censure or praise. The very peculiarity of his situation, will give him the advantage of a candid criticism and a generous forbearance, and entitle him to those calm, but earnest regards which a sudden emergency secures to a deserving individual. To e.xpress this strange vicissitude in a figure; the sun, after having arrived to his illustrious zenith, by some invisible cause, suddenly and with as- tounding velocity, has set beneath our political horizon, and a lesser orb has appeared above it, to follow in his track and revolve during the cycle of the constitutional term. 3. The death of which we are now speaking, is a national event; I do not say a national calamity : and it should excite the national sensibility. It occurred when the deceased was representing the national will, and invested with delegated authority to subserve the highest purposes of government. Besides, the greater part of his preceding life has been devoted to the public service ; and none can deny that he deserved well of his country. Having received a classi- cal education, at Hampden Sydney College, he soon embarked with a noble chivalry in the defence of his country; distinguished himself at the battles of Tippecanoe, Fort Meigs and the Thames, all of which, he conducted with the highest talents of the Gene- ral ; retired from the rigors of the field to the tranquility of private life, and then again, entered upon the duties of State, in which he was no less distinguished as Senator, Governor and Foreign Minister. Once, again, leaving the tumult of public life, he settled down into the repose of the farmer of North Bend, living in the simplicity and hospitality of a true republican. From this voluntary obscurity the voice of this mighty confederacy summoned him to the enjoyment of its richest honors and the fulfilment of its most responsible office; upon the immediate assumption of which, a higher authority bid him lay them down and appear in bis presence. An event so solemn and affecting has already awakened, as it should, a universal response, in the bosoms of even his political opponents, and obtains for him that commemoration 22 duo to virtuous rulers. The whole Union, as if suddenly s'ruck with the shock of a common calamity, meet to mourn over his less, and to offer at his tomb the significant memoriala of their deep and abiding regret. 4. This event triumphantly rebukes the folly of feverish and convulsive elections. The free expression of candid opinions, the exercise of private rights, the moderate discussion and contention of parties, are the bl^essings of a free government, and contribute to its stability. But what can result from the rage of party strife and the stratagems of a restless and wicked policy. Nothing, but the collection and explosion of the most disastrous elements that can exist in a country, subverting the very foundations of govern- ment. Such excited efforts, I say, are rebuked by this event. For, ahhough the object ivas gained, it was not allowed to be enjoyed. 5. It shows the instability of human hopes, how bright and flat- tering soever they may be. Man, my brethren, can make nothing strong. His wisdom and his power can give perpetuity to nothing which he wishes to retain. Ah! could they do so, our fond expec- tations would not so often elude and distract us, nor life appear that scene of delusion and mockery which w'e find it to be, nor our anticipations wrecked in the hour of their realization. 6. It teaches us the vanity of human glory, the object of such incessant toil. How unsubstantial ! It is chilled at the though', and perishes at the touch of death. Yea, "the path of glory leads but to the grave." Of all the vanities of earth, that " lead to bewilder and dazzle to blind," this is most vain , least rewards the labors that secure it, or alleviates the pains which its acquisition inflicts, or gilds the retrospect of life's last hour. What are all the honors that even a nation can confer, to the dying or the dead. Can they extract the thorns, or soothe the sorrows of expiring na- ture? Happy he, whose ambition prompts hitn to seek that "honor which Cometh from God only." 7. It preaches a solemn lesson in this nation's ears, never before published from that high eminence; enforcing the admonition of Christ upon this whole land; "Be ye also rcad3r, for in such an hour as ye think not, the son of man comelh." It should remind 23 us that as men, so nations are mortal, that they have their death, and burial, but more melancholy still, they have no resurrection. It shows us that there is no protection against the invasion and the desolation of death . " Not glittering line or guards in pompous niMil arrayed, Bastion, or moated wall, or mound, Or palisade ; Or covered trench, secure and deep; All these cannot one victim keep, O death ! from thee, When thou dost battle in thy wrath, And thy strong shafts pursue their path Unerring!}'. " It shows that every condition and grade of society is equally ac- cessible and subject to death, whether of wealth or poverty, honor or infamy. Truly has it been said, "Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperuni tabcrnas, Reg^anque iurres." "With eijual pace, impartial fate, Knocks at the palace and the cottage gate." Thus wcare all destined to fall beneath the shaft of the unerring- archer. Few of us will reach the age, and none of us, it is pro- bable, the honors of the late President. Ere as many years shall roll over the face of nature, our bodies shall be sleeping the sleep of death, reposing in dreamless slumbers upon his leaden pillow. The only security for our souls, the only passport into a better world, is a standing preparation for our departure. I close this discourse with a word to you, young gentlemen, at whose solicitation 1 undertook this task ; a word of acknowledg- ment, of apology and of exhortation : Of acknowledgment, at this expression of your regard, and the kind attention you have given to this discourse: Of apology, for the conscious imperfection of too great an undertaking: and of exhortation, that each one of you 24 may act well his part as a christian and a citizen; that leaving these walls and ascending the busy theatre of life, you may occupy with credit to yourselves and usefulness to your country, the sta- tions assigned you ; and when called to surrender them, gathering up your feet, as one prepared for the summons, you may find a peaceful retreat from the cares and the duties of this world, to that abode, where "the wicked cease from troubling and the weary be at rest." Amen. r. ^ t\ 4 \: 4 K LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 895 545 6 : n ■.-^-r7is't'j>i?^.,,.„,,,,,.,.,^ ?.'S1' » ■ » -.: [in ;