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By MOSES T>0W, A.M.
SALEM:
FKINTED BY JOSHUA CU3KIJIG.
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SERMON,
PREACHED IN BEVERLY,
AUGUST 20, 1812, ..,
THE DAY OF THE
NATIONAL EAST,
ON ACCOUNT OF
WAR WITH GREAT-BRITAIN ;
AND AGAIN AT
THE TABERNACLE IN SALEM,
APRIL 8, 1813, THE DAY OF THE
ANNUAL FAST IN MASSACHUSETTS.
SERMON.
Luke xIx. 41, 42. And when he was come near, he beheld the
CITY, and wept over IT, SAYING, If THOU HADST KNOWN, EVEN THOU, AT LEAST IN THIS THY DAY, THE THINGS WHICH BELONG UNTO THY PEACE ! BUT NOW THEY ARE HID FROM THINE EYES.
When our saviour uttered thefe pathetic words, he was on his laft journey to Jerufalem. There he was going to fhed his blood and lay down his life for the redemption and falvation of a loft world. It was not a profped of his own fufterings which thus afFefted him. Thefe he had always expected, and was prepared to meet, with heroic and divine forti- tude. But a forefight of the miferies coming upon that ungrateful, perfecuting city, by the awful juf- tice of God, filled his fympatheticfoul with the live- lieft impreffions of grief. He feared not death ; but cheerfully led the way to the place of his execution. From the mount of Olives he entered the city Jeru- falem, riding upon an afs' cok, amidft the loud ac- clamations of joy from the whole multitude of his difciples. But when the benevolent Saviour beheld THE DEVOTED CITY, hc burft into tears. Ponder- ina: upon the Jews' wilful obftinacy — their rejection of'all the offers of grace, and the utter ruin which awaited the city, the temple, and its inhabitants, hc
wept, with the tendereft compafTion. And he ex- claimed, "as with a wifh, or ardent defire," If thou hadji known, or, Oh that thou hadft known, in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! The Jews' day, here intended, was the time in which they had been honoured and favoured with the pre- fence of Messiah, their King. This was their day ; for Chrift and the firft preachers of the gofpel had fpent all their time and labour at Jerufalem. They had been taught repeatedly, by Chrift and his apof- tles, the things which belonged to xhciY peace, profpe- rtiy and happinefs. But they difregarded their mef- fage, would not believe their report, nor follow their iniirudions. Their hearts were hardened and their minds blinded with a fpirit of infatuation. And be- ing left Mwditx J} rong dchifions to helicve a lie, they pre- ferred falfehood to truth. Thus this once profperous city was judicially given up of God ; her day of gracious privilege was then expired, — her doom was paflbd, and every thing conducive to her wel- fare was, in righteous judgment, " hidden from, her eyes." When Jcfus approached this devoted place, a view from the neighbouring hills awakened, in his fympathizing bofom, the iiveliell emotions of pity. Though he was about to predicl the entire defolation of the city, he did not defire the woful day : — he did not delight in the deftruclion even of fuch wicked people. And therefore he exclaims, in the language of ardent defire, mixed with regret, " Oh, that thou had.fi known, in thi:s thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes.*'
The proportions, which we conceive deducible from, this paffage, are the following :
I. Nations and individuals may neglect the things which belong to their peace, till their cafe is defpe- rate and pall all remedy.
2. A profpecl of ruin and mlfery coming upon- the defpifers of God's mercy, will excite the tendered compaflion of all who have the fpirit of Chrift.
First. Nations and individuals may neglect the things which belong to their peace, till their cafe is defperate and paft all remedy. Short is the period of human life, even though we linger out thieefcore years and ten. And fhorter ftill may be the day of God's gracious forbearance, and man's favourable opportunity to fecure the divine favour. For num- bers, in every age, " defpife the riches of the good- nefs, forbearance and longfufFering of God ; not knowing that his goodnefs leads to repentance: but after their hardneis and impenitent heart, they trea- fure up wrath againft the day of wrath.'* They put far away the evil day, till, by long indulgence, they become feared in confcience, and incurably hardened in lin. " Becaufe fentence againft an evil work is not executed fpeedily, their hearts are fully fet in them to do evil." God bears with them from time to tim.e. He tries various expedients to turn them from their wicked purpofes, to truth and holinefs. He vifits hem with mercies and judgments — with v/arnings .nd invitations — with threatenings and promiles. 5ut when they have long turned a deaf ear to all lis counfels, flighted his propofals, and undervalued his unfpeakable bleffings ; — -when they perfevcre in reliiling, quenching and grieving his Holy Spirit, they are ripening faft for remedilefs deftruclion. For the Lord has exprefsly faid, *' My'Spirit Jlmll not always Jlrive with manJ'* The Spirit of God long flrove with men of the old world, by inlpiring Enoch, Noah and others to preach and to warn them. He long and patiently bore with them, notwithftand- ing their rebellions, waiting to be gracious. But, at lengthp incenfed by their obilinate refiftaiice to the
warnings of his prophets and the remonftrances of their own confciences, he folemnly refolved to leave them to be hardened in fin, and to ripen for deftruc- tion. In like manner the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, by their filthy and abominable wicked- nefs, provoked the Lord, not only to withdraw his reftraints, but to make them the monuments of his eternal vengeance. The mofl: afl:onifliing forbear- ance the Lord manifefied alfo toward the Ifraelites in the wilder nefs. Forty years long v*^as he grieved with that generation. At length, grown indignant by their incelTant murmurings, ingratitude and re- bellion, he fware in his wrath that they fhould not enter his refi:. Their fliort and limited feafon of probation was then clofed, and their fi.ate of eternal retribution commenced.
If we trace the hifi:ory of the feveral kingdoms of Judah and Ifrael, we find them fubjecl to frequent and alternate changes from profperity to adverfity. They were taught, by experience, the truth of that divine aphorifm, " When the RiOHTtous are in
AUTHORITY, THE PEOPLE REJOICE ; BU I WHEN THE WICKED BEARETH RULE, THE PEOPLE MOURN."
"When fuch men as David and Josiah were their kings, their times were times of reformation, and Providence fmiled upon all their concerns. But when fuch as Ahab, Jeroboam and Manasseh ruled over them, Providence frowned, wickednefs increaf- ed, and the land mourned. In confequence of the great wickednefs of the people, their day of gracious vifitation was generally fliort — their fun of profpe- rity w'as foon covered with a dark cloud of adverfity.
If v/c defcend to later times, the glory of empires, kingdoms and nations appears fi:ill more tranfitory and fading. On the page of hifi:ory many of them fuddenly arife to view, exhibit a temporary fplen- dour, and then quickly difappear, and are feen no
more. By various maffacres, famines, peftilence and revolutionary fcenes, an immenfe multitude of go- vernments has arifen, lince the difperlion of the Jewifti nation. But their profperity and glory have been like " the morning cloud and the early dew." Where righteoufnefs has abounded, the nation has been exalted ; but when fin has prevailed, it has quickly funk in reproach and ruin. Ihis has ever been the courfe of providence toward nations ; and fuch will ever be its courfe to the end of time. Thofe, who make his laws their model, and his word their guide, God will blefs and profper ; but thofe, who forfake his ordinances and the light of his word, he will leave to certain deftru6lion — to perifh with- out remedy. Where now are the once flourifhing governments of Alia — the birth-place of man, of prophets, apoftles, and the Saviour of the world ? Alas, they are crumbled to ruins. Once they were the theatres of mighty works — the refidence of many holy men, and the fcenes of remarkable divine interpofition. Jerufalem, that city of folemnities, that cradle of God*s antient church, where refided the fymbols of his prefencc, is now a heap of ruins. It was often and alternately rebuilt and deftroyed by contending parties ; but finally, according to the ex- prefs prediction of our Saviour, it was utterly de- molifhed by Titus. In exact fulfilment of the pro- phecy, about forty years after it was uttered, the city was razed to the ground ; and its inhabitants deftroyed. Indeed, fo complete was the deftruction of this renowned city, that not one ftone was left upon another ; but turned up by the Roman plough, in queft of plunder. This was in righteous judg- ment— for their crying fins ; because they would
NOT REGARD THE THINGS WHICH BELONGED TO THEIR PEACE.
Greece and Rome, once the feats of arts and fci- ences, the moll powerful empires and miftrefles of
tlie world, corrupted, debauched and divided, have long fince fallen a prey to favage invaders. A de- luge of Ignorance, barbarifm and fuperftition has ef- faced the monuments of former learning and mag- nificence. Their proud ambition, enormous cruel- ties and abominable wickednefs provoked Heaven to blot them from the lift of nations. A new race have fprung up, to inherit their territory, who have formed governments, and had their day of prof- perity. Holland, Switzerland, Italy and Germany were once independent, free and profperous ftates. But not knowing the time of their vifitation — not minding the things which belonged to their peace, they be- came infatuated, and then fell an eafy prey to " the mighty power under whofe iron rod all Europe groans" and bleeds at every pore. And they fell, not in the high places of the field — not by force of arms ; but by blindly yielding to the infidious arts of their defigning conquerors. They had drunken of " the wine of ailonifliment," by which they were intoxi- cated, divided and enfeebled ; and " then their ruin became inevitable." — And can we fay that our own nation is in no danger from this intoxicating cup, of lo ling the things 'which belong to its peace? Alas3 whatever be the caufe, our profperity and glory are, in a meafurc, gone, our peace is fled, and war, with all its baneful attendants, is now our portion ! The caufe may be traced to our fms, which teftify againil us. Thefe have provoked the Lord to anger ; and his anger againft fm is the fole caufe of all mifery, perfonal and relative, individual and national, tem- poral and eternal. The fm-s of profeOing churches have often provoked the anger of Heaven to remove their candleflick out of its place ; — nations tremble for the fame caufe : yea, the whole earth, and crea- tion itfelf, groan under the load of man's guilt. The judgments of God are abroad in the earth, becaufc of
the wickcdnefs of men. And when we confider the fury and rage, the mutual carnage and deftrudiori of nations, does is not appear that they have been drinking of the intoxicating cup of God s holy in- dignation ? Elfe why are they thus maddened in their paffions to wreak their vengeance on one ano- ther ? Why does a nation, upon the flighteft pre- text, rife up againft nation, fo that " blood toucheth blood ?" And does not the compafllonate Saviour now weep over this infatuated land ? Does he not fay to America, in the language of our text, " 0Z>, that thm hadji known, even thou, at leajl, in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! Oh, that thou hadft hearkened to my commandments ! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righ- teoufnefs as the waves of the fea/* Had we as a na- tion hearkened to the God of our fathers, and to the maxims of wifdom contained in his word, this had, even now, been our happy cafe. We fhould not have been compelled to witnefs " the confufed noife of the warrior, and garments rolled in blood." Had we, our fathers, our princes and people, all uni- ted in maintaining the worfhip of God, and unfeign- ed obedience to his laws, our national profperity would not have been interrupted. The things which belong to our peace would not have been hidden from our eyes. The bleflings engaged to Ifrael, while they adhered to the fervice of Jehovah, might have been expected in this happy land. " Our fons would have been as plants, grown up in their youth, — our daughters as corner ftones, polifhed after the fitnili- tude of a palace. Our garners would have been full^ affording all manner of ftore ; — our fheep would have brought forth thoufands and ten thoufands in our ftreets — our oxen would have been llrong to la- bour— there would have been no breaking in nor
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going out, — no complaining in our flreetg. Happy is the people that is in fuch a cafe ; yea, happy is the people, whofe God is the Lord." — Such are the bleff- ings, which, in the ordinary courfe of providence, are generally conferred on nations, whofe rulers and people faithfully follow the maxims of the gofpel. And fuch happinefs would have been thine, O Ame- rica, had this been thy uniform character. But how art thou fallen from thy former great nefs I How is thy glory departed ! '' How is the gold be- come dim, and the $\oik fine gold changed !" Time was, when wc were the envy of the world. The fame of our independence, freedom and profperity rang, through the channels of commerce, to the remoteft nations. The wealth of almoft every clime was, through this medium, wafted to our fliores. By this our national treafury was repleniflied — agricul- ture and manufactures flouriflied- — learning and the arts advanced with rapid pace, and we were fwiftly emulating the greatnefs of the firft in rank in the old world. Happy, thrice happy, O Americans, had ye known what happinefs was yours — had ye regarded the things which belonged to your peace. But alas, how are they hidden from our eyes ! We are now,
' 2d. To fliew that a profpecl of ruin and mifery coming upon the defpilers of God's mercy will ex- cite the tendereft conipaflion of all who have the fpirit of Chrift.
David, that emirxcnt type of our Saviour, exhibits. In a lively degree, this fympathetic, chriftian affec- tion. " Horror^ fays he, hath taken hold upon me, be- caiifc of the wicked that forfake thy law'" " Rivers of water run down ?nine eyes, becaufe they keep not thy lawJ* " I beheld the iranfgrejfors, and zuas grieved, becaufe they
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kept not thy ivord^ — Having the fame mind that was in Chrift Jefus, he was grieved to the very heart, to fee others bUndly rufliing to their own ruin. . x\ vieW of their fmful character and awfully dangerous ftate filled him with the mingled emotions of grief, indig- nation and pity. He mourned the wickednefs of men and the diflionour of God, more than his own fufferings j and he wept a flood of tears. And no one has a right to pretend to the fpirit of Chrift, unlefs the fm and mifery of others thus deeply affed him.
To rejoice in another's calamity is the very temper > of hell ! To rejoice in the hope and profpeft that his calamity will work for his good, is a very different thing. This is confiftent with that chriftian benevo- lence, which regards our neighbour as ourfelves. If fore affliclions appear necefl'ary to humble and re- form a bold tranfgreflbr, and feem likely to produce that happy effect, then we ought to acquiefce in the divine method, and pray for its fuccefs. But to re- joice purely in another's diftrefs is inhuman, anti- chriftian and diabolical. The benevolent Saviour and his infpired funts have taught us a better fpirit, and fet us a better example. They mourned and wept, even for thofe who thirftcd to fhed their inno- cent blood. But though Jefus was a man of for- rows, and often groaned and wept in view of fuffcr- ing humanity ; yet the bUnd infatuation, pride and obftinacy of fmners diftrefled far more his fympa- thetic foul. " He looked on the Pharisees with anger, being gricjed for the hardnefs of their hearts.*' And when he beheld the infatuated city of Jerufalem, in fpite of all his counfels, warnings and entreaties, rulhing headlong into ruin, his pitiful foul dilTolved into tears. And were the Saviour now vifible we fliould doubtlefs behold him weeping over the condi- tion and profped of our own guilty land! Our
.42
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peace, profperity and happinefs are on the rapid de- cline, and war, adverfity, and a hoft of evils, affumc their place.
Liberty, too, the pride, the darling and boafl of Americans, Hke a hunted, pcrfecuted fugitive, feems on the point of feeking fome more hofpitable clime. Driven from nation to nation, and from one end of parth to another, like Noah's dove, ftie can fcarcely find reft for the fole of her foot. For a courfe of years fhe has found an afylum, protedion and pa- tronage in this weftern world. But her refidence becomes more and more precarious. For already have many begun to treat this celeftial vilitant with neglecl, or cold contempt !
* [Preferring the unbounded indulgence of licen- tloufnefs to the wholefome rcftraints implied in ge- nuine liberty, infuriate mobs burft the barriers which heaven and earth have raifed for the fecurity of Hfe, property and happinefs. The deplorable con- dition of a fifter ftate excites the indignant groans and fympathy of all the humane — of all the followers of the Lamb. That city, which, like Jerufalem, had been highly exalted in privilege, wealth and fplen- dour, is now doomed to be the prey oftbofe^ who reve- rence no laws^ refped no character ^ aridivhofe tender mer- cies are cruel. Even the diftant report of their mad- dened fury is enough to chill the blood, and freeze the foul with horror ! It reminds us of that furious mob, who wreaked their vengeance on Stephen, the firft chriftian martyr. In his defence before the Jewifh council, his pungent dilcourfe cut to the heart his violent perfecutors, and they, hke ferocious beafts, " gnafhed on him with their teeth.'*
* The fubfeqiient part of the difcourfe, enclofed in brackets, was pronounced with the reft en the firft delivery, but at the laft time was omitted, as Icfs pertinent. A few lentences to- wards the clofe have alfo been added, which the reader will ex-
ffufe.
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Being full of the Holy Ghoft, he faw in vifion a difplay of heavenly glory. i\nd when he proclaim- ed aloud, before his exafperated perfecutors, the glo- rious fcene prefented to his view, " they cried out with a loud voice, and flopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.'* Then, with brutal ferocity and infernal rage, they " call him out of the city, and ftoned him'* to death !
A hmilar mob perfecuted the immaculate Saviour of the world. They milinterpreted all his words and a(n:ions, multiphed their falfe accufations againft him, and treated him with every perfonal infult and indignity. Nothing, in fhort, would fatisfy their bloodthirfty fury, till they had inflicted, upon their unoffending victim, the moft ignominious and tor- turing death !
Thus we fee that human nature is the fame, in all periods, 2LnA^erfecuting mohs were known as early as the apoflolic age. From their unbridled ferocity and horrid mifrule may Heaven preferve us. " 0 my foul, come not thou into their fecret ; unto their ajfem- bly, mine honour^ be not thou united.^^~\
Had we, as a nation, regarded the things tvhich belong to our peacc^ fcenes of riot, mifrule and civil war had never commenced among us. Had we fol- lowed the maxims of the gofpel, in all our private and public relations and capacities ; — had we " ftu- died the things which make for peace, and things whereby one might edify another," we had ftill re- mained a united people, owned and blelTed of the Lord. But by our various fins we have made God our enemy ; and unlefs he turn away his anger, and have mercy upon us, we muft alTuredly perilh. We humbly hope and truft that " the things which be- long to our peace^* are not forever hidden from our eyes. We hope a precious remnant may yet be re- ferved, for whofe fake God will be entreated to fpare
a guilty land. Were it not for this pious remnant, we had, ere now, been as Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim !
There is no truth in the Bible more plain than this, That it is on account of the righteous God bears with wicked nations. Should thefe be all re- moved, the wrath of heaven would foon burft upon their guilty furvivors. In proportion as this clafs are multiplied, promoted, and abound in fruits of righteoufnefs, will be the profperity of any people. On tiie contrary, the more wickednefs and wicked men are increafed and exalted, the more the anger of heaven is enkindled, and ruin haftens apace.
Let our nation turn to the Lord, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance. — Let minifters and people unite in following the maxims of the gofpel. And then, be affured, the doom of Jerufalem fhall not be ours. God will be our fliicld, and no weapons formed againft us, (hall eventually profper.
But fliould we go on immindful of the things •which belong to our peace — and could we fucceed, in conquering the only free nation on earth, except our own ;— the nation, who, bad as flie is, is doing more than all the world befides in extending the word of life and the bleffings of chriftianity, to mil- lions ready to peridi !* — Could we fucceed in con- quering that nation, which now, under Providence, flands between us and ruin — what fhould we gain ? Alas, nought but poverty, vice and flavery ;— nought but a deadly alliance with that infidel, atheiftical power, " whoje armies Jhall foon be affembled at
* It is faid that the Bible and Mifiionary focieties of Great- Britain are paying, as a freewill offering, not lefs than five hun- dred thoufand dollars, annually, to promote the gofpel among the heathen and others deftitute of the means of religious inftruc- tion. And all this in addition to the millions they expend to fupport the i^ofpel at h-^mc— See Rev. Mr. Webfter's Thankf- giving Sermon, Nov. 26, 1812.
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Armageddon, and fall hi the battle of the great day of God Ahnighty.''*
The greateft of all earthly judgments, with which we could be vifited, would be an intimate confedera- cy with infidel powers. For vice, like the plague, is contagious. As fure as we become partakers of myjiical Babylon's fins, we mufl receive of her plagues. Our religion, under God, is our defence and our glory. Should this be deflroyed, and atheifm pre- vail, then farewell to our peace and happinefs forever !
Shall we not all, my friends, imitate the mourn- ing Jefus, and weep over our infatuated country? -Ocr former glory is departed. " Darknefs covers the land^ and thick darknefs the people." Our joy is turn- ed into mourning, and our abufed mercies into defo- lating judgments. Already, diflrefs wrings many a heart, and horrors of thick darknefs brood on many a countenance. The arm of induflry is palfied by the fickening afped of the times, and anxiety is all alive in expectation of fcencs more tremendous ! Thoufands of wives, parents, and other connections, now feel a dreadful folicitude for hufbands, children and friends, who are in danger of falling a prey to a provoked enemy. The profpecl that numerous widows, orphans and beggars will be multiplied by this defolating judgment, muft give pain to every heart, that delights not in war and human mifery. Our only confolation and hope, in this diftrefiing feaibn, are in the government and perfedlions of God. But even this hope and confolation we can- not ex peel to realize, if our fms continue to teftify againft us, and we remain impenitent. The rod of divine corredlon will ftill be Itretchcd over us, and the befom of deflrudion will fweep us away, unlefs we take refuge in the Ark of fafety, unlefs we " break off our fms by righteoufnefs, and our ini- quities by turning unto God.'* *« The name of the
16
Lord is a flrong tower : the rigliteous runneth into it, and is fafe."
Be- exhorted, my friends, to fecure this refuge, and then you need not be afraid of evil tidings. <« The righteous Ihall be in everlafting remem- brance. He Ihall not be afraid of evil tidings. His heart is fixed, trufting in the Lord." Do you wifh to avoid Jerufalem's doom, and to fliun the plagues of antichriftian defpoilers ? Then beware of thd • fafcinating cup. Beware of " the wine of asto- nishment." Beivare offnares laid privily for your de- Jlrudion, Sell not your birthright for a mefs of pottage. Barternot your religion, your Saviour and your fouls, fcr . any paltry gratification, which fatter ing irfideh may offer* But behold the banner of the Prince of peace. En- liii under Chrifl as your Leader and Commander. Let his word be your fword, faith your fhield, and hope your helmet of falvation. This is the conteft, to which we are called. This is the warfare, to which the trumpet of tlje gofpel invites you. Join, as volunteers, this ftandard, and then, whatever be the doom of your country, victory is yours.
You SHALL COME OFF MORE THAN CONQUERORS,,
THROUGH Christ, who hath loved us,
AMEN.
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