5 on the, Srrencn ^/iev-olutlon. SERMON, DELIVERED NOVEMBER 20, 1794 BEING THE DAY O F ANNUAL THANKSGIVING, BY SAMUEL STILLMAN, D. D. PASTOR OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN BOSTON, BOSTON: Printed by MANNING tsf CORING. THE Author of the Sermon begs his friends who folicited its publication, to excufe his delay: rndifpofition, of .boldy, and feveral other circum- flances prevented his tranfcribing it fooner for the prefs. SERMON MATTHEW xxiv. 6, 7, 8. And ycjhall hear of wars and rumours of wars : fee that ye be not troubled : for all thefe things muft come to pafs^ but the end is not yet. For nation Jh all rife again/I nation, and kingdom again/I kingdom : and there fhall be famines^ and pejlilences^and earthquakes in divers places. All thefe are the beginning of for rows. AT may be thought by fome, that this paflage is inapplicable to the prefent occafion. But, my brethren, we live in an age when it is ftrikingly exemplified. To endeavour to trace effedts to their caufes, and to account for the folemn ftate of things in the European world, its influence and iflue, will be no improper employment for this day ; becaufe it will naturally bring into view abundant reafons of thankfgiving to God, who guides the affairs of empire. The 6 : ; cxtiis. found In our blefled Lord's con- vcriation with his difciples, who, ftruck with the magnificence of Solomon's temple, invited his attention to it : to whom lie faid, See ye not all thefe things ? Verily I fay unto you, There JJjall not be left one flone upon another, that Jhall not be thrown down. This folemn declaration of aii event fo contrary to their expectations, excited a defire in them to be informed when it mould happen. Tell us, fay they, when foall thefe things be ? and what JJoall be the Jign of thy coming, and of the end of the world ? And Jefus anfwered and faid unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many Jhall come in my name, fay ing, I am Chrijl ; and fb all deceive many. And ye Jhall hear of wars and rumours of wars : fee that ye be not troubled : for all thefe things mnji come to pafs, but the end is not yet. For na tion fh all rife agaitifl nation, and kingdom again ft iingdQra : and there JJzall be famines, and pejli- Unces, and earthquakes in divers places. All thefe are the beginning of for rows. The text is a prediction of events, that were to befal the JewiJJj nation in the fiift inftance .; and may be divided into thefe two inquiries : I. On what does Chrift found this decla ration, Te Jhall hear of wars and humours of wars ? II. What does he mean by this faying, See e be not troubled? I. On JL I. On what does Chrift found this decla ration, Ye Jhall hear of wars and rumours of wars ? It is founded on his foreknowledge. In him dwelt all the fulnefs of the Godhead bodily : hence he thought it no robbery to bs equal 'with God* *> As fuch, at one glance he forefaw all thcfe events, that would take place from the be ning to the end of time. In the conclft but expreflive language of infpiration it is faid, Hs fees the end from the beginning. Peter afcribes omnifcience to Chrift : LorJ 9 faid he, thou knoweft all things ; tbou knowc/l that / love thee. His heart, by this confefiion, lay open to the Son of God. If his, then the heart of every other man. To know the heart is a divine prerogative. Jefus Chrift, who was in the bofom cf the Father from eternity, and poflefied the fame na ture with him, perfectly underftood the whole economy of Providence, confequently thoie events that would befal the Jewlflo people. This prophecy was literally accompiiilicd : for horrid wars preceded the deftrudtion of the city Jerufalem ; which are mentioned by Joie- phus. During the fiege of the city by the Roman army, thoufands were flain, Se times did they groan under the dreadful ca: ities of civil war. Thefe, however, were but the beginning of forrows, compared with the evils that have befallen them iincc t!iek difperfion. In the profpect of which our blefibd bleffed Lord thus laments ; Jerufalem, Jeru-> falem, thou that killejl the prophets , and ftonejl them that are fent unto thee, hoiv often 'would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye 'would not. Behold your houfe is left unto you defolate. This declaration was alfo founded on our Lord's knowledge of the depravity of the human heart. He knew what was in man, and need ed not that any man fhould teach him. From 'within, faid he, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, falfe witnefs, blafphemies. Matt. xv. 1 9. He alfo perfe&ly knew how that depravity would operate, or what events would arife out of it. Depravity in man is the fruitful fource of evils in the world. From 'whence come wars and fightings among you ? fays James ; come they not hence even of your lujis, which war in your members ? In the front of the degrading catalogue I place ambition as a principal ; which involves pride and a fpirit of revenge. An ambitious man is infatiable in his defires for honour and power ; and generally artful and determined in his attempts to acquire them ; and implacable in his refentments in cafe of difappointment. Ambition has flam its ten thoufands. In the fmall, and in the great world, it hath done un- fpeakable miichiefs. Its influence is evident on individuals, in families, in religion and gov ernment. Individuals Individuals in general are anxious to excel ; hence the competition we fee among perfons of the fame, as well as of different profeffions. From this fource arifeth alfo a fpirit of refent- ment againft thofe, who treat them contrary to the opinion they have of their own merit. Hence come contentions and every evil work. One perfon of this reftlefs temper in a family, is capable of deftroying all its happinefs by a haughty and overbearing conduct ; and a readi- neis to refent every fuppofed neglect. Ambition is too frequently apparent among men who profefs a friendfhip for religion ; yet religion enforces the neceffity of the deepeft hu mility. Even the immediate difciples of Chrift difputed who ihould be the greateft. From this fpirit, fo contrary to the gofpel, have arifen per- fecutions and martyrdoms. Had mankind in general, and Chrifdans in particular, been willing to allow to others the lib erty they take, of thinking for themfelves, thefe horrid fcenes would not have taken place. But they have ftrangely and unreafonably imagined, in many inftances,that they only have this right. Hence the frequent attempts that have been made by the civil magiftrate, in countries where Chriftianity is eftablifhed by law, to check by force the growth of opinions contrary to his own. In government it is perpetually at work, having full fcope for its baneful influence. In this inftance it has often appeared as a monfter with a thoufand heads. B Though 10 Though a republican form of government, in the opinion of the preacher, is the beft cal culated to promote the freedom and happinefs of the people, there always will be found men of boundlefs ambition, who become heads of parties, and fpare no pains to get into place. One circumftance is fufficient to be mentioned here, which all men muft acknowledge, and that is, the competition there continually is, be tween them who are in, and them who are out of office. They who are in wiih to keep in, and they who are out to get in : hence the con^ teft that often happens, and the ungenerous at tacks that are frequently made on perfonal char acters, with a deiign of injuring them in the public opinion. The beft of men and meafures are often treat ed w T ith the greateft feverity, in order to pro* mote the defigns of certain ambitious men. But while human nature remains in its prefent ftate of imperfection, the great body of the people fhould acl; with caution : their political falva- tion, under God, depends on themfelves. It has often happened, that the men who have made the higheft preteniions to patriotifm, have been the moft ambitious in heart. In a monarchical government, where the fu- preme power is vefted in an individual under certain limitations, this vice will exert itfelf. The various expenfive appendages of royalty are food for an ambitious mind. The prince feels his importance, and is tenacious of his pre rogative ; and there always will be men enough, who II who furroimd his perfon, to flatter his pride and to opprefs the people. The number of thefe fycophants is eafily increafed by places and pen- fions ; till finally the beft form of government, in its principles or adminiiiration, becomes corrupt. The people groan under the yoke, complain and remonurate without effeft ; for a venal majority are always ready to fupport the meal- ures of the prince. At length matters become defperate ; government is oppofed by force of arms, many lives are loft in the conflict, and a revolution takes place. Hence the revolution in England, headed by the Prince of Orange Hence too the revolution in America, with an excellent band of patriots, and our immortal WASHINGTON at its head. Permit me to declare, my brethren, that I blefs God he ordered me into exiftence at a period, which gave me an opportunity of ob- ferving the origin, progrefs and glorious ifTue of my country's conteft with her oppreflbrs. She is free, happy and independent. Let the people praifc thee, Lord \ let all the people praife thee ! The fnare is broken^ and ive are ejcaped. This is the Lord's doing^ and is mar vellous in our eyes. To return. What man can look into the prefent ftate of Poland without a mixture of grief and indignation, while he beholds that unfortunate people deprived of their liberties, and their country divided between the Emprefs of Ruffia and the King of Pruffia ? But they bravely 12 bravely ftruggle : and every friend to the free dom of mankind will wifh them fuccefs. If we look into France, whofe prefent con dition engages the attention of the world, we {hall learn awful leifons of pride, ambition arid cruelty. To iriveftigate the dealings of Providence toward that great nation, may tend to throw light on their prefent ftate, and help us to af- certain the reafons why God contendeth with them. The events that have taken place in France are very different in their nature. Some of them are pleafmg, others painful Some we approve, others we condemn. We highly ap plaud the principles of the revolution, and the noble oppofition of that nation to civil and ec- clefiaftical tyranny. But we are obliged to cen- fure and lament their fanguinary meafures, their numerous executions, their rejection of relig ion, and the fluctuating ftate of their politics. Senfible and difpailionate men will diftin- guifh the good from the bad, and neither ap prove nor condemn in the grofs. Rather they will make up their judgment with that caution, which arifeth from a consideration of the dif- tance at which they are from the fcene of ac- tion, and the mifreprefentations which com monly attend fuch times of confufion, , Perfons in every country, who are oppofed to the French revolution, perpetually hold up to view their cruelty, irreligion and inftability ; and on the account of thefe condemn the whole. But But this condud is very unreafonable, and cre ates a fufpicion, that they are in heart unfriendly to the liberties of mankind. This is the coun terpart of that conduct which we Americans experienced during the revolution in our own country. In France, " the paflions of men have been enraged," fays one, " and, in the parcxyfm of refentment, fear and defpair, the beil of caufes, the caufe of liberty, has been ftained by the commiffion of crimes which afflict a great ma- jority of their own nation, and all the genuine friends of liberty and juftice through the world. None can contemplate them but with the ken- eft anguifh, except thofe who are watching for occasions to flander all who refift oppreflbrs." " There is no nation exifting which, firil and laft, has produced fuch a number of faithful witneffes againft papal corruptions and tyran nies, as France. No people have fo long a lift of martyrs and confefibrs to mew, as the Prot- eftants of that country ; and there is no royal family in Europe which has fhed, in the fup- port of Popery, half the blood which the Capets have fhed. They flew above a million of Wai- denfes and AlbigenfesjwhQ bore teftimony againft the corruptions and ufurpations of Rome. Who fet on foot, and headed the executioners of the maflacre of Bartholomew, which lafted feven days, and in which, fome fay, near fifty thoufand Proteftants were murdered in Paris, and twenty thoufand more in the provinces ? The royal menders of France. A maflacre this, in which which neither age nor fex, nor even women with child, were ipared ; for the butchers had received orders to Daughter all, even babes at the breaft, if they belonged to Proteftants. The king himfelf flood at the windows of his pal ace, endeavouring to Ihoot thofe who fled, and crying to their purfuers, Kill 'em, kill *em. For this maflacre public rejoicings were made at Rome, and in other Catholic countries. Un numbered thoufands of Proteftants were flain in the civil wars of France, for their attachment to their principles." . It is impoffible, in the time allowed for the prefent fervice, to recount the horrid cruelties that were infii&ed on the Proteftants, upon the revocation of the edicl; of Nantz by Louis XlV.f " He it was," fays the fame writer, " who gave the death-wound to the civil liberties of France, by taking from the parliaments all re maining power, and from France every fhadow of freedom. Their ancient conftitution had been long impairing. It was undermined by the crafty Lewis XI. and had been nearly fwept away by the daring and fanguinary coun cils of Richelieu under Lewis XIII. The af- fembly of the ftates had been difufed ever fince the beginning of this monarch's reign. The laft time of its meeting was in the year 1614. But all civil liberty did not then expire. Its complete extinction was left for this tyrant, Lewis * Mr. Bi CHENG'S Signs of the Times. f The reader may confult Mr. CLAUDE'S Complaints of the Proteftants on this fubjelh Lewis XIV. From his days to the time of the revolution 1789, the people were ftrangers to both civil and religious liberty. The fame fyftern of oppreffion was purfued, though not always to the fame length; the fame tyrannic laws continued in force, and were exercifed whenev er the king or his courtiers conceived it necef- fary for the promotion of their meafures. The late banifhments and imprifonments of the members of the parliament of Paris, for refuf- ing to regifter thofe loans (becaufe they thought them oppreffive to the people) which the court demanded, are in every one's memory ;" and may be thought to have haftened the downfall of that unfortunate prince, Le cumftances that damp the joy of the day. The Indian war creates extreme diflrefles to the inhabitants of our frontiers. Even here the profpeft brightens, in the late fucceis of our arms. It is the wifh of every benevolent man, that this vi&ory may iflue in peace with thefe fons of the wildernefs ; and that they and we may hereafter dwell together as brethren, en terms of reciprocal advantage. The weftern infurrefiion gives us pain. How aftonifhing it is, that men fliould be fo loft to all regard to themfelves, to the govern ment that protects them, and to the order and happinefs of fociety, as to oppofe, by an ap peal to arms, a law which has been fanclioned by the majority of the people, or their repre- fentatives in Congrefs. This painful event hath, however, tended to djfplay the energy of government and the excellency of our execu tive, in the methods that have been taken firft to conciliate y and in cafe of failure, tofubduc the infurgents : alfo the determined fpirit of our fellow-citizens to fupport the laws of the Union. Let us unite in giving glory to God for our Federal Government, which hath already raif-r ed the United States to wealth and eminence. The experiment hath realized the expectations of its warmeft friends, and is calculated to fi- lence gainfayers. Our profperity as a people cannot be denied, notwithstanding the depre dations that have been committed on our com- D mercc 26 merce by the powers at war, efpecially by the rapacity of Great-Britain. We will blefs the Lord that our land hath yielded her increafe, and the people have en joyed a remarkable {hare of health through the' year ; while fatal illnefs has fwept off* great numbers of our fellow-citizens in other parts of the Union, which we fincerely lament. But fo inany are the bleffings conferred upon us by a kind Providence, that if we would attempt to fpeak of them, they are more than can be num bered. In fine. Let love and friendfhip abound amidft our different political opinions. We ihould ftudioufly guard againft mifreprefenting one another ; which is too often done by men of warm paffions. It ought not to be faid, That the friends of the French revolution ap prove of all the circumftances attending it. They love the caufe of liberty, and wifh its univerfal triumph^ but lament every event that checks its progrefs and injures its reputation. On the other hand, let not the warm friends of the French nation, accufe their fellow-citizens of being enemies to liberty in general, who, in the warmth of their zeal for humane and mod erate meafures, have faid fome very fevere and improper things againft that people. If the citizens, thus oppofed to each other, were to think coolly upon the iubjecl:, I flatter myfelf, they would unite in approving the principles of the French revolution, and in condemning ev- ry abufe of them, Our Our beloved Prefident does not hefitate to call the French republic, " The great and good friend and ally of the United States." " It was fome time (fays he) before a character could be obtained, worthy of the high office of cxprefling the attachment of the United States to the happinefs of our allies, and drawing clofer the bands of our friend/Joip. I befeech you therefore, to give full credence to whatever he {hall fay to you on the part of the United States, and moft of all, when he fhall afliire you, THAT YOUR PROSPERITY IS AN OB JECT OF OUR AFFECTION.* I am confident, my brethren, you heartily approve of thefe expreffions of attachment to that nation, who fought by your fide, and at- filled you in fecuring your freedom and in dependence ; and who are at this moment en gaged in a moft important conteft, in the iflue of which all mankind are interefted. May Almighty God make them glad according to the days wherein he hath afflicted them, and the years wherein they have feen evil ; and caufe thefe great events among the nations, to terminate in the univerfal eftablifhment of the rights of man, and the peaceful kingdom of Jefus Chrift. And let all the people fay, AMEN. '' The Prefident's letter of credit for Mr. MUNK.OE, &c, 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORRC LOAN *' This 5 S7 o o o b U UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY