THE EMMONS MONUMENT. UGSB LIBRARY ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE REV. NATHANIEL EMMONS, D. D, AT FRANKLIN, JUNE 17, 1846. BY KEV. MORTIMER BLAKE, A. M., MANSFIELD, MASS. BOSTON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL N. DICKINSON & CO. 1846. FRANKLIN, Wednesday evening, June llth, 1846. REV. MORTIMER BLAKE: DEAR SIR, The Emmons Monument Association met this evening and passed the following Resolution : ' That the thanks of the Association be tendered to you for your highly interesting and appropriate Address, delivered this day, and that a copy of the same be procured for the press.' We, the undersigned, being appointed a Committee to carry said Resolution into effect, would respectfully request of you a copy for publication. With sentiments of respect, We remain yours, &c., NATH'L MILLER,) H. C. FISHER, S Committee. JONA. MANN, > To Messrs. Dr. N. Miller, Capt. H. C. Fisher, and Dr. J. Mann : GENTLEMEN, I acknowledge the receipt of your note of June 17th, requesting a copy of the Ad- dress delivered at the erection of the monument to the memory of Dr. Emmons. I regret that inability and unavoidable engagements prevented my bestowing that labor upon it, which the memory of so great and good a man deserves. But it is at your service as it is, as a small tribute of respect to his memory, whom every son of Frank- lin will delight to honor. Yours, with respect, MORTIMER BLAKE. Mansfield, June 23, 1846. ADDRESS THE spontaneous workings of the human mind are like a mirror, reflecting the character of its Creator. In the harmony of its strongest emotions, we can see, with great distinctness, His infinite wisdom and goodness. Thus there is a melancholy regret in the thought that we must, at some period, leave this earth forever, and that the places which now know us will know us no more. When such a reflection presses upon us, we look around upon the things which bind us here, like one who is bidding an adieu to the home of his youth, when he never expects to visit it again. It never appeared so at- tractive before. But our regrets do not alter the fact. When we have gone from the world, it will be at length forgotten almost, that such a person ever lived. The friends we now know will gradu- ally cease to think of us. The field of our labors will be entered by others, ignorant of their predecessors. Strangers will inhabit our homes, and strangers' children will gambol in our play- grounds. This is the aspect which our own death presents to the imagina- tion. It is not the dread of departing that produces this sadness, but a natural shrinking from being forgotten. ' To have no whispering of a name on earth ! Such thought is cold about the heart, and chills the blood.' God has created this desire of posthumous fame for our good. It becomes a strong incentive, in every one's breast, to do some- thing which will secure a remembrance after he is dead : ' To leave a vestige, as they pass, That following ages may discern they once Had been on earth, and acted something there.' But the evils which might flow from this desire of being remem- bered are prevented by a counterbalancing arrangement of our Maker. He has provided for its gratification, by implanting in the human breast the emotion of esteem. He has made man so as in- stinctively to respect whatever is worthy of respect. The operation of esteem is not limited to the present. It outlives its object, and remembers it when gone. Men cannot forget the names and deeds of those who have faithfully served God in their generation. Every succeeding century casts a mellowing, richer tint of beauty over their worth, as it does over a painting of the ancient masters. God has controlled the excess of these two spontaneous emo- tions, by making esteem depend upon moral worth and real use- fulness. Other kinds of greatness may produce a notoriety; but they educe no esteem : goodness alone awakens it, and goodness does awaken it involuntarily. It needs no monuments to preserve its remembrance. They are not erected for such a purpose. A bereaved family raises a stone to the memory of the departed member, not because they fear they shall forget, but because they love to remember. They love to express their affection in this only way now left to them. And when that stone is visited, it is not because they wish to revive fading recollections, but because they already feel them so strongly. The practise of erecting monuments in memory of distinguished persons and important events, is of the remotest antiquity. And it is a practise which will always continue, because it springs from emotions which God has implanted in the human breast: namely, not a fear of forgetting, but a desire to express visibly the remem- brance and esteem of the good and the useful. It was this feeling which erected the monument to Rachel, and consecrated the cave of Machpelah, and the tombs in the city of David. It has hallowed the resting places of the reformers and martyrs, and has filled West- minster Abbey with cenotaphs. It guards the grounds of Mount Vernon, and the monuments of Mount Auburn. Now, a feeling so natural, and so universal, why should it be repressed in the case of one so useful and so justly distinguished as REV. NATHANAEL EMMOIS'S, D. D. ? I do not feel it necessary to vindicate the erection of monuments, in honor of those particularly, whom God has favored with talents, and blessed with success the using of them in doing good ; for every one instinctively does the same thing. If every one does not approve of raising a memorial of granite, he carefully preserves his relic; or, at least, cherishes, in one niche of his recollections, the memory of him he esteems. The marble tomb-stone and more public monument is only a visible exhibition of the same feeling. There may be no more deep veneration in their erection than there is in the former case ; neither is there any less. It is a different mode of giving expression to the same feeling. Leaving these general observations, suggested by the nature of the service which has assembled us together to-day, I turn to a theme more particularly appropriate to the present occasion. And I am relieved of the labor of attempting any sketch of the life or personal character of Dr. Emmons. Nor can I feel that there is any need of pronouncing a eulogy upon him. The volumes of his sermons, where he has stereotyped the workings of his pow- erful mind, are read by strangers in almost every land, and the world has formed its opinion of his abilities. These facts, by diminishing the field, increase the difficulty of finding any theme untouched, within my ability to make either pertinent or instructive. But, appearing here as I do, as one of the sons of this town, and one among the many youth of his former religious instruction, I may be allowed to select a subject, in which we claim at least an equal interest with others, though not of equal experience; namely, The general and local influence of Dr. Emmons. We contemplate every person in two aspects. His personal abilities and his public usefulness. Such a distinction should be made, because an individual's usefulness depends much upon external circumstances, often beyond his control. Menial and moral excellence will, ordinarily, work their way upwards from the depressions of an humble station, and render themselves conspicu- ous. But sometimes they remain buried in obscurity, and their existence is never known. The reflections of Gray in the churchyard of Stoke Pogeis are apposite in any other churchyard. ' Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire ; Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed, Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre. But knowledge to their eyes her ample page, Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unrol; Chill penury repressed their noble rage, And froze the genial current of the soul.' We honor intellectual endowments as we do the work of God ; for they are His pure gift. But when the servant, to whom God has entrusted talents, has diligently employed them in the service of his master, we cannot withhold from him the well-earned enco- mium, ' Well done, good and faithful servant.' He who has directed all his energies and influence to promoting the best good of men, deserves the highest honor, especially from them who have enjoyed the fruit of his labors ; not so much for what lie is, as for what he has done. Not for his abilities, but for his fidelity. On this account the memory of Dr. Emmons should be held in the 6 highest esteem. He turned his intellectual energies, with unabated ardor, to the spiritual good of man, and labored on, undiverted and undiscouraged, among this people for half a century, till he rested from his labors. And now his works do follow him. The result of his devoted efforts is already developed, and will appear yet more clearly hereafter, and upon a larger scale. The local effects of his long ministry may gradually become less ob- vious, as new influences operate upon the field of his labor ; but its general effects will extend more and more, like the ever-enlarg- ing circles on the glassy surface of the woodland lake. To be more particular, I. The influence of Dr. Ernmons 1 deep investigations upon the science of Theology, has gained for him a merited distinction. God has plainly revealed the fundamental doctrines of the Gos- pel, and has created an involuntary witness in their favor, in the reason and conscience of man. It only requires, that these leading doctrines be distinctly stated to the understanding, uninfluenced by prejudices, to be acknowledged by every one. Some men, however, by a strange logic, insist on denying, or at least with- holding their assent to the plainest truths, if they cannot understand all their reasons and connections. But God has required us to be- lieve the truth, and submit the discovery of its harmonious relations to subsequent investigation. Hence has arisen the fact, that, while the doctrines of Revelation have been mainly embraced by the people of God in all ages, there have prevailed different theories and modes of harmonizing those doctrines, and of inferring from them the less obvious truths and specific duties. The giant minds among the disciples of Christ have successively seized upon this work of reconciliation, and have presented their theories to the world. None among them has been more eminently qualified for this important labor, and more successful, than Dr. Emrnons. Early led to look at the relations of the truths of Revelation, he at once brought his remarkable powers of discrimination and abstraction to aid in their elucidation. As he himself said, he spent his energies rather in making points, than in pushing investigation into unex- plored territory. With a mind possessing, what he once recom- mended to another, the power of looking at a point half an hour with- out diversion, every phase which a subject could assume, and every difficulty which could be supposed to encumber if, must needs be brought into the field of his observation. The great themes of Divine and human agency, of the moral character of man, of the influence of the Holy Spirit, received in particular his protracted and thorough examination. The results of his labors have been spread before the community ; and doubtless, it is not too much to say, that the researches of no divine have had more influence upon the theological investigations of the times. If his views have not met with universal acceptance, they have induced a re-e'xamination of the points whereon he differed from the current religious theories. His influence has thus been to produce investigation, and awaken and bring into action many minds which, otherwise, would have been content with less deep and thorough researches after Divine truth. The Emmons Theology, as his views of voluntary action may be termed, has called public attention especially to that most un- welcome, but most momentous of all truths, our dependence upon a holy, sovereign God. And though some of his exhibitions of the Divine prerogatives provoked the hostility of carnal men, it was a natural result, and showed his views to be correct. The fathers in the ministry, who lived in the midst of those controversies, can say, better than the youth, whether the effect of Dr. Emmons' researches has not been very great upon subsequent theological investigations. They can tell whether his lucid and frank presentations of his sen- timents, in their full extent and consistency, have not awakened a spirit of inquiry, which, where it is not already convinced, will not rest until the truth of his opinions has been thoroughly examined and settled. It cannot be that the independent investigations of such a pow- erful intellect shall be without influence. They cannot be scattered abroad, and taken up by hundreds engaged in the same field of study, without producing an obvious and valuable effect. The least effect is, that they help settle points on which differences of opinion have prevailed ; they remove indistinctness, and furnish simple and perfect definitions ; and they obviate the objections and apparent inconsistencies which result from misty, imperfect con- ceptions. The influence of Dr. Emmons' studies has been greater in these respects than can now be made apparent. And yet it has but begun to be felt upon theology. The works of the immortal mind are themselves immortal. Thought, like the sunlight, never loses its illuminating quality. The effects of the researches of the elder Edwards, carried on in his contracted Stockbridge retreat, an hundred years ago, are geometrically increasing. The errors which he immediately combatted have been vitally affected ; and now the truth which he uncovered and placed upon a candlestick, is shining over the whole domain of human freedom and Divine redemption. The researches of Dr. Emmons, conducted in a re- treat almost as obscure, will enstamp themselves upon the theology of New England, and become more and more legible, as the errors of the limited reasonings of men are abraded away. If in any respect they are not truth, their effect will be to develop the truth, where- insoever they shall be found to be erroneous. For these researches, prosecuted with so much acumen, honest 8 independence and perseverance, Dr. Emmons deserves, and pos- sesses, a claim to a lasting remembrance from the religious world. And the spot where his researches were first presented to his own congregation, may be properly designated by an enduring pillar, that it may be forever known by the passing traveller. It is due to the memory of one of the most discriminating, frank and perse- vering- minds of the age and nation. II. The practical influence of Dr. Emmons upon the ministry deserves for him a lasting memorial. This topic, though already alluded to, demands a separate con- sideration. Few clergymen, if any, have had the instruction of so many candidates for the Christian ministry as Dr. Emmons. He could number no less than eighty-seven students in theology. It needed a high and a wide reputation, to gather about him so large a num- ber of disciples, at a time when candidates for the ministerial office were far less numerous than now. And no one ever secured a higher place in the esteem and con- fidence of his pupils than he. The almost reverence with which they still contemplate him, is an evidence of his strong hold upon their affections. And this was not obtained by intentional labor ; but was the natural consequence of his own mental preeminence, and his fidelity to the duties of an instructor. It deserves to be mentioned, as the best evidence of his skill and thoroughness of instruction, that, with a single exception, the result of another cause than conviction, the eighty-seven licentiates have adhered to the principles they imbibed, with an unshaken confidence in their truth. He succeeded, in an unexampled manner, in imparting his own clear perceptions to the minds of others, and thus he laid the foundations of intelligent, permanent faith. But his influence has by no means been confined to his own pupils. No writings have been more influential than his, where they have been known. Whoever has read them, has been in- structed, usually convinced, by his lucid, methodical discussion of truth, and his own energies have been electrified to a quicker pulse of activity. Drawing the line, as he did, so distinctly and so straitly, between ' him that serveth God and him that serveth him not,' he awakened the ministry to a more spiritual and practical manner of preaching. He stimulated them to the using of { great plainness of speech ' on all those themes which concern the claims of the Almighty and the duties of'man. He especially contributed to the rejection of that style of passionate appeal in preaching, which sways the animal feelings only for the moment ; as a summer gust whirls the leaves and bends the tree-tops, but flits away again immediately, and everything recovers its former position. His in- fluence and example have contributed to the adoption of the prin- ciple, that the the doctrines of the Gospel are the food of piety, that a clear understanding and hearty embrace of them are essen- tial to real growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What has been termed ' the law-work] was preeminently exhibited under his ministrations. The agency of Dr. Emmons in the formation and prosperity of the Massachusetts Missionary Society, should not be omitted, in show- ing his influence upon the ministry. The idea of a Domestic Missionary Society was first struck out in an upper room in Boston, during the anniversary week of 1799, at a private conference of Dr. Emmons with three other Clergymen of kindred spirit. From their consultations sprung the Massachu- setts Missionary Society, an instrument of greater good, and the starting impetus of more benevolent enterprises, than any other whatever. The prominence of Dr. Emmons' agency in its forma- tion and progress is visible in the fact, that he was the first Presi- dent, the first preacher, and chairman of the committee appointed to furnish the first address to the public. Thus he has not only exerted an influence on the individual views and practices of the ministry, but he prominently aided in originating a Society, which has resuscitated scores of feeble churches to a mature strength and ability of maintaining the ordinances of the Gospel. Such services deserve the highest tribute of esteem from his fellow-laborers in the vineyard from which he has been now for- ever taken. And that esteem is appropriately expressed by their aid in erecting an enduring memorial to his memory in the field of his labors. III. The influence of Dr. Emmons upon the town of Fran/din deserves a lasting- tribute from its inhabitants. He settled among them when they were but a colony. The impress of the Puritan character was indeed upon them, but it was to be decided by his pastoral labors, whether that impress should be perpetuated and deepened, or be disfigured and de- faced. The peculiar attention which some of his theological opinions attracted at the outset of his ministry, exerted a lasting influence upon him, and one, too, beneficial in its effects. It led him to go into a thorough examination of those opinions ; and, being sat- isfied of their correctness, to defend them from misconceptions and objections. He had already adopted the maxim, that no church can flourish in genuine piety without sound doctrinal knowledge ; and hence, also, he turned his singularly qualified abilities to the unfolding and harmonizing of the truths of the Gospel. He acted upon this 2 10 policy throughout his long ministry, and saw no reason to change it. He did not exclude the practical truths of the Gospel. No di- vine was ever more practical or frequent in the application of truth to the duties of men ; but it was truth first clearly understood and enforced by invincible arguments. The results of his labors are before the world. The practical operation of his views of ministerial duty to his flock has had a half a century to develop itself. And we say, without any dis- paragement of other policies and other fields, that the town of Franklin has obtained an enviable notoriety. The name of Em- mons has made it known, when it had nothing else to bring it into notice. We take pleasure in pointing the stranger, passing through our retired town, to the single spire surmounting our only sanctuary of God, in a population of nearly two thousand souls. While other towns have been parceled out into different parishes of op- posite faith, this has hitherto remained united. Other churches have been corrupted unto mortal heresy, under the deadening leth- argy of liberalism, or rent almost to extinction by schisms ; but this has stood steadfast in ' the faith once given to the saints.' And we love to attribute it, by God's blessing, to the labors and influ- ence of the venerable father of this people. Hardly a case of de- fection from the truth has ever occurred among those who were turned unto God under Dr. Emrnons' ministry. Here there has been emphatically ' one Lord, one faith, one baptism.' A live ad- vocate of any of the different sects was a rare sight to our youth- ful eyes. May the friends of Christ here long continue to strive to- gether for the faith of the Gospel ! It has been inquired whether Dr. Emmons had much influence over the children and youth of his parish. In answer, and I speak the conviction of all my former youthful companions, I say, no one had so entirely our veneration. I think of no better word to express our emotion. We felt not fear, but deep, involun- tary respect. We looked upon Dr. Emmons as God's ambassador. We can never forget our annual gatherings at the school-house, in the autumn, to recite to him the Lord's Prayer, the Command- ments and the Assembly's Catechism. We remember the sedu- lous preparation we used to make, to pass the examination with credit to our parents and ourselves. The enjoyment of his ap- proving smile still thrills in our memory ; and the truths we then learned, and his pithy observations to us, are now as bright in our recollection as ever. A collateral result of Dr. Emmons' intellectual labors in the Gospel was, to quicken the intellects of his people. His discourses provoked present attention and subsequent reflection. The minds of his hearers grew under the stimulus of his weekly exercises, always so transparent, and yet so profound and thorough. The 11 effect was, to form a community noticeable for their general in- telligence, especially upon religious subjects, where errors in doc- trine could not easily hide themselves from popular detection, and where truth was enjoyed from its own attractiveness. As an index of the degree of intelligence, it may not be arrogant to say, that few towns, if any, of the same size, can claim so many liberally educated sons as Franklin. There have been at least twenty-five graduates from this town since the date of Dr. Emmons' settlement, besides a large number who were arrested in their studies, by death and other causes, be- fore their completion. It would be invidious to say any thing of their success in the various liberal professions. But the world has honored the memory of our Aldis, and our Fisher ; and still loves to employ, in its service, the abilities of our Metcalf, and our Mil- ler, and our Mann. We will not say more, lest we, who are per- mitted and were expected to share in the public exercises of this occasion, 'should seem to commend ourselves unto you.' For we all, except the successor of our former venerated pastor, claim among our honors, that of a birth-right in this highly favored town. We cannot say less, in developing the influence of Dr. Emmons in forming the intellectual character of this community. As time passes along, and new generations come upon the stage, the immediate effects of Dr. Emmons' ministry will become less obvious, but they cannot entirely vanish away. Whatever Franklin is for good, we hesitate not to say, is attributable, under God, to his pastoral labors. His successors can only perpetuate his works. His memory is justly held in the highest respect by every one who prizes the results which he aimed to secure. Children's chil- dren will be made familiar with his history ; and his religious axioms will be repeated, as household words, by generations yet to come. He has exhibited the blessings of a permanent pastoral relation, and of the faithful indoctrination of a church into the truths of the Gospel. If the results of his labors were confined within the boundaries of this parish, he would deserve of it a memorial no less enduring than that which is erected to-day. But I must close. A simple, dark-colored slab, with a simple, matter-of-fact inscription, marks the spot where the dust of Dr. Emmons is mouldering back to its kindred dust. The scene of his labors, his study and his pulpit, have likewise undergone a change. In fact, there is little of a material kind which remains unaltered, to suggest to the eye him whom we may truly call the father of Franklin. The children he baptized are becoming the grey-haired fathers. The members he admitted to the church have mostly followed him to the church of the first-born in Heaven. Even the eyes which can recal the image of his venerable person 12 are fading ; and soon he will be personally unknown. But his name is written among the greatest of American divines, and his works will remain to influence the Church with extending power forever. Every one feels the propriety of honoring one whom God has so highly honored, by so simple a means as the erection of a plain, granite pyramid. A monument, significant, in its shape, of the solidity of the truth in whose masterly defence rests the founda- tion of his reputation ; and, in its material, of the lasting renown which his fidelity to his high calling has secured. As this assembly pass by that monument on their way to and from the sanctuary, let it ever remind them of the blessings of the clear views of Divine truth, and of the union in supporting and promoting them, which they enjoy through his labors for whom it is erected ; and may they be thereby incited to cling closely and heartily to that truth, and preserve unbroken that unity, which was the subject of his last expiring desires. ADDRESS At making" the Deposits in the Recess of the Monument, by the President of the Association, Rev. T. D. Southivorth, A. M. IT is natural to mankind to cherish the memory and honor the name of those whom they esteem and love. This principle prompts them to devise various expedients to perpetuate their memory when dead. Among these, different kinds of monuments have been common. The materieil usually chosen is stone, as the most imperishable, signifying thereby their desire that the name of those they would honor, should be as lasting. To kings, warriors, statesmen, poets, and philanthropists, such monuments have been erected. Affection, veneration, and gratitude, have done the same for friends, benefactors, and the minister of religion. Jacob raised a pillar over the grave of his beloved wife Rachel ; and, to mention a distinguished instance, one whose sacred literature is learned in our schools, whose infant hymns are lisped in the nursery, and whose holy songs are sung in every land, en- kindling the fire of devotion in ten thousand, thousand hearts, now, after the lapse of a hundred years since his decease, a monu- ment is erected to the name of Isaac Watts. Under the influence of the same feelings, the inhabitants of this lown raised a monu- mental stone over the grave of their first minister. And, prompted by the same motives, we formed ourselves into an association bearing the name of the venerable and beloved Em- mons, for the purpose of raising an enduring memorial of his worth. Considering his character, what more suitable one could we raise than this granite pillar ? Like this, it was solid, firm, immovable, resisting uninjured, violent attacks. Marked, well-defined and 14 prominent were the delineations. No one could mistake. Appar- ent, unadorned, it stood in simple beauty and naked grandeur. Raise we, then, this pillar, a proper, unerring memento of his name. And may it ever stand, while ihe world stands, a perpetual me- morial of his goodness and greatness. Agreeably to custom, on such occasions, I now make a deposit of such things as the Association have directed : namely, (Here the several articles were specified.) These we repose here, that in case of dire necessity, or by some revolution of nature, or outrageous vandalism, this monument should be thrown down, and these sacred relics exposed, it shall, at least, be known that Emmons lived and toiled and died in Franklin, and that there were those who cherished his memory in lasting affection. ORIGINAL HYMN. BY MES. J. POND. 1. 'T is meet that we should gather here, In love around our father's dust; 'Tis meet affection's hand should rear This stone, in memory of the just. 2. God honored him with length of days, And much to honor God he sought; And now, though low in death he lays, The righteous man is not forgot. 3. His voice, though small, was heard afar, And hushed attention could command; Yea, truthful words here spoken, are Still echoed in the ' Mother Land.' 4. The shepherd's weary watch he took, And in his labors we rejoice ; Faithful through life, he ne'er forsook, His first loved flock his only choice. 5. Could yonder mansion but declare, What prayers what alms would be revealed! The orphan's grief was softened there ; The widow's broken heart was healed. 6. What is the glory warriors boast, Weighed with the crown the Christian wears ? That, is a laurel wreath, at most, This shineth 'mid the dying stars. BY MRS. M. A. DEAN. They bear the warrior to his rest, And thousands shout his deeds of fame, And raise upon his faithful breast A pile to consecrate his name. And it is well a patriot's glory Should gild the page of endless story. 16 2. In yonder yard, silent and low, OUR warrior rests his weary head ! Fearless and firm, he met the foe, And boldly on to victory led The powers of darkness all were routed When he the Gospel trumpet shouted. 3. Dust unto dust, that aged form Long ere this hour, hath mouldered back- And we, his children, through the storm Of time, behold his honored track; A radiant pathway guiding ever Where storms and tempests do not gather. 4. Why raise we now this granite here, Since tec, his name cannot forget ? Treasured in memories ever dear 'T will live when suns forever set While gratitude the heart is cheering Affection here, this pile is rearing. 5. Then lift the granite high to-day ! Like mountains let it firmly stand ! As age on age shall roll away, A burning light to every land, In silent grandeur, tell the story How Emmons lived ! our country's glory ! r 000 609 241 t