An Election Sermon

STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. In the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES, June 3, 1785.

Sent up for CONCURRENCE, JOHN SULLIVAN, Speaker.

JOSEPH PEARSON, Dep'ty Sec'ry.

AN ELECTION SERMON.

IN obedience to the appointment of the late honorable General Court, I appear in the desk on this occasion. It becomes not me to censure their conduct, in overlooking my worthy fathers and elder brethren, whom propriety would have placed before me in such a service. This as well as other reasons might have legitimated my declining to accept the honor; but such a step might have been misconstrued, as if it had proceeded from a disapprobation of a practice worthily begun, and which some of the best characters among us wish may be continued, namely, the entering on the yearly business of legislation, by a religious solemnity.

It shall now be my endeavor, with the freedom of an American, to offer some thoughts on what I conceive to be the true interest, and the best means of the prosperity of this State, and that p. 4portion of scripture which I have chosen as the theme of a discourse on this occasion is

"Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children; whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falshood.

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.

"That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; that our sheep may bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets.

"That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in nor going out, that there be no complaining in our streets.

"Happy is that people that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose GOD is the LORD."

DAVID was a wise and faithful prince, ever attentive to the true interest of the people whom he governed. It was no disadvantage to him that he was raised from the humble employment of a shepherd, to be a supreme ruler; for having passed through the lower stations of life, and been conversant with men of every order and degree, he well knew what duty every man could do; what burdens they could bear; how they thought; what they said; how they were to be p. 5pleased, or offended; and in what manner their different capacities and genuises might be employed for the general service of the kingdom. Having been intimately acquainted with persons disaffected to the government of his predecessor, he understood the secret workings of jealousy, envy, and ambition, and how to counterwork their baneful influence. Having been obliged to take refuge from the persecuting fury of Saul, among the open and professed enemies of his country, into whose confidence he had the address to insinuate himself so far as to be entrusted with a command, he acquired a knowledge of their secret counsels, their views, their arts, and methods of war. In such ways was this truly great man trained up, till he had acquired those accomplishments which fitted him to be ruler over Israel, whose true interest seems to have lain near his heart, to have employed his secret thoughts, to have been the subject of his devotions, and in many of his poetical compositions.

p. 5AT what time, or on what particular occasion, this Psalm was written, we have no other information than what may be gained from its internal characters. It seems from thence to have been written, when David apprehended the kingdom p. 6was in danger, from enemies, either foreign or domestic. They are called "strange children" and their character is that "their mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falshood;" from them David prays GOD to deliver him, and takes encouragement from his past experience of the divine goodness, from the vanity of human power, and from the superior avenging arm of heaven, to hope that he should be delivered.

WHO these strange children were, we can but conjecture. They might be the tribes of roving Arabs, who were often seeking opportunities to commit depredations on the peaceful inhabitants, robbing them of their seed-corn, laying waste their fields, driving away their cattle and sheep, or carrying their children into captivity. Or they might be the formidable Philistines, who made war in a more regular manner, and had a most inveterate hatred to the nation of Israel: Or they might be domestic enemies; either the remnant of the old Canaanites, who were incorporated with Israel, and often proved a scourge to them; or some of the Israelites themselves seduced and degenerated so far as to take part with them against their brethren. But, be their persons who they will, their characters are fairly drawn, they were p. 7"strange children," alienated from, and opposed to the interest of the nation; their views were inimical, and they fought to hinder those things which David regarded as the best means of the prosperity of his people. "Whose mouth speaketh vanity." Vanity is a general name for wickedness, and it may here be understood as something spoken against the things which David desired. They were persons whose aims and designs were unfriendly to the public interest, and whose tongues were employed in propagating bad principles, and prejudicing the minds of the people against the means of improvement.

p. 7"〈…〉 ◊ight hand is a right hand of falshood." The right hand among the ancients was an emblem of power. These then were persons who had power to do mischief. If they were domestic enemies, they were persons in office, or who had influence over the people to mislead them, by false reasonings, and work on their passions or prejudices; if they were bad neighbours, they had strength enough to make inroads and commit violence, to break up settlements, to lay waste fields and disperse families.

THESE are some of their characters. But we may learn something more of them, if we consider what p. 8advantages David expected from the deliverance which he prays for. "That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth." He was a friend to education, and wished that all obstacles to this good work might be taken away. Plants which grow up when they are young, that is, which attain their form and size while the growing season continues, are more useful as well as pleasant than those which are neglected or stinted in their growth. So children, who have the proper means of education during the season of improvement, are in general better fitted for usefulness than those who are neglected.