An Election Sermon

Miu MERRILL^ ELECTION SERMON, OCTOBER 9th, 1806 . In GENERAL ASSEMBLE, October 1 Oth, 180®, ON motion of Mr. Hendee, RESOLVED , That a committee of three be appoint* cd to wait on the Jlev. . JHQM4S A. MERRILL,-^* present to him the thanks of the House for his Elec¬ tion Sermon, -delivered yesterday, and request a copy of the samp for the Press. Members chosen, Messrs, Byrd , Hendee , and Clapp. Extract from the Journals, Attest . hJT, POST, Clerk, ELECTION SERMON. 7. TIMOTHY, IV. 8. GODLINESS rs PROFITABLE FOR ALL THINGS, GOD is the supreme architect, This world is a vast building, which he has fitly framed and joined toge¬ ther/ Mankind are'stewards to whom he assigns the different apartments of this building to be occupied in their various employments—-To the husbandman the pro¬ vince of felling- the forest, and tilling the earth—to the merchant the no less arduous and anxious employment of transporting, at the risk of winds and storms, the redun¬ dancies of one country to supply the exigencies of ano. ther. To devisp forms of government, to frame sys¬ tems of jurisprudence, and enforce the salutary restric¬ tions of law, is the business of the politician, the legisla¬ tor and the magistate. <9 But the province of the divine is to inculcate the importance of fearing God and keeping his commandments, •a3 the whole object, business, and duty of man. He, who stands as the messenger of truth, must declare both to the rich and the poor, the high and the low, the wise and the ignorant, to the most obscure citizen, and to him, who wears the robes of magistracy, the necessity and the advantages of godliness. The text calls, o„ur attention particularly to the advan¬ tages of godliness. “Godliness,” saith the sacred pen¬ man directed by inspiration, “ is profitable for all things. 1 '* The Christian religion has an advantage over all other re¬ ligions, from the consideration of the authority with which it is announced, the purity of its sentiments, and the happy effects it produces in a community. To say nothing of the prophecies, which have been fulfilled to vouch for the truth of the scriptures—to say nothing of the miracles, which have been wrought, altogether unlike those tricks of legerdemain, by which deceivers have im¬ posed false religions,—to say nothing of its eminence above all other religions, in point of reasonableness, con¬ sistency and purity, let us confine ourselves to the effects, which it is calculated to produce on society.

“ Godliness is profitable for all things.” This may be evinced, First ,From the nature of religion and, . Secondly, From the dealings of providence with na¬ tions! r These heads I shall treat in their order, with plain¬ ness of speech, by adverting to those reflections only which naturally arise from the subject. First, The advantages of godliness are manifest from the very nature of religion. Godliness implies a reverential sense of the perfec¬ tions of the Deity—-a rejoicing in him, as altogether wor¬ thy to sway the sceptre of universal dominion, and a cordial resignation to become an obedient subject in his kingdom. It consists neither in cold philosophical be¬ lief, nor in wild unaccountable rapture. Though it re¬ quire knowledge in the understanding and devotion in the heart, it is equally remote from the inactive demon¬ stration of the theorist and the visionary trances of the enthusiast. By Godliness, man is assimilated to the De¬ ity. Yet he never so far loses himself in contemplating, admiring and praising^the Creator, as to forget the rela¬ tion he holds to his creatures. He obeys one precept— “ love God with all thy heart,” and equally obeys the other, “ love thy neighbor as thyself.” “ And whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them.” Here is a summary of practical godliness. This precept is a pearl of great price. It has ao much divinity in it, that all the wisdom of the pagan world for four thousand years never could discover any thing which resembled it. We cannot duly estimate the effects of godliness with* out considering it in relation to the different classes of so¬ ciety* It is calculated to produce the most happy effects in prosperity , and adversity —in youth , and old age. Is any one highly elated with an uninterrupted train of prosperous events, and in the ambition of his heart still aspiring at higher attainments ? Religion is calculated to cool the fire of his ambition, to give him a serenity of mind in the midst of the whirl of business, to teach him the instability of earthly things* the frailty of his own frame, the vanity of worldly enjoyments and the import¬ ance of laying up a treasure, “ where moth and rust doth not corrupt.”

Has any one been reached by the arrows of misfortune and ready to sit down in despondency ? Religion will pour “ oil and balm” into his wounds, and afford him a few beams of consolation througl^the dark cloud of ad¬ versity. In the midst of all real or apprehended danger, «• the name of the Lord is a strong tower, into which the righteous,” can run and be “safe.” The impetuous youth from an overfondness of being *een and known, often rushes without reflection upon a world, which is severe to criticise but cold to applaud. From his inexperience, and the precipitancy, which usual¬ ly attends young genius, he becomes rash and imprudent in his measures, sullies his reputation, and ostimes, in # itead of attaining the object of his ambition, sinks into disrepute. Religion checks the ardor and impetuosity of the youth, counsels, cautions, advises and leads hint in the path of reputation and usefulness to the goal where he receives those laurels, which will not fade and that “ crown of glory,” which no’ rival will take from him. …