Election Sermon

SERMON, PREACHED AT MONTPELIER, BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE OF THE sTa@rs OF VERMONT, ON THE DAY OF THE GENERAL ELECTION, ' BY CHARLES WALKER, “PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, EAST RUTLAND, PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE LEGISLATURE, MONTPELIER, PRINTED BY G. W. HILL,—PATRIOT OFFICE. ee tee e ene IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ts wait on the Rev. Cuartes Waker, and vail of this House for his Election Sermon, deliv byanches of the Legislature, on the Sth inst, and for the press. On ths resolution Mr. Warner of Sudbury, ter were appointed a committee. Crartes Wavxen, tatives, for your Election Sermon, delivered before ) of the Legislature, on the 8th inst. and requést a press. f =4 JOSEPH WARNER, BENJAMIN WOOSTER, SERMON. Panter yi. 10. “Now when Daniel knew that the = writing was signed, he went into his house ; andl his windows being open in his chamber toward ~ Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, ashe did aforetime.” THE piece of history of which this text forms apart js peculiarly interesting and instructive. sinteresting on account of the standing and character of the actors, and on account of the slot and its developement, m which goodness ‘ d wickedness are opposed to each other, and yirtue is rewarded and vice punished. It is instructive because it shows us, by an example taa from real life, how, in certain circumstanwe may regulate our conduct so as to meet pprobation of God, and secure his favor--- how He will frown on the disobedient and reward the obedient. Daniel, on account of the excellence of his laracter, enjoyed the confidence of the king of Chaldea, and notwithstanding he was a forner and his people captives, he was raised to ne office of highest dignity and authority in the gift of the monarch. Thus elevated, he be6 came the object of the envy and malice 9 rulers in the kingdom, and they comme most unjustand cruel persecution agai His mantle of integrity and robe of ir did not secure him from the malicious att those who envied his prosperity and shr the blaze of his goodness. ‘They coul dure that a foreigner, a Jew, one who b to a captive race, should occupy a sea or and power above them. And hen pecially offended that one whose religi different from theirs, who despised thei and worshipped Jehovah; and whose was a constant reproof of their loose and vicious practices, should be rais tion from whence the lustre of his vi in high conspicuity, and revealed. the pravity of those around him. i They determined on his destruc complish this, it was necessary eit the confidence which the king had him, or to render him, by some act @bnoxious to the laws of the kingdon could this be done? How could th one whose official doings were ey} by the strictest principles of integr fulness, and whose whole life was aw ‘ces sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault, forasmuch ashe was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in jim.” They saw but one way in which they could find a plausible pretext for his impeachment, and this was to make his religion the occasion of his downfall, and to lay a snare which his piety would not permit him toavoid. They said among themselves---“We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concernmg the law of his God.” d Having observed the regularity with which he ‘engaged in devotional exercises, and knowing that he discharged these duties of piety from principle, they rightly judged that he would not omitihem. If, therefore, they could prevail on the king tomake a law that no man, during a certain space of time, should pray, they believed that Daniel might be detected in violating thislaw, and that thus an accusation might be brought against him which would ensure his condemnation. With this malicious object in view, they did prevail on the king to sign a decree, ‘that whosoever should ask a petition ofany God or man for thirty days, save of the king himself, should be cast into the den of lions.” The king was not aware of the purpose of those who obtained his signature to this unrighteous decree. He did not know that a plot was laid, and now sanctioned by his own hand and seal, to destroy his most tr f approved servant. Flattered, perh the idea that he she be the onlay would present petition or prayers fol days---thus elevating himself, as it were, ey place of God---he signed a writing w ‘ich intended to be the death-warrant of th whom he prized above allothers. The ¢ having obtained the royal signature, was vocable---according to the laws of the ] and Persians, it altered not. : ft And now what will Daniel do? Will to the machinations of his enemies a worship God? Will he give up his deyoti exercises, which are nntied by the di 1 and tremble and turn pale and submit to. man mandate which Te the aut his conscience to save his life ? : What did he do? Just what his ene posed he would. They knew the in his character and the firmness of his They knew his unconquerable att religious duties and his sternness of obey God rather than man. They though he might not be affraid to vio necessary and unrighteous human law a Power that he dared not disobeylaws which he would not violate. — ed, therefore, that he would disregard ‘the law «ch they had caused to be made; and it was “ fisespecttion which ged them to procure hie » wicked decree. ~ “Hl hesitated not. His views of duty were maturely formed and strengthened ‘by ‘hely hab- + and they were not now to be given:up. …