A Discourse Delivered Before the Legislature of Vermont

eA NP SREP SNE SYS Se ee ee a as EES aa USGS EINEM SESE EAE aS COIS ST) Oe RRS ESOT PP SSS SIA POP WonzPeuien, 0. Rev. Jonaraan Woopman, "e Srr—In pursuance of a resolution of the tives, we have the honor of tendering ¢o you for your Election Sermon, delivered before Sth inst. and request a copy for the press. _ Ae JOSEPH H. INGALL ARIEL ALDRICH, . WILLIAM GRAY, DUSCOURSE DELIVERED BEFORE THE EGISLATURE OF VERMONT, ON THE DAY oF GENERAL ELECTION, AT MONTPELIER, OCTOBER 9th, 1828. BY REV. JONATHAN WOODMAN, I na ne ve | MONTPELIER. PRINTED BY E. P. WALTON—WATCHMAN OFFICE, eee eee ee eee Tere ee eee ere eee DISCOURSE. Psaum 33, VERSE 12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he A hath chosen for his own inheritance.” i, ieee of the true God; and this is likely to E rove his eternal undoing. Lamentable to state, most nations of men since the creation of the world, ha ve been destitute of that knowledge. This mental blindness corrupts the whole soul of man, and spreads disorder through all his moral conduct. Tis this that has led all the heathen nations to woro ‘his led ihe Jews to reject their Saviour; and has once stained our happy land with martyr’s” blood. Floods of infidelity are now bursting forth estruction to our country. For it iscertain that no epublick can long stand, where infidelity reigns, ence, it is of infinite importance ihat men should € possessed of the (rue knowledge of God. God the Supreme Governor of the universe, He has fovercisn right to command, and all intelligent iG seen in the order of the naiitiet world. The 2 | ens declare his glory, and the firmament sh h : forth his handy work. “ All power intheaven an, earth is in his hand;” hence there is no power what is derived from him. “The powers ¢h are ordained of God.” If these sentiments ¢ believed, ‘a foundation is laid for the most e; ext field of improvement ever explored by mortal The mind now naturally. inquires, What. character of God? What are the native man? and in what manner can man’s hap best secured ? David, one of the wisest and best of the kin Israel, was engaged in these eee is rience taught him the character of God, "W va‘led by a host of enemies, he was led him, and by the signal victories which God wr for him and bis nation; he was preps Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord the people whom he hath chosen for his oWwh | itance. ye First—I purpose to describe thet ch that nation whose God is the Lord aid he whom he hath chosen for bis inheritance. _ SeconpLy—Speak of the blessings wh 4 yoyed by them. a I. That nation whose God is the Lord, i: acterized by an acknowledgment of the : one God. This, God’s ancient people were t Moses—Deut. 6: 4. “Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord.” ‘The existence of one : God is plainly shown by all the works of nature. | Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, has estab- " jisbed this position by saying—'Fhat which may peknown of God is manifest in them; for God path shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, are clearly ~ geen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they exe without excuse.”” They who do not worship _ himas God are without excuse, whether they have their dwellings in Christian or heathen nations. _ Eyen the poor Indian, who has never been taught in the arts and sciences, ‘sees God in clouds and hears him in the wind.” ‘The inhabitants of India, ‘though they worship a plurality of gods, believe that there is but one supreme independent Deity. sf the very idea of worship, originates in this belief. This, the Athenians acknowledged, by their erect- ‘ing an altar to the unknown God; and by saying— “we are all his offspring”? Hence, the apostle - yustly censured them for their idolatry, saying, that “we-ought not to think that the Godhead is like ‘unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” _ God has, in all ages of the world, manifested his peculiar displeasure on all those nations which have not acknowledged him: even NebuchadnezZar, the great, who exalted himself above all that I | was called God, or that was worshipped 3a be image, aud commanded all his subjects to fal) and worship before the image; was na the vengeance of the Almighty. While wa k his palace and exulting in his pride, and sax “Ts not this great Babylon, that 1 have a the house of the Kingdom by the might of . er, and for the honor of my majesty? W word was in the king’s mouth, there fly from Heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadne; Ui thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departec thee! And they shall drive thee from a and thy dwelling shall be with the bez field: they shall make thee to eat grass ag g and seven times shall pass over thee, uni know that the most High ruleth in the king men.” # The same may be said of Belshazzar whi manded the golden and silver vessels, w , taken from the temple of God at J erusale brought into his palace on his birth-devaa his princes, &c. might drink wine tl praise the gods of gold: “in the same t = forth fingers of a man’s hand and _— upa wall of the king’s palace; God hath nu abere kingdom and finished it. Thou art weighed balances and art found wanting.” Thes =a the king was slain and his kingdom divide tween the Medes and Persians. …