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ELECTION SERM ON.
:* - Aplotte F. Bºe Wef
** *
MonTEELIER, October 15TH, 1828,
REv. JonATHAN WooDMAN,
SIR-In pursuance of a resolution of the House of Representa-
tives, we have the honor of tendering to you the thanks of the House
for your Election Sermon, delivered before the Legislature on the
9th inst. and request a copy for the press.
JOSEPH. H. INGALLS,
ARIEL ALDRICH, CoMMITTEE.
WILLIAM GRAY,
JDIRSGOURSE
IDELIVERED BEFORE THE
LEGISLATURE OF VERMONT,
ON THE DAY OF •
GENERAL ELECTION,
AT MONTPELIER, OCTOBER 9th, 1828.
BY REv. JonATHAN wooDMAN.
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MONTIPELIER,
PRINTED BY E. P. WALTON-WATCHMAN OFFICE,
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†DISCOURSE.
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PsALM 33, verse 12.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he
hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
MAN's present misery arises from want of the
knowledge of the true God; and this is likely te
prove his eternal undoing. Lamentable to state,
most nations of men since the creation of the world,
have been destitute of that knowledge. This men-
ital 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 wor-
ship idols.
This led the Jews to reject their Saviour; and
has once stained our happy land with martyr's
blood. Floods of infidelity are now bursting forth
on our right hand and on our left; which threatea
destruction to our country. For it is certain that no
republick can long stand, where inſidelity reigns.
Hence, it is of infinite importance that men should
be possessed of the true knowledge of God. God
is the Supreme Governor of the universe. He has
a sovereign right to command, and all intelligent
6
creation are bound to obey. This character may be
seen in the order of the natural world. The heav-
ens declare his glory, and the firmament sheweth
forth his handy work. “All power in heaven and in
earth is in his hand;” hence there is no power but
what is derived from him. “ The powers that be
are ordained of God.” If these sentiments can be
believed, a foundation is laid for the most extensive
field of improvement ever explored by mortals.
The mind now naturally inquires, What is the
character of God? What are the native rights of
man? and in what manner can man’s happiness be
best secured P
David, one of the wisest and best of the kings of
Israel, was engaged in these meditations; his expe-
rience taught him the character of God. When in-
valled by a host of enemies, he was led to trust in
him, and by the signal victories which God wrought
for him and his nation; he was prepared to say—
Plessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ; and
the people whom he hath chosen for his own inher-
itance.
FIRST-I purpose to describe the character of
that nation whose God is the Lord, and the people
whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.
SECONDLY-Speak of the blessings which are en-
joyed by them.
I. That nation whose God is the Tord, is char-
acterized by an acknowledgment of the existence of
one God. This, God’s ancient people were taught
r;
by Moses—Deut. 6: 4. “Hear, O Israel. The
1,0rd 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-
lished this position by saying—“That which may
be known of God is manifest in them ; for God
hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things
of Him from the creation of the world, are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made;
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse.” They who do not worship
him as God are without excuse, whether they have
their dwellings in Christian or heathen nations.
Even 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.
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
justly censured them for their idolatry, saying, that
“we ought not to think that the Godhead is like
unto gold, or silver, gr 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 Nebuchadnez-
zar, the great, who exalted himself above all that
$
was called God, or that was worshipped; sat up an
image, and commanded all his subjects to fall down
and worship before the image; was made to feel
the vengeance of the Almighty. While walking in
his palace and exulting in his pride, and saying,
“Is not this great Babylon, that I have builded for
the house of the Kingdom by the might of my pow-
er, and for the honor of my majesty P While the
word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice
from Heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to
thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from
thee! And they shall drive thee from among men,
and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the
field : they shall make thee to eat grass as an ox,
and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou
know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of
men.” . . sº
The same may be said of Belshazzar who com-
manded the golden and silver vessels, which were
taken from the temple of God at Jerusalem, to be
brought into his palace on his birth-day, that he and
his princes, &c. might drink wine therein, and
praise the gods of gold: “in the same hour came
forth fingers of a man’s hand and wrote upon the
wall of the king’s palace; Gºd hath numbered thy
kingdom and finished it. Thou art weighed in the
balances and art found wanting.” The same night
the king was slain and his kingdom divided be-
tween the Medes and Persians. But that nation,
9
which acknowledges the existence of God, adores
him as the only object of religious worship.
II. That nation whose God is the Lord, acknowl-
edges God’s government, both in the natural and
moral world. God governs the natural world by
the agency of his omnipotent power, by which, or-
der is preserved throagh all the universe of nature.
The sun, moon, and all the planets, exhibit his
glory, and in their different orbits perform his will,
without the least digression from the laws of nature.
Thus we see the government of God in the natur-
al world. But he governs the moral world by a
law suited to moral powers and faculties of man.
The very existence of man’s moral powers, estab-
lishes this position. For it is evident that man, pos-
sessing power to enjoy God, is bound by that same
power to adore him. His happiness is derived from
God, hence it appears that he must be reconciled to
him, in order to enjoy happiness; for it is impossi-
ble for God to make a man happy in an unrecon-
ciled state.
From these considerations we shall be led to sees.
the propriety of God’s dealing with man as an ac-
countable being, and rewarding him according to
his conduct. And man as a free moral agent, trans-
gressing the law of God, falls under its penalties,
by which he is subjected, not only to natural suffer-
ings, but also, to a state of misery in another world.
For if virtue has its reward in eternity, the vicious
must not only be deprived of that reward, but mnst
• e • * *
{ }
f(y
suffer all the miseries consequent to vice. . The
scriptures of truth afford abundance of proof in sup-
port of this doctrine. The apostle's declaration is
directly to this point—2 Cor. 5: 10. “For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that
every one may receive the things done in his body,
acoording to that he hath done, whether it be good;
or bad.” The words of our Saviour are to the
same effect—Mark 3: 29. “He that shall blas-
pheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgive-
ness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Nu-
merous other scriptures might be adduced in sup-
port of this point, but these are sufficient.
If it should be asked, why it is necessary that
the finally impenitent should suffer, I would an-
swer, God is a God of justice as well as of mercy,
and he has given to his intelligent subjects, a law
which must be maintained inviolate; or they may,
with impunity, withhold their allegiance to him ;
he would lose his universal dominion, and heaven
be eternally lost to the righteous. The belief of
future rewards and punishments, is of infinite im-
portance to the support of civil government, it being
calculated to deter the wicked from the perpetration
of many crimes, which punishments inflicted by the
civil law, could not do.
We discover the dignity of God’s government by
his Son’s becoming incarnate for the express pur-
pose of magnifying that law which man transgress-
ed, and suffering those penalties which man could
tº * @
* * *
Tiji
fever have suffered but by an infinite duration of
misery.
O my dear hearers, think on that wondrous night
when the Saviour was born in Bethlehem, cradled
in a manger, and an angel, sent from the realms of
glory, to bear the heavenly news to the wondering
shepherds; “unto you this day in the city of Da-
vid, is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And immediately there was a multitude of the heav-
enly hosts,” which hovered over Judah’s hallowed
plain, and sang, “glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward men.”
We may see the government of God honoured, in
all the life of the Saviour; when but twelve years
of age, we find him sitting with the doctors and law-
yers of Israel, answering their questions, and pro-
pounding questions which they could not answer.
But more especially, we see God’s law honoured,
in his fastings, temptations, &c. After having ab-
stained from food forty days and forty nights, his
hunger returned with all its natural force, and Sa-
tan tempted him to exert his Godlike power, in
commanding the stones to be made bread : yet so
engaged was he, to support the honour of God’s
law, that he would say, it is written, “Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” We see al-
so, his deference to the government of God in his
refusing to exercise his power over all the kingdoma
of the world, as an earthly monarch.
192
This was not his errand into the world; he came
to establish a kingdom of righteousness and peace.
and he would perfom his Father’s will, though to
do it, he must endure the most excruciating pains
in the garden and on the cross ; so that, while ago.
nizing under the enormous load of all our guilt he
exclaimed ; my soul is exceeding sorrowful even un-
to death ; and though his human nature seemed to
shrink, so that he was led to say: “Father if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me:” yet such was
his obedience to God, and love to man, that he sub-
missively said; “Not my will but thine be done.”
Next, we discover him honoring God’s law while
bleeding on the cross, ard as he in our stead was
snffering its penalties; justice seemed to frown, his
F: * ºr’s face withdraw, and he in the agonies of
death exclaimed; “my God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?” God’s government may be seen
also, in the establishment of his kingdom on the
earth. Thai kingdom was established in righteous-
ness, by which, the character of God is revealed
to all the nations. Hence the saying of Daniel :
“In the days of these kings shall the God of heav.
en set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroy-
ed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other peo-
ple, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, audit shall stand forever.” This is the
stone which was cut out without hands, which smote
he graven immage and ground it to powder, while
13
it became an exceeding great mountain and filled
the whole earth with its glory.
The means of grace which are ordained by the
Almighty, to increase this kingdom of righteousness,
plainly exhibit God's government to the world; in
that, they lead directly to experimental religion and
practical piety. They teach us that we must be
born again or never see the kingdom of God. They
hold forth eternal rewards to the righteous—and ev-
erlasting punishment to the wicked. Hence, we see
the importance of a nation’s acknowledging the
government of God.
3. That nation whoso God is the Lord, is char-
acterized by holding sacred that principle, that man
is created free. This, the apostle's declaration
proves to a demonstration. Acts 17:26. “And
hath made of one blood all nations of men for to
dwell on all the face of the earth.” If all nations
are made of one blood, they must be created alike
free. They have all descended from one federal
head; God bestows his blessings on all ; Christ
has, by the grace of God, tasted death for every
man; all souls are of equal value in his sight;
and that nation must fall under the divine displeas-
ure, which tyrannises over the civil or religious rights
of men. My respected congregation, we have rea-
‘son to fear and tremble, lest the vengeance of God,
'should be poured out upon us, as a nation, for the
inhuman slavery that is practised by some portion
of our Republick. But may God grant, that slav-
14,
ery may soon cease, and that we as a nation, may
so conduct as to acknowledge the native rights and
privileges of men, not only by our constitution, but
by our practice. From these three considerations,
viz. the existence of one God—his government—
and the native rights of men—we shall be led to
conclude that that nation whose God is the Lord,
will frame its constitution agreeably to God’s word,
and enact all its laws in a manner, calculated to
promote the best interests of all its subjects.
We come now, more particularly, to describe the
character of that people whom God hath chosen for
his own inheritance.
In a certain sense it may be said that the nation
already described, is the people whom he hath chos-
en for his inheritance. This was the case with the
Jewish nation; Deut. 32: 9. “For the Lord’s por-
tion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inherit-
ance.” But more definitely, the church is the peo-
ple spoken of in the words of our text. For it is
evident that the nation of the Jews were typical of
the true church of God. It is inconsistent, to sup-
pose that God would choose a people for his own
inheritance, whose character is contrary to his own
nature : hence, it must be, that none can be consid-
ered to be of that people, but such as have been ini-
iiated into his spiritual church by regenerating grace.
To this sentiment the words of the apostle agree:
* If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new crea-
ture; old things are passed away, behold all things
I5
#re become new.” Hence the church is character-
ized; 4. By regeneration; 2. By submission to all
the commands of God. Abraham the father of the
faithful, affords us a striking example of this sub-
mission.
When God had given him a son by promise, and
every circumstance was calculated to render him
most dear to his father; this faithful patriarch was
called to go to a mountain which God should shew
him, and there offer his darling son, a sacrifice to
his Maker. In obedience to his God he leaves all
his domestick comforts behind, takes his only son
and goes to the place appointed, assured that God
was able to perform his promise, though Isaac should
be slain. But God, by this intended only to try his
faith, and prove whether he would obey him, at the
loss of all his earthly comforts.
So, that people, whom God hath chosen for his
own inheritance, submit to all his ordinances, in
preference to enjoying all the pleasures that earth
can yield. They are prepared to say like Paul ;—
“For I know whom I have believed, and am per-
suaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed to him against that day.”
3. They are the salt of the earth; a city set up-
on an hill which cannot be hid. Their conduct has
a salutary influence upon the minds of those by
whom they are surrounded.
We come now to consider our second general
proposition, which is to speak of the blessings en-
16
joyed by that nation whose God is the Lord ; and .
people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.
I. The nation whose God is the Lord, is blessed
with superior light to any other nation. God gives
its rulers wisdom to enact such laws, as will be for
the perpetuity of its civil rights, and religious privi-
leges. Such a nation enjoys the means of instruc-
tion, in a superior degree to other nations. This
we may say, with propriety, is the case with us.
Our youth are instructed in all the arts and sciences,
while others are brought up in heathenish darkness;
thousands are bowing to dumb idols, while we are
blessed with the light of the glorious gospel. God
is blessing all the means made use of by us; to ex-
tend light and knowledge through all our country.
There is scarcely a town or a village but enjoys a
preached gospel, or at least few families can be
found which are destitute of the holy scriptures,
and means are now employed to supply all such
destitute families.
2. That nation whose God is the Lord, enjoys
superior privileges to other nations.
All the people stand upon a common level; there
is no royal family to hold a hereditary claim to the
throne ; our rulers are chosen from among the peo-
ple ; no man whose character is not meritorious,
should expect to be raised to office ; and the same
civil rights and religious privileges, are extended to
all. O may God grant that a sense of the privile-
ges which we enjoy, may make suitable impressions
17
on our minds. How many thousands, now groan-
ing under cruel tyranny, are looking toward our be-
loved shores, and saying, O that we had had our birth
in America. Think how the poor suffering Greeks
who have long been oppressed by one of the haugh-
tiest of nations, are now struggling for the liberties
that we enjoy. May God grant them success, and
cause that the time may soon come, when they may
be liberated from all their oppression.
3. That nation is blessed with divine protection.
We see this to have been the case with the nation of
Israel. When they were invaded in the wilder-
ness by Amalek, God smote their enemies, and gave
them a signal victory over them; he also fed them
with manna from heaven, and gave them water from
the flinty rock. He led them through Jordan, and
subdued all the nations of Canaan for their sake;
and so long as they trusted in him, no nation on
earth could subdue them. t
He has also blessed our nation in like manner.
Our fathers left their mother country, and settled in
the wilds of America, for the sake of enjoying lib-
erty of conscience ; but, oh! what troubles sur-
rounded them. Soon, with Savage brutality, the
Pndians fell upon them ; infants were torn from the
arms of mothers, and dashed against the walls of
their dwellings; whole families were inhumanly
butchered ; and it seemed that utter destruction
awaited them : But God, in infinite mercy preserv.
ed them from total ruin. If we consider the weak-
C
18
ness of our colonies at that time, surely we shall
be led to say: God was our defence. And when
the laws of our mother country became so oppres-
sive that our forefathers were forced to the declar-
ation of Indenendence, it was no less than the hand
of Omnipotence, that saved us from the rage of our
common foe. No doubt there are some here this
day, who were engaged in the revolutionary strug-
gle. You well remember that glorious victory
which was obtained at Beunington in this state; not
barely by the force of our arms, nor our skill in
war; but by the interposition of the hand of Prov-
idence. God has been our defence till the present
time; and he is still watching over us, and bestow-
ing upon us the richest of blessings that are enjoy-
ed by any nation upon earth.
O my hearers, let us consider the obligations that
these inestimable blessings lay us under to God;
and endeavour so to improve them as to meet his
approbation: Then will our blessings be perpetu-
ated, and we shall be in reality that nation whose
God is the Lord. But if we forget that od, Gwho
has protected us and been our defence through all
the dangers that we have been called to pass as a
nation, and bestowed upon us all the blessings which
we have enjoyed, and do still enjoy, then will he
cast us off as he did the ancient Jews; and the in-
estimable blessings which we now enjoy, will be
forever lost.
We turn our attention to consider the blessings
19
enjoyed by that people whom God hath chosen for
his own inheritance.
4. They are blest with a pardon of all their sins.
Eor it is certain that those whom God hath been
pleased to choose for his inheritance, are made ho-
ly like himself, washed from all moral defilement
in the precious fountain which his Son poured from
his opening veins when he bled upon the cross.
That this is true in relation to the church, the fol-
lowing declaration of David shews : Psalm 32: 1.
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.” The words of the inspir-
ed apostle strongly corroborate this sentiment: Col.
2: 18. “And you hath he quickened, having forgiv-
en you all trespasses.” Their sins being forgiven,
they are justified in the sight of God, and “made
heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” They
enjoy his approbation; he looks upon them with
complacency and delight; and they are blessed with a
deliverance from that fearful looking for of judgment
and fiery indignation which shall devour the adver-
saries. God blesses them in the performance of his
will, and crowns their labours with abundant suc-
cess. They are blessed with that grace which
adorns their Christian character, and causes them
to shine as lights in the world ; and they are bless-
ed with that sweet anticipation of heavenly joys, to
which the unregenerate are utter strangers.
2. They are blest with divine protection. God
is their defence. He defends them from foes with-
• 9 2 * e
* *
20
out and foes within. This the words of our Sav-
iour clearly demonstrate: “ And upon this rock
will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it.” God defends the church;
first, because he love her. He loves her with an ev-
erlasting love, and it cannot possibly be but what
he will love her; for she participates of his nature.
She is clothed with his righteousness. She walks
in his commands, and performs his will. He loves
the church because it is the price of the precious
blood of his Son, “who gave himself for us that he
might cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and pu-
rify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good
works.” Till God’s nature changes, (which is
love,) he shall never cease to defend his church.
Till he forgets the agonies of his Son on the cross;
nay, till he ceases to love the Son himself; till then
he shall defend the church. He defends it second-
ly,–because it is his inheritance; it is his portion
in this world of intellectual beings. It is that in-
heritance for which, all the means of grace, made
use of, by the Almighty, have been and are still em-
ployed. Hence, the church, being his inheritance,
must be defended by him, and could we perceive the
care that God takes of his people in time of dan-
ger; we might, like the young man spoken of in
the scriptures, see them guarded by horses and char-
iots of fire. God not only defends them in life, but
he defends them in death.
At the hour of death, the Christian enjoys the
21
smiles of his conntenance, and calmly retires from
the noise and bustle of this vain world, without be-
ing distressed with those distracting fears which
pour in floods upon the trembling soul of the dy-
ing infidel. And thirdly, that people whom God
hath chosen for his own inheritance, are blessed
with eternal glory.
O think of that tremendous morning when God
shall appear in judgment, and when the last loud
trumpet shall awake the slumbering nations from
the tombs, and call them forth to hear their final
sentence; then will the righteous arise, with im-
mortal bodies, and be caught up to meet their Sav-
iour in the air; then the King shall say “Come ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepar-
ed for you from the foundation of the world.” They
shall set down with Christ on his throne. They
shall participate in all the joys of heaven, and drink
of the rivers of pleasure that flow at God’s right
hand. O my respected hearers, of what importance
is it that you should be of this people ; that you
should be clothed with the righteousness of Christ,
washed in his precious blood, and made heirs of
eternal glory. But oh! the awful consequence of
being found on the left hand, when Christ shall ap-
pear to be admired in all them that love him, and
to take vengeance on them that know not God and
obey not the gospel. Then must they hear the aw-
ful sentence, “Depart ye cursed into everlasting
fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” Their
22
state of trial now is ended; the gospel trumpet
ceases to sound ; the busy scenes of this life are
exchanged for an awful eternity. O who can bear
to be banished from the peaceful presence of God;
and dwell where light and hope can never come !
But now, my hearers, you enjoy the means of grace;
now the Saviour calls you to look to him and live.
May you now embrace the offers of salvation, and
be prepared for that eternal enjoyment, which shall
be possessed by that people whom God hoth chosen
for his own inheritance.
HoNourED RULERs—Permit me to address you
without a particular reference to the different grades
of office which you fill. You are chosen by a free
and enlightened people, to fill the most responsible
offices in this state; and to perform the duties
connected with your several offices, you stand in
need of the Divine aid. You are responsible to
your constituents, to the world, and to God.
4. You are responsible to your constituents.
You are chosen by the people of this state, to
watch over their civil and religious rights; and to
guard the dearest interests of our country. You
are to enact laws for the government of the people
of this commonwealth, for the suppression of vice,
and for the encouragement of virtue. Should you
meet the high expectation of the people, you will
receive their approbation, and their blessing will
rest upon you.
2. You are responsible to the world.
23
No nation on earth, is so highly favoured as ours.
The world are gazing upon us, and admiring our
form of government. Should you so legislate as to
be instrumental of perpetuating our civil and reli-
gious rights, you will do infinite service to the world.
You may be the means, in the hands of God, of en-
lightening thousands, and leading them from tyran-
ny and oppression to the enjoyment of our inesti-
mable blessings.
3. You are responsible to God.
You are under his inspection; his eyes are upon
you : he rules over all, and will shortly call the na-
tions of the earth to a solemn account. Then must
you appear before him, and be judged by the “Ring
of kings, and Lord of lords.” May he give you.
wisdom ; direct you by his spirit, and crown your
doings with abundant success. May you legislate
in his fear, with a view to advance his glory, and
the best interests of the inhabitants of this state.
And when you shall cease to officiate in these your
responsible offices, and retire to private life; may
you possess a conscience void of offence, toward
God and man; in the hour of death, enjoy his
smiles; and in another world possess that eternal
weight of glory which he hath prepared for the
righteous. Amen.
itſN 11192