"Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things, but
condescend to men of low estate." Romans xii. 16.
Having from the commencement of these sermons confined myself to
prescribed limits, I had no room in my last to pursue the first
division of my subject so far as I intended. I will therefore here
resume it.
"_Be of the same mind, one towards another_." We have thus far
confined our attention to family union, and have just glanced at the
necessity of union in religious societies. This is a day of inquiry
and light when the most keen and searching glances are sent into every
creed. Many denominations that have walked together heart and hand for
many years, each repelling the assaults of those, who attempted to
extinguish their ism, have at length been separated by internal
divisions and formed two opposing parties, even though they once
believed the _same creed_, and advocated the _same church government_.
The present is a trying period, and it stands us in hand to endeavor
to "keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace." Let us not
dream of religious union, and prosperity, unless we allow each one to
think for himself in matters of scripture interpretation. Nor let us
dream of prosperity, if there is among us more theory than practice.
It is true, Universalists are as moral as any other denomination; but
this is not enough. They ought in _kindness and benevolence_ to
transcend other denominations as far, as their doctrine of universal
beniguity transcends the doctrine of unending wo.
Neither are we to dream of religious union and prosperity, unless we
raise our united voices against those who revel over the flowing cup
of intoxication, which pours so many streams of misery and disunion on
the world. Let no one fancy to himself that the drunkards toast,
"_here is health and success to us_!" has any charm to avert his ruin,
or to stay the judgment of heaven. The more frequently that toast has
been uttered, while smiling upon the cup of inebriation held in a
trembling hand, the farther have health and success been removed from
the deluded victim, and the more swift and deadly have misfortune,
sickness, distress and pain fallen upon him. Intemperance is a demon,
that sows the seeds of discord among all ranks, orders and conditions
of men. Beneath his crushing hand creation reels, and fortunes fall in
broken ruins! And peace the sweet angel of mercy flies these turbulent
skies, and lights on realms unmoved by the hand of commotion and
discord. At his approach, blooming health is driven back from its warm
abode and the fairest flowers of domestic love, hope and joy are
withered forever! Let this frightful foe of discord and confusion be
barred from our sacred heritage and peace be within our borders.
We are not only to be of one heart and one mind in resisting profanity
and intemperance, but in resisting tale-bearing. Let us not speak evil
of others. This is beneath the character of a gentleman, and certainly
beneath that of a christian: consequently no gentleman or christian
will indulge in it. It is the employment of _low, ill-bred minds_, and
therefore none will engage in it, but those who are destitute of
reputation themselves. This vice has no excuse, and must therefore
originate in the _basest_ motives. They intend to bring their fellow
creatures down to a level with themselves, and thus lessen them in the
good opinion of others, and destroy their peace. And though they may
effect their object so far as the good opinion of the virtuous is
calculated to give us happiness, yet the approbation of a good
conscience, arising from the conviction of innocency, can never he
rooted from the heart of its possessor by all the calumnies of earth.
_This_ God has secured in all the secret chambers of the soul, and
forever barred it against the breath of slander. There he takes up his
abode and holds communion with the contrite spirit. The real merits
and consolations of virtue are secured to its possessor by the
impartial legislation of righteous heaven. Intemperance in its
effects, compared with slandering, is harmless; at least so far as
producing discord is concerned. The peaceable drunkard, compared even
with that church member, who is continually sowing discord in society,
is an angel. Slander is but the infectious breath or a foul spirit,
that poisons the healthful atmosphere wherever it is breathed, and
breaks the quiet repose--the calm serenity of neighborhoods and
families, as it were, with an electric shock.
Political slander is as infectious and destructive to the harmony of
the nation, and the security of our government, as private slander is
to neighborhoods and societies. No sooner is a candidate held up for
office, than all the party dogs of war on both sides are let loose and
set to barking. Immaterial how fair may be his character, how
inviolable his veracity, or how unsullied his honor and integrity,
they will make him appear to be an outcast from society, covered with
the darkest blots of infamy. Immaterial how great may be his
qualifications, or how splendid his talents, they will, by that
species of logic for which slanderers are famous, prove him to be a
fool. These dissentions do not expire when the candidates are elected.
They are carried to the capitol of our common country and blown out in
more than wordy war. There, we have reason to fear, the volcano is
gathering, and that the day is not distant when it will disembogue in
more than the thunders of Etna, wrap our political heavens in a blaze,
and melt its elements with fervent heat. Anarchy and confusion will
seize the reins of government, and drive us to the oblivious shades of
departed empires. If we continue to go on in our political slanders as
a nation, losing sight of our common welfare, and sacrificing the
_general_, on the altar of _partial_ interest, the day of our ruin is
not remote. Its awful morn, has, already, it seems, dawned with
streaks of malignant _light_, and (like ill fated Troy) ominous of the
purple streams, the crimson blood, that watered the Trojan plains
where mighty Sarpedon fell, where Hector lay slain by the sword of
Achilles. Heaven forbid that our national sun, that rose so fair,
should go down in blood, and shroud our temple of Liberty in
everlasting night! To avert such a catastrophe let us reform, and do
our duty as individuals. The safety of any body politic depends on the
conduct of the individuals that compose it. And God grant that these
dissentions may cease, that political peace and harmony may become
perfect, and our government may stand immoveable on its basis, like
the rock that remains unshaken by the furious storms that agitate the
ocean. May we, as a nation, be of one mind in resisting every species
of immorality, in studying the happiness of our fellow creatures--of
one mind in obtaining a knowledge of the character of our Creator, in
studying his parental and benign government, and his divine attributes
and unchanging perfections--and be of one mind in acquainting
ourselves with his beautiful works that swarm around us and afford us
so many rational delights. Let us store our minds with useful
knowledge, practice the precept of Christ, labor for mental
emancipation, and contentment and peace will be our lot.
In the great duties of religious obligation, let us be of one heart
and mind. Let us live like brethren, not only among ourselves, but
among other denominations. It is not long that we are to be together.
We are fading like the flower of the field, and ought to bear in mind
that death will soon lay our heads equally low in the dust, and the
worms shall cover us. We glitter for a moment like the bubbles borne
on the bosom of the ocean; they break and mingle again with the parent
fountain. We toil and heap up wealth, pass like empty shadows over the
plain and vanish forever! Generations, that covered the earth, are
gone, and unremembered by the living. They strove to gather wealth and
honors--they met each other in the hostile field--rolled garments in
blood, bedewed the widow's and the orphan's cheek with tears, and
filled their peaceful habitations with the voice of lamentation and
wo. Thousands lived in clamors and discord, and one seemed destined to
be oppressed by another. But the fields of war are still, the noise of
battle is hushed, and the voice of lamentation and wo is heard no
more! Hark! All is still as the chambers of eternal silence! Where are
they? In the shades of death! Kind reader, this is the doom of us all!
And so it will soon be said of you and me! Let us then be of one mind.
Let us do good by visiting the fatherless in their affliction and
keeping ourselves unspotted from the world.
We have now considered the fact, that real felicity consists in mental
pleasures and gratifications, and that these alone exalt our nature
and capacity for happiness above the brute creation, and have directed
your attention to virtue and peace as the only condition in which that
happiness can be found. We have brought to view the propriety of being
of one heart and mind towards each other in our families, in our
religious societies, in the community and in our national concerns. We
have set before you the evils resulting from intemperance, and from
private and political slander.
We will now, in the _second_ place, take into consideration the
_negative and affirmative_ consequence resulting from them on the
morals of the community so far as the causes leading to _intemperance
and crime_ are concerned.
Many discourses have been delivered, during the three past years, on
intemperance pointing out its ruinous effects on the morals of
society, while but few discourses have been put into the hands of the
public pointing out the causes leading to this destructful vice, and
those few have not in my humble opinion traced it to its _true
source_. Much has also been said about intemperance leading to crime,
which in many respects is true. But all this is not coming to the
fountainhead from whence these turbid streams flow. We will take the
liberty to differ on this subject with all that has as yet fallen upon
our ear, and independently give our opinion, as to what we conceive to
be the original cause from whence these baneful effects spring. We
will endeavor to show that _the poorer class of society are driven to
intemperance and crime by the conduct of the rich (those whom the
fashion of the world calls respectable and great) yes, by the conduct
of too many, who are even attempting to reform them_.
First, then we would remark; that man is a creature of want, which is
the first cause of all action. Had he no wants, he would never seek to
supply them, either by _honorable or dishonorable_ means. To this
self-evident proposition, all will without hesitation assent. We will
now attend to our general character as a nation, for it will be
admitted, on all hands, that actions speak louder than words. As a
nation, we enjoy much liberty; but public opinion, either of a
political or religious character, may become so popular as to erect
itself into an engine of oppression, and so formidable, that many an
honest man dare not dissent, nor independently raise his voice in
defence of what he believes to be truth, but will tamely submit
himself a slave to the opinions and doctrines of others. This is
probably the case with the greater proportion of the American people.
Again, though we profess to value every man by his integrity or moral
worth, yet it is a fact, that in conduct we make a man's reputation
depend principally on his purse. I yield the point without controversy
that in books, in news-papers, in preaching and in words, we profess
to esteem a man and rate his standing in society by his integrity. But
what do words and books, and news-papers and preaching amount to,
while mankind in conduct practice right the contrary of all these
ostentatious professions? They amount to nothing but hypocrisy, or
ridiculous nonsense. Does a man's standing, in these days, depend on
his conduct! By no means. Let us introduce an example. Suppose there
were two individuals of equal talents, and both possessed an equal
education. Their moral characters are the same. But one of them falls
in possession of an immense fortune, while the other is poor indeed.
Now will public conduct place them on an equality? No. Will they both
move in the same social circle? No. Will they both be treated with the
same politeness and attention by their neighbors? No. Should they
propose a public measure for the good of the town, would the one be
listened to, with the same attention as the other? No. Would he
possess so much influence in society? No. Well, what can be assigned
as the reason, why this rich man stands so far above the other in the
public opinion? Ans. It is because his character is measured by the
length of his purse, and the weight of his influence is determined by
the weight of his gold.
It is not a thing of rare occurrence, that the rich are thus
distinguished from the poor, but it is a fact so notorious that it has
long since passed into a proverb. This being the course of conduct
which men practice, the impression has therefore become general that
reputation, influence and power depend on wealth. Hence the great
inquiry, uppermost in every mind, is "how shall I get rich, so that I
may stand high in the estimation of men, and exert a powerful
influence in society, and be numbered among those who move in the
higher circles of life?" Concluded in our next.