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Title: A Book of Christian Sonnets

Author: William Allen

Release Date: December 27, 2016 [EBook #53816]

Language: English

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A
BOOK
OF
CHRISTIAN SONNETS.

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PREFACE.

For some remarks on the nature and history of the Sonnet and its peculiar excellence, as exemplified by Milton, the reader is referred to the Notes at the close of this book. The Author regards it as by its fixed laws and its structure the very best form of poetry for one short, complete, meditative lesson. A collection of such distinct, separate little poems,—mostly written within a recent period,—and not mingled with other forms of poetry,—constitutes this little volume.

The notes annexed are historical and illustrative, elucidatory of what from the necessary brevity of the verse might be otherwise left obscure, or such as seemed to be required by the unevasible claims and the infinite worth of the revealed Christian truth, which makes the texture of these sonnets.

While Petrarch, the inventor of the Sonetto, Spenser, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and other foreign poets have written a multitude of sonnets, it is to the author a matter of surprise, that not more than half a dozen sonnets—within his knowledge—have ever been sent forth by any one of our poets; so that this may be regarded as the first book of American Sonnets ever published.

An old man, the tenant for a year past of a sick chamber, who from early life has been a student and cultivator of poetry, has found not a little pleasure in such musings, as he now offers to the public. His meditations, it may well be supposed, have not been of fictitious scenes. Aware of his liableness at any moment to be summoned[4] away from this world,—which to his eye is filled with beauty mingled indeed with deformity,—into a world of undefaced loveliness and eternal glory, he could not have excused himself, if he had employed the precarious time lent to him in drawing idle, uninstructive, unprofitable pictures; but his mind has been filled with intense thoughts on God's pure, unchanging, soul-saving Truth; and he has endeavored to give true sketches, however faint and feeble, of divine and eternal realities not unworthy of the contemplation nor unfit to awaken the affections of rational, immortal men. The uninterrupted study of God's Word for 50 or 60 years may be his apology for declaring what in his judgment are plainly and indubitably some of the great truths of that Word. But he earnestly asks the reader to search the Scriptures with his own eyes. What God has said is true.

Northampton, Dec. 19, 1859

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CONTENTS.

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A BOOK OF CHRISTIAN SONNETS.

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REMARKS ON THE NATURE AND HISTORY OF THE SONNET.

In the judgment of some of the greatest poets and literary men the Sonnet is a form of poetry of very high value; in its structure a precious gem. It is of Italian origin and was invented by Petrarch in the 14th century. In his retreat at Vaucluse near Avignon he wrote the greater part of his sonnets, all devoted to the idolatry of woman—to the praise of Laura: 227 of them were written while she was living; and he continued to extol her in 90 sonnets after her death.

The laws of the sonnet are these. It has one leading subject and should end with some striking thought, or must bring to a beautiful conclusion or point the images and musings of the first lines and greater part of the poem. It has always 14 lines, falling into two unequal lobes, one of two quatrains, the other of two triplets; or in other words it is composed of four stanzas, the two first of four lines each and the two last of three lines each. Then as to the rhymes,—the first eight lines have only two rhymes, and they always in the same place,—the first, fourth, fifth and eighth lines rhyming; so also the other four. The last six lines admit of a little change, and may have either two or three rhymes; usually the four first lines have alternate rhymes, and the two last are a couplet; but even in this case the triplet form is to be preserved.

The distinction of the stanzas is made, not by a separation from each other by wider spaces, but while printed compactly by the lines 1, 5, 9, and 12, projecting to the left; as in Milton's sonnets and in the Venice edition of Petrarch in 1764. Various poets[62] however have unwisely disregarded this rule: and have variously placed their rhymes and their lines at their pleasure. Campbell has translated a few of Petrarch's sonnets, reducing the 14 lines to 12, composed of three similar quatrains, the first and last lines of which rhyme together. But this is destroying the Sonnet.

Our admiration of Petrarch should perhaps be a little moderated; for he is full of affected turns and paradoxes and smart antitheses. Speaking of love he says, "O viva morte, O dilettoso male,"—O living death, O most beloved evil! Speaking also of its effect he says in four lines of rhyme, which may be thus translated—without rhyme—

Addressing a river, in which Laura washed her face, he says,

"Thou hast no rock beneath thy waves, which does not burn with the same fires, that are kindled in me." He also said, "O earth, thou art not worthy to be trodden by her feet. She deserves to adorn heaven!"

His curious stanza repeating the word dolce, sweet, 9 or 10 times may be thus translated:

The sonnet in the use of Petrarch did not attain its highest dignity, for it was wholly appropriated to the praise of Laura, his love for whom whether real or fictitious has not yet been settled by the literary world. He died in 1374, aged 70.—The eminent English poet Spenser followed him after an interval of more than 200 years dying in 1598: he published 87 sonnets. Then Shakespeare, who died in 1616, published 154 sonnets; all of which by these two poets are devoted to love, but with a change of the Italian rhyme and form.

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The following shows the sonnet's structure by Spenser.

It will be observed, that the last couplet is always a rhyme, which is not the fixed rule of Petrarch; and then he has changed the places of the rhymes and confused them by abolishing the stanzas.

The following is a sonnet of Shakespeare.

Here also is an injurious change in the sonnet of Petrarch: the last couplet is always a rhyme, and it is separated in print from the 12 lines, which are very simple, composing three stanzas of distinct, alternate rhymes, much easier to compose than Spenser's or the Italian.

Milton wrote 5 sonnets in Italian, which were translated by Cowper. In them he followed Petrarch in his subject. It was in his 18 English sonnets, that he has given to this form of poetry its[64] true elevation and dignity. Instead of applying it, like his predecessors, to love meditations, expressive of fictitious or real affection, he made it the instrument of conveying most important moral, patriotic, and religious sentiments.

The following is a sonnet of Milton, who died in 1675. It was addressed to

It will be seen, that he combined with his rhymes much of the freedom and force of blank verse. He never allows the absence of good strong sense nor the presence of unmeaning or useless words in order to make out the rhyme.

By printing his sonnets compactly without separating the stanzas from each other Milton carried on his sentences, as he found desirable, from stanza to stanza, frequently without any close at the end of a stanza, sometimes just beginning near the end. In this case the separation of the stanzas by spaces would evidently be absurd. Read the last five lines of his sonnet to Cromwell:—

Here, in the method of separating the stanzas by wider spaces in printing, the phrase "new foes arise" would have been separated from the line which follows, with which it is so intimately connected,—the head line of the last triplet.

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The author may here be allowed to say, that in his judgment in the whole compass of English poetry there are no sonnets equal to a few of Milton's, numbered 8, 9, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22 and 23. If any one would know, whether Milton's meditations brought out sentiments worthy of utterance, and whether he knew how to utter them with the melody of rhyme and at the same time with the unshackled freedom and energy of blank verse, I leave with him for his refreshment the following lines from his sonnet on his own Blindness:—

More recently Wordsworth, who died in 1850, aged 80, has followed Milton in his application of this form of poetry to higher subjects than that to which it was applied by Petrarch. A very great fault however is his abolishing Milton's method of designating the stanzas and thus showing the places of the rhymes, the pleasures of which are gone if their places are not easily found. He wrote 282 sonnets: he wrote too many; and they are often diffuse and languid. The following is one of his sonnets: it is on the Pastoral Character.

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The readers of poetry ought to feel much indebted to Mr. Wordsworth for his remarks in regard to the language of poetry, and in regard to the value of enkindled emotions. In his judgment, there ought not to be a distinct poetic diction, separate from the language of good prose; the poet should aim at good sense and intelligible diction, using the language of men, abandoning "a large portion of phrases and figures of speech, which from father to son have long been regarded as the common inheritance of poets," and even abstaining from many good expressions, which bad poets have so foolishly and perpetually repeated, as to render them disgusting. As illustrating his meaning, he quotes from a sonnet of Gray;—

Here this false diction destroys the value of every line.

The other remark of Mr. Wordsworth is this;—"all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of good feelings." Perhaps it might be also said, that in addition to sensibility and impassioned expression there should be chosen, for the highest poetry, subjects of moral dignity and religious interest, having a close bearing on human welfare not only for a moment but for perpetuity.

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NOTES.

Sonnet 1. The name of Washington is in the heart of all Americans. Fifty years ago, that is in 1809, in the first edition of the American Biographical Dictionary, I devoted nearly 20 pages to a memoir of Washington. It may be a convenience to the reader of this little book to have here collected the dates as to the leading events of his life.—He was born at Bridges Creek, Westmoreland county, Virginia, Feb. 22, 1732; and died suddenly, after an illness of one day by an inflammation of the windpipe, Dec. 14, 1799, nearly 68 years old. He was in early life a major and colonel of the Virginia troops employed against the French on the Ohio in 1754 and 1755; and was subsequently commander in chief. About 1758 he married Mrs. Custis, a wealthy widow, whom he greatly loved. As a planter he had 9,000 acres of land under his management, and nearly 1,000 slaves in his employment, living at Mount Vernon, which was the estate of his deceased older brother Lawrence: his father's name was Augustine: his great grandfather came from the north of England about 1657.—He was appointed by congress commander in chief at the commencement of the war in 1775; and at the close resigned his commission Dec. 1783.

In 1789 he was chosen the first president of the United States for 4 years and then re-chosen, continuing in office till 1797, when he was succeeded by John Adams. By his last will he directed, that on the death of Mrs. Washington (who died May 22, 1802,) his slaves should be emancipated. As the ladies of Virginia, with the aid of ladies of other States, have purchased Mount Vernon in reverence to the name of Washington, will they not honor him if they manage it without obtruding upon it any slave labor?—Gen. Washington was a constant attendant on public worship in an episcopal church, which he principally supported. It is believed, that he every day had his hour of retirement for private devotion.

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Sonnet 2. In looking from my eastern window a few evenings since (Dec. 12th,) I was struck with the magnificent appearance of the heavens,—the moon just rising in full effulgence, preceded a few degrees by the splendid planet Jupiter, while still higher and more at the south was the unequalled constellation Orion, with an uncounted multitude of stars planted thick in the sky. Jupiter is 1400 times larger than the earth, being 90,000 miles in diameter: he revolves on his axis in ten hours, so that a body on his surface flies around at the rate of 27,000 miles per hour, or 27 times faster than a body on the earth. It has four satellites. Can it be imagined, that this huge planet is not furnished with rational inhabitants, like this diminutive earth? And what reason can be assigned why all the planets and all the stars should not be inhabited by rational beings? Who can fix the limits to God's creation? As light flies 192,000 miles every second, who can say, that the light from the most distant star has yet reached the earth since the star was created? With what reverence and awe, with what love and trust and spirit of obedience should Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, be regarded?

Sonnet 3. Wm. H. Prescott, the distinguished historian, died at Boston of the paralysis after a few hours' illness Jan. 28, 1859, aged 62 years. Knowing that he was about to die, it was his remarkable request, that in his coffin he might lie for a time with his face uncovered in his library, surrounded by his cherished Books. From his library he was carried to his grave Jan. 31st. The next evening the Historical Society of Massachusetts held a meeting in honor of his memory. Mr. Winthrop, the president, Mr. Ticknor who introduced some resolutions, and others made speeches on the occasion, which were published. As a humble associate member of the society I would not neglect to mention the following apposite and interesting fact, that Petrarch, the inventor of the Italian sonetto, was found dead in his library with his head resting on a book. He died of apoplexy July 18, 1374, aged 74.—Milton's memorable words in relation to books ought never to be forgotten:—"Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, imbalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life."—But the book of books is God's Book, which infinitely transcends all others in value, except as they borrow truth from its pages, for it[69] reveals to man his pathway to a blessed immortality. Never should the words of Mr. Chillingworth be forgotten: "The Bible, I say, the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants."

Sonnet 4. In the city of Paris, ten years ago, I was one of a large company of hundreds of the Friends of Peace from different nations. We presented to the Emperor,—then only a President,—an Address against War. In the present year by his inroad into Italy and conflict with Austria he has fixed upon his soul the unmeasurable guilt of several tens of thousands of murders.

Sonnet 5. After the existence of one God there is no truth so astonishing and holding such a power over the human heart, as the death of the Son of God on the cross for the sins of men. For who was the Son of God? He was indeed in the form of a man, born of the virgin Mary; but he came down from heaven to tabernacle in human flesh. Let us raise our eyes from the earth to the worlds above us, of enormous magnitude compared with this little globe of ours. Suppose now the glorious sun is inhabited by a race of intelligent beings as much exalted above man, as the sun is greater and more resplendent than the earth. If the highest of the sun's inhabitants had come to this low world and dwelt in human flesh—it might have been a most amazing event in our eyes; yet he would not have been the Son of God. Suppose among the countless worlds of light there is one world vastly transcending all others and the dwellers on it transcending in their faculties and endowments all other world-dwellers; and the first among them had come to dwell in man's form; yet he would not have been the Son of God. We read of angels and archangels in heaven—in the place of God's more especial abode. Suppose the brightest archangel had descended to this ball of earth and animated a human form, and appeared as a man; yet he would not have been the Son of God. For the Son of God is he, by whom God created the sun and moon and stars of light, with all the intelligent dwellers upon them and the dwellers in the heavenly mansions. It was this Son of God inconceivably exalted and glorious, who came down from heaven and appeared as the Son of Mary. And not only so; but he actually was subject to the evils, which man suffers; he could feel pain, and anguish, and the agonies of the cross,—and did encounter them,—if the plain language[70] of scripture is no delusion,—in order to atone for our sins and to achieve the work of our redemption. Now, did we believe this: did this most sublime and wonderful truth plant itself in our inmost persuasion,—unalloyed and unweakened or not destroyed in its influence by any of our speculative theories;—were we deeply and thoroughly convinced of this great fact;—then who of us could fail to exclaim,—"God forbid, that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world?"

Sonnet 10. John Tyndale, born in 1484, and educated at Oxford. Determined to translate the Bible for England, as he could not do it safely in London he fled to the continent. At Cologne he published the English New Testament about 1525. England was filled with light. The popish priests sent over a traitor, by whose means Tyndale was seized and martyred near Antwerp Friday, Oct. 6, 1536, being strangled at the stake and burnt. His translation of the New Testament was the foundation of our present one.

Sonnet 13. The four following ex-presidents were all living, when this sonnet was written in March, 1826.—John Adams died July 4, 1826, aged 90; president from 1797 to 1801.—Thomas Jefferson died on the same day with Mr. Adams, July 4, 1826, aged 83; president from 1801 to 1809. As a member of congress he drew up the declaration of Independence in 1776.—James Madison died in 1836, aged 85; president from 1809 to 1817.—James Monroe died July 4, 1831, aged 83; president from 1817 to 1825.

Sonnet 16. In a sonnet Mr. Wordsworth does not lament the protestant hurricane, which scattered wide

Sonnet 17. Christ's own clear, ample, minute, most decisive instruction concerning the Day of Judgment is in Matt. 25th, and ends with the words, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." He also said of the unbeliever, in John 3d, "he shall not see life; but the wrath[71] of God abideth on him:" he also said, Matt. 18, "It is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire."

Sonnet 20. Shakespeare in a sonnet says,—

Sonnet 22. Ten years ago, in 1849, I had the satisfaction of visiting the valley of Chamouni in Switzerland at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest point in Europe, 15,600 or 15,673 feet or nearly 3 miles in height above the sea. Here once lived Jacques Balmat, who, having discovered a way to the top of the mountain, in his gratitude to Dr. Paccard, the physician of the village, apprized him of his discovery, and undertook to conduct him to the summit. After two days' toil the exploit was accomplished Aug. 8, 1786. The next ascent was by De Saussure, the elder, of Geneva, accompanied by his servant, by Balmat, and 17 other guides, Aug. 3, 1787. In 1808 Balmat conducted to the top 15 of the people of Chamouni, one of whom was a woman, Maria Parodis. Ascents were made by men of different countries in 1802, 1812, and 1818. Two Americans accomplished this ascent in 1819, Dr. Wm. Howard of Baltimore and Dr. Van Rensselaer, with 9 guides. They reached the top Monday, July 12th. Remaining more than an hour on the summit, they reached Chamouni in safety after an absence of 53 hours only.—Capt. Underhill of England made the ascent in the same year. The lives of three guides were lost in the attempt of Dr. Hamel in 1820. Since then there were 27 ascents, to the year 1851, when Albert Smith and other Englishmen went up with 16 guides Aug. 13th.

Sonnet 23. The Christian theologian has this ground of controversy, that the Bible is a revelation from God, which book therefore contains no error, but is filled with eternal, infallible truth. No contradiction in doctrine can possibly exist in holy scripture; and nothing can reconcile the reason, bestowed upon us, with[72] what is absurd or impossible. If controversialists may gather some expressions, which seem to conflict with each other, some patience and diligence of inquiry may be requisite in order to bring them into harmony; a knowledge of the ancient languages, in which the scriptures were written, may prove useful, as may also an acquaintance with eastern customs and manners, and an attention to the circumstances and design of the utterance which is under consideration.

Sonnet 24. In a sonnet Wordsworth speaks of the new churches in England, in which the Truth of God might be taught:—

Sonnet 26. In the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, the Thirteen United States said unanimously—"We hold these truths to be self-evident:—that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

In his last will Washington ordered the emancipation of his slaves; so also did John Randolph. Patrick Henry declared, that the principle of slavery is "as repugnant to humanity, as it is inconsistent with the Bible, and destructive to liberty." Mr. Jefferson said in his Notes on Virginia, in reference to the holding of slaves, "I tremble for my country, when I remember, that God is just!" If the leading minds of the South should adopt the sentiments of these illustrious Virginians, it will next be their proper business to devise and execute the best method for giving to their slaves the blessings of freedom.

Sonnet 27. Dr. Cotton Mather of Boston, published in Boston 141 years ago a new Version of the Psalms from the Hebrew into English blank verse,—so called from the absence of rhyme,—the measure of the lines being adapted to the music in vogue. Melancthon said of the Psalms, "It is the most elegant work extant in the world." Jewell wrote to Peter Martyr in 1560, that 6,000 people sung the Psalms together at St. Paul's Cross in London. The following is his version of the 23d Psalm:

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Sonnet 29. As Christians we are under inexpressible obligations to God for his book of revealed truth, proved to be divine by the voice of prophecy, by the wonders of miracles, by the sublimity of its doctrines, and by the approval of conscience. Every man, who can read, is bound to examine this book for himself; for otherwise his faith will rest on a human not a divine teacher.—According to Mr. Chillingworth, what God requires of us is "to believe the Scripture to be God's word, to endeavor to find the true sense of it, and to live according to it." He also says—"I see plainly and with mine own eyes, that there are popes against popes, Councils against Councils, some Fathers against others, the same Fathers against themselves, a Consent of Fathers of one age against a[74] Consent of Fathers of another age, the Church of one age against the Church of another age. Traditive interpretations of Scripture are pretended, but there are few or none to be found. No tradition, but only of Scripture, can derive itself from the fountain."—"Propose me any thing out of this book, and require whether I believe it or no; and seem it never so incomprehensible to human reason, I will subscribe it with hand and heart: As knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this; God hath said so, therefore it is true." But then we ought to be well assured, that God hath said what we attribute to him; that we understand the import of the divine word; and that no prepossession, or prejudice, or passion, or mental bondage leads us into an inexcusable misapprehension.

Sonnet 30. My wife, Maria Malleville, who died very suddenly at Brunswick in Maine June 3, 1828, aged 40 years, was the only daughter and child of Dr. John Wheelock, the president of Dartmouth College. She was of Huguenot descent by her mother, Maria Suhm, the daughter of Christian Suhm, the Danish commandant and governor of the island of St. Thomas: he died in 1759, aged 40, being a native of Copenhagen. Mrs. Suhm's descent was from Thomas Bourdeau of the south or west of France, a protestant martyr after the revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685, as follows. He sent his only daughter Maria at the age of ten years for safety to the island of St. Thomas. In the same vessel was a protestant emigrant from the same place, Mr. La Salle, whom she at the age of 15 married. Their daughter Maria La Salle married John Malleville of St. Thomas: their daughter, Maria Malleville, married in 1751 governor Suhm, who after his death was succeeded by her brother, Gov. Thomas Malleville. Her second marriage was to Lucas Von Beverhoudt of Beverwyck in Parsippany, New Jersey, where she was accustomed to receive Washington at her house. Their daughter, Adriana, married T. Boudinot, the descendant of another Huguenot family from France.—She died in 1798. Her daughter, Maria Suhm, married, as has been mentioned, president Wheelock.—My wife, whom I married Jan. 28, 1813, was the mother of 8 children.

Sonnet 32. About 50 years ago, when the neighborhood of Sackett's Harbor was a wilderness, a little child of one of the new settlers aged 4 years was lost in the woods. The father's house[75] was 6 miles from the Harbor. All possible aid in the search was of course called together under the regulation and with the success described in this sonnet.

Sonnet 35. As Spenser says of the Lamb;—

Sonnet 36. Dr. John Codman died at Dorchester, where he was long the pastor of a church, Dec. 23, 1847, aged 65. Graduating at Harvard college in 1802, he pursued his theological studies in Edinburgh from 1805 to 1808, in which year he was ordained. His subsequent life was devoted to the faithful preaching of the gospel. Among his last words he said,—"I am willing to be in God's hands." His Memoirs and Sermons were published in 1853.

Sonnet 37. The grave-yard of Northampton, laid out in 1661, is one of peculiar beauty and rich in the deposit of the dead disciples of Christ; among whom were my own ancestors of several generations. Four of the earlier and eminent ministers sleep here; Eleazer Mather, who died in 1669, aged 32; Solomon Stoddard, died 1729, aged 85; John Hooker, died 1777, aged 48; Solomon Williams, died 1834, aged 82. Another tenant of this grave-yard is Rev. David Brainerd, the missionary, who died Oct. 9, 1747, aged 29.—In this year, 1859, some unknown person has erected a handsome marble monument to Rev. E. Mather, who died 190 years ago.

Sonnet 39. Spenser in his Hymn on heavenly beauty says;—

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Sonnet 40. The record of the first minister of a flourishing American town and a brave patriot of the revolution is a matter of interest. Thomas Allen was born in Northampton and was a descendant of Samuel, one of the first settlers, whose father—dying at Windsor in 1648—is supposed to have come over from the west of England with the Dorchester people in the ship Mary and John in 1630.—His grandfather, named also Samuel, was an unswerving friend of Jonathan Edwards and a deacon in his church. Mr. Allen graduated at Harvard college in 1762 in a distinguished class, among whose members were Gov. Gerry, Judge F. Dana, and Drs. Eliot and Belknap. He was ordained at Pittsfield in Berkshire county, Mass., April 18, 1764, and here passed the remainder of his life; he died after a ministry of 45 years Feb. 11, 1810, aged 67 years: I was ordained his successor Oct. 10, 1810.—He was not only a faithful and eloquent minister; but a patriot, and a chaplain in the army, and on one occasion he played the part of a soldier. He marched Aug. 15, 1777 with a company of his own people in a three days' campaign to Bennington to check the advance of Burgoyne:—the next day he shared in the assault and the victory;—and the third day he returned home to preach the gospel to his rejoicing people Aug. 18th. His trophies often delighted my eyes in subsequent years,—two large, square, white flint-glass bottles, which he captured with a Hessian surgeon's horse, and gave the wine to the wounded.

His wife was Elizabeth, the daughter of Rev. Jonathan Lee, the first minister of Salisbury, Conn.; she was descended from Gov. Bradford of Plymouth; she died in 1830, aged 82. Of their 12 children the writer of this is the only survivor.—On the death of his eldest daughter, Mrs. White in London, he went to England in 1799 in order to bring his little grand-child to his house: in London he became acquainted with the eminent ministers Newton, Haweis, Rowland Hill, and Bogue, and from them caught a pious zeal for the promotion of foreign missions. He published sermons on the death of his daughter, E. White, 1798; of Moses Allen, 1801; of his son Thomas, 1806; Massachusetts election sermon, 1808.

Sonnet 41. The sublime passage of scripture, which is here versified, may admonish us, that we are travelling rapidly to the end of time in respect to its being our period of probation for eternity. It is the solemn voice of the Gospel,—"Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day of salvation!"

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Sonnet 42. Paul teaches us, that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," and that "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." All men therefore, whose "foolish heart is darkened," are "without excuse."

Sonnet 43. In the words of Spenser,—

Sonnet 44. My eldest daughter, Maria Malleville Allen, died Jan. 30, 1833, aged 17. Through God's great goodness this is the only instance of death, which has occurred among my children; and through his grace and infinite mercy she died in the hope of immortal life in heaven through the mediation of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. What greater blessing can I supplicate for all my descendants, than that God will give them at the hour of their death her Christian faith and hope?

Sonnet 47. On a church-yard Mr. Wordsworth has the following lines:—

Sonnet 49. Even Beattie addresses Nature as follows;—

Sonnet 50. As it is a year since this sonnet was written, my present very ill state of health teaches me and may teach others, that a recovery from illness, though most gratefully to be acknowledged,[78] may be a transient blessing. While I was sick, others have fallen around me. Living or dying, it is my prayer, that I may acquiesce in God's will, and that I may participate with all penitent believers in the salvation purchased by the blood of his Son.

Sonnet 51. One all-important method of God's communicating good to man is described by Milton;

Sonnet 52. Our class, which graduated at Harvard college in 1802, was larger than any previous class,—consisting of 60 members, an unusual number of whom became men of distinction, and one quarter part of whom after 57 years are still living. To my esteemed surviving Brothers I bid farewell, wishing them faith in the Son of God, who is "the resurrection and the life."

Sonnet 53. From a Sonnet by Montgomery, on Nature praising God:

Sonnet 56. The Compact, entered into by the Pilgrims, was signed on board the Mayflower Nov. 11, 1620; on which day they anchored in Cape Cod harbor. More than a month afterwards they landed at Plymouth. They had in view "the glory of God and the advancement of the christian faith." Forty-one men signed the paper, forming themselves into "a civil body-politic," in order to enact, constitute, and frame "just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices."

Sonnet 57. When Jesus said, John 10, "I and my Father are one," the Jews accused him of blasphemy, for making himself "God." He replied, "If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God?"

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Sonnet 58. In the providence of God I am the oldest living member in Massachusetts of the American Board for Foreign Missions, which was established by a vote of its General Association in 1810, the year of my settlement in the ministry. Multitudes of missionaries have died; and the missionaries living, scattered over the world, are 170 with 230 assistants: native laborers are 500, of whom 222 are preachers: in all 900. The churches 153, and members 23,500; free schools 313.

Sonnet 59. Milton, in a sonnet, speaks of submission to God in his blindness, when of three years' continuance:—

Sonnet 62. Mr. Robinson, born in England in 1585 and educated at Cambridge, becoming a protestant minister, was driven by persecution with his people into Holland. His church at Leyden consisted of 300 communicants. He zealously promoted the emigration under elder Brewster to Plymouth in 1620, intending to follow; but he died in 1625. It was his memorable remark—"I am very confident the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of his holy word."

Sonnet 64. When Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life," he announced to us the infinite value of truth as the path-way to immortal life. Truth is immutable and eternal; it is most pure and purifying, the source of joy and the foundation of hope; and the denial of truth is more or less perilous and implies more or less of guilt. All falsehood is injurious. As the Bible reveals to us divine truth, how can we doubt, whether we are bound to study it with our own eyes? For otherwise we must accept for the teachings of the holy word the faith of some one of the authors of a hundred different creeds; and we may perchance have for our great teacher and master some bewildered lunatic, or some hungry impostor, or some proud and boastful promoter of the purposes of the father of lies.

The catholic may use the term mystery as a cover for absurdity and contempt of reason, or in support of a contradiction, and as an excuse for idolatry; but surely God's Bible contains nothing but truth, and that revealed in a manner adapted to the human[80] understanding. But what says archbishop Fenelon in defending transubstantiation or the imagined change of the bread in the sacrament into the body of Christ? He says of the doctrine—"in believing its mysteries one immolates his ideas [or sacrifices his common sense] out of respect to eternal truth." Thus his blunder, his misunderstanding of Christ's words, "this is my body," he represents as "eternal truth." So Bourdaloue says—"I make to God a sacrifice of the most noble part of myself, which is my reason:" and he professes to believe a mystery "although it seems to be directly repugnant to my reason;"—or one "which shocks reason itself and contradicts all its lights," referring to the received doctrine concerning God's nature. Massillon thinks it is "necessary to believe certain apparent contradictions:" he says, "it is faith and not reason, which makes us Christians." All this in my view is a pernicious error: for reason is the intellectual power, which discerns truth. God himself is perfect reason, pure intellect, infinite understanding. To him the universe is all light. But our reason is restricted: man may grow in knowledge forever; yet he never will know an absurdity or contradiction to be true. To us one great source of truth is God's testimony or revelation. Faith is the belief of God's testimony. As to the word mystery, the common meaning of it in scripture, is not something unintelligible, but a doctrine, once hidden or secret, which is now revealed and intelligible. Thus in teaching the resurrection Paul says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep," &c. 1 Cor. 15:51. See also Rom. 16:25.

It is clear beyond a question, that there cannot be two contradictory truths; for truth is one; it is but an expression of the reality of things. But some metaphysicians have lent their aid to the catholic theologians by asserting that, there are contradictory truths in philosophy; but the instances adduced are all fallacious, as Achilles walking 20 times as fast as the turtle, but never able to overtake him.

A lately deceased philosopher of Scotland, Sir W. Hamilton, seems to concur in the catholic notion of the contradiction of faith and reason. He lays down a certain new, strange, unproved, incredible principle, called "the law of the conditioned," that "the conceivable always lies between two contradictory extremes;" and then concludes as "the one true and only orthodox inference" that we must believe in the infinity of God, which by us cannot be[81] comprehended or conceived. "Faith,—Belief,—is the organ, by which we apprehend what is beyond our knowledge." But how can this be correct? When we exercise faith in God's testimony,—when we exercise belief in his word,—when we receive the very truth, which he presents to our understanding or reason and brings to our knowledge,—do we not know it? Do we thus apprehend any thing "beyond our knowledge?" When Christ prayed—"sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth;"—did he not refer to truth known? What God reveals must be revealed to our belief, to our reason. Although we pretend not to comprehend perfectly the attributes and ways of the infinite God; yet what he has disclosed we may know; and we may know the meaning of right and wrong, of truth and falsehood, of faith and unbelief, of reason and contradiction or absurdity. It cannot then be a right inference—if the author had such a meaning—that any doctrine concerning the nature of God may be true, although not conceivable, because God is infinite.

God's scheme of mercy towards sinful man is accomplished by the wide-spread power and triumphs of Truth. But what are the Truths, that bear intimately on human welfare? Surely it is not a matter of indifference what is received for truth; men are not safe, because they think they are so. No bigoted despotism; no boasted liberalism; no banded relationships of interest or honor; no infidel companionship or self-applauses can convert error into truth or render it harmless. Whatever monstrous or astounding notions, whatever wild, fanatical, profligate, misleading doctrine may be sent forth, no glozing words can render it otherwise, than that error and falsehood are God's abhorrence and a delusion of the devil.

As I have in other notes dwelt upon the character and offices of the Son of God, the Mediator and Redeemer, I desire now to advert to the all-important divine teaching concerning God's Spirit, grace, and power in renewing and sanctifying the depraved and lost soul of man. "God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy." Rom. 9th. Christ taught, John 3d, the necessity of being "born of the Spirit" in order to salvation. John the Baptist predicted of Christ, that he should baptize men "with the Holy Spirit;" and thus his coming was signalized by "the Spirit like a dove descending upon him," and God's voice from heaven said, "Thou art my beloved Son." All the powers therefore, prophetical, miraculous, renovating,[82] and sanctifying, implied in the full endowment of the Holy Spirit, were possessed by Christ.

The primitive meaning of the word Spirit is air or breath. Some of its meanings in scripture are wind; the living soul in man and animals; the mind, or man's intelligent part and also its various faculties and powers; an intelligent spirit, simple, superior to man's, not allied to matter; it is applied to angels good and evil; and also to God, as we read, "God is a spirit." It means also the divine power, given to Christ, by which he wrought miracles and fulfilled God's purposes on the earth, as Matt. 12:28, "if I cast out devils by the spirit of God," compared with Luke 11:20, "if I with the finger of God cast out devils." In the same sense is "holy spirit," with which Jesus was filled used, Luke 4:1.—"The holy spirit" and "spirit" alone relating to the same matter are found in Mark 12:36, and Matt. 22:43: "doth David in spirit call him Lord;" that is, David was under divine inspiration is the one meaning of the two expressions.

In our inquiry concerning the import of the phrase, "the holy spirit," in scripture it may be of some consequence to bear in mind, that there is one peculiarity in our English Bible, which distinguishes it from other modern European translations; that while the Greek testament has but one word for Spirit, which is translated by one word,—in German by Geist, in Dutch by Geest, in French by Esprit,—the same is rendered by our translators into English by two words at their option, namely, Spirit and Ghost. And in what cases did they choose the latter word? It would seem that they translated by Holy Ghost and not by holy spirit whenever they supposed the phrase had reference to an intelligent, divine Being and not to a gift, endowment, or power received from God. Thus it is, that the phrase has got an established meaning; which shows indeed the judgment of our old translators 250 years ago, but proves nothing as to the true meaning. It might then be well, if the old word Ghost were laid aside. Indeed they have not chosen to say, Gala. 4:6, "the Ghost of his Son," nor in v. 27, "born after the Ghost," but have used the word "Spirit." If one should take up his New Testament and read in English in Matthew's first chapter concerning Mary,—"she was found with child of the Holy Ghost," and then again, "that which is conceived of her is of the Holy Ghost," he would be likely to attach a meaning to the scripture, which he reads, different from the truth. For as the Testament was written in Greek, we may learn from that language,[83] the translation should not have been "the Holy Ghost," and not even "the Holy Spirit," but "a holy spirit," for here the word for spirit has no article before it in the Greek, as would be requisite if "the Spirit" were meant; and the meaning is, as learned critics have showed, simply, "a divine energy or power." Just so in Mark 1:8 and Luke 1:35, the same Greek phrase has no article; and the apostles do not allude to a great personage or supposed well known, mighty Being, called "the Holy Ghost," but refer only to God's miraculous power in respect to the birth of Christ. The verse in Luke 1, proves this—"a holy spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee,"—both phrases referring to the same energy of almighty God.

The English translators, although they have employed the phrase, "the Holy Ghost" about 90 times in scripture, have not once in the Old Testament, although they have three times there used "the holy spirit" relating to God's gift, or endowment, or power bestowed: Ps. 51:1. Isa. 63:10, 11. The same phrase, meaning God's gift to believers, is in the New Testament: Luke 11:13. Eph. 1:13-4:30. 1st Thess. 4:8. God gave "his spirit without measure" to Christ; John 3:34; and he also gave "the spirit of his Son," "the holy spirit," to believers: Gal. 4:6. The "gifts of the Holy Ghost," in Heb. 2:4, should have been, "distributions of a holy spirit or divine power;" for the phrase has no article in the Greek, so that the verse might properly read, "God bearing them witness both with signs, and wonders, and with divers miracles, and distributions of a divine power." In like manner there is no article in Acts 11:16, and 24, and other passages, translated "the Holy Ghost." The meaning is plain, v. 24, "a good man, and full of a divine power and of faith,"—Yet for the purpose of emphasis the article is often used.

The importance of the doctrine concerning the spirit or the holy spirit in the gospel scheme, importing God's holy influence on the soul, is evident by the injunction of Christ as to baptism in the faith of it: "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, &c."

Matt. 28:19, does not indeed present a form of words to be used, nor does it relate to the authority, by which baptism is to be administered, for the Greek preposition is not en, "in the name," but eis, into; which is the same as "to baptize into Christ," Rom. 6:3, i.e. into a profession of faith in Christ, as taught by bishop Pearce. That he had himself all authority was[84] first asserted by Christ; then he enjoined baptism under a profession of belief in the three great points of his teaching,—as to the one God of Israel,—as to himself, God's Son from heaven,—and as to the Spirit, which "God gave to him without measure,"—giving it also to his disciples,—making him indeed the great teacher and Savior of the world. He finally commanded his apostles, not only thus to baptize, but also to teach all nations to observe whatever he had enjoined. A passage of similar import is at the close of II Corinth., where Paul wishes his brethren may experience the grace of Christ, and the love of God, and might have a common participation of the holy spirit, of the miraculous and sanctifying divine power.

It is worthy of remark, that while Paul begins each of his Epistles, written to brethren of very different nations on the earth, with asserting, that his authority as an apostle was derived from God and from his Son, or with wishing his brethren grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from his Son, by whom he created, and governs, and will judge the world; yet he never in this manner connects "the holy spirit" with the name of God and of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ: no prayer is thus addressed to a holy spirit or to the holy spirit, or Holy Ghost, although we find the translation "the Holy Ghost," nearly 100 times. This is called a gift of God, and God is prayed to for it; and it is declared, that God anointed Jesus with the holy spirit, that is, with the wonderful powers expressed by the phrase. A multitude of passages speak of the Spirit as a divine power and a divine gift: the following are some of the expressions used—"the Spirit of your Father;"—"the Spirit of God;"—"God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts;"—"how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him;"—"he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;"—"renewing of the Holy Ghost (or of a holy spirit or the divine power) which he shed on us abundantly;"—"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power;"—"upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost: John 1:33." Therefore one plain meaning of the holy spirit is a miraculous and wonderful power, communicated by God from heaven to Jesus Christ when he appeared on the earth in the form of a man, designating him to be the promised Messiah.

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Concerning the Holy Spirit the creed of the ancient Council of Nice, A. D. 325, says nothing except "we believe in the Holy Spirit." Of Christ it declares, that he was "the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, God of God,—begotten, not made, &c." Soon after that council a learned father, Eunomius, who was made bishop of Cyzicum A. D. 360, advanced the doctrine, that after God had created his Son before the universe was formed, giving him divine dignity and creative power, he next created the Holy Spirit, the first and greatest of all spirits, by his own power indeed but by the immediate agency also of his Son, giving him power to sanctify and teach. Afterwards he created all things in heaven and earth. More modern creeds, which adopt much the same faith with Eunomius, use the word "proceed" instead of "create," as the New England Confession of Faith of 1680, which says, "the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son." But Milton, in his learned Treatise on the Christian doctrine, has shewn that "proceedeth" in John 15:26, relates to the mission,—the sending from God to the earth, not to the nature, of the Spirit: yet his own faith was, that "the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as he is a minister of God, and therefore a creature, was created or produced of the substance of God, not by a natural necessity, but by the free will of the agent, probably before the foundations of the world were laid, but later than the Son, and far inferior to him." Dr. Samuel Clarke of England has taught the same doctrine.—But the reader is requested to form his opinion on the chief subject of this note, not from any human creed or learned man's teaching, but from his own study of the Bible with his own endowment of reason. The practical application of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit has claims to our earnest attention.

In the judgment of Dr. Cotton Mather it is through the Spirit of God, that Christians find such affections as the following working in their minds:—a flaming love towards God and men; a lively faith in God and in the Savior, the Mediator; a longing desire and hope of spiritual blessings; a mighty hatred of sin; a bitter sorrow for sin and its miseries; a noble courage; a total despair of help in creatures; a fear of the judgments of wickedness; a triumphant joy in God and in his Christ; a rapturous admiration of the Maker and Ruler of the world and of his glories. "All true piety," he says, "is begun by the enkindling of these affections in the soul:" and the Spirit, enkindling them, should be sought from God in the constancy of prayer.

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Sonnet 68. The monument to the pilgrim forefathers, whose corner was laid Aug. 2d, is designed to consist of a pedestal 80 feet high, supporting a colossal female figure of Faith; her feet rest on Plymouth rock, her left hand is to hold an open Bible, and her right points to heaven. On the pedestal are to be Morality, Education, Law, and Liberty.

Sonnet 72. Since this sonnet has passed through the press, I have been glad to read a description of Donati's comet and to see a telescopic view of it in the Family Christian Almanac for 1860. The comet is named after Donati, the discoverer, who first saw it at Florence, June 2, 1858. It was seen several months in great splendor in our country until about Oct. 20th, when it disappeared. When first observed, it was 200 millions of miles distant from the sun. Its curved train extended 60 degrees or 51 millions of miles. When nearest the earth it was 52 millions of miles distant, moving at the rate of 123 thousand miles an hour. Its greatest distance from the sun is supposed to be 143 thousand millions of miles; and astronomers have calculated its period of revolution at nearly 2,000 years, so that its last previous visit to the earth was before the Christian era. Yet from the extreme point of its journey to the nearest fixed star who can measure the distance? Who will not say, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty?"

It is worthy of remark, that in respect to the inhabitants of the various worlds, with which our skies are filled, the revealed word of God, communicated to man upon the earth, gives us no information. If beyond a doubt the sun, the moon, the stars, and the comets are inhabited by intelligent beings; yet of what rank and in what condition we know nothing. But as we are taught, that there is a world of "fire," prepared "for the devil and his angels," it may be that comets are the destined abodes of the wicked and lost.

Sonnet 73. It is a false and pernicious charity, of which some men boast, that for no crime would they touch the life of man. But God is smiting every day the life of guilty man by a thousand diseases; and in his revealed word he has commanded, that the murderer shall be put to death in the administration of public law. In this way not only the divine justice but the divine wisdom is manifested by this protecting shield of terror spread over man's life.

Sonnet 77. The name of John Hooper will ever be held in the highest honor in England. Born in 1495, and educated at Oxford,[87] he was appointed bishop of Gloucester; but was a martyr to the truth under the popish reign of queen Mary in 1555 at the age of 60. With most wonderful fortitude he endured the flames at the stake for three-quarters of an hour.

Sonnet 78. To an old man the recollection of a youthful brother preacher in the far-back period of fifty or more years, who still preaches the gospel, is replete with interest. It is attended with the memory of men, who at that period were the fathers in the ministry,—as Rogers, Livingston, Mason, and Miller of New York; Dwight of New Haven; and S. Spring, Morse, Eckley, and Griffin of Massachusetts.

Sonnet 80. The leading truth of the gospel, dear to my heart since I first began to preach it 56 years ago, is that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, by whom God made the worlds, and who came down from heaven and in human flesh was himself the sufferer on the cross for the sins of men. I use language as men of reason should use it. I dare not, on the peril of my soul, explain it away by saying, that the Son of God from heaven united himself to another spirit or intelligent being, which latter spirit or mind bore the suffering, ascribed to the Son from heaven. That Christ had two spirits is the teaching of human theory but not of divine scripture.

Every man is conscious, that he is one,—one existence, one intelligent being, one human being, or an intellect or mind now dwelling in a human body; and he acknowledges every other man to be a similar being. He also regards every angel, that comes to his knowledge by revelation, as one being. God, the Creator of the universe, we view necessarily as one being. The idea of a duplicate intellectual being is beyond our thought; it is inconceivable, an absurdity, a contradiction. Jesus Christ then was either man or the one Son of God in the form of a man.

That there is "one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" is Paul's teaching. The reason of calling Christ man is, that "God sent his son in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. 8:3. The Son's intelligent spirit was enough to be the tenant of one human body without a co-tenancy with a human spirit, and enough to suffer for the sins of the world.

When Paul speaks of Christ as being once "in the form of God," he did not mean, that he was God himself, in whose form or likeness he was, Phil. 2:6. Then in the next verses, by his being[88] "in the form of a servant," "in the likeness of men," "in fashion as a man," he could not mean, that Christ was a real, perfect man. But did he first live in heaven, and thence come to the earth to tabernacle in human flesh and to offer himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the race of men?

In the first chapter of John's gospel we are taught, that Christ or the Son of God, called the Word, existed in the beginning with God and that all things were made by him. At the very commencement of all created existences in the universe, he existed with God, and by him all created things in the universe were created. Here then was a high and glorious dignity in heaven, the Son of God, before he dwelt in human flesh.

In the third chapter of John we read, that Christ said to Nicodemus,—"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not; how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he, that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven." The express contrast of the words—"ascended up to heaven, came down from heaven," seems to fix the meaning beyond any possible doubt.—In the 6th chapter of John Christ said, as we read, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him, that sent me."—"Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he, which cometh from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." When the Jews murmured at his discourse, because he said, "I am the bread, which came down from heaven," Jesus repeated his plain teaching—"I am the living bread, which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread, that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." That is, he who came down from God in heaven would give his flesh, his human body to the agonies of crucifixion for the salvation of men. Many of his disciples said, "this is an hard saying: who can hear it?" What was the reply of Christ? It was this: "does this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?" In the 16th chapter of John we read Christ's words—"The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed, that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." Here again the contrast of expressions shows the meaning of the phrase, "I am come into the world." I will adduce only one other passage:—In Ephesians 4th we read—"Now that he ascended, what is it but[89] that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" "He that descended is the same also, that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." I think it thus most clearly and amply established in scripture, that the Lamb of God came down to the earth from the presence of God and laying aside his high dignity dwelt in a human body, as a man dwells in a body, and died in agony on the cross. There may be various high inquiries, which may here spring up. But surely no theory can be true, which contradicts and overthrows the divine teaching. No scheme of theology can be true, which denies, that he, who came down from heaven, could die and did die as a lamb of sacrifice to God for the sins of the world,—for this is a denial of the great doctrine of the atonement, and thus withers up all the hopes of sinful men. Who can prove, that God could not have a Son derived from Him before time began, by whom he created the universe, and who in his most amazing love to us abased himself to man's condition and died in our stead on this little globe of his own creation? If we find in the Bible any plain, intelligible teaching of God, will it do to set up our reason against the teaching of Him, who is infinite reason and infinite wisdom?

If any truth is plain in the Bible, is it not that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in human flesh or in fashion as a man by his sufferings on the cross made atonement for the sins of the world? Paul says, Rom. 5:11;—"We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement; and that God hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the image of the invisible God:" Coloss. 1:13.—Peter says, that his brethren were "redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Other expressions are these, Christ "after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, [that is, for perpetuity,] sat down on the right hand of God:" Heb. 10:12, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood:" Rom. 3:25, "Unto him, that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood:" Rev. 1:5.—That the Son of God, who came down from heaven, was himself a sufferer and sacrifice on the cross for our sins is every where taught in scripture. Without believing this how can we regard Christ as a Redeemer and Savior?

Sonnet 81. In order that revealed truths may beam upon the mind of man and produce their proper effect it is necessary, that[90] God's revelation be understood and not misapprehended. If two men attach a different and contradictory meaning to the same passage of scripture, one of them is in error and fault; and if the error relates to the character of God and to some very important doctrine, it may be perilous.

For instance, two of our theologians have taught a contradictory doctrine, drawn as they thought from scripture, as follows; Jonathan Edwards maintained, that sin was "not the fruit of any positive agency or influence of the Most High;"—"it would be a reproach and blasphemy to suppose God to be the author of sin" in the sense of the agent, actor, or doer of a wicked thing. But Dr. Emmons maintained, that God "produced all the free, voluntary, moral exercises" of man; that God "creates evil when and where the good of the universe requires;" that "Satan placed certain motives before man's mind, which by a certain divine energy took hold of his heart and led him into sin." This teaching seems blasphemous, and contradictory to all notions of free, voluntary agency, as well as to the tenor of scripture. He relies for scripture proof on Exodus 4:21, where God says in respect to Pharaoh, "I will harden his heart." But this, rightly understood, is only a prediction of a certain event, that Pharaoh would harden his own heart as it is declared he did in ch. 9:34. So in respect to other quoted passages, it might be shown, that they were misunderstood and perverted from their proper meaning. We all know by common sense, by reason, and conscience, that we are free agents; therefore justly accountable to a holy, sin-hating God. But if God made, created, produced all our wicked volitions and acts; how can we regard him as just in punishing us for the very acts, which he produced? And what can such passages as James 1:13, mean, "God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man?"

Sonnet 82. The following seem to be clear and prominent points of instruction in the divine Word.

1. There is one God, eternal, infinite, all-wise, perfect in goodness, the creator of the universe. Hence all the gods and idols of the heathen are vanity and a lie.—"There is one God the Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephes. 2:5.—"The Lord our God is one Lord."—"God is one."—"One God and one Mediator." Mark 12:29. Galatians 3:20. I Tim. 2:5. Thus throughout the whole scripture the unity of God is asserted or implied. The name of God occurs 500 or 600 times in[91] the Bible. "God is one;" one conscious, intelligent being and voluntary agent. No man in the exercise of his reason has any doubts as to his own oneness, or as to the oneness of any brother man or of any angel, of whom he may think or speak. If I am conscious, that I am a single intellectual being, and necessarily regard every other man as such; then it cannot enter my thoughts, that the one God is a compound being.

2. God has a Son in heaven, by whom he made the worlds, and whom he sent from heaven to earth, to tabernacle for a while in human flesh, voluntarily abased in his powers to the condition of a man, to be a Mediator and Savior. In John, chapter 1, Jesus Christ is called "the Son of God," "the only-begotten of the Father," "the Lamb of God," who was "in the beginning with God," and "by whom all things were made."

3. That the Son of God is a being distinct from God is most obvious from the whole New Testament. In Phil. I, Paul prays for grace and peace "from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." He adds, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." So throughout his epistle God and Jesus Christ are most plainly distinct beings. He says, that Christ condescended to come in fashion "as a man," on which account God highly exalted him: here are two beings: and Christ will be extolled at last to "the glory of God the Father."—He "worshipped God in the spirit and rejoiced in Christ Jesus."—Here are again two beings. Near the close of the epistle he says—"my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." How strange to Paul must have been the doctrine, that Christ was one of several beings making up one God?

But the same distinction is clearly and fully set forth by Paul in all his other epistles as well as in that to the Philippians. He begins most of them with a prayer like that in the epistle to the Romans,—"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Then he "thanks God through Jesus Christ for them all;" the God, whom he serves "in the gospel of his Son." Read also,—"the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ;"—"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"—"we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son;"—"the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord;"—nothing can "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord;"—Paul prays, that his brethren may "glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;"—and after more of similar[92] language he ends this epistle,—"To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."

If it be asked, in what sense is Christ God's "Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds?" I answer, the word doubtless means, that he was derived from God, that he sprung from God, that he received his being from God before the creation of the universe. He is called God's "first-begotten" and "only-begotten." It is unnecessary and may be useless for us to enter into any inquiries and discussions concerning hypostasis, person, nature, being, essence, substance, and other logical and metaphysical terms employed by theologians, which do not afford a particle of light; but we must believe, that Christ was derived from God and possesses the very attributes and endured the sufferings, ascribed to him in the scriptures. If we ascribe to him a nature not ascribed to him in the Bible, one incapable of suffering, and then deny the sufferings, which are ascribed to him; what do we but contradict the word of God and reject the doctrine of the Atonement by the sufferings of Christ, which is the foundation of the sinner's hope? If a learned doctor should assert, that if Christ was the agent of God in the creation of the universe, and is his agent in its government, then he could not be derived from God; the learned man puts forth only the words of folly. As derived from God, why might not the Son be as much superior to the highest angel, as man is superior in knowledge and powers to the beetle under our foot? Why could he not derive from God and exercise under God the powers of creation?

"He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and for him:"—"it pleased the father, that in him should all fullness dwell." Col. 1:15, 16. So in Heb. 1:3, Christ is called "the express image of God's person;" where the Greek word, translated person, means nature, essence, or being, and the assertion is, that Christ is "a clear and strong image of the essence or nature of the divine majesty." It may be, that for this reason the title of god is given to him; and with very obvious propriety may we ascribe to him divinity or call him a divine being, without contending for the impossibility that he is the very being, whose image he is, or that his own is the very nature, person, hypostasis, or substance, of which he stands the express character.

[93]

According to our English Bible the Son of God under the name of the Word seems to be called God by the apostle John, ch. 1, v. 1. But it was not the purpose of John to represent the Word as the infinite, supreme, almighty God. Origen, who wrote in Greek, in the third century, and understood the language better than any modern critic, says, that John's assertion is that, "the logos, or word, was a god," using the word god in its inferior, well-known sense, as is proved by his omission of the article. If he had inserted the article, he would have said, that "the logos was the God, the supreme God, Jehovah." The plain teaching is, there is one God. With him was the logos in the beginning, an exalted, glorious being; a second, inferior God; a being derived from God; and in this sense a divine being.—Besides Origen, Philo and several other fathers of the three first centuries speak of John's omission of the article here as a proof that by the word god he did not mean the Supreme God. Consider also, that if the logos existed "with God," then he was not the very God, with whom he existed.—On the other hand, it is a matter of no weight that when the supreme God is meant, yet the article is often omitted; for it is an established principle that it may be omitted when the name of God is sufficiently definite without it. In John 1:6,—"a man sent from God:" here is an omission of it as unnecessary. So v. 12, 13, 18. Origen again says,—"Angels are called gods because they are divine; but we are not commanded to worship them in the place of God, and hence they are not really gods." He says, the article is withheld, when what is called god is a being different "from the self-existent God, having a communicated divinity, being a divine person." Such also was the opinion of Clemens Alexandrinus and Eusebius; and they were men more competent to decide a matter concerning the construction of the Greek language than any modern critic.—In several of the first centuries it was the judgment of such Fathers as Justin, Athenagoras, Tatian, Theophilus, Clemens, Origen, &c., that the word god as applied to Christ denoted a celestial nature, superior to all creatures, but inferior to the Supreme God. But the authority of Christ himself is more decisive,—"My Father is greater than I:" and the whole of scripture shows, that the one perfect God and his Son are two distinct intelligent Beings. As the word in Greek, Acts 28:6, has no article our translators have very properly said "a god." If any one will look at 2 Thess. 2:4, he will see, that the word God occurs four times and undistinguished in the English Testament, but in[94] the Greek the word for God appears once—"in the temple of God"—with the article, showing that the true Supreme God is meant,—and three times without the article, showing, that the word is used in an inferior sense, that a false god was intended. Dr. Macknight's translation is as follows,—"above every one, who is called a god or an object of worship. So that he, in the temple of God, as a god sitteth, openly shewing himself, that he is a god." It is thus, that the Word in John 1st is called a god, and not God the Supreme, the Almighty Jehovah.

When Tatian, about A. D. 165 speaks of "a god, who was born in the form of man" and of "the suffering God," he certainly did not mean, that Christ was the Supreme God, incapable of suffering. It was the doctrine of Apollinaris, two hundred years later, that Christ assumed a human body with a sentient soul like that of the inferior animals, but not assuming an intelligent or rational human spirit. He could see no reason why Christ should have two intelligent natures and two free wills. In his judgment the Son of God, who came down from heaven, was the only rational tenant of his human body, and the only rational sufferer on the cross, making a real atonement for sin. For scriptural proof he rested on John 1:14, "the Word was made flesh." His doctrine was doubtless this,—that the Son of God in his high spiritual nature, in which he came down from heaven in order to suffer, was the real sufferer on the cross: not that he was God incapable of suffering, and incapable of making any atonement.

On the distinction between Almighty God and his Son, derived from him before the creation, the Creed of the Church of England is very explicit:—"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible: and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, &c."—"Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, &c."

The doctrine of the New England Synod at Boston in 1680 was the same: "The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father." If many of our American theologians at the present day reject the doctrine of the derivation of the Son from God, they are not responsible to the Synod's Confession or Creed, but certainly they are to holy Scripture and to Reason.

[95]

Sonnet 84. In a sonnet Milton speaks of the popish massacre in Piedmont:

Sonnet 86. Occom was a distinguished Indian preacher, the first who visited England. Born at Mohegan near Norwich, Conn., he was educated 4 years in Wheelock's Indian School at Lebanon, and was himself a school teacher of the Montauk Indians 10 or 12 years. In 1759, at the age of 36, he was ordained by a presbytery. He preached in Great Britain in 1766, 1767, and 1768, between 300 and 400 sermons, employed by Mr. Wheelock. For the remaining 24 years of his life he continued to preach; and he died at New Stockbridge, near Utica, in July 1792, aged 69. The author has prepared for the press a Memoir of Occom, drawn from the papers of Dr. Wheelock which are in his hands and from Occom's own manuscript journals.

Sonnet 93. As an old medal had on it for a device a bullock standing between a plough and an altar, with the inscription, Ready for Either, the device was thought very appropriate to express the disposition of the true Christian missionary, ready for toil and ready also to be a sacrifice, if called to die in his master's service, "not holding his life dear unto himself."

Sonnet 96. Sickness prevented me from visiting my nephew and meeting with his guests on an interesting occasion. The old house, the home of my childhood and my dwelling for seven years of my ministry,—the house built by my father, the first minister of Pittsfield, in the wilderness,—was superseded by an elegant mansion, built by his grandson bearing his own name, Thomas Allen. The event was commemorated by a select and happy company of aged men.

Sonnet 98. I first visited Niagara Falls 56 years ago. Having just been licensed by the ministers of Berkshire county to preach the gospel, I mounted my horse in Aug. 1804 and rode out more than 400 miles through the western wilderness of New York as far[96] as Lake Erie and Niagara river, preaching in various places to little assemblies in log cabins. Buffalo, now a great city, was then a village of 19 houses. Three miles below there was the ferry at Black Rock; and there I saw the famous Indian chief, Red Jacket, attending his little grand-daughter as from a rock she threw her hook into the great stream. Thence I rode down on the Canada side 15 miles to the wondrous Falls.

Besides the lesson of solemn warning and terror another of a character acceptable and gladdening was offered to my thoughts, as I stood on the river's bank at the Falls; for I beheld a rainbow of a full semi-circle or more, the ends almost under my feet, stretching over the awful chasm, deepest in color low down at each extremity, where the turmoil of mist was the thickest. This lesson I here put in rhyme, and with it, in accordance with the sentiment of the hundredth sonnet which a few days ago passed through the press, I now close this little book.

If the reader will consider, that my threatening illness has now had a continuance of many months and that to-day closes seventy-six years of my life, he will find reason to conclude, that my thoughts here expressed, although in verse, are utterances in the sincerity of faith and the honesty of truth: and so I bid him farewell, wishing him "a happy New Year" and a blessed Eternity!

Jan. 1, 1860.

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