Download

Download Full Text (6.0 MB)

Content Warning

The Philander Chase letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.

Description

"Sermon Eleventh" (Messina, on board "Guerriere") An Easter sermon retelling the life and crucifixion of Jesus to urge the congregation to live virtuous lives as Jesus did so as to enter Heaven.

Date

4-10-1818

Keywords

Easter, sermon, Philander Chase Jr, voyage

Transcript

Sermon Eleventh

My Christian Friends,

As on this day we commemorate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ from the dead, it will be proper that I should give you some account of an even productive of such extraordinary benefits to yourselves and to the world — Before I do so, let me put you in mind that if you were not listening to the history of the life of your best friend — a friend for instance who had died in order that you might enjoy though but for a few moments longer an existence on earth, you would not listen to such account without uncertain you would believe anything that was said of his virtues with [picture aid] — on all proper occasions, take particular pause to remember and to celebrate his death.

Jesus christ then is that friend who died in order that you might live throughout an endless eternity. Being the Son of God he partook of the nature of the Deity — but in pity for the miserable state of man and in sorrow that a being capable of enjoying so much happiness, should by his own sin be justly Doomed to an everlasting misery, he took it upon himself to make an atonement to God for the sin of the whole world in order to satisfy in his own person that justice which else wo’d have doomed us all to irremediable misery — For their purpose of which the Deity alone was then capable of [conceiving] he took upon him the nature of man was begotten of God and born of the Virgin Mary — and in order to show upon his first instance into the world, the emptiness, of riches his contempt of all worldly grandeur, he was born in a stable and his first cradle was a manger — In order to [?] in living an example of obedience to all lawful authority he was subject to his parents and lived with them working at a most humble occupation until the period arrived when he should commence his ministry — that ministry whose aim was to recover to the bosom of God a world lost in sin, buried in sin, forgetful of everything but to prosper pride and to feed luxury — He commenced then this ministry by boldly declaring who he was — by reproving sin, both in appearance and in reality — While he declared and showed to the world his own authority and high commision for the office he had under taken, be provided upon the proof that to deliver sich useful moral precepts as were at the same time clear, concise and fuling — He taught charity to all our fellow creatures, a kind forgiveness of all injuries, and rather to recommend ourselves to God by our love for our neighbors, there by thinking much of ourselves — He taught men to regard one another as brothers to to overlook each other's frailties — and away the rest that golden rule to do all other men as you would that they should do to you — And my Christian Brethren it is not the least interesting part of his history, that he taught and preached salutation to the poor — and to the rich as they ought to be valued only as a means of doing more good to the born — It is plain from the words of our Savior, that the angels of God, regard no sight as more pleasant than that of a virtuous poor man — With the poor our Savior lived and conversed; with them he held is most familiar intercourse — and from among the poorest of the [hermen] he chose twelve men to preach those things which he taught them to the rest of the world — they were the most of them fishermen — men who lived remote from the grandeur and uncontaminated by the luxuries if the world — These men he taught the sublime precepts of his gospel — He taught them a trust in the mercies of providence a [reliance] upon God — and a firm and [?] patience under all trials and difficulties — He prepared them as he prepares all his followers for undergoing calamities and sufferings in order that through tribulation they might enter into eternal life — He taught above all other teachers the doctrine of humanity both by example and precept — all appearance of vainglory and show and forbidding all attempt at aggregating and enriching ourselves — but taught where our trust treasure should be laid up and During a course of life in which he was despised and rejected of men, which was included a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief — he showed an example of uncomplaining fortitude and submission — but by a course of miracles which astonished the world which raised the dead to life — which healed the sick, gave sight and hearing to the blind and deaf — he showed himself indeed to be the son of God he proved that he was a messenger from Heaven for none but one from God could do the miracles that he did —

After having this in the course of three years preached the glad tidings of the gospel of peace to an astonished world the time came that that atonement which he was to make for the sins of the world should be accomplished — Then when the plainness with which he has reproved them offended — those whose secret mothers he has exposed to themselves and those who naturally bear enmity towards the good sought his life under pretense that he had offended [?] the laws of the Jews puts the hands — such [creatures] as these was he betrayed by one of his own disciples when thirty pieces of silver enticed from his duty — Having him thus in their power — they put upon him every cruelty and indignity which ingenuity could devise or malice inflict — They derided him in the most [?] manner, clothed him in a purple robe, put a crown of thorns upon his head and a reed in this had instead of a sceptre — and to complete the cruel mockery they bowed the knee to him and cried Hail King of the Jews. They scourged him and spit upon him and smote him with the palms of their hands and attest [infields] upon him that death which the Roman law assigned only to the most ignominious offenders — they nailed him to a cross and left him to perish by slow and cruel tortures, between two thieves — There he died [?] and suffering all the agonies that flesh and blood can bear, could say, Father forgive them for they know not what they do! — On the day on which he was crucified and died — his disciples took him down from the cross and buried him — Thus he lay in the grave till the third day from that on which he was crucified. When an angel from heaven announced to those disciples who from respect and affection had come to visit his tomb that he was risen from the dead — and at last Christ himself — the week, the humble and the crucified Jesus appeared to his disciples and proved a resurrection from the grave; proved beyond the possibility of a doubt the certainty of another world — another life —and a better state of existence than this — I do not envy that man the state of his mind who can be unmoved at such tidings as this — By the resurrection of Christ we are made sure of that, which if we doubled we should be of all men the most miserable, what remains, but that we my Brethren, should imitate the life of our Savior — his fortitude, his patience and his love to those who were his enemies. That we throughout the course of our lives should endeavour to live as he did — to do good to our fellow mortals — and by this means compleat [sic] the salvation of that soul — in order to enable you to do which Christ did —

What could recommend us more to that Savior whose life we have just so feebly rehearsed? —

Jesus Christ is at this moment standing at the right hand of God in Heaven and interceding for you — praying that your sins — which offend the sight of the Almighty — may me [sic] pardoned — and praying that for his sake — if not for you virtues you may be admitted to Heaven — I beseech you my Christian Brethren by the love which you bear to your best friends not let this this intercession be of no avail — but to do all in your power to serve that God, who has done so much for you —

Philander Chase Jr

Chaplain

Guerriere

Messina

Easter Eve

April 10 1818

Sermon Eleventh: Easter Eve Messina aboard the

Share

COinS
 

Rights Statement

No Copyright - United States