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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
Philander Chase's Ash Wednesday sermon
Date
2-14-1847
Keywords
Philander Chase, Cain, Abel, Adam, Eve, Ash Wednesday, sermon, Gospel, religion
Recommended Citation
Chase, Philander, "Philander Chase's Ash Wednesday sermon" (1847). Philander Chase Letters. 1288.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/1288
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Transcript
Rom:5.15
The first grave opened on Earth, was dug to receive a murdered corpse.-- and that the lifeless remains of Abel slain & mangled by the hand of his own brother,
This one truth is sufficient to stop the mouth of the proud boaster of the purity of human nature
The fountain could not be clean whose first stream is red with the blood of a murdered brother, Read Gen 4-8
The poison of sin had been poured into mans nature by the transgression of God’s law and that brought forth Death.
Sin being death in principle now is death in effect--death with the guilt of murder annexed to it. Murder of a brother and that brother a Righteous person murdered because he was righteous--that is thro’ envy and hatred of the righteousness which he possessed. 1.Jh 3.12
These are startling reflections occasioned not by mere imagination or ideal spectres, but founded on facts--facts which are believed to be true not only because they are recorded in God’s word, but because they are corroborated by the history of man in all ages as the bitterness of all the branches shews that the root is bitter also. Man when excited by their natural passions have always murdered one another and the whole race of Adam are as much concerned in the reflections we are now manking as he was and for this simple reason because our natures like his are formed with sin. You can I trust have some idea of his feelings when digging a grave to receive the mangled remains of his beloved son Able. For a moment imagine yourselves spectators of this melancholy scene. There is no one present but Adam and the pale, bruised, bloody body of his innocent son: (how he became innocent & righteous I shall speak hereafter). If Eve his mother were there it is more than we now can know. Perhaps in the anguish of a mother’s [though] mingled with deep consciousness of her being first in transgression & thus the prime cause of this agonizing scene, she had fled from the sight of it and left her husband to perform this last office to this first dead corpse of their ruined race. However this might be one thing is certain Cain the murder[sic] had fled. Cursed for his guilt of murdering his brother the Holy God had banished him from his presence and from the sight of his injured parents forever: and Adam must compose the limbs and perhaps with a Fathers tears wash off the blood shed by a brothers hand from the body of his pale and lifeless son. The grave also must be dug--and there is none to do it but he. Not a word can he say to this. The awful mandate is still sounding in his ears from the mouth of Jehovah: “Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return,” and must be obeyed.