CONTENTS OF VOL. IV.

SERMONS.

Sermon

C-Man, at his best state, Vanity,

Page

By Rev. William B. Sprague, D. D., 7

By Rev. Daniel C Eddy, 19

CI.-The Gospel the Power of God,

CII.-The Character and Death of John Quincy Adams, By Rev. Joshua Bates, D. D.,
CIII.-The Law of Revolutions,

CV.-The Hand of God in the American Revolution,
CVI.-Death Desirable,

By Rev. Robert Turnbull, A. M.,
By Rev. Mark Trafton,

39

71

103

167

199

209

231

CVII.-The Spirit's Power Essential to Ministerial Success, By Rev. C. Cook, D. D.,
CVIII.-The Supreme Importance of Practical Godliness,
CIX.-The Nature and Glory of the Gospel,

CX.-A Passion for Souls,

By Rev. H. Wilkes, A. M.,
By Rev. E. Noyes, A. M.,
By Rev. P. Church, D. D.,

OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF HON. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

MAN, AT HIS BEST STATE, VANITY.

Verily, every man, at his best state, is altogether vanity. Psalm xxxix. 5.

THE practical judgment of men is not always in accordance with the divine testimony, even on subjects connected with their own experience. If I mistake not, this truth is strikingly illustrated by the common estimate of the declaration which I have now read to you. You do not indeed formally withhold your assent from this declaration; you do not venture even to attempt to frame an argument to prove that it is not true; nay, perhaps you have never detected in your own mind the semblance of any thing like skepticism in respect to it. And up to a certain point you have not been deceived. You have really felt, when you have paused here and there amidst life's sadder scenes, that every thing connected with man's condition bears the impress of vanity. But then again, whenever you have looked at the brighter side,-when the glory of the world has passed beneath your eye and you have felt it acting like a charm upon your heart, you have not spoken out all that was in your innermost soul, if you have not claimed something

more for the world, something more for man, than the text allows. You have been ready to say, "Be it so that man is vanity,' but leave out the altogether.' Be it so that he is vanity in some conditions, but say not that he is so in his 'best state.' Surely I would not covet vanity; but I see that in the world that my heart aches to possess.'"

My business, this morning, is to vindicate the divine testimony on this subject, and to show you that, in just so far as your practical judgment differs from it, you are deceived. We will first contemplate man in his best state, and then look for the marks of vanity.

I. Man, in his best state-what is he? In other words, what are some of those qualities and circumstances which confer upon man his highest worldly importance?

The first in the order of time at least, is illustrious descent. There is that in human nature that makes us instinctively allow something to the child for the parent's sake. This occurs, not merely where the great and good qualities of a parent constitute part of the child's inheritance, but where the character bears a mere negative stamp, or even where some dark and revolting image is impressed upon it. That wreck of a man who drags himself through the streets, the victim of sensuality, you pass without any other feeling than disgust mingled with pity; but when some one tells you that he is the son of some mighty prince, or some illustrious statesman, or some eminent benefactor of his race, you turn round and look at him again; and though what you have heard may heighten rather than diminish your sense of his guilt and degradation, you seem to imagine that there must be something there after all to venerate; and if your scrutinizing eye can detect none of the qualities of the father, your spirit will linger gratefully, yet painfully, upon his honored name. I know that the distinctions of rank growing out of the circumstance of mere birth, do not exist in this country as in most other countries; and that they do not, is one of the characteristics of our lot, for which we have to give thanks; and I know too that even the degree of importance that is attached to descent among ourselves, often operates as a blight upon improvement, usefulness and happiness; but that distinguished parentage does confer important advantages, after all, no one can reasonably question. The child of the menial may indeed finally rival the child of the prince, and may even change

places with him; but the one is born to an honorable name or to a lofty station,-the other has to earn it.

And in

Another of the elements of worldly greatness is high intellectual endowments and acquirements. The mass of men exhibit perhaps something like an equality of intellect; but while there are some who originally fall below, there are others who greatly exceed the ordinary intellectual stature: in some one of the faculties, or perhaps in all, they are so pre-eminent as to become, with some the objects of envy, with others the objects of admiration. And then it sometimes happens that persons of this high order of intellect are equally distinguished in respect to the means of culture; they breathe the atmosphere of intelligence from their earliest years, and affection and assiduity and affluence are all laid under contribution in aid of the formation of a high intellectual character. addition to all this, perhaps they are gifted with some uncommon moral qualities, or rather they possess them in an eminent degree; particularly with an indomitable energy and an unfailing perseverance, which are well nigh a security for the accomplishment of any object to which they address themselves. Now I admit that such cases as I am here supposing,--cases which unite genius and culture and great strength of purpose, are rare; but they do sometimes exist; and they are regarded, by common consent, as among the most favored cases in the history of the race. Let a man of such character stand forth before the world, and he is felt to be a man of power; the eyes of all are turned upon him for his greatness; for men generally render a homage to intellect which they deny to virtue. And then, how much is such a person able to accomplish! Let him move in whatever direction he will, he is sure to move to purpose. He can explore depths which other minds cannot fathom. He can ascend to heights which other minds cannot reach. He can wield mighty influences in any of the departments of human life, which will vibrate in every direction, and make him felt by a whole community, even by the world. I repeat, there is great importance attached to such a man any where ; the whole world are ready to pay a tribute to his greatness.

Another source of worldly elevation and importance is a princely fortune. It is true that this forms no part of a man's character; it is nothing that belongs either to his intellectual or moral constitution, or that necessarily modifies either; but it is a mighty element of power, notwithstanding. Wealth surrounds its possessor with