Part 5

_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 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

"The trumpery, that ascends in bare display, Bulls, pardons, relics, cowls, black, white, and grey, Upwhirl'd――and flying o'er th' ethereal plain Fast bound for Limbo lake."

_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 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,――

"When to the sessions of sweet, silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste: Then can I drown an eye, unus'd to flow, For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,"

_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 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:――

"The wished-for Temples rise! I hear their Sabbath bell's harmonious chime Float on the breeze――the heavenliest of all sounds That hill or vale prolongs or multiplies."

_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:

"1. My shepherd is the Eternal God; I shall not be in (any) want: 2. In pastures of a tender grass He (ever) makes me to lie down: To waters of tranquillities He gently carries me (along.) 3. My _feeble and my wandering_ soul He (kindly) does fetch back again; In the plain paths of righteousness He does lead (and guide) me along. Because of the regard He has (Ever) unto his glorious name. 4. Yea when I shall walk in the vale Of the dark (dismal) shade of Death, I'll of no evil be afraid, Because thou (ever) art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, these are what Yield (constant) comfort unto me. 5. A table thou dost furnish out Richly (for me) before my face. 'Tis in view of mine enemies; (And then) my head thou dost anoint With fatt'ning and perfuming oil; My cup it (ever) overflows. 6. Most certainly the thing that is Good, with (most kind) benignity, This all the days, that I do live, Shall (still and ever) follow me; Yea I shall dwell and Sabbatize Even to (unknown) length of days, _Lodg'd_ in the house which does belong To him who's the Eternal God."

_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 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 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;――

"His sceptre is the rod of righteousness, With which he bruiseth all his foes to dust, And the great Dragon strongly doth repress Under the rigor of his judgment just; His seat is Truth, to which the faithful trust, From whence proceed her beams so pure and bright, That all about him sheddeth glorious light."

_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;――

"For far above these heav'ns, which here we see, Be others far exceeding these in light, Not bounded, not corrupt, as these same be, But infiniteness in largeness and in height, Unmoving, uncorrupt, and spotless bright, That need no sun t' illuminate their spheres, But their own native light far passing theirs."

_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!"

_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,――

"Ah! wretched World! the den of wickedness, Deform'd with filth and foul iniquity; Ah! wretched World! the house of heaviness, Fill'd with the wrecks of mortal misery; Ah! wretched World! and all that is therein, The vassals of God's wrath and slaves of sin."

_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:――

"Encincture small, But infinite its grasp of joy and woe! Hopes, fears, in never-ending ebb and flow―― The spousal trembling――and the "dust to dust"―― The prayers――the contrite struggle――and the trust, That to the Almighty Father looks through all!"

_Sonnet 49._ Even Beattie addresses Nature as follows;――

"O Nature, how in every charm supreme! Whose votaries feast on raptures ever new! O for the voice and fire of seraphim To sing thy glories with devotion due!"

_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, 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;

"God hath now sent his living oracle Into the world to teach his final will, And sends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell In pious hearts an inward oracle To all truth requisite for men to know."

_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:

"The fountain purling, and the river strong, The rocks, the trees, the mountains raise one song; "Glory to God!" re-echoes in mine ear:―― Faithless were I, in willful error blind, Did I not Him in all his creatures find, His voice through heav'n, and earth, and ocean hear."

_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?"

_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:――

"Yet I argue not Against Heav'n's hand or will, nor bate a jot Of heart or hope; but still bear up and steer Right onward."

_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.