The great sin and danger of striving with God. A sermon preached at Wethersfield, December 13th, 1782. At the funeral of Mrs. Lydia Beadle, wife of the late William Beadle, and their four children, who were all murdered by his own hands on the morning of the 11th instant. / By John Marsh, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Wethersfield. ; To which is annexed a letter, from a gentleman in Wethersfield to his friend, containing a narrative of the life of William Beadle, (so far as it is known) and the particulars of the massacre of himself and family.

A FUNERAL SERMON.

ISAIAH xlv. 9.

Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker.

SIN brings misery with and after it. Had man maintained his primitive rectitude, trouble, sorrow and death would never have been found among the race of Adam. Ever since the defection of the first human pair from God, there has been a strange pro|pensity in mankind, to dispute his authority and find fault with his administration. Such conduct is highly dishonorable, affronting and provoking to the Deity. He is pleased frequently to animadvert upon it in this world, and sometimes, in a manner very alarming: And will not fail to make all, who persist in op|posing him, to feel, sooner or later, the direful effects of his righteous vindictive resentment. Wo, saith he in the text, unto him that striveth with his Maker. In discoursing on which I propose,

FIRST, To shew when men may be said to strive with God.

SECONDLY, To consider the great guilt and danger of striving with him.

THIRDLY, To apply the subject to the present very solemn and awful occasion.

FIRST, I am to shew when men may be said to strive with God.

THIS I shall do in several particulars. And,

FIRST, Men strive with God when they refuse to submit to him as their Law giver.

HAVING made them he has an absolute propriety in them, and an indisputable right to enact such laws for the direction of their conduct as seemeth good to him.

HAPPY it is for us, that this Being, on whom we depend for existence, and who has a sovereign autho|rity over us, is possessed of all perfection; and there|fore we may be certain, that it never was, and never will be his pleasure to ordain rules for the observance of any of his creatures, which have not their founda|tion in infinite goodness directed by consummate wis|dom.

ALL the laws the Supreme Being hath promulgated, and to which he requires our submission, both by the voice of reason and revelation, are adapted to our ca|pacities, and plainly calculated to advance and secure our best welfare, as well as his glory. Indeed, should the Deity require our obedient regard to a positive precept, the utility of which we could not compre|hend,

we should be indispensably obliged to yield a ready submission to it, not doubting of the wisdom and goodness of his design therein. His right to give law to us being founded in his absolute propriety in us, we are bound to obey his precepts from a regard to his authority, exclusive of any consideration of suitableness in the precepts themselves to promote our own felicity. Nevertheless, whenever such suitable|ness is apparent in any of his laws, it affords an addi|tional argument for our compliance with them.

IN every allowed instance of disobedience we prac|tically deny the authority of God over us, and contend with him for dominion.

No partial regard to his commandments is sufficient to save us from the imputation of striving with him. St. James says, Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. chap. ii. v. 10. Whosoever allowedly and habitually violates any one of the laws of God is guilty of a wicked contempt of his sovereignty, and does not obey him in any instance from a proper affection to him and his government. The language of the practice of every person of such a character is, That he will not have God to rule over him—that he is his own, and will pay no higher re|gard to the laws of the Deity than is consistent with the gratification of his own irregular and vicious incli|nations.

SECONDLY. Men strive with God, when they find fault with the dispensations of his grace.

THE Father of mankind, in his abundant wisdom, goodness and mercy, has contrived a method of re|covering them from the ruins of the apostacy to his favour and happiness. At sundry times and in divers

manners has he made discoveries of his mind and will relating to this plan of grace. In the fulness of time he sent his only begotten Son into the world to perfect what was wanting in preceeding revelations, and to exhibit to men a clear and full account of all those things respecting their salvation, with which, in this state of probation, infinite wisdom saw fit to make them acquainted.

THE attestations given to the revelation contained in the sacred scriptures of the Old and New Testament are ample, illustrious, and worthy of God. Every serious, unprejudiced enquirer after truth soon feels their force, and is constrained to acknowledge the divinity of the religion taught in the Bible.

THAT any should find fault with a scheme of religi|on so benevolent—so pure—so honorable to God, and advantageous to men—so admirably supported by ex|ternal, as well as internal evidence, is an argument of great blindness and obstinacy.

To creatures in our circumstances of guilt and de|pravity, who stand in absolute need of a dispensation of grace, how welcome ought such a dispensation to be! How worthy of the most grateful acceptation of all men is the Christian revelation!

No man, who rejects this revelation, either upon the supposition that it is needless, or on account of any difficulties with which some of its doctrines are attend|ed, difficulties incomprehensible by our limited under|standings; or because of the corruptions of its profes|sors; no man, who opposes or treats it with neglect and contempt, on any account whatever, can excul|pate himself from the charge of striving with God.

To suppose supernatural revelation needless, implies, either a denial of a criminal departure in man from the state of rectitude in which he was originally placed by God; or presumption, that the uncovenanted good|ness and mercy of God oblige him to pardon and receive into favour the guilty: Both of which are inconsistent with the light of nature.

To reject the Gospel, on account of mysteries with which some of it's doctrines are attended, is highly un|reasonable, unless it be reasonable to reject all religion on the same account. The religion of nature is attend|ed with difficulties as incomprehensible by us as any of the mysteries of the Christian religion. Yes, if once it be admitted, that we can have no satisfactory evi|dence of the truth of any thing we cannot com|prehend, we must then commence universal scepticks, and doubt of the truth even of our own existence, the manner of which is wholly unaccountable to us.

As to the corruptions of professed Christians, they are, indeed, a humbling consideration; but these corrup|tions the Christian religion is not accountable for. It every where discountenances and condemns them; and of all religions, that ever appeared in the world, is the best calculated to discourage vice, profanenss and im|morality; and to promote the cause of piety, virtue and righteousness. It gives the most pure and excel|lent, the clearest and fullest instructions and directions respecting our temper and behaviour towards God, mankind and ourselves, and enforces them with the most weighty, pungent and effectual arguments and motives; arguments and motives superior to any that could have entered the human mind, without a revela|tion from Heaven. And "notwithstanding the cor|ruptions so complained of in the Christian world, it is

undeniable, that what there is of knowledge and true religion among men, is principally where Christianity is professed."

To reject this religion, wherein God hath abounded to|ward us in all wisdom and goodness, is to fight against him in the most criminal and dangerous manner.

MANY professed Christians virtually find fault with the gospel dispensation.

THE doctrines of Christianity are truly humiliating—well calculated to bring down the pride of apostate men. Sinners, as we are taught in the book of inspi|ration, are justified freely by God's grace, through the re|demption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins; that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus* 1.1. This being God's method of justifying sinners, whosoever does not duly attend to it, but, like a self-sufficient Pharisee, goes about to establish his own righteousness, is guilty of striving with his Maker, and attempting to force his way to heaven without submitting himself to the righteous|ness of God.

THERE is another sort of men, who virtually find fault with the dispensation of grace by sitting still, and endeavouring nothing of a religious nature, because of themselves they can do nothing spiritually good.

THE great God is sovereign in the bestowment of his favors; and for wise reasons may see fit, in some in|stances, suddenly to stop sinners in their career of wick|edness, and communicate to them, at once and unsought, the special renewing and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit: But, since this is not his ordinary way

of dealing with those whom he is graciously pleased to bring into a saving acquaintance with, and peculiar re|lation to himself—since he has given no particular sin|ners any encouragement that he will pour out his spirit upon them, unless they endeavour to turn at his reproof—unless they strive to enter in at the strait gate—unless they labor for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life;—unless they attend to the calls and invitations of the gospel, cherish the good motions he is wont to com|municate to all in common, who are favoured with the gospel, and make some proper improvement of the means of grace; I say, since this is the case, every one who fits still, or rather goes on in a course of sin, neg|lecting and despising the means of grace, faith and re|pentance, with an expectation of being renewed and made happy by the irresistable grace of God, is justly chargeable with the sin of opposing the glorious method of pardon, grace and salvation, published in the gospel.

OTHERS virtually find fault with the dispensation of the gospel, by depending on such a faith in the blood of Christ, for pardon and life everlasting, as does not work by love, purify the heart and overcome the world. Whilst they profess to own him as a Priest, they prac|tically deny him as a King; and may justly be ranked with those who refuse to yield submission to God as their Law-giver.

THIRDLY, Men strive with God when they are uneasy with his ordering and disposing of their circumstances in a temporal view. As

1. WHEN they are discontented with the original constitution of things with respect to themselves—such as the figure of their bodies, the natural powers of their minds, the quality of their parents and relatives, and the infirmities of human nature.

To complain of such things, is as wicked and pre|posterous, in any of the human species, as to be uneasy, because they were not created angels and ranked with the highest order of them. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why host thou made me thus? Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? Or thy work, He hath no hands?* 1.2

2. THEY strive with him in afflictions with which they are threatened or visited.

1. WHEN they use unlawful methods to prevent, support themselves under, or remove them.

IT is natural to all threatened with calamity, or op|pressed with trouble, to enquire how they may avoid it, or obtain support under, or deliverance out of it. But by those who have a proper regard for God an un|lawful way of attaining help and deliverance is esteem|ed as no way.

IT is much better to suffer natural evil, than to do moral evil that good may come.

WHEN there is no regular way of deliverance from affliction, it is evidently the will of God, that we should bear it, patiently, for the present, and quietly wait till he shall please to remove it, or open a door for our es|cape. In such a case, to refuse to receive correction—to take irregular courses for the purpose of mitigating our sorrows, or to fly out of the world in order to get rid of adversity, is a daring opposition to God, and be|trays great want of manly fortitude and bravery.

Curse God and die was the advice of the wife of Job, when he was called to endure a sad succession of the

most trying calamities: But his answer was such, as will forever do him honor, as a man, and a subject of the divine providential government. He said unto her, "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speak|eth: What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?* 1.3"

2. MEN strive with God in afflictions that are brought upon them, when they are sullen under them.

A mournful sense of afflictions is allowable, if not commendable. Such is the constitution of man, and such the desire of happiness implanted in the human breast by our great Creator, that what "opposes this desire, or appears to have that tendency," will be pro|ductive of disagreeable sensations, and affect us with grief. Not to be thus affected in a degree somewhat correspondent to the adversity with which we are visited, would argue a deviation from the regular state of na|ture.

A due sensibility with respect to afflictions renders them a proper means of promoting important moral purposes in the hearts of men.

BUT, there is a wide difference between a mournful sense of misfortunes, and sullenness under them: The former is suitable to the "law of our creation," and may be a powerful means of introducing into the soul that Godly sorrow, which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: Whereas the latter is a sorrow that worketh death.

To suffer grief so far to exceed its real cause as to bear no proportion to it;—to refuse to be comforted; to give place to melancholy so far as to become unfit|ted for the necessary duties of life,—for the thankful enjoyment of the remaining blessings of goodness,—for entertaining worthy thoughts of God, and just and be|nevolent sentiments with respect to our fellow-creatures; this is absolutely wrong: It is an implicit denial of the justice, the wisdom, the goodness of Providence.

3. THEY strive with God in afflictions, when, instead of improving them to good purpose, they grow no bet|ter, but wax worse under them.

GOD doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. Did we not refuse to be drawn with the cords of love, and the bands of a man, he would not take harsh methods with us. By our obstinacy and perverseness we "constrain him, and almost force him against his inclination" to treat us with severity.

"AND yet, when he comes to take this course with us, he still, like a kind and tender hearted father, aims at our benefit and advantage. He designs kindness to the sons of men by all those judgments which do not kill them, and cut them off from the opportunity and possibility of improving them. If he sends evils upon us, it is that thereby he may do us some greater good: If he afflicts us, it is not because it is pleasant to him to deal harshly with us, but because it is profitable and necessary for us to be so dealt with: And if at any time he imbitter our lives by miseries and sufferings, it is because he is loth to see us perish in pleasant ways, and chuseth rather to be somewhat severe towards us, than suffer us to be utterly undone."

AFFLICTIONS have a natural tendency to bring men to consideration, and, in the hand of providence, are a most powerful means of repentance. Elihu represents their good effects upon sinners in such language as this, If, says he, they be bound in fetters, and held in cords of affliction; then God sheweth them their work, and their trans|gressions that they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity* 1.4.

THIS being the design and tendency of afflictions, surely it is meet to be said unto God, by every one who is

brought into circumstances of adversity, I have born chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.* 1.5

DAVID, upon whom they had their genuine effects, acknowledged, and said, I know, O Lord, that thy judg|ments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word.

BUT, to pay no attention to the voice of Providence in afflictions, to conduct under them like Pharaoh, who as God multiplied his judgments upon him, sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, is to strive with God, as if sinners were resolved that he should not have the mastery.

PERSONS of such a character have great reason to fear, lest God should let them alone, lest he should give them over to judicial blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, and leave them, without check or controul, to treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath. I proceed,

SECONDLY, To shew the great guilt and danger of striving with God, our Maker.

THIS I will endeavour, briefly, by considering that they, who strive with their Maker, are guilty of oppo|sing their rightful Lord and Sovereign, who alone can make them happy, in those methods he is graciously pleased to take for the promotion of that benevolent purpose, and are continually liable to be exposed to his vindictive displeasure, and will finally be made the mo|numents of his eternal vengeance, if they persist in op|posing his compassionate efforts to save them from pe|rishing.

1. THEY are guilty of opposing their supreme Lord and Sovereign in those methods he is graciously pleased to take for the promotion of their best happiness.

As our lawgiver God may well be considered as our benefactor. We need directions for the regulation of our temper and behaviour. Being formed with capaci|ties for moral government, we cannot be happy without well ordered actions and inclinations. Such is the na|ture of the divine commands that in keeping them there is great reward.

A GRAND design of the dispensations of his grace is, to rectify the disorders into which we have run by our disregard to his holy law,—to reduce us to submission to his government—to settle and establish in our souls that kingdom, which consists in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

WITH this benevolent design all God's providential dealings with us truly harmonize.—This being the case; What baseness! What ingratitude! What folly is in|volved in the sin of striving with him! In opposing him we oppose our own most important interest. Sad beyond expression would be our case should God leave us under the power of a carnal mind. Sin carries much of its own punishment with it: The confusion and dis|order into which it plunges the soul are very fearful.

GREATLY alarming is their condition who contend with God: They are chargeable with the guilt of con|temning his infinite Majesty, vilifying his wisdom, dis|paraging his justice, abusing his goodness and defying his power, as if they were stronger than he. His pati|ence will not endure forever. His spirit will not al|ways strive with man. Which brings me to say,

2. THAT all who strive with God are continually li|able to be made examples of his vindictive displeasure, and will finally be monuments of his eternal ven|geance, if they persist in opposing his compassionate efforts to save them from perishing.

WE are absolutely in his hands. It is not for want of power to punish that he bears with any who treat him with indignity. Whenever he pleases, he can ease himself of his adversaries, and avenge himself of his enemies—he can pour out upon them the vials of his hot displeasure, which will make them curse their folly in rising up against and contending with him.

THE Wo denounced by him no one can escape, who continues to oppose his administration. There is an appointed "day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, when he will render to every man according to his deeds: To them, who by patient con|tinuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honor and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are con|tentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighte|ousness; indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil".* 1.6 At that great and terrible day "the Lord Jesus," by whom God will judge the world, "shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with ever|lasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power"† 1.7. It remains for me,

THIRDLY, To make an application of the subject to the present very solemn and awful occasion.

THE very shocking and execrable deeds perpetrated last Wednesday morning by a man in this society have led me to the observations in this discourse.

THAT a person, favoured with Christian light and li|berty, who appeared to be an affectionate husband, and a tender, fond parent, should, with deliberation and in cool blood, massacre an amiable wife, and four lovely and promising children, and then take away his own life, is an event so extraordinary, surprising, and unheard of, that we can scarcely believe it a reality, though the corpses of the unhappy woman and children, with the most affecting marks of violence upon them, are here present before our eyes.

HAD he left no written account of his intentions and views respecting the destruction of himself and family, we should have been ready to consider it as the effect of a sudden and most vehement frenzy. But by his wri|tings he appears to have had it in contemplation for three years.

THE time he first fixed upon for carrying into exe|cution his horrid and detestable purpose was the 18th of last month. Not long before this he writes thus: "I mean to close the eyes of six persons thro' perfect humanity, and the most endearing fondness and friend|ship; for mortal father never felt more of these tender ties than myself.—How I shall really perform the task I have undertaken I know not 'till the moment arrives; But I believe I shall perform it as deliberately, and as steadily as I would go to supper, or to bed."

IN one of the last letters he wrote, there is the fol|lowing passage: "Any man that undertakes any great affair, and at the same time thinks, ought to be very deliberate indeed; and think and reflect again and again.

On the morning of the sixth of December I rose before the sun, felt calm, and left my wife between sleep and wake, went into the room where my infants lay, found them all sound asleep; the means of death were with me, but I had not before determined whether to strike or not, but yet thought it a good opportunity. I stood over them, and asked my God whether it was right or not, now to strike; but no answer came: nor I believe ever does to man while on earth. I then examined my|self, there was neither fear, trembling nor horror about me. I then went into a chamber next to that, to look at myself in the glass; but I could discover no alteration in my countenance or feelings: this is true as God reigns, but for further trial I yet postponed it." And when the fatal morning was come it does not appear by any one circumstance, but that he set himself about and went thro' the abominable work of murdering his wife, four children and himself, with as much steadiness, com|posure and firmness as he supposed he should.

What a monster of a man was this! What were his principles that could lead him into such detestable and more than savage conduct? Surely it concerns us to know that we may guard against and avoid them as most pernicious to individuals and societies. These he has left a written account of.

SPEAKING of the Christian religion he says, "It is a most benevolent system, and would produce grand effects, if it was really believed and universally practised. I firmly believed it for many years; but my adherence to its pre|cepts when every one else forsook them, has been my bane on earth: But never mind that, if it is really true I shall be saved by it yet. And now I must generously own, that I have as many doubts about the truth of that, as I have about the truth of any other scheme of religion,

that ever appeared in the world.—When I consider men as Christians, I look on them as free agents; I have exa|mined both old and new Testaments, and must think that is their true meaning and intent. But when I con|sider man as a Deist, or one that does not believe revela|tion, I think him a perfect machine, and that he can do nothing, but as he is operated upon by some superior pow|er—I have renounced all the popular religions in the world, and mean to die a proper Deist. I really think that there never was any thing done wrong in the world, but believe that all is right;—that we are all impell'd to say and act, every thing that we do say and act.—That a tyrant king, or two or three fierce republicans deluging three quarters of the world in blood—that my killing my family—that a man's destroying a nest of wasps, or a fly, is as much directed by the hand of heaven as the making this whole world was—And if this is the case there is no such thing as sin."

THUS he frankly owns, that he had apostatized from the Christian religion and embraced the principles of deism and fatalism,—that he believed men to be meer machines, and God the author of all their actions in such a sense as to exclude the possibility of sin from the world. The idea of future punishment he also rejects, as inconsistent with the goodness of God, though he says, "I know by experience there is no want of hells in this state of things." And seems to be full in the opinion that he and his shall be happy in the future world whether he be right or not in rejecting the Chris|tian revelation.

THESE principles appear to have had a main influ|ence in reconciling him to actions which have a self|evident criminality in them, and which every man's mind, at first view, cannot but abhor and condemn.

PRIDE, impatience, and cowardice first led him to think of destroying himself and family, and ope|rated powerfully in bringing him to determine upon it. He had a high opinion of his intellectual abilities; and was uneasy with the meanness of his personal ap|pearance, and slenderness of his fortune. He writes, "My person is small and mean to look on, and my circumstances were always rather narrow; which were great disadvantages in this world: But I have great reason to think that my soul is above the common mould.—There are but few men capable of deism; they are when found like a diamond among a million of pebbles."

HE murmured and complained of Providence in the following language: "I was determined not to hasten the matter" (of destroying himself and family) "but kept hoping that yet Providence would turn up some thing to prevent it, if the intent were wrong: but in|stead of that every circumstance, from the greatest to the smallest trifle, during the whole of that term" (i. e. three years) "and long before, only tended to convince me that the utmost malevolence of fortune was, and is, against me, on earth. I have born the "stings and ar|rows of outrageous fortune" long enough; and "by opposing I can only end them."

BEING too haughty to submit to the humbling dis|pensations of Providence, and not having fortitude and courage enough to encounter and sustain the inconve|niencies arising from straitened circumstances, he enter|tained the cowardly thought of flying from them and taking sanctuary in the unknown world: But the guilt and danger of such conduct, upon supposition of the truth of the sacred scriptures, were to apparent to suffer him to resolve upon it, before he had brought himself

to disbelieve and reject them. And to render it still less hazardous in his view he gave into the fatalistic scheme, judging God to be so far the author of all the actions of men as to allow them no other agency than that of meer machines; and upon this Hypothesis concluded that there is no sin. In which he is doubtless more consistent than those who admit the same hypothesis, and yet hold that men are ac|countable for their conduct.

BUT even such a view of the actions of men, added to his professed disbelief of the Revelation of the Bible and future punishment, was not sufficient fully to sa|tisfy him with respect to his safety in perpretating deeds so unnatural and atrocious; and therefore he called in the aid of fanaticism and superstition.

IN one of his letters he says, "You may believe the hand of heaven is in this matter. I used to be a great enemy to superstition: But, however it is, I have lately had sundry intimations, I really think, from God to convince me that I am right; but these I shall not describe.—I mentioned before, that my wife had a dream concerning this affair," (which in another pa|per, dated November 18, he relates in these words: "Yesterday morning she told me her dream—that she thought I had wrote many papers, and was earnestly concerned about her—that these papers were spotted with blood—that she also saw a man wound himself past recovery; and blood guggle (as she expressed it) from different parts of his body. Poor woman! She little thought that the greater part of that dream would be realized within three days—But I am unappalled and think the hand of heaven is really with us.") "She has since had two more—one of them, That she was suddenly seized, and liable to great punishment—that it

created great confusion; but she afterwards got free and was happy. From her excellence of heart I have no doubt but this will be the case with her. On the thanksgiving night she dreamed that her three daughters all lay dead, and they even froze in that situation; and even yet I am little affected. O my God, wonderful indeed are thy works; in the highest wisdom hast thou contrived them all! All must be right, or I am har|dened indeed.—Some of these will be called the sug|gestions of the devil: But men may rely upon it, that I have ever trusted in a much higher power; and 'tis he alone that now directs me and supports me."

IN another letter, speaking of the intended massacre of himself and family, he says: "In fine clear days, when I am most chearful, and in a morning when I first wake, free from any disturbance, I seem to be convinced in a steady, calm and reasonable way, that it is appointed for me to do it—that it is my duty and that it must be done. That it is God himself that prompts and directs me, in all my reflections and circumspection, I really believe. But if it should at last prove Mr. Devil, or any other evil spirit, all that I can say about it is, that I was born a very unlucky fellow."

DREADFUL delusion! Strange inconsistencies! Hor|rid blasphemy! How surprizing is it, that a man, who rejects the infallible evidences in favour of the divinity of the Christian religion, a religion which he allows to be most benevolent, and with whom it seems to be a maxim, that God never makes an extraordinary revela|tion of himself to man while upon earth, should pretend, and be confident, that He has given him sundry inti|mations that he is right in forming, and taking measures to carry into execution, designs con|demned by the light of nature as absolutely wrong,

and which no man▪ whose conscience is not seared as with a hot iron, can think of without abhorrence! How sur|prizing, that one, who ranked himself among the few sublime geniuses, who only, as he supposed, are capa|ble of deism, that is, of withstanding the force of the mighty evidence in support of the divine authority of the Bible, should produce his wife's dreams and his own feelings at her narration of them as a convincing argu|ment that the hand of heaven was with him! Such dreams, related in the manner we may suppose they were by her, had a natural tendency to move the tender passions, and give a check to his pernicious designs. This he seemed to be aware of, and consider|ed his being unaffected and unappalled as owing either to supernatural divine help and support, or to his own hardness; the latter he would not admit: How asto|nishing that he could imagine it to be the former!

BUT why do I say astonishing? Can any thing be so in one, who, in an enlightened age, so far sets himself against God as to reject a revelation attended with all the evidence, both internal and external, of it's divine original, that the nature of the thing will admit?

CAN any thing be surprising in one, who in contra|diction to the light of reason, and his own consciousness of human liberty and free agency, considers man|kind as perfect machines, and God as the efficient cause of all the actions of wicked men?

CAN we suppose any opinion too absurd to be receiv|ed by such an one—any inconsistency too glaring for him to be guilty of?

CAN we suppose it strange, that such an one should be given over by God to strong delusion, that he should believe a lie, that he might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness?

THE horrid deeds perpetrated by this man under the influence of such principles, are a more effectual confu|tation of those principles, than any it is in the power of language to produce.

The terrible judgment of heaven in permitting one, who prided himself in the character of a deist and fatalist, to be carried by his error to so dreadful a length as with deliberation and dispassion to murder himself and his whole family, I am ready to think, will, wherever it is known, strike terror into the minds of all who glory in such a character, if any thing will produce such an ef|fect, short of the coming of the Judge of the world in flaming fire, to take vengeance on his enemies.

IF any dare avow such principles after they have been acted out in this most awful manner, and we have such shocking evidence of their mischievous and fatal tenden|cy, they ought to be treated as persons most dangerous to society.

How greatly to be dreaded are all who embrace such principles?

How unfit are such persons to be intrusted either with private or public important affairs, whatever their accomplishments may be in other respects?

How unsafe must a woman, or family be in the hands of a man under the influence of such principles? His affection, his fondness for them instead of being their se|curity may prove the very occasion of their destruction. This was the case with the unhappy woman and chil|dren whose remains are here before us.

IT is a very threatning aspect upon us that there are so many in this land, a land greatly distinguished in re|spect

of religious light and liberty, who scoff at and ri|dicule the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

O THAT all, who thus strive with their Maker and Re|deemer, might be awakened by his voice, which cries with such terrible accents in this event, and alarmed with a sense of their guilt and danger.

BUT if such bold opposers of God are become so far judicially blinded, that the things of their peace shall be forever hidden from their eyes; yet it is hoped that o|thers, who are not fixed in loose principles, though often guilty of thinking and speaking lightly of the doctrines of Christianity, will take the alarm, and beware lest they be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin,

ALL who are impatient under adverse providences, being disposed to murmur and complain, and take un|lawful methods for relief, have great reason to tremble.

BY thus striving against God they dishonor and pro|voke him to anger. Should he leave them to themselves they would pursue measures that would end in their eternal ruin.

IT becomes us as men, and especially as Christians, to endure afflictions with humility, patience and fortitude, and learn in whatsoever state we are therewith to be con|tent.

HAD the unhappy man, who chose to destroy himself and family rather than live in a style below what he vainly imagined became a person of his consequence, been contented with food and raiment which he had, and might have procured—had he been humble—had he not distrusted God, he might have been among the liv|ing, and his season of probation lengthened out; but

giving way to pride and impatience he was permitted to commit crimes of great magnitude, the last of which he could have no opportunity to repent of, and his account is sealed up to the judgment of the great day.

THAT he should be suffered to manage his hellish purposes with such secrecy for so long a time, and at last put them into execution unsuspected, is one of the deep things of God which calls for humiliation.

—WE we are now come together to solemnize the fu|neral rites of the victims who fell a sacrifice to a hus|band's and father's dreadful error, and to lament their ve|ry singular fate. They have no relatives present to mourn for them. The countenances and tears of this large as|sembly make it manifest that every one is affected with grief, and disposed to bewail their untimely, sudden and shocking death.

WHILST we weep for the very unfortunate woman and children who are not—let us think with tender sympathy of her aged surviving mother and other near relatives at a distance, and pray for them—that they may be prepared for evil tidings—that their hearts may be fixed trusting in the Lord, and that they may have all that divine support and consolation which such a very singular trial and affliction may call for.

To draw to a close—

LET us all lay it to heart, that it is appointed to all men once to die, but after this is the judgment.

THE day and manner of our death we know not. Our times are in the hand of God. It is of the last im|portance that we make our peace with him before it be too late. The awful event which has brought together such a concourse of people, at this time, is a most hum|bling

and alarming evidence of the dreadful depravity of human nature and the great danger of striving with our Maker.

IT is astonishing to think what crimes the human mind is capable of when left to itself. Did not God some|times in righteous judgment take off his restraint from sinners, we should not believe it possible for them to rise to such a pitch of inhumanity and wickedness as some have done.

LET us be afraid to strive with our Maker and oppose him in any way whatever. None ever hardened themselves against him and prospered. Wherein any of us have stri|ven with him may we be engaged to do so no more; but be solicitous heartily to submit to his laws, which are all holy, just and good— thankfully to receive the dis|pensations of his grace—humbly acquiesce in his afflict|ing providence and cheerfully comply with the kind designs of it.

AND may the Lord be pleased to pour out his spirit upon us all, and bring every thought, inclination and desire of our souls into a compleat subjection to his will, that we way be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless at the great day of his appearing.

WATCH ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be ac|counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

THE END.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26.
• * 1.2

  Rom. ix. 20. Isaiah, xlv. 9.
• * 1.3

  How mean and unmanly, in comparison of Job's, is the be|haviour of that gloomy race of mortals, who have recourse to the instruments of death under any severe affliction, who launch out into another world, weary of the pleasures, or impatient under the pains of this? Who without understanding the value of life, or the true ends of living, contemptuously return back to God the present, which he has made, as if, what he, the author of every good gift, had bestowed, was a trifle not worth the keeping? Their friends may view with weeping eyes, and even an unrelenting crowd with some concern, a mangled and disfigured carcase: But men of larger views will extend their reflections farther, and lament the miseries of a wounded Spirit, which has rushed unprepared into the presence of an incensed Deity. A ghastly corpse will give them the least touches of compassion: But to consider the case of a soul, that has done a fact which leaves no room for repentance, that has plunged it|self into an abyss of endless misery; to consider that a new light is probably let in upon the unbodied mind, a light more sharp, powerful and piercing, than even that instrument, which dissolved the vital union, and divorced the soul from the body;—this is what will make the deepest impressions upon any thinking spectator God has joined soul and body together And what he has joined together, let no man, unauthorised by him, put asun|der. To commit self-murder is an absolute defiance, or a des|perate disbelief of his providence. It is to dismiss ourselves from this state of probation, before God thinks fit to dismiss us: It is in effect to tell him, we will not patiently endure the chastise|ments, which he wisely inflicts.

  Not so holy Job: He considered, that he, who sent him into the world, alone knew when he had fulfilled those ends for which he sent him: That he alone therefore was a competent judge. when he was to be discharged from any further service here, and to be admitted to a better state. All my appointed time, says he, will I wait, till my change come.

  Mr. Seed.
• * 1.4

  Job, xxxvi. 8, 9, 10,
• * 1.5

  Job xxxiv. 31, 32.
• * 1.6

  Rom. ii 5, 6, 7, 8.
• † 1.7

  2 Thess. i. 7, 8, 9.