Proverbs 9:10 [reads]  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding."  By the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of the Holy is meant true religion—and this is the beginning of wisdom—[this] is understanding.  Those, and only those, are truly wise who are truly religious.

The religion of the Bible has its foundation in the principles of reason.  The doctrines of the Bible are all reasonable doctrines-- the duties required by the Bible are all reasonable duties.  My object at this time will be to take hold of some of the principle doctrines of the Bible and show that they are reasonable.

When I say that the doctrines of the Bible are reasonable I mean that they correspond with other facts and circumstances in the works of nature and Providence—facts and circumstances which we know to exist and which no persons with principle of philosophy and sound reason will attempt to contradict, or controvert.

The facts noticed shall be those which the unwilling mind of man, influenced by a depraved heart, is most apt to denounce as unreasonable and absurd.

1. The first fact of this description presenting itself for examination is the fall of man.

This is a prominent doctrine of the Bible.  The scriptures declare that a single act—and that in itself very unimportant, was at the commencement of all the sin and all the woe of this; and laid the foundation for all the miseries that have been or ever shall be endured by the human race.

At first view the mind of man naturally revolts at such a statement and some carry out the result [of these] first feelings into objections against the doctrine and boldly and confidently affront that it is unconscionable and absurd.  But it may be safely affirmed that this doctrine is perfectly analogous to events that are constantly occurring.

Says the Apostle, "When from as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death hoped upon all men, for that all have sinned."

This is the Bible fact—and however much it may offend and contravene it is perfectly consistent so far as the general principle is concerned with many other well known and incontrovertible facts.

Who does not know a whole family now suffering in consequence of the sin of a drunken husband and father—the wife and mother in constant anguish—the children nagged—ignorant—vicious—preparing for disgrace in this world and ruin in the next.  Do not wife and children in this case suffer in consequence of the sins of the husband and the father?

Who does not know a family of children trained up to disregard the Sabbath by the avarices of the parents?  The Sabbath to them is a day of almost as much business as other days.  As if former habit or some remains of conscience, or some regard to public opinion or the fashion of the place induce to attend public worship, the Sabbath morning is the most busy and toilsome morning in the whole week.

The family must rise earlier and work harder, in order to take their place in season at the house of worship, and then they are just ready to sleep away soundly under the preaching, unless the minister happens to touch a subject that will stir up the angry passions of the soul.

Such children are not only trained up in a practical disregard of the Sabbath by the avarices of parents—but they are also taught that profanity is the principal thing—is worth more than knowledge—character, health, education, body or soul.

These facts are around us.  They constantly stare us in the face.  They take place in the providence of God.  If it is just that these things should occur, it is equally just that the human race should suffer in consequence of the sins of Adam.  If the one reasonable the other is also.

How many of you, my hearers, remember the time about 11 years ago, when this whole country which we now so peacefully dwell, was thrown into the most terrible agitation and epitaph by the folly or the wickedness of our men?  General Hull surrendered his army, and the whole country was laid open to the invasion of a foe whose tender mercies are much.

Who can calculate the amount of suffering, real and imaginary that was occasioned by this single act of this one individual?  Was it just?  Was it reasonable, that God in His providence should suffer it so to be?  We surely, were not guilty of the folly or the criminality of Hull any more than we are of the sins of Adam.  But we suffered exceedingly and the whole land suffered in consequence of the folly and wickedness of Hull.

In like manner, every man to be consistent must acknowledge that the constitutions which God has established between the sins of Adam and the sin of suffering are a reasonable and just constitution.

2. Another fact fully asserted in the Bible is the depravity of man.

By reason of the depravity of man and to recover him from the ruins of the fall a Mediator is revealed.  It is one of the main pillars of the gospel plan that man does not approach God directly but only through a mediator.

Out of Christ God is a consuming fire.  It is only in and through Jesus Christ that any can have access to God.  By Jesus Christ all blessings flow to the children of men and especially the pardon of sins.  There is no other name given among men whereby a single soul can be saved but the name of Jesus.

This is the great governing, fundamental principles of the gospel.  That man is blessed, if blessed at all—that man is saved if saved at all, by the instruction of another: even Jesus Christ the righteous—that he, who knew no sin, should be made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God communicates to us the pardons of sin and the blessings of salvation, by a substitution—a constitution of things similar to this runs through the works of Providence around us.

In the helpless days of infancy, God did not sustain and feed us directly, by His own agency.  Infants are fed and clothed and nourished—watched over and preserved from ten thousand ills—not directly by the hand of God—but by the instrumentality of parents and affectionate friends.

By whom were you taught in childhood and youth?  Did God by a direct agency communicate knowledge to your mind?  Did He not do it by the instrumentality of human teachers, or the objects of nature and the dispensations of his providence to which your attention was directed?

And does not the same law of substitution prevail in this manner of which you now acquire knowledge?  God makes to you no revelation directly—you gain knowledge by course with your fellow men, or by impressions in reflecting on the objects around you—or the events that are happening before your eyes.  By the blood of patriots, God gives us the blessings of liberty—that is by this suffering in our defense we are delivered from the miseries of _____, murder or slavery.

The toil of a father is the price by which a son is saved from ignorance, depravity, want or death.  The tears of a mother in her long watchfulness save from the perils of infancy and an early death.  Friend aids friend by toil: a parent forgoes rest for a child; and the patriot pours out his blood on the altars of freedom, that others may enjoy the blessings of liberty.  God delivers us from…sin and the pains of eternal damnation by the labours and sufferings and death of Jesus Christ.

The liberty which we now enjoy, we did not obtain by our own agency—God bestowed it on us by this instrumentality by the labours and sufferings of others.  Here we see this principle of substitution running through these circumstances with which we are surrounded.

Our generation is blessed with liberty because the men of another generation have laboured and toiled and fought and bled for the attainment of that liberty.  Jesus Christ laboured and bled and died that we might have salvation.  We also come into the possession of the external means and privileges of salvation by the plan and contrivances of others, just as much as we do with regard to our civil rights and liberties.

You and I had no choice respecting the land in which we should receive existence, or the form of civil government within which we should be born.  So far as our choice was concerned we might have been born in Turkey or Russia as in the fair land of America.

We possess our civil liberties as a birthright from our fathers—a blessing entailed upon us without any contrivance or choice of our own.  We had nothing to do about the declaration of Independence at the time it was resolved on.  We had nothing to do in obtaining that independence with the exception of a very few individuals.

To in like manner with regard to the privileges of the gospel, these privileges have been procured for us and bestowed upon us without our labours without our care—God saw us ruined and provided salvation—saw us helpless and provided strength—saw us wounded and provided balm—saw us dead and provided life.

We are a striking parallel between our civil and religious privileges, as they respect the choice of God, when you have no occasion to be proud of the difference but to be humble and thankful.  The parallel is striking in another respect.  Our civil rights and liberties were obtained by the labours and toils of others and bestowed upon us without any choice or emotions of our own, but we may forfeit them—abuse them and turn them into a curse instead of a blessing.

Although it is favor to men to live in a land of liberty, yet there are probably, many in this nation, who are so perfectly, disqualified to enjoy the blessings of liberty, that they would probably be as happy under a government of a king or tyrant as they are under ours.

They know not how to estimate the blessing of liberty; they know not how to appropriate them—in many instances they abuse their blessings, and turn them into a curse, by empowering them to indulge themselves in licentiousness and ruin.

In like manner with respect to the privileges of gospel, these privileges are purchased and bestowed on us, without any emotions of our own: but we may abuse them and turn them into a curse.

God has given to the people in this land, the privilege of enjoying the institutions of the gospel.  It is this birthright—a rich inheritance.  This birthright they may sell for a trifle.  This inheritance, they may squander by negligence or extravagance.

Alas how many do so?  How many by neglect—how many by indifference, disregard this birthright?

My hearers we are His favored.  The blessings of the gospel are but within our reach.

There is the house of God—the Bible—the Sabbath—the preaching of the gospel—the church of God—the want combination of means to enlighten the mind—to sanctify the affections and to [prepare] the soul for heaven.

But God will not compel us to go to his house to worship—will not force us to read the Bible or to keep the Sabbath, or to hear the gospel—or to become members of his church or use any of the means of salvation.

He has placed their blessings within our reach and has said take hold of them—enjoy them and your soul shall live.  And now the decision is left with us.  He has given us all the advantages which are necessary to attain that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and that knowledge of the Holy which is understanding.

He affords us abundant opportunities to know that the doctrines which he requires us to believe are reasonable doctrines, and the duties he requires on us to perform are measurable duties.  If we do not believe; if we do not obey, the fault is not His but ours.

In view of the sentiments addressed in this discourse I remark that the religion of the Bible is exactly suited to the condition and character of man.  To his wants: He is ignorant—it teaches, is proud—it humbles himself, is miserable—it relives him, is lost—it saves him.  It finds man endowed with moral freedom—of this it does not deprave him—on this it does not infringe.

The Christian religion comes to men loaded with blessings.  It says to the children of men, Here, here is wisdom, for you—here is comfort—happiness—life—glory, eternal glory.  Take of these blessings and live—Drink at this fountain and never die.  But it does not compel them against their wills.  It does not destroy this free agency of the sinner.

No my hearers God will never compel you to go to heaven against your will.  If you go to heaven, you will go freely.

Nor will God force you down to hell against your will.  Sinners go to hell as freely, as saints do to heaven.

I have said in this assembly a great many times, and a great many years ago too, that the choice which destroys sinners is a choice of their own—the election which secures their damnation is on election of their sum making.

What we may be affirmed to the contrary, so I say now.  That there is no choice of God which will destroy a sinner unless he determines to pursue the way to destruction—no doctrine of election or reprobation that will hurt a sinner unless he chooses to destroy himself.

… this is the state of the case salvation is provided—a full, a free salvation.  Hence it is.  Take it if you please.  God will not compel you to take it nor to let it alone.

AMEN.

A prayer from the journal of Rev. John Seward dated Sunday, March 11, 1804.