,,national ,,character4         99      
99       99       99       99  ,a       
,,thanksgiving ,,discourse1  ,,delivered
 ,,november #ae,,th1 #ahee1  ,,in ,,the 
,franklin ,street ,presbyterian ,church1
  ,,by ,,the ,,pastor1  ,,rev4 ,n4 ,c4  
,,burt4         99       99       99    
99       99  ,,baltimore3 ,,printed ,,by
 ,,john ,d4 ,,toy4  #ahee4              
,,baltimore1 ,november #ag1 #ahee4      
,,rev4 ,n4 ,c4 ,,burt1  ,pastor of      
,franklin ,street ,presbyterian ,church3
  ,,dear ,,sir--,we earnestly solicit a 
copy of the ,discourse delivered by you 
on ,thanksgiving day1 for publication4  
,with great respect1 yours1 c4  ,,george
 ,s4 ,,gibson4 ,r4 ,k4 ,,hawley4 ,j4    
,,henry ,,stickney4 ,i4 ,c4 ,,canfield4 
,,horace ,w4 ,,taylor4 ,,jos4 ,b4       
,,fenby4 ,s4 ,,patterson4 ,c4 ,d4       
,,culbertson4 ,r4 ,h4 ,,humphreys4      
,,henry ,d4 ,,harvey4 ,,david           
,,ferguson4 ,,john ,,bigham4 ,e4 ,s4    
,,allnutt4 ,,chas4 ,u4 ,,stobie4 ,h4 ,w4
 ,,hayden4 ,,hiram ,,woods4 ,,geo4 ,w4  

,,uhler4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,babbitt4 ,,ashur     
,,clarke4 ,m4 ,m4 ,,bigham4 ,,wm4 ,l4   
,,mccormick4 ,,jno4 ,,barber4 ,,algernon
 ,r4 ,,wood4 ,,alexander ,,close4 ,,john
 ,r4 ,,cole4 ,m4 ,,shaw4 ,a4 ,,coulter4 
,j4 ,,perkins ,,fleming4 ,,james ,v4 ,d4
 ,,stewart4 ,,joel ,n4 ,,blake4 ,j4     
,,henry ,,giese4 ,w4 ,e4 ,,barber4      
,,robert ,,busby4 ,,john ,s4 ,,mckim4   
,j4 ,,dean ,,smith4 ,,david ,s4         
,,courtenay4 ,,wm4 ,r4 ,,seevers4 ,s4   
,a4 ,,leakin4 ,,patrick ,,gibson4 ,j4   
,p4 ,,polk4 ,,william ,,white4 ,,geo4   
,w4 ,,bradford4 ,,edward ,,duffy4       
,,thos4 ,h4 ,,quinan4 ,,samuel ,w4      
,,barber4 ,,matthew ,,horn4 ,,morgan    
,,coleman4 ,,stephen ,,williams4 ,,james
 ,,wilson1 ,howard-,st4 ,j4 ,h4         
,,patterson4 ,,lancaster ,,ould4 ,,geo4 
,c4 ,,morton4 ,,geo4 ,,ross ,,veazey4   
,,daniel ,,holliday4 ,d4 ,h4            
,,blanchard4 ,e4 ,h4 ,,thomson4 ,w4 ,j4 
,,dickey4 ,,john ,p4 ,,coulter4 ,,alex4 
,e4 ,,brown4 ,h4 ,c4 ,,reed4 ,,cornelius
 ,e4 ,,beatty4 ,,john ,t4 ,,dick4 ,,wm4 

,h4 ,,brown4 ,r4 ,h4 ,,pennington4      
,,john ,p4 ,,richardson4 ,,robert       
,,leslie4     ,,baltimore1 ,november    
#be1 #ahee4  ,,gentlemen--,the request  
for a copy of my ,thanksgiving          
,discourse1 so generally made1 ,i cannot
 refuse4 ,the manuscript is herewith    
placed at your disposal4  ,very truly   
yours1  ,n4 ,c4 ,,burt4   ,,dr4 ,g4 ,s4 
,,gibson4  ,r4 ,k4 ,,hawley1 ,esq4  ,j4 
,,henry ,,stickney1 ,esq4 and others4   
,,discourse4        ,,psalm #cc3        
#ab4--;,,blessed ,,is ,,the ,,nation    
,,whose ,,god ,,is ,,the ,,lord4  ,we   
have met to-day1 at the call of the     
,governor of this ,commonwealth1 to     
render thanks to the ,supreme ,governor 
of the world for his mercies granted us 
during the past year4 ,surely we have   
abundant cause for thanksgiving4 ,in the
 present instance1 our annual festival  
not only calls us to recognize the      
common bounties of ,god's providence    
most richly bestowed1 but also affords a
 most suitable opportunity for rendering

 special offerings of gratitude for our 
happy exemption from that pestilence1   
which1 for months just past1 lifted its 
frowning clouds in our near horizon1 and
 committed its devastations on our very 
borders1--a pestilence which1 if ,god   
had permitted it to march upon our ,city
 and to do a like deadly work amidst our
 population1 would now be exulting over 
as many slain victims from among us1 as 
there are persons now assembled in all  
our ,churches for this thanksgiving     
service4 ,let us give hearty thanks for 
this distinguishing sparing goodness4   
,being called together by our civil     
authorities1 and that to recognize the  
hand of ,god over us as a people1 the   
occasion is suitable for considering the
 general subject of ,,national          
,,character1 and in connection with it1 
the duties and destinies of our own     
nation4  ,what now1 to begin at the     
beginning1 is the proper idea of a      
nation8 ,the idea is a complex one1     
involving1 to a greater or less extent1 

the ideas of community of birth1        
community of language1 occupation of the
 same territory1 citizenship under the  
same government4  ,the word nation      
signifies a body of men descended from  
the same progenitor1--those having      
community of birth4 ,we may1 from the   
sense of the word1 call the ,jews a     
nation1 though using a diversity of     
languages1 and though scattered over the
 earth1 without distinct territory or   
separate government4  ,community of     
language commonly follows upon community
 of birth4 ,yet community of language   
does not of itself determine or secure  
nationality4 ,the ,english and ourselves
 speak the same language1 yet are       
distinct nations4 ,the ,swiss are one   
nation1 yet speak some of them ,french1 
others ,german1 others ,italian4        
,occupation of the same territory is not
 essential to nationality4 ,not only may
 a nation be scattered1--its parts      
dwelling in several lands1--as in the   
case of the ,jews1 but a nation may     

migrate in a body and preserve its      
national character in transit1 or it may
 have no fixed territorial abode        
whatever4 ,the ,tartars and the ,arabs  
are nations ever in motion1 and held but
 the most loosely by any tenure of soil4
  ,and even citizenship under the same  
government1 does not of itself exhaust  
the idea of a nation4 ,russia may be    
said to include many nations under her  
sway4  ,yet the ideas of race1 language1
 country and government1 all enter into1
 and with greater or less distinctness1 
and to a greater or less extent1        
constitute the general idea of a nation4
 ,the ,french have in general the same  
origin3 they speak the same language3   
they possess a definite territory3 they 
live under one government4 ,they are of 
,gallic origin3 we call their language  
,french3 their home is ,france3 they are
 the subjects of ,napoleon4  ,these     
several ideas of a nation do not1       
however1 seem to be equally essential4  
,it is in the idea of ,government1 the  

idea of the ,state1 in which an         
associated body of men rises to view as 
a personality1 and as a sovereign power1
 clothed with divine privileges and     
prerogatives1 subsisting for high moral 
ends1 dispensing justice amongst its own
 citizens in the name of ,god1 and      
treating with other ,states as          
responsible persons like itself1 with   
whom it dwells as in a family of nations
 to possess the earth2--it is in this   
idea that the ideas of community of     
origin and of language1 and occupation  
of the same territory1 merge themselves 
as subordinate or accidental1 and that  
our view of a nation is most            
satisfactory and complete4  ,the        
functions of supreme government are     
rarely exercised over a very small body 
of men4 ,and nations need to be of some 
magnitude to realize the benefits of    
national existence4 ,a nation1 just in  
virtue of its national constitution1 is 
in a measure separated from the rest of 
mankind4 ,it has an existence by itself4

 ,it ought1 then1 to have a completeness
 in itself4 ,it should be made up of so 
many and such variety of parts1 that    
these parts in their inter-action1 may  
produce a sufficient life4 ,its classes 
of citizens and their occupations1      
should be so diversified and numerous1  
that in the mutual dependence and       
support1 the highest possible benefit   
may result4 ,size has to do materially  
with the idea of a nation4 ,this1       
indeed1 makes all the difference between
 a family and a nation1 if only         
sovereign prerogatives be conceded to   
the family1 as was done in patriarchal  
times4 ,it is in the life of the ,state 
rather than that of the family1 that we 
have civilization4 ,the very word       
civilization implies this--civis1 being 
a citizen1 and civitas1 a ,state4  ,the 
importance of national relations may be 
seen in the consideration of the nature 
of history4 ,what is history8 ,is it a  
collection of the biographies of        
individual men8 ,we do not1 as a fact1  

give to such collection the name of     
history4 ,history has been called the   
biography of society4 ,but of society   
founded upon what basis1 working by what
 agencies1 involving what interests1    
proposing what ends8 ,not surely        
voluntary associations1 formed for the  
promotion of the arts1 or commerce1 or  
philosophy1 or benevolent undertakings4 
,such associations are too limited in   
the numbers which belong to them1 too   
narrow and partial in the ends they     
propose and the means they use1 to      
justify us in calling their biography   
history4 ,we must find a society which1 
as nearly as possible1 shall comprehend 
in its members the entire human race1   
command in its workings all human       
energies1 involve in its consideration  
all human interests2 the biography of   
such a society we may call history4     
,such a society we find in the ,state4  
,and it is because the whole human race 
is gathered into nations2 it is because 
the ,state proposes as its true object  

the highest good of all its citizens2   
and especially is it because the ,state 
as a sovereign power1 not only holds the
 persons and property of its citizens at
 its disposal1 but deals with its       
citizens and with all mankind as moral  
beings1 and as itself a moral person    
responsible to ,god1--being a sovereign 
only as his minister2--it is because of 
all this1 that we give the name history 
to the biography of nations rather than 
to that of any other society4 ,and the  
idea of history generally accepted is   
this1--it is a record of the changes    
which come over the aspect and fortunes 
of nations1 in their self-development   
and their mutual intercourse4,a  ,the   
highest truth of history is             
unquestionably the ,providence of ,god4 
,now1 it gives us a most impressive view
 of the importance of national          
relations1 when we consider the ,bible  
representation of nations as the great  
agents of ,god's ,providence4 ,the      
,assyrian nation sent against the people

 of ,israel is the rod of his anger and 
the staff of his indignation4 ,said ,god
 to his ancient people1 ,i will bring a 
nation on you from far1 ,o house of     
,israel4 ,god of old sent his prophets  
to this nation and that2 ,elijah to     
,israel1 ,jeremiah to ,judah1 ,jonah to 
,assyria4  ,moreover1 the ,bible        
recognizes the importance of national   
relations in the position it assigns to 
nations in the historic and prophetic   
development of the plan for man's       
redemption4 ,before the advent of our   
,saviour1 ,god was in covenant with a   
nation4 ,to conserve the true religion  
amidst the corruptions which a second   
time were coming over the whole earth1  
,god took ,abraham and his family into  
special relations to himself4 ,yet ,god 
did not see fit to keep these special   
relations confined to a single family in
 successive generations4 ,it entered    
directly into his plan1 to make of this 
chosen family a nation1 to set them in a
 land of their own1 to give them a      

government of their own1 to place them  
amidst the other nations of the earth4  
,the influence of a nation was required 
to prepare the world for the coming of  
,messiah4 ,so also in prophecy4         
,whatever may be thought of the beasts  
of the ,revelation1 with their heads and
 horns1 the beasts of ,daniel are       
distinctly stated to be ,kingdoms upon  
,earth4 ,they are ,states and ,empires4 
,it is1 moreover1 a kingdom which the   
,lord ,god will set up upon earth1      
which1 as a little stone cut out of the 
mountain1 shall smite and break and     
crush the kingdoms of earth1 and itself 
occupy their place4 ,the saints of the  
,most ,high shall take the kingdom1 and 
possess the kingdom for ever4  ,with    
this consideration of the idea of a     
nation1 and of the importance of        
national relations1 let us now1 turning 
and beholding the race of men dwelling  
together in a family of nations1 ask    
more particularly after their duties and
 destinies4         99       99       99

       99       99  ,i4 ,the ,state has 
a religious character4 ,nations derive  
their existence as such from ,god4 ,the 
,state is of divine institution4 ,it    
enjoys and exercises divine             
prerogatives4 ,it is hence under duty to
 ,god2 it has herein a religious        
character4  ,i do not propose to argue  
the question of the nature of civil     
government4 ,i will not undertake to    
show that the theory of a social        
compact--the theory that all just powers
 of government are derived from the     
people1 who voluntarily yield them up   
and consent to their exercise--that this
 theory is false4 ,enough for me--enough
 for you1 ,i presume1--that it is       
unscriptural and infidel4 ,enough for us
 that the ,scriptures say1 ,the powers  
that be are ordained of ,god1 and the   
civil ruler is the minister of ,god4 ,i 
do not deny1--the ,scriptures do not    
deny--the distinction between things    
civil and things religious4 ,the        
,christian does not demand that the     

,state shall be a theocracy4 ,the ,state
 and the ,church has each its           
appropriate end and sphere4 ,the prime  
end of the ,state is the dispensing of  
justice1 the protecting of its citizens1
 and the securing by agriculture and    
commerce and the arts1 and by the       
intelligence and virtue of its citizens1
 of the general welfare4 ,the prime end 
of the ,church1 so far as man is        
concerned1 is the promotion of his      
spiritual and eternal good1 through the 
agency of the ,scriptures of revealed   
truth4 ,the sphere of the one is the    
affairs of this life1--that of the      
other1 the affairs of the life to come4 
,yet the ,state and the ,church are not 
wholly separated and absolutely         
independent2 and neither is independent 
of ,god4  ,again3 ,man in his entirety1 
is a religious being1 and must carry his
 religion with him into all his         
relations4 ,he is a religious citizen2  
so that not only is government          
instituted by ,god and to be            

administered in his name1 and is        
therefore religious1 but being          
administered by men and upon men1 who   
themselves are under responsibility to  
,god1 it is therefore again religious4  
,and again3 ,although the prime end of  
the ,state be the promotion of man's    
temporal welfare1 and that of the       
,church1 the promotion of his spiritual 
welfare1 and although the prime sphere  
of the ,state be the things of the      
present life1 and that of the ,church   
those of the life to come1 yet things   
temporal and things spiritual1 and the  
things of the present life and those of 
the life to come1 have most intimate and
 important connections4 ,the spiritual  
welfare tells upon the temporal1 and the
 life to come is but the issue and      
result of the present life4 ,here1 once 
more1 is the ,state seen to have a      
religious character4 ,all this admits of
 abundant proof and illustration4  ,the 
,state1 then1 has a character directly  
religious1 due to its origin and nature1

 as instituted by ,god for doing his    
ministry with men4 ,hence1 its laws     
should be founded on the highest views  
of the divine will ascertainable4 ,it   
should enact that alone to be crime     
which ,god pronounces to be sin4 ,and   
again1 the ,state has a character       
indirectly religious1 in view of the    
fact1 that it is administered by and    
upon those who are under religious      
obligations1 and in view of the fact    
that religion has material connection   
with that public welfare which it is the
 design and duty of the ,state to       
promote4 ,the ,state must1 on the one   
hand1 respect the conscience of its     
citizens1 leaving them free in religious
 opinions and practices2 and yet1 on the
 other hand1 it must seek to promote the
 interests of true religion1 with whose 
prosperity the public welfare is vitally
 connected4  ,it belongs to our         
government1 my hearers1 to conform its  
legislation to the principles of the    
,bible1 and to impose its penalties for 

violated law1 on the authority and with 
the sanction of the ,god of the ,bible3 
and it belongs to our government1 while 
indulging the largest and most liberal  
toleration of religious opinions and    
practices1 still to seek the diffusion  
and establishment of ,christianity      
throughout the length and breadth of our
 land4 ,it is right that our government 
enforces1 to a good degree1 the         
observance of the ,christian ,sabbath4  
,it is demanded that such observance be 
enforced in still larger degree4 ,our   
government1 if it be bound to afford an 
education to the children of its        
citizens at all1 is bound to give them a
 ,christian education4 ,the ,bible      
should be in all our ,public ,schools4  
,chaplains should be provided for all   
,state institutions1 as they are for the
 ,army and ,navy4  ,i know1 indeed1 that
 these views1 when fully expressed1 are 
not generally conceded4 ,many seem to   
think that government has no proper     
connection with religion4 ,the cry of   

,church and ,state--of the invasion of  
religious rights--is raised against     
these views4,b ,but not only has        
government a necessary connection with  
religion1 but what may seem still more  
objectionable1 the freest government    
must have reference1 in its laws and    
institutions1 to some form of religion1 
as that held by the great body of its   
citizens3 and it is a mistake1 as       
egregious as it is frequent1 which      
supposes that because our ,federal      
,constitution prescribes no religion as 
that of this country1 and unites the    
government to no ,church1 our country is
 therefore as much ,pagan or ,infidel as
 it is ,christian4 ,the ,constitution   
and the legislation of our country      
presuppose and take for granted1 if they
 do not distinctly affirm1 that ,bible  
,christianity is the religion of this   
country4 ,and they must do so1 in order 
that this be a free government1 since   
the great body of our people are        
believers in this religion4 ,the        

,president of the ,united ,states1      
standing in the portico of the ,capitol1
 before the face of heaven and in view  
of the assembled people1 swears upon the
 ,bible to support the ,constitution4   
,the great functions of government cease
 to be exercised among us when the      
morning of the ,christian ,sabbath      
dawns4 ,the ,executive closes his       
mansion1 ,congress vacates its halls1   
the judge comes down from his           
bench2--all pause and wait through the  
day of which the ,god of the ,bible and 
the ,lord our ,saviour has said--it is  
mine4 ,how solemn the testimony1 and how
 frequently recurring1 that this is a   
,christian nation4  ,and whose rights   
are invaded by this observance of the   
,christian religion8 ,the ,jew's8 ,why  
he can observe his ,sabbath on          
,saturday1 and the law will protect him 
in the observance4 ,none shall molest or
 make him afraid4 ,the infidel's8 ,it   
may be that he is put to inconvenience4 
,he cannot have his cause tried in      

,court2 he cannot lay his petition      
before ,congress or the ,executive2 he  
may not be able to procure his letters  
from the ,post ,office3 but is this an  
invasion of his rights8 ,who has the    
right to compel the judge to violate the
 ,sabbath by trying his cause1 or the   
mail-carrier or post master by          
delivering his letters8 ,would not the  
non-observance of the ,sabbath by the   
government operate at once to close the 
doors of office against four-fifths of  
our conscientious citizens8 ,for the    
very reason1 then1 that the body of our 
people are ,christians1 our government  
does and must1 as a free government1    
respect the ,christian religion2 and    
furthermore1 because this religion is1  
as we know1 the true religion of ,god1  
and its influence most happy in         
sustaining a free government1 the ,state
 is bound not simply coldly to protect  
it in common with all forms of religion1
 but warmly to foster it as its own     
chosen religion4  ,it would not be well 

longer to dwell on this topic4 ,it may  
only be added that while the            
understanding of this subject is of the 
very first consequence to us as a       
nation1 there is no subject of general  
interest which seems to be so little    
understood4,c  ,nations of necessity    
have a religious character4 ,the civil  
government is of ,god's ordination1 and 
does ,god's ministry4 ,the civil        
government is administered by and upon  
men who are religious beings1 who cannot
 under any circumstances divest         
themselves of their religious character4
 ,the prevalence of true religion       
amongst its citizens1 is of the highest 
advantage to the ,state4  ,every nation 
has its ,god or its gods4 ,blessed is   
the nation whose ,god is the ,lord4     
,blessed is ,america so long as a pure1 
scriptural ,christianity stimulates and 
governs its public life4  ,it may be    
mentioned1 but need not be discussed as 
a distinct topic1 although its full     
consideration would greatly enforce the 

views just presented1 that1 as a matter 
of fact1 ,god does regard nations as    
responsible persons1 and does hold them 
in strict account to himself4 ,the      
highest truth of universal history being
 the universal and comprehending        
providence of ,god1 and the great       
factors of history being the nations of 
mankind1 and the personal and           
responsible character of nations        
continuing only in this life and        
obtaining ,god's full judgment of mercy 
or wrath during the time of their       
present continuance1 the historic page1 
recording the majestic movements of     
empires in their rise and fall1 becomes 
unspeakably sublime as the record of the
 ,almighty's manifested character1      
smiling and blessing in their righteous 
prosperity1 and frowning and            
overthrowing in their guilty doom4      
99       99       99       99       99  
,,ii4 ,but let us pass to another view  
of nations4 ,the race of men we behold  
in a family of nations4 ,we may consider

 the relations of these nations one to  
another4  ,i use the word family in     
reference to nations1 to indicate at    
once1 at the outset1 and as fully as    
possible1 their true relations4 ,nations
 are most closely and most tenderly     
related4 ,their relation is one of      
blood1 and their one parent is ,god4 ,he
 hath made of one blood all nations of  
men1 for to dwell on all the face of the
 earth1 and hath determined the times   
before appointed and the bounds of their
 habitation4 ,each nation has a certain 
completeness in itself1 yet it is but a 
partial completeness4 ,nations are still
 connected4 ,they are dependent on one  
another4 ,they are under obligations to 
one another4 ,they are alike and        
together bound to the same ,god4 ,they  
are a brotherhood before ,god their     
common ,father4 ,patriotism has its     
limits1 and philanthropy1 its           
appropriate and transcendent sphere4    
,see the physical dependence of nations4
 ,does not every nation on the face of  

the earth contribute to the conveniences
 and comforts and luxuries1 not to say  
the necessities of our every-day life8  
,and do we not1 as a nation1 contribute 
something for the physical well-being of
 every nation in turn8 ,what mean these 
thousand ships1 at all times and in all 
directions traversing the main8 ,are    
they not all hastening on the wings of  
the wind1 with their precious burdens1  
to do the ministries of nations one     
toward another8 ,all commerce is        
significant1 first of all1 of national  
interdependence4  ,this mutual          
dependence in things physical is1       
however1 but an image of a higher       
dependence4 ,what is civilization8 ,is  
it the culture of the national life8    
,yet how is national life cultivated8   
,is it by self-effort only1 put forth   
from a stimulus self-begotten8 ,or is   
not civilization1 like the education of 
the individual1 in some measure         
dependent on the efforts of others8     
,must there not be an outward contact1  

and a stimulus provoked by such contact8
 ,turn a child into the woods1 and let  
him grow up to manhood without the      
society or the sight of his fellow-men4 
,where is his self-culture8 ,he is a    
wild man of the woods2 he is a          
barbarian4 ,so nations need the stimulus
 which comes from a contact with their  
fellow nations2 and that1 not only that 
they may advance in civilization1 but   
even that they may save themselves from 
going down into barbarism4 ,see ,china1 
the largest empire of men1 yet separated
 from its neighbors by a stone wall4    
,see ,hindostan1 insulated by           
surrounding seas and mountains1 and     
destitute of commerce for many hundred  
years4 ,see ,africa1 secluded from all  
the world by its miasmatic regions and  
its fever-bound coasts4 ,what           
stereotyped character6 ,what stagnant   
life6 ,what hopeless barbarism6         
,interchange of thought among the       
nations1--communication of the products 
of art and literature1 and of the       

discoveries of science2--this is        
requisite for the welfare of nations4   
,it would easily follow from this mutual
 dependence of nations1 even if it did  
not come to us in a more direct way1    
that the intercommunion of nations      
should be guided and governed by        
religious principles1 and for the end of
 highest mutual spiritual benefit4 ,nay1
 the statement may be made thus1 in     
reference to us who know what true      
religion is1 and who are bound to go    
according to the light we possess1 and  
not according to the darkness of        
others1--that the intercommunion of     
nations should be conducted on          
,christian principles1 and for the end  
of the diffusion and establishment of   
the ,gospel of ,christ4  ,blessed is the
 nation whose ,god being the ,lord1 who1
 as the first-born1 and fullest-grown1  
and highest-favored1 in the ,lord's     
family of nations1 becomes the loving   
instructor and helper of the younger    
brethren4  ,looking this day upon the   

brotherhood of nations1 we behold one   
sight which might excite our joyful     
hope1 were it not for another closely   
connected with it1 which must excite our
 astonishment and sorrow4 ,we behold1 on
 the one hand1 the nations of the earth 
brought into close proximity and to the 
possibility of easy friendship1 by the  
many physical improvements of the age4  
,these improvements1 as we see1 are made
 and first used by enlightened and      
,christian nations1--and we are         
encouraged to ask1 shall not these      
improvements be the channels and        
vehicles for conveying to all nations   
the influences of the gospel8 ,in this  
bringing of the ends of the earth       
together1 by those whose great glory is 
their possession of the knowledge of    
,god's salvation1 shall not all the ends
 of the earth1 through their agency1    
speedily be brought to see the salvation
 of ,god8 ,but alas6 ,the ardency of our
 hopes is quenched1 when we behold this 
day the most enlightened and powerful   

and happy of the whole brotherhood of   
nations1 whose great tie is that of     
natural and ,christian love1 and whose  
great duty is to strengthen the cords of
 love amongst all their                 
brotherhood1--when we behold these      
nations1 submitting themselves to the   
demon of national hatred and revenge1   
employing the agencies which should     
convey the gospel of peace to all       
mankind1 in transporting the munitions  
of war1 and then putting forth all their
 skill and energies in planning and     
executing1 with the aids of the most    
matured science1 and by means of the    
most ingenious and mighty enginery1 the 
devilish work of national desolation and
 destruction4  ,can we1 my hearers1     
conceive of a higher and more horrid    
contradiction of the whole spirit of our
 religion than a national war8 ,and can 
there be anything more discouraging to  
him who hopes for the speedy diffusion  
of the ,gospel amidst the nations1 than 
the contemplation of the present war1--a

 war not only waged by nations the most 
,christian1 but a war involving no      
principle and devoid of all glory1--a   
war stamped in its every feature1 and   
chargeable at its every step1 with the  
attribute and the crime of murder4  ,o  
when shall war be recognized in its     
brutality and fiendishness and hellish  
horrors8 ,when shall patriotism separate
 itself from a proud ambition and a     
cruel revenge1 and become the loving    
handmaid of a pure philanthropy8 ,when  
shall ,christian nations become capable 
of a ,christian transaction8 ,must the  
sword devour forever8         99        
99       99       99       99  ,,iii4   
,we may not omit on such an occasion1   
and with such a subject before us1 to   
speak of the destiny of our own nation4 
,it would seem from many considerations 
often presented1 that ,god intends great
 things for us as a nation4 ,the time   
and circumstances of the original       
settlement of our country1 and the      
character of the original settlers1 is  

regarded as one indication of promise4  
,how long ,god kept this continent      
concealed from the view of the civilized
 world6 ,and1 when it was discovered1   
how long he kept back the nations from  
its successful settlement6 ,not until   
the ,protestant ,reformation had wrought
 its great results1 and nations were    
prepared for the work under its tuition1
 did ,god begin to people this          
country2--and even then1 it was a       
winnowed seed which he planted here4    
,men tried in the fires of persecution1 
and strong in the love of ,god and the  
desire of liberty1 laid the foundations 
of our republic4 ,is not this peculiar  
beginning prophetic of a glorious       
consummation8  ,our past experience and 
present condition seem to confirm the   
tokens of our auspicious beginning4     
,colonial dependence has given way to   
,national independence4 ,thirteen       
,states have increased to thirty-one4   
,three millions of people have increased
 to thirty4 ,immense forests have been  

subdued1 and the soil yields supplies   
for the famishing of other lands4 ,great
 manufactories crowd our rivers and     
darken our towns4 ,our commerce whitens 
every sea and swarms in every port4 ,our
 people are intelligent1 and virtuous1  
and happy beyond all example4 ,our      
government is strong and efficient4     
,what is needed to make our destiny     
glorious1 but just to go on in the way  
that we have come8  ,then see the       
prospect which invites us on4 ,vast     
territories are still unoccupied4 ,what 
shall prevent the flood of population   
from pouring westward and overflowing   
these territories8 ,our internal        
resources have only begun to be         
developed4 ,what shall prevent their    
utmost and magnificent development8 ,the
 commerce of the ,pacific waits to be   
ours4 ,how long till ,pacific railroads 
shall bind our eastern and western      
coasts together1 and our country1       
standing in the midst of the earth and  
reaching out its arms on either hand1   

clasp the entire sphere in its embrace8 
,our country is in the dew of its       
rejoicing youth1 and has but the dimmest
 consciousness and dream of its own     
strength1 and who can predict the glory 
of its manhood1 when in the fullest     
self-consciousness1 it shall exert to   
the utmost its matured and mighty       
energies8  ,thus are we accustomed to   
talk4 ,our destiny is manifest--our     
glory is inevitable4 ,it is pleasant to 
talk thus1 and it is unpleasant to talk 
otherwise4 ,yet we ought to desire to   
see and know the truth4 ,self-flattery  
is an odious folly4 ,is our destiny1    
then1 manifest8 ,is our glory           
inevitable8 ,has ,god so conspicuously  
favored us that he cannot but continue  
to bless8 ,ah6 ,it is our self-flattery 
and odious folly to think so4  ,we need 
not look again to our history or our    
prospects1 to gather evidences of a     
different destiny1 although such        
evidences might not be wanting4 ,yes1 we
 might find the evidences which1 duly   

weighed1 would make us shudder in view  
of our possible or probable future4 ,we 
might come to think it very             
problematical whether our country has   
sufficient vital force to work into good
 ,american citizens the hordes of       
infidels1 paupers1 criminals1 cast upon 
our shores from the nations of the old  
world2--whether our country has         
sufficient wisdom to guide its own vexed
 domestic questions to a proper and     
satisfactory issue1 and to balance and  
regulate the rival and numberless       
interests of a country widening         
indefinitely in extent2--whether--but   
no1 we do not need thus to forecast the 
future to ascertain our probable        
destiny4 ,we may determine the question 
by the teaching of ,god's word4 ,blessed
 is the nation whose ,god is the ,lord4 
,and blessed is that nation alone4 ,here
 is the solution of the question of our 
destiny4 ,it is in making the ,lord the 
,god of our country1 that we are        
safe--that we are prosperous--that our  

glorious destiny becomes inevitable4    
,our destiny is left to ourselves4 ,the 
means of its glory are placed in our    
hands4 ,we may use them or not1 as we   
will4  ,and now1 ,i utter it to you1 my 
hearers and fellow-citizens1 as the     
solemn testimony of the ,lord our ,god1 
that so surely as ignorance and moral   
corruption and lust of power1 become    
generally prevalent1 and popery and     
infidelity attain the supremacy among   
us1 it matters not at all that we have  
had a ballot-box1 and a free press1 and 
free schools1 and the whole circle of   
liberal institutions1--these will become
 but the insignia of our shame2 it      
matters not that we have had a boundless
 territory1 and a teeming soil1 and     
mighty cities1 and universal            
commerce1--the grass will grow again on 
our prairies1--the red man return to his
 forsaken forests1--our cities become   
black with desolation1 and the sails of 
our commerce be rent on the seas1 or the
 hulks of our commerce rot at our       

wharves2 it matters not that ,god has   
been wonderfully gracious to us as a    
nation1--the more wonderful the grace1  
the deeper the insult and crime of our  
despising it1 and the deeper our        
doom2--this1 this is our manifest       
destiny4  ,and it is only as ,america   
teaches her children to fear ,god and do
 their duty2 it is only as our virtuous 
citizenship escape from the chains of   
corrupt party and procure for themselves
 a fair representation in the offices of
 government--exerting themselves for the
 purification of corrupt men1 rather    
than for the promotion of their evil    
designs2 it is1 in a word1 only as the  
power of our blessed religion shall go  
out from the hearts of the truly pious  
in our land1 leavening the mass of the  
population and bringing them under its  
sway2--it is only as we truly make the  
,lord our country's ,god1 that we can   
hope to be blessed1 and can1 with any   
just confidence1 await our country's    
future glory4  ,need ,i1 my hearers1    

deduce and enforce the exhortations of  
this subject8 ,or do they not lie upon  
its surface1 and do they not make their 
own appeal to every patriot's and       
,christian's heart8  ,the ,god of       
nations1 looking forth upon our happy   
land this day1 may be conceived as      
breathing the benevolent desire once    
expressed in behalf of his ancient      
people1 ,o that there were such an heart
 in them1 that they would fear me1 and  
keep all my commandments always1 that it
 might be well with them and with their 
children forever4         99       99   
99       99       99  ,n4 ,b4 ,in the   
delivery of the foregoing discourse1 the
 following remarks were interjected near
 the commencement3       ,permit me to  
state to you my conviction1 that        
desirable as      it is that days of    
religious observance be appointed by our
      civil authorities1 the regular    
appointment of annual      fast-days or 
thanksgivings1 will not secure for any  
long      period a general and hearty   

observance4 ,i should much prefer       
the appointment by our civil authorities
 of a fast-day1 in      view of any     
public calamity impending or            
experienced1 or of      a day of        
thanksgiving1 in view of deliverence or 
exemption      from such calamity4 ,in  
such case we might hope that the day    
would secure a suitable and profitable  
observance4       ,it is the writer's   
apprehension that days of special       
religious observance occurring at       
regular intervals1 and      hence       
occurring1 oftentimes1 when there is no 
special      providential call for a    
religious service1 and being            
destitute of the binding obligation a   
divine appointment1      will degenerate
 into mere holidays2 and in his opinion1
 the      providential call ought to    
guide our rulers in the      designation
 of times of special religious          
observance2 so      that when we fast1  
we do so in direct view of special      
calamity1 and when we render thanks1 we 

do so for special      mercies actually 
experienced4 ,the thanksgiving of last  
year      occurred at a time of most    
trying financial embarrassment1      at 
the close of a season remarkable for its
 drought and      meagre harvests1 and  
for the prevalence of disease and the   
destruction of property by land and sea4
 ,surely1 ,god called      us then to   
humble ourselves and fast1 rather than  
to rejoice      and give thanks1 and a  
thanksgiving service was appropriate    
only for the reason that ,god always    
deals with us better      than we       
deserve4 ,we need the evident           
appropriateness of the      service to  
secure its continued and suitable       
observance4 ,who      does not remember 
the appointment by our national         
,executive1      some years since1 of a 
day of national humiliation1 when a     
visitation of the cholera was           
threatened8 ,and now solemn and         
affecting the service of that day       
throughout the land6 ,in      ,new      

,england1 the regular1 annual           
thanksgiving preserves its              
sacredness through customs and          
associations1 which were                
established in the very infancy of the  
country1 and which      have grown up   
with it1--customs and associations1     
which      cannot elsewhere be created4 
,,footnotes3  ,footnote ,a3 ,see ,dr4   
,arnold's ,lectures on ,modern ,history4
 ,the above statement is correct1 so    
long as we take a merely natural view of
 mankind--so long as we view men merely 
in their moral relations4 ,viewing men  
by the light of revelation and in       
relations more strictly religious1      
,church-biography would still better    
deserve the name of history4 ,but for   
some reason1 these religious relations  
are not commonly recognized in their    
importance4 ,like the historian1 the    
moral philosopher commonly ignores man's
 lapsed condition1 and all the great    
truths which distinguish supernatural   
religion4 ,see ,wardlaw's ,christian    

,ethics4  ,it ought also to be observed 
that human governments1 at the best1 are
 obliged to leave many interests of     
their citizens uncared for1 or to be    
cared for by other agents than their    
own2 also1 that human governments are   
often corrupt and fail to discharge     
their proper functions4 ,hence1 the     
historian needs the supplement of       
individual biographies1 and transactions
 of voluntary societies1 and pictures of
 domestic and social life1 in order to a
 full representation of his subject4    
,who would dispense with the ,book of   
,ruth in the ,old ,testament history1 or
 with ,macaulay's picture of ,england in
 #afhe in his ,english history8         
,footnote ,b3 ,see ,congressional       
,reports--,col4 ,e4 ,m4 ,johnson on     
,sunday ,mails1 and ,mr4 ,petit on      
,chaplains to ,congress4 ,of course1 in 
practically meeting and adjusting the   
two claims upon the government1 first to
 respect the conscience of its citizens1
 and secondly1 to promote the interests 

of religion1 great diversity of opinion 
may exist even among those who hold to  
the same principles4 ,there is room for 
a variety of prudential considerations4 
,yet the principles above expressed are 
discarded in the documents referred to1 
as they very often are elsewhere4       
,footnote ,c3 ,a volume entitled ,the   
,position of ,christianity in the       
,united ,states1 by ,stephen ,colwell1  
,esq4 of ,philadelphia1 deserves the    
attentive and serious perusal of every  
,american citizen4