Political Sermons of the American Founding Era: 1730–1805: In Two Volumes

21. A Sermon on the Day of the Commencement of the Constitution [1780]

- 2 1 A SERMON ON THE DAY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION Samuel Cooper BOSTON I 7 8 0 SAMUEL COOPER (I725-I783). A life-long Bostonian, Samuel Cooper was trained at Harvard and received a D.D. from the University of Edinburgh. In I743 he followed his father, Reverend William Cooper , as the junior pastor of Boston's Fourth, or "Manifesto," Church, also known as the Brattle Street Church. In I747 he became the successor to Benjamin Colman as senior pastor, and until his death he was the sole pastor of that church. Until I767 he served as a member of the Harvard Corporation. In I774 he declined the presidency of Harvard. Active in the cause of American freedom from I754, when he published a pamphlet entitled The Crisis, he was a frequent contributor to newspapers and was much in demand as an orator. With other leaders, he was warned in time to flee on April 8, I775, to avoid arrest by the British authorities. He died, in Boston, eight years later. The I78o sermon reprinted here is regarded as Cooper's best. He had preached the artillery election sermon at the age of twenty-six (I75I) and had preached an earlier election sermon (I756). The I78o sermon was regarded as the model of a patriotic sermon, and it had the distinction of being translated into Dutch and included in Verzameling van stukken tot de dertien Vereenigde Staeten van NoordAmerica betrekkelijk (Leyden, I78I). A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN HANCOCK, Esoi GOVERNOUR, rHE HONOURABLE THE SEN A T E, AND tiOUSE oF REPRESENTATIVES 0 F THE COMMONWEALTH 0 F MASSACHUSErfTS, OCTOBER zs, I 780. BEING THE DAY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND INAUGURATION OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT. Bv SAMUEL. CooPER, D. D. COMMONWEALTH oF MASSACHUSETTS: i'KINT.J:..D llY T. M:D }. FL.EET, AtiD J. GILL ...{) Their Congregation shall be established before me: and their Nobles shall be ofthemselves, and their Governor shall proceedfrom the midst of them. ~ XXXth Jeremiah, 20, 2 r Ver. ... othing can be more applicable to the solemnity in which we are engaged, than this passage of sacred writ. The prophecy seems to have been made for ourselves , it is so exactly descriptive of that important, that comprehensive, that essential civil blessing, which kindles the lustre, and diffuses the joy of the present day. Nor is this the only passage of holy scripture that holds up to our view a striking resemblance between our own circumstances and those of the antient Israelites; a nation chosen by God a theatre for the display of some of the most astonishing dispensations of his providence. Like that nation we rose from oppression, and emerged "from the House of Bondage": Like that nation we were led into a wilderness, as a refuge from tyranny, and a preparation for the enjoyment of our civil and religious rights: Like that nation we have been pursued through the sea, by the armed hand of power, which, but for the signal interpositions of heaven, must before now have totally defeated the noble purpose of our emigration: And, to omit many other instances of similarity , like that nation we have been ungrateful to the Supreme Ruler of the world, and too "lightly esteemed the Rock of our Salvation"; accordingly, we have been corrected by his justice, and at the same time remarkably supported and defended by his mercy: So that we may discern our own picture in the figure of the antient church divinely exhibited to Moses in vision, "a bush burning and not consumed ." This day, this memorable day, is a witness, that the Lord, he whose "hand maketh great, and giveth strength unto all, hath not forsaken us, nor our God forgotten us." This day, which forms a new rera in our annals, exhibits a testimony to all the world, that contrary to our deserts, and amidst all our troubles, the blessing promised in our text to the afflicted seed of Abraham is come upon us; "Their Nobles shall be of themselves, and their Governor shall proceed from the midst of them." This prophecy has an immediate respect to the deliverance of the Jews from the cruel oppressions of the king of Babylon. Their suffer- 6p SAMUEL COOPER ings, when they fell under the power of this haughty tyrant, as they are represented to us in sacred history, must harrow a bosom softened with...