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/ 
 
 Mr. EMERSON'S SERMON 
 
 DeatJ) of ^adam ^Botodoin. 
 
SERMON, 
 
 DELIVERED IN 
 
 BRATTLESTREET CHURCH, BOSTON, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 SUNDAY AFTER THE INTERMENT 
 
 OF 
 
 Madam (2Blijatieti) 'Botritioin, 
 
 Relia of the late 
 
 Honourable JameiBf QBOtODoin, Es^ 
 
 WHO DEPARTED LIFE MAY 5, i8oi, IN THE SEVENTY SEC 
 OND YEAR OF HER AGE. 
 
 ^ 
 
 BY W. EMERSON, 
 
 MINISTER OF THE FIRST CHURCH. 
 
 BOSTON : 
 Printed by DAVID CARLISLE. 
 
 1803. 
 

ly 7i 
 
 SERMON. 
 
 Dn tfje combineU influence of Beligion mti 
 Beputation, 
 
 Luke i. 6. 
 
 jfnd they were both righteous before God, walking in 
 all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord 
 blameless. 
 
 IvELIGION is truly the solace and the 
 ornament of human nature. It is our comfort at 
 home, and our recommendation abroad. It sheds 
 a golden sunshine on the days of prosperity ; ad- 
 ministers comfort in the night of afflidion ; multi- 
 plies the joys, and alleviates the distresses, of every 
 individual of every order. 
 
 But there is no class of people in society, ia 
 which the practice of religion is so graceful and so 
 
 important, 
 
 /c) 
 
important, as that of the rich and respedable. 
 Talents, honours, and weahh hold a sort of nat^ 
 ural sway over the opinions of mankind. Their 
 influence is irresistible by the pride of philofophy, 
 or the dogmas of the bigot. What the head of a 
 family is to its members, great men are to the com- 
 munity. Their lessons are reverenced, and their 
 manners followed. They give a tone to the senti- 
 ment of the publick ; and as their example is vir- 
 tuous or vitious, the standard of morals is elevated 
 or depressed. 
 
 To observe, therefore, in the honourable grades 
 of life, instances of exemplary virtue, rejoices the 
 heart, not of the christian merely, but of every 
 friend to the general welfare. Two characters of 
 this complexion are defcribed in the text. Among 
 the Jews, thofe families which partook of the 
 priesthood, were accounted noble. The genealogy 
 of the venerable pair, who are here the subjed of 
 praife, is thus particularly noted. There was in 
 the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain 
 priest, named Zacharias, of the course of Abia ; 
 and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and 
 her name was Elizabeth. And they were both 
 righteous before God, walking in all the command- 
 ments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
 
 Three 
 
Three articles of charadler, remarkable in these 
 aged and illustrious persons, demand our attention. 
 First, they were both righteous before God. Sec- 
 ondly, they walked in all the ordinances and com- 
 mandments of the Lord. Thirdly, they were 
 blameless. 
 
 The first article implies real religion in opposition 
 to its forms. The second implies ritual religion in 
 opposition to a contempt of rites. The third im- 
 plies a reputation for religion in opposition to re- 
 puted hypocrisy. 
 
 The first article of character, which is marked 
 in the text, implies real religion in opposition to its 
 forms. They were both righteous before God. 
 Their religion was sincere. It was that of the 
 heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; and had 
 for its objeft, not the applause of men, but the ap- 
 probation of God. Do not hence understand me 
 as saying, that these righteous persons were free 
 from human imperfeftions. Angelick purity is un- 
 attainable by man. Their righteousness was the 
 righteousness of Job, who is termed a perfect and up- 
 right man, one that feared God and eschewed evil ; 
 who held fast his integrity, although urged to sin 
 by diabolical temptations. Their righteousness was 
 that of the man, whom the bible calls perfect, and 
 
 to 
 
8 
 
 to whom it points our regard. Mark the perfect 
 man, and behold the upright ; for the end of that 
 man is peace. Their righteousness consisted in a 
 conscientious and uniform endeavour to do justly, 
 love mercy, and walk humbly before God. Such 
 sincerity and such efforts constitute the perfeftion, 
 which the gospel requires. The will of God con- 
 cerning us, under all dispensations, is a pious temper 
 and a virtuous life. The righteousness which God 
 approves and will gloriously reward, is manifested 
 in resignation to his government, and confidence in 
 his mercy ; in a meek, inquiring, teachable mind ; 
 in cheerfully receiving and following those supernal 
 revelations, which God is pleased to add to natural 
 light ; in the practice of equity, peaceableness, and 
 compassion towards our fellow-mortals ; and in the 
 iiabits of personal purity and fortitude, discretion 
 and fidelity. This is the righteousness which is im- 
 mortal ; which is a crown of glory unto them who 
 wear it ; a tree of life to them who repose them- 
 selves in the shadow of its branches. This is the 
 bread, of which if a man eat, he shall never hun- 
 ger : this is the water, of which if a man drink, he 
 shall never thirst ; for it shall be within him a well 
 of water, springing up unto everlasting life. It is 
 this, which forms the citizen of Zion, and qualifies 
 the inhabitant of any age, and the disciple of any 
 teacher, for ihc worship of a celestial tabernacle. 
 
 It 
 
It is this, which will gather together a seled commu- 
 nity from the north and from the south, from the east 
 and from the west, and associate Plato and Epide- 
 tus, Boyle and Butler, with Abraham and Moses, 
 Peter and John, in the kingdom of heaven. With- 
 out this the most splendid forms of religion are 
 vapid, and the most solemn professions, sounding 
 brass and a tinkling cymbal. Destitute of this 
 principle of virtue rooted in the mind, and branch- 
 ing out into all the varying duties of life, the most 
 numerous ceremonials are worthless, as the withered 
 leaves of autumn. The flocks of Sharon cannot 
 furnish an acceptable sacrifice from him, whose 
 heart is not right with God. The incense of She- 
 ba's spicy groves has no fragrance, except when of- 
 fered with a pure mind. It is the breath of sincere 
 devotion, that perfumes the observance of every 
 rite ; the tongue of truth and kindness, which gives 
 value to every vow ; and the hand of beneficence, 
 which sanations our religious claims. 
 
 This is the meaning of righteousness before God. 
 This is one article of character belonging to the ex- 
 cellent persons described in my text. They pos- 
 sessed real religion, in opposition to that, which is 
 merely formal. 
 
 In the second place, they honoured, instead of 
 
 contemning ritual religion. They walked in all 
 
 B the 
 
lu 
 
 the comnijindnicrits and ordinances of the Lord. 
 If it is the guilt of some persons to rest in the 
 mere observance of forms, it is the errour of others 
 to reject the use of all religious institutions. They 
 deem themselves too wise to be taught by the scrip- 
 tures, and consider the light of nature sufficiently 
 strong without any assistance from that of revela- 
 tion. They even question the expedience of di- 
 vine worship ; and if they do not say in words. 
 What is the Almighty, that wc should serve him ? 
 they certainly say by their anions, What profit 
 should we have, if we pray unto him ? Others there 
 are, and perhaps this Is the most numerous class of 
 any, who feel a regard for virtue, and think, that 
 its practice is, on the whole, promoted by sacred in- 
 stitutions. At the same time, they are unwilling 
 to bind themselves by religious vows, lest they 
 should fail of paying that, which they shall have 
 vowed ; lest the yoke of Christ should prove griev- 
 ous, and his ordinances a burden ; lest the precision 
 of manners and high attainments becoming his dis- 
 ciples, should obstruct their progress to riches and 
 renown, and too severely restrift the indulgence of 
 their passions. They wish well to the cause of re- 
 ligion, and possibly contribute much to its support ; 
 but they wish also an exemption from walking in 
 all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, 
 through fear of offending a fashionable world. 
 They are willing, and perhaps desirous, that these 
 
 rites 
 
II 
 
 rites should be observed ; whilst they withhold 
 from such an observance the influence of their own 
 example. 
 
 Not such were the Jew and Jewess, whom saint 
 Luke immortalizes. They considered the com- 
 mand of God in regard to religious institutions, as 
 founded in perfed wisdom. They supposed, what 
 the experience of all generations teaches, that the 
 rites of religion are necessary to the preservation of 
 religion itself ; that a maintenance of the form of 
 godliness is essential to its power ; and that the in- 
 struftions and ceremonies of the church are, in a 
 manner, the sources of righteousness, whence flow 
 those streams of private virtue, which refresh and 
 enrich the various departments of social life. 
 These eminent persons considered also, what is sac- 
 redly true in all periods of time, that there is one 
 way only to heaven for the rich and the poor ; 
 that people of obscurity and people of distinction 
 must tread the same thorny path of selfdenial and 
 humility, in pursuit of celestial honour, and that 
 the means of holiness are equally necessary for all 
 ranks of mankind, in their labours to enter into that 
 rest, which remains for the children of God. Last- 
 ly, they considered the immense importance of add- 
 ing to their pious precepts the lustre of their pious 
 example. Vain are the endeavours of the pastor to 
 reclaim the sheep that are wandering from the fold, 
 
 if 
 
12 
 
 if he does not allure them as well by the innocence 
 of his manners, as by the calls of his voice. Rul- 
 ers may ena£t laws for the encouragement of piety 
 and order ; but if they have no regard to the work 
 of their hands, how is it to be expected, that the 
 ruled will lead peaceable lives in all godliness and 
 honesty ? That children fhould be obedient, and 
 servants faithful, parental counsels muft be recom- 
 mended by parental virtue, and masters rhust them- 
 selves be models of that punctuality and corredlness, 
 which they inculcate. So likewise the opulent and 
 powerful, they who ordain our customs, and shape 
 our habits, whom God has raised to be guardians, 
 both of the moral health, and of the political sound- 
 ness of the state, must reverence and observe the in- 
 stitutions of religion, if they would see this reverence 
 and observance paid by inferiour orders of the com- 
 munity. They are pressed to this duty by a two- 
 fold obligation. The furtherance of their own im- 
 mortal welfare, and the salvation of all, whom their 
 example influences, call them to this service. Be- 
 tween the effed of their behaviour and that of the 
 obscure there is an immeasurable difference. The 
 virtues and vices of the poor man may be said to 
 perish with him ; but those of the great are preserv- 
 ed alive and propagated, long after their bodies 
 have mouldered away. By walking therefore in 
 all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, 
 Zacharias and Elizabeth performed a duty equally 
 
 beneficial 
 
'3 
 
 beneficial to themselves, and the age in which they 
 lived. In addition to what they enjoyed from the 
 high satisfa£lIon, which springs from conscious vir- 
 tue, they already saw the fruits of their piety grow- 
 ing around them, and beheld in prospeft future 
 ages, through their righteousness, instructed and 
 made happy. 
 
 Thirdly, they were blameless. They enjoyed 
 the reputation of religion, instead of suffering the 
 imputation of hypocrisy. As they were righteous 
 before God, in whose estimation sincerity is perfec- 
 tion, so their principles and conduct were irreproach- 
 able by the world. This is not the uniform privi- 
 lege of true religion, and ritual observances. Such 
 is the censoriousness of the wicked, that they will 
 rarely allow to others better motives, than those, by 
 which their own condud is guided. They are 
 generally inclined to put the v/orst construction on 
 dubious adions, and sometimes to darken the splen- 
 dour of the purest and most shining chara6lers. 
 Habituated to call evil good and light darkness, 
 they attribute to noble deeds a base origin. They 
 denominate humility meanness, charity ostentation, 
 forgiveness of injuries cowardice, and an attend- 
 ance on divine institutions, an useless and hypocrit- 
 ical service. There are however some characters 
 in society, who are happy enough to live blameless 
 in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation ; 
 
 who 
 
14 
 
 who shine as lights in the world, and have the good 
 fortune to see their light reflected, and to hear their 
 merits acknowledged. Such were the amiable per- 
 sonages charaderized in the text. They were 
 righteous before God, and none questioned their 
 sincerity. They regularly observed the ceremoni- 
 als of religion ; and it was the general opinion, 
 that this observance was the result of upright views. 
 They faithfully discharged their social obligations, 
 and this social virtue was deemed the offspring of 
 consciences void of offence. They attended to 
 what is honourable, not only in the sight of the 
 Lord, but also in the sight of men, and thus enjoy- 
 ed in the world the spotless and illustrious fame, to 
 which they were entitled. Venerable and happy 
 pair ! With what sacred pleasure we cherish your 
 memory in our hearts ! Unborn generations shall 
 pronounce your elogy ; for wherever our holy gos- 
 pel shall be preached throughout the whole world, 
 there shall your example be held forth for the de- 
 light and the imitation of believers. 
 
 But examples of distinguished worth, my breth- 
 ren, are not the exclusive privilege of ancient times. 
 Our records, as well as the annals of the earliest 
 christians, preserve the names of men and of women, 
 who have been equally celebrated for their rank 
 and their virtues. In this infant empire, and in 
 this part of our country, God has raised up numer- 
 ous 
 
15 
 
 ous characters, to proted the state, to rule in the 
 house of God, to rear and adorn the youthful mind, 
 and to bless the circle of friendship with a display 
 of all the tender charities of life. Am I not per- 
 mitted to say, this individual church of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ has nursed children in her bosom, who 
 have been supporters of religion, patrons of sci- 
 ence, defenders of civil liberty, and models of pru- 
 dence, fidelity, and grace in domestick scenes ? In 
 what civilized country on the globe has not the 
 name of bowdoin been uttered with respedt ? 
 It is enrolled in every society, whose object is the 
 promotion of literature and philosophy ; it is famil- 
 iar in every cabinet, where principles of political 
 freedom are duly revered. It is more than tweive 
 years, since that most excellent charafter, whom I 
 have now recalled to your minds, resigned his 
 claim to the light of our world ; yet his memory 
 is still blooming and fragrant, and, with that of all 
 the wise and just, shall flourish through successive 
 periods. Of the native strength and greatness of 
 his mind ; of his love and cultivation of letters ; of 
 his energies as a patriot ; and of his glory as a gov- 
 ernour ; it is not my present province to speak. 
 This is the fertile field of the American historian. 
 But the late lamented exit of his once lovely and af- 
 fedionate consort, naturally awakens the remem- 
 brance of their united and distinguished worth in 
 private life. For concerning them, as concerning 
 
 the 
 
i6 
 
 the devout and honourable persons described in my 
 text, it may with truth be said, They were both 
 righteous before God, walking in all the command- 
 ments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Their 
 house was a house of prayer, and their oraisons and 
 alms ascended a grateful memorial before the throne 
 of the Highest. They were christians from inquiry 
 and principle j and though remote from ostentation 
 in religion, yet they felt themselves obligated pub- 
 lickly to manifest that reverence, which they felt 
 for its forms and institutions. To their faith in the 
 saviour, they joined an open profession of his gos- 
 pel, and maintained a steady adherence to their pro- 
 fessional character, as protestant dissenters. Like 
 their blessed master, they were careful to fulfil all 
 righteousness ; whilst the purity, reftitude, and be- 
 neficence of their lives proved them to be principal- 
 ly intent on attaining the end of religion, which is 
 the pradice of virtue. In the midst of affluence, 
 they were not luxurious ; surrounded by depend- 
 ents, they were not oppressive. Their mansion 
 was the seat of wealth, politeness, and connubial 
 bliss ; containing within its walls the rare associa- 
 tion of magnificence with contentment, and of 
 publick care with private repose. 
 
 Whoever is acauainted with human nature, and 
 can duly estimate the importance of conjugal hap- 
 piness, will attribute no small portion of this do- 
 
 mestick 
 
17 
 
 mestick prosperity to the honourable lady, whom 
 you have recently followed to the tomb. 
 
 It was her felicity to descend from a respeftable 
 family, and to enjoy the instruftion of a mother, 
 who was remarkably attentive to the education of 
 her children. Inheriting from nature a sound un- 
 derstanding, she enriched it with knowledge ; and 
 the charms of her fine person were embellished by 
 an elegant taste and pleasing manners. In conver- 
 sation she was instru£tive and facetious ; and few 
 persons, even of her class and opportunities, could 
 boast of greater companionable qualities. Her most 
 valuable and durable attradions however consisted 
 in a principle of religion, which she early imbibed, 
 and under whose influence she uniformly lived. In 
 the possession of these accomplishm.ents, at once 
 solid and brilliant, it scarcely need be said, that, up- 
 wards of forty years, she was the pride and the sol- 
 ace of her admirable husband. With him she shar- 
 ed the honours of that hospitality, order, and de- 
 corum, which their habits and dignified station led 
 them to exercise ; and with him she walked in the 
 paths of that piety and that wisdom, which alone 
 give true dignity to the human kind. Forming her 
 attachments on principle, she seldom had occasion 
 to regret them ; and because she was steady and 
 consistent in her friendships, her friends recipro- 
 cated her esteem. To strangers she was polite ; to 
 C her 
 
i8 
 
 her acquaintance affable ; to servants gentle ; to the 
 alllicled compassionate ; and to the needy charita- 
 ble. To her children and descendants she opened 
 her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue was the 
 law of kindness. Their reverence and emulation 
 of her virtues, whilst living, and their tears for 
 her loss, arc the certain pledge of her worth, and 
 now with filial gratitude they arise and call her 
 blessed. 
 
 Such was the virtuous and honourable madam 
 Bowdoin, who corredly and exemplarily discharged 
 the duties of an elevated and important station ; 
 who was discreet in the gay season of youth j cheer- 
 ful amidst the debilities of age ; who filled the mid- 
 dle ground of life with a rich profusion of varied 
 usefulness ; who died in a manner worthy of her holy 
 faith, and the grandejur of her hopes ; and defcend- 
 ed to the grave, like as a shock of corn cometh in, 
 in its season, her hoary head a crown of glory unto 
 her, being found in the way of righteousness. 
 
 May her excellencies irradiate the charaders of 
 her offspring ! May the spirit and honours of their 
 ancestry be successfully cherished by them and their 
 posterity, for their own and their country's good, as 
 long as civil liberty and religious toleration shall 
 be blessings to man ! 
 
 In 
 
19 
 
 In contemplating the well spent life, and peaceful 
 end, of this upright and estimable woman, who does 
 not breathe a secret prayer, Let me also die the 
 death of the righteous ! Suffer me, fellow-christians, 
 to make use of this tender moment for pressing up- 
 on you the duties, which have been treated and ex- 
 emplified in this discourse. In the place of your 
 late beloved pastor, who, on this occasion, would 
 have eloquently called your attention to the unseen 
 world, but who now can speak to you only from the 
 tomb, let me provoke you to that faith, which you 
 cannot but admire, to that virtue, which you can- 
 not but love, and to that blameless reputation, which 
 is so precious in the eyes of all. Especially may I 
 be heard by you, whom Providence has distinguish- 
 ed for birth, and riches, and knowledge, and pow- 
 er. Think of the extensive influence you possess, 
 and of the vafl consequences, which your conduct 
 involves. Hundreds and thousands of the Jews 
 were undoubtedly the better for the righteousness 
 of Zacharias and Elizabeth ; and the condu6l of 
 hundreds and thousands, in our own community, 
 has been benefitted by the virtuous example of the 
 illustrious house, whose pidlure I have been at- 
 tempting to sketch. 
 
 Where then Is the head of a family, on whom 
 heaven has showered down its blesslnp-s, to whom 
 many eyes are turned, and for whose words many ears 
 
 are 
 
20 
 
 are open ? Let him resolve with the courage of a no- 
 ble Israelite, As for me and my house, we will serve 
 the Lord. Where is the woman of distindion, of an 
 enlarged understanding, of delicate sensibility, of 
 generous inclinations ; whose peliteness softens the 
 temper, and whose dignity and grace command the 
 respect, of all whom she meets ? As queen Esther re- 
 solved to save her people from destruction, so let her 
 resolve to save her children and friends from that 
 excess of frivolous amusements, from that unprofit- 
 able reading, and from that corrupt company, which 
 pollute, in a degree, the manners of every age. It 
 is thus, ye christian matrons, that you will render 
 righteousness lovely, by making it fashionable. 
 Through the aid of your countenance and exam- 
 ple, religion will be deemed honourable. The mul- 
 titude will be delighted to tread in your steps, and 
 with you will be emulous of walking in all the 
 commandments and ordinances of the Lord blame- 
 less. AMEN, 
 

 
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