The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-03-30
PUBLrsuED Br REQUEST.
Sermon by L. Pomeroy, Huntsburgh

hN"NhNh' lAp" SOOu Nlib dutIulIuNldUo It-
jectod the worship of God and became
corrupt and degraded None but Noah
and his family retained the knowledge Of
tho true God. How soon after the flood
his descendants became the worshippers of
idols. God separated Abraham from all
the heather nations, and By special reve-
latious taught him and his descendants
the existence Of only one living aud true
God. Yet how prone were the children
Of Israel to forsake the God of Abraham
and worship heather deities The record
o! their conduct fills US with astonishment
1n the days Of Ezekiel, this disposition lC
be as the hea.hen had become settle,
and avowed purpose. But God declares
to them by the mouth Of the prophet
that their purpose shall not stand. "AnC
that which cometh into your mind shal
not be at all that yc say. We will be a.
the healhcn, as the families Of tht
countries 10 serve wood and slone." Goo
sent them into captivity, where, unde
the cruelIies Of heather masters, they
were led 10 abhor idolatry. Never aite
do we read Of their worshipping the god
of the heather.
Our greatest danger as community
and rs a nation, arises from this same
disposition to be as Tie heaMen. 1t is not
Romansm nor infidelity that | fear SO
much as heathenism. 1t has been said
that the third generation after the settle.
ment OF new country are in the greatest
danger. This may be shown on phil.
osophical principles. Take the Western
Reserve. The first settlers were mostly
from New England. There was thei,
early training,and their formation Of char.
acter. Their children did not possess the
same advantages. No house Of worship
invited them on the Sabbath, TO il.
elevating and saving influences. Tn,
means Of education were exceedingly lin
tied, and this generation came rot up t.
the virtues and civilization Of their parents
and yet they sank not SO low as the mex
generation. Not because the next hac
less advantages Of education, for they hat
better; ; but family government had de
cIlned, the temptations to vice had multi
piled, the atmosphere Of society had be
come more dangerous. and the agents o
evil more numerous and busy. The Re
serve is now passing through that peroC
Of her history when the tendency tt
heat5enism is the most dangerous wher
voice comes up from many habilalion
I'VE will be as the heathen." Not in
deed the voice Of words, but Of conduc,
This suggests an inquiry, which will
be the subject Of this sermon: : What il
that conduct which says 1--WE will be as lh,
heather 2"
use the word heather in its mos
comprehensive meaning, for one VIII,
seeks TO live ignorant of the true Goo
and Of morality, and chooses life of sen
sunli,y, degradation and vice one VIII
is lazy, filthy, proud and ignorant, "diso
bedient 10 parents, without understanding
covenant breakers, without natural al
fcction, implacable, unmerciful." What
ever course Of conduct tends TO make
man lazy, dull, stupid, ignorant, degraded
british and sensual, 50 far that conduc
proclaims, "we will be as the heathen.
Hcie | observe:
!. All who make light OF the marriage
institution, plainly declare ave will be a
the heathen."
In the well regulated family lies the
foundation Of all civil society and civi
government, and all valuable civilization
This first and fundamental institution o
God is the sacred bond that binds tn,
family relations by the tenderest ties o
nature. No such ties exist in heather
lands. Said Mr. Ellis. one of the frs
missionaries 10 the Society Islands: Il d.
not recollect OF meeting mother who hat
been such while idolatry prevailed, VII,
had not embued her hands in the blood U
her offspring" You may know with
certainty how deeply sunk in heathenisn
any people are by the manner in which
they treat the marriage institution. Tc
make light Of il is TO proclaim with G
trumpet voice, 1--WE will be as the hea.
then. We will become as crue!, beastly
and vile. as degraded and polluted, and
as destitute OF all The natural affections, as
are the heathen."
2. All say this who make light Of the
Sabbath institution.
No man can trample on the Sabbath,
and not degrade his moral as well as his
physical constitution. That people who
pay no regard 10 the Sabbath, l care not
on what portion OF the earth they live, are
always found contaminated with the vices
of the heather. They practice their
denominations. They wallow in the same
DrIluIions The same iunnraDca da RI or c
their understandings. They drink Of the
same bitter cup and meet death with the
same fears.
The Sabbath was ordained for man in
immediate connection with the marriage
institution, while he dwet in prmeval
innocence. The two are so intimately
joined together, that the one cannot exist
and diIuse its hallowed influences with.
out the other. Those who make light OF
the Sabbath will generally make light OF
the marriage relation, and that people
who make light of the marriage institution,
will make light of the Sabbath. Said a
distinguished writer, "That God should
ordain the Sabbath Immediately afer the
institution Of marriage, implies connec-
ton between the two, which may suggest
its importance to the veal Of the family.
Six days OF special toll for the household, =,
the seventh day of rest and DEVOTION
If He who created all things, has wisely
adapted each object and ordinance to the
place it occupies, then we must hail the
Sabbath as the harbinger Of timely good