Emmons, Nathanael. A Discourse delivered on the day of the Annual Fast in Massachusetts, April 7, 1803. Wrentham, (Mass.): Printed by Nathaniel Heaton, Jun., 1803. First Edition. [10504]
Trimmed pamphlet, no wrapper, old brown paper strip over the fold, 8 3/8 x 4 7/8 inches, 36 clean pp., contents complete but separated. Good. Pamphlet.
A sermon on the text 2 Chronicles 24: 15-16.
In this discourse Emmons asks his hearers to consider how civil authorities treat pastors. He laments that some civil officials scoff at religion and speaks of the damage that does to society. He states that it is the duty of Christian ministers "to exert all the power and influence which their sacred office gives them, to prevent the ruin of a nation...The enemies of religion and government are incessantly engaged, to eradicate from the minds of the people every religious principle and virtuous habit, and to destroy all the influence of religious instruction. The better to accomplish this malignant purpose, they smile upon some religious instructors, and frown upon others; and use all their art and sophistry, to deter them from the faithful discharge of their duty.
"If ministers preach against licentiousness, they accuse them of preaching against liberty. If ministers preach against infidelity, they accuse them of preaching against the powers that be. If ministers inculcate the mutual duties of rulers and subjects, they accuse them of preaching sedition. And if minsters only teach the common sentiment of mankind in all ages, they accuse them of going out of their province, and preaching politics." - p. 31.
Emmons exhorts his hearers to do what is right, to obey God, and to not listen to politicians who would turn them from the narrow way.
Nathanael Emmons (1745-1840), born at East Haddam, Connecticut, which was also the birthplace of David Brainerd (1718). He graduated with honor at Yale in 1767, studied theology with Rev. Nathan Strong and afterwards with Dr. John Smalley. In 1773 he was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Franklin, Massachusetts, and remained as pastor of that congregation for the next fifty-four years. Revivals of religion blessed his ministry in the years 1784, 1794, and 1808-9, and two others in later years. It is said that he lived to see over four hundred of his parishioners profess their faith in Christ. His examinations for church membership were strict, and he was very active in teaching young men for the ministry close to one hundred young men were tutored and guided by him personally to that end. He was a founder and first president of the Massachusetts Missionary Society and one of the original editors of the Massachusetts Missionary Magazine. He was a zealous anti-mason and an active abolitionist, and a Federalist in politics. He was also "Hopkinsian" in his theological views, that is, he considered himself a Calvinist who would speak plainly on all texts of scripture, rather than bending all texts to fit a theological preconception. He was very widely esteemed. "A peculiar little fellow with a sharp tongue and a wad of tobacco in his cheek, Emmons is hardly typical of the New England preachers. He was educated at Yale at a time when it was in a very low state spiritually, but despite his rather weak preparation for ministry, he was an unusually effective communicator. His sermons were very pungent and large numbers of students delighted to sit under his ministry. The bulk of his life was spent in the pastorate in Franklin, Massachusetts where a major revival occurred in 1784 and at periodic intervals thereafter." - Roberts, Revival Literature: An Annotated Bibliography.
