Northern Preaching.

Friend Douglass:—You have often, no doubt, while residing in the sunny South, had opportunities of hearing Southern preaching; and, since your emigration to the hunting grounds of the North, it may be you have heard the same gospel, slightly varying in tone and gesture to suit circumstances; and of your ability to give your hearers or readers specimens of the no Higher Law divinity, I entertain no fears. Yet, I want you, for your own edification, and that of your readers, to permit me to give you a short original sermon. Not original with the writer, (let him that readeth understand,) for how much soever he might desire the honor of preaching a good sermon, he has not the meanness to rob the author of the glory due him. Rev. Mr. Delevan of Wilson, Niagara Co., N.Y., is the original author, and it was delivered just on the shore of the beautiful Ontario, in one of Nature's own temples, to an audience of Sunday School children, teachers and others.

But, says one by this time, give us the sermon. Well be patient, and you shall have it; not the discourse entire, nor in its exact language, for I write from memory, but the preacher shall not be intentionally misrepresented in a simple sentiment or expression. It may prove to be what some preachers call a skeleton, that is, the frame work or bones of a discourse. But you can tell nearly by looking at the bones of a human body how tall it was when in life.

SERMON

In this discourse, I am going to make a nail, and drive it into your hearts and clinch it. The name of the nail is Obedience, and it will have three heads. The first head is, Obedience to Parents. The second, Obedience to the State. The third and last, Obedience to God.

The speaker was not long making the first head. The remarks were good; common place and familiar to us all. The second re-

quired a heavier heat, with more blowing and striking, as it was evident that it was the most important head on the nail. A number of Scripture passages were quoted, such as "The powers that be are ordained by God;" "Whosoever therefore that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." &c. Obedience to the State "consisted in obeying all the laws of the government—the good citizen would sustain all the institutions of the State." George Washington was presented as an example of obedience to the State, and when he was a child of obedience to his parents. The latter trait in his character is true, no doubt; but of the former we may reasonably have some suspicions. The English government, under which Washington was born and lived for many years, could better perhaps appreciate his obedience to the State.

Washington was a good citizen, however, and his example is worthy of imitation in many aspects. A leader among our fathers in the day of battle, and the father of his country in the time of peace. But what were the grievances of our fathers? The taxation, in dollars and cents, to a small amount, of three millions of people, without representation or the people's consent. This tells the whole story of their wrongs, and yet they rebelled against their King, and were the most disobedient subjects of the English government. Yet Mr. Delevan would have us imitate the chief of those rebels, George Washington, and yet be obedient to the State, obeying all the laws, and sustaining all the institutions of the government under which we live. I thought that the nail with three

heads was an awkward concern, a sort of monster among his fellows, a drop of extreme [rarity]. I have made some, seen more, and fixed a few, but I have never seen the triple-headed fellow yet. But when George Washington was presented as the patron saint of obedience to the State, I was still more struck with the peculiar mode of the preacher's illustration.

To sum up and conclude the matters, though I have said nothing on the last "head," and the preacher said, but little, the doctrine told was this. Obey Parents first, the State next, God last; and if we were to carry out the illustrations into the practical duties of life, it would be to destroy utility with awkwardness and obedience by rebellion. The nail was made drove and clenched at least, in the apparent estimation of the speaker, with the following bible quotation: "The willing and the obedient shall eat the good of the land." "Those parents who had obedient children loved them. The State rewarded good citizens, and God those who obeyed him." I could not help thinking, while the preacher was going through, of the straits and shallows into which those persons get, who strive to serve two masters. It is easy and pleasant to serve God; but the great Teacher himself has told us that we cannot serve God and Mammon. It is equally impossible to obey all the laws of a wicked and unrighteous government, and at the same time fear God and obey him. The obedience of children to parents is second to that of obedience to God. My parent may tell me to get rum for

him that he may get drunk. God says, "Wo unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunken," May I do that to my parent, because he commands me, which God has forbidden me to do to my neighbor? God says, "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee." But the State says, deliver him up forthwith. And does not Mr. Delevan say the same? Most certainly.—"The good citizens will sustain all the institutions of the State." No marvel that we can find men mean enough to accept the office of Commissioner while we have such teachers.

The first great command is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." "And this is the love of God that ye keep his commandments." Obey God first, and then Parents and the State, if they command nothing that conflicts with the laws of God.

Your, truly, for the Supremacy of the higher law.

Marshall FrinkFrink, Marshall

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Royalton, Sep. 8th, 1851.