ANNIVERSARY commemorations of interesting and affecting events are, probably, as ancient as society on earth. They are, however, of early observance. If they did not originate in divine direction and appoint­ment, they receive countenance from the institutions of heaven, for GOD strictly enjoined that the annually returning night, which was so fatal to the first born of Egypt, and so propitious to the first born of Israel, should be observed as a solemn, religious, and joyful festival, by the Israelites, throughout all their genera­tions. Our text records a mournful anniversary, observ­ed by the daughters of Israel, in commemoration of the untimely death of one of their sex, who nobly consented to die in obedience to the sacred, and solemn, though rash vow of her father, when he returned in triumph from conquering his countries enemies.

[Page 6] The particulars of this strange event, as related in scripture, are simply these.—The children of Israel, thrown into great consternation, by a threatened in­vasion of the children of Ammon, apply to Jephthah, whom they had before exiled, to return, take the com­mand of their armies, and lead them forth against the Ammonites. Jephthah upbraids them with the injury they had done him but yields to their request, upon condition, that at his victorious return, they would sub­mit to him as their Judge and Ruler; to this they unanimously agree.

Jephthah, placed at the head of his forces, addresses a rational and manly remonstrance to the Ammonites, admonishing them to desist from their hostile intentions and array. The king of the children of Ammon would not hearken to the words that were sent him. "And the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah," and he passed through the coasts of Israel to meet the Ammo­nites. But before he gave them battle, "Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, if thou wilt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." God gave him victory over his enemies. The children of Ammon were subdued under him; and in all the pride of conquest, Jephthah was now returning to his house in Mizpeh. But, what transitions are there often [Page 7] in human hopes and expectations! While he was ap­proaching the seat, which he, doubtless, fondly imagin­ed would be the abode of honor and happiness, behold, his daughter, with timbrels and dances, came out to meet her revered Parent, to welcome his return, and celebrate his victory. She was his only child: beside her, he had not son or daughter. In recollection of his vow, what must have been the feelings of a parent's heart! He rent his clothes, to express his anguish, and cries, "Alas! my daughter, thou hast brought me very low; for I have opened my mouth to the LORD, and I cannot go back." With filial deference and affection—with an ardor of heroic patriotism, perhaps without a parallel, she meets the anguish of her father, and says, "My Father, if thou hast opened thy mouth to the LORD, do to me, according to that which hath proceed­ed out of thy mouth: Forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even of the chil­dren of Ammon." After the indulgence of one small re­quest, that her life might be spared for two months, her father did unto her according to his vow! "And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gilea­dite," or, they went to celebrate the praises of the daughter of Jephthah, and to mourn for her.

There might be much curios inquiry, as there has been much warm contention, respecting the obligation of this vow, or the lawfulness of the action consequent upon it; but after all, how could any accurate decision be [Page 8] formed without a more thorough knowledge of the im­provement of Jephthah's mind, or of the means he had enjoyed of acquiring just ideas, or of rising superior to the power of superstition, from the idolatrous practices of the neighboring nations, among whom, probably, he had been an exile? It was at this time the custom of nations to sacrifice their children to their idols. The power of superstition, over minds unenlightened, is be­yond conception. There can be no scruple that Jeph­thah thought himself bound in conscience to fulfil his vow; nothing but this could have influenced him to such a sacrifice. And it is equally evident that his daughter was fired with a noble spirit of patriotism, and filial deference, to yield, with such a grace, to such a disposal of herself, and become a voluntary sacrifice on the altar of her country, for its happy deliverance from threatened invasion, in the intire overthrow of its ene­mies. But though, upon this subject, censure or pane­gyric may be mistakingly applied, yet admiration is a just tribute; and we certainly must applaud the annual testimony of respect paid by the daughters of Israel to the memory of this female patriot. Will then a distant and partial imitation of their example awaken censure, or provoke reprehension, when the season returns, that, to us, was marked with the most interesting and affect­ing event?

This is the anniversary of the death of GEORGE WASHINGTON, that first of Pariots—the friend of man—the father of his country—and, under GOD, its [Page 9] protector and deliverer. On this day, the last year, death obtained one of his greatest conquests, in triumphing over one, who had before rison above his enemies, above his cotemporaries; had obtained an intire conquest over himself, and stood unconquerable by all, but death. And though the incense of his praise then perfumed the whole country, and nations beside his own eulogized his memory, yet, as this first anniversary since his de­cease occurs upon the day in which we are called to­gether to worship GOD, and to notice his providences as well as his word, would it not wear the guise of pub­lic ingratitude, and criminal forgetfulness or omission, to let it pass without some public notice.

I hope, and believe, we are all above paying undue honors to man, or raising any mortal above the stile of humanity. We are all formed of the dust, and moulded out of the clay; and perfection is a claim that no mor­tal can support. Though there are that are called Gods, many, and Lords, many, yet to us, let there be but one GOD, even the father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the father of mercies and the GOD of all grace; and him only let us honor with divine honors. Yet there is a secondary and subordinate honor due to those whom GOD has dignified in the administration of his provi­dence, and whom he has made the instruments of public and extensive blessings. Honor is due to such characters while they live, their memories should be dear when they are gone, their virtues and exploits ought to be held in grateful remembrance, and their counsels and [Page 10] admonitions treated with deference and respect. It is mentioned in the sacred volume, much to the reproach of the cotemporary generation, that, when a poor wise man, by his wisdom, delivered a city, that was besieged by a great and powerful enemy, no man remembered that same poor man, but forgat him. And it is a charge of Apostolic authority, "Remember them that have the rule over you." Can we then be censured in devoting a few moments to the melancholly and grate­ful recollection of the virtues that adorned—of the ex­ploits that signalized—and of the counsels that crowned the life, of that first of men, and most illustrious of Pat­riots, who was once all our own, and who may still be ours, if we will listen to his counsels, and imitate his example.

GEORGE WASHINGTON seemed originally designed of heaven as an eminent public benefactor. He was born for others, and not for himself. And, in coinci­dence with this design, he was denied those objects of paternal affection which are so apt to divide and distract the heart; and introduce rival interests to the public good. In personal qualifications, which, though of in­ferior moment, are not without their use, he was distin­guished. His size, air, attitude, deportment, and gene­ral expression were such as to command respect, and prepossess the beholder with favorable sentiments: but these were far exceeded by the talents and virtues of the immortal inhabitant.

[Page 11] It is not to be disputed, that there have been indivi­duals who have rivalled the great and good WASHING­TON in some individual talent, or human excellence; but they have been usually balanced by great defects in other talents necessary to form the eminent [...]. General WASHINGTON was endowed with [...] un­common portion of all the virtues and talents that dig­nify and adorn the human character, and render men useful to their fellow men: and it would be hard to de­cide in which he excelled.

Many there have been who have had minds more cultivated and improved by a regular attention to a systematic education; and more thoroughly versed in the abstruser parts of science: but where will you find a man possessed of a greater fund of useful knowledge, or who knew how to make a better use of it upon all proper occasions. His correspondencies and communi­cations, whether in his public or private capacities, would do honor to the first of scholars, and most pol­ished of men; no man ever knew better the how and the when; no man ever discovered greater address in rendering them subservient to his governing object, the public good.

If there was a talent that was preeminent in General WASHINGTON, and in which he excelled all others, was it not a talent of conciliating clashing interests, of meeting and directing public opinion, without any zeal­ous interference with the course of things? His native, inviolable, integrity and fidelity; his steady, uniform, [Page 12] and unperverted patriotism seconded the influence of this talent; and his firm belief of the overruling provi­dence of GOD, and of his own accountableness to the Judge of quick and dead, secured to his country all the good that could be derived from such a talent, and guarded it from all the evil to which it would expose, in the breast of unprincipled, or aspiring ambition. By this, more than by any thing else, was that uncommon man formed and qualified to act the great and novel part assigned him on the theatre of time; to harmonize and concentrate the sentiments of distant and diversified states, to create and form defensive armies collected from these several states, to soften their jealousies, amal­gamate their manners, and render them bands of breth­ren, animated by one common spirit, and directing their energies to one common object. By this was he also admirably qualified to preside in Council, and lead the intrigues of designing subtilty, and the errors of mistak­ing judgment, to the same eventual happy issue. But time will permit only to mention a few of the more prominent features in the character of this excellent man, whose days were numbered and finished, the last fourteenth of December.

The deeds and exploits of the illustrious WASHING­TON were numerous and various as his virtues; and he might be many times hailed the instrumental Saviour of his country: early called into her service, he ac­quitted himself with honor and dignity: for though his military career commenced with less happy auspices, [Page 13] and savage ambush and dexterity put to slight the ar­my with which he was connected, yet the scattered re­mains were principally indebted to his valor and address that any of them escaped the fate of their brethren.

When our revolutionary struggle became of so seri­ous a nature, that we must either repel our exactors, or be under tribute; the presence of General WASHING­TON at the head of our armies, while it gave order, life, and dignity to them, raised the drooping spirits of the country, and like an electric shock, vivified the whole continent. And not only in his whole military career, and its happy issue, in our peace and independence, must he be acknowledged our first Benefactor: But in a variety of instances he seems to have been our only sheild and deliverer. On that memorable Christmas eve, when his diminished, disbanding, and deserted ar­my, were retreating before a flushed, an indignant, and exulting foe—when every face gathered paleness, and almost every heart failed with fear, how did his unex­pected, heroic, and successful attack at Trenton change the face of things, and spread gleams of light upon our national horizon? He might then be called the Saviour of his country. But, not to multiply instances from his military career; his rising superior to the attacks of slan­der and intrigue; his remaining unmoved and steady to his purpose, notwithstanding the ungenerous and hu­miliating desertions and returns he experienced, which would have soured, if not destroyed, almost any patriot­ism but his, are so many instances, in which he may be called the Saviour of his country.

[Page 14] When the revolutionary army was about disbanding, having defended their country, vindicated her rights, and secured to her the enjoyment of peace and indepen­dence, the influence and address of their illustrious commander disconcerted and suppressed an insidious and artful design, formed and ripened by some of the aspiring officery, of turning their arms against the country, unless Congress complied with conditions, that were at that time, absolutely impracticable; here, again he was the saviour of his country.

Retiring from the field, surrounded with glory, that few conquerors have acquired, he is soon called to pre­side in that illustrious assemblage of Patriots, who were delegated to form a new constitution of govern­ment for confederate America. And the name of WASHINGTON stands first on the resplendant roll to that Constitution of government, which was the instru­ment of saving the country from imbecillity, confusion and contempt.

Being summoned to the chief magistracy, by the unanimous suffrage of his country, at a period most eventful, when a political foreign tempest was just burst­ing forth, which has shaken and affected almost every nation; in which state of things, he could find no aid to his judgment but in his inviolable integrity, and enlightened patriotism, which were assailed by every artifice: He chose for his country, that neutral station which has hitherto repelled the force of the tempest, and raised her in wealth, reputation, and happiness. Here again WASHINGTON may be hailed the saviour, [Page 15] of his country. And, would the time permit, instances might be multiplied, in which his signature, no less than his sword, has been the mean of averting porten­tous evils, of procuring to his country momentous blessings; for which the justice of posterity will fully accredit him.

These are few of the virtues and exploits, that formed the character, and dignified the life of that first of men, of heroes, and of patriots, whom GOD raised up to be the champion of Liberty, the defender of his country, and the benefactor of mankind. In what human character was there ever combined a greater assemblage of useful and ornamental virtues? What hand was ever the instrument of more eminent or various political and civil blessings? What channel was ever more replete with providential benedictions? But they, who are cal­led Gods, must die like men. This fourteenth of De­cember saw the great and good WASHINGTON fall like one of the people: his memory and his virtues are justly dear to grateful country, and ought to be frequently recollected with a mournful pleasure. But he can now be of no farther use to us, than as we imbibe his spirit, and cover ourselves with his mantle, by listening to his counsels and imitating his example.

"Sayest thou, America, thou mournest great WASHINGTON?"

"Says life the same?"

"He mourns the dead, who lives as they desire."

[Page 16] Peculiarly fortunate for us, we are not left to conjecture or collect the wishes and desires of our de­ceased father and benefactor, from his general character, or diversified communications at different periods of life; he has furnished us with them, at a time, and in cir­cumstances, when they could flow from nothing but a spirit of disinterested patriotism: when no hopes, or fears could influence him to keep back any thing that he thought could be profitable to us: and when the love of his country, a parental solicitude, for its honor and welfare, were, not only professedly, but most manifestly, the predominant passions of his heart. The wishes and desires of parental solicitude, the counsels and cautions of enlightened patriotism, he has left us in an address, which is justly stiled a political legacy, of greater value to this country than a mountain of Gold, or a mine of Diamonds; so long as justice and wisdom are esteemed virtues on earth, or liberty and order have any votaries, it cannot fail to be esteemed and eulogized. And would to GOD, that, being annually read, it might regu­late the sentiments, and influence the practice of the enlightened citizens of America to the latest generations. The experience we have had, in the few years that have elapsed since it was delivered, must have in­creased our ideas of its importance to us, and exalted our admiration of the enlightened and discerning pat­riotism of its author, if it does not lead us to imagine that, raised to the stile of a prophet, he was favored with a vision of the impending dangers of his country.

[Page 17] Presuming that the love of liberty was so "interwov­en with the ligaments of our hearts," that it could not be lost but with the dissolution of our frame, our deceas­ed Counsellor begins by assuring us "it is of infinite moment that we should properly estimate the immense value of our national union, to our collective and indi­vidual happiness," and that we should indignantly frown upon the first dawning of every attempt to shake or enfeeble it; or to disturb that unity of government, which is the palladium of our political safety and pros­perity.

In contemplating the causes that might disturb our union, he cautions against those that may arise from characterizing parties by geographical discriminations, which may convey the idea, that there is a real differ­ence of local interests and views; and says, "The name of American, which belongs to you, in your na­tional capacity, must always exalt the just pride of pat­riotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations." He admonishes us to cherish an en­lightened confidence in the government we have estab­lished; and to give it our decided support; asserting that "respect for its authourity, compliance with its laws, and acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoin­ed by the fundamental maxims of true liberty," and that all "obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, coun­teract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the [Page 18] constituted authorities, are destructive of this funda­mental principle, and of fatal tendency." All real evils should be redressed in a constitutional way, and all inno­vations and changes effected in the way that is prescrib­ed by the constitution itself.

He describes in frightful colors the evils, both foreign and domestic, that arise from parties in a State; and, with parental solicitude, exhorts us to watch against them; for when they prevail, there is confusion and every evil work; and the public good is made but a tennis ball tossed from the mouth of party to party, on­ly with a view of securing them the victory. And a greater than WASHINGTON has said, "that a kingdom or house divided against itself, cannot stand, but comes to desolation."

He cautions those intrusted with the administration of government, to confine themselves within their con­stitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the pow­ers of one department, to encroach upon another.

He admonishes of the evils that will arise from pas­sionate national attachments, or national antipathies, and exhorts us, with a spirit of impartiality, to treat all na­tions with dignified respect, national integrity, and com­mercial hospitality; avoiding permanent alliances with any nation.

[Page 19] "Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, (I conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) says he, the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake;" "But that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided."

He admonishes us to cherish public credit; to avoid occasions of expence; but cheerfully and seasonably meet them, as they necessarily arise; that we may not load posterity with an encumbered patrimony, or render it a bequest scarcely worth their receiving. After all,

This great and good man was fully sensible, that all his counsel and advice, his cautions and admonitions, would be of no avail, without a respectful and national regard to the duties and obligations of religion and mo­rality. This, therefore, he enjoins upon us as of most momentous consequence; asserting, that no citizen can claim the tribute of patriotism, or be justly intitled to the confidence of man, who endeavors to subvert, or does not use his influence to support "these great pillars of human happiness; these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens," and he unites the voice of reason and experience against the delusive, though fashionable idea "that national morality can prevail in exclusion of re­ligious principle."

Thus, as with his dying breath, admonished and warned, counselled and advised, that wife, enlightened, [Page 20] tried and approved patriot, who being all his country's, and having done all that mortal could do, to secure and perpetuate her independence and prosperity, laid down the burden of mortality, the last fourteenth of Decem­ber, and joined his kindred spirits. His memory will ever be deservedly most dear, and the sons and daugh­ters of America may yearly mourn for him, and celebrate his praises. But in vain do we pretend to revere his memory, or pour the grateful incense on his name, un­less we respect his counsels and imitate his virtues.

O that GOD would cause a double portion of his spi­rit to descend and rest upon all the officers of our gov­ernment, in their respective grades, and successive eleva­tions; that he would animate the breast of every citi­zen of America, with a principle of as pure and disinter­ested patriotism, as that which glowed and triumphed in the breast of WASHINGTON: then might we adopt the exclamation of the Psalmist, "Happy is the people that is in such a case, happy the people whose GOD is the LORD."

As the death of this great man most loudly proclaim­ed the vanity of all human glory, and forced a convic­tion of the impropriety of placing confidence in any be­ing blow GOD, or of leaning upon any arm but the arm of the Almighty; so the return of the anniversary should renew the conviction, and influence us to "cease from man whose breath is in his nostril, for wherein is he to be accounted of." Happy is that individual, happy that people, who, taught by the discipline of [Page 21] Providence, and the counsels of wisdom, have all their expectations from him, who rules in the kingdoms of men, and gives them to whomsoever he pleases. He plants, and he plucks up; he builds, and pulls down. Amidst all the wild confusion that has marked the ad­ministration of his providence over this apostate world, GOD is carrying on his own purposes, and accomplishing his own designs; and will bring them to an eventful issue, in the intire change and dissolution of this visible frame of things. But there shall be a new heavens, and a new earth wherein righteousness shall dwell. GOD has founded a kingdom that cannot be shaken, a dominion that shall last forever. Let us be concerned to become subjects of this kingdom, and heirs of the glory that shall be there displayed. This honor and happiness is secur­ed, only by believing in CHRIST, by obeying his gospel, and keeping his commandments, who is not the saviour of a country merely, but, of the whole world. To him with the Father and Holy Ghost be glory and honor, praise and dominion, forever and ever,

AMEN.