AMIDST the vicissitudes of time there are fre­quent occurrences, which impress the tender feel­ings of affection, and open the springs of sor­row in the human heart. At such seasons, de­cent tokens and expressions of mourning become a matter of duty, dictated both from principles of humanity and piety: and to mingle our tears in social sympathy and condolence, gives a kind of ease to the painful sensations of grief.

SUCH events, also, in the course of divine providence, sometimes arise, as deeply impress the public mind, and spread a scene of mourn­ing over a whole nation, to which, the words of the text will strictly apply, and it may be truly said, that all the country weeps with a loud voice. I think, I am not mistaken in saying, that such a scene of mourning is now spread over the land, to which we are adding our small trib­ute [Page 6] of grief, mingling our tears with those of the public. The solemnities of the day, with the gloomy tokens of death in our view, keep fresh in all our minds, a painful sense of that sorrow­ful event, that excites the public grief; and mentioning of it, will but increase the sorrow. It is the death of General WASHINGTON, that has raised the loud voice of weeping through the American States. And the death of such an illustrious personage, the first and most accom­plished general and statesman of his country, and the age; such a disinterested patriot, such a defender, deliverer and father of his country, must needs be deeply lamented in every heart, that is not totally void of all sensibility, grati­tude and piety.

THEREFORE, to direct and assist us in the pres­ent solemnities and duties, that we may mourn as christians, and as the free and federal citizens of America ought to mourn; I would observe, that our mourning should be accompanied with sentiments of piety; of ingenuous gratitude; of profound respect and reverence, to the mem­ory of the deceased; and also with devout and servent prayer to GOD.

THIS arrangement of the subject, will naturally direct to a devout acknowledgment of the hand of divine providence, in forming the instruments, [Page 7] and directing the measures that effected the sov­ereignty, the independency, the liberty and the increasing prosperity of our country; and at the same time excite a grateful recollection of the patriotic services, the unrivalled virtues and merits, and heroic achievements of our great leader in war and in peace, and inspire a pro­found respect and reverence to his memory; and also mind us of our duty, to pray without ceasing to GOD, that the example, the patriotism, the parental advice and counsels, of so illustrious a person, may have a happy influence, upon all orders and ranks of men in the land, from gen­eration to generation, till time shall be no more.

THE period having arrived in the course of providence, when we should be freed from a foreign yoke, and our great revolution com­mence; as the foundation of nations, through human depravity, is generally laid in blood, and the sceptre obtained by the sword, that GOD who formed Moses to be the deliverer of his people, from their bondage in Egypt, that GOD who taught the hands of David to war, and his fingers to fight, who girded Cyrus with his might, that GOD, formed, endowed and assisted GEORGE WASHINGTON, a native of Virginia, to be the deliverer of his country, and perform won­ders, which astonish the world. As he was the gift of heaven to his country, the same unerring [Page 8] wisdom and goodness of GOD that gave, has now taken away, therefore, sentiments of profound silent submission to the divine will, highly be­come us as Christians. We are not to murmur or complain, but are allowed to mourn, in the exercise of pious resignation.

FURTHER to direct and assist our mourning, we must by no means, omit a sincere thankful recollection of the many, the very many great and unparalleled services this illustrious bene­factor performed for his country, the memory of which, it is hoped, that time will never obliterate.

HAVING in early life exhibited striking marks of superior military address and talents in some memorable instances, he was appointed by the united voice of his country, to the supreme command of the American army, at a time, when the defence of our lives, rights and liber­ties, and every thing dear and sacred to us, made it absolutely necessary for our country to appeal to arms. In this elevated character, as general of the armies of his country, he shone brighter and brighter, like the rising sun, until he had conquered his powerful enemies, and completely freed his country. And the many evidences of his profound knowledge in the science of arms; the repeated displays of most [Page 9] superior martial endowments; his intrepid firm­ness and magnanimity of mind; the many tro­phies of his victories; the powerful European armies, and the many dignified, boasting British generals he conquered and subdued, one after another, have fixed in his character, the indelible marks of one of the greatest warriors and gene­rals of the world.

AND further, to increase our sense of the obli­gation of gratitude we are all under to this great man, let us, for a moment, think what had been our fate, and that of our country, supposing the scene had been reversed, and victory had declar­ed for our enemy. In this case, there is no doubt at all, from what experience had taught us, and from what some of us had seen and heard; and from the well known habits and customs of the cruel tyrants of Europe, that as shocking a scene of hanging and gibbeting had been opened through the land, as ever was known in the world. And those that escaped with their lives, with their posterity after them, would have been abject slaves to a foreign power. Considering this, and ad­verting to our present enjoyments and prospects, and the name of WASHINGTON must excite the warmest sense of gratitude in the heart of every citizen of America.

[Page 10] THERE is another well known fact, which I cannot omit mentioning on this occasion, as a most convincing evidence of the superior address, patriotism and integrity of this great man; I mean the manner of his retiring from the scene of war, and disbanding his army, when he had delivered his country. With a powerful, well disciplined army, most warmly attached to his person, and the military force of his country at his command, under every advantage to assume the government, under any of those dignified names of king, emperor, protector, &c. which have been so infatuating to the human mind in all ages of the world; (to which it was then said he was warmly solicited by many) he disbanded his army in the greatest tranquillity; giving them the most wise and paternal counsel and advice; and affectionately recommending of them to the government of their several states, for a just com­pensation of their great and eminent services; resigned his command, and retired to his home in the character [...]. This, by all that knew [...], will be considered as the most [...] evidence of the great integrity of his heart. Perhaps there is not another man in the world, in that situation, that could, or would, have done the same.

LET us now, under the impressions both of grief and gratitude, follow our great leader, from the [Page 11] scene of war, the field of victory, to the chair of state as the first supreme magistrate and President of the Union, to which he was called by the unit­ed voice of his country. His services in this station of eminence, have a lasting claim upon the grati­tude of this and future generations; and the evidences of superior political knowledge, and talents, for government, founded on a series of public facts, will transmit his memory to posteri­ty as the first and greatest of magistrates. For though we heartily wish and pray his successors may imitate his many excellences and virtues, we do not expect they will equal the great origi­nal. The general tranquillity, the marks of increas­ing wealth and prosperity conspicuous in every city and village throughout the United States; the entire confidence and unfeigned affection of his country, must forever evince the superiority of his talents and wisdom as first magistrate: and, when to these considerations, we recollect, that his generous patriotic soul led him to decline re­ceiving any salary or compensation for his services, both as General of the Armies, and as President of the Union, it seems that a grateful remembrance of him could never be lost, and ought to be cher­ished in our breasts, under the deepest sensations of grief.

THESE imperfect hints (for I possess neither ma­terials nor abilities to do justice to the subject) [Page 12] I say, what has been but very imperfectly men­tioned, must impress our minds with profound re­spect and reverence to the memory of the deceas­ed. He has certainly merited it of his country; and sentiments of this kind ought to accompany our mourning. It is scarcely supposable that the citizens of America, will ever lose a veneration for the name and memory of WASHINGTON. I do not recollect ever hearing of a single instance of mistake, error, or blame, that was ever justly charged upon him; nor did I ever read of a per­son in any age of the world, to whom, such real greatness and purity of character, would more justly apply; or that ever merited more highly of this country.

AFTER a series of the most eminent services for his country, for the space of five and forty years, enough to bear down the firmest constitution, he declined being considered as a candidate for the office of President, and thought proper to retire to the private walks of life. But still retaining his disinterested affection for his country, left it a legacy fraught with the most tender, parental advice, counsels, warnings and cautions, that human wisdom could devise, which, ought to be engraven on the heart of every American citizen. As a further evidence of the singular greatness of his mind, upon retiring from such elevated stations. [Page 13] But still considered his life as devoted to his coun­try's good, and upon the appearance of danger, once more accepted of the command of its army; but by a kind Providence never had an occasion to be called to the field of battle.

LET us now collect our thoughts, and prepare to follow this great man to his sick and death­bed, bearing in our minds those words of in­spiration, which bid us to "mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." It appears from the public ac­counts, that his last sickness was sudden and short; and that he soon expected it would ter­minate as it did. But in the free and full use of his reason, he preserved the same firmness and magnanimity of mind in facing his last enemy, death, which always attended him in meeting his enemies in the field; accompanied with his sin­gular serenity of countenance, and supported, undoubtedly, by sentiments of real piety. As a singular and affecting evidence of this, when he actually found the cold hand of death was laid upon him, and the breath of life was departing, with his own hand he supported his falling chin, and closed his own eyes.

CAN we now wonder, my hearers, even from this very imperfect recollection of the life, the services, the virtues, the merits and death, of this great and good Columbian Hero, Patriot and [Page 14] Father. Can we, I say, wonder that all the coun­try is now weeping with a loud voice? Could the ancient Jews, that stubborn and hard-hearted race, mourn for their Moses, their Samuel and Josiah? They certainly would rise up in the judg­ment against us and condemn us, if we did not manifest the deepest sensibility, at so great a loss, so lamentable an event, as the death of such a Friend, Benefactor, Defender, Deliverer, and Father of his Country. Wherefore,

THAT we may not only mourn, but mourn as christians ought to mourn, let our tears be accom­panied with fervent and unceasing prayer to GOD, the great disposer of events, and repairer of breaches, that a wise improvement may be made, by all orders of men, of an occurrence in his holy providence, so alarming, instructive and sorrowful. For this great man, though now dead, is yet speaking to his country, and speaking aloud in the example he set, the eminent services he per­formed, and especially in the advice, counsels and cautions he sends us, as it were, from his tomb; and in his death, he is still more solemnly calling to us all, to be also ready.

MAY his successors in office, and all our magis­trates, imitate his example and virtues; and may a remembrance of his heroism inspire the militia of our country through all generations, with the [Page 15] spirit and virtues that form the soldier. And will GOD, of his mercy, sanctify these allotments of his Providence to the public good. Finally,

THAT the citizens of the American Republic of this generation, may never be reproached, for the want of a proper discernment of the charac­ters and conduct of their magistrates and public servants; nor for the want of gratitude to their benefactors, and a decent respect and reverence to the persons and memory of their patriots; I say, that we may never have reproaches of this kind, let the faithful historian of these times remember to record it, for the information of the world, and of all future generations: THAT AT THE DEATH OF GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, "ALL THE COUNTRY WEPT WITH A LOUD VOICE."