At the second presbyterian church this morning Mr Moore made the prayer, and
Mr. Rich, the
Minister of the Church in 4 1/2 Street preached from Luke 15.10—
[“]There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth.” Mr Rich is a native of
Boston, and an orthodox calvinist of the straitest sect— He commented
largely on the nature and causes of the joy in heaven over repenting
sinners— It was joy in the presence of the Angels of God—not only their
own joy, but the joy of God himself—joy distinctly felt and upon
separate grounds, by each of the three persons of the Godhead—by the
father by the son, and by the holy spirit.— This idea, for which there
is no warrant—whatever in Scripture Mr Rich
borrowed from a hymn of Watts—the 101st. of the first book; which he gave out to
be sung— Like many other calvinistic quiddities, it bordered so closely
up on the burlesque, that I could not for my life resist the
recollection of Chesterfields
profane and profligate song upon this passage— Mr Rich’s enquiry into the motives for joy in Heaven over one
repenting sinner was little less ludicrous— He said it was because every
repenting sinner, added to the multitudes of God’s blissful kingdom; and
drew nearer the destruction of this Globe of earth, which must be
intensely desired by the Angels—for they must consider it owing to its
foul corruption the vilest of the heavenly orbs, and a mere blot on the
face of creation. Mr Rich gave notice of
several religious meetings to be held this week, and one, of the members
and pew-holders of the Church next Tuesday evening at 7. O’Clock, for
the election of a minister— After dinner, my Grand daughter Mary-Louisa went with me to St. John’s church, where Mr Hawley
read the evening service for the 3d. Sunday
in Advent, and Mr
Henshaw of Philadelphia, preached from Luke 3.4. [“]As it
is written in the book of the words of the Esaias the prophet, saying, the voice of one crying in
the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be
brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways
shall be made smooth: 6. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
An advent Sermon— Mr Henshaw delivered the
discourse with conscious eloquence, and with a careless facility of
utterance as if he had been aware that it was an occasion for the
pathetic— It left me cold. After church, I called to see Mrs
Madison, but she was not at home, and I left a card. In
the evening I received a Letter from Elizabeth C. Adams at Boston written last Friday, with
accounts of the state of Charles’s child Henry far less favourable than those of the two preceding
days from H. Welsh. [symbols]