A Revolutionary sermon by Jefferson’s pastor Rev. Charles Clay
Exactly 250 years ago American Christians began to resist British tyranny beginning with peaceful protests and then open warfare starting in April 1775 and the Continental Congress was formed. One of the most important factors that made it a truly Christian revolution was the role of the colonial clergy. Their sermons and social activity made them just as much of the Founding Fathers as those serving directly in government. [Great examples are found in: The Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution by Joel T. Headley; The pulpit of the American Revolution by John W. Thornton; New England Clergy and the American Revolution by Alice M. Baldwin.]
Many revolutionary period sermons have been preserved and published but mostly from the major urban centers where newspapers printed them (See Political Sermons of the American Founding Era, editor Ellis Sandoz; and see American Political Writing during the Founding Era, editors Charles Hyneman and Donald Lutz]. In the frontier areas, such as where Thomas Jefferson lived in Virginia, the patriot preachers are lesser known and especially their sermons. The Anglican pastor in Albemarle County, Virginia, Rev. Charles Clay, sided with the revolution and gave stirring discourses that inspired the community. Jefferson described his local pastor’s sermon in 1774 as “a shock of electricity” that aroused every man.
Rev. Clay [see pic above] was a rare Evangelical among the Anglican clergy, shaped by the First Great Awakening in Virginia. He became a life-long friend of Jefferson and many letters survive between them until Clay’s death about 45 years later. Over fifty hand-written sermons by Clay survive and most have never been published. This sermon below is my own title – Clay simply began a sermon with a Scripture text. The first date recorded by Clay on the cover of the sermon is 1775 and within the sermon is a reference “wars and fightings” between “british America” and the “colonies.” It also mentions that at that moment the “general Congress” was “now convened by divine permission at Philadelphia.”
The sermon is an outstanding example of philosophical reasoning and language on the political situation mixed with an evangelical and Scriptural worldview. It gives great insight into the culture that shaped men such as Thomas Jefferson who was soon to draft the Declaration of Independence. A few months after writing the Declaration Jefferson helped found a new independent Calvinistical Reformed Church and gave the most money to support Rev. Clay as its preacher in the local courthouse. Rev. Clay was also a member of the county government and preached to the local regiments gathered for war. Clay was truly part of that “black regiment” – the patriotic clergy of the Revolution – that were key the birth of America.
The message of humility and repentance is needed today as well.
[More on Rev. Clay and Jefferson is available in my book Doubting Thomas. For the upcoming 250th anniversary a shorter easier-to-read version of it is being printed. You can get it for major pre-publication discount and help me get it into national bookstores. Contact me if interested.]
See Clay’s 1775 sermon below
[Some is only available to paid subscribers] [Note: I personally transcribed this sermon from Clay’s handwritten copy and some parts are illegible.]
James 4:9,10 Be afflicted and mourn, and weep, and let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up.
This is the advice the Apostle gives those to whom he wrote this Epistle in order to deprecate the judgments of God that were hanging over their heads. As the cause of all signal and national punishments is the iniquity of mankind, we are advised to humble ourselves under a sense of that iniquity, that the anger of the Lord may be turned away from us. He tells us in the first verse of this chapter that wars and fightings, as well as all other grievious calamities proceed from those lusts that war in our members, and it certainly follows, that if we would be freed from the effect we must remove the cause.
Therefore we are told in the text, that the only way to remove both the cause and effect is to humble ourselves before God, by way of repentance for the cause, and by way of deprecation of the effect. In consequence of this humiliation we shall be lifted up from that deplorable state into which we have fallen, and shall be exalted to the love and favor of God. This is the substance of the text “Be affilicted, and mourn and weep; and let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up”. In my following discourse I purpose by divine assistance to show,
1st, the great reason we all have to humble ourselves before Almighty God; “be aflicted and mourn and weep”.
2ly, where in this humiliation may be said to consist. “let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy into heaviness”.
3ly, The happy effects of this turning to God. “humble yourselves in the sight of God and he shall lift you up”.
And may the good Spirit of God dispense his gracious influences to every one here present, and give you the hearing ear and the understanding heart, while I am endeavouring to show the great reason we all have thus to humble ourselves before Almighty God.
“Be afflicted and mourn and weep”.
Under the first head that we may the more easily percieve the reason we have to repent and turn to the lord, we may consider ourselves as members of society, or as individuals. And first as members of society or parts of one whole, and as interested and connected in one frame or Body politic. If we survey the infidelity in principle and the dissoluteness in practice, of the people of this land, we cannot but own that we have abundant reason to implore the Divine mercy and forgiveness.
Our guilt as a people rises in proportion to the blessings we recieve at the hand of Heaven. That british America has been peculiarly favoured with the blessings of Providence is a real fact; the temperature of our climate, and the remarkable plenty which distinguish this and our neighbouring colonies in particular are too notorious to be denied, for we have always been able to export grain even in years of the greatest scarcity.
Add to all this that remarkable instance of God’s goodness in indulging us with so great a plenty of the gospel of Christ. We enjoy the Christian Religion in its primitive purity, and can call upon our Redeemer in those ways we see laid down in his holy word. And this is another very eminent advantage we enjoy while many other nations are obliged to depend upon the traditions of men, while they are debared the use of the Scriptures, or at least have them put into their hands, mangled and defaced by their crafty designing teachers, it is our privilege and happiness to have free access to the fountain of knowledge, the lively oracles of God, which by the Grace of his Holy Spirit are able to make us wise unto salvation; while our persecuted brethren abroad are obliged to retire into holes and corners that they may have an opportunity of hearing the word of God and joining in religious worship, we are not only permitted the free use and exercise of religious duties but are invited to call upon God and attend upon his Holy worship.
What would the poor Protestants in France give for that liberty and indulgence which we are born to? Many of them you know at the peril of their own fortunes and lives have left their native country and friends, and came and settled in this colony, committed themselves to us their national enemies, and exposed themselves to the inhuman savages of the wilderness. You will readily understand that I mean the refugees who settled the Manikin Town. Again while they are the slaves of tyrants and Dukes of arbitrary power, it is our happiness to breath the freer and a purer air in the more mild regions of liberty and plenty. Liberty is the inheritance of British subjects, and the government inculcated [?or instituted] to support, not to undermine and destroy it. Unless by our rebellion against God we should provoke him to strengthen the hands of our domestic enemies to liberty, and so increase the ill impression already made upon the mind of our gracious Sovereign, and in the hearts of our brethren and fellow subjects in Britain by malicious evil and designing men. But humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will debase the enemies of your liberty and peace, and will lift you up, and give you a name among the nations.
From all these and many more particulars that might be mentioned we may will conclude, that we are held under the strictest ties of gratitude to Almighty God (as a People) for the many spiritual privileges and temporal blessings he has showered down upon our heads. Let us now recollect what return we have made our wise and good[?] benefactor for these great and signal advantages which we enjoy.
And first with regard to the climate and the plenty of every necessary and even many luxuries our country produces. So far from being thankful for these gifts of Providence, that we are constantly murmuring and repining. The Commodities of our own country are despised and nothing but what is foreign will please. Our own manufactures and people concerned in them have been disregarded as useless and insignificant, while the most beggarly trash, provided it comes from a foreign land, has been eagerly purchased at any rate. And this erronious taste has been an effectual bar to people in setting up and improving the several different manufactures among us and has confined us solely to the culture of Tobacco in this colony to the destruction of our lands and has with all rendered us totally dependent upon other countries. But as this is an evil of a political nature it does not come under my inspection. I only mention it and pass on to those general instances of ingratitude whereon it is more immediately my province to discover and enlarge.
What returns have we made to our Gracious God for that free use of his Holy word he has indulged us with? We have the lively oracles of God in our hands; many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which we see, and have not seen them. And to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them. Now do we (I mean as a People) prize this inestimable jewel, these valuable records? Do we esteem this book of God as a pearl of Great Price? And do we implore the Spirit of God to remove the veil from our hearts that we may understand what we read? I fear that generally speaking we do not. To what but to a neglect of God’s revealed will, and a contemplation of the offers of Grace which are daily made us, to what causes but these can we possibly ascribe that general infidelity, which is the characteristic of this age? The Word of God is treated by numbers with the greatest contempt. That word of truth which, when understood is able to make men wise to salvation, is looked upon by many as an old wife’s fable. I am far from charging this up on the generality of mankind. No my brethen we hope better things of you and things that accompany salvation, but that it is a prevailing custom with many, is too plain to need a proof.
Fashion takes the lead in high life particularly our men of wit and spirit and scorn to be lied down to the same rules with the mean and vulgar. They must gratify every sensual appetite that rises in them; and they think it the most effectual method to remove the Bible (that bar to their pleasures) by pronouncing it spurious, ridiculous and the contrivance of priests. Thus they reject the word of God against themselves and go on indulging every filthy lust despising the commandments of Jehovah, and needing none of his reproofs. As this is the character of many so the practical part of it will suit too many of those who profess a mighty respect and veneration for the Scriptures; for among the numbers that join in professing those writings to be of Divine inspiration, how few are there that are really thankful for this precious gift, and shew that thankfulness by a diligent and constant use of them? The generality of you enhance your guilt by owning the Scriptures to be of Divine authority, when at the same time you pay no regard to the loud and solemn calls to repentance given you therein; when you despise that Redeemer of whom they treat, and count his blood where with alone you can be sanctified an unholy or common thing. We are as dissolute in our lives, as indulgent in our lusts, and as much keep under by their power, as if there was no restraint for them in the Bible. Wherefore my brethren it appears that you are practical infidels certainly for you are regardless of religion as if there were no Scriptures, as indifferent about their happiness, as if there was neither heaven nor Hell, and as hardened in sin as if there was no God. While our foreign Brethren mourn their loss of the fountain of all knowledge, we spurn it from us. And like disobedient Jews we loath the manna and are surfieted with it. We hew to ourselves broken cisterns; We have a fountain of living water to go to, and prefer the bread of falleness, of wickedness, debauchery, and impiety to that bread which came down from Heaven.
[The other half of this sermon is available for paid subscribers only.]
The content below was originally paywalled.
[Clay’s 1775 sermon continues below:]
Again, are we truly thankful for the glorious privilege we and this nation enjoy? I mean the full and free use of our Religion? How do our suffering Brethren abroad long for the oppurtunities which we are so happy as to enjoy? How would they flock to hear the word of this life, and wait and hang upon the Preacher’s lips, where as we are cold and indifferent, lifeless and inactive. Many of you are negligent in assembling yourselves together not withstanding you are expressly commanded to the contrary. For the Apostle Paul says in his Epistle to Hebrews: “Forsake not the assembling yourselves together as is the manner of some”. And others when they repair to the temple of God, are so remiss, so unconcerned while there; sauntering out and in, as if their Salvation was a matter of indifference. Others again make a merit of their attendance, and of their weak performances; and a great part reject the merits of a crucified Savior with scorn.
This is but a faint sketch of the infidelity and profaness now prevailing. You will all I believe readily allow, that this age and nation are now wicked to a proverb. Infidelity has tainted the principles, vice and wickedness are become the practice of the generality of the people of this land. This then surely calls upon us to humble ourselves before God; Since practices of this nature will most assuredly draw down the divine vengeance.
Nations and Kingdoms as such must be punished in this world, because hereafter all those relations and dependences, whereby one member of society is connected with the rest, will then cease, and be no more. Rewards or punishments will hereafter be dispensed to men, as individuals, according as they have embraced or rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but all bodies or societies of men must be punished considered in a collective capacity in this world as this is necessary from the nature of things, so this has been the constant method of God’s dealings with mankind. Whenever a people or nation have filled up the measure of their iniquity God fails not to vindicate his injured honor upon them, and to warn others by their example. These have been his dealings with the great empires and monarchies we read of in history; which are now no more.
This was the method he took with his own peculiar people of old, and this is what we of this land should expect and dread, unless we should repent and weep and mourn, and humble ourselves before the Lord who will then pardon our sins and iniquities and raise us up. From the tokens of God’s wrath which were sent out against us last year (in the last four years) I need make no scruple to assert, that we have well nigh filled up the measure of our iniquities, and we have all the reason in the world to humble ourselves before God, in order to avert those heavy judgments our manifold sins have deserved. Especially when we recollect we have had warning given us, and that the judgments of the great and terrible God have been manifested among us. And the calamities that have happened to other sinful nations, call to us in more than the loudness of thunder, “Awake O sleeping land and call upon thy God, that thy whole people perish not!”
And this points out another advantage we enjoy, and another instance of our ingratitude. The advantage is God’s mercifully sparing us hitherto notwithstanding our iniquities. Our sins have cried aloud for vengeance, but God has hitherto waited to be gracious.
He have, it is true, experienced some slight shocks of earthquakes but we have hitherto remained in safety, none of us have been swallowed up by them as others have been before us; the Lord has sent forth an untimely frost, and an unseasonable year whereby in a great measure the earth has denied us its fruits in its usual abundance, but yet by the mercy of God there was sufficient in the colony for its support, and not only so, but some for exportation, from hence our ingratitude is very evident since we are not (or at least do not show that we are) thankful for the goodness and further forbearance of God. How are we affected by the late earthquakes? Have they awakened any of us? Have they induced any of us to turn unto God? Or are we a whit the more serious than before? General observation confirms that we are not. Those who may have called them judgments of God have been ridiculed. Natural causes have been sought out to account for them, but there can no better natural cause be given for them, than that great natural cause: sin and wickedness. Sin is the cause of earthquakes and therefore we of this land have great cause to tremble.
It is not yet a year since the late dreadful events and they are almost forgotten and out of mind. The Most High hath uttered his voice, yet none considereth it nor layeth it to heart. Some may think it quite foreign and ill timed to mention the Earthquake now, and say that I am on a barren subject, or only want to work upon your minds by insisting upon terrifying objects. Far from that My brethren, it is to put you in mind of the dealings of providence towards you in the course of the last year to convince you of your sinfulness as a people and that you might be afflicted and mourn and weep and humble yourselves before the Lord; for in the earthquake you were threatened, in the frost you felt a small chastening, and now my brethren finally the hand of arbitrary power is stretched out over you, which is more alarming than either of the others.
Let us therefore my Brethren, in the approaching season of lent, which is a time particularly set apart by the Church for Fasting and abstinence and acts of humiliation, humble ourselves before the Lord and confess our sins our iniquities and backslidings to him and say with David, let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great and let us not fall into the hand of man and peradventure he may avert the impending danger and raise us up, and speak comfortably to us.
For not withstanding all our chastisements, few awakenings have been heard of among us in consequence of them. It would seem that we are quite hardened in sin, even to a degree of stupidity. Public diversions are frequented, and the worship of God almost slighted and neglected. And shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord? But as we are yet unmoved we have all the reason in the world to believe that our destruction lingereth not, but that some heavy punishment hangeth over our heads. In what way or manner God may be pleased to chastise this guilty land he only knows. (unintelligable) If we were not swallowed up by an earthquake, yet we may remember that the Lord’s hand is not shortened; that he has various judgments whereby to execute his vengeance upon a guilty land. It is probable that We are now on the eve of a bloody War! Who knows but we may fall by the sword, or be driven forth into the wilderness to perish among the wild beasts; or laying down our arms and liberties, submit to live as ignoble slaves, upon the nods and smiles of the arbitrary designing sycophants of a corrupt Court; or be delivered up into the hands of Popish enemies? And in such a case the consequences are well known. However, in what manner soever the Lord shall be pleased to avenge himself upon us; some punishment we have reason to expect. Certainly then it will become us to humble ourselves before God, to confess our sins and provocations against him, and to implore his mercy for his dear Son’s sake Jesus Christ our Lord.
As it is thus necessary for us to deprecate the divine displeasure (as a people) it is equally so as individuals. Every one of us, in our private capacity has abundant reason to humble himself before God; for besides those many tokens of God’s displeasure against us which we have already experienced; there is one judgment seat where we must all appear, and unless we are reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ, while we live, nothing can save us from everlasting destruction. This is certain and therefore every soul here present that has never seen its corruption by nature, its enmity to God, and its state of pollution, and guilt; every soul that is not brought home to God by the blood of Jesus Christ, is in danger of eternal destruction. And surely every one that is in danger of eternal misery, has abundant reason to humble himself before God, and implore his mercy.
I shall not enlarge further upon this subject now, but shall only observe at present, that the best of us must own ourselves to be vile and miserable sinners; that we are under the power of sin, and are held captives by our lusts and evil inclinations. And whoever thou art O man, whoever thou art O woman that art in thy natural state; who ever thou art that are not prepared if God should call thee this moment; humble thy self now before him, and beg of him to be reconciled unto thee for the sake of thy blessed Redeemer. Indeed thou hast abundant reason, for while thou art in a state of nature, thou art in a state of enmity against God; and how dreadful must his situation be who has the eternal Jehovah for his foe. I hope my brethren that by this time you are all convinced what abundant reason you all have to humble yourselves before God; “Be afflicted and mourn and weep”.
I shall now endeavour to show wherein this humiliation consists:
“Let your laughter be turned into heaviness, and your joy into mourning”
Now this humiliation consists in a real and unfeigned sorrow for our sins and offences, and in earnest prayer and supplication to God for mercy; if we are really convinced of our misery by nature, if we are really sensible how grossly we have offended our holy God by actual transgression, we shall be afflicted for so doing; we shall mourn over our unhappy state, we shall weep before him and entreat his forgiveness. This humility consists in real self abasement, in being divested of every proud thought, of every arrogant conceit of ourselves. In laying low before the throne of God owning our vileness, acknowledging ourselves to be less than the least of all his mercies. If we are truly humbled, we shall not rest till peace is spoken to us from God. We shall be alarmed at our danger, and groan earnestly for deliverance. Our laughter will be turned into mourning; all that profane wit and ridicule of holy things we before allowed ourselves in, will now cut us to the heart. And we shall mourn over our ingratitude and rebellion to our blessed Redeemer; all that mirth and gaity we before delighted in, will now appear flat and insiped; none but the (crucified Jesus?) can now speak comfort unto us, and the language of our souls will be: none but Jesus Christ to me be given, none but Jesus Christ in earth and heaven.
The fast of lent which is of ancient date, was instituted in or near the Apostolic Age; and was set apart by the Church as a proper season for mortification, and the exercise of self denial to humble and afflict ourselves for our sins by frequent fastings, and to punish our too often abuse of God’s creatures by abstinence, to form and settle firm purposes of holy obedience, to pray frequently to God both in private and public for pardon, and his Holy Spirit. To put us in mind of that sore temptation and trial which Jesus Christ then endured for our sakes; particularly to perpetuate the memory of our Savior’s sufferings, and to make as it were a public confession or belief, that he died for our salvation, and consequently for fitting ourselves to recieve in the Holy Sacraments, the tokens and pledges of his love with greater joy and gladness; because with fuller assurance that God is reconciled to us through the death and passion and Jesus Christ.
And the fast which the Lord will choose is a real sorrow of the heart, expressing itself in the outward acts of mortification and self denial and indeed, that soul that is in anguish for sin, will of course mortify the body, and bring it into subjection. Again true sorrow for sin will be attended with a desire, at least to forsake it, if we fall it will be really grievous and a matter of affliction to us. It is not outward form and ceremony; it is not praying with our lips will reconcile us to God, unless our hearts accompany our tongues, and cry for mercy. You will then do well to remember that your joining in the outward form of fasting as well as any other ordinance, and making a mere shew of humility will only increase your guilt, unless ye desire your hearts should be afflicted. Beg of God to prepare you to humble yourselves before him, by setting home the Law on your consciences, by convincing you of your sinfulness and danger, and by giving you a true humility of sorow of heart. Then shall ye cry and the Lord shall answer. Then shall ye call unto him, and he will say, “Behold, here am I”.
And this brings us into the last place to consider, the happy effects of thus turning unto God.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up”.
Humility is the gate of honor. Whosoever humbleth himself shall be exalted. He that is convinced of his own weakness and inability, and cries to the Lord Jehovah for mercy, shall certainly find acceptance. He is thus wounded in order to healed. The Lord delighteth to help and save the humble soul, and to relieve those that are of a contrite heart. Those that are humbled under a sense of sin, the Lord will lift up to grace here, and glory hereafter. Beg of God my brethren to give you a true and hearty repentance. Beseech him to prepare your hearts, I can promise you in my Master’s name, that if you are really afflicted, and call upon him from the bottom of your hearts, ye shall find rest and peace to your souls. Beseech him at the same time to enlarge your hearts and affections, that ye may remember your countrymen and brethren as well as yourselves and beg of him to be merciful, and spare this guilty land. I invite you in the name of God to humble yourselves. Be afflicted and mourn and weep, and the Lord graciously grant your requests, to whom with the Son and Holy Spirit be ascribed all glory. Finis.
[Prayer]: Most gracious God we humbly beseech thee that these Colonies may ever by under the care and protection of a kind Providence, and be prospered in all their interests both spiritual and temporal; and that the Divine blessing may descend and rest upon all our rulers, and upon the Representatives of the People in their several Assemblies and Convention now or here after to be assembled; especially on the general Congress now convened by divine permission at Philadelphia, that thou wouldst be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations for the advancement of thy Glory, the good of the Church, the safety honour and welfare of our gracious Sovereign; and that they may be directed to wise and effectual measures for preserving the union and securing the just rights and privileges of the Colonies; the America may be redressed of her many grievances with the restoration of her invaded rights, and a reconciliation with the Parent State, on terms constitutional and honourable to both, and that her civil and religious privileges may be secured to the latest posterity; That (So……) peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church we humbly beg in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ Our most blessed Lord and Saviour.