Date unknown

From those words
Kings first. 9 chap[ter], 26, 27 verses
And king Solomon mad him [a] navy of ships in
Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth on the Red Sea in 
the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy, his
servants shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with
the servants of Solomon.

My August Hearers,

It ought to be the wisdom of Solomon to address such an Audience, but as we read in the second of Corinthians, 4 chap[ter], 7 verse, we have this treasure in earthern vessels. Howe er, the beauty of the passage is lost, in some degree, by our translation as you may find it is in the original Hebrew: We have this treasure as in an oyster shell, alluding to the pearl found in the oyster. And it is a very beautiful metaphor of Saint Paul’s , who was a scholar, and he wished to compare the gospel to the richest pearl for its value. And our Saviour himself is styled the pearl of great price.

Now, my hearers, as an earthen vessel, or as the shell containing the pearl, or as the weaker vessel, I am called in providence to address you this day. Therefore, supposing the wisdom of the Nation united in this august body, I have thought proper to bring into your view the wisdom of Solomon in building a Navy. I shall consider his Character in a religious, moral, civil, and political light and shall display his wisdom and make a suitable application to our own government.

We find him as soon as he is appointed king, or ruler, seeking for wisdom. We do not find him seeking for riches, honour or popularity, no; but we find him praying for an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge this thy so great people? How amiable he appears and how meek, when he says now I am a king instead of my Father David. I am but a little child. I know not how to go out, or come in. He sensibly feels the importance of his situation at the head of a great Nation. Here his wisdom is displayed in that he is not puffed up with pride and ostentation. No, but he is humble, fervent, and sincere and commits himself to the guidance and direction for Jehovah, who is wisdom. And we read at the 10 verse the thing pleased the Lord, and he gave him wisdom and an understanding heart, for which we see him making a wise improvement by his sincerity in his religious sentiments. For we find him agreeable to his Father’s wish, ready to set about building a house for to worship the only living and true God in. His father David had intended to have done it long before, and this his son knew: his Father’s heart was in the cause, but the continual wars the Israelites were engaged in prevented him from attempting to do it.

As they had no continuing city or place of refuge long enough to build a house in, so they bore about an ark, or tent, as ap lace to worship God in. And the most high God was pleased to own and bless the sincerity of David by establishing his covenant with him that his seed should be blessed. And we find the promised blessing made good to him in his son Solomon. We see this wise young man, as the first step to the happiness of his subjects, negotiating peace with all Nations, well knowing war a bane to all morality, virtue, and religion. As soon as he finds himself at peace, he sends to Hiram for materials to build a house to worship the God of his Father in, which he could not have done while in a state of anarchy, or war. What a charming instance of filial duty is here shewed to his Father David, that he not only holds his promise sacred but fulfills it in the most sacred manner by devoting himself and the cause of his people to the wisdom and direction of the infinitely wise disposer of all the events of mankind.

He is found next settling the dispute between the two Ladies respecting the Child. He must indeed have well studied the human heart and feelings so soon to determine who was the right mother by her heart’s yearning and being willing to give up her own Child rather than have it hurt. He was evidently directed by his God in the righteous decision. Tis plain he must have been habitually under the influence and direction of divine grace in all his conduct. Next, to compleat his religious Character, as soon as the house for divine worship is finished, he has it dedicated to the service of the most high God and appoints him priests, not of the lowest of the people, but of the tribe of Levi: men of good education and strict morality, such as were proper persons to go in and out before the people, and by their good life and conduct teach them every moral and religious duty.

Here we have a striking instance of his wisdom and policy in a political view, that when he was at peace with all nations, he built him a Navy — he did not raise a standing army in the time of peace, tho’, but in his great wisdom he built him a Navy, well knowing it to be the bulwark of every commercial Nation. We soon see the consequence of his having a Navy, for Hiram, who was abounding in riches, sent his servants, good seamen, to join with Solomon’s servants in navigating the vessels. And it is very plain he united with Hiram, for in the 10 chap[ter], 22 verse, we read he, the king, had a Navy at sea, that of Tharshish united with that of Hiram’s, and once in three years came the Navy of Tharshish bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom, for by his having a fleet united with Hiram his fame was wafted over the vast Atlantic. Had it not been for the spreading sails of his Navy, perhaps the queen of Sheba might never have heard of his wisdom. And we find she was a very rich princess, and I rather think a pretty artful one. For, we are further informed, she questioned him with hard questions that required the wisdom of Solomon or master mason to solve. However, he gave her satisfaction and reason to exclaim with rapture, one half of his wisdom was not told me, tho’ she came prepared to laud him with riches and honour, and she gave him an hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices and precious stones and the Navy of Hiram brought him gold form Ophir, and great plenty of Almug trees and precious stones. And besides that he had the traffick of the Merchant Men, and the traffick of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the Country, here we see his grandeur and how he rose to dignity. It was by his having a well-manned and respectable Navy, by which means he was enriched at home and respected abroad; happy, happy people who have such a wise head or ruler over them.

We, my respected hearers, have had such a ruler at the head of this Nation, whose fame with his Navy has spread over the vast Atlantic. From the south even to the north pole, from the capes of Virginia even to the Cape of Good Hope, the name of our Washington has sounded, even on the barbarous shore of Algiers, but alas, our glory has departed. The die is cast. Cesar has passed the Rubicon the very day our wise Administration under the reign of heir wise Philosopher, whose wisdom cast our Navy into dry dock, our shipping oeconomized into gunboats as coffins for our youths, and graves for the American honour. Such, such, my respected hearers, is the state and a gloomy one of our beloved Country. If there is any virtue or honour yet to be found in the head government of this nation, open your ears to the truth; hear now the voice of the prophet speaking peace. Turn then your hearts from war to the best offers for an honourable peace. We find the wisest of kings ready to negotiate for peace on honourable terms. For heaven’s sake, don’t let us have to sue for it in the rear of a ragged and defeated Army, but let us like men demand it at the lead of a victorious Navy. This, this, would be the glory of the American Constitution.

And Solomon, with all his glory was crowned with riches and honour by the respectability of his Navy. To you who talk of your internal policy and agriculture, let me ask you, What can you do with your corn, wheat, and rye, when you have raised them, and every other article called for by the belligerent powers, without commerce? Your grain must rot in your granary, your sturdy oaks must crumble down with age. Your enterprising Youth, will prove sluggards for want of proper intercourse with other Nations thro’ the medium of Commerce. Ye Southerners, how inconsistent to vote for your own destruction. Without commerce your slaves will rise for your destruction, for they tread out your corn, and cultivate your rice, and your cotton; and without exportation you cannot support the very objects of your Tyranny. To you my friends and hearty Northern Yeomanry, who cultivate your own soil and fell the stately oak, let me say you will find but a scanty meal for your fine little rugged family without the help of commerce to vend your stores of grain. Let me then remind you, my Southern and Northern friends, we are formed by Nature as mutual helps and, I wish I could say, comfort to each other tho’ our interest and views may differ as much as the climate we live in.

We ought to bear in mind, we are formed in one federal band for the joint interest of the whole body politic. And the very Name of democracy ought to be annihilated in this land, [if] it is in other terms anarchy, or many-headed monster; worse than Polyphemus with his one eye, for it has many heads, with august eyes ever open for the destruction of the very government that protects them. But a true republican government is a free and honourable one and, while there is virtue enough in the people to support it, is a happy one. Such, my hearers, is ours. We are a number of distinct republics, formed and united under one federal band for the mutual support of the whole body politic. Now can it be possible, any one Member can be so weak or wicked, as not to glory in the honourable Name and Character of being a true federal republican? No, my respected friends, when we had our Washington at our head and a Navy at sea, the federal name and Character was respected thro’ all the powers of Europe. We are now from folly, or Ignorance, in a very depressed state, but the God of our Fathers has not given us wholly up tho’ he has, for some wise purposes in providence, permitted us to be chastised with the scourge of war for our transgressions which have been many. Let me entreat this august assembly to take into view the life and conduct of the wisest of beings that we have had this day set before us. Heaven grant it may have proper influence on the hearts of you all — that you may follow the example and seek for wisdom as for hid treasure, that the influence of divine grace may direct your counsels at this important period. It is indeed a day to try men’s souls.

You must bear in mind there is an higher tribunal than I now address to whom you in high office must account for the lives of your fellow creatures who have already fallen, or may fall, should the war continue long. We don’t find Solomon trifling with the lives of his subjects. No, he is found seeking wisdom from God to direct his counsels, and what is the result? Why tis this: he negotiates a peace with all nations. In the next place he builds an house for them to worship the God of peace in, knowing it the best mode to secure the happiness of his subjects. We have had a display of his wisdom, honour, riches, and prosperity and the tender regard he had for his people at all times. And we, my hearers, may in a great measure enjoy like comfort, and happiness, if the things that belong to our peace are not hid form the eyes of our rulers. May the very God of peace open your ears and your eyes to the truth, and grant you all wisdom to go out and come in before this great people. For wherefore go we forth, except the God of our Fathers go with and bless us. May he ever dwell with our American Israel as a shield and buckler of the whole United States. May he, as in the burning bush, be a continual light to our feet and shining light to our path.

Amen.

Source: Manuscript, Mather Family Papers. American Antiquarian Society (Worcester MA). Box 12, Folder 3.

Also: Observations on the Real Rights of Women and Other Writings, by Hannah Mather Crocker, ed. Constance J. Post (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2011) pp. 19-25.