A Sermon Preached Before John Hancock, Senate, and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, October 25, 1780 by Samuel Cooper, First Edition, 1780

Cooper, Samuel. A Sermon Preached Before His Excellency John Hancock, Esq; Governour, the Honourable the Senate, and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, October 25, 1780. Being the Day of the Commencement of the Constitution, and Inauguration of the New Government. Commonwealth of Massachusetts: T. and J. Fleet, and J. Gill, [1780]. First Edition. 8vo. Original sewn leaves, with later plain rear wrap. Presented in a new archival cloth chemise and ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case. 

This is a first edition printing of a stirring sermon by Samuel Cooper, preached before John Hancock, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the commencement day of their Constitution.  Delivered on October 25, 1780,  on the first day of General Election under the new Constitution, Cooper’s sermon was based upon scripture, Jeremiah, chapter 30, verses 20, 21, while also extolling the virtues of liberty and the importance of governance by the people. Cooper’s sermon was printed and published later that same year by T. and J. Fleet and J. Gill, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Samuel Cooper was chosen as a speaker for this celebratory occasion due to his elevated position as pastor of the famous Brattle Street Church, which included John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock as members of its parish. He begins the sermon with Jeremiah, chapter 30, verses 20, 21 – “Their congregation shall be established before Me: and their Nobles shall be of themselves, and their Governor shall proceed from the midst of them.” In this discussion, he likens the United States to the ancient Israelites, rising from oppression and bondage, to form a government without a King, but rather “only of Nobles, men of principal character and influence, who were to be of themselves, and such as they would chuse to conduct their affairs; and a Governor, who should also proceed from the midst of them, and preside over all, cloathed with a tempered authority and dignity, not with arbitrary power, and the means of gratifying an unbounded avarice and ambition.”

He praises Hancock, John Adams, and other members of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention for their significant role in history. Cooper refers to Hancock: “whose name as President of Congress authenticates that immortal act which, in form, constitutes the Independence of these United States, and by which a nation was literally born in a day!” Copper also acknowledges the importance of such an event, as a significant turning point in history. He writes: “This, in all its circumstances, is a singular event; it is hard to tell where another such scene was ever beheld. The origin of most nations is covered with obscurity, and veiled by fiction; the rise of our own is open as it is honorable; and the newborn state, may I not be allowed to say, is a spectacle to men and angels.” 

But most importantly, Copper impresses upon the people of Massachusetts the importance of a populace cherishing its liberty and doing all that it can to help it maintain and grow: “When a people have the rare Felicity of chusing their own government, every part of it should first be weighed in the balance of reason, and nicely adjusted to the claims of liberty, equity and order; but when this is done, a warm and passionate patriotism should be added to the result of cool deliberation, to put in motion and animate the whole machine. The citizens of a free republic should reverence their constitution.” He impresses upon the his fellow citizens “by whose appointment this constitution was framed, and who have solemnly acknowledged it to be your own; it is with you to give life and vigour to all its limbs, freshness and beauty to its whole complexion; to guard it from dangers; to preserve it from the corruption that is in the world; and to produce it upon the great theatre of nations with advantage and glory. We have now a government free indeed; but after all, it remains with the people, under God, to make it an honourable and happy one.”

The Constitution of Massachusetts was drafted in 1779, approved by voters on June 15, 1780,  and ratified on October 25th, 1780. Primarily authored by John Adams, it is one of the world's oldest functioning written constitutions and was one of the most significant documents of the Revolution. The Constitution of Massachusetts served as a model for the United States Constitution, both structurally and substantively, which was written seven years later in 1787. 

CONDITION: 

Very good condition. First Edition. 8vo. Original sewn leaves, with later plain rear wrap. Spine is visibly worn with some occasional foxing and thumb-oiling in text. [ii], 1-55, [1, blank] pp. Sermon is presented in a new archival cloth chemise and ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine. REF: Evans 16753. Sabin 16603.

Booklet Dimensions: 7 1/4"H x 4 5/8"W x 3/16"D. Clamshell Dimensions: 8 9/16"H x 6"W x 1 1/8"D. 

Accompanied by our company'e letter of authenticity.