Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 7
1837-03-26
A fine day. I occupied myself until service time reading Wraxall, then attended Divine service and heard Mr. Frothingham from Acts 17. 18. “Others say, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection.” A sermon upon Easter of which this is the anniversary, the great day of Christianity, upon which the whole of our doctrine of Immortality took its rise as revealed to us in the Resurrection of the Saviour. Mr. Sullivan1 in the Afternoon from Colossians 3. 1.2. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth.” A discourse upon the same subject with less power. He finished with a quotation somewhat longer than usual of Campbell’s Pleasures of Hope.
Afternoon, read a sermon of Sterne. Luke 10. 36.37. “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell amongst the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise.” Upon philanthropy, the story of the good Samaritan. I had occasion here to observe how our tastes change. I had at some time marked this discourse as very good 213and particularly some two or three passages. They now seemed laboured and commonplace and I preferred either of the former Sermons I had read.
T. K. Davis took tea here and we had a pleasant talk. Then upon his going, with my Wife to Edward Brooks’. Conversation with him. Home at ten. Wraxall.
Perhaps Rev. Thomas Russell Sullivan; see vol. 6:287.