Seder

Yesterday, Good Friday, we had a Seder to remember what the passover was like. We did one like they did between Christ and the fall of the temple. The early Christians probably practiced passover until the fall of the temple. We had some families from church, the Breagys, the Pechins, and the Watsons, over to celebrate it with us. The bitter herbs made some people make faces:
We did not start the seder until 7:00 and started dinner at about 9:00 and it was over by about 10:00. We did 3 responsive readings, and drank 4 cups of grape juice (they were not full cups.) There was a lot of symbolism of Jesus in the seder even before he was alive. The sater plate had a boiled egg, parsley, salt water, bitter herb, mortar, and a lamb shank (we used a chicken bone; It was all we had.)
We dipped the parsley in the saltwater to represent us being redeemed through suffering. The parsley represents the hyssop used to sprinkle blood on the doorposts and our new life in Christ. The saltwater represents tears. The mortar represents the bricks made while in bondage in Egypt. It was one of the good foods to eat on the seder plate. The bitter herbs represent Christ's suffering on the cross.

We started the seder by having all the children look for leaven in the house, which represents removing sin from our house. Then Daddy hid the middle piece of matzah, which represented Jesus being hidden in the tomb. At the end of the seder, the children had to search for it, and Jeremy Watson found it with a little help from Mr. Breagy, which represents those who seek for Christ find Him. We also set a place for Elijah and opened the door for him to arrive, since scripture said that Elijah must return before the Messiah would come. We know Jesus said he has already come in John the Baptist.

I enjoyed the feast and learning how the passover pointed to Christ - and getting to drink lots of grape juice.

Alexander Hamilton Research Paper

I just finished my first research paper called, How God used Alexander Hamilton in Early America. It is for a Constitutional Law course by Dr. Paul Jehle that my father and I are doing on our drive to work. Alexander Hamilton is most known for writing the Federalist Papers, establishing the National Bank, and fighting a duel with Arron Burr.


Here are some of the books I read for it:

• The Federalist Papers
• Alexander Hamilton: American

Here is a part of my paper:

"After the Constitution was approved by the delegates, it still had to be approved by the states. This is where Alexander Hamilton played his greatest part for the Constitution He, together with James Madison and John Jay, wrote 85 essays to defend the Constitution. They went phase by phase and defeated the arguments of the anti-federalists. They wrote collectively under the name Publius, a Roman who established the Roman republic. They were written "To the People of the State of New York",¹ and were published in several different New York newspapers. They were not just read in New York, though that was the place that they played the largest role. Hamilton started them, and asked Madison and Jay to help. Jay did not write many, because he fell sick.

Hamilton states what he planed to write about in No. 1:

"I propose in a series of papers to discuss the following interesting particulars – Then utility of the UNION to your political prosperity---The insufficiency of the present Confederation to preserve that Union---The necessity of a government at least equally energetic with the one proposed to the attainment of the object---The conformity of the proposed constitution to the true principles of republican government---Its analogy to your own state constitutions---and lastly, The additional security, which its adoption will afford to the preservation of that species of government, it liberty and it property.

In the progress of this discussion I shall endeavor to give a satisfactory answer to all the objections which shall have made their appearance that may seem to have any claim to your attention."²

Why did Hamilton write the Federalist papers? He believed it would be best for the people. He says, "I have had my eye, my fellows citizens, to putting you upon guard against all attempts, from whatever quarter, it influence your decision in a matter of the utmost moment to you welfare, by any impressions other than those which may result from the evidence of truth. ... Yes, my countrymen, I own to you that, after having given it an attentive consideration, I am clearly of the opinion it is your interest to adopt it. I am convinced that this is the safest course for you liberty, you dignity, and your happiness."³ As he said himself, Hamilton thought that this was the best path, so he attempted to convince them to take it.

At the Poughkeepsie convention, the delegates from all over New York met to vote on the ratification of the Constitution, and there Hamilton played a predominate role. "Hamilton was at the head of a compact, like-minded, and beleaguered minority, like defense lawyers sitting at the same table. ... He gave [many speeches] day after day. The other side might win, but not until after he had shown them that they were wrong."⁴ One delegate said that "[Hamilton] changed votes ... and when party lines are drawn there is nothing so rare."⁵ He had an influence on the ratification of the Constitution in New York, and also had an influence through the Federalist Papers on New Hampshire and Virgina. What Hamilton did for the ratification of the Constitution was more influential than what he did in the Constitutional Convention towards writing it.

1 Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay The Federalist: A commentary on the Constitution of the United States being a Collection of Essays written in Support of the Constitution agreed upon September 17, 1787, by the Federal Convention (Birmingham, AL: Palladium Press, 2000) no 1, p. 3

2Ibid, pp. 6-7

3Ibid p. 6

4Alexander Hamilton, American p. 73

5As quoted in Ibid, p. 74"

If you are interested in reading the full paper, please email me (hornj@datatek-net.com). Or click here to download as an odt.