governs the earth;" and especially the sincere Christian, will recognize in the afflicting prodigies of the age, the hand of the Most High,

That the good or evil destinies of nations, are often the retributory appointments of divine justice or bounty, no man who believes in the scriptures can doubt: "Ą "fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickedness of "them that dwell therein." A thousand passages in holy writ might be cited to the same effect; as well asmultitudes of examples there recorded of public calamities, which were expressly imposed as punishments for national sins.

What indeed can be more consonant to our views of the divine government, whether derived from revealed or natural religion, than such retributory justice? Kingdoms have no world to come; communities of men will not, as such, stand collectively, before the judgment seat of Christ. If then, it pleases the Almighty in his temporal providence, often to punish and reward in a remarkable manner, the vices and virtues of individuals; we may reason from analogy (that best natural interpreter of the unseen works of God) to the probability that Nations, will sometimes be made to illustrate in the same way, his justice, power, and mercy.

It would be easy to shew, that there is in fact a close analogy in what is called the ordinary course of providence, between the divine government of states, and of private persons. Their virtues equally tend to prosperity and long life; their vices to misery and dissolution. If the decline and fall of nations may generally be dated from the period of their highest attain.

ments in arts and luxury, that is also the period of their most heinous offences against God; and however opposite the proposition may be to ordinary notions, their most cruel sins against man also. But I must abstain at present from abstract discussions like these; and rely, as it is right to do in such cases, on the express testimony of inspiration.

In the particular case in question, I might fortify my remarks if necessary, by the authority of our national church. We have been repeatedly enjoined, on days of fasting and humiliation, to acknowledge that the calamities and dangers of the times, are appointments of divine providence, on account of our national sins. The rulers of our Church, have not indeed attempted to point out to us the particular offences which call for reformation. Spiritual admonition from the pulpit, is in the present age, of a general kind. But it is not less the right and the duty of individuals, to give a particular and practical application to these pious reproofs. It is obvious that a distinct conception of our sins, whether private or public, must be a necessary prelude to a sincere and efficacious repentance.

We have no prophet to declare to us the causes of the displeasure of heaven; but conscience may enable ús to discover them; and if we fairly apply the examples and the declarations contained in the holy scriptures, to the case in question, we shall inquire in the proper way for its solution; and with a well-founded hope of success.

What can be more suitable to every exalted conception of the divine nature, than the causes which are most frequently assigned in scripture for the chastise

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ment of sinful nations? They are, for the most part, the sins of oppression, injustice, and violence towards the poor and helpless; and the shedding of innocent blood. The offence of idolatry itself among the choIsen people, was not more frequently denounced than these; nor more severely punished.

The passages of scripture which might be cited to this effect are numberless; and it is perhaps only weakening the eneral effect of the remark, to adduce examples of them. Yet for the satisfaction of those who are not sufficiently conversant with the Bible, I offer a few in the annexed note.*

The Almighty declared himself offended even with those solemn Fasts, which were intended to avert his indignation, while oppression was unreformed. "Is it "such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to "afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bul

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rush, and to spread sackcloth under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? "Is not this the fast that I have chosen ; to loose the "bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, "and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke ?"

દ

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Not less clear to the same effect, are the exhortations of the prophet Jeremiah. "Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand "of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence to "the stranger, and the fatherless, nor the widow, "neither shed innocent blood."

ye

down trees

* "For thus hath the Lord of Hosts said: Hew, "and cast a mount against Jerusalem. This is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her; violence

These, however, and a thousand such admonitions were slighted by the offending people; and what was the effect? An invading sword was sent through the guilty land, its throne and its altars were overturned, and its surviving inhabitants, were dragged away by a merciless. conqueror, to groan in their turn under oppression, and to illustrate in a miserable captivity, the retaliating justice of God.

Were we, with such scriptural precedents and explanations of the ways of the Almighty before us, to search for the causes of the apparent displeasure of

and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and "wounds." Jeremiah vi. 6, 7.

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"Make a chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence: Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses." Ezekiel vii. 23-4. "Therefore thus saith the Lord Ye have not hearkened unto "me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother, and every "man to his neighbour: behold I proclaim a liberty for you, saith "the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and "I will make you to be removed with all the kingdoms of the "earth." Jeremiah xxxiv. 17.

"The children also of Judah, and the children of Jerusalem, have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from "their border." “Behold, I will raise them up out of the place

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whither ye have sold them; and will return your recompence r upon your own, head." " And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall "sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it," Joel iii, 6, 7-8.

"Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein." Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil." "Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by

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Heaven; it would be natural to turn our eyes towards the Slave trade, on account of the specific character of the guilt which it involves; even if its enormous magnitude, did not pre-eminently challenge attention. If rapine, oppression, violence to the poor, the stranger, and the destitute, dishonest gain, and the effusion of innocent blood, be put in inquest against England, where will they be found but in the Slave trade; except indeed in its associated iniquity, the dreadful slavery of our colonies?

I know there are many who suppose us to be merciless oppressors in the East Indies, as well as the West, But if the suspicion be applied to our treatment of the

"cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul,"

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it." "Wo to him that buildeth a town "with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity." Habakkuk ii. 8-12.

"The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised "robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea they have op

pressed the stranger wrongfully." "Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them, I have consumed them with "the fire of my wrath; their own way have Irecompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord." Ezekiel xxii. 29-31.

"Behold therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee." Ezekiel xxii. 13.

"By the multitude of thy merchandize they have filled the 1 midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore Į will destroy thee." "Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the "multitude of thy iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic: there"fore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall de"vour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth, &c. ❝ and thou shall be a terror, and never shall thou be any moge. Ezekiel xxviii. 18, 19.

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