He beholdeth a great people, much degenerated, and daily more and more degenerating, from that noble simplicity and manly integrity which characterized the manners of their venerable ancestors; depraving their minds by the adoption of bad principles, enfeebling their bodies by vice and effeminacy, squandering their fortunes at the gaming table, and then by an act of violence, in the rage and fury of despair, rushing forth to meet their Judge.

He beholdeth that virtue which constitutes the excellency and dignity of the other sex, which is to it protection and ornament, a robe and a diadem, in danger of being totally laid aside, while the courts are crowded with trials for conjugal infidelity.

He beholdeth an enormous and senseless luxury, still increasing with the distresses of the times, accompanied by a dissipation depriving its votaries of attention to all that is wise, and great, and good.

He beholdeth his ordinances neglected; his sabbaths profaned; his sacraments disparaged; his temple forsaken; his ministers despised; his religion torn in pieces by contending sects, while there seems to be scarcely enough of it for each of them to take a little; the infidel openly reviling, or covertly mocking; the faith once delivered to the saints deserted for the dregs of Socinianism; a set of men styling themselves philosophers, wantoning in the parodoxical absurdities of scepticism, leaving us, between them, neither matter nor spirit, neither body nor soul, and doing their best endeavours, in their lives and after their deaths, to render us a nation literally "without God in the world."

I would not designedly aggravate and I esteem it my bounden duty on this day not to extenuateI fear you acknowledge the leading features of the times to be drawn from life.

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And is it matter of wonder-is it matter of offence, that a day should be appointed, by royal proclamation, "for a general FAST and humiliation " before Almighty God, to be observed in the most "devout and solemn manner, by sending up our prayers and supplications to the divine Majesty, " for obtaining pardon for our sins, and for averting those heavy judgments which our manifold provocations have so justly deserved!" Is it matter of wonder, that we should be punished by the revolt of our provinces? That we should meet with so many crosses, and find so many difficulties, in reducing them? That well-appointed armies, under able generals, should, for so long a time together, have done nothing, or worse than nothing? That the common enemies should seize the opportunity? That their fleets should overspread the ocean, and appear upon our coasts with the vauntings of Egypt-"I will pursue, I "will overtake, I will divide the spoil?"—That we should be left alone in the contest, while the nations around us stand still in silent amazement, waiting the event? Waste not the time in fruitless complaints of this misfortune or that accident, this minister or that commander; but lay the blame where it is due, upon national wickedness, which has called down national calamities.

But we are still preserved, and preserved, we trust, for a happy deliverance at last out of all our

troubles. At the critical moment of our humiliation, when the conviction was rendered complete, that "we could not trust in our bow, it was not

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our sword that could help us," the destroying angel went forth, and swept away the flower and strength of the adverse navy by sickness. The insolence of the enemy in another quarter has been since repressed by the cool and determined valour of our countrymen. The storm, that seemed to be gathered, and ready to burst forth in a neighbouring kingdom, is passed over, and gone; the time of rejoicing is there come, and the cheerful voices of gratitude and industry resound on every side. Nor doubt we, but that the little temporary uneasiness and disquietudes here, those clouds in our English atmosphere, will, ere long, by the same prudential and salutary councils, be dispersed, and serenity and tranquillity restored among us.

Let the prodigal then return unto his heavenly Father, and he will receive him. Let us take with us words, and turn to the Lord our God. Let us confess his power, adore his goodness, and entreat his mercy; let us revere his word, observe his sabbaths, attend his ordinances, and partake his sacraments: let our faith be blameless, and produce its proper fruits, righteousness and holiness, temperance and purity, patience and resignation, self-knowledge and self-government; let wisdom and seriousness once more be the glory of Englishmen, and folly and vanity fly away-to the place from whence they came.

One thing is yet behind-and, oh that my voice could reach the remotest corners of the land, to

proclaim to all its inhabitants the wishes of Britain, that her children would dwell together in unity; that they would not employ their shining talents and extensive attainments, merely in thwarting each other; that they would not revive old jealousies and animosities, or sow new ones; that they would abolish enmity, and strain every nerve in the prosecution of this only contention-who shall stand first, and do most service in the cause of their king and their country.

Such is the nature of the reformation to be desired. Blessed are the eyes that shall see it; but still more blessed the hands that shall have contributed to effect it! Viewed in the aggregate, it may seem difficult-it may seem impossible. But let us divide the task among us, and it will become easy. Let each of us undertake for ONE, and let us begin TO-DAY. "Then will the Lord be gra"cious to his inheritance, as in the ancient days, "in the generations of old; the Lord will make "our way prosperous, and we shall have good "success" we have had some-we shall have more" the Lord will give STRENGTH unto his "people; the Lord will give his people the blessing of PEACE."

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DISCOURSE LXVIII.

A FAST SERMON.

ISAIAH XXVI. 9.

When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

IN that part of Isaiah's prophecy which is comprehended between the thirteenth and twenty-third chapters inclusively, the fate of several cities and countries is denounced. Stationed for the purpose, by divine command, in his watch-tower on mount Sion, and from thence casting his eye over the different states and empires in that part of the globe, the prophet is made to behold, in vision, the judgments of the Almighty prepared for them. He sees the mighty tempest sailing, in an awful manner, around the horizon, and falling successively, as the transgressions of each called it down, on Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, and Tyre. At length, as there is no respect of persons with God, he perceives the storm approaching Judea itself, and the whole weight of the divine displeasure impending on the chosen people for their wickedness and apostasy. The desolation induced thereby on the holy land makes