Honour to departed Excellence an incitement to Virtue. not. And, I am not prepared to assert that religion has declined in the higher walks of life; I should rather say that it flourishes there, as much as it ever did. But, it is my sincere opinion, and with much concern do I avow it, that among the working classes its spirit has become lukewarm or cold, or has entirely vanished. It is, indeed, very strange that those, who most need its aids and consolations, who having little to expect in this life, should the more readily fix their hopes on the next; those to whom the Saviour of mankind particularly addressed himself, and in opening his ministry declared that he was sent to heal the broken hearted, and to preach the Gospel of peace and consolation; it is really strange, as it is deplorable, that these should be indifferent to the comforts of Christianity, satisfied to live without God in the world, and in the scantiness of their earthly portion, throw away their title to the uncorruptible, and eternal riches of Heaven. This could not be, if the tempter, who prevailed in the garden of Eden, had not a most lamentable influence among us. Honour to departed Excellence an incitement to Virtue. It is not easy to point out the causes, which may have produced this sad decay of piety. There is, however, one cause, which seems to have afforded scope and occasion for all the rest to operate. This I will shortly mention. It is the want of places for public worship. The pews in our churches are occupied either by the higher, or middle orders of the community, or by the lower classes of tradesmen. Of the last, indeed, many are excluded, unless they be content to stand in the aisles; and, if all would do this, there would even then be a deficiency of room. The numerous working population of all descriptions in the great towns are almost entirely shut out from the house of God. Here we find one source of the increase of sectarianism; here we may trace the beginning, and the chief fostering cause of the woeful contempt of religion, and of almost every thing moral as well as sacred; of the deplorable profanation of the name of God, and of the day consecrated to his service; which we witness among the labouring and indigent inhabitants of nearly all our populous districts. The increased Honour to departed Excellence an incitement to Virtue. creased earnings resulting from our late prosperity were a stimulus to this evil. The working mechanic, artizan, and manufacturer, and the servants in trade of all kinds, not finding room in the house of prayer, and being neither invited nor expected there, spent the superfluous produce of their weekly toils in sabbatical voluptuousness, turning the day, which they should have devoted to refreshing rest, the offices of religion, devout meditation, and all the service of their Maker and Redeemer, into a stated period of contemplative and active depravity, of intemperate revels, of degrading and impure licentiousness. In this place, as in others, I have observed that those, whose example should have the most influence, and who from education, and condition are best qualified to lead the majority, are becomingly attentive to the offices of religion: and, with deep regret, I have noticed in the house of prayer the absence of the greater part of the population. But to draw to a conclusion the subject before us. The duty, in which we are now engaged, is to pay a debt of gratitude to the memory Honour to departed Excellence an incitement to Virtue. memory of the lamented monarch, who has preceded us to the invisible world, where, we have good reason to hope, he is now enjoying the fruits of an upright and exemplary life. We are bound not to let these meditations pass over our minds like the fleeting shadow; but to continue them to edification; that, in the remembrance of our deceased sovereign's virtues we may dispose ourselves to copy them, with the hope of meeting him in the blessed realms, where the temporal distinctions of king and subject will be lost, and the universal church of Christ will meet together in mutual harmony and love, in subjection, praise and honour to the Lord God omnipotent, that reigneth forever and ever. With his kingly virtues, the virtues peculiar to his exalted station, we have little more to do, than to reverence and admire them. But, his benevolence, his piety, his zeal for religion, for the honour of God, and the welfare of man, his punctual discharge of the social and domestic duties, we may and ought to imitate. In thus paying due honour to the memory of Honour to departed Excellence an incitement to Virtue. of our late sovereign, we declare our approbation of the course which his present majesty has so happily begun, walking in the steps of his lamented father. And, we can give no better proof of our veneration for the memory of the late king, than by attesting our allegiance and loyalty to his son and successor. I scarcely need to remind you that wicked men have long been actively at work to overturn our laws and religion; to demolish the venerable fabric of our civil and ecclesiastical polity, the most admired, the most beautiful, and the nearest to perfection that the world ever knew. Our duty, the duty of every good man and good subject is to obey the laws, to respect and support the constituted authorities. This, I am persuaded, all who hear me will do in their practice, and with all the influence of their example and opinions. By so doing, I request you to recollect that, you will obey the will and commands of our heavenly Father; for all in lawful authority are his ministers to his honour and glory, for the good of mankind. Thus acting with the Almighty for the harmony and happiness of the world, |