that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God." They even carried their wickedness and effrontery to the extent of" asking of God the ordinances of justice." They took an apparent "delight in approaching to God" on every occasion.

Among these external performances they were very exact in observing the appointed fasts; and since the indications of Divine displeasure continued amongst them, they raised the outcry, "Wherefore have we fasted, and thou seest not; wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest no knowledge." (Ver. 3.) The answer to this expostulation was ready, which even their own consciences might have suggested.

While they denied themselves in one respect, they indulged themselves in others; especially their pride, avarice, and malignant passions. For, at the very time when they seemed to abase themselves before God in fasting, they exacted the full measure of hard labour from their oppressed slaves, or their usurious claims from their starving debtors. Their fasting also served to increase their self-preference, and excited them to fierce controversies or bitter resentments: it was a cloak of their exactions and oppressions of the poor, whom they most unjustly smote and abused for not complying in everything with their inclinations; or they intended their fasting as the commutation and atonement for this unmerciful conduct. "Behold ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul, or rather appetite. (As the word means here and in Prov. xxvii. 7.) Can I be pleased by a man's hanging down his head as a bulrush, or if he spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of those whom you have iniquitously enslaved or imprisoned, to undo the heavy burdens, and to moderate the labours of your servants, and render their situation and services more comfortable; to cease from usurious exactions, and to let the oppressed

go free, and that ye break every yoke which you have imposed upon your needy debtors. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the outcast poor to thy house; that thou give raiment to the destitute, and hide not thine eyes from the sufferings of thy fellow-creatures? The true humiliation which I require of you is, a searching examination into your entire conduct, the confession of your sins with sincere sorrow of heart, and the immediate renunciation of them by amendent. Let the dishonest man become righteous-let the covet

ous man become charitable-let the proud become humble, and the sinner of every class turn from his transgressions, and practice the opposite virtues: and this out of a conscientious regard to the requirements of truth and duty, and from a dread of My displeasure, from whose omniscient view no outward forms can conceal a rancorous, covetous, cruel, selfish, and wicked heart!

Do this, and then you will observe the kind of fast which I have chosen, which alone I can approve, or which will be of any essential service to yourselves: and then, "shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward." (Ver. 8.)

My brethren, in this inspired message from God to the ancient Jewish people, we may behold a faithful delineation of the duties incumbent on ourselves on the present occasion: we may learn what are the dispositions and conduct which are required of us, and those errors which we ought to avoid.

You have assembled in the house of God in obedience to the appointment of our rulers, both in Church and State, and have thus given every outward evidence of your intention to comply with the whole regulation prescribed for the due observance of this day. I shall but faithfully apply the Prophet's expostulation with God's ancient people if I remind you, that while the Almighty does not prohibit, but plainly allows, the use of fasting, and which it is also our duty, upon the grounds of expediency already specified, to observe, and as also being an act of obedience to the appointment of our rulers, yet that nevertheless there is no merit in this part of the duty, although it may be made of great assistance in enabling us to consider, more deeply, our state and conduct in the sight of God, "that searcheth the hearts;" may facilitate our resolutions of amendment, as well as dispose us more earnestly to offer up our supplications on behalf of our suffering fellow subjects.

The material portion, then, of our duty on this occasion, divides itself into two parts-general and particular.

With regard first to the general duty of this day, I will not undertake to determine whether or not the failure of the crops of a particular vegetable be, or be not, a direct chastisement from Heaven, for the sins of the nation at large; but agreeably to our Lord's instruction in the Gospel for the day, I will enjoin upon you the duty of NOT inferring that the immediate sufferers from this grievous calamity are "sinners above all " their fellow subjects, because they suffer such things; and call upon you to consider and apply to yourselves, His admonition,

"I tell you, nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

No one, I trust, in this congregation, or in this empire, will yield to the absurdity of supposing that this event is a proof that our Irish or Scotch fellow-subjects are under the direct displeasure of the Almighty for their sins. We should, indeed, like the ancient Jews, only "fast for strife and debate," if we were to convert the occasion into one of fomenting or indulging vain-glory or party zeal. It is our wiser plan to look to ourselves at all times, rather than to judge our neighbours.

Let us also remember, that the calamity has in part reached our own nation, it being indeed impossible that one member of the body politic should suffer, and not all the other members suffer with it.

The immediate cause of this calamity, which is said to consist in the ravages of a well-known insect may, we trust, be obviated by the adoption of proper processes, in regard to another season: at all events, we may venture to say, that should it become the means of cautioning our fellow-subjects not to depend, so much as heretofore, upon one species of food, to the comparative neglect of others—should the charity evinced by England at this juncture, be the means of cementing the political dissensions in our sister country of Ireland, and of displaying the beneficient influence of our religion, upon ourselves should the present failure of food become the motive to a more general employment of the great natural resources of Ireland, and give the long desired impetus to industry, improvement, and the residence of the nobility and gentry then, this visitation may become the mysterious means in the hand of Providence of benefitting that people, and of extricating their condition from those social evils which have hitherto baffled the skill of their well-wishers and best advisers.

I confess that I look forward myself to these results with hope, and trust that we may soon behold in the event another illustration of the great law of the divine proceedings to bring good out of evil. In the mean time, it never can have other than a good effect upon ourselves at least, to unite in our prayers that God would be pleased to hasten this happy consummation. The devotional duties of this day tend to soften our feelings, to check us in the head-long career of worldlymindedness, to awaken our sympathies, and, above all, to direct our thoughts to the subject of our own personal unworthiness, and entire dependence on the divine bounty.

With regard to our national sins, to which the occasion also

directs our attention, I trust that, although there is no doubt much to be amended in all ranks of society, yet that our collective condition is such as not to call for unmeasured regret. The state and prospects of the nation at large are rather pleasing than otherwise. No storm lowers in the political horizon; the laws are undergoing a sound and progressive amelioration; trade and commerce are increasing; and certainly the immense sums already raised and sent for the relief of the sufferers in Ireland, from this country alone amounting to more than £135,000, demonstrate the existence of an undeniable philanthropy in the public mind, which has prompted this supply in the very midst of political causes which, had that good feeling been less, might have operated to produce a less pleasing result.

At the same time the nation collectively is chargeable with one sin at least, which is a just cause for both regret and apprehension; I mean that blind and infatuated "love of money," and desire of gain, which pervades all classes and all stations among us. Money is at this moment the general idol of the English nation. We have no respect for any object or for any persons, which is not measured by the standard of pecuniary value. Hence arise frauds, oppressions, contempt for the poor, indifference to equals, and a sordid adulation of every one else richer than ourselves; and solely because they are richer. This disposition, which is perhaps peculiar to us as a great commercial nation, has in times past received serious rebukes, and will most likely be again chastised, sooner or later, in a still greater proportion. Let us each one ask himself how far we have imbibed this popular infatuation; and remember that other things besides money are worthy of our respect and regard; and that in a few years, it may be days, or even hours, death and judgment will awake us from this pernicious delusion. The eye of the Almighty sees now no distinction among us but that of sin or holiness; and very shortly we shall find, to our everlasting experience, that none other is now of any real value to ourselves.

Our unhappy dissensions of a religious nature will, we may hope, be as shortlived as the cause of them are, in themselves, trifling in comparison with the great ends of piety and virtue. Charity and good sense, are the best cure for the differences arising from such causes; and it is to be hoped that we shall all ultimately perceive that peace and unanimity, as far as the present state of human nature will admit, are too valuable to be wilfully endangered for the sake of any minor consideration. But I have said that the duties of this day are particular as well

as general. With regard, then, to our personal concerns in these duties we may well call to mind that the best method of promoting the national amendment is, to amend ourselves. Let us, therefore, seriously ask each one of his own conscience, is the course I am now pursuing such as I shall wish it to have been when I shall have arrived at its close? Soon shall I be made to feel the full weight of the Saviour's admonition, “What shall a man give in exchange for his own soul?" Do I neglect any part of my duties which I both could and ought to perform, whether in regard to faith or practice? What are the particular sins of thought, word, or deed, which I have not yet renounced? What are the virtues in which I am yet deficient?

If such a system of self-examination be pursued by us this day in the intervals of public worship, and be accompanied with secret prayer and drawing nigh to God in genuine humility of soul, and be followed by a future rectification of our conduct, then we shall have observed the fast which the Lord hath chosen; our own everlasting welfare will have been promoted, and our united prayers already offered, and now to be further continued on behalf of ourselves and our suffering fellowsubjects, will not have been presented in vain.

Should such have been the happy result of this occasion we may hope, by the divine mercy, through the Saviour Jesus Christ, both as a nation and as individuals, to partake in the fulfilment of the conditional promise appended to the text :— "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward." Allow me, in conclusion, to remind you, that almsgiving is an essential part of the duties pointed out by the inspired Prophet in the text, who mentions, as one particular distinction of the fast which the Lord hath chosen, that we "deal out our bread to the hungry," bring the outcast poor to our houses, clothe the destitute, and hide not ourselves from the wants and privations of our fellow-creatures. An opportunity will now be afforded you för performing this portion of duty by your contributions to the relief of the sick and distressed poor of our own locality.

P. P. THOMS, PRINTER, 12, WARWICK SQUARE.