to the state of our mortality here. I am full of doubts but this reflection shall end them

"The eternal God has placed mankind in a state

He has enjoined them a them to earn their bread

of suffering and trial here. course of virtue, and called by the sweat of their brow. Care and toil, therefore, must be the mortal lot; and if, in any case, their iniquities are become so general as to expose them to public chastisement from the hand of their gracious father, their return to him must be as public as their transgression has been. Now, since every individual has added to the sum of guilt, so every individual is bound to join in the stated and solemn acts of humiliation, confession, repentance and amendment. And, when this is done in simplicity of heart, and in the fervour of holiness, we need not doubt of its being heard before the throne of grace and goodness. For if we search nature through, we shall not, perhaps, find a spectacle more acceptable to the divine benevolence, than a whole society of human creatures, prostrated in the deepest sense of guilt, humbled under their maker's rod, crying aloud for mercy and pardon through the Redeemer, and firmly purposed to depart from all future iniquity. One dissenting or peevish voice, on such an occasion, like a jarring string in some well-tuned instrument, would be a disgrace to the whole, an abomination in the sight of God, and all his holy angels.

"But though the bulk of mankind be thus necessarily engaged in the cares of the world, and can only spare particular times and seasons for their more solemn acts of devotion; yet the wisdom of Provi-.

dence may perhaps indulge a few in the privilege of withdrawing themselves from its busy scenes, in order to pursue a purer sort of intercourse with the Father of Spirits, in the retirements of the grove, by brooks and consecrated founts; provided they find their frame of soul thereby improved, and are ever ready to promote the good of their species in their appointed spheres.

"Here, then I rest-I will adhere to the plan of life, so long ago begun. Every day shall be to me a day of humiliation and prayer; and when my fellow citizens are called, in a more particular manner, to humble themselves before the living God, I will be amongst the humblest of those who are humble. My pride shall never whisper to me lessons of superior righteousness, nor bid me be silent when human follies and human transgressions are the theme. I will first bewail my own follies and then those of my country with the most fervent sorrow-This is a day set apart for such sorrow-Wherefore, O heavenly father! Hear the cries of thy returning servants every where, and hear mine who am less than the least of all. The power of thy glory has often shone illustrious in behalf of the Protestant cause, and it will yet shine to the remotest parts of the earth.

"When our mother land of Great-Britain had but just shaken off the yoke of spiritual bondage, and established the religion of Jesus in its native purity, reformed from Popish error and superstition, a bloody design was hatched by our inveterate foes to extinguish our name and religion together. Their vast Armada sailed exultant before the gale. It covered

the whole ocean. It approached the coast of GreatBritain; and, in the pride of their heart, they said, "what shall resist our power?" The eternal God, who dwells in heaven, the protector of the just, heard and saw them. He laughed their devices to scorn. Obedient to his nod, his servant-seas and winds rose and raged. The proud hopes of the enemy were brought low, and all their stately castles, erewhile that rode so triumphantly on the watery surface, were now dispersed before the breath of the Almighty, or whelmed to the bottom in the midst of his fury, as a stone that is dropped from the hand. In the sight of Britain this deliverance was wrought. Our fathers, from the shore, stood and beheld it. Their praises and shouts of triumph ascended to the skies. The God of victory was their theme. Him they adored, and Him they left it in charge for their children to adore, unto the latest generations.

"The next attempt against our Protestant faith was laid deep as hell, and dark as the grave. In the bowels of the earth a mine was placed with a view to blow up both houses of parliament, and destroy at once the whole hopes and strength of our blessed reformation. But the all-seeing eye of God dragged the conspirators to light and deserved vengeance; thereby working a second deliverance as great as the former.

"Since that time, many repeated attempts have been made to divide us from ourselves, and delude the unthinking multitude by means of a Popish abjured pretender; but the Lord has rendered these as vain as all the others.

"Thus defeated every where in the parent-land of protestantism and liberty, our inveterate foes are making their last desperate push against our holy establishment, civil and religious, in these remote parts of the globe-But we trust in that same power which has appeared so signally for our fathers. Thou, O God! shall be our trust; who hast purposed, through us, to extend thy saving knowledge to the uttermost parts of the earth. Thou, even thou, wilt be our protector against savage and popish foes, and this American world also shall behold thy salvation, the work of thy hand for the people whom thou hast chosen as thy heritage; and to thy name shall the glory be given forever and forever."

THE HERMIT, No. VII.

SEPTEMBER, 1758.

I HAVE GIRDED THEE, THOUGH THOU HAST NOT KNOWN ME.

ISAIAH.

IN the course of my reflections upon human

life, nothing has more frequently been matter of astonishment to me, than the heedlessness and inattention of man, with regard to the workings of Providence, and the gifts of grace. The frailty and dependance of our nature must necessarily appear to us in every pulse of life; and yet how seldom are we led to ascribe that glory to God which is due to his

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exalted name? Not only in lesser matters, but even in the more signal dealings of Almighty Providence, we remain, as it were, blind, deaf and dumb; without marking the hand that executes, or adoring the wisdom that contrives, so many gracious schemes for human felicity!

In this, we seem even inferior to the ancient heathens, who were so sensible that every good gift and valuable qualification came from on high, that they always ascribed them, under one name or another, to some superior Being, or tutelar God. The fire of poetic genius, according to them, came from Apollo. The power of eloquence was from Minerva and Mercury. They were dazzled with the gifts, though their ideas of the donor, the one eternal true God, were groveling and gross.

As for us who enjoy the light of the Gospel, and are in so many ways called to acknowledge the divine grace and goodness, we remain inexcusable if we ascribe not the glory,, to that Being to whom all glory is due. Of the truth of this we shall be fully convinced if we reflect ever so little on what the Almighty has done, and is yet doing, for us, of his rich and free Grace.

God, at sundry times and in divers manners, spake to the fathers of old; and in these last days hath spoken to us by his son Jesus Christ, as saith the apostle. He hath from age to age raised up prophets and instructors, inspired by a superior measure of his holy spirit, to admonish, reclaim and spread abroad saving knowledge among the nations; and has