fide? Inftead of any genuine public spirit, a proud and factious endeavour to disgrace each other's meafures and wreft the enfigns of government out of each other's hands. How numerous and expenfive, but how ufelefs and inactive have been our fleets and armies? And how deplorable is the condition of our colonies abroad? They are the chief theatre of the war, because, indeed, they are the fubject of the conteft. And surely it is affecting to think of the unnatural barbarity and cruelty that there is often exercised, when no age or fex is fpared. It is true, the distance of the place may probably make us lefs fenfible of their mifery. But, if it pleafe God to fuffer cur enemies to continue their progress, it is hard to fay how far the defolation may extend, or how univerfal it may prove.

Are we not alfo in a very low and fallen ftate as a church, or a nation, fill retaining fome profeffion and form of religion? This will be found to correspond with the other, as the cause with the effect. How have all ranks, from the higheft to the lowest, corrupted their ways? How grofs and prevalent is infidelity, undermining the principles of natural, with the fame zeal and eagerness, with which it formerly endeavoured to weaken the foundations of revealed religion? How many of high rank have wholly deferted the house and worship of God, nay, openly

and

and boldly treat his fervice and fervants with contempt? How often do we obferve fuch, with a criminal and infolent felf-contradiction, trample upon the very laws against profanenefs which they contribute to make? And, with how much zeal and diligence does the lower part of the nation emulate the higher, in that which is the reproach of both? So great is the prevalence of irreligion, contempt of God, fenfuality and pride,. that many of the groffeft crimes are not only practifed but profeffed, not only frequent but open, not only perfifted in but gloried in and boasted of: infomuch, that it requires no fmall degree of fortitude and refolution, ftedfastly to adhere to the principles and character of a difciple of Chrift, in oppofition to the fpirit and ftrain of fashionable converfation.

It is not, indeed, to be wondered at, that not only this nation, but the proteftant ftates of Europe in general fhould be brought under the rod,. as they have fo fhamefully departed from that purity of faith and strictness of morals which was the glory of the reformation. How many have of late been afhamed of the crofs of Chrift, and the doctrine of the grace of God? And what hath been fubftituted in their room? A pliant and fashionable fcheme of religion, a fine theory of virtue and morality. A beautiful but unfubftantial idol, raised by human pride, adorned and N 6 dreffed

dreffed by human art, and fupported by the wifdom of words. And hath it not, in this, as in every preceding age, in this, as in every other Christian country, wherever it gained any credit, been the fore-runner and brought faft at its heels a deluge of profanenefs and immorality in practice? Can any of thefe things be called in queftion? And are not they, as well as many more which might easily be enumerated, the melancholy proofs of our degenerate and corrupt character?

In the fecond place. From what hath been faid you may fee what wrong measures we have hitherto taken for removing thefe evils, fo far as we have been fenfible of them. Our gracious fovereign hath, indeed, been pleafed to point out our duty, by calling us annually to fafting and humiliation. But with the far greater number it hath been no more than an unmeaning and lifeless form and they have continued ftill in the fame forgetfulness and contempt of God. You have heard above that nothing is more contrary to the genuine fpirit of interceflory prayer in public calamity, than putting truft in an arm of flesh. And yet, is there any thing with which this nation is at prefent more juftly chargeable? Nothing is more apparent from the very face of our common channels of intelligence. In the cafe of dif appointments, on the one hand, are we not ungovernable and head ftrong in our refentment

against

against men? and equally foolish and fanguine on the other, in our hopes of those who are fubftituted in their place? We give pompous details of armaments, and prophefy, nay, even in a manner describe their victories, long before the season of action; and incautiously celebrate the characters of leaders, while they are only putting on the harness, and going into the field. What proud and arrogant fentiments do we often exprefs on the fubject of our national courage, and ancient British fire, as it is called? In fhort, we feem to have got entirely into that vain-glorious, oftentatious fyftem, with which we used to upbraid our neighbour and rival nation; and they feem to have given it up in our favour, and to have adopted the wifer and more profitable method of putting deeds for words.

And how negligent have we been of promoting, or praying for the intereft of religion? You have heard, that when the arm of the Lord puts on ftrength, it must be to appoint falvation for walls and bulwarks to a people. But how few difcover any concern upon this subject? The want of public fpirit, in those who retain any fenfe of reJigion, is an evidence of its low and languishing ftate. When it is lively, it will always be communicative. Love to God and love to man, the two great branches of practical religion, neceffarily imply a concern for its progrefs. And yet,

fo

fo rare is any thing of this kind, that when it appears as a fort of prodigy, it is looked upon, by most, as romance and extravagance. Let experience tell, if this is not often the cafe. When any one appears, in imitation of the Scripture faints, to grieve for the fins of others, or difcovers any more than ordinary concern for their reformation, are not all his endeavours immediately refifted and refented as troublesome, or branded with every name of contempt, as vifionary frenzy and enthufiafm?

In the third place. From what hath been faid on this fubject, you may learn what ought to be the great aim of every ferious and fenfible Chrifsian among us, at prefent in his interceffion at the throne of grace, viz. That the power of the Almighty may appear in behalf of this nation, in fuch a manner, as all may be obliged to fay, "This is the doing of the Lord.” That, as he ufeth to do on extraordinary occafions, he may raise up inftruments for this purpose, who may be as polifhed fhafts in his own hand, and may have a fingle eye to his own glory. That, not for our fakes, who have deferved to be caft off for ever, but for his own name's fake, he would fupport those who ftill adhere to the proteftant caufe. And, in a particular manner, for this end, that he would difcover his power and glory in an eminent and remarkable revival of religion among

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