mands," then fhalt thou delight thyfelf in the

Lord, in his faving power and goodness. I "will caute thee to ride on the high places of "the earth," out of the reach of thine enemies; "and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy "father;" preferve to thee inviolate the privileges of thy native foil; nor is this affurance to be doubted, for the "mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." "The Lord knoweth how to de"liver the godly," faith the Apoftle, "out of "temptation," however fevere; "to guide them ແ fafely in the moft rugged or intricate paths of "life, and the darkest night of adverfity;" to keep them from all their enemies, whether temporal or fpiritual; to render the clofe of life ferene, if not profperous; to lodge them at length within the walls of the heavenly Jerufalem; to make them partakers of that triumphant ftate of his Church, of which it is exprefsly faid, that, however toffed with tempefts and afflicted below, "the gates of hell fhall not "prevail against it" finally, nor any weapon formed against it profper.

The righteous monarch and his people in the cafe before us, believed the divine declarations, and were not confounded. It came to pass that the very night after Ifaiah had fent the confolatory reply, that the angel of God fmote the Affyrian army with a peftilential blaft, or fome

other

other fudden and fatal judgment; fo that at the hour of uprifing, early in the morning, this late mighty host were all dead corpfes. An event recorded by Herodotus, the Father of Pagan hiftorians, though afcribed to a different and much lefs probable caufe. While Sennacherib alarmed for his own fafety, at this unexpected difafter, and by the rumoured approach of a new antagonist, in Tirhakah, an Ethiopian or Arabian prince, haftened to his capital Nineveh : but the vengeance of Heaven purfued him. Having filled up the measure of his iniquity, while worshipping his God in an idolatrous temple, he fell by the hands of his own fons, who had confpired against him.

You will, I doubt not, my beloved friends, have anticipated me in applying this memorable interpofition of the Almighty in behalf of his ancient people, to the prefent fituation of this united kingdom. We too are menaced and infulted by a haughty and implacable foe, who would fain fwallow us up quickly, so wrathfully is he displeased at us, for that we alone among the nations, (fo hath Providence diftinguished this ifland, fo bleffed the efforts of our fleets and armies) have been found to withstand his deftructive progrefs; and to fay, not only in Europe, but in the Afiatic and African quarters of the globe," hitherto fhalt thou come and no

"further,

8

"further, and here fhall thy proud waves be "ftopped." We too have made our conceffions from the defire of peace: and, while the treaty is figning, which is to fecure the freedom of the neighbouring states, (like another Sennacherib) he not only forms, but actually executes a plan for their completer fubjugation; and befides other acts of aggreffion and injuftice, profeffedly meditates a fecond attempt, by the conqueft of Egypt, to ruin our commerce and empire. Happily the plan was unfolded before we had entirely difarmed, or given up every fecurity. From an infidious ally, he becomes an open affailant, and the matter is brought to a fhort iffue: viz. Whether he fhall afcend our Lebanons, and cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof? Whether the british oaks fhall recruit a hoftile navy, and ferve to enslave the foil on which they grow? Whether the fruits of British industry and genius are to recruit the ruined finances of our rival, and our youth be hurried from the enjoyments or fervice. of their country, to fight his battles, and fubdue the reft of the world? Whether we are to people the deferts of Guiana, while our families become the prey of a cruel and licentious army; or whether we shall indeed eat every man of his own vine, and of his own fig tree, and drink every man the waters of his own ciftern? Whether we shall be governed and protected by laws,

which

!

23

which fuffer the guilty to escape, rather than unwittingly punish the guilty; or, by the decrees ofcens. a merciless tyrant, with whom the life of others is of no value, the verdict of a jury and the deliberations of a legislative body a folemn farce, and the liberty of the fubject an empty name? The question is decided. The nation hath rifen as one man. One fentiment pervades every rank and defcription of perfons. And the voice of a united, an armed, and a loyal people, is, "We will not furrender all that renders life: defirable, but with life itself."

We too, can happily fay, and they are not
vain words, that we have counfel and ftrength
for the war.
And yet while those whofe depart-
ment it is, are ftraining every nerve to carry the
general refolve into execution, and to direct the
national force and spirit in the most effectual man-
ner; our pious Sovereign, aware that "except
"the Lord keep the city, the centinel waketh but

in vain;" hath, as behoved him, called upon us to humble ourselves before the Majefty of heaven, for thofe manifold provocations, by which as a people, we have abused his patience and long-fuffering; and which alone can be to us a juft occafion of fear. And it is my duty to warn, to exhort, to conjure you by the love of your country, by every thing dear to you and valuable in it, to renounce, to oppose, and in the

divine

divine strength to fubdue those worst of enemies, which alone can deprive us of his fupport, againft which alone we cannot ftand; our evil habits and propenfities, however pleafing and natural they may appear; every thing in thought, word and deed, which confcience and the word of God tell us is contrary to his will. Without fuch a conqueft, whatever may be our external condition, there can be no peace within, no real fortitude in the day of calamity, no happiness in a future ftate of retribution. In the example before us, the national danger was preceded and accompanied by a national reformation and, while the fifter kingdom of Ifrael, was only ten years before for her impenitence diffolved, by the fame invading power, the Affyrians, Judah was delivered. May we unite alfo in the uniform and active fuppreffion of vice, whether public or private, in others as well as ourselves, more especially in those committed to our charge, or in any measure under our controul, and in the fupport of piety and virtue. Let us fearch the Scriptures, and accept the mercy of God on his own terms; on no others can we expect it; let us in all the commotions of the present state, fee the great Head of the Church, caufing " all things to work together for good to those that "love God, and are called according to his pur-, pofe," viz. to a new and holy life; fo fhall our heavenly Father deal with us, not according

to