our, and be universally acknowledged as the great original author of all our successes. Particularly, let us suppress a proud, selfrighteous spirit, and not once imagine, that our victories are the reward of our national goodness: for, alas! we are still a guilty, rebellious people, that might justly be persecuted and destroyed in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. "Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways." Jehovah has begun to deliver us, to make himself a glorious name: therefore, "not unto us, not unto us, but to thy name, O Lord, be the glory."* He hath made known his power in our favour, obnoxious criminals as we are, that the heathen might not insult him, and say, "Where is their God?" He hath let them know, that our God is in the heavens, and hath done whatsoever he pleased.† Let us, therefore, concur with him in pursuing the same end, and make his praise glorious otherwise, we are guilty, even upon our Thanksgiving-day, of forming a rebellious insurrection against his great design: than which, what can be more insolent and wicked! Therefore, let all the glory and pride, all the vanity and self-confidence of man be abased and confounded at his feet; and let the Lord alone be exalted on this day.

The second reflection is, That, in our intercessions for our country, we should draw our principal argument from the glory of his own name. Here let me give you another extract from the above-mentioned letter of my friend-" God," says he, "must have the glory for it is his own arm that must bring salvation. And may we not plead with him the glory of his name? For, should our anti-christian enemies prevail, will they not ascribe their successes to their patron, saints, and guardian angels; and say, The Protestants' God would not deliver them, when they cried unto him? I must confess," says he, "this plea has lain warm on my heart, at seasons, when I have been wrestling with God, for our rebellious, guilty land. And herein, we have Moses, the typical mediator, for our example, and his glorious antitype, into whose hands we commit our cause; and he is head over all things to his church, and has all nature and grace at his disposal."

This, my brethren, is the spirit that prevails in a remnant on the other side of the Atlantic; and no doubt our American de

liverances are answers to their prayers. O that the same spirit may spread among us; and that we also may learn to pray with the same sacred skill and successful importunity! Prayers enforced with arguments drawn from such insignificant and unworthy creatures as we, will have small efficacy; but arguments derived from his own name, his own honour and glory, will always prevail with God.

The third reflection is, That we should not flatter ourselves, that God is so bound by his honour to protect us, that he can never cast us off, and that we are not in any danger. It has appeared by the event, and nothing else could discover it, that it is not consistent with his honour to give us up a prey to our

Nay, the time may

enemies at present. But it may soon be so. be very near at hand, when the honour of his name, which is now an argument for us, may be an argument against us; that is, when it will no longer consist with the glory of God, but be a matter of ill fame, for him to own and defend us as his people. Thus the Israelites were preserved, in the midst of enemies, for many ages, because the glory of God's name required it but, at length, he abandoned them, and cast them out of his favour, for the very same reason, because his glory required it.-His glory required, that he should, at length, visit such a wicked people with deserved punishment, that it might appear to all the world that he did not connive at, or patronise their sin. Thus also, the glory of his name, the only argument now left in our favour, may turn against us, and our country and nation. Do not think that the controversy will thus end, if we persist in our rebellion : no, God will visit our iniquities upon us, as he did upon the Jews, if, like them, we refuse to repent. Perhaps the day of vengeance is at hand. Perhaps the present war may be the dawn of it, notwithstanding the late happy turn of Providence in our favour. A disease may intermit, and yet prove mortal. The sword is still drawn; and the events of war are very uncertain; and what turn it may yet take, is known only to him who is the supreme Arbiter of war. Therefore, let us this day serve God with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Let us never think ourselves safe, while iniquity abounds so much in our country and nation. For I can as freely venture the reputation of my judgment upon it now, as when our affairs were in the most discouraging posture, that it will never be well with us, till there be more of the fear and love of God among us; and that we shall

never enjoy the happy fruits of peace without interruption, till we secure the divine favour by turning from our evil ways. Without a general reformation, God will, sooner or later, be avenged upon such a nation as this.

But whatever be the issue of the present war, and whatever be the future doom of Britain and her colonies, we have certainly great cause to celebrate our late deliverances and acquisitions, and to keep this day in a proper manner.

But in what manner ought a thanks-giving-day to be observed? and how should we celebrate our late acquisitions and deliverances? I answer,

We may lawfully indulge ourselves in all natural and decent expressions of joy. We may keep this day, as the Jews did the days of Purim, as a day of gladness and joy, of feasting, and sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.* But let us not indulge ourselves in those riotous excesses and extravagances, by which days of thanksgiving are profaned by many, under pretence of solemnizing them.

Let us talk over the goodness of God to our king and country: Let our hearts and voices concur in his praise : Praise him for all our successes, as their original author. And to enflame our gratitude, let us meditate-upon our former disasters and mortifications, under the frowns of Providence; and the distressing circumstances to which we were reduced-upon the happy providence that routed our enemies before us, without the loss of many lives-upon the goodness of God in preserving our friends and relations that went upon the expedition, and restoring them safely to our arms-upon the agreeable prospect of the security of our frontiers, since the nest of savages, that ravaged them, is demolished; and the enlargement of our settlements to the Westward-upon the unanimity that now seems to be restored in the ministry at home, and the invaluable blessing of so good a king-upon the prospect of the preservation of the Protestant religion and liberty, even in Germany, where they were in the most imminent danger, by the glorious successes of the King of Prussia, that greatest of men-upon the probability of an honourable peace being restored to the earth, that men may no more kill one another-upon the encouragement we have, bravely to venture our lives in defence of our country, if it should again stand in need of our assistance-and especially up

Esth. ix. 19-22, &c..

on the astonishing goodness and grace of our God, who is the author of all these agreeable occurrences, and has once more shewn mercy to a people deserving of his wrath. Let such things as these be the delightful materials of your meditations and thanksgivings this day. This duty is so pleasing, that methinks I may expect an universal compliance. Methinks it must be pleasing even to a depraved heart, that is averse to the other duties of religion. HALLELUJAH! "Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praises unto our God for it is pleasant ; and praise is comely."*

:

But what if I should tell you, that repentance, that brokenhearted, bitter, mortifying duty, repentance, is a very proper and seasonable duty, even upon this day of rejoicing? My text authorizes me to tell you this; and this is the only particular in it, that I have now time to take any farther notice of. "There,"

says the Lord to the Jews, that is, in your own country, when delivered from your enemies, and restored to my favour, and a prosperous state, "there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye shall loathef yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that ye have committed."

There is something generous and noble in such a repentance. To repent under the rod; to be sorry for the crime, when about to be executed for it; to humble ourselves and mourn, when feeling the frowns of Heaven; this argues nothing great or generous; this may proceed from an aversion and fear of the punishment, and not of the offence; all this may be merely the effect of self-love, that mean, sneaking passion, which retains its full power even in infernal spirits; but it is no certain evidence of the least genuine regard to God, or love to holiness. But to be sorry for sin against a sin-pardoning God-to repent with a pardon in our hands—to bewail our crimes, when we are delivered from the punishment of them-to loathe ourselves for our abominations, when God loves us notwithstanding-to refuse joy, and melt into tears of penitential sorrow, upon a day of rejoicing, because we have so basely and ungratefully treated that

X

*Ps. cxlvii. 1.

The original word nupa is very strong; and signifies to be quite tired of, or surfeited with a person or thing-to loathe them as being irksome and disgusting-to be grieved-to abominate. Ezek. xx. 43.

gracious Being, who has given us cause of joy; to be unable to forgive ourselves such a conduct, though God forgives it; nay, to be the more displeased and implacable against ourselves, because we have sinned against a God who is so merciful as to forgive us after all; this is genuine repentance indeed it shews true greatness of mind; and sincere abhorrence of sin in itself, as base in its own nature: it argues a real concern for the honour of God, and a generous disinterested love to him and holiness. This is repentance that will stand the test. And oh ! that divine grace would this day produce it in the heart of each of us! This would not damp the joy of this day, but render it more refined and elevated. The tears of such a repentance are agreeable, bitter-sweets and to feel a hard selfish heart broken with it, is a most delightful sensation; as every evangelical penitent knows in some measure by experience. Oh! can we bear the thought of ever sinning more against our gracious guardian God? If we have any sense of honour or gratitude within us, his goodness will certainly do, what all his judgments have failed to do, that is, turn us all from our evil ways, to love and serve him for the future. God grant it may have this effect, for his own name sake!

Amen.

SERMON 72.

PRACTICAL ATHEISM, IN DENYING THE AGENCY OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE, EXPOSED.

ZEPHANIAH, I. 12. And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees; that say in their heart, the Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.*

WHOEVER takes a review of the state of our country for about two years past, or observes its present posture, must be sensible, that matters have gone very ill with us, and that they still bear a threatening aspect. If our country be entirely under the management of blind chance, according to the uncomfortable doctrines of atheists and epicureans, alas! we have reason to be alarmed; for the wheel of fortune has begun to turn against us.

* Hanover, April 4, 1756. Nassau-Hall, Nov. 23, 1759.