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flamed? What liberties are frequently taken in reproaching public men, and mifreprefenting public measures. Does not the living God explicitly forbid the indulgence of hatred, variance, emulations, wrath and herefies? An untender, unforbearing spirit between man and man is always inexcufeable, but it is peculiarly offenfive when cherished by those who are citizens of the fame commonwealth; whofe civil and focial interefts are intimately blended together. In republican forms of government, where public virtue is the great pillar on which the government refts, a degree of party fpirit may be profitable; one portion of the community thus proves a "watch-tower" to the other; but when this spirit becomes outrageous and infuriated, when jealoufy pervades every class of fociety, and extinguifhes almoft every spark of mutual confidence, it proves equally reproachful, and ruinous.

THESE are a few of thofe provocations with which we are chargeable as a people, and for which without fincere repentance on our part, the scourge of a righteous God will unavoidably overtake us. For fuch provocations were his judgments formerly denounced against even his favorite Ifrael, and owing to their obftinate impenitence were finally executed in their utter deftruction. If ye will not hearken unto me, faith Jehovah, and do all my commandments and if ye shall defpife my ftatutes, or if your foul abhor my judgments; I also will do this unto you ; I will appoint unto you terror, confumption, and the

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of heart and ye shall fow your feed, and your enemies fhall eat it; and I will make your cities wafte and bring your fanctuary into defolation. Then fhall the land enjoy her fabbaths as long as it lieth defolate, and ye be in your enemies land, even then fhall the land reft, and enjoy her fabbaths. Again, If ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the fabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerufalem on the fabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerufalem and it fhall not be quenched.

BRETHREN, when we read these fearful denunciations, and then contemplate our own conduct, who muft not tremble for his country? Was the holy fabbath more generally, or wantonly profaned in Judea, than in America? Were the streets of Jerufalem more frequently polluted by the unhallowed buyer and feller on that day, than are the ftreets of our own fettlements and villages and cities? Muft we not rationally expect that the foul of our offended fovereign will be avenged on fuch a nation as ours? Is the violation of his law lefs aggravated among us whofe light is more clear, whose privileges are more exalted than among them; or is the Lord God lefs righteous to avenge the quarrel of his covenant? Nay, have not our judgments already commenced?

To confider the evidences of divine wrath which we have occafionally experienced, and under which we now fuffer, was the fecond part of our fubje&t, and demands our attention.

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1. Has not a Holy God often plead his controverfy with our land by a fearful peftilence? Receiving its commiffion from on high, has not this fcourge gone abroad through our country, and visited in their turn our cities from the northern to the fouthern extremities of the union? In its hoftile career has it not defolated for a feafon the fanctuaries of God; driven from their abodes thoufands of our citizens, and mingled in fudden promifcuous ruin the babe, the youth and the hoary head?

As another mark of his indignation, and another mean of reclaiming an ungrateful apoftatifing people, has he not commiffioned the fire to become the avenger of his quarrel? Has not this devouring element laid waste in fome degree many of our cities, and reduced from affluence to poverty hundreds of their inhabitants? The meffengers of Jehovah's wrath have not been confined to our cities, but have occafionally vifited all parts of the country. The infeet, an army fmall, imperceptible, yet irrefiftible, has marched through the land, and cut down in its progress, the ftaff of life. Before it our fields were cloathed with verdure, and flourishing as the garden of Eden, but behind it a defolate wilderness. Did he not in one year Shut up the windows of heaven, refufing to us the carly and latter rain in their feafon; and by intemperate rains in another year did he not deftroy the fruits of the earth, blaft the hopes of the hufbandman, and alarm with apprehenfions of cleanness of teeth? Such are the fcourges which we have occafionally felt in

years that are paft; fuch the expreffions of divine indignation under which our land has often trembled: Natural causes have been ingeniously affigned for all these calamities: Prefumptuous, impious mortals would fondly exclude Jehovah from all agency in the world, as they extinguish every generous impulfe of his fear and love in their own hearts: Every occurrence, whether profperous or adverse, is afcribed by them to fecondary means; but the man of wisdom will confider them as coming forth from the Lord of hofts, and as vifitations either of his mercy or wrath. Is there evil in the city; is there evil in the country, and the Lord hath not done it? Does the peftilence confume the perfons of our citizens, or the fire devour their property? Does the rain prove our fcourge in one year, or the draught in another, or the mildew in another without his permiffion and appointment. They are alike the minifters of almighty God; they come only at his call, and they continue to fulfil the high commiffion received from his hand. Thus he declared to Ifrael formerly, and thus he may declare to America now, I have withholder the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harveft: I have fmitten you with blafting and mildew: I have fent among thee peftilence after the manner of Egypt: I have overthrown fome of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

FOR all thefe his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ftretched out ftill. Is not our nation trembling at this moment under awful appearances of the divine

displeasure? Has not the cloud collected, and spread, and darkened every part of our horifon, and is feemingly ready to burst forth in our deftruction? Are we not now affembled in this fanctuary for the very purpofe of deprecating the displeasure of our God; of confeffing and mourning over our national guilt as the procuring caufe, and to implore his return in loving kindness to our land? The anger of the Lord hath divided us as a people; he no longer regards us. Does not a diverfity of fentiment; does not alienation of affection almoft univerfally prevail? Has not mutual confidence departed from our fellow-citizens, and the fell demon of difcord fucceeded in its room? Is not the brother alienated from his brother; the fon from his father; the neighbor from his neighbor; the citizen from the magiftrate? Nay, has not mututual confidence departed in fome inftances from the fpiritual paftor and the people of his charge? Is it not a notorious fact that if the fervants of the cross remain faithful to their truft; if they expofe without partiality and without hypocrify the corruptions of men and magiftrates, they are immediately flandered in public houses and public prints; they are reprefented as rallying under the ftandard of party, and as converting their pulpits into political engines. Have not thefe jealoufies, thefe contentions diffufed their deadly influence through every part of the community? Do they not tend to diftra&t the proceedings of every affembly, from the petit-jury up to the higheft deliberative counfel in the nation? Has it not become a

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