refigned to the divine will, they went out and played the men for their people and the cities of their God. And when they had done fo, they acknowledged that his right hand and his holy arm had gotten HIM the victory. See the fong of Mofes on his victory over the Egyptians. Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatnefs of thine excellency thou haft "overthrown them that rofe up against thee: Thou fent"eft forth thy wrath, which confumed them as ftubble*.”

I cannot conclude this branch of the fubject without obferving, that we have had in the courfe of Providence a very recent inftance, both of a fingular appearance of the hand of God in defence of a rightcous caufe, and a modeft afcription of it to the power of the Higheft. That prince, who appears now to be the chief outward fupport of the proteftant caufe in Europe, has been enabled literally (according to the ancient promife) "with five to "chafe a hundred, and with a hundred to put ten thou"fand to flight." The greateft earthly potentates had combined against him and confpired his ruin. Afsured of victory, they were forging chains for his followers, and dividing his inheritance by lot. But in the name of the Lord he fet up his ftandard. The Lord turned the counfels of his enemies into confufion. His victories have been numerous, extraordinary and important. And he hath all along avoided boafting and vain-glory, and piously acknowledged that "Salvation belongeth unto God."

In the fecond place, in applying to God for an extraordinary interpofition of his providence, we ought alfo to pray for a difpenfation of his grace and mercy. When we pray that the arm of the Lord may awake and put on ftrength, it fhould be that a revival of religion may accompany temporal relief, and that by a plentiful effufion of the Holy Spirit many finners may be delivered from the worst of bondage, and brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God. As this fhould be in itfelf the object of our defire, fo it fhould be infeparably joined

* Ex. xv. 6, 7.

with the other, and their mutual connection still kept in view. Temporal mercies to a nation, as well as to particular perfons, ought always to be made fubfervient to the promoting of truth and righteoufnefs. It is remarkable, that these two things are always joined in Scripture. And, indeed, if temporal mercies be confidered in the light I formerly mentioned, it is impoffible that they can be afunder. Let any one confult the interceffory prayers in which deliverance from external calamity is intreated, the prophecies in which it is promised, or the songs of praise in which it is celebrated, and he will find, that the purity and spiritual profperity of God's heritage is ftill kept in view. They are confidered as involved in one another, and the one, as only valuable, because leading to the other. Inftead of enumerating many paflages, I fhall only mention one of the prophet Ifaiah. "And I "will turn mine hand upon thee, and purely purge away "all thy drofs and take away all thy tin. And I will re"ftore thy judges as at the firft, and thy counsellors as "at the beginning: Afterward thou fhalt be called the

city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion fhall be "redeemed with judgment and her converts with righ"teousness."

And, my brethren, is not the arm of the Lord and the glory of his power particularly displayed, when the influence and dominion of error is destroyed, and the obftinacy and rebellion of finners is fubdued? This is a more extraordinary, as well as a more excellent effect of power, than producing the greateft changes in our outward ftate and condition. It feems to be on this account that, in Scripture, the Saviour of finners, the king of Zion, is so often reprefented as glorious in his perfon, and great in his power, "For unto us a child is born, "unto us a fon is given, and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder, and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting "Father, the Prince of peace.* Gird thy fword upon thy thigh, O moft Mighty: with thy glory and thy majefty. And in thy majefty ride profperoufly, because * Ifaiah, ix. 6.

"of truth and meekness and righteoufnefs; and thy right "hand fhall teach thee terrible things."* Thefe and a multitude of other paffages plainly show that the converfion of finners, and defeating the powers of the princes of darkness, requires an exertion, and is a fignal difplay of the ftrength of the divine arms.

But as it is a matter of the utmost importance and propriety at present, I must beg your patience, while I endeavor a little to illuftrate the neceffity of joining earnest interceffion for the revival of religion and the glory of Chrift's kingdom, with our prayers for a recovery of national profperity.

For illuftrating this let us attend to the three following particulars.

1. We have no warrant to afk the laft of these without the first.

2. We have no reason to expect that it will be separately bestowed.

3. If it fhould, in any degree, it would not be a bleffing but a curfe.

First, we have no warrant to afk national prosperity without a revival of religion. Our prayers are then only warrantable when we adjust and proportion our esteem of the mercies of God to their real worth, and defire them for their proper ends. Now, a love to one's country, and a defire of its outward welfare, is, no doubt, an excellent and an amiable difpofition. But it is much more fo to be concerned for their everlasting interest. Why doth the love of our country merit any praife, but because it is a difpofition and tendency to communicate happiness? But what is temporal to eternal happiness? What is a fruitful field to a renewed heart? Peace at home to peace with God? Security from an earthly oppreffor to deliverance from the wrath to come? A compaffionate heart bleeds for the mifery of his fellow-creatures in poverty or bondage; but a fanctified heart is ftill more deeply affected with the ignorance and guilt of others, and their endless confequences. Now is it a warrantable manner of offering up our defires to God, to admire er afk a fhare in the

Pfa. xlv. 3, 4.

bounty of his providence, while we defpife and trample upon the riches of his grace?

But that fuch prayers are unwarrantable, doth not only appear from the unjuft preference given to leffer before greater mercies, but from their being a total perverfion of our defires from the great point in which they ought to centre. The gifts of God are intended to lead us to the giver; the events of his providence to be fubfervient to the methods of his grace. When, therefore, we afk temporal profperity, without an equal, or rather fuperior folicitude for the enlightening and fanctifying influences of the Holy Ghoft, we are alienating his mercies from their proper ufe, turning them into weapons of rebellion against him, and cherishing that love of the world which is deftructive of the love of God.

Secondly, As all fuch defires are unwarrantable and dif orderly, fo we have no reafon to expect that they fhall be granted. Let us recall to mind this important truth, that God is the fupreme Difpofer of all events. Every profperous event is the effect of his bounty. Every calamity is the rod of his anger, and carries his commiflion. Are there not then wife ends to be ferved by every thing appointed by him? Affliction fpringeth not out of the duft. National calamity is not the rigor of an arbitrary tyrant, but the wife chaflifement of a gracious father, or the punifhment of a righteous judge. He ruleth the nations "fitting upon the throne of his holinefs;" and, unless when he hath a mind to "make a full end," of a people ripe for deftruction, gives them for a feafon into the hands of their enemies to bring about their reformation. If then: public calamity bears a commiffion for this purpose from him whofe work is perfect, what reafon is there to expect, that it will be removed before it hath attained its end? Will he not repeat the ftroke, and increase its feverity, till it procure fubmiflion? It is true, we cannot precifely fay how far the forbearance of God may go, or how long his patience may endure. There may be a remiffion, or fufpenfion of the final ftroke, for their farther trial. But it is certain that when there is no returning to God by re

pentance, there can be no reasonable ground to hope that his difpleasure will ceafe, or its effects be removed.

Thirdly, Though temporal deliverance were granted to a nation, in any measure, without a difpenfation of the Spirit and revival of religion, it would be no bleffing but a curfe, and could not be of any long duration. It would be giving them up to themselves, to fill up the measure of their iniquities, that, when the appointed time of vengeance fhould come, their deftruction might be more terrible and fignal. It is remarkable, that this is found among the judgmnets of God, and reckoned one of the moft dreadful, when he ceases to ftrive with a people, and gives them up to themselves. Thus he fays, by the Pfalmift, "But "my people would not hearken to my voice, Ifrael would "have none of me, fo I gave them up to their own hearts "lufts, and they walked in their own counfels."* So alfo faith the prophet Hofea, "Ephraim is joined to idols, let "him alone."+ The consequence of this is the continuance and increase of all manner of wickedness. Then spiritual judgments come in the room of temporal, which, though they are lefs fenfible, are but fo much the more fatal. Blindness of mind, hardness of heart, and an obftinate contempt of inftruction, are the ufual confequences of unfanctified profperity. In fuch circumftances a nation may exult, and bless themselves in their abundant wealth; nay, they may be the envy of their foolish and fhort-fighted neighbors; but to the eye of faith their condition is. moft wretched and deplorable. To what a pitch of impiety they may proceed when all restraints are withdrawn, fome nations recorded in history are a standing and melancholy proof. And the fudden defolation fometimes inflicted, after long forbearance, by the Lord of nature, on cities and kingdoms, by fire from heaven, by earthquakes, peftilence, or the fword, is a fearful prefage of the fate of all, who, in the day of recompence, fhall fuffer the vengeance of eternal fire.

All these things are plainly founded on the word of God

VOL. I.

* Pfal. lxxxi. 11, 12.

3 A

+ Hof. iv. 17.