those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." AMEN.

In the foregoing Lecture, I have taken a very plain and simple method of arguing the cause of our common Christianity-a method easily comprehended by the unlettered Christian. I cannot, however, dismiss the subject without recommending the perusal of an eloquent sermon by Saurin on the same subject; and a work lately published at the Methodist Book Room, 200, Mulberry street, New York, called, "The Trial of the Witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

SUBSTANCE

OF A

DISCOURSE,

PREACHED IN THE FIRST BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE IN HARTFORD,

ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1835.

BY G. COLES.

PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.

PSALM CXLVII. 12-20.

"Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; Praise thy God, O Zion: For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates: He hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth forth his com mandment upon earth; his word runneth very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. He casteth his ice like morsels; who can stand be fore his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them; he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments they have not known them"

IT highly becomes us as intelligent and accountable creatures, to consider the relationship in which we stand to God, the author of all good; and to each other, as fellow-partakers of the same benefits. If we ascertain the relationship in which we stand to God, we shall discover that we owe to Him the several duties of adoration, reverence, prayer, and praise or thanksgiving. He is our creator-preserver-benefactor-and governor. And we may well adore him because of his matchless perfections-reverence him because of the wonder

ful displays of his wisdom and power. We may well lift up to him the voice of prayer on account of our dependence; and we may well offer unto him the voice of thanksgiving and praise. Our misery and wants prompt us to pray. True philosophy teaches us to adore. Right reason teaches us to reverence; and our patriotism, and our religion teach us to give thanks.

This is the day in which we are called upon by the authorities of the nation, and by the voice of custom, to celebrate our national Independence ; and as it is the wish of this church that we should do it religiously, we cheerfully obey the call; for as a great and growing nation, we have received signal blessings at the hand of God, and as Christians we enjoy blessings greater and more numerous than any people upon earth. Perhaps no language can express our happy state and our imperious duty, better than the words of our text. Let us analyze

them :

1. "He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates." These words imply protection and security. But what are massy walls, and brazen gates, and iron bolts, and forts and towers, and batteries, and men of war, without the protection of the Almighty? If there be skill in war; who teacheth our fingers to fight? If there be bravery, patriotism, courage in the freeman's heart; who placed them there? If success attend our arms; who giveth it? And if we are secure from fear of evil; who hath done it? “He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates."

2. "He hath blessed thy children within thee." This imports a healthy, wise, virtuous, rich, and in

creasing population. Many nations are populous to excess, but not healthy. Some are populous and healthy, but poor. Some are populous and healthy and rich, but not wise; and some are populous and healthy and rich and politically wise, but not virtuous. But these States are blessed with a population which excel in all these respects-at least we might excel, for God hath blessed us with the means.

3. "He maketh peace in thy borders." One of the great objects of war, and the most righteous one of all, if not the only one that is justifiable, is to shake off oppression-to procure liberty, and the enjoyment of those sacred, natural, and inalienable rights of man which are as dear as life itself. This was the object of the war of the Revolution, and when this was accomplished, "the Giver of concord and peace" saw fit, in his infinite mercy, to put an end to the war. But who disposed the hearts of the British ministry to sign treaties of peace? Within the last 800 years, there have been 266 of desolating war between England and France. Why, then, was not the revolutionary war continued until now? The answer is in our text,—“ He maketh peace in thy borders."

4. But what would peace avail, if plenty were withheld? Notice then with gratitude the next words, "He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat." Many of my youthful hearers have read in the "Book of Commerce" about WHEAT, but few, perhaps, even among Christians, have noticed the beauty and force of these words of our text"He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat." "Wheat," remember-the most valuable of all the

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products of the field. "The finest of the wheat. I have seen and tasted English wheat a thousand times, but I never found any equal to that grown in the United States. "Filleth thee," observe-filleth thy fields, thy granaries, thy stores, thy boats, and thy ships, "with the finest of the wheat." The following agricultural experiment on wheat was made by Dr. Adam Clarke. "On the 10th of June, 1816," says Dr. C., Dr. C., "I planted three grains of wheat, which, by the 28th of August, had produced 150 shoots, which I took up and divided, and of which I transplanted 126 shoots. Some of these died, and on the 18th of October I took up the rest, and found that they had increased to 658 perfect shoots, or plants. Of these I replanted 574, throwing away the rest for want of room. The next spring I examined them again, and found that they had multiplied themselves into 1816 perfect plants. These I planted in rows in a field, about 4 by 10 inches apart, taking no further care of them than of the other grain in the open field. The result of this experiment, if it had been fairly pursued, to the full extent, would have been, not thirty, nor sixty, nor a hundred, but six hundred thousand fold !”

5. "He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth his word runneth very swiftly." By the "commandment" we may understand the Law, by which is the knowledge of sin, and by the "word" the GOSPEL, by which the pardon of sin is proclaimed. How long and how widely the law has been in our land, you all know; but it has not been more so than the gospel. And from ourselves the word has