many precious blessings of his favor and so rich a portion of national honor and happiness!

When, therefore, a people are bereaved of such valuable benefactors, they sustain an unspeakable loss; and are solemnly called by the providence of God to mourn-feelingly and deeply to mourn under the heavy and distressing stroke of his holy hand.

The observations which have been suggested, will, it is believed, admit of a just and forcible application to the present case of our own nation, under that very afflicting dispensation of Divine Providence, which has bereaved us, of a general and statesman, who, in the expressive and emphatical language of our House of Representatives in Congress," was the first in warthe first in peace, and the first in the affections of his country."

To trace the respectable descent of this great and worthy man-to attend to the first promising buds of a superior mind, and of his future greatness, which began to unfold themselves in his juvenile days and pursuits to observe the early display of his extraordinary military talents in a station of subordinate but honorable and important command, while these United States were yet dependent provinces of Great Britain-to follow him in his great career of military glory,-when as commander in chief, he directed the operations of our armies, during the whole eight years of the memorable revolutionary war; into which we were driven by the unwarrantable claims of the British governmentclaims too arrogant, degrading, and injurious, not to be resisted and repelled by the free born and high spirited sons of America-to mark the dignified manner in which he resigned into the hands of the American Con

gress the high commission which he had received from them, when the great objects of it, the independence and liberties of his country, were accomplished and secured; and the truly paternal affection, and solicitude, with which he addressed some of the wisest and most salutary moral and political instructions and admonitions, to his fellow-soldiers, and fellow-citizens, when from the most elevated station of military authority and power, he voluntarily and cheerfully descended to the ordinary condition and employments of a private gentleman to exhibit the important part, which within a few years after this period, he was called to act in that venerable convention of the principal statesmen of America; by whose collected wisdom, our present excellent system of federal government was framed, and in whose deliberations he presided, as the most honored and influential member of that enlightened and patriotic body to review his able and successful administration of this new government, in the office of President of the United States, to which he was first raised for the legal term of four years; and in which he was afterwards continued for a like term, by the unanimous suffrages of the widely dispersed millions of his fellow-citizens to represent him in the sublime attitude in which he appeared, when delivering the last solemn advice, which he directly addressed, under a public character, to the American people; advice which was the fruit of superior wisdom, matured by long experience, and of the purest and most disinterested patriotism, that had stood the test of the severest trials ; while at the same time he announced his decided resolution to decline standing a candidate for a re-election to the presidency, on which he had reason

to calculate with the greatest confidence ;-and conformably to his declared purpose, immediately retired, from all the flattering distinctions connected with the supreme magistracy of the Union, to the ardently desired calm retreat of private life, in which he designed, and hoped to pass the residue of his days in undisturbed tranquility and peace-to pourtray the glory of the finishing public act of his exalted, and unabated patriotism, when he once more yielded to the importunate call of his country, and consented to resume the command of the forces, which it was preparing for its defence against the injustice and violence of a rapacious, ambitious, and unprincipled foreign power to contemplate him bere in the closing scene, when thus determined and prepared, to relinquish the repose which was so agreeable and desirable to his advanced age, after the long continued pressing labours of a most active public life, for the toils and dangers of an apparently inevitable and arduous war ;-receiving the solemn mandate of Heaven, which summoned his great soul to the world of spirits;—and with that calm and unshaken firmness of mind, for which he was ever remarkable, finishing his honorable, earthly career in death-to speak now particularly of the inestimable services which he rendered to his country, and to the cause of religion, liberty, and humanity or to attempt a delineation of the particular features of his great character.

All this would form an

undertaking, to which I feel myself wholly incompetent! and which could not be well executed by the best abilities, within the limits prescribed to this disThis accordingly comes not within my present design; but is left as the proper work of the biog

course.

rapher and historian ;-and in the faithful, well-written memoirs of his life, and history of his country,-the sublime character, and the illustrious deeds of our WASHINGTON, will doubtless shine with pre-eminent glory,-through a long series of ages, and diffuse an increasing splendour over many succeeding generations.

In the mean time, while we mourn the Father of our country taken from our head, and gone down to "the grave, the house prepared for all living ;"-let us now be led to consider,

II. What profitable improvement may be made of this event, which is the occasion of the present deep and universal sorrow and mourning of our countryand,

1. It becomes us to cherish the remembrance of the excellent character and eminent services of our country's most illustrious citizen and distinguished benefactor, whose death we now lament, with a grateful sense of our obligations to the beneficent providence of God, who qualified and employed him, as a leading instru- } ment, in securing to us so many, and such inestimably valuable national blessings.

The memory of the man, whom God was pleased most remarkably to honor, as the instrument in his hand, for the communication of so much good to our highly favoured nation, should be peculiarly dear to all our citizens ;-and it should be transmitted, with every appropriate, impressive mark of distinguishing esteem and regard, to posterity-as a splendid example for the imitation of future patriots, generals, and statesmen-and of our citizens generally, in every department of public and private life.In the records of na

tions, excepting only those of God's ancient, chosen and peculiar people, we should probably search in vain for the example of an union of great talents and virtues, of worthy conduct, and important usefulness, superior, if we even could find one equal, to that which has been exhibited by our admired and beloved WASHINGTON, in those high military and civil employments, in which he was called to defend and serve his country.

But remembering that "every good gift," every valuable possession, privilege, or benefit, whether of a private or public nature, or through whatever channel, or medium, conveyed to us, comes down from the Great Father of lights and mercies ;"-let us study to be thankful to HIM, who graciously provided such a general and statesman, to conduct our military operations, and administer our civil and political affairs, during a long period, the most critical and interesting to our nation-who crowned his wise councils, his virtuous measures, his heroic efforts, with such happy success— and who prolonged his life, with his capacity, and his zeal unimpaired, for the service of his country-till it was safely conducted through a long series of the most perplexing difficulties, and formidable dangers, and at length securely established, as we trust, in the enjoyment of a most excellent constitution of government, and a most desirable state of peace and prosperity. Most kind and indulgent, indeed, has been the providence of the God of our mercies, in first bestowing upon us, and then forbearing to remove from us, the man, who was one of the most impregnable bulwarks of our country in war, and one of its strongest pillars in peacetill it was settled and confirmed in its present eligible situation; in which it does not probably so immediate