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the bleffing of God on the councils and arms of the United Colonies? And can you be unconcern

ed, what fhall become of you for ever, when all the monuments of human greatness fhall be laid in afhes? For, the earth itself and all the ' works that are therein shall be burnt up.'

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Wherefore, my beloved hearers, as the miniftry of reconciliation is committed to me, I befeech you in the most earneft manner, to attend to the things that belong to your peace, before 'they are hid from your eyes.' How foon, and in what manner a feal fhall be fet upon the character and state of every perfon here present, it is impoffible to know; for he who only can know does not think proper to reveal it. But you may reft affured, that there is no time more fuitable, and that there is none fo fafe as that. which is prefent, fince it is wholly uncertain whether any other fhall be yours. Thofe who fhall firft fall in battle, have not many more warnings to receive. There are fome few daring. and hardened finners who defpife eternity itself, and fet their maker at defiance; but the far greater number, by ftaving off their convictions to a more convenient feason, have been taken unprepared, and thus eternally loft. I would therefore earnestly prefs the apostle's exhortation,

We then, as workers together with him, befeech you alfo, that ye receive not the grace of * God in vain: for he faith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of falvation.

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have I fuccoured thee: Behold, now is the ac

cepted time; behold, now is the day of falva

tion.'

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Suffer me to beseech you, or rather to give you warning not to reit fatisfied with a form of godliness, denying the power thereof. There can be no true religion, till there be a discovery of your loft ftate by nature and practice, and an unfeigned acceptance of Chrift Jefus, as he is offered in the gofpel. Unhappy they who either defpife his mercy, or are ashamed of his cross! Believe it, there is no falvation in any other. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be faved.' Unlefs you are united to him by a lively faith, not the refentment of a haughty monarch, but the fword of divine juftice hangs over you, and the fulness of divine vengeance fhall fpeedily overtake you. I do not fpeak this only to the heaven-daring profligate, or grovelling fenfualift, but to every infenfible fecure finner; to all thofe however decent and orderly in their civil deportment, who live to themselves, and have their part and portion in this life; in fine, to all who are yet in a state of nature, for except a man be the kingdom of

born again, he cannot fee

God. The fear of man may make you hide your profanity; prudence and experience may make you abhor intemperance and riot; as you advance in life, one vice may fupplant another and hold its place; but nothing less than the

fovereign

fovereign grace of God can produce a faving change of heart and temper, or fit you for his immediate prefence.

2. From what has been faid upon this fubject, you may see what ground there is to give praise to God for his favours already beftowed on us, refpecting the public caufe. It would be a criminal inattention not to obferve the fingular interpofition of providence hitherto, in behalf of the American colonies. It is, however, impoffible for me, in a fingle difcourfe, as well as improper at this time, to go through every step of our past tranfactions; I muft therefore content myfelf with a few remarks. How many difcoveries have been made of the defigns of enemies in Britain and among ourselves, in a manner as unexpected to us as to them, and in fuch feafon as to prevent their effect? What furprising fuccefs has attended our encounters, in almoft every inftance? Has not the boafte difcipline of regular and veteran foldiers been turned into confufion and difmay before the new and maiden courage of free men, in defence of their property and right? In what great mercy has blood been fpared on the fide of this injured country? Some important victories in the fouth have been gained with fo little lofs, that enemies will probably think it has been diffembled; as many, even of ourselves thought, till time rendered it undeniable. But these were comparatively of finall moment. The fignal advantage we have gained by the

evacuation

evacuation of Boston, the shameful flight of the army and navy of Britain, was brought about without the lofs of a man. To all this we may add, that the counfels of our enemies have been vitibly confounded, fo that I believe I may fay with truth, that there is hardly any step which they have taken, but it has operated ftrongly against themselves, and been more in our favour than if they had followed a contrary course.

While we give praise to God the fupreme difpofer of all events, for his interpofition in our behalf, let us guard against the dangerous error of trufting in, or boafting of an arm of flefh. I could earnestly wish, that while our arms are crowned with fuccefs, we might content ourfelves with a modeft afcription of it to the power of the higheft. It has given me a great uneafinefs to read fome oftentatious, vaunting expreffions in our news papers, though happily, I think, much reftrained of late. Let us not return to them again. If I am not mistaken, not only the holy fcriptures in general, and the truths of the glorious gofpel in particular, but the whole course of providence feems intended to abase the pride of man, and lay the vain-glorious in the duft. How many inftances does history furnish us with of thofe who, after exulting over, and defpifing their enemies, were fignally and shamefully defeated*? The truth is, I believe, the

remark

There is no story better known in British hif

tory

remark may be applied univerfally, and we may fay, that through the whole frame of nature, and the whole fyftem of human life, that which promises moft, performs the leaft. The flowers of finest colour seldom have the sweetest fragrance. The trees of quickeft growth or faireft form, are seldom of the greatest value or duration. Deep waters move with leaft noife. Men who think moft are feldom talkative. And I think it holds as much in war as in any thing, that every boafter is a coward.

Pardon me, my brethren, for infifting fo much upon this which may feem but an immaterial circumftance. It is in my opinion of very great moment. I look upon oftentation and confidence to be a fort of outrage upon providence, and when it becomes general, and infufes itself into the fpirit of a people, it is a forerunner of deftruction. How does Goliath the champion, armed in a moft formidable manner, exprefs his difdain of David the ftrippling with his fling and his ftone? And when the Philiftine looked a⚫bout and faw David, he difdained him: for he ⚫ was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philiftine faid unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest unto me with ftaves? And the Philiftine curfed David

12.

by

tory, than that the officers of the French army, the night preceeding the battle of Agincourt, played at dice for English prisoners before they took them, and the next day were taken by them.

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