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Britain. If, on account of their diftance, and ignorance of our fituation, they could not conduct their own quarrel with propriety for one year, how can they give direction and vigour to every department of our civil conftitutions from age to age? There fixed bounds to every human thing. When the branches of a tree grow very large and weighty they fall off from the trunk. The fharpeft fword will not pierce when it cannot reach. And there is a certain diftance from the feat of government, where an attempt to rule will either produce tyranny and helpless fubjection, or provoke reffitance and effect a feparation.

The

I have faid, if your principles are pure meaning of this is, if your prefent oppofition to the claims of the British miniftry does not arife from a feditious and turbulent fpirit, or a wanton contempt of legal authority; from a blind and factious attachment to particular perfons or parties; or from a felfifh rapacious difpofition, and a defire to turn public confufion to private profit but from a concern for the intereft of your country, and the fafety of yourselves and your pofterity. On this fubject I cannot help obferving, that though it would be a miracle if there were not many felfifh perfons among us, and discoveries now and then made of mean and interefted tranfactions, yet they have been comparatively inconfiderable both in number and effect. In general, there has been fo great a degree of pub

lic fpirit, that we have much more reafon to be thankful for its vigour and prevalence, than to wonder at the few appearances of difhonesty or difaffection. It would be very uncandid to afcribe the univerfal ardour that has prevailed among all ranks of men, and the fpirited exertions in the most diftant colonies to any thing elfe than public fpirit. Nor was there ever perhaps in hiftory fo general a commotion from which religious differences have been fo entirely excluded.. Nothing of this kind has as yet been heard, except of late in the abfurd, but malicious and deteftable attempts of our few remaining enemies to introduce them. At the fame time I must alfo,for the honour of this country obferve, that. though government in the ancient forms has been fo long unhinged, and in fome colonies not fufficient care taken to fubftitute another in its place; yet has there been, by common confent, a much greater degree of order and public peace, than men of reflexion and experience foretold or expected. From all these circumftances I conclude favourably of the principles of the friends of liberty, and do earnestly exhort you to adopt and act upon thofe which have been described,. and refift the influence of every other.

Once more; if to the juftice of your caufe, and the purity of your principles you add prudence in your conduct, there will be the greatest reafon to hope, by the bleffing of God, for profperity and fuccefs. By prudence in conducting this impor-.

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tant ftruggle,, have chiefly in view union, firm nefs, and patience. Every body must perceive the abfolute neceffity of union. It is indeed in every body's mouth, and therefore, inftead of at-tempting to convince you of its importance, I will only caution you against the ufual caufes of divifion. If perfons of every rank, instead of implicitly complying with the orders of thofe whom they themselves have chofen to direct, will needs judge every measure over again, when it comes to be put in execution: if different claffes of men intermix their little private views, or clashing intereft, with public affairs, and mar fhal into parties, the merchant against the landholder, and the landholder against the merchant :: if local provincial pride and jealousy arife, and you allow yourselves to fpeak with contempt of the courage, character, manners, or even lan-guage of particular places, you are doing a greater injury to the common caufe, than you are a- ware of. If fuch practices are admitted among us, I fhall look upon it as one of the most dangerous fymptoms, and if they become general, a prefage of approaching ruin..

By firmness and patience, I mean a refolute adherence to your duty, and laying your account with many difficulties as well as occafional difappointments. In a former part of this discourse, I have cautioned you against oftentation and vain glory. Be pleafed further to observe, that extremes often beget one another; the fame per

fons

fons who exult extravagantly on fuccefs, are generally most liable to defpondent timidity on every little inconfiderable defeat. Men of this. character are the bane and corruption of every fociety or party to which they belong; but they are especially the ruin of an army, if suffered to continue in it. Remember the viciffitude of human things, and the ufual course of providence.. How often has a juft caufe been reduced to the lowest ebb, and yet when firmly adhered to, has become finally triumphant ? I speak this now while the affairs of the colonies are in fo profperous a ftate, left this profperity itself fhould render you lefs able to bear unexpected misfortunes-The fum of the whole is, that the bleffing of God is.. only to be looked for by those who are not want-ing in the discharge of their own duty. I would neither have you to truft in an arm of flesh, nor fit with folded hands to expect that miracles should be wrought in your defence.This is a fin which is in fcripture ftiled tempting God. In oppofi tion to it, I would exhort you as Joab did the hoft of Ifrael, who though he does not appear to have had a fpotlefs character throughout, certainly in this inftance fpoke like a prudent general and a pious man. Be of good courage, ⚫ and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God; and ⚫ let the Lord do that which is good in his fight."

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I fhall now conclude this difcourfe by fome exhortations to duty, founded upon the truths,

which have been illuftrated above, and fuited to the interesting state of this country at the prefent time; and,

1. Suffer me to recommend to you an attention to the public intereft of religion; or, in other words, zeal for the glory of God and the good of others. I have already endeavoured to exhort finners to repentance; what I have here in view is to point out to you the concern which every good man ought to take in the national character and manners, and the means which he ought to use for promoting public virtue, and bearing down impiety and vice. This is a matter of the utmoft moment, and which ought to be well understood, both in its nature and principles. Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners makes a people ripe for deftruction, A good form of government may hold the rotten materials together for fome time, but beyond a certain pitch even the best constitution will be ineffectual, and flavery muft enfue. On

the manners of a nation the other hand, when

are pure, when true religion and internal principles maintain their vigour, the attempts of the most powerful enemies to opprefs them are commonly baffled and disappointed. This will be found equally certain, whether we confider the great principles of God's moral government, or the operation and influence of natural caufes.

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