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in drefs, furniture, and equipage, have, I think, generally been characteristics of a distinguished patriot. And when the fame spirit pervades a people in general, they are fit for every duty, and able to encounter the most formidable enemy. The general fubject of the preceeding discourse has been the wrath of man praifing God. If the unjuft oppreffion of your enemies, which withholds from you many of the ufual articles of luxury and magnificence, fhall contribute to make you clothe yourfelves and your children with the works of your own hands, and cover your tables with the falutary productions of your own foil, it will be a new illuftration of the fame truth, and a real happiness to yourselves and your country.

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I could wish to have every good thing done from the pureft principles and the noblest news. Confider, therefore, that the Chriftian character, particularly the self-denial of the gofpel, fhould extend to your whole deportment. In the early times of Chriftianity, when adult converts were admitted to baptifm, they were asked among other questions, Do you renounce the world, its fhews, its pomp, and its vanities? I do. The form of this is still preserved in the administration of baptifm, where we renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh. This certainly implies not only abstaining from acts of grofs intemperance and excefs, but a humility of carriage, a restraint R and

and moderation in all your defires. The fame thing, as it is fuitable to your Christian profeffion, is alfo neceffary to make you truly independent in yourselves, and to feed the fource of liberality and charity to others or to the public. The riotous and wasteful liver, whofe craving appetites make him conftantly needy, is and must be subject to many masters, according to the faying of Solomon, The borrower is fervant to the ⚫ lender.' But the frugal and moderate person, who guides his affairs with discretion, is able to affift in public counfels by a free and unbiaffed judgment, to fupply the wants of his poor brethren, and fometimes, by his eftate and fubftance, to give important aid to a finking country.

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Upon the whole, I befeech you to make a wife improvement of the prefent threatning afpect of public affairs, and to remember that your duty to God, to your country, to your families and to yourselves, is the fame. True religion is nothing else but an inward temper and outward conduct, fuited to your ftate and circumstances in providence at any time. And as peace with God, and conformity to him, adds to the fweetnefs of created comforts, while we poffefs them, io in times of difficulty and trial, it is in the man of piety and inward principle, that we may expect to find the uncorrupted patriot, the useful citizen, and the invincible foldier. God grant that in America, true religion and civil liberty

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may be infeparable, and that the unjust attempts to destroy the one, may in the iffue tend to the fupport and establishment of both.

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A N

ADDRESS

TO THE

Natives of Scotland, refiding in America

Countrymen and Friends,

A

S foon as I had confented to the publication of the foregoing fermon, I felt an irresistible defire to accompany it with a few words addreffed to you in particular. I am certain I feel the attachment of country as far as it is a virtuous or laudable principle, perhaps it would be nearer the truth to fay, as far as it is a natural and pardonable prejudice. He who is fo pleafed may at-. tribute it to this laft when I fay, that I have never feen caufe to be ashamed of the place of my

birth; that fince the revival of arts and letters in Europe, in the close of the fourteenth and begir ning of the fifteenth century, the natives of Scotland have not been inferior to thofe of any other country, for genius, erudition, military prowefs, or any of thofe accomplishments which improve or embellish human nature. When to this it is added, that fince my coming to America at an advanced period of life, the friendship of my countrymen has been as much above my expectation as defert; I hope every reader will confider what is now to be offered, as the effect not only of unfeigned good-will, but of the moft: ardent affection.

It has given me no little uneafinefs to hear the word Scotch used as a term of reproach in the American controverfy, which could only be upon the fuppofition that strangers of that country are more univerfally oppofed to the liberties of America than those who were born in South-Britain, or in Ireland. I am fenfible that this has been done in fome news-papers, and contemptible anonymous publications, in a manner that was neither, warranted by truth, nor dictated by prudence. There are many natives of Scotland in this country, whofe oppofition to the unjuft: claims of - Great-Britain has been as early and uniform, founded upon as rational and liberal principles, and therefore likely to be as lasting, as that of any set of men whatever. As to Great-Britain itself, time has now fully difcovered that the real friends of America

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