in fuch a caufe, In the mean time, I dare fay it will be allowed, that any thing of this kind done by a minifter himself, or at his direction, in his own favor, would be very wrong: and, blessed be God, it is at prefent among us confidered as highly indecent and criminal.

I must also put you in mind of the great duty of family inftruction and government. Heads of families muft prepare their children and fervants for receiving benefit by public instruction, and endeavor by repetition to fix it in their minds. It is our duty to speak plainly, no doubt; but it is impoffible, preferving the dignity of the pulpit, to speak in such a manner as to be understood by those who have had no previous inftruction in a familiar way. It is like cafting feed upon an unopened, unprepared foil, which takes no root, and brings forth no fruit. Is it not hard, that, when many are fo ready to find fault with every neglect of minifters, and fometimes expect more work from one than ten can perform, they fhould take fo little pains in their families, these smaller diftricts, which are committed to their own charge.

To conclude all, Strive together with your minifter in your prayers to God for him. There is no way more effectual to prepare him for ferving you in the gofpel, and there is no way more proper for preparing you to attend upon his miniftry. If you make confcience of this duty, you will come to receive the answer of your prayers, and indeed to hear the word of God. Alas! that there fhould be fo few of our hearers of this charita

ble, fympathifing kind. We have fome ftupid and infenfible hearers, fome proud and difdainful hearers, many criticifing and cenfuring hearers, but few praying hearers. Let all that fear God give themselves to this duty. And let them not only remember that corner of God's vineyard in which their own lot is caft, but the kingdom of Chrift in general; and pray, that his name may be great, "from the rifing of the fun, unto his going down,” Amen.

PRAYER for NATIONAL PROSPERITY and for the REVIVAL of RELIGION infeparably connected.

A

SERMO N,

Preached on Thursday, February 16, 1758, being the day appointed in Scotland for the late Public Fast.

ISAIAH, li. 9.

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD: Awake as in the ancient days in the generations of old. Art not thou it that bath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon.

MY BRETHREN,

WE

E are this day called by our fovereign to the duty of folemn fafting and humiliation, and to earnest prayer for the bleffing of God on his councils and arms. Religion and humanity confpire in urging us to a hearty compliance, especially while public affairs wear fo threatening an aspect. It ought alfo to awaken the attention, and increase the seriousness of every particular worshipping assembly, that they are joining with fo many others in intreating deliverance from thefe national calamities, in which all are equally concerned.

We have often, for fome years past, professed to humble ourselves in the fight of God, and have done it, alas! with a fhameful coldness and indifference, or with an hypocrify ftill more criminal. But it is remarkable, that fuch is the fituation of affairs at prefent, as hath given an alarm

even to fome of the most infenfible, and constrained them to confider this duty as now fomewhat more than a form. There has been for fome time paft, fuch a continuance and increase of public judgments, fuch a series of abortive projects, and broken difconcerted fchemes, as makes the moft obftinate and inconfiderate stand and pause, and ferioufly afk, Is there not a caufe?

Our fetting apart this day, and applying ourselves to the duty of fafting and prayer, implies a confeffion of the power and providence of God.

It implies, that we believe in him, as the Almighty Creator, and righteous Governor of the world; the fupreme Difpofer of every event, and fovereign Arbiter of the fate of nations. How were it to be wifhed, that there was a juft fenfe of this truth on the minds of all of every rank! And that, in all who are in any measure fincere on this occafion, the impreffion may not be tranfient and partial, but lafting and effectual! It fhould excite us to a holy jealousy over ourselves, that we have fo often essayed the like duty without any apparent fuccefs. "Is there un“righteousness with God? God forbid!" The fault, doubtlefs, lies in ourselves. Our fafts have not been fuch as God has chofen, and therefore he hath refufed to hear our prayers.

In general, no doubt the evidence and the effect of an acceptable faft, is repentance compleated by reformation. Where this is wanting, we are juftly liable to the charge brought by the prophet Ifaiah against the children of Ifrael,

Bring no more vain oblations, incenfe is an abomination "unto me, the new moons and fabbaths, the calling of af-. "femblies I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even the fo-. "lemn meeting. Your new moons, and your appointed: "feafts my foul hateth, they are a trouble unto me, I "am weary to bear them. And when ye fpread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are "full of blood." There is no queftion but the unreftrained flood if impiety which has overfpread this nation,

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* Ifa. i. 13, 14, 15.

folicits divine vengeance, and prevents the efficacy even of the fincere prayers that are offered up for deliverance and mercy. But as, with refpect to particular perfons, every error or defect in practice is the confequence of an erroneous or defective principle, as every vicious action proceeds from an impure heart; fo, in a national capacity, I am perfuaded that our fafting and prayer has been fundamentally wrong, or effentially defective in itself, and therefore, has been followed by little or no fenfible fruit; or rather that impiety, which it should have removed, it hath only contributed to increase.

For this reafon my intention at this time is to point out to you what is the juft and proper object of prayer for divine aid in a time of public calamity, as well as the great encouragement to its exercife. For this there is a proper foundation in the paffage of Scripture juft read in your hearing. In the former part of the chapter, the prophet had pronounced many gracious promifes, of inward and Ipiritual profperity, and of outward protection and fecurity to the church, though furrounded and threatened, by enemies to her interests in both refpects. He then changes the form of his difcourfe, perfonates believers, and in their name, as one of them, addreffes to God the prayer in the text, “Awake, awake, put on ftrength, O arm of the "Lord: awake as in the ancient days, in the generations "of old: art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded "the dragon?"

The beauty and ftrength of this language, the juftness and force of the figures here ufed, it is almoft impoffible to overlook. The prophet prays for fuch a difplay of divine power and mercy as might be fignal and fenfible. "Awake, awake, put on ftrength," that is, exert thy power, difcover thy glory in fuch a manner, as that thy préfent forbearance may be like the vigor of a waking man, compared to the defencelefs and inactive ftate of one that is fast asleep. "O arm of the Lord." This expreffion the arm of the Lord, with the addition of making bare his holy arm, is frequently used in Scripture; and it is fo ftrong, and at the fame time, fo intelligible a figure, that it is impoffible to amplify or explain, without weak