DISCOURSE

ON

THURSDAY, JULY 7. 1814.

BEING THE DAY APPOINTED FOR GENERAL THANKSGIVING

TO ALMIGHTY GOD

ON THE RESTORATION OF PEACE.

DISCOURSE.

ISAIAH, xlii. 11, 12.

Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands.

MANY have been the years, through which in the course of our public worship we have prayed unto God in these words: "That we, being armed with Thy "defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, "to glorify Thee, who art the only Giver of all victory.' In the progressive lapse of those many years, at proper intervals have been appointed solemn days, on which with humble supplication we have besought the LORD after this manner:-"Grant us to acknowledge Thine Almighty Power, and Thy will, in the events of that "warfare in which we are now engaged.""alive in us a constant sense of Thy presence, and of "our dependence upon Thee."-" In thy good time "vouchsafe us such a secure and prosperous peace, as "may tend to the glory of Thy name, to the honour and safety of our Sovereign and his dominions, and to the "common welfare of mankind."+ Thanks be to God!

66

66

See the Liturgy; Prayer in Time of War.

"Keep

+ See "A Form of Prayer to be used on a Day appointed for

a General Fast, in 1807, and six following years," p. 6. 8. 9.

that of his great mercy he hath heard our petitions; thanks be to God! that by the directing grace of his Holy Spirit he hath put it into our hearts, both individually and nationally, to laud and magnify the name of him, who "maketh wars to cease, who breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder*;" the name of him, who is " our heavenly Father; high and mighty; King of kings; Lord of lords; the only ruler of princes; who does from his throne behold all the "dwellers upon earth."+ Happily for the human race, this earth is ruled by his unerring wisdom, and superintended by his disposing providence; through which attributes, as he made of one blood all nations "of men to dwell on the face of the globe; so he "appointed unto them the bounds of their habitation."+ Britain is the country assigned for our birth, for our place of abode; and warm should be our hearts with gratitude to the Almighty, that this is the spot of our nativity, the land given for our enjoyment of innumerable blessings. There are two instances of divine protection and goodness, for which we, "the inhabitants of the "rock, should sing; for which, from the top of the "mountains we should shout; for which we should "give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise," with peculiar thankfulness. Be it, then, frequently remembered (and on every recollection of it let our souls be lifted up with pious emotions and sense of praise to GOD!); be it frequently remembered, that for a period of more than sixteen years §, not an enemy, coming

* Ps. xlvi. 9.

+ See Liturgy; Prayer for the King's Majesty.

Acts, xvii. 26.

§ i. e. From the year 1797, at which time twelve hundred Frenchmen landed on the coast of Pembrokeshire. See p. 413. vol. i. of "A Sketch of the History of Europe," by John Bigland.

armed from a foreign country, hath appeared to set his foot on the southern parts of Britain; and that during the same period, no quarter of Britain hath been occupied as the scene and theatre of war. Be it frequently recalled to your minds, that he who on the continent of Europe was permitted to lead his thousands into the very capitals of dismayed empires, on the sea was not allowed to succeed in any enterprise undertaken with the design of invading this country; but was so completely frustrated in all his naval projects, that the armed forces even of a single vessel could not make a descent on the shores of England. So watchful for our preservation was the providence of God! so instrumental towards the safety of ourselves, and towards the exclusion of our enemies, was it God's pleasure to make the ocean, which by his decree hath encircled, which by his command hath marvellously defended our island.

Worthy of reflection are those facts. Consideration of them will be resumed in the sequel. At present, however, let us postpone enlargement on them; and employ the interval by contemplating the nature of the war in which we have been long contending.

Of no common origin, of no common character was the war in which we have lately been engaged. The cause, on our side, was to support the dictates of sound sense against the deceitful arguments of sophistry; the feelings of natural affection against the cruelties of hardened apathy; the claims of justice against the rapacity of violence; the rights of lawful possession against the iniquities of usurpation.

And here it is obvious to enquire, What could have led a people, antecedently standing high in reputation among the civilised kingdoms of the world, to have