prophet, "the anger of the Lord hath divided us; Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and they together shall be against Judah."

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." We are now pressed down under a general and heavy calamity: our commerce, the chief source of wealth to the individual, and of revenue to the government, is in a great measure destroyed, and even our peace is endangered by the hostile appearance of foreign nations. More than a year have we suffered under these complicated evils, and their effects have produced embarrassment among all classes of society. No longer is employment offered as formerly to the laborer: no longer is the toil of the busbandman rewarded by a liberal compensation for his produce; no longer is the merchant animated to enterprise by success in his trade; no longer are our harbors enlivened by a race of hardy, generous seamen; no longer does our canvass whiten the ocean; no longer do our ships return wafting upon our shores the wealth and the luxuries of every clime Different causes are assigned for this sudden, calamitous reverse of our situation By some it is attributed to the want of wisdom and energy in our administration; by others to the intolerant, oppressive measures of Britain; by others to the ambition, intrigues, and corrupting influence of France, but this "also must be

considered as coming forth from the Lord of hosts, and" by this he is avenging his quarrel with our country. It is his blessing which maketh rich;" that crowns with prosperity the individual, or the community; and it is his displeasure which blasts their enterprise: His displeasure causes citizen to become alienated from citizen; wisdom to depart from our rulers; commerce to quit our shores; and which is now threatening "to muster the hosts" to the battle.

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Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws; changed the ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant: The new wine mourneth; the vine languisheth; all the merry hearted do sigh: He stretched out his hands against the sea; the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof."

I must trespass on your patience by noticing another evidence of the divine displeasure with our country; it is one which must peculiarly interest and alarm the hearts of all who realize our dependance on the God of nations, that our attention has never been directed to the real source either of our miseries or relief. A spirit of lethargy, and of slumber, when the great God is shaking his rod over a nation, is not merely their sin, but the presage of a more dreadful visitation. "Because they consider not the works of the Lord, nor regard the opera

tions of his hand; therefore the Lord will destroy them and not build them up." There is probably not a more awful evidence that an individual, or a nation is abandoned of God, and marked as victims for his wrath than to be given up to themselves; to be permitted to remain unawakened and unconcerned amidst the alarming dispensations of his providence. When "the cup of the iniquity" of Israel was nearly full," and the decree for their destruction had irreversiby passed, how awful is the commission given to the prophet! "Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes," see my judgments which are already gathered and lowering over their heads; "and hear with their ears," hear my voice of warning in my word, or by my messengers, or in the movements of my providence; "and understand with their heart," be really affected with their own abominations as the meritorious cause of their miseries, "and be healed."-The prophet, melted at hearing the doom of his deluded country, affectionately replies, "Lord, how long?" He is answered by the oracle, "until the cities be waste without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate."

Brethren, does not our situation as a nation obviously and awfully correspond with that of deluded Israel? Can we imagine that they were more stupid, or more infatu

ated amidst the terrors of the Almighty than we are in America? Much time has been occupied in devising the means of safety; much treasure has been expended in fortifying our harbors: message after message has been transmitted to foreign courts, representing our grievances and demanding redress; but during all our alarms and all these exertions for maintaining our rights, has the Lord of hosts been acknowledged by us as a nation? have we been called by our civil rulers to ask the interposition of IIIм by whom "kings reign, and princes decree justice; by whom princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth?" Nay, I mention it with the most profound emotions of regret, and of trembling; of humiliation for the past, and apprehensions for the future, that during eight years we have not been recommended in a national capacity to acknowledge the Ruler of nations: no tribute of thanksgiving has ascended to his throne in the season of prosperity; neither have we in adversity been directed to the confession of guilt, nor to ask the interference of that arm which works salvation. Was such the example exhibited by our illustrious patriots of '76; by those who then directed our councils, marshalled our armies in the field, and were, under God, the instruments of our national glory? On the seventeenth of May in that year, a day that must remain memorable while the love of liberty is cherished in our country, the op

pressed millions of America at the call of their rulers approached the mercy seat, laid a history of their grievances before the Avenger of wrongs, implored his interposition in their behalf, and his ear was graciously open to their cry.

From this doctrine, thus explained, it is obviously suggested,

1. That verily "there is a God who judg eth in the earth." Vain, impious mortals frequently ask, "who is Jehovah that we should obey him?" In the infatuation and madness of their hearts, they often challenge, "how doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most high?" In the enthusiasm of their impiety, they are resolving, "let us break his bands asunder and cast his cords from us." But notwithstanding all their presumption and self-confidence, "their judgment lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh at them; the Lord shall hold them in derision: Then shall he speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure. Though hand join in hand, his soul will be avenged" sooner or later on the wanton, incorrigible person or people. What is the history of the world but a history of Jehovah's judgments in the overthrow of haughty, licentious nations? Where are now the once mighty, magnificent empires of Egypt, of Assyria, of Greece or of Rome? Where are now their splendid cities, their adamantine walls VOL. 3.

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