cursed in the city and in field-cursed in their basket and in their store--cursed in the fruit of their body, the fruit of their land, the increase of their kine, and the flocks of their sheepcursed in their going out and their coming inthat the Lord would send upon them cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all things that they set their hand unto, till they be destroyed and perish-that the Lord would make the pestilence cleave to them-would smite them with many sore diseases-would make the heaven above them to be as brass, and the earth under them as iron-would cause them to flee and fall before their enemies would make their plagues and His judgments wonderful, so that they should be mad for the sight of their eyes which they should see, and should become an astonishment, a proverb, and a bye word among all nations of the earth. If, I say, this dreadful responsibility-this tremendous dilemma-was fixed upon them; and they could not shake it off-could not "make themselves like the families of the nations "-could not rid themselves of the eternal obligation under which they were bound to God, as He saith, (Amos. iii, 2.) "You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you"-you, eminently above all others" for all your iniqui

ties:" if, I repeat, this most awful weight of responsibility rested upon them of old, does it not rest upon us now? If, (as we have already argued) we are advanced to similar, or even greater (yes! much greater) privileges, than Israel of old; must there not also rest upon us the same, or some of the same, fearful responsibility, that rested upon them?-something of that tremendous accountableness, under which (oh, solemn warning to us!) they were overwhelmed? And if-to come down to the times and the enactments of Christianity-St. Paul, writing to the Corinthian converts, who were surrounded with idolatry, and had none of the national religious advantages that we now so richly enjoy, declares, that to them, and all who heard it, the Gospel must be either "the power of God to salvation," or else, what? the word of condemnation: and again, that he and his fellow-preachers of that Gospel were unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish: to the one the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life:" Must not the same appalling alternative be ours? It must, and with tenfold more weight of obligation.

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Permit me then to make the inquiry, are we, as a Christian nation, exhibiting the due fruits

of our holy religion? Are we living in observance of our baptismal engagements? Are we acting in all things as mindful of the high obligation, and of the awful responsibility, under which we are placed? Are we answering the end of our high calling, and walking consistently with our sacred character, as a Protestant people? Are we conforming ourselves to the revealed will of God? Are we holding forth the word of life among other less favored nations? Are we, singly and collectively, letting our light so shine before men, that they, seeing our good works, may glorify our Father in Heaven," and be constrained to acknowledge us as the people of the Lord; and further, be led, by our example, to the practice of that truth, that holiness, that " righteousness,”which exalteth a nation ?” Or, on the other hand, are we, both abroad, causing the name of the Most High God to be profaned and dishonored? and at home, neglecting our privileges-forgetting our responsibility-setting at defiance many of the laws of the Most High-abusing His ordinances-satisfied with the form without the power, with the name without the life, of Christ's religion-not yielding the fruit that He requires of us-not walking in obedience to His will, nor in a manner

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worthy of His Gospel-not keeping ourselves separate, and protesting against the wickedness of the world; but joining hands with Infidelity, Idolatry, and Impiety; and rivalling the very heathen in deeds of darkness, of sin and shame?

Fain would I think well of my country, and hope and wish every thing for her honour! But it is vain, and worse than vain, to say "Peace, peace, when there is no peace:" to bid all be quiet and at ease, when God proclaims war! Woe to the watchman, who sees the sword coming, but from any false motives does not give the alarm!

Like Israel of old, we have been blessed above other nations; and like Israel of old, we have not rendered to God His due. Unless, therefore, we wilfully blind our eyes, we cannot be ignorant of the result. If not already, soon will the hand of the Almighty be stretched out in chastisement-O that it may not be in terrible desolating judgment!

O England, when thine heart was tender, and thou didst walk humbly with thy God, thou wast as iron and brass; but now, when by thy wisdom, thy traffic and thy riches, thine heart is lifted up, thy God (O that it might prove otherwise!) is leaving thee; and thou, though thou seemest to thyself to be strong, art becoming as mire and clay.

Have we not already seen some tokens of wrath-something that might well make us think, and tremble?-Within the last few years, did not the pestilence, which with giant stride had hurried from East to West, ravage also our secluded shores? and was this by chance-at its own bidding? or was it sent to us as a chastisement, and intended to warn us of the uplifted hand of the Almighty? The true Philosopher would not doubt how to answerbut certainly the true Christian knows, that nothing comes by chance; that however many links there may be in the chain of causes, the final one is with God; that however complicated the machinery, God alone is the Maker and Mover of it-the sole Agent in it. He is taught too well to think of making a God of Accident, or Nature. The Book of Truth instructs him, that not even a sparrow falls to the ground, but by the permission of the Great Creator.-The pestilence, therefore, to which I have alluded, was a token of God's outstretched arm. Again, in that fell spirit of discontent, which not long ago revelled in the loss and destruction of property throughout the land; as well as in that novel rage for illegal and wicked confederacy, and also in those, I fear, increasing habits, among the lower orders, of licentiousness and insubordination; in these, and many other striking