never have been more applicable to the Jews, than they are to us. And hence we have been led to choose them on this solemn occasion, when we are called to assemble together, to acknowledge our sins, and to implore the divine mercy.

To render the scripture useful we must consider persons in former ages as specimens of human nature in general; and the dispensations of providence towards them as holding forth the unchangeable perfections of Jehovah. Thus individuals, families, churches, nations become exemplary, and by their welfare or ruin encourage our hope, or awaken our fear.

Among all the nations of the earth there is no one to which we can so properly refer as the Jews-not only because their history is true, and events are traced up to their proper causes but because there is a greater correspondence, between them and us, than between us and any other people. They only of all the nations of antiquity worshipped the same God with us. They only like us were under the reign of grace as well as providence, and enjoyed religious and spiritual privileges blended with civil and natural. Let us attend to this.

1. Samuel tells them that "the Lord had done great "things for them." David could not review their his tory without admiration. "And what one nation in "the earth is like thy people, even like 1srael, whom "God went to redeem for a people, to himself, and to "make him a name, and to do for you great things and "terrible, for thy land before thy people, which thou "redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and "their gods?" Moses at a much earlier period gave them a pre-eminent blessedness. "Happy art thou, O "Israel: who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the "Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of "thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found li"ars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high "places."

Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. God in his x2

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Sovereign grace called him to his foot-and commanded him to depart from his own country, and his father's house, in search of a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance. He told him he should be the ancestor of a nation numerous as the stars of hea ven, and that one of his posterity should finally bless all the families of the earth. He multiplied and increased him. With Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise, he was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth. "When they were but a few men in number : "yea, very few, and strangers in it: when they went "from one nation to another, from one kingdom to "another people; he suffered no man to do them "wrong; yea he reproved kings for their sakes; say"ing, touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no "harm."

Their deliverance from the land of Egypt, and the house of bondage, is well known. He brought them forth with a strong hand, and an out-stretched arm. Creatures of every rank espoused their cause, and punished their enemies. When in jeopardy from their pursuers, the sea opened, and they passed through as on dry ground, which the Egyptians essaying to do, were drowned. Then they sang his praise. And the deliverance was the food of their faith and hope long afterwards "thou didst divide the sea by thy "strength; thou breakest the heads of the dragons in "the waters. Thou breakest the head of Levithan in "pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people in"habiting the wilderness."

Forty years wandered they in the desert. They knew not their way he was their guide. They were exposed to dangers--he was their defence: they had no supplies-he rained down manna, the rocks poured out water, their clothes waxed not old. Had they unwholsome damps by night? the pillar of cloud became a fire, and absorbed them. Were they open by day to the heat of a burning sky? the pillar of fire became a cloud, and diffused an immense shade over them. Thus

the sun did not smite them by day, nor the moon by night.

By and by Jordan rolled back its streams, and they took possession of a land, where were wells which they digged not, houses which they builded not, vineyards which they planted not: a land flowing with milk and honey; wherein there was no scarceness : and upon which the Lord's eye was from the beginning, even to the end of the year.

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But they had unspeakably greater advantages than all thesc. What says David? "He sheweth his word "unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. "He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for "his judgments, they have not known them." says Paul? "Who are Israelites to whom pertained "the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and "the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the "promises whose are the fathers, and of whom as "concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God "blessed for ever. Amen."

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And has he not done great things for us ?—It is not foolish partiality, but truth that compels us to say, "the "lines are fallen to us in pleasant places; yea, we have "a goodly heritage." O England! "Blessed of the "Lord be thy land, for the precious things of heaven, "for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath. "And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, "and for the precious things put forth by the moon. "And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, "and for the precious things of the lasting hills. And "for the precious things of the earth, and fulness there"of, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush." Have we not a land of woods and rivers, of fields, and of meadows," of wheat and of barley?" Are not "our oxen strong to labor ;" and do not "our sheep "bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our "streets ?" Are we not placed in a climate whose temperature equally secures us from scorching heat, and intolerable cold? What advantages do we pos

sess as an island! In consequence of this we have been preserved from invasion; and our country has not been made a field of slaughter.-What do we know of war? We have only witnessed its remote preparations and effects. We have not heard the confused noise of war. riors, nor seen garments rolled in blood. Nor have our nurses, terrified at the sound of battle, fled with our infants and lamed our mephiboseths for life. Commerce has filled our rivers with ships, and poured the produce of the four quarters of the globe upon our tables. We have a constitution which displays the sober, improved, tried wisdom of ages. We have laws, distinguished by their justice, their mildness, their impartiality. The poor are equally protected with the rich; and character and talents can rise to eminence from the cottage, as well as from the mansion. Humanity and benevolence have distinguished the national character; and around us rise institutions of charity to embrace the sons and daughters of every kind of wretchedness.

Capernaum, though a little mean fishing town, was said to be exalted unto heaven-and the reason was-because our Lord and Saviour had honored it with his presence, and had preached in it the kingdom of God. From the moment the gospel enters a country, the im portance of it commences in the eye of angels; and then then it is said-" arise, shine, for thy light is come, "and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." And when it withdraws from a place Ichabod may be written upon the walls-the glory is departed. At a very early period this inestimable blessing reached our highly favored isle. And while it has been withdrawn from countries once blessed with the same privilege, it has been continued to us, notwithstanding all our unworthiness and provocation. Popery had indeed obscured the glory of the gospel, locked up the scriptures in an unknown language, and sacrificed thousands of victims, to superstitious rage. But the blessed reformation gave us the bible, and said, read and live. And the glorious revolution fixing liberty on a firm and legal basis, said assemble to

gether, preach and hear, worship God according to the dictates of your own consciences, and "he that touch"eth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye." Thus ever since, we have sat under our own vine and fig tree, and none has made us afraid. We have filled our sanctuaries; we have enjoyed our sabbaths; and though he has given us the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet has he not removed our teachers into a corner, but our eyes behold our teachers, and our ears hear a voice behind us, saying-this is the way, walk ye in it, when we turn aside to the right hand, or to the left.

Ah! think of the want of all this!- -But bles"sed are your eyes; for they see; and your ears; for "they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many "prophets and righteous men have desired to see those "things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to "hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard "them." And to secure all these civil and religious advantages-how often has he made our cause his own? How seasonably and signally has he interposed to save us from the designs of our enemies? When brought low, he has helped us : " at even tide it has been light." Can we be insensible to all this ?-If there were any ingenuousness in us, this motive alone would be suffi-. eient.

But fear has its use-and it is necessary to tell you not only that you are bound by gratitude-but interest. "If ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be destroyed, "both you and your king." This is dreadful.-Think of a king you love as well as honor, and "whose life's a "lesson to the land he sways-" driven from his throne. Think of liberty exchanged for slavery. Think of property rapaciously plundered, or devoured by tyrannical exaction. Think of your private dwellings affording those who are dearer to you than yourselves, no security from brutal passions. Think of the temples of God burnt up, or converted to other purposes. Think -But let us not pursue this lamentable train of reflec