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thew that the hand of the Almighty is upon us, that we are a finful people, and He an offended God*.

Let it not however be imagined, that I am here holding the language of defpondency and despair; no, nothing can be farther from my thoughts. But in the prefent calamitous fituation of this courtry, this glorious and ftill unrivalled country, to which all our hearts are bound by a thousand indiffoluble ties, it would have been unpardonable in me to have paffed over with unfeeling apathy and cold indifference thofe awakening and unexampled events, which are forcing themselves every moment on our observation, and which call aloud on all the fons of men to reflect and to repent. I felt it to be my indispensable duty, in this my last folemn address to you, to prefs upon you every motive to a holy life that could influence the heart of man, and with this view to draw your attention to all thofe aftonishing fcenes that are daily paffing before your eyes, and which add irresistible force to every thing that has been advanced in the course of these Lectures. You now fee displayed, in vifible characters, in the actual viciffitudes of almost evey hour, thofe great truths which I have been for four years past inculcating in words; the uncertainty of every earthly bleffing, the vanity of all human purfuits, the inftability of all worldly happiness, and the abfolute neceffity of looking out for fome more folid ground to stand upon, fome more durable treasures. on which to fix our affections and our hearts. For many years paft God has been speaking to us by the various dif penfations of his providence, by acts of mercy and of justice, by his interpofitions to fave us, by his judgments to correct us. He has been fpeaking a language which cannot be misunderstood, a language which is heard in every quarter of the globe, which makes all nature trem-. ble, and shakes the very foundations of the earth.

Yet ftill, though there is juft caufe for apprehenfion, there is no occafion for defpair. If from thefe judgments of the Lord, we learn that leffon they were meant to teach us; if we turn, without delay, from the evil of our

This Lecture was given in the Spring of the year 18c1.

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ways; if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and acknowledge our tranfgreffions with the truek penitence and contrition of foul; if we fet ourselves in earnest to relinquish every vicious habit, every secret fault, as well as every prefumptuous fin; if we deny ourselves, and take up our cross to follow Chrift; if we lay our follies, our vanities, our gaieties, our criminal indulgencies, at the feet of our Redeemer, and purify ourselves even as he is pure; if in thefe times of unexampled fcarcity of all the neceffaries of life, we open our hearts and our hands wide to the neceflities of our suffering brethren; if, in fhort, by the purity of our hearts, the fanctity of our lives, the fervor of our devotions, the fincerity of our faith and confidence in Chrift, we recommend ourselves to the favor of heaven, I fcruple not to fay, that we have nothing to fear. By the mighty hand of God we fhall be protected here; by the merits of him who died for us we fhall be faved and rewarded hereafter. And we may, I truft, in this cafe, humbly apply to ourselves that confolatory declaration of the Almighty to another. people, with which I fhall finally close these Lectures; and which may God in his infinite mercy confirm to us all in this world, and in the next!

"How can I give thee up, Ephraim? My foul is turned within me. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger, for I am God, and not man. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment: but with everlasting kindness * will I have mercy upon theet.”

This kindness has in fact (as far as the public welfare is concerned) been in feveral important inftances moft graciously and confpicuously extended to this highly favoured land fince thefe Lectures were finished; and it evidently calls for every return on our part of affection and obedience to our heavenly Banefactor, that the deepest fense of gratitude can possibly dictate to devout and feeling hearts.--"March, 1802.

+ Hofea, xi. 8, 9. Ifaiah, liv. 8.

THE END.

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