persons have degenerated; vice and luxury have gained ground, and religion has declined, and died away; and that too in the midst of the most proper means to promote reformation, and to strengthen the things that remain. Then the most solemn preaching, and the most alarming providences have no effect; but men continue blind and stupid under the clearest instructions, and the loudest warnings; and grow harder and harder, instead of being refined, in the furnace of affliction. But on the other hand, when the Spirit is poured out from on high, then the cause of religion and virtue is promoted, almost without means; then sinners are awakened by a word: religion catches and circulates from heart to heart, and bears down all opposition before it. Peter had preached many a sermon, before that which we find recorded in Acts the second, and his Lord and master had preached many a one; but with very little success. But now by one short discourse, no fewer than 3,000 are converted in a few minutes among a promiscuous prejudiced multitude, some of whom had been accessary to the death of Jesus Christ but a few days before. And, whence this happy turn? St. Peter himself will tell you, it was because then was fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Joel. "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh."* Then too was fulfilled the promise of the blessed Jesus to his disciples; "I will send the Spirit unto you; and when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." It was this that rendered the progress of the gospel so rapid and irresistible through the world, in spite of the most powerful opposition from all quarters in that age; which in times seemingly more favourable, has languished, and lost ground.

It is my happiness to be able to furnish you with an instance of the like nature, in the review of my own short life. About sixteen years ago, in the northern colonies, when all religious concern was much out of fashion, and the generality lay in a dead sleep in sin, having at best but the form of godliness, but nothing. of the power; when the country was in peace and prosperity, free from the calamities of war, and epidemical sickness; when, in short, there were no extraordinary calls to repentance; suddenly, a deep, general concern about eternal things spread through the country; sinners started out of their slumbers, broke off from their vices, began to cry out, What shall we do to † John xvi. 7, 8.

*Acts ii. 16, 17. Joel ii. 28.

be saved? and made it the great business of their life to prepare Then the gospel seemed almighty, and

for the world to come.

:

carried all before it. It pierced the very hearts of men with an irresistible power. I have seen thousands at once melted down under it; all eager to hear as for life, and hardly a dry eye to be seen among them. Many have since backslidden, and all their religion is come to nothing, or dwindled away into mere formality. But, blessed be God, thousands still remain shining monuments of the power of divine grace in that glorious day. That harvest did not continue very long and now, in the very same places, and under the same ministry, or a better, there are hardly any appearances of it; though Providence has given them so many alarms of late, and such loud calls to repentance. And what can be the reason of such a surprising difference, but this, that formerly the Spirit was poured out from on high, but now he is withdrawn; and hence the gospel, and the means of grace, which were once so powerful, have now lost their general efficacy, and have either no effect, or a terrible one, that is, to harden men more and more.

Now if this be so indeed, that is, if the holy Spirit be the sole author of that reformation, which is necessary to preserve or restore public tranquillity and happiness; then we may be enabled by this to form some estimate of the present situation of our country and nation. By feeling this pulse, we may learn the state of our political body.

On the one hand, we may discover, that God has not as yet abandoned guilty Britons, nor entirely withdrawn his Spirit from this world of sinners. If the Spirit has not been poured out in a copious shower of late, he has at least distilled like the dew, and caused some spots of the wilderness here and there to flourish. I have very agreeable accounts from my English correspondents, that many of the clergy there have been roused out of their long sleep; have abandoned the modish new-fangled divinity of the age, gone back to the forsaken truths of their own articles and the reformation, and preach Christ crucified, and the unfashionable doctrines of grace, with indefatigable zeal, and extensive success. This is the more unexpected, and the more promising, as it has appeared in a church, where religion has been declining for some time, and the things that remained were ready to die. We, I hope, have catholicism enough to rejoice in her recovery, though under another name. Some drops of divine influences

have also fallen upon certain spots in America of late.. I have some time ago given you an account of the promising religious impressions among the students in the college of New Jersey: and my worthy correspondent, Mr. Bellamy, informs me, "As at New Jersey college, so in several places in New England, there have been awakenings, and some hopeful conversions of late: but whether these are to be looked upon as bees flying to the hive before a storm, or as some drops of mercy before a general shower, I cannot tell, but fear the former: for our land, in general, is in profound security, and the cry of our sins has reached to heaven." I have several accounts of the same agreeable import from other hands. And I hope even Virginia is not left a mere barren wilderness, without one fruitful spot in it. Here and there a poor thoughtless sinner has been alarmed, and turned to the Lord; and even some of Africa's gloomy sons have become, we hope, the Lord's free-men, and the genuine children of Abraham by faith. These things bear a promising aspect; and we would fain hope, that the Lord has reserved such a remnant among us, that we shall not be made like unto Sodom, and desolate like unto Gomorrah: nor have we reason to complain, with desponding Elijah, that we only are left to serve the Lord.

But, on the other hand, it is lamentably evident, there has not been of late any such general outpouring of the Spirit, as is necessary to produce a public national reformation; which is the only cure for a body politic so far gone as ours. We have lost ground indeed before our enemies, and been almost every where worsted: but I am afraid vice has stood its ground against the artillery of the gospel; or if it has lost in one place, it has gained in another. By all accounts from Great-Britain, and the neighbouring colonies, and by our own observations in this, it appears, that the generality lie in a deep sleep, presumptuous and prayerless, even when the bloody sword is unsheathed and brandished over them, and their country bleeds by a thousand wounds. They hardly ever reflect upon their sins as the cause of these public calamities; nor humble themselves under these judgments, as indications of the righteous displeasure of God. Nay, some are arrived to such a daring height of infidelity, as virtually to abjure the divine government, and to avow, that they do not think the God of heaven has any thing to do in such affairs; but the potsherds of the earth dash themselves together of them

selves, and the arm of flesh fights it out. Our country and nation have had the trial of the gospel a long time-the gospel, which is the most effectual expedient to reform the world, which has subdued so many obstinate sinners, and which has peopled heaven with so large a colony from our guilty globe. We have also of late had the trial of the calamities of war-a bloody and savage war with a powerful, exasperated enemy, and their barbarous allies. But, alas! it appears, upon trial, that these means will not do. After all the trial that has been made, alas! it appears, that infidelity, irreligion, immorality, and luxury, still stand their ground. Yes, by all accounts, they stand their ground even among the soldiery, and among the inhabitants of our frontiers, whose lives are in danger every hour. In short, a spirit of deep sleep seems to be poured out, instead of a spirit of reformation.

I wish it were evident, that we, in this congregation, have escaped this heavy judgment. And I cannot but hope, some drops of divine influence are distilling here and there among us. But alas! my brethren, I greatly fear, that even we have reason to lament and cry after the departed Spirit of God. I am greatly afraid, we may be named ICHABOD, because the glory is departed.* For what is now become of that inquiry, "What shall I do to be saved?" Where now are the tears, the sighs, and groans of broken-hearted sinners? Where their eager searches and cryings after Jesus? When do we now see attentive crowds in the house of God, hearing as for their lives, with all the natural signs of raised passions in their countenances? Alas! these are rare things now-a-days. In some, vice appears impudent and bare-faced, without a veil. Others indulge themselves in a stupid carelessness about religion, and think it enough if they observe some of its fashionable outward forms, while they know nothing of the vigorous, heart-exercises of genuine christians. In short, if we make our observations upon high and low, and all ranks, on both sides the Atlantic, alas! we find they go on still in the same old way, as in the time of peace and prosperity. The danger of their country, and their own, is no reason with them, why they should repent.

Now this is a sufficient evidence, that the Spirit has not been poured upon us from on high, in a plentiful shower. And this gives us reason to fear, that the furnace which God has kindle

* 1 Sam. iv. 21, 22.

among us is not intended to refine, but to consume; or, in other words, that the calamities which we have felt, or which we fear, are rather intended to destroy, than to reform. For you must observe, such dispensations, and the means of grace in general, are intended for two very different ends; sometimes to reform and save, and sometimes to harden and destroy. Even Jesus Christ the Saviour came into our world for judgment, as well as for mercy; and is set for the fall as well as rise, of many in Israel. The ministry of the gospel is a savour of death unto death, as well as of life unto life. Isaiah was sent as a prophet to the Jews, when their sins were ripening fast, and their national desolation was approaching. And what was he sent for? not to reform them; that was hopeless: but you may read his commission.* "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not ;" that is, you shall enjoy all proper means for instructions, but receive no advantage from them. "Then, said I, Lord, how long?" Isaiah inquired how long the means of grace should be unprofitable to them, and tend to harden them and the answer is, "Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate." I have some better hopes concerning our country and yet, I must say, I have my fears, that this awful passage may be fulfilled even upon it. I have my fears, that briers and thorns will grow up in our land, or, which is much the same, that it may become the range of French and Indian savages, "UNTIL the Spirit be poured upon us from on high." And when that period will arrive, whether sooner or later, is among the secrets of the divine counsels.

want.

:

From what has been said, you may see what we principally We want arms, and artillery, and fortifications-we want more unanimity, judgment, dispatch and frugality in projecting and executing our undertakings-we want more public spirit, courage and resolution among the populace. But, oh! these are not our only, nor our principal wants: we want an outpouring of the holy Spirit upon all ranks; and till this want be supplied, nothing is like to go on well with us. We want a general pub lic reformation and we shall always want it, " until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high." Alas! this want is little thought of; but it is by so much the more dangerous and lament

Isaiah vi. 9-11.