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hath knowledge, and is clothed with authority to suppress the crime, but neglects his duty.

national wars, which have been the principal scourge of mankind from the beginning. As nations can exist in that capacity, only in this world, for the glory of his holiness, and to show that he is Lord of the whole earth, God punishes them here. When nations are punished by the Lord it is for one of two reasons; either the abounding of such vices as public authority ought to suppress; or for neglecting a national acknowledgment that he is God, and there is none beside him. To place this subject in its true importance before the reader, his serious consideration of the following particulars is requested.

There is another wide spread evil, carrying in its train all manner of dishonesty; an immoderate desire of wealth. This sin seems to have taken too much hold in every age and character among us. A decent competency is considered as nothing, unless there be prospects of speedy wealth. All seas, and all regions have been searched, and all means used to accomplish the end. The state of the nations, for many years past, hath given great scope for these exertions, and they have brought much wealth into our country. In sight of this worldly love God is displeased. This hoarded wealth is to perish by evil travail. By immense loss-edge him, and reverence his es on the seas, the interruption of lawful and commendable business, and the incalculable in ternal demands that must be made on the people, a gulph is opened that will swallow up all this profusion of increase. From existing causes the consequence seems to be inevitable. A most holy God hath seen the misuse of his blessings; and hath en-ration asserts his claim, and detered on his book of remembrance all our ingratitude, sensuality, and impiety.

There is another sin of general imputation, which the writer feels himself under imperious obligations to notice. It is a national neglect to acknowledge the true God.

Wicked families and nations must expect to be punished, although every individual in them is not personally guilty of the sins by which God is provoked. This is eminently the case in'

1. God requires men, in their national character to acknowl

providence, word and worship. When he took the Jews to be his peculiar people, a nation set apart to keep his oracles, lest a knowledge of him should be lost in the earth; he also declared himself to be the moral governor of all nations. Not a few passages, not some solitary texts; but the whole volume of inspi

scribes the destructions he hath successively brought on wicked nations for their impieties. These threatenings were not confined to the Jews, 'his peculiar people. They were denounced and executed on many other nations of which we have historical accounts in the scriptures. The nations of Canaan were cast out before the Israelites, not from an undue partiality to the latter; but to punish the sins of the original inhabitants. Egypt was punished for

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For the same I have mentioned. All these prove that God requires men in their national character to ac knowledge him, reverence his providence, respect his word, fear his power, and if they open

Let common sense and reason determine, whether it is not absurd to suppose, that every man in his personal, individual character is under obligation to confess God and his word; and still, as a member of a family, or of a neighborhood, or of a civil state, is not obliged to do the same. It is not conceived that such a distinction can be made. 2. The writer does not know,

the same reason. reason, when Israel fell into great sins, and either denied or neglected to acknowledge him as the true and only God, the surrounding people were always armed against them. The Baby-ly neglect him, teaches them to lonians, although they did not expect his judgments. themselves confess him as the only true God, were claimed by him to be the avengers of his wrath on many countries for their impieties. After they had done the work for which they were appointed, God destroyed them, because they had acted from wicked motives, in inflicting his judgments. Promises are made to all communities of men, which obediently confess him and his providence, and that the nation to which we bethese are united with denuncia-long, doth, by any public act tions against those who do it acknowledge the supreme God, not.-Nations are uniformly re-his providence, his word and his presented to be raised up, pre-worship. Whatever some parserved or destroyed to answer ticular States have done on this some great purposes in his moral subject, this cannot be considergovernment. There is a prom-ed as a national act. ise that righteousness shall exalt them. Laws are given for their conduct and policy. The character of good rulers is described, and bad rulers are condemned. Government is declared to be an institution of God, although the particular form it may assume is left to men's own determination, for the convenience of different conditions that are found in the earth. If government be a divine institution, it ought certainly to acknowledge a supreme God, his providence, his word, his worship, and a general law of moral obligation, I have not here recited particular texts of proof, as these would be weak, compared with that mass of evidence, which is contained in the general topics

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If God requires all nations to acknowledge him, the neglect must be displeasing, and lay us open to his judgments. While a conscientious regard to duty, leads me to the subject, I am sensible that it is one which requires candor in judging, prudence in expression, and some maturity of thought for a wise determination. The observations I shall make are not designed for any political party existing in our country; for I do not know that they will apply exclusively to one more than to another. Neither are they designed as an insinuation against any particular persons, who may have filled important offices in the nation; for I think there hath already been more of

is not fit to do it, is to deny his universal providence, and the essential honor which he claims to himself. If there be some

who doubt these truths, they cannot be qualified to judge a

this insinuation than is consistent with prudence or decency, and it is highly probable with truth. That neglect which I represent as a probable cause of divine displeasure is equally chargeable on us all, who have a know-mong a Christian people. While ledge of public duty and do not they ought not to be oppressed express it. I am sensible, pas- for their sinful singularities of sion and prejudice may carry opinion, so long as they do not men great lengths in their big- disturb society by their vices; otry, and in oppressing the con- they have no right to expect the sciences of others, against which favor of public confidence. there cannot be too strong a There are many cases in which guard; still it does not need a it is not fit to punish men for very discriminating mind to see, sentiments against nature and that there are certain truths of reason; still this exemption doth natural and revealed religion, not give them a right to distincwhich ought to be nationally tive honors. acknowledged wherever Christianity is the popular religion. To deny the being of a God, his providence, the truth of his word, or his right to be worshipped, must certainly disqualify any person whatever for exercising authority among a Christian people; for this plain reason, that Christians can place no confidence in such persons. Although it is possible they may do some things well, there is not that evidence of it that Christians ought to require. The few plain truths I mentioned, lie at the bottom of moral obligation; annul these, and moral obligation ceases, with which the very idea of moral duty ceases also; but the practice of moral duties constitutes both the safety and happiness of soeiety. A Christian people are under the highest possible obligation to bear their testimony for the being, providence, word and worship of God. To say there are any situations in which they may neglect this, or any conditions of acting in which it VOL. VI. No. 5.

A national regard to the first principles of natural and revealed religion doth not expose any man's conscience to oppression, or his practical rights of worship to be disturbed. Every man may think for himself; but there is nothing in nature more certain than that an Infidel cannot think for a Christian, nor a Pagan or Mahometan legislate for him, nor a man given up to destructive vices support that righteousness by which nations are exalted. If there be any points explicitly determined and urged in the word of God, this is one of them, “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord;" and certainly there cannot be a fear of the Lord, in those who having the Christian evidence of truth, do not credit his word and providence.-This is a Christian people, divided into several Christian denominations, who differ in matters of minor importance, yet these denominations agree in a belief of God's being, word and proviᏃ

dence; and in many other doc- | call it Christianity, it would be trines and duties of Christiani- difficult, by any vouchers of ty. Ought they to be so jeal-public authority, to prove a ous of each other as to leave right to this title. Such a conthe door open, that a professed dition of things, among any Infidel or a Pagan, may be con- people, must leave them in an stitutionally qualified to dis- uncovenanted state, and exposcharge every public trust? To ed to perish from the way when do this is departing from those the wrath of the Son is kindled principles of self preservation, but a little. May we not apply which they have a right to ex- to such a condition, what was ercise over their own lives and written by the prophet Zechariconsciences. There is a great ah, expressed in language famildistinction to be made between iar to the Jewish church, but leaving men in possession of manifestly designed for the day their private rights, and cloth-in which we live : " And it shall ing them with public rights; be, that whoever will not come between persecuting and honor-up of all the families of the ing. Let this distinction al- earth unto Jerusalem, to worways be made. Let no man be ship the king, the Lord of persecuted; neither let any man Hosts; even upon them shall be honored who is not willing be no rain. And if the family to honor God. When God of Egypt go not up, and shall hath in his word been so partic- not come, who have no rain, ular as we find, in declaring there shall be the plague, wherehis superintendence and govern- with God shall smite the heament of nations, their duty to then." acknowledge him as God, the blessings he will bestow on their obedience, and the judgments he will inflict on their impiety; there ought not to be a nation on earth, who have the means of information, backward to acknowledge him, and in their national capacity do him honor. Wherever such an omission is found, it is preferring a nominal liberality to the love and glory of God; and extending it beyond the limits of charity, which delights in the happiness of men, into the confines of scepticism and death. It is difficult to find a name for such a state of things. To call it hea thenism, would be a false representation of the private sentiments of the people, in every Christian denomination; if we

3. A national neglect to acknowledge God, his providence, word and worship, hath a demoralizing influence on all our public institutions, and on the opinions and manners of the people.

The native sinfulness of men strongly inclines them to forget God, and neglect the duties of religion. A great part of the moral order among mankind is impelled by the apprehensions of conscience, and by that sense of decency of which public opinion forms a standard. Although a hypocritical heart will not be accepted by God; yet it is certainly better for society to have sinful dispositions and practices restrained by a deference to public sentiment, than by an open indulgence of them

to corrupt thousands who are | What the public respects, they comparatively correct. The will respect; what it strenuouspower of example, on the opin-ly advises, they will think to be ions and manners of men is so in some way necessary for their great, that the destruction an own good; what it neglects, they irreligious man brings on his will esteem to be useless. As own soul, is not the greatest nations and states possess the evil incurred. He may be the highest earthly authority, all instrument of destroying a thou- their institutions should lead sand others s; which shews us men to reverence and worship the high importance that faith Him, by whom they are made and virtue be encouraged by and unmade, according to his public marks of respect. The pleasure. A neglect of religion state or the church where these in the highest public institutions cease to be given, is hastening will gradually have a corruptto its ruin by internal causes, ing influence on all that are submore to be dreaded than any ordinate to them. When those foreign enemy. who are appointed to watch over the morals of the people, and preserve order in the smaller districts, see the higher de partments of the state left, without any constitutional guard on the subjects of religion and virtue, it will certainly lead to a neglect of their own duty. The people will imbibe the same

The great body of every people form their faith and manners from a few persons of influence, who have better advantages than themselves for knowing; or who, from some circumstances, obtain an ascendancy over their opinions. A principal one among these circumstances, is being connected with the gov-idea; and either become refracernment of the state or the church. In these cases, that dignity which really belongs to the community, in the popular eye, is transferred to the individuals who are its organs of acting. It is therefore of infiuite importance, that these individuals be virtuous persons, who fear God and love his commandments; who treat all moral and religious institutions with respect, and bear their testimony for the being, providence, word and worship of God. The civil state is the fountain of power, controls wealth and imparts honor; objects that have a commanding influence over the mind. Human nature is such that public institutions will sway the opinions of the people...

tory against those who endeavor to execute good laws, or appoint persons to the service who will wholly neglect their duty.When it once becomes a general idea, that religion is not necessary for the safety of the civil state, there will soon be an end to order and justice. Even parents will be encouraged by the public neglect, to admit disorder and impiety into their houses. A corrupt state will corrupt the church of God. If Moses, by any means whatever, be diverted from giving a constant protection to religion, the sons of Aaron will soon make a molten calf, and say unto the people, these be thy gods, O Israel.The experience of all nations and all ages evinces the truth of

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