obferved, that there is a fpirit of obstinacy in man which inclines him to refift violence, and that feverity doth but encreafe oppofition, be the cause what it will.. They fuppofe that perfecution is equally proper to propagate truth and error. This, though in part true, will by no means generally hold. Such an apprehenfion, however, gave occafion to a glorious triumph of divine Providence, of an oppofite kind, which I'muft briefly relate to you. One of the Roman emperors, Julian, furnamed the Apoftate, perceiving how impoffible it was to fupprefs the Gospel by violence, endeavoured to extinguish it by neglect and fcorn. He left the chriftians unmolefted for fome time, but gave all manner of encouragement to thofe of oppofite principles, and particularly the Jews, out of hatred to the chriftians, and that he might bring publick difgrace upon the Galileans, as he affected to ftile them. He encouraged the Jews to rebuild the temple of Jerufalem, and vifibly refute the prophecy of Chrift that it should lie under perpetual defolation. But this profane attempt was fo fingularly fruftrated, that it ferved as much as any one circumftance to fpread the glory of our Redeemer, and establish the faith of his faints. It is affirmed by fome ancient authors, particularly by Ammianus Marcellinus, a heathen hiftorian, that fire came out of the earth and confumed the workmen when laying the foundation. But in whatever way it

was prevented, it is beyond all controverfy from the concurring, teftimony of heathens and chriftians, that little or no progrefs was ever made in it, and that in a fhort time it was entirely defeated.

It is proper here to obferve that at the time of the reformation, when religion began to revive, nothing contributed more to facilitate its reception and encrease its progress than the violence of its perf cutors. Their cruelty, and the patience of the fufferers, naturally disposed men to examine and weigh the cause to which they adhered with so much conftancy and resolution. At the fame time alfo when they were perfecuted in one city they fled to another, and carried the difcoveries of popifh fraud to every part of the world. It was by fome of these, who were perfecuted in Germany, that the light of the reformation was fo early brought into Briton.

The power of divine Providence appears with the more diftinguished luftre, when finall and inconfiderable circumstances, and fometimes the weather and feafons, have defeated the most formidable armaments, and fruftrated the best concerted expeditions. Near two hundred years ago the monarchy of Spain was in the height of its power and glory, and determined to crush the intereft of the reformation. They fent out a powerful armament against Briton, giving it oftentatiously, and in my opinion, profanely, the name of the Invincible

Armada.

Armada. But it pleafed God fo entirely to discomfit it by tempefts, that a small part of . it returned home, though no British force had been opposed to it at all.

We have a remarkable inftance of the influence of small circumftances in Providence in the English hiftory. The two most remarkable. perfons in the civil wars had earnestly defired to withdraw themfelves from the contentions of the times, Mr. Hampden and Oliver Cromwell. They had actually taken their paffage in a fhip for New England, when, by an arbitrary order of council, they were compelled to remain at home. The confequence of this was, that one of them was the foul of the republican oppofition to a monarchical ufurpation during the civil wars; and the other, in the courfe of the conteft, was the great inftrument in bringing the tyrant to the block.

The only other hiftorical remark I am to make is, that the violent perfecutions which many eminent chriftians met with in England, from their brethren who called themfelves proteftants, drove them in great numbers, to a diftant part of the world, where the light of the Gospel and true religion were unknown. Some of the American fettlements, particularly thofe in New England, were chiefly made by them; and as they carried the knowledge of Chrift to the dark places of the earth, fo they continue themselves in as great a degree of purity of D 2

faith

faith and ftrictnefs of practice, or rather greater than is to be found in any part of the proteftant world. Does not the wrath of man, in this inftance, praise God? Was not the accufer of the brethren, who ftirs up their enemies, thus taken in his own craftinefs, and his kingdom fhaken by the very means he employed to establish it? *

1

II. I proceed to the fecond general head, which was to apply the principles illuftrated above to our prefent fituation, by inferences of truth for your inftruction and comfort, and by fuitable exhortations to duty in this important crisis. And,

1. In the first place I would take the opportunity on this occafion, and from this fubject, to prefs every hearer to a fincere concern for his own foul's falvation.

There are times when the mind may be ex-pected to be more awake to divine truth, and the confcience more open to the arrows of con viction, than at another. A feason of publick judgment

* Left this should be thought a temporizing compliment to the people of New England, who have been the first fufferers in the prefent conteft, and have fet fo noble an example of invincible fortitude in withstanding the vio lence of oppreffion, I think it proper to obferve, that the whole paragraph is copied from a fermon on P. lxxiv. 22, prepared and preached in Scotland in the month of Au gust, 1758,

judgment is of this kind, as appears from what has been already faid. That curiofity and attention, at least, are raised in fome degree is plain from the unusual throng of this affembly. Can you have a clearer view of the finfulness of your nature than when the rod of the oppreffor is lifted up, and you fee men putting on the habit of the warrior, and collecting on every hand the weapons of hoftility and inftruments of death? I do not blame your ardour in preparing for the refolute defence of your temporal rights. But confider, I beseech you, the truly infinite importance of the falvation of your fouls. Is it of much moment whether you and your children fhall be rich or poor, at liberty or in bonds? Is it of much moment whether this beautiful country fhall encrease in fruitfulnefs from year to year, being cultivated by active industry, and poffeffed by independent freemen, or the scanty produce of the neglected fields fhall be eaten up by hungry publicans, while the timid owner trembles at the tax-gatherer's approach? And is it of lefs moment, my brethren, whether you fhall be the heirs of glory, or the heirs of hell? Is your ftate on earth, for a few fleeting years, of fo much mo ment? and is it of lefs moment what shall be your ftate through, endlefs ages? Have you affembled together willingly to hear what shall be faid on publick affairs, and to join in imploring the bleffing of God on the counfels and

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