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on by leisurely gradations; and that most frequently is it through harsh and unpromifing beginnings, things are brought to a favourable conclufion. This might be illuftrated by many examples,-Take, for one inftance, the progrefs of the feasons. Who that for the first time beheld the earth, in midst of winter, bound up with froft, or drenched in floods of rain, or covered with fnow, would have imagined that Nature, in this dreary and torpid ftate, was working towards its own renovation in the fpring? Yet we by experience know that thofe viciffitudes of winter are neceffary for fertilizing the earth; and that under wintry rains and fnows lie concealed the feeds of thofe rofes that are to bloffom in the fpring; of thofe fruits that are to ripen in fummer; and of the corn and wine, which are, in harvest, to make glad the heart of man. We perhaps relish not fuch difagreeable commencements of the pleafing feafon. It would be more agreeable to us, to be always entertained with a fair and clear atmosphere, with cloudlefs fkies, and perpetual funfhine: while yet, in fuch climates as we have moft knowledge of, the

earth,

V.

earth, were it always to remain in fuch a SER M. ftate, would refuse to yield its fruits; and in the midst of our imagined scenes of beauty, the ftarved inhabitants would perish for want of food.Let us therefore quietly fubmit to Nature and to Providence. Let us conceive this life, of whofe evils we fo often complain, to be the winter of our exiftence. Then the rains must fall, and the winds muft roar around us. But, fheltering ourselves, as we can, under a good confcience, and under faith and truft in God, let us wait till the spring arrive. For a spring, an eternal fpring, awaits the people of God. In the new heavens and the new earth no ftorms fhall any more arife, nor any unpleafing viciffitudes of feafon return. It fhall then at laft appear how former fufferings have produced their proper effect; how the tempefts of life have tended to bring on an everlafting calm; in fine, how all things have wrought together for good to them that love God, and who are the called according to his purpose.

SERMON VI.

On the Love of our Country.

[Preached 18th April 1793, on the day of a National Faft appointed by Government, on occafion of the War with the French Republic.]

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VI.

PSALM CXxii. 6, 7, 8, 9.

Pray for the peace of Jerufalem; they shall profper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and profperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions? fake, I will now fay, Peace be within thee. Because of the boufe of the Lord our God, I will feek thy peace.

IT

T is one of the infirmities belonging to. human nature, that continued enjoyment of the highest bleffings is apt to depreciate them in our esteem. This unhappy weakness shows itself, not only with : respect

respect to the light of the fun, and the beauties of nature, which we have been long

accustomed to behold, but also with respect to health, peace, religion, and liberty. Let any one of thofe bleffings have been long familiar to us; let a tract of time have effaced the remembrance of the diftrefs which we fuffered from the want of it; and it is furprising how lightly men are ready to prize the degree of happiness which they continue to poffefs —In midst of that peaceful and secure state which the inhabitants of this land have long enjoyed; furrounded with the chief bleffings that render life comfortable, how few have any just sense of the gratitude they owe to Heaven for fuch fingular felicity? Nay, is it not much to be lamented that there fhould have sprung up among us an unaccountable spirit of difcontent and difaffection, feeding itself with ideal grievances and visionary projects of reformation, till is has gone nigh to light up the torch of fedition?When government has now, for wife and proper reafons, called us together in a religious affembly, our thoughts cannot be more fuitably employed than in reviewing

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VI.

SERM. reviewing the grounds on which, as good Chriftians and faithful citizens, we have reafon to entertain the warmest affection for our native country, and to put a juft value on that conftitution of government, civil and facred, under which it is placed.

In the words of the text, you fee with what zeal the heart of the pious Pfalmist glowed for the profperity of his country. By the accumulation of expreffions which he employs, and the variety of topics he fuggefts, you fee the fervour with which this fubject animated his heart.-It will be proper to confider, firft, the grounds on which love for our country refts: and next, the duties to which this affection naturally gives rife.

BUT, before entering on any of those topics, it may be proper to take notice of the fpeculations of fome pretended philofophers, who reprefent the love of our country as hardly entitled to any place among the virtues. They affect to confider it as a mere prejudice of education; a narrow attachment, which tends to operate against more enlarged interefts. We ought,