of the colonists. So far at least as their religious professions are consistent, sincere, and scriptural, let them provoke us to a rational concern for the glory of God, and our eternal interests. Were we to contend with our American colonies for supremacy in virtue and devotion, how noble would be the strife! how worthy of a protestant kingdom, and a mother-country! And does not political wisdom, as well as brotherly love, require us to do something in order to root up their inveterate prejudices against us and our church? Have we forgotten that many of the first colonists crossed the Atlantic for conscience sake; seeking in the woods of America, some, a shelter against our once-persecuting hierarchy; and others, a refuge from our epidemical profaneness? And does not their offspring look upon us in the same odious light in which Dr. Price places us? Do they not abhor or despise us, as impious, immoral men, enervated by luxury ;' men, with whom it is dangerous to be connected, and who may expect calamities, that shall recover to reflection,' perhaps to devotion, 'libertines and atheists themselves?

"And is it only for God's sake, for the sake of our own souls, and for the sake of the colonists, that we should look to our conduct and Christian profession? Are there not multitudes of rash religionists in the kingdom, who suppose that all the praying people in England are for the Americans, and who warmly espouse their part, merely because they are told, that the colonists 'fast and pray,' while ' we forget everything serious and decent,' and because prejudiced teachers confidently ask, with Dr. Price, 'Which side is Providence likely to favour?' Would to God all our legislators felt the weight of this objection, which can as easily mislead moral and religious people in the present age, as it did in the last! Would to God they exerted themselves in such a manner, that all unprejudiced men might see, the king and parliament have 'the better men,' as well as 'the better cause!' Would to God, that by timely reformation, and solemn addresses to the throne of grace, we might convince Dr. Price and all the Americans, that in submitting to the British legisVOL. VIII.

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lature, they will not submit to libertinism and atheism ; but to a venerable body of virtuous and godly senators, who know that the first care of God's representatives on earth, the principal study of political gods, should be to promote God's fear, by setting a good example before the people committed to their charge, and by steadily enforcing the observance of the moral law!

"These are some of the reflections which Dr. Price's religious argument has drawn from my pen, and which I doubt not but some of our governors have already made by the help of that wisdom which prompts them to improve our former calamities, and to study what may promote our happiness in church and state."

The royal proclamation, which has been lately issued out, shows that the hopes expressed in the preceding lines were well-grounded. The heart of every good, unprejudiced man must rejoice at reading this truly Christian decree:- "We," &c., "command that a public fast and humiliation be observed throughout England upon Friday, December 13, that so both we and our people may humble ourselves before almighty God, in order to obtain pardon of our sins; and may in the most devout and solemn manner send up our payers and supplications to the divine majesty for averting those heavy judgments which our manifold sins and provocations have justly deserved, and for imploring his intervention and blessing speedily to deliver our loyal subjects," &c. The sovereign acts herein the part of a Christian prince and of a wise politician. As a Christian prince, he enforces the capital duty of national repentance; and as a wise politician, he averts the most formidable stroke which Dr. Price has aimed at his government. May we second his laudable designs by acting the part of penitent sinners and loyal subjects, though mistaken patriots should pour floods of contempt upon us on the occasion!

It would be strange if an appointment which has a direct tendency to promote piety, to increase loyalty, and to baffle the endeavours of a disappointed party, met with no opposition. If we solemnly.keep the fast, we must expect to be ridiculed by the men who imagine that liberty

consists in the neglect of God's law, and the contempt of the king's authority. The warm men who have publicly asserted, that his last speech from the throne is full of insincerity, daily insinuate that his proclamation is full of hypocrisy, and that it will be as wrong in you to ask a blessing upon his arms, as to desire the Almighty to bless the arms of robbers and murderers. Nor are there few good men among us, who think that it is absolutely inconsistent with Christianity to draw the sword and proclaim a fast.

Lest the insinuations of such patriots and professors should cast a damp upon your devotion, and make you leave the field of national prayer to our revolted colonies, I beg leave to remind you of a similar case, in which God testified his approbation of a fast connected with a fight; yea, with a bloody civil war.

We read in the book of Judges, that certain sons of Belial, belonging to the city of Gibeah in the land of Benjamin, beset a house; obliged a Levite who lodged there. to "bring forth his concubine to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night,” in such a manner that she died in the morning. The Levite complained of this cruel usage to the eleven tribes. "All the men of Israel were gathered," on this occasion, "against the" inhospitable city of Gibeah, and sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? Now therefore deliver us the sons of Belial who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin," instead of condescending to this just request, "gathered themselves together unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel." Judges xix, xx.

Let us apply this first part of the story to the immediate cause of the bloodshed which stains the fields of British America, and we shall have the following state of the case. Certain sons of Belial, belonging to the city of Boston, beset a ship in the night, overpowered the crew, and feloniously destroyed her rich cargo. The government was informed that this felonious deed had been concerted by some of the principal inhabitants of Boston, and executed

by their emissaries; and being justly incensed against the numerous rioters, it requested the unjust city to make up the loss sustained by the owners of the plundered ship, or to deliver up the sons of Belial who had so audaciously broken the laws of the land; and a military force was sent to block up the port of Boston, till the sovereign's just request should be granted. The other colonists, instead of using their interest with the obstinate inhabitants of Boston to make them do this act of loyalty and justice, gathered themselves together unto Boston to go out to battle against the sons of Great Britain; and by taking up arms against the king to protect felons, made themselves guilty both of felony and high treason.

Return we now to the children of Israel, and let us see if God forbad them to bring their obstinate brethren to reason by the force of arms, and considered the prayers made to him, on this occasion, as improper and hypocritical. "The children of Israel," says the historian, 66 arose and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord," instead of blaming their design, "said, Judah shall go up first." In consequence of this direction, Judah marched up to the enemy. But, alas! the righteousness of a cause, and the divine approbation, do not always ensure success to those who fight in the cause of virtue. Judah lost the day, and twenty-two thousand men. "The children of Israel," greatly affected with this misfortune, "went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up" a second time "to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him." Judges xx. 23. However, they were as unsuccessful in the second engagement as they had been in the first. "Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat before the Lord, and fasted that day until even. And the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to-morrow I will

deliver them into thine hand. And" accordingly "the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel." Judges xx. 26, &c. And the few Benjamites that escaped the edge of the vindictive sword lamented the obstinacy with which their infatuated tribe had taken up arms for the sons of Belial who had beset the house in the inhospitable city of Gibeah. And so will the revolted colonies one day bemoan the perverseness with which their infatuated leaders have made them fight for the sons of Belial who beset the ship in the inhospitable harbour of Boston.

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To return from the preceding scriptural account, it evidently appears, 1. That God allows, yea, commands the sword to be drawn for the punishment of daring felons, and of the infatuated people who bear arms in their defence, as the Benjamites formerly did, and as the revolted colonies actually do. 2. That, in this case, a sister-tribe may conscientiously draw the sword against an obstinate sister-tribe; much more a parent-state against an obstinate colony, and a king against rebellious subjects. 3. That Providence, to try the patience of those who are in the right, may permit that they should suffer great losses. 4. That whilst the maintainers of order and justice draw the sword to check daring licentiousness, it is their duty to 'go up unto the house of God, and to weep and fast before the Lord." 5. That God makes a difference between the enthusiastical abettors of felonious practices, who fast to smite their brethren and rulers with the fist of wickedness; and the steady governors, who, together with their people, fast to smite the wicked with the sceptre of righteousness. And that, whilst God testifies his abhorrence of the former fast, he shows that the latter ranks among the "fasts which he has chosen ;" the end of true fasting being to repress evil without us, as well as within us. And, lastly, that although no war is so dreadful as a civil war, yet when God is consulted three times following, all his answers show, that the most bloody civil war is preferable to the horrible consequences of daring anarchy; and that it is better to maintain order and execute justice with the loss of thousands of soldiers, than to let the mobbing sons of Belial break into ships or houses, to commit with impu