spirits, who, when They come into the presence of the Almighty, "cast themselves down before the Throne,

and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever?" And although we read at our first entrance into this house of "O come"-each person calling to prayer, his neighbor and his fellow-" let us worship, and "fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker;" the greatest part of many congregations have ceased to worship the Almighty on their knees, thus expressing an obligation with their lips, which, in the very act of supplication, they do not intend to fulfil. Would God that every person who attends the service of the Church without improvement in piety-would God that every one who neglects to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, would say to himself with confusion of face, and compunction of heart, I am the cause of this war in which my country is ⚫ engaged---I am the instrument of alienating the favor of God from this nation-I am the means of making many parents childless, and many children orphans. My conduct has provoked the Almighty to frame evil against us, and to devise a device ' against us.'

If things be thus, and that they are, no one will, I presume, attempt to controvert, let those whose example directs, and whose influence impels-those who are in an clevated sphere, whether distinguished by the splendor of hereditary possessions, or the independence of acquired wealth-seriously interrogate themselves, whether their conduct is such, as in gratitude it ought to be, for such enviable blessings? Do they pass the Lord's Day in a regular attendance on public worship, and require of their servants, and dependents,

pendents, the same religious homage to the Giver of

every good gift?" Do not many, in a somewhat lower sphere, from whom a more considerate demeanor might be expected, instead of an, uniformly, regular observance of the divine Ordinances, devote the Sunday, in disregard, I might say, in defiance, both of human, and divine, laws, to schemes of pleasure, or pursuits of gain? Or if they have no engagement to lead them to the, rofanation of the Sabbath, do they not set apart the morning, either to the adjusting of their accounts, or, with still greater indecency, to the public contempt of God's worship, by spending that part of the day, "in which many "millions of people, in almost every region of the "earth, are engaged in prostrating themselves before "the Throne of Grace," "in nothing else but to "tell or to hear some new thing?" Is not the eveningservice almost entirely neglected, as unnecessary, and superfluous? Instead of impressing their own hearts with religious sentiments, and extending the influence of their example to their children, to their servants, to their neighbors; do not many, in that holy afternoon, claim a prescriptive right to personal indulgences; often, I may say, usually, appropriated above all other days in the week, to luxurious living, and intemperate gratifications? Thus, wantonly, abusing those mercies with which God hath blessed them, at the very hour He hath issued a general invitation, to them and to all men, to "worship Him with holy "worship!" Do not the higher classes of the community seem to erect fortresses, as it were, independent of God, and entrenching themselves under the feeble protection of entails, and the uncertain security

of settlements, do they not, tacitly at least, hold this imposing language, "I shall never be removed?" If so, let them learn from the convulsions of a neighboring kingdom, how insecure are all human possessions; and that, unless "the Lord keep the city, the "watchman waketh, but in vain." May. they entitle themselves to His protection by a pious deportment, and an exemplary life!

But the Creator is not dishonored by the Rich and the Great only. Irreligion pervades all orders and degrees of men. The same profanation of the Lord's day-the same disregard of public worship-the same inattention to religious exercises, are observable throughout every description of people. When the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper iş administered, almost "all with one consent begin to make excuse." Men tottering under the weight of infirmity and years, who can scarce be supposed to taste what "they eat, and what they drink," live in an habitual contempt of that divine command which their Redeemer, the very night before He expiated their sins, by His death upon the cross, so solemnly enjoined "this do in remembrance of me.

There are other religious duties which it is, equally, incumbent on the Clergy to enforce, and on all to fulfil; but which, it is to be feared, are, equally, contemned. Do those men who justify their absence from an uniform attendance on the Church, and a worthy celebration of the Sacrament, satisfy themselves by the punctual observance of family worship? Do they, every night before they retire to rest, assemble their houshold "meekly kneeling on their knees," to beg the protection of Him who alone can "defend them from

all

all the perils and dangers of the night; from light"ning and tempest, from murder, and from sudden "death?" Besides the neglect of domestic devotion, we cannot but apprehend that men feel no less indisposed to the duty of private prayer. Do they retire to their closet, and "shutting their door, pray to "their Father who seeth in secret?" In an age which boasts of its progress in civilization, and its attainments in refinement, both family and private prayer are considered by the man of gaiety as an insupportable interruption to his pleasures: he disputes with his Creator the necessity of His own injunctions: and he consoles himself with the reflection, that prayer to God was intended only for the employment of the idle, the devotion of the credulous, or the refuge of the desponding.

There is one thing more which I cannot omit; the little attention which, in a religious sense, is paid to the rising generation,

Such is the prevailing fashion of the age, that children, who are above the lower sphere of life, are not, perhaps, neglected in the improvement of their mind, and the cultivation of their manners. Personal address, and mental accomplishments, to please by the arts of insinuation, and to make his way by the force of talents, seem to be the solicitude every parent feels for his child. But to bring him up in the true faith and fear of God, to teach him to conduct himself with propriety as a citizen of a Christian community, to inform his mind with the spirit of the Gospel, and to fortify his virtue with a knowlege of the evidences of it, are seldom, I fear, among the lessons of instruc tion. The very small proportion of young people attending

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attending public worship, who receive the holy Sacrament, awakens, in every reflecting mind, very awful apprehensions. The command of parents cannot, on this point, be imposed with authority, the injunction of masters cannot be pressed with earnestness; where then is the wonder that the grey hairs of so many fathers are, by the vicious conduct of their untaught offspring, "brought down with sorrow to "the grave?" We are emulous to impress upon our children accomplishments which attract admiration, and qualities which extort applause; but we feel, alas! no emulation in teaching them to live, and preparing them to die!

From the neglect of these essential, these Christian duties, comes that deluge of wickedness which overflows the land. And until men are brought back to the regular, and conscientious, discharge of them, we cannot, with confidence, hope in the protection of Jehovah to "save us from our enemies, and to put "them to confusion that hate us. Return ye then," if ye would propitiate the mercy, and avert the displeasure, of the Almighty, "every one from his evil

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way, and make your ways, and your doings good." To you who profess to love your country, who are transported with its success, and dejected with its misfortunes, to you I more particularly address myself. Call down the blessing of God upon it by your holy lives, and exemplary conduct. Place it under the protection of the Governor of the universe. Cease to encourage by your practice, what you deprecate in your conversation. Resolve this day to avert, as far as is in your power, those severe judgments, which we, by our provocations, have brought upon

Our