wounded and dying, nor the more durable lamenta. tions of their distressed survivors. We are most of us happily unable to form a conception of the terrors and miseries, incident to the seat of war; or of the scenes which are witnessed, when an insulting victorious army prescribes scarcely any bounds' to rapine, cruelty, and brutal lust. Nor have desolated fields, and the smoking ruins of towns and villages, pained our eyes, when we have had occasion to journey through the country. Oh, my brethren, nothing can give us an adequate idea of the tremendous horrors of this scourge of God! Even those, who professedly record the history of battles and sieges, draw a veil over the frightful scenes, from which the imagination would otherwise turn with disgust and terror; or rather they embellish them with the false glitter of military glory, and the splendid achievements of particular warriors. But the attentive enquirer will learn enough from various facts and circumstances, to value a land of peace above all temporal good; and, if piously disposed, to bless GOD for such a privilege, whatever it cost, and whatever loss or burden he sustain in order to preserve it.

That hidden fire also, which unexpectedly burst forth in such tremendous convulsions on the continent, has been clearly proved to have abounded at the same period in this country: and many symptoms caused great alarms of insurrections, civil wars, revolutions, and massacres, like those which have been, in some respects, even more horrible than war itself, in a neighbouring country: while the consciousness of in

gratitude for our peculiar privileges increased our apprehensions concerning the event. Yet during so many years the LORD hath preserved us; and very little indeed hath occurred in this island, to cause the shedding of human blood, either by the sword of war, or by that of the executioner. For he that "stilleth the rag"ing of the sea," hath hitherto repressed the madness of the people: and great is the debt of gratitude we owe him on that account.

Whatever advantages may eventually arise from the dreadful transactions on the Continent; (for doubtless GOD will over-rule them for some wise and gracious purpose;) all, who love the holy day of the LORD, the ordinances of his courts, and the liberty of attending on them without interruption, must, if properly informed, have felt great anxiety about the event. The legal abolition of the Christian sabbath, the substitution of a heathen decade, and the shutting up, wholly or in part, very many places of worship, on various political pretences, wherever the enemy hath obtained the ascendency; (when considered as connected with the most avowed infidelity and even atheism, and the determined enmity against Christianity, which distinguished many of the principal actors in those scenes,) had a very dismal aspect on our religious privileges, on the condition in this respect of our posterity, and on the interests of religion in this land, in case our enemies had prevailed in the contest. But hitherto GOD hath preserved us from every kind and degree of persecution, and we have full liberty to worship him according to our, consciences, at whatever time.

and in whatever place we choose. While this is the case, and our Bibles, our sabbaths, and our religious privileges are continued to us: we must be shamefully carnal and ungrateful, if merely temporal difficulties or burdens induce us to refuse our tribute of thanks. giving to the Author of all our mercies.

The enemies, with whom we have sustained so long and severe a contest, have been indeed most wonderfully successful in their designs, and in many cases they have prevailed against our forces: yet they have been uniformly baffled in all their attempts against this island, and its essential dependences! Surely then the LORD hath "wrought for his own name's sake," and has a right to our tribute of grateful praise.

At the crisis, when the fleet under Lord Howe gained a most decided victory, the state of things at home, as well as the designs of our foreign enemies, might have rendered such a victory, gained by them, of very dreadful consequence to us: for in all probability an invasion would in that case have been immediately attempted, with vastly greater prospect of success than it could be at present. And we should in every instance remember, that we are called on to be thankful, not only for success and its effects, but for preservation from the consequences of defeat.

Not to dwell on the advantages derived from the victory obtained by Lord St. Vincent, which were very important; let us recollect, that on one occasion, when the enemy made an attempt to land in Ireland, the unfavourable weather and contrary winds rendered it impracticable for our fleets to pursue them, and many

were either dissatisfied or alarmed on that account. Yet by those very winds, and that unfavourable weather, the LORD completely frustrated the design, without our help. He seemed to say to us, 'I have employed, and mean to employ, the conduct and va'lour of your admirals, officers, and seamen, for your 'preservation; and you are prone to give them the glory, and to confide in them: on this occasion there'fore, I preserve you immediately by myself, that you may see and acknowledge my hand, and ascribe to 'me the honour due to my name.'

Immediately before he was pleased to make use of our fleets, in the most signal manner, for our preservation; he gave us, by the mutiny among the seamen, the most convincing demonstration how easily he could have made them the instruments of our destruction. It was indeed a most astonishing interposition of providence, that during that very alarming period, the fleets of the enemy were kept in port; and that the mutineers did not unanimously concur in the design of carrying our vessels to some hostile harbour.

It is, I believe, generally understood, that before the victory gained by Lord Duncan, the Dutch admiral had embarked troops and stores, in order that he might convey them to Ireland, if the passage were open. But not being able to elude the English fleet, he put back into harbour; and having disembarked the troops, he was sent forth by the ruling powers, to risk a battle, in hopes at least of clearing the way for the purposed invasion. Had he therefore at that time gained as decisive a victory, as GOD gave our fleet,

he would doubtless have accomplished his design: and subsequent transactions have sufficiently shewn us, how greatly that event was to be dreaded.

The malecontents in Ireland are now known to have held correspondence with the French Directory, and to have received assurances from them of effectual assistance; and the time was fixed when it was supposed the nation would be ripe for open rebellion, and when the promised succours should be sent. But by some means the parties seem to have misunderstood each other; so that the Irish were under the necessity of rising, before their allies were ready to support them. Four squadrons however were actually prepared at different ports, to form one fleet for the invasion of Ireland, in the beginning of this summer: but by various occurrences they were all providentially retarded, till the critical season of probable success was elapsed; and at last they were not able to unite, but sailing separately, were one after another, either taken, dispersed, or driven back without effecting any thing! Who can help seeing the hand of GoD in these events? For if this armament, at the first breaking out of the Irish rebellion, had landed the officers, troops, and stores which they were intended to convey; the most dreadful consequences might have followed: and the nearness of Ireland to this country might have rendered it like a fire-ship in the centre of a fleet. Nothing, during the whole of these dangers and troubles, appeared to me more alarming than the breaking out of the Irish rebellion; and for no single circumstance have we more cause to be thankful, than that it has been suppressed, with no worse consequences to Great Britain.