to the state they have forsaken, and are actually fighting for the restoration of their former Governments. Thus has order taken the place of anarchy, and respect for constituted autho- rities banished from amongst us the demon of discontent.]
4. Religious —
[With a contempt for all ancient institutions, there went forth an utter disregard of Revealed Religion. Infidelity stalked abroad, as it were, at noon-day. It no longer blushed to shew its face, but obtruded itself upon the attention of all ; and reviled, as enemies to sense and reason, all who dared to maintain the cause of God in the world. Philosophy forsooth was deemed a safer guide than the voice of inspiration ; and the word of God itself was held up to ridicule, as a composition of falsehood and absurdity. How different is the state of things amongst us at this time ! The Holy Scriptures are revered and honoured to a degree altogether unprecedented and un- known in this country. All ranks and orders of men amongst us not only receive the sacred volume as true, but stand forth to advocate its cause, and to extend the knowledge of it to every quarter of the globe. If we judged from the zeal exerted for the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, we should be ready to think that the Millennial period were already come. But, though we cannot yet congratulate ourselves on such an exten- sive change as this, we nevertheless behold a most astonishing increase of true religion in the land. We are happy too to declare, that a similar spirit is rising in other lands ; and that, " whilst God's judgments have been poured out so awfully and so extensively upon the earth, the inhabitants thereof have been learning righteousness0."
These then are mercies which may well " be declared in Zion," and which we are now called in a more especial manner to commemorate.]
Having drawn your attention to some of those mercies which deserve especial notice at this time, I proceed to shew,
II. In what manner we should declare them —
Since these mercies are so great and numerous, let
us all unite in improving them as we ought to
do :
1. Let us acknowledge God in them —
[Who is it that "hath wrought all these deliverances for us ? " Is it our own hand, our own arm, that hath effected them ? Who is it that gave us such a rich abundant harvest ?
c Isai. xxvi. 9.
1089.1 DUTY OF ACKNOWLEDGING GOD's MERCIES. 317
We must be blind indeed, if we see not the hand of God in
it d Who is it that hath opened all the ports of the
continent to our manufactures ? Backward as men are to trace the operation of God in such things, there is scarcely a person in the land that does not say, " This is thine hand ; and thou, Lord, hast done ite ! " And must we not trace the revolution of sentiment to the same source ? Who but God can " still the madness of the people?" It is he, and he alone, that " turneth the heart, whether of princes or of people, whither- soever he willf." Above all, to whose agency must we refer that great work of dispelling the clouds of infidelity, and of making his light to shine into the hearts of men ? Truly, none but He "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness" at the first creation of the world, is sufficient for these things s. In reference then to every thing that has been done for us, we must say, " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name be the praise ! "]
2. We must adore him for them —
[It is not a cold and speculative acknowledgment only that we are called to make : our hearts should be warmed with a sense of God's mercies: and our lips be devoutly occupied in his praise. The first effect indeed which they should have upon our minds is, to fill us with wonder and admiration of the Divine goodness11: but when we have, as it were, recovered from the overwhelming sense of his goodness, then should we declare it, and publish it with all the powers of our souls. Look at David, when recounting the mercies God had vouchsafed to Israel1: such is the language which well befits us on the present occa- sion ; yea, we should " make our boast in God all the day long, and praise his name for ever and everV In this way " we must declare his work, if we would wisely consider of his doing1."]