and flaughter; but it is often obferved that civil wars are carried on with a rancor and spirit of revenge much great. er than those between independent ftates. The injuries received or fuppofed in civil wars wound more deeply than thofe of foreign enemies; it is therefore the more neceffary to guard against this abufe, and recommend that meeknefs and gentleness of spirit, which is the nobleft attendant on true valor. That man will fight moft bravely, who never fights till it is neceffary, and who ceafes to fight as foon as the neceffity is over.

Laftly, We would recommend to all the focieties un der our care, not to content themselves with attending devoutly on general fast, but to continue habitually in the exercise of prayer, and to have frequent occafional voluntary meetings for folemn interceffion with God on the important trial. Those who are immediately expofed to danger need your sympathy; and we learn from the fcriptures, that fervency and importunity are the very characters of that prayer of the righteouss man which availeth much.

We conclude with our earnest prayer, that the God of heaven may bless you in your temporal and spiritual concerns, and that the prefent unnatural difpute may be speedily terminated by an equitable and lafting fettlement on conftitutional principles.

Thirdly, We do earnestly exhort and beseech the focieties under our care to be ftrict and vigilant in their pri vate government, and to watch over the morals of their feveral members. It is with the utmost pleasure we remind you, that the laft Continental Congress determined to difcourage luxury in living, public divertions, and gaming of all kinds, which have fo fatal an influence on the morals of the people. If it is undeniable, that univerfal profligacy makes a nation tipe for divine judgments, and is the natural mean of bringing them to ruin, reformation of manners is of the utmost neceffity in our prefent distress. At the fame time, as it has been obferved by many emi. nent writers, that the cenforial power, which had for its object the manners of the public in the ancient free states, was abfolutely neceffary to their continuance, we cannot help being of opinion, that the only thing which we have now to fupply the place of this is the religious difcipline of the feveral fects with refpect to their own members; fo that the denomination or profeffion which fhall take the most effectual care of the inftruction of its members, and maintain its difcipline in the fulleft vigor, will do the -most effential service to the whole body. For the very fame reason the greatest service which magiftrates or perfon in authority can do with refpect to the religion or morals of the people, is to defend and fecure the rights of confcience in the most equal and impartial manner.

Fourthly, We cannot but recommend, and urge in the warmest manner, a regard to order and the public peace; and as in many places, during the confufions that prevail, legal proceedings have become difficult, it is hoped, that all perfons will confcientiously pay their juft debts, and to the utmost of their power ferve one another, fo that the evils infeparable from a civil war may not be augmented by wantonness and irregularity.

Fifthly, We think it of importance, at this time, to recommend to all of every rank, but especially to those who may be called to action, a fpirit of humanity and mercy. Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood. It is impoffible to appeal to the fword without being expofed to many fcenes of cruelty

THE DOMINION OF PROVIDENCE OVER THE PASSIONS OF MEN..

SERMON 44.

Preached at Princeton, on the 17th of May, 1776, being the General Faft appointed by the Congrefs through the United Colonies. Dedicated to the Hon. John Hancock, Efq. Prefident of the Congrefs of the United States of America. To which is added, an Addrefs to the natives of Scotland refiding in America.

PSALM lxxvi. 10.

Surely the Wrath of Man shall praise thee; the remainder of Wrath shalt thou restrain.

THE

HERE is not a greater evidence either of the reality or the power of religion, than a firm belief of God's univerfal prefence, and a conftant attention to the influence and operation of his providence. It is by this means that the Chriftian may be said, in the emphatical scripture language, to walk with God, and to endure as feeing "him who is invifible."

The doctrine of divine providence is very full and complete in the facred oracles. It extends not only to things which we may think of great moment, and therefore worVOL. III.

C

thy of notice, but to things the most indifferent and inconfiderable; "Are not two fparrows fold for a farthing," fays our Lord," and one of them falleth not to the ground "without your heavenly Father;" nay," the very hairs of your head are all numbered. It extends not only to things beneficial and falutary, or to the direction and af fiftance of those who are the fervants of the living God; but to things feemingly moft hurtful and deftructive, and to perfons the moft refractory and difobedient. He overrules all his creatures, and all their actions. Thus we are told, that "fire, hail, fnow, vapour, and ftormy wind, fulfil his word," in the courie of nature; and even fo the most impetuous and diforderly paffions of men, that are under no restraint from themfelves, are yet perfectly fubject to the dominion of Jehovah. They carry his commillion, they obey his orders, they are limited and reftrained by his authority, and they confpire with every thing else in promoting his glory. There is the greater need to take notice of this, that men are not generally fufficiently aware of the diftinction between the law of God and his purpofe; they are apt to fuppofe, that as the temper of the finner is contrary to the one, fo the outrages of the finner are able to defeat the other; than which nothing can be more falfe. The truth is plainly afferted, and nobly expreffed by the pfalmift in the text, " Surely the "wrath of man fhall praife thee; the remainder of wrath "fhalt thou reftrain."

This pfalm was evidently compofed as a fong of praise for fome fignal victory obtained, which was at the fame time a remarkable deliverance from threatening danger. The author was one or other of the later prophets, and the occafion probably the unfuccefsful affault of Jerufalem, by the army of Sennacherib king of Affyria, in the days of Hezekiah. Great was the infolence and boafting of his generals and fervants against the city of the living God, as may be feen in the thirty-fixth chapter of Ifaiah. Yet it pleafed God to deftroy their enemies, and, by his own immediate interpofition, to grant them deliverance. Therefore the Pfalmift fays in the fifth and fixth verfes of

this pfalm, "The ftout-hearted are fpoiled, they have flept their fleep. None of the men of might have found "their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob! both the "chariot and the horfe are caft into a deep fleep." After a few more remarks to the fame purpofe, he draws the inference, or makes the reflection in the text, "Surely the "wrath of man fhall praife thee; the remainder of wrath "fhalt thou reftrain which may be paraphrafed thus, The fury and injuftice of oppreffors fhall bring in a tribute of praise to thee; the influence of thy righteous providence fhall be clearly difcerned; the countenance and fupport thou wilt give to thine own people fhall be glorioufly illuftrated; thou fhalt fet the bounds which the boldeft cannot pafs.

I am fenfible, my brethren, that the time and occafion of this palm, may feem to be in one respect ill fuited to the interefling circumftances of this country at prefent. It was composed after the victory was obtained; whereas we are now but putting on the harness and entering upon án important conteft, the length of which it is impoffible to forefee, and the iffue of which it will perhaps be thought prefumption to foretell. But as the truth, with refpect to God's moral government, is the fame and unchangeable; as the iffue, in the cafe of Sennacherib's invafion, did but lead the prophet to acknowledge it; our duty and interest confpire in calling upon us to improve it. And I have cholen to infilt upon it on this day of folemn humiliation, as it will probably help us to a clear and explicit view of what should be the chief fubject of our prayers and endeavors, as well as the great object of our hope and truft, in bur prefent fituation.

The truth, then, afferted in this text, which I propofe to illuftrate and improve, is,-That all the diforderly paffions of men, whether expofing the innocent to private injury, or whether they are the arrows of divine judgment in public calamity, hall, in the end, be to the praife of God: Or, to apply it more particularly to the prefent ftate of the American Colonies, and the plague of war,- The ambition of miftaken princes, the cunning and cruelty of oppreffive and corrupt minifters, and