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might be easily reformed by our legislators, our executive officers, and our public instructers in religion. But reformers have little power, and less fortitude, zeal, and resolution, to reprove, condemn, and suppress national sins, which, though not committed, are allowed and approved of, by the highest in power, in learning, in wealth, in reputation and influence. The visible and actual transgressors generally in every state, and in every town, and in every village, know who are their approvers, their patrons and protectors; which inspires them to bid defiance to all reformers, whether parents, masters, civil officers, or religious instructers. Now if this be a just representation of this State and of this nation, is there not abundant reason for all the people in every religious society to meet together for the solemn purpose of humiliation, fasting, and prayer? Ought not our religious assemblies to be crowded with transgressors, penitents, and reformers, on this day required to be set apart for these duties? But is there any reason to

believe that the houses of God are now crowded with those who need to be in them? If not, what is the loud language of their conduct? You have been solicitous to know whether the meetings in this State were crowded on Monday last. Why? Because you thought the object of meeting was interesting and important. But will you be as solicitous to know whether the meetings on this day have been full and solemn? Or will you be solicitous to have it known whether this house was crowded and solemn, or not? It is probable you will not. But why? Because the object of the meeting was of no great consequence. These are and will be the feelings of all those who mean to do things which they know are displeasing to God, and of those who mean to approve of them. Your services

this day, then, you have no reason to expect God will approve, but condemn; and instead of going down to your houses justified as the sincere penitent did, you will go home under a greater weight of guilt, and a heavier condemnation.

I now turn to those who have sighed and cried on account of the national sins which abound in this and other places. Though you cannot wholly excuse yourselves from having any share in the national guilt, yet you will lament and mourn for it, every family apart, and every person apart. And though you despair of a reformation through men or means, you will trust in God to carry on his own great designs here and in other places through the nation. He has not removed his candlesticks out of his churches, nor every where withdrawn the sanctifying influences of his spirit. He can reform a whole nation, as he from time to time did his ancient chosen people. And your services may have a powerful and happy influence in

drawing down blessings upon this place and upon this nation. If ten righteous men in this one place, and fifty in another place, and an hundred in another, should sincerely humble themselves, and cordially unite in praying for the converting, sanctifying and reforming influences of the divine spirit, their fervent, effectual intercessions would avail much to move God to arise and plead his own cause in this place, in this State, and in this nation. It is the very design of a day of public fasting, humiliation and prayer, to unite the hearts of all good men to call upon God for civil and religious, public and private blessings. General reformations always begin with individuals. It is not necessary however for individuals here to know how many will this day keep such a fast as God has chosen, in order to know and do their duty; though it be animating to believe that many are united with them. They know that the present state of this people, and especially of the rising generation, seriously calls for the prayers and exertions of the friends of God to promote their spiritual and eternal interests. The godly here are generally the aged, and if they have any thing to do for the young they must do it soon. Will you not adopt the resolution and language of Samuel in a similar case: "God forbid that I should cease to pray for you?”

SERMON XXVII.

THE DEPARTURE OF A PEOPLE FROM GOD.

ANNUAL FAST, APRIL 6, 1823.

WHY then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding" they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. -JER. viii. 5.

THE Israelites were the peculiar people of God, whom he more highly favored than any other people in the world. He had peculiar reasons to expect that they would cleave to him, and pay a cheerful and constant obedience to the commands which he had given them for their good. It seems strange that they should ever forsake him, and stranger still that they should perpetually backslide, and refuse to return. He directs the prophet to go and tell them in his name, that their conduct appeared to him very unaccountable. "Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Shall they fall and not rise? shall he turn away and not return? Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed time; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming: but my people know not the judgment of the Lord." Thus God the searcher of hearts represents his own peculiar people as bent to backsliding from him, notwithstanding all their solemn professions of love and obedience to him, and notwithstanding all the external forms of religion which they generally maintained and preserved amidst all their backslidings. This description will apply to any other religious people who are backsliding from God, and warrants us to say,

That when any religious people backslide from God, they will persist in backsliding. I shall consider,

I. 'What denominates a religious people.

II. What denominates a religious people a backsliding people. And,

III. Why such a backsliding people will persist in backsliding.

I. Let us consider what denominates a religious people. The Jews were a religious people in distinction from all other nations, who were given to superstition and idolatry. They professed to believe the existence of the only living and true God. They professed to believe the truth and divinity of his holy word. They also externally maintained that public and social worship which he enjoined upon them. And so long as their external conduct agreed with their public profession, they were properly denominated a religious people. And so long as any other people make the same profession, and conduct in the same manner, they come under the same denomination. All the nations at this day, who profess to believe the truth of christianity, and who observe the public worship of God and the ordinances of the gospel, are called religious nations, though the great majority may be totally destitute of vital piety. It is the explicit profession and external conduct of a people that give them their religious character. Though we as a nation are not in covenant with God in the same sense that the Jews were, yet we either expressly or implicitly profess the true religion, and may be properly called a religious people. Let us next consider,

II. When a religious people may be said to be a backsliding one.

nature.

All nations derive their origin from the same stock. They are all the descendants of Adam. They are all alike sinful by It is true some may be sanctified and reformed by grace. Yet grace, in the present state, does not entirely destroy nature. Large measures of moral corruption remain in the hearts of the best of men in the most religious nations. Their hearts are like a deceitful bow. While it appears to be bent right, it always has a tendency to spring back to its natural state. So, every people, who profess to believe the gospel and live under its influence, have something in them, that dislikes the character, the laws and the government of God. On this account, they are bent to backsliding from him. It appears from the character the scripture draws of every religious people in every age of the world, that they have always had a revolting and rebellious spirit. They have universally manifested a strong propensity to forget and forsake God. This is true of 48

VOL. II.

every religious people at this day, whether they have experienced the common, or special influences of the divine spirit. Among every religious people, there is a great, if not the greatest part of them, who are under only the restraining, and not the sanctifying influence of the gospel. They, as a body, are perpetually prone to wander and love to wander from God. The question now before us is, when may a religious people be said to backslide from God? The answer to this question is very plain. It is when they break over such restraints as ought to keep them from backsliding from him; and they are perpetually backsliding, while they are constantly breaking over one restraint after another. This was the manner in which the people of God were perpetually backsliding in the days of the prophets. Every religious people, in backsliding from God, proceed gradually, and break over one restraint after another, which he has laid upon them.

In the first place, they break over the restraints of his goodness. God is good unto all, but more especially to a people who profess to love and serve him; and his goodness has an alluring and restraining influence upon them. It is suited to restrain both saints and sinners from disobedience. This strong and tender restraint he laid upon his backsliding people of old. "He drew them with the cords of a man, with the bands of love." He not only separated them from other nations, but raised them above them, in respect to national prosperity. He promised to make them the most numerous, the most wealthy, and the most respectable, nation on earth. He said they should be the head and not the tail; that they should lend to many nations and not borrow; that all the people of the earth should fear them; and that he would open his good treasures, and send them a profusion of all temporal good things, and bless them in their basket and store. These great and distinguishing promises he faithfully fulfilled, while they continued steadfast in his covenant, and persevered in obedience. So they had ample evidence of the continuance of the divine goodness while they continued grateful and obedient. But they soon broke over the kind restraint of divine goodness, and began and continued to' backslide. This God resented, and appealed to them and to the world, whether they had any good reason for their ingratitude and backsliding. "Hear ye now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I

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