was rendered vifible, in the production of extraordinary events, and these apparently pregnant with others ftill more interesting and important, it is the prefent. What "wars "and rumours of wars!" What ferment in the nations! What mortality of the potentates of the earth! What diffolution of the bands which unite man to man, and country to country! Comets glaring in the fky! "and upon the earth distress of nations, " with perplexity; the fea and the waves "roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, "and for looking after thofe things which

are coming on the earth.” The figns of the times are so striking, that they seem to call on the minifters of religion carefully to obferve them, and earnestly to imprefs on the minds of those to whom they minister, serious attention to the ways of Providence, and a wife improvement of them, as Men, Britons, and Chriftians.

In this view, I deviate, on the prefent occafion, from, the regular courfe of religious inftruction pursued in this place; if it can be deemed a deviation, to call on the people of my charge, to behold the arm of the Lord revealed;" to pray, and to prepare, for the extenfion of the Redeemer's kingdom;

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to

to purify their hearts, and to reform their lives; that feeing the " judgments" of God" are

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in the earth, the inhabitants of the world may learn righteoufnefs."

The words which I have read refer to a noted paffage of ancient facred hiftory. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had juft carried into captivity the wretched remains of the Ifraelitish nation, once the wonder and glory of the whole earth. Among other captives of note was this Daniel, and his three illuftrious companions; deftined of High Hea ven to carry with them, into a land of ignorance and idolatry, the gift of prophecy, and the knowledge of the living and true God. Providence speedily furnishes an opportunity to the young prophet of displaying to advantage those rare endowments with which the divine Spirit had enriched him. The royal couch is visited with the vifions of the Almighty. A. regular series of distinct and impreffive images is made to pass through the king's mind in fleep, by the power of Him, in whofe hand are the hearts of princes. In the morning the impreffion remains, but the images are entirely effaced; and no effort of waking me mory can recall them. The wife and learned are in vain confulted, in order to remove the

1

load which oppreffed a troubled monarch's breaft; for what human fkill extends to a cafe like this? Exafperated because magicians could not operate an impoffibility, Nebuchadnezzar dooms all the wife men of Babylon, and Daniel among the rest, to instant death. A delay of execution is intreated on the part of Daniel and his fellows, and is obtained. Recourse is had to prayer, and an answer of peace is given. "Then was the fecret re"vealed unto Daniel in a night vifion;" and not only fo, but the power of recollecting it is at the fame time conferred, together with the still greater gift, of unfolding the historical events which were myfteriously' wrapped up in the vifion. This inftance of the divine power and condefcenfion overwhelms the prophet with wonder, joy, and' gratitude, and suggests the rapturous expreffions in the text: "Bleffed be the name of "God for ever and ever: for wifdom and1 might are his: And he changeth the times " and the feafons: he removeth kings, and "fetteth up kings: he giveth wifdom unto "the wife, and knowledge to them that "know understanding: He revealeth the deep and fecret things; he knoweth what "is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth

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"with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, "O thou God of my fathers, who hast given

me wisdom and might, and haft made "known unto me now what we defired of "thee." A few of the important, immutable truths, contained in these words, are now to be fubmitted to your ferious confideration, and illuftrated by history and experience.

Obferve I. How every "creature is made "fubject to vanity." "The times and the "feafons are perpetually changing," and, with them, all the counfels, and all the affairs of men. The revolutions of day and night are not more steady and certain than thofe which affect the state of the moral and political world. Alas, these last have all the certainty of change to which the former are fubjected, but without their steadiness and uniformity. An unvarying law of Nature directs the one; human paffions, more variable than the wind, mingle with the other, and perplex, confound, fubvert all things. On tracing up mighty revolutions to their fource, it was a little fpring which a man might have stopped with the fole of his foot; but which, permitted to flow on, gradually ftrengthens itself with B 3

auxiliary

ftreams,

ftreams, till it becomes a mighty torrent, defying all refiftance and oppofition; and like the river of Egypt, having deluged an empire for a season, retreats again as fast, and filently fteals away in various thirsty channels into the ocean. To no purpose have attempts been made to attach permanency to human things. All have failed, and fail they ever must. The foundation is insecure; the builders ignorant, feeble, and unskilful; and the materials perishable. Imperial and pontifical Rome prefents one among 66 a cloud of witneffes," to atteft the truth of this.

And let not the Nations be alarmed at the efforts of an upstart modern Republic, that wondrous phenix fpringing up out of the afhes of expiring royalty, to acquire univerfal dominion, under the infolent pretence of extending liberty. A caufe which affects to despise principles hitherto respected among men, which tramples under foot the facred institutions of religion, which turns a deaf ear to the voice of mifery, which has polluted itfelf with innocent blood, is not honourable, and cannot profper. In fuch a state of things, "the change of times and feafons" is a confummation "devoutly to be wifhed;" and it is a confolation to reflect, that "verily there is a God

"who