Difcourse II.

What great Cause we have for Gladness and Rejoicing..

PSALM CXXVI. Verse 3d.

THE LORD hath done great Things for us, whereof we are glad.

I

'N the morning you were reminded of the great things which God hath lately done for us, for our land and nation; particularly in the reduction,

or furrender, of the Capital of Canada; which is the principal occafion of this day's folemnity. However, it was thought not improper to come to a confideration of this, by an induction of fome other of our late military fucceffes which preceeded it. According ly we extended our views, on this great and joyful occafion, to the principal fucceffes with which God has favoured us on this continent, fince the time of our laft public and general thanksgiving; to thofe at the lakes George and Champlain; at Niagara and Du Quefne, now Pittsburgh. We alfo caft an eye towards the Weft-India iflands; the coafts of Portugal and France; towards Hanover and the Pruffian dominions; nor did even theEaft Indies altogether escape our notice. In all these parts, it has pleafed God to give fome C fuccefs

fuccefs to the arms of our King, or those of his allies ร and in feveral of them, very great and remarkable fuccefs. But that, in the reduction of Quebec, confidered in itself, in its probable confequences, and its vaft importance to ourselves, is fo great that it may, with respect to us,naturally be fuppofed to diminish from the greatnefs, and eclipfe the luftre of the reft. And befides, as this was the chief and more particular òccafion of our affembling together this day in the house of praife, it was, on that account, proper to dwell longer upon it, than upon any of the others.

SOME remarks were of courfe dropped in the preceeding difcourfe, on the importance of thefe feveral fucceffes, and the grounds we have for gladness and rejoicing on account of them. But thefe were only tranfient hints; and as a fuller reprefentation of the importance of thefe fucceffes may be ufeful to us, and a means of increafing our gratitude to almighty God, who has done fuch great things for us; I now proceed, as was proposed,

II. MORE particularly to flow the propriety of our being glad and rejoicing at this time, and what great reafon we have for it ; particularly in refpect of that important event, which is the more immediate occafion of this folemnity. And indeed my difcourfe this after-. noon, will be in a manner confined hereto, and to fuch reflections as naturally arife froin it; for I fhall hardly, if at all, mention, any of our other late military fucceffes, however confiderable in themfelves. This, it is conceived, is an event, not only great in itfelf, but Big with many happy confequences; in fhort, an event of the most interefling nature to us, to Great Britain,. and all her dependencies; as will presently be at tempted to be hown.

THE

THE reasonableness ard propriety in general, of rejoicing on fuch-like occafions as the prefent; for vic tories over, or fuccefs against our enemies, when God is pleafed to grant it, are fo obvious in themfelves, fo plainly fuppofed in the holy fcriptures, and, it may be added, this is fo frequently enjoined therein as a duty; yea, this is what we are fo naturally difpofed to do, that there will not be the leaft need of labouring this point. However, it may just be obferved here, that it was on occafion of the Ifraelites being delivered out of the Hands of their oppreffors and enemies, that the Pfalm. of which the text is a part, was compofed. For it begins thus: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dreamed: then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with finging." This, and fome of the happy circumstances attending, or happy confequences flowing from it, were plainly the great things" to which the text refers; and on account of which, the church of God that was of old is introduced, expreffing her gratitude and joy, faying, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." Nor, indeed, can we ever have any caufe for gratitude, on thefe, or other occafions, any further than we have caufe for joy and gladness. For gratitude or thanksgiving is due to almighty God, only for the favours and mercies which he vouchfafes to beftow upon us; all which are, in their own nature, a proper Ground of gladness and rejoicing to us. And our gratitude ought always to arife in proportion to the greatnefs of thefe mercies and favours; or to the real occafion which we have to rejoice and be glad.

To reprefent to you, what great caufe we have to rejoice on the prefent occafion, is therefore in other words, or in effect, only to reprefent to you what great

reafon

reafon we have to be thankful to almighty God, which is what I have in view. It is further to be obferved here, that as the favours we are confidering, are primarily and chiefly of a national, fecular and political nature, relating more immediately to our common temporal profperity, tho' remotely to our religious liberties, and fpiritual good; fo it will be proper, and even neceffary, if I fpeak particularly of them at all, to confider them, at least primarily, in a national, fecular and political light: For, how things of this nature can poffibly be confidered with propriety in any other, I must confefs myself not able to fee. And this must be my apology, it is hoped a fufficient one, if on the prefent, occafion I fhould verge a little nearer to what is commonly called politics, than is ordinarily convenient or fuitable for the pulpit. Tho' in reality, I fhall not difcourfe on politics, unless all kind of difcourfe relating to fecular affairs, and the temporal profperity of nations, may properly be called politics affo. And altho' I do not think it my province, were I capable of it, to enter deep into matters of this nature, which is far from my defign; yet it is humbly conceived, I fhall not tranfgrefs by offering fome confiderations in order to fhow, what great reason we have for rejoicing at this time; especially on account of that acquifition, which is the principal occafion of our rejoicing. In order whereto, it will be neceffary to illuftrate the importance of that acquifition itself, to us, to these British colonies and provinces in general, and to Great Britain. This is therefore what will now be attempted, without any further apology.

AND to this end, the following things may be obferved; viz.

THAT

THAT the enemy, having loft the capital of Canada, have it not in their power to recover the poffeffion of it:

THAT if it remains in our poffeffion, all Canada muft of course be fubjected in time, even tho' we fhould act only upon the defenfive:

THAT as things are now circumftanced, we have it in our power to act offenfively in fuch a manner, that the whole country may and muft, be reduced in a very little while:

THAT the Reduction of this country, will be the bringing all our favage enemies into a friendly alliance with us:

AND then, fince it may poffibly be demanded by fome, What benefits will from hence refult to us, taking these things for granted, this demand will be anfwered by a particular, tho' brief induction of fome great advantages accruing from hence, both to Great Britain and her American colonies, whose interests are indeed infeparably connected, as both fhe and they are, of late, more than ever convinced.

THESE are the things which are proposed under this head. Only it is here premifed once for all, to pre vent frequent and needlefs repetitions, that when it is faid, fuch or fuch a thing may, will or must be done, or come to pass; and that another will not, or cannot, both muft be understood, as they are intended, with all due fubmiffion to the over-ruling providence of God,and with proper allowances for extraordinary occurrents. There is doubtless a certain established order of things, or fucceffion of events, which tho' it may be, and fome. times is, broken in upon, is yet a good foundation for C 3

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