My brethren, as believers in the Divine Word, we cannot doubt that all the extraordinary visitations of Providence are intended to remind us of our sins, and excite us to repentance, or to purify and exalt our virtues.

Nor can we doubt that every merciful deliverance from them, is designed to quicken the other motives to our moral and religious improvement, and to draw us to God by the cords of love.

In regard to the afflictions of individuals, it is, perhaps, neither safe nor true to suppose, that they are usually sent upon them by a special judgment of God, and for the punishment of parti cular transgressions. This persuasion, which is apt to disquiet the scrupulous and timid, should be indulged in with caution by the afflicted themselves, and never entertained or expressed by others. "Suppose ye that those Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you nay, but except ye repent ye shall all like wise perish." From these words of our Lord we may justly infer, that, in ordinary cases, the afflictive dispensations of Providence are not to be considered as the punishment of personal transgres sions. The same inference may be gathered from other parts of Scripture. "There is one event to the righteous and the wicked. God maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the uujust." And, as this is not the place for the strict and final settlement of men's lots, but a day is appointed in which the world will be judged in righteousness, the tares and wheat are often suffered to grow up together. Still, however, there are many instances recorded in Scripture of punishments being inflicted on men for particular sins. They were denounced by the prophets, and executed directly by the power of God. And though we have now no mode of ascertaining the precise cause of our evils, yet, if they are such as naturally

arise out of our vices, or have any congruity with them; if they follow closely upon crime, poisoning the stings of conscience, and covering us with confusion; if they are the just and merited retribution of our deeds; then, reasoning from the analogy of Scripture, and the natural feelings of the heart, we may at least apprehend that these evils are the special marks of the Lord's displeasure. When our lives are merely wicked in an ordinary degree, without any striking and heinous offences, we may regard our calamities as the consequence of sin in general, which brought sorrow and death into the world. Thus much is evident from our Saviour's remarks on the Galileans. They did not suffer because they were greater sinners than other men; but, had they been without sin, like man in his first estate, they would not have suffered at all. Except ye repent, ye skall all likewise perish. As, therefore, the Jews, whom Christ was addressing, would be destroyed if they did not sincerely turn unto God, so the destruction of the Galileans was in some way connected with their guilt, as partakers of the general corruption and wickedness of our nature, and their impenitence, as obstinate and persevering sinners.

One thing, however, is established here beyond contradiction, that the design of all these visitations is to alarm the careless and ungodly, and to lead them to repentance and newness of life. But the pure and holy, who endeavour to keep a conscience void of offence, have no reason to consider their afflictions in any other light, than as the trials of their faith, and the chastisements of love. The same observations may be applied to cities and nations. A community, or people, have a character of their own in their social capacity, as well as each individual comprehended in them. They are distinguished by the prevalence of impiety, licentiousness, and crime, or by the predominance of religion and virtue. If, in this cha racter, they are sunk in ungodliness and vice, and the cities and countries around them are corrupted by their example; or if, by the lustre of their piety and the purity of their manners, they glorify God and sanctify his people, is it

events. Such is the untaught persuasion of the heart; such the opinion of all ages; such the clear, constant, reiterated declaration of the word of God. What we cannot, therefore, fully understand, we believe and adore.

But if the visitations of Providence are intended to remind us of our iniquities, and to purify our virtues, ought not our deliverance from them to quicken the other motives to our moral and religious improvement, and to draw us to God by the cords of love?

I will not, at this time, my brethren, enter into any general considerations which would be proper enough on another. From the subject which probably now occupies your minds, and the feeling which is uppermost in your hearts, you foresee the course of my remarks. The compassion of the Lord faileth not, and his mercies are renewed to us every morning. But we have just received one of the greatest which his goodness can bestow. The pestilence that walketh in darkness hath stopped its deadly march, and the sickness that cloudeth the noon-day with sadness, destroyeth no more. With few lamented exceptions no evil hath happen ed unto us, neither hath any plague ravaged our dwellings. Is it because we have called upon the Lord that he hath heard us, because we have turned from our evil ways, in consequence of his wrath, that he hath remembered mercy? Is it because he hath set his love upon us, that he hath delivered us from trouble, and showed us his salvation? We know not what share our conduct may have had in appeasing the anger of the Lord, and restraining the effects of his displeasure. But we can all perceive, and believers at least will feel, the affecting and overwhelming nature of his mercy. There is something inexpressibly awful in the pestilence from which we have escaped. In contemplating its progress, the mysterious horror comes upon us, which fell upon Job in his vision, and " made all his bones to shake. A spirit passed before his face, the hair of his flesh stood up. It stood still, but he could not discern the form thereof, an image was before his eyes, and there was silence." So fearful is the presence of this de

stroying angel. He passeth on unseen —men are blasted by the breath of his mouth, the dead are under his feet, and desolation is behind him. The end of our days, which, under other circumstances, is usually met with a decent composure, and often with joy and triumph, is here regarded with weakness and terror. We pass almost instantaneously from the fulness of health to mortal sickness. In a few days, and even a few hours, we run through all the changes which bring down our strength to the grave. We are agitated both by the violence of the disease, and by the hurry and confusion of all within and without us. Our neighbours and friends stand afar off. The strong ties of nature alone keep a few around us, who, distracted with anxiety for us and themselves, minister to our wants with fear and trembling. Recovery so doubtful as to fill us with despair; the grave eager for its prey; a hurried burial, with scarcely a mourner in the streets; the survivers sickening, perhaps, and already numbering themselves with the dead; these are the terrific circumstances of that noisome pestilence from which we have just been delivered. That it did not spread so rapidly as to anticipate flight, so irregularly as to baffle precaution, so generally as to cover the city with mourning; that mercy has been remembered in judgment; that we are nearly all once more assembled in this house to turn suppli, cation into praise; are so many subjects of thankfulness to God, and congratulation among ourselves. Brethren, what must be our thoughtlessness, if we do not view this solemn visitation in a religious light? Have we improved it by self-examination, sanctified it by repentance and newness of life, and made it instrumental to the purification of our virtues, and to the increase of our eternal glory? Do we feel that gratitude for our deliverance which becomes the greatness of the gift, and the compassion of the Giver? Let us not despise the goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering of our God. Let us not abuse the benefits procured for us by the merits and intercession of his Son. Woe be to us, if when stricken we have not grieved, and when con