abominable impoftors, who have blafted the credit of these divine excellencies to fuch a degree, that they cannot be mentioned as parts of a good character without an apology. Is it poffible there should be a worse symptom in the ftate of a kingdom?-How mortifying is it to find the nation's best friends falling fo fhort as they do of our wishes? What measures for reftoring a dying constitution? What reformation of abuses, what public points do they hold forth to us, and pledge themselves to accomplish? How little does it fignify who are in, or who are out of power, if the constitution continues to bleed, and that system of corruption is not destroyed, which has been for fome time destroying the kingdom?-In fhort, where will you find the difinterested patriots, who are ready, in this time of distress, to ferve their country for nothing*? Where will you find the boneft ftatesmen, who are above making use of undue influence, and will truft for support to the rectitude of their measures; the virtuous electors or representatives, who fear an oath and have no price; or the profeffors of religion, who cannot be induced to do any thing mean or bafe?-I wish not to be mistaken. I am far from meaning that none fuch can be found. I have acknowledged (and it is all my encouragement) that * One fuch the nation has lately heard of with admiration. I believe I am happy enough to know some more; and though their fervices may not be called for, God will recompenfe them. fuch fuch may be found among Perhaps we are, in general, too much difpofed always to think the prefent times the worst. I am, probably, myself under the influence of this difpofition; but, after ftudying to be upon my guard against it, I find myself incapable of believing that miferable declenfions have not taken place among us. As an evidence of this, and a farther alarming circumstance in the state of the nation, I would In this I differ extremely from the learned and worthy and very liberal Bishop of Exeter, who (in a fermon preached on the 30th of January laft, before the Lords spiritual and temporal) calls the great men who for fome time have been oppofing measures which have brought the kingdom near its laft ftruggles, a defperate and daring faction. It is probable, therefore, that he thinks no good men can be found among them. This, at least, must be the opinion of the Archbishop of York, who, in a noted fermon, has called them a body of men, who are held together by the fame bond that keeps together the "loweft and wickedeft combinations;" that is, "rogues and thieves," as this cenfure was expreffed in the pulpit. I have in this discourse been a little free in delivering cenfures; but had I delivered any fuch cenfures as these, I fhould have thought myfelf inexcufable. mention mention to you that levity and diffipation, and rage for pernicious diverfions, which prevail among us. Not long ago play-boufes were confined to London. But now there is scarcely a confiderable town in the kingdom without them. In manufacturing towns they produce very bad effects; and yet there are not many of these towns where they are not established. Think here, particularly, of thofe fcenes of lewdnefs and intemperance, our mafquer ades. These are late improvements in our public pleasures; but I quef tion whether in Sodom itfelf any thing much worfe could have been found. We anfwer, indeed, too nearly to the account given by our Saviour of this city before its deftruction. They eat and drank. They married and were given in marriage. They bought and fold, and planted and builded. That is, they enjoyed themselves in ease and mirth. They gave themselves up to fenfuality and criminal indulgencies, without thinking of any danger. But the fame day that Lot went out, it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and deftroyed them all. Luke xvii. 28. With fimilar gaiety and fecurity do we now give ourselves up to intrigue and diffipation in the midst of danger. Heaven is angry with us, and our exiftence is threatened; but it seems to give us no concern, In the course of a few years we have been reduced from the highest pinnacle of glory to the brink of ruin. the empire is loft; and at the fame A third of time we fee powerful powerful enemies combining against us, our commerce languishing, and our debts and taxes, already infupportable, increafing fast, and likely soon to crush us. Not long ago, this would have produced an alarm which nothing could have quieted. In the last war, particularly, I remember that only the lofs of Minorca threw the kingdom into a commotion, which cost an admiral his life, and produced a change of measures. But now, though in a condition unspeakably worse, the kingdom is infenfible. We fly to feafts and amufements, and dance the round of pleasure. The fame measures go on. The fame minifters direct these measures; and fometimes we hear of new emoluments conferred upon them, juft as if, instead of having brought us into imminent danger, they had faved us. One would have thought it impoffible, that the ftupefaction of luxury and vice could have proceeded fo far in fo fhort a period. But such torpors, like mortifications before death, have been the common forerunners of calamity. Seldom has it happened, when debauchery and extravagance and a pompous manner of living have come to their height, that they have not been followed by a fudden transition to flavery and mifery. I fhall mention to you but one circumstance more that checks my hopes. I mean the fact just alluded to, or the uniform effect of all our public measures for the laft four or five years. This is fo remarkable, as naturally to dispose us to conclude that we are indeed forfaken by Heaven. Nothing has profpered. Several opportunities for getting back to fecurity and peace have been neglected. Offers of reconciliation, which once would have been joyfully accepted, have been made too late. Every step has plunged us deeper into difficulties; fo that now we fee a quarrel about tea, which lenity and wifdom might have accommodated immediately, increased into a war more deftructive than any in which this country has been ever engaged. Muft we not in this fee the hand of Providence? Does it not give us reafon to fear that God, having no intentions of mercy towards us, has infatuated our councils?-Will you give me leave to mention one particular proof of this obfervation? At the time the alliance with France was noti-fied, it feems to me that an opening was left, by which we might have got back to safety and peace. The alliance was commercial, and not exclufive*: We might have confented to it, and determined to withdraw our forces from the colonies. Our fituation was fuch as rendered this neceffary; and, in confequence of it, we might in time have recovered their confidence, and fecured, by a family compact, every advantage that could be derived *It was to become what it now is (offenfive and defensive) only in the event of its being refifted by this country. |