Pfal. CXLVII. 20.

He hath not dealt so with any nation: And as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

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HIS Pfalm contains a warm exhortation, addreft to the Jewish people, to praife God for the bleffings and benefits which he had conferred upon them. Praife the Lord, for it is good to fing praises unto our God, and praife is comely. Praife the Lord, O Jerufalem. Praife thy God, O Zion. For he hath ftrengthened the bars of thy gates.

He hath bleed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the fineft of the wheat. He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his ftatutes and his judgments unto Ifrael. He hath not dealt fo with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praife the Lord.

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The whole of this paffage is applicable, with great propriety, to this Kingdom on the prefent occafion. We have like reafons for joy and thanksgiving, and may now take up these words

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and fay; Praife thy God, Oh Britain! For he bath ftrengthen'd the bars of thy gates. He bath bleed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He bath fhewed his word unto thee, his ftatutes and his judgments. He hath not dealt fo with any nation, and as for his judgments they have not known them. Praife ye the Lord.

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My prefent defign is I. To fhew happily we are distinguish'd as a nation. And II. What effects the confideration of our peculiar happiness ought to have upon us.

In fpeaking on the former of these heads, the circumstance I fhall first mention is our fi tuation as an Island, by which our internal and tranquillity are fecured.

peace Nothing can be more affecting than to think of the dismal State of many of the countries about us, where the noife and tumults of war fill every ear, where powerful armies march in dreadful pomp fpreading devafta tion around them, and numberlefs innocent perfons are driven from their houfes and families and all that is dear to them. In those countries garments are continually rolled in blood, and none can enjoy any thing in comfort or fecurity. They live in perpetual terror. They plant vineyards, without knowing who shall eat the fruit thereof. They carry feed into the field, without knowing who shall gather in the harvest, and

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their wives and their children and themselves often fall a prey to relentless infult and cruelty.

But we are exempted from all these miseries. We can fit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, and no one maketh us afraid. As long as we agree among ourselves, it is scarcely poffible that we should become the feat of war. The Ocean is our wall of defense, which guards us on all fides, and cuts off our communication with the neighbouring nations, so that no hoftile feet or destroying armies can easily alarm our borders. We live in the quiet and full poffeffion of all our properties and bleffings, without being in any danger from the inroads of enemies or the depredations of lawless favages. We hear indeed of the dreadful calamities and defolations of war, but we only hear of them. We neither feel nor fee them. And so little is the difference between the state of most of us now, and what it was before the commencement of war, that, was it not for the accounts we read and the reports convey'd to us, we should scarcely know that we are engaged in

war.

How great a privilege is this? How diftinguishingly happy are we to poffefs thus, among contending nations and in the midst of defolation and bloodshed, tranquillity and fecurity and almost all the enjoyments and sweets of peace?

2dly Another part of our peculiar happiness, as a nation, is the plenty and opulence we enjoy. God has given us the appointed weeks of harA 3

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vest. He has satisfied our poor with bread, and crowned our seasons with his goodness. We want nothing that can contribute to make us eafy and happy. All the conveniencies and even the elegancies of life are poured upon us in the greateft profufion. Such plenty have we, that we help to feed and cloath other nations. Such is our opulence, that there is not a kingdom upon earth which can in this refpect be compared with us. Notwithstanding all the drains of war, we feel no very fenfible scarcity of any kind. Our wealth increases continually; and it may be queftioned whether any nation ever raifed, with fo much ease, fuch large expences as have been laid out by this nation in the prefent war. Our commerce is extended from one end of the earth to the other. Our naval force is unrivaled. Our enemies dare not fhew themfelves before our Fleets; and we are acknowledg'd by all the world as the Sovereigns of the Sea.

But there is a ftill higher inftance of our dif tinguish'd happiness to be mentioned; I mean the LIBERTY we are bleffed with. There is no country where this is enjoy'd in fuch extent and perfection. The greateft part of the reft of mankind are faves. They are fubject to arbitrary and infolent mafters, who fay to them bow down before us that we may go over you, and who have their properties and lives entirely at their mercy. How melancholy a fituation muft

..this.