ful army, uttering the most dreadful menaces and blasphemies; the pious king sent to the prophet Isaiah, stating the case to him, and saying, "Where"fore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is "left" and he himself spread the haughty Assyrian's letter before the LORD, and earnestly intreated his gracious interposition. Hezekiah indeed desired the prayers of an eminent prophet, who had long been employed in that honourable service yet I apprehend, that we may properly consider his message to Isaiah, as a divine admonition to us at the present crisis. The providence of God hath formed a special relation between us and the land in which we live, similar to that we bear to our parents or children: we are therefore peculiarly bound to pray for its peace and welfare; as even the captive Jews were commanded to pray for the peace of the country in which they had peace. We have received and still enjoy manifold advantages, temporal and spiritual, in this our favoured land; and we or our descendants shall probably participate the future prosperity or adversity, the blessings or calamities, that await the nation. Our personal transgressions form no small part of that guilt which calls for divine judgments on the land and our lukewarmness and inconsistent conduct, as Christians, have helped to provoke GOD, to deprive us of our religious privileges. It would therefore be a foolish hypocrisy in us, on

this day of fasting and humiliation, to arraign the conduct of other men, and excuse our own.

On these and many other accounts, it is our undeniable duty to lift up our prayer for the rem"nant that is left." There is still a remnant among us of real believers; there is still ground for hope in the LORD's mercy; "the effectual fer"vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much;" the most eminent believers who prayed with signal success, were men of like passions with us : even Isaiah once cried out "Woe is me I am un"done, I am a man of unclean lips;" yet his prayers were most effectually answered. It is likewise undeniable, that our enemies, like Sennacherib, want to subvert our holy religion, as well as our temporal prosperity: and this suggests a powerful plea in lifting up our prayer for national deliverance.

But it is confidently asserted by numbers, that prayers, offered on such occasions, are the dictates of revenge, ambition, or avarice. If avowed infidels alone held such language, it would not excite our surprize but it is indeed most astonishing, that men, pretending to believe the Bible, should condemn a practice approved and commanded in every part of the sacred volume! Let us, however, examine how Hezekiah prayed:-" O LORD of

Hosts, GoD of Israel, who dwellest between he "cherubim, (that is, above the mercy-seat,) thou "art the GOD, even thou alone, of all the king

"doms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and "earth. Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all "the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to re"proach the living GOD. Of a truth, LORD, the

kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations "and their countries: and have cast their gods "into the fire; for they were no gods, but the "work of men's hand, wood and stone; therefore 'they have destroyed them. Now, therefore, O

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"LORD our GOD, save us from his hand, that all "the kings of the earth may know that thou art "the LORD, even thou only." Nothing can be more plain, than that zeal for the honour of GoD and the interests of true religion, principally dictated this prayer. The LORD indeed answered it, "by terrible things in righteousness:" but Hezekiah had only asked deliverance for his people, not destruction on his enemies; and his expanded charity made him earnestly desire that all the kings of the earth might know the difference between the true God and worthless idols, and that they might diffuse that knowledge among their subjects.

I would not knowingly offer one prayer on this occasion, which could not be answered consistently with our enemies enjoying peace, security, liberty, good government, and the blessings of true religion; but we may pray that the LORD would abate their pride, assuage their malice, and con

'Is. xxxvii. 15-20.

'found their devices,' (that is, their devices against the peace of other lands, or the Christian religion,) in entire consistency with these friendly dispositions towards them: for such things would conduce to their advantage, as well as our own. We may not ask the LORD to aggrandize or enrich our nation, that she may reign over all countries, or engross all the commerce of the world: but surely we may pray that famine, pestilence, hostile invasions, and evil discords may be averted; that there may be employment and food for the poor, peace in our borders, and the continuance of our civil and religious liberties. Above all we should pray for the peace, purity, and enlargement of the church; that it may please the LORD to illuminate all the ministers of religion, with true 'knowledge and understanding of his word, that both by their preaching and living, they may set it forth and shew it accordingly,' that "labourers may be sent forth into the harvest;" "that "the Spirit of GOD may lift up a standard” against the torrent of infidelity, impiety, and vice, that inundates the land; and that all ranks and orders of men may be endued with wisdom and grace, to serve GoD and their generation faithfully and successfully. Such prayers as these may be branched out into a variety of particulars, without indulging sinful passions, or violating the law of love. And if we pray in faith, depending on the LORD alone, and not on an arm of flesh; and duly

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considering his almighty power and abundant mercy as fully adequate to all our necessities and difficulties; we may yet hope that he may be intreated for the land, and prolong our tranquillity.

But without personal repentance we cannot offer such supplications as these. It therefore behoves every one of us to consider our ways, to examine our hearts, humbly to confess our sins, to seek forgiveness, and to pray for grace that we may henceforth walk before God in newness of life. If any persons have hitherto continued impenitent and unbelieving; they should on this occasion set about the great concerns of their immortal souls, with peculiar diligence and earnestness. Otherwise, whether the LORD spare the land or not, he will not spare them. "Woe be to the wicked! it "shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands "shall be given him.'"

Even real Christians, at such a time as this, are called upon to review their lives, and renew their humiliation for all their past sins, as a part of the guilt accumulated by the land. They should especially consider their conduct as professors of the gospel, and enquire in what particulars they have dishonoured their profession, misled or weakened their brethren, or given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme. We ought also to examine what fruit hath been produced by the solem

1 Is. iii. 11.