pity themselves; and to the most vigorous
efforts we can use for their recovery, let us
add our fervent prayers to God, that he
may fend forth his Spirit, to bring them
into the way of peace and fafety, and then
to keep and guide them in that way, till he.
lead them at length into "the land of up-
"-rightness."

THUS have I endeavoured to fhow, in a variety of inftances, what manner of life is moft expreffive of the temper, and beft fuited to the condition, of frangers and fojourners. May God accompany what hath been faid with his effectual bleffing, and enable us all fo to behave in this " houfe of

“་
our pilgrimage," that when we shall have
done with earthly things, we may be recei-
ved into those "everlasting habitations, whi-
❝ther Christ hath gone to prepare a place
" for us." To whom, with the Father, and
the Holy Spirit, the one living and true God,
be afcribed, as is moft due, all bleffing, and
honour, and glory, and power, both now
and evermore. Amen.

SER

SERMON

XVIII.

453

Preached on the day of National Thanksgiving, Nov. 29. 1759.

JOSHUA Xxiii. II.

Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.

HESE are the words of a foldier and

THE

a faint; a foldier, equally brave and fuccessful; a faint, distinguished by the testimony of God himself. They are the words of Joshua, the victorious leader of God's ancient people, and make a part of that folemn valedictory fpeech, which he pronounced in a national affembly of his countrymen a little before his death.

The same happy union of fortitude and piety which had rendered his active life fo glorious, still fhone forth with undiminished strength, to adorn the concluding scene. Never did the magnanimity of the foldier, never did the piety of the faint, Ff3

never

never did the generous zeal of the patriot, appear with more becoming grace and dignity, than when this great and good man rofe up in the prefence of all his brethren, and thus addreffed the tribes of Ifrael:

"I am old and ftricken in age; and ye "have seen all that the Lord your God hath "done unto all these nations, because of

you; for the Lord your God is he that "hath fought for you. Behold, I have "divided unto you by lot these nations “that remain, to be an inheritance for your "tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations "that I have cut off, even unto the great "fea weftward. And the Lord your God, "he fhall expel them from before you, and "drive them from out of your fight, and 66 ye fhall poffefs their land, as the Lord

"

your God hath promised unto you. Be

ye therefore very courageous, to keep and

"to do all that is written in the book of "the law of Mofes, that ye turn not aside "therefrom, to the right hand or to the " left; that ye come not among these na"tions, these that remain amongst you, nei"ther

"ther make mention of the name of their

gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither "ferve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: “but cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye "have done unto this day. For the Lord "hath driven out from before you, great "nations and ftrong; but as for you, no

man hath been able to ftand before you "unto this day. One man of you fhall "chase a thousand; for the Lord your God, ❝he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath "promised you. Take good heed therefore "unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your "God,"

"How forcible are right words!" Well did Solomon fay, that " the tongue of the "wife is health," and " a word fitly spoken, "like apples of gold in pictures of filver." An address more worthy of the speaker, or better adapted to those who heard it, cannot be devised, than that which thefe verfes present to our view. The Jews were at this time in full poffeffion of the promised land; every man dwelt fafely under his vine, and under his fig-tree; neither was there any to make them afraid; for "the Lord had

"given them reft from all their enemies "round about." By a train of the most astonishing victories, they had totally fubdued the nations of Canaan, whofe country they divided by lot among themselves. Such a valuable conqueft, equally complete and glorious, afforded matter of joy and triumph to them all; but chiefly to Joshua, who conducted their arms, and to whofe wifdom and valour, as the means under God, they were visibly indebted for all their fuccefs.

Here then was a theatre, on which ambition and vain-glory might have acted their parts to great advantage; nay, they might have done it almost without fear of detection or reproof. No claim of merit would have been thought exceffive, no applaufe too high, no reward too great, for fuch an illuftrious hero as Joshua; and had his fpeech been artfully framed to exalt himself, the effect of it would probably have been fimilar to that of Herod's. oration, when the people gave a fhout, faying, "It is the voice of a God, and not of a "man."

But