1781] JiEV. WILLIAM SMITH, D.D. 45 



As far as Heaven is exalted above the earth, so far the latter tran- 

 scends the former ! and all Bodily Abstinences and Humiliations are of 

 no other value, than as they tend to Purify and Spiritualize the Inner 

 Man. 



What would it avail us, on this solemn day, to have abstained from 

 our usual food and labours? What would it avail us to have humbled 

 ourselves and bewailed our sins, and to have prayed to God to avert 

 His anger from us, and to deliver us from the judgments with which we 

 are threatened, unless we resolve to " loose every band of wickedness; 

 and to do away every unjust burden which we can remove from our 

 fellow-creatures?" Of this we maybe assured, that nothing but our 

 own sins can stand between us and the propitious smiles of Heaven. 

 When these are done away, through the mercies of Christ leading 

 us to repentance and amendment, we shall no longer "fast and the 

 Almighty not see — we shall no longer afflict our souls, and He take no 

 knowledge." 



For what purpose God has thought fit to permit a continuance of our 

 present calamities, whether in judgment or mercy, or both, is a matter 

 which it becomes every man to consider in his own conscience. I hope 

 but few of the crying offences for which the Jews were reduced to the 

 extreniest misery, and delivered over to the power of their enemies, 

 can be justly chargeable to the people of this land ; nor can we poor 

 short-sighted mortals pretend to open the mysterious volumes of Provi- 

 dence and read its future purposes either of mercies or judgments 

 towards ourselves — Nor am I fond of ascribing every striking dispensa- 

 tion of Providence to any particular Interposition of its power. It is 

 sufficient for us that we consider ourselves always under its general 

 government — and that we look upon our own fortunes as suspended at 

 all times in the uplifted hand of the Almighty! 



And therefore such questions as the following will never be improper 

 — viz. Whether an incorruptible spirit prevails in all our public 

 measures? Whether the cries of the Widow, the Orphan, the helpless, 

 never ascended, unpitied and unredressed, among us? Whether no 

 rapacious and extortionate men, lifted into power by us, have sought to 

 heap up wealth for themselves at the expense of their bleeding and 

 suffering country? — 



But I forbear these and the like questions; because, as I believe, the 

 guilt of none of these things can be chargeable to any who now hear 

 me; so neither is the Redress of such evils so immediately in our power; 

 and a thorough Redress, there is reason to think, will be endeavoured by 

 the proper authorities — 



What chiefly concerns us is, Repentance, accompanied with earnest 

 endeavours to amend our Lives, and fervent Prayers for Grace to enable 

 us to resist Temptation, "to overcome the world," and to turn from all 

 Iniquity. For this we may be assured of that nothing but our own 



