as private, that can alone restore harmony and union to this distracted kingdom. Let her mild, conciliating voice be once heard and attended to by all ranks of men, and she will say to their ruffled passions, as our Saviour did to the troubled waves, "Peace, "be still:" and the consequence will be the same; "there will be a great calm*.” Lastly, A consciousness of having discharged our duty, of being at peace with God, and of living under his gracious superintendence, will give us a SPIRIT, A -FIRMNESS AND INTREPIDITY OF SOUL, which nothing else can inspire. VALOUR indeed, it has been said, is no Christian virtue; and it is very true; for, considered simply in itself, it is no virtue at all. It is a mere personal quality, depending principally on constitution and natural temperament, but improved by education, discipline, and habit; and can be no otherwise moral or immóral, than as it is well or ill directed. But, supposing all other circumstances equal, the sincere Christian will have many incitements to face danger with a steady countenance, which the * Mark iv. 39. the irreligious cannot have. Under the defence of the Most High, he has less cause to fear the worst, and more reason to hope the best, than those that live without God in the world. “The wicked therefore flee “when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion." Even death itself The has to the real Christian, no terrors. only sting it has, is sin, and of that sting he has disarmed it. Instead of being to him, as it is to the worldly man, the extinction of his hopes, it is the consummation of them, and puts him in possession of those heavenly treasures on which his heart is fixed. He therefore goes on with cool undaunted composure to the discharge of his duty, whatever difficulties, whatever dangers may stand in his way; conscious that he is acting under the eye of an Almighty Being, who can both protect and reward him; who has commanded him, if it be necessary, "lay down his life for his brethren†;" and who will never suffer him to be a loser in the end, even by that last and greatest sacrifice to the public good. 66 to Such are the effects, the genuine and natural * Prov. xxviii. 1. † 1 John iii. 16. natural effects, of RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLE on the human mind. It will give us, as we have seen, every thing which our present situation seems more peculiarly to require; PUBLIC SPIRIT, UNANIMITY, AND UNSHAKEN FORTITUDE. Embrace then, with thankfulness, the support which Christianity offers you, and which you have hitherto sought elsewhere in vain. Amidst so many enemies, take care to secure, at least, one friend. By obedience to the Divine laws, recommend yourselves to the Divine protection; and then remember those most comfortable expressions of the Almighty to another people: "How can I give thee up, "Ephraim? my soul is turned within me. "I will not execute the fierceness of my anger; for I am God, and not man*" "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee " for a moment, but with everlasting kind 66 66 ness will I have mercy on theet.” * Hos. xi. 8, 9. + Is. liv. 8. SERMON XII. MATT. X. 34. THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO SEND PEACE ON EARTH; I CAME NOT TO WE may, without the smallest hesita tion, conclude, that the words of the text cannot possibly have that signification, which at the first view, and as they here stand single and unconnected, they appear to have. It would be the extremity of weakness to suppose, that he whose whole life and doctrine breathed nothing but peace and gentleness, and who declared at another time, in the most positive terms, that he came not to destroy men's lives, "but to save them," should here mean Luke ix. 56. to |