THE Belief of a GOD and a Provi­dence, certainly lies at the Foun­dation of all Religion; and as Reli­gion was designed, by our all-wise Creator, to be the main Business of human Life, there is accordingly no Truth capable of more strict Demonstration than this; that there is a supream Spirit, who is the grand Superintendant of the Universe, & over-rules in every Event. This Proposition, therefore, I shall take for granted, in the present Discourse; as I hope there is no Person in this Assembly, who doubts it.

Wherever we turn our Eyes, we behold evident Traces of Infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness, the Perfections of the Deity shining in his Works; and there are, frequently, mar­velous interpositions of Divine Providence; [Page 6] which, it would be, in the highest Degree, stupid in us, not to perceive; & ungrateful, not to acknowledge. All of us, who have lived any considerable Time upon Earth, must needs recollect many critical Seasons of their Lives, when they have been preserved in most imminent Dangers, by the immediate Hand of GOD; and plucked as Brands out of the Burn­ing. And, no doubt, the wonderful Disco­veries of another Day, will point us to many more such surprising Instances of unbounded Grace, which we are not now conscious to. I cannot but imagine that there are many Things of this Nature, which we know not now, but shall know hereafter; and that this constitutes one principal Part of the Entertain­ment of the glorified Spirits above; to review these critical Seasons, in all their Circumstances; and adore their Almighty Guardian, with rap­turous Thanksgivings.—Seasons, in which, if Matters had not happened exactly as they did, by a mysterious Concurrence of second Causes, influenced by Him who constantly guides and animates the whole; (by him alone, without any Forethought, or Assistance of theirs; nay, in some Instances, contrary to their Wishes and Expectations) they must inevitably have been miserable through all their Pilgrimage upon Earth, and perhaps to all Eternity.

But if the Finger of GOD is thus visible in all the minute Incidents of human Life; if he [Page 7] graciously consults the Happiness of every In­dividual, determines the Times before appoint­ed, and the Bounds of his Habitation; if the Hairs of our Head are all accurately numbred, and not a Sparrow falls to the Ground without our heavenly Father; certainly he is not an idle Spectator of the more important Transactions of the Globe, the Tumults of the People, the Revolution of States & Kingdoms. No;—He does his Sovereign Pleasure among the Armies of Heaven above, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth beneath; and it becomes us to re­gard the Work of the LORD, and to consider the Operation of his Hands. The Kingdom is the LORDS, and He is the Governor among the Nations. He blows the Trumpet, and they are roused to universal Battle: He waves the Olive Branch, and they are lulled in profound Peace.

When he pleases, he elevates the most de­testable of Mankind to the Pinnacle of human Glory; the Disgrace of their Species, and the Scourge of their unhappy Subjects. When he pleases, he disappoints the haughty Tyrant, in the midst of his ambitious Enterprises; deposes him from his exalted Station; and dashes him to Pieces, as a Potter's Vessel. When he pleases, he places upon the Throne a Man of an excellent Spirit; gives Wisdom to his Coun­sels, and vigor to his Arms; preserves his inva­luable Life, prevents him with the Blessings of Goodness, and sets a Crown of pure Gold upon his Head; makes him the Terror of his Ene­mies, [Page 8] and the Protector of his People. The proud Nebuchadnezzar, and the amiable Cyrus, are equally his Servants, and subject to his Con­troul; and, when he pleases, the abandoned Saul must fall a Sacrifice to his just Vengeance; that the devout David, the Man after his own Heart, may take the Charge of his distinguish'd Israel, and sway the Scepter in Righteousness.

He overules in all the various Revolutions of an Earthly Court; manages the minute Springs, which actuate the Wheels of Govern­ment; and influences the unsearchable Heart of Kings. Sometimes, for wise and holy Ends, He permits a corrupt Minister to obtain the Favour of his Sovereign, preside in the Cabinet, and sit at the Helm of Government; permits him to abuse the Confidence, and betray the Interests of his Royal Master; to embezzle the public Revenue, and prey upon the Bowels of the Constitution; to maintain a clandestine Correspondence with the open Enemies of his Country; to receive Bribes and Pensions from a foreign Court; and to triumph, perhaps, for a long Course of Years, in the Success of his treacherous and arbitrary Schemes; while the contemptible Tools of his Power grow rich with Rapine and Oppression, the wicked walk on every side, and the vilest of Men are ex­alted. When he pleases he raises up an honest Patriot, inspired with Sentiments of Virtue, who acts perpetually from the noblest Princi­ples, despises the Gain of Oppression, and sha­keth [Page 9] his Hands from Holding of Bribes; animates him with a public Spirit, and a warm Affection to his bleeding Country; furnishes him with an extensive Capacity, and what is still more valuable, an uncorrupted Heart; enlarges his Influence, and succeeds his Mea­sures; makes him, at once, the Darling of his Prince, and the Favourite of a flourishing Nation; while his Eyes are upon the Faith­ful of the Land, that they may dwell with him, and he is served by such as walk in a perfect Way. So the infamous Haman was brushed from the Presence of King Abasue­rus, and received the just Demerit of his Crimes; that the upright Mordecai might suc­ceed him, accepted of the Multitude of his Brethren, seeking the Wealth of his People, and speaking Peace to all his Seed.

But let us leave the Confinement of the Court, extend our Views, and take a Survey of the Warlike Field; covered with regular Encampments, furrowed with Trenches, or glittering with hostile Arms. There we be­hold the resolute Troops in their intrepid March; the gallant Commanders levelling the destructive Instruments of Death; and the gilded Banners, unfurled, and waving in the Wind. Suddenly, the gay Scene vanishes from our Eyes; all is enveloped in Smoke, and Flame, and Sulphur. Hark! how con­fused the Din of the Battle, the Thunder of [Page 10] the Captains, and the Shouting; while the Groans of the Vanquished, and the Acclama­tions of the Conqueror, and all the horrid Dis­cord of War, rore thro' the Valley, and are echoed from the neighbouring Hills! Anon, the Noise abates, the Smoke dissipates, and what a ghastly Spectacle is exhibited to our View! the most vigorous and athletick Bo­dies, with their brawney Limbs, once the Terror of the Mighty in the Land of the Liv­ing; but now, pale, bloody, and scattered promiscuous▪ Thousands and ten Thousands, Heaps upon Heaps, cover the Plain, and compleat the Carnage. And is not the Al­mighty Hand still conspicuous? should we not acknowledge and adore it? 'Tis He alone who can give the Victory, and determine the dubious Contest, when the Fate of an Empire hangs in Suspence, and waits for the Decision of an Hour. When he pleases he can scatter a Panick thro' the bravest Troops, and infa­tuate an Army of the most experienced Vete­rans. 'Tis He who directs the military Coun­sels, and steels the Heart of the successful General. Every descending Sword is guided by Him, and every random Shot executes his Commission.

He can level the proudest Cities, demolish their lofty Bulwarks, and lay low the Haugh­tiness of the Terrible. At his sovereign Nod, [Page 11] the Walls of Jericho must fall down prostrate, and pave a Path for the conquering Joshua.

'Tis He also who reigns LORD of the bound­less Ocean, holds the Winds in His Grasp, and comprehends the Waters in the Hollow of His Hand. Fleets and Navies, protected by Him, ride in Triumph upon the Face of the Deep. He steers them in their trackless Course, swells their prosperous Sails, and wafts them to the whish'd-for Haven. When He pleases, he scatters them in His Wrath, and disperses them with the Breath of His Mouth. The Clouds gather and blacken, the Tempest rages, the loud Surges fome, and the foundering Ves­sels sink like Lead in the fathomless Profound, only broken upon the Shore in shattered Frag­ments. He commands, "Peace, be Still;" the Winds and the Waters obey Him; — not a Breath of disobedient Air ruffles the serene Surface of the Flood.

'Tis He over-rules, when contending Squa­drons dispute the Sovereignty of the Seas, and denounce Vengeance from the Mouth of their Cannon. He sits the irresistible Umpire, weighs their different Pretensions in his im­partial Ballance: He frowns and they are de­feated; and Victory attends His Smile.

Thus we have taken an imperfect Survey of the Infinite GOD, as He manages the Wheels of Providence, and determines the Fate of Na­tions; one Foot being upon the Sea, and the [Page 12] other upon the dry Land. Should we not ac­knowledge His Supreme Authority; and fall prostrate at His Footstool, in humble Adora­tion; when, like the Prophet, in captured Vi­sion, we behold this Appearance of the Like­ness of the Glory of the LORD? Should we not unite in the sublime Ascription of the Psalm­ist? Psal. lxxxvi.8.— 10. ‘Among the Gods there is none like unto Thee, O LORD; nei­ther are there any Works like unto thy Works. All Nations whom Thou hast made, shall come and worship before Thee, O LORD; and shall glorify thy Name. For Thou art Great, and dost wondrous Things: Thou art GOD alone.’

Were our Nation, at this Day, in calami­tous Circumstances, would it not be incumbent upon us, to humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of GOD, to deprecate the Divine Wrath, and implore the Smiles of His Countenance? And while we are blest with so remarkable a Series of Prosperity and Success, while the Al­mighty so wonderfully asserts our Cause, and our Enemies flee before us; while every Ex­press that arrives from our Frontiers, and eve­ry Pacquet that crosses the Atlantick, adds a new Article to the joyful Tidings, and a fresh Laurel to the British Brows; it is equally our Duty to adore the Supream Benefactor, and comply with the Injunction of the Text; ‘Give unto the LORD, O ye Kindreds of the [Page 13] People, give unto the LORD Glory and Strength. Give unto the LORD the Glory due unto His Name; bring an Offering, and come into his Courts.’

It is the Honor and the Happiness of this much-favoured Nation, that we have a devout Monarch upon the Throne, who enjoins this Practice upon us by his Authority, and recom­mends it by his royal Example: and it is at his Call, by an express Order from the Throne, that we now assembled together at this solemn Festival.

And now, what a Scene of Wonder opens to our View! Good GOD! what an astonish­ing Scene of Wonders! Methinks, a univer­sal Transport animates every Countenance, & sparkles in every Eye. Who can recount the innumerable Favours, bestowed upon our Na­tion and it's Allies, in the Year past; that Year much to be remembred; that distinguish­ed Year in the Annals of Great-Britain? Who is equal to the boundless Task? What Tongue but falters, while the big Ideas crowd upon the Mind, and labor for Utterance? A few, out of the immense Multitude, the Time will suffer me but just to hint at.

The LORD of Hosts has wonderfully ap­peared in Vindication of the Protestant Cause, even our Enemies themselves being Judges. He has supported our illustrious Ally, the King of Prussia; a Name ever dear to those [Page 14] who have the Cause of Religion and Liberty at Heart;— supported him against one of the most dangerous Confederacies, that could be formed by the Powers of Antichrist; while the Arms of the Empire have been levelled against him, the turbulent Court of France have conspired his Ruin, and the barbarous Troops of Russia have thirsted for his Blood. Exposed as he frequently has been, amidst all the Tumult and Horrors of Battle; Thou­sands falling at his Side and Ten Thousands at his right Hand; GOD has ever protected him, and for the most Part, has crowned him with Conquest.

The Preservation of his Majesty's German Dominions; the Expulsion of the French from the Electorate of Hanover; and the re­peated Successes which have attended the glo­rious Prince Ferdinand, call also this Day for our Gratitude and Praise.

When we leave these foreign Prospects, and take a short Survey of those which still more nearly concern us; When we behold one of the best of Kings placed upon the British Throne, who has ever approved him­self the benevolent Father of his People; who justly supposes his own Honor to consist in the Freedom of his Subjects, and places his highest Happiness in their Prosperity; who despises the abject Submission of Slaves, while he possesses all th [...]se [...] that are not dead [Page 15] to every grateful Sentiment;—his invaluable Life protracted to an Age beyond that of any of his Predecessors, his uncommon Virtues blossoming in his Royal Race, & his Counsels in­fluenced by one of the most unspotted Charac­ters in the Nation;—a Minister, whose Wis­dom and Integrity have been sufficiently proved, whose honest Heart knows no Dis­guise, whose Hands were never stained with Bribery and Oppression, and who bears a stea­dy Testimony against the prevailing Luxury of the Age;—no [...] of Tyranny, no Slave to Ambition, no [...] to the Court of France;—When we behold the glorious GOD, in the most critical Season, when we had be­come the Derision of our Enemies, and the Contempt of our Neighbours, raising up such a Deliverer to the Nation, and restoring it at [...] to the utmost Pitch of its primitive Glo­ [...]:—our Arm [...]es again formidable upon the Continent, our Fleets sovereign upon the [...], Victo [...] constantly attending our Flags, the British [...]hunder alarming the most dist [...]t [...] irresistible in all Quarters of the Earth:—and when we hear our venerable So­vereign pronouncing, with amiable Devoties, ‘I thank my GOD for these signal Victo­ries;’ —Can we forbear ascribing the Vic­tory to him, acknowledging that His right Hand and His holy Arm have gotten it?

[Page 16]In vain has the proud Monarch of France endeavoured to retrieve his Glory, by a threat­ned Invasion of Great-Britain: his vast milita­ry Preparations, and empty Gasconades, have only served to sink the Royal Bankrupt so much the deeper in Distress, and render him more compleatly contemptible and ridiculous. For the most Part, his insignificant Squadrons have thought it prudent to anchor quietly in Port, guarded by a British Fleet: or if, at any Time, they have ventured to parade upon the Ocean; they have had sufficient Reason to repent of their Rashness. Their Supplies have been cut off, and Numbers of their Capital Ships have been demolished. Nay, one of their principal Harbours has been actually entred: the British Standard has floated triumphant upon the Con­tinent of France; while their Stores and boast­ed Magazines have blazed as a Bonfire, upon the joyful Occasion.

In the West Indies, we behold Guadaloupe and its Dependencies, surrendring to a small naval Force, and a handful of gallant Troops; —one of the most valuable and important of the American Islands.

When we turn our Eyes to this Continent, we have opened a new Theatre of marvelous Events; we are surrounded with a fresh Series of surprising Mercies.

It will not be amiss for us to recollect, upon this Occasion, that it is but a little while, since [Page 17] our Affairs wore a most melancholly Aspect; and a universal Consternation appeared in every Countenance. You may remember the dismal Season, when, Year after Year, the ALMIGHTY frowned upon our Enterprises and Expediti­ons; and an insulting Enemy ravaged our Bor­ders. Our Fortresses were taken and demo­lished; our Troops intimidated and destroyed, or carried Captive to a foreign Land: or, per­haps, they were overwhelmed with a ground­less Panic; perhaps, they saw the Shadow of the Mountains as if they were Men, and mistook Rocks for an Encampment;—the Sound of a shaken Leaf terrified them, and they fled when none pursued! Perhaps, ‘the mighty Men of Babylon were affrighted, they had forborn to fight, they remained in their Holds, their Might failed, and they became as Women!’ —Be that as it will, for it is not my Business to charge the Fault any where; certain it is, that one Year of Disappointments rolled away after another: The Harvest was past, the Summer was ended, and still we were not saved. The howling Inhabitants of the Wilderness triumphed upon our Frontiers, were decorated with our Spoils, and glutted with the Blood of our dearest Friends.— ‘O! that my Head were Waters, and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears, that I might weep, Day and Night, for the Slain of the Daughter of my People!’ —Then it was, that we [Page 18] poured out our Complaint in the Bitterness of our Souls: we wept between the Porch and the Altar, ‘Spare thy People, O LORD, give not Thine Heritage to Reproach, suffer not the Heathen to triumph over us!’ —At length GOD has heard our Prayer, and avenged the Cause of his suffering Servants.

And now, my Brethren, what a striking Contrast! How is the Scene reversed! GOD has prospered us in every Attempt, and caused our Enemies to flee before us.—Let us pause a little, and enumerate our Conquests.—We are possessed of the important Pass and Fort of Niagara; & have defeated a large Body of the Enemy, which were marching to its Re­lief.—Fort du Quesne, (a Dispute concerning which, if you remember, was one principal Occasion of the present War,) has now changed its Name to Pittsburgh; in Honor of that Immortal Patriot, who needs no such feeble Monument to perpetuate his Memory. —The formidable Li [...]es at Ticonderoga, where our Army met with such a shameful Repulse, about a Twelve-Month before, are surrendred to the well known Conqueror of Leuisbourg. —And the Fortress at Crown-Point, which has been the Object of so many fruitless Expedi­tions, from these Northern Colonies, is aban­doned by the Enemy, and occupied by a British Garrison.

[Page]We may justly, upon this Occasion, ap­plaud the Bravery of our Troops, and the wise Conduct of our experienced General. This is but equitable: It is rendring Honor to whom Honor is due. But still we must re­member that this is the LORD's Doing, and it is marvelous in our Eyes! ‘Give unto the LORD o ye Kindreds of the People, give unto the LORD Glory and Strength. Give unto the LORD the Glory due unto His Name; bring an Offering, and come into His Courts.’

And yet, these were but small Things in Thine Eyes, O our GOD; for we have still a new Song to sing, and the most glorious In­stance of Success is yet unrelated. ‘Shout, said Joshua, for the LORD hath given you the CITY!’ The proud City of QUEBECK compleats our Conquests, and adds new Lus­tre to the Important Year. This is, properly, striking at the Foundation of the French Power in America. In our former Acquisi­tions, we did, as it were, but lop the Branches: but, Thanks be to GOD! the Ax is now laid to the Root of the Tree. Happy would our pious Predecessors have been, could they have seen this distinguished Period: but it was de­nied them!—Blessed are our Eyes, for they be­hold it; and our Ears, for they hear the joy­ful Tidings! The Capital of Canada, the Metropolis of French America, is [...]endred [Page 20] to our Arms! When we consider how many fruitless Attempts have been made by us & our Fathers, for the Reduction of this important Place; how immense the Blood and Treasure which have been expended, to no Purpose, in former Armaments; and the inconsiderable Number of Troops by which it was at last accomplished; it should aggrandise our Ideas of this glorious Action, as it will consecrate the memorable Name of WOLFE, to the latest Posterity.

Amidst all our Rejoycing this Day, that gallant General demands a Tear, to be dropt upon his Funeral Urn;—that gallant General who, in the Bloom of Years, displayed such consummate military Skill; and expired so bravely, in the Arms of Conquest; ‘Great while he liv'd, but greater when he died.’ But, my Brethren, we should realise the Voice of GOD in this Event. ‘Cease ye from Man, whose Breath is in his Nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?’ We should look beyond second Causes; and acknowledge that ‘there is none like unto the GOD of Jesurun, who has ridden in the Heaven, for our Help; and in His Excellency upon the Skies.’ ‘Give unto the [Page 21] LORD, O ye Kindreds of the People, give unto the LORD Glory and Strength Give unto the LORD the Glory due unto His Name; bring an Offering and come into His Courts.’

And indeed, the Hand of GOD is conspi­cuous in every Article of this Expedition. It was He who guided our Fleet thro' the diffi­cult Navigation of St. Lawrence; and pro­tected them in a violent Tempest, to which they were exposed soon after their Arrival. It was He who enabled our Forces to make their Encampment, with scarce the Loss of a Man; who plentifully furnished them with the Necessaries of Life; who was the Health of their Countenance, and their GOD; and who preserved their scattered Parties from the lurking Savages of the Wilderness. It was He who supported them thro' all the Fa­tigues of a dangerous Campaign, and guarded them from the fatal Messengers of Death. It was He who infatuated the unhappy Mont­calm, to forsake the Advantages of his Situa­tion, and risk a decisive Engagement. It was He who, in the Day of Battle, inspired our Army with irresistible Resolution, and gave them the Victory over such superior Numbers. It was He who intimidated the vanquished Enemy, and opened the Gates of the devoted City.

[Page 22] ‘Give unto the LORD, O ye Kindreds of the People, give unto the LORD Glory and Strength. Give unto the LORD the Glory due unto his Name; bring an Offering, and come into his Courts.’ Certainly, our Thanksgiving, this Day, should be something more than an empty Form; an insignificant Compliance with Custom▪ Our Mirth should not be carnal and sensual: but we should rea­lise that we are reasonable Creatures, and Pro­fessors of the Name of JESUS. Shall we suf­fer the sacred Solemnities of this Day, to de­generate into a dissolute Frolick; or to be clo­sed with Midnight Uproar?—"Forbid it, "O our GOD!"—Amidst all our Flow of Spirits, and all the plentiful Entertainments that crown our Tables, may we remember, and a­dore our dear Benefactor; and may our Prai­ses ascend before Him, from pure Hearts▪ grace­ful as Incense.—It is the LORD who hath done these great Things for us, whereof we are glad. —What then shall we render to the LORD, for all His Benefits?