changed again and a third time changed, and still again! What a race it is! that when driven from one position by divine judgments and calamities, is sure to go in a direction where it must be encountered by more such judgments! so that they cannot, at the first turn, have the good that is intended ultimately from violent changes; there must be more changes first.

Men of easy faith and sanguine hope have sometimes, after one great commotion and change, joyously assured themselves that this would suffice. "The grand evil is removed; we shall now happily and fast advance, with a clear scene before us." But, after a while, to their surprise and dismay, another commotion and change has perhaps carried the whole affair back, apparently, to the same state as before! Recollect the history of the Reformation in this land; begun by Henry VIII.,-established, it was gladly assumed, in the reign of his son. But that youth dies, and then we have the instant return of Popery, in all its triumph, fury, and revenge. After a while Queen Mary departs; and all the pious souls exult in liberation and protestantism. But then, again, in Elizabeth's time, there comes a half-popish, severe, spiritual tyranny. Later down, after the overthrow of the tyrant Charles, there arose, for the first time, a prospect of real religious liberty. But his son resumes the throne, and all such liberty was utterly abolished, and so continued long; and another revolution was required that religious faith and worship might be free.

In human affairs there have sometimes been great overturnings, which did give a rare and glorious opportunity for good, if, at the juncture, there had been the wisdom and uprightness to take advantage of them; but, instead, there was folly or iniquity just ready at hand! Providence did not send the wisdom and equity to guide the change. Why? Because the state of men was such as to deserve and

require more vials of divine judgments to be poured out It has even sometimes been intended to remove and clear away almost the whole present generation, when no rigours or terrors of discipline could frighten men from their iniquities. That this last fact may be, all history testifies, and Revelation too. Recollect the prophetic description, that after the most awful plagues, the people that remained "blasphemed the God of heaven." Were not their expressions equal to an infallible prophecy of more such visitations, to destroy the survivors of the preceding?

But, it is not the wicked alone that suffer in the mighty convulsions in human affairs; the same as in the calamitous events in the natural world. But the faithful, the children of God, have high consolation; their supreme interest is safe. The calamities are something better to them than mere inflictions and punishments. Their hatred of sin is aggravated; their sense of dependence on God exercised; they become more detached from the world; and they have faith that these events are successive measures in a Divine process for bringing about the most glorious ends at length. The brightness of these anticipated ends seems to shine back on the dark train of the mean.

And here observe, how different may be the ends that God has in view, from any that may be intended by the immediate chief actors. ("He meaneth not so, but it is in his heart to cut off and destroy nations not a few.") And often these actors may be amazed and confounded by results directly contrary to what they had intended. As to the actors and instruments, God will make many bad ones serve his great design-the lovers of commotion for its own sake, as before observed, the haters of all good order,-insane ambition, bigoted superstition,-and, perhaps very eminently, infidelity itself. Let us adore the wisdom and power that can make even all these work to an ultimately

glorious end! That end, for which are all the "overturnings," is the glorious kingdom on earth" of HIM whose right it is;" his right all this while! (Mysterious that he should permit himself to be so long debarred!)-his right, by many and infinite claims—his right, assured by prophetic declaration. How just, then, the overturning of all things that withstand it! And if his right, how certain to be at length possessed! And how happy the scene when he shall have taken the full possession! A splendid contrast for the readers, then, of the history of our times!

As to us, meanwhile, who live in the introductory period of change and commotion;-perhaps but few of us may live to see much of the consequences in their absolutely pure and happy quality. There may be a long and troubled course with evil mingled and contesting with the good;yet the good, we trust, becoming continually more apparent. We must live in faith, and hope, and prayer;-labour to maintain an entire resignation to the Divine sovereignty. Be intent, ourselves, on "overturning" what little God shall enable us, of the obstructing evil within our small sphere; not be looking at it always on the great scale, in its immense bulk, and overlooking its parts, some of which are near us, and in our reach. Maintain a constant concern that we have our main interest secure in that world where there is nothing to be overturned; in "the kingdom that cannot be moved," where all has been constituted in harmony with the Divine Mind; where his sacred energy has never permitted evil to occupy a position; where no sin is to be rooted out, -no idol to be dethroned,-no prison-house of the soul to be demolished; where there is no enemy's fortress to deform the scene of eternal peace and security. Be there our portion prepared and awaiting! "I appoint unto you a kingdom," said our Lord. But appointed for whom? not for such as take no concern in the advancement of his king

dom in this bad world. Will any one say,-"I aspire and hope to go to the kingdom of Christ above, where all is stability and serenity for ever, but I will stand aloof from all active co-operation with his cause on earth, while it is making its arduous progress through conflict and commotion. Overthrowing its obstacles and its rivals is too mighty and ambitious an affair for me! I might, indeed, contribute a little to the great cause,-by zeal-by such pecuniary offerings as would not really injure me; but no, let it alone! I might really do what would displace one stone toward 'overturning' the ancient wall of separation between the Indian pagans and Christianity, or contribute to upset one hateful idol,--but no, let it alone! and will prevail at length. He whose 'right' is all Asia and the world, will possess it." Yes, he will; but then he will have a long memory back; He will remember who they were that, in humble and affectionate zeal for him, did what they could, during the progress of his cause, and who they were that thought it better to stand indifferent by.

April 9, 1823.

The cause is in the best hands,

LECTURE XXX.

ON NEGRO SLAVERY.

LAMENTATIONS iii. 5.

"To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High, the Lord approveth not."

By the request of several highly respected persons in this assembly, we have been induced to take negro slavery as the topic for consideration this evening.

We are quite sensible, that no juster nor stronger representation of the subject can be made than what is already become familiar to many of those now present. The only service we can have any thought of rendering is, to contribute a little to prolong the attention to it.

When a very great evil is brought in view (especially when it is one that has been long known in a slight, general way, and therefore does not strike with the force of surprise), it requires many repetitions to impress it deeply enough into the mind. From its being presented a few times, however vividly and powerfully (when it is a thing only described and not seen), it does not take an effective possession of our faculties. We do not adequately realize it. It is apt to pass before us like the scenes of a tragedy, or the images of a gloomy and frightful dream. Iteration may tend to give it a fixed form of reality in our apprehension. And this is quite necessary when the purpose of the representation is, to excite that interest which shall impel men to any effort and perseverance of effort.

And think, what a reality, what a fact it is, that is