DISCOURSE 
 
 DELIVERED AT SPRINGFIELD, 
 
 OCTOBER 30, 1805. 
 
 On occasion of the. Completion and Opening 
 
 OF 
 
 THE GREAT BRIDGE 
 
 OVER CONNECTICUT RIVER, 
 
 Between, the towns of Springfield and West-Springfield. 
 
 BY JOSEPH LATHROP, D. D. 
 
 Pastor of the First Church in IVest-Spring field* 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, Mas. 
 
 [h. SREWER — PRINTER.] 
 

 DISCOURSE 
 
 DELIVERED AT SPRINGFIELD, 
 
 OCTOBER 30, 1805. 
 
 On occasion of the. Completion and Op^nin^ 
 
 OF 
 
 THE GREAT BRIDGE 
 
 \ OVER CONNECTICUT RIVER, 
 
 Between, the towns of Springfield and West-Springfield. 
 
 BY JOSEPH LATHROP, D. D. 
 
 Pastor of the First Church in West-Spring field. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, Mas. 
 [h. brewer — printerJ 
 
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS 
 AT AMHERST 
 
 UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 Special Collections & Rare Books 
 
 tedl 
 coui 
 and 
 Esq 
 a CO 
 
 Spec. 
 Coll. 
 
 F 
 
 74 
 
 S8 
 
 L56 
 1805 
 
•V«"W"V,<*>i*">i*"*.v vN:"">;^">;'r-VjC"Vj*"ViC^V,^"#i<"^^^ *^f» *!* ^i-* «-> 'i» n* ^» 'iv '>* *»* ^i* ';» 'S 
 
 ..► .►-»v-<i>^-^'>- "<i'<"<i>~<s><"« •••(?<"<"i>-«-^^ 
 
 ISAIAH XLV. 18. 
 
 God himself that formed the earth and 7nade it he created 
 
 it not ill vain he formed it to be inhabited. 
 
 EVERY rational bfing dired^^ his operations 
 to fonie enu. To ]a^)or without an objed, 
 and a6l without an intention, is a degree of fo'ly too 
 great to be imputed to men. We mail than conclude, 
 that the Being, who created the world, had a puipofe in 
 view adeq-ate to the grandeur of the work. What this 
 purpoie is the prophet clearly exprefies in our text and a 
 precediiig verfe. " He made the earth — he created man 
 uponil — he forT.ed it to be iahabited j'* to be inhabited 
 by men ; by fuch beings as we are. 
 
 Let us fi^rvey the earth, aud we fliall find it perfeci:Iy 
 adapted to this delign. 
 
 Mofes, in his hi(lo:y of the creation, informs us, that 
 man was the lad of God's w^orks. The earth was en- 
 lightened and warmed Vvith the fun, coverei with fruits 
 and herbs, and ftocked v/irh every fpecies of animals, be- 
 foie man was placed upon it. It was i^ot a naked and 
 dreary, but a beautiful and rirhly furnKhed world, on 
 which he firft opened his eyes. He was not fent lo fub- 
 due a rugged and intradibie wildernefs, but to occupy a 
 kind and delightful garden, where, with moderate labor, 
 his wants might be fuppiiei. ^ :' 
 
 When Adam fitfl awoke, into exifleace, conteif^piaf- 
 ed his own woncierfal frame, furveyed the ground on 
 which he trod, beheld the groves which waved around 
 him, tafled the fruits which hung bef^Tehim, and traced 
 the ftreams which meandered by his fide, at once he 
 
knew, that there mufl: be an invifible Being, who form- 
 ed this pleafant place for his habitation. 
 
 The fame evidence have we, that the earth was made 
 for the children of Adam. 
 
 The fun, that vafl: body of fire in the heavens, is fa 
 Hationed, as to cheer and fruftify the globe, aui render 
 it a fit manfion for human beings. By the regular chan- 
 ges of the feafons, thofe parts of the earth become habit- 
 able, which otherwife would be burnt with intolerable 
 heat, or fealed up whh eternal froit. 
 
 Around this globe is fpread a body of air, {o pure as 
 to tranfmit the rays of light, and yet fo ftrong as to fuf- 
 tain the flight of birds. This ferves for the breath of 
 life, the vehicle of found, the fufpenQon of waters, the 
 conveyance of clouds, the promotion of veget iti :n, and 
 various other ufes neccflary to the. fubfiflancc, or condu- 
 cive to the comfort of the human kind. 
 
 The rarth is replenifbed with innumerable tribes of an- 
 imals, of which fomeaflifL man in his labors, fome yield 
 him food, and fome furnilb him with oruamenfs and 
 clothing. " To man God h^s given dominion over the 
 works of his hands : Under man's power he has put ail 
 things ; all (beep and oxen, the beafts of the fic'd, the 
 fowl of the air, the fifn of the fea, and whatfoever puiC- 
 eth thro' the paths of the deep." 
 
 The produ£lic;ns of the earth are various beyond con- 
 ception. Some fpontancous — fome the cfFeds of hu- 
 man culture — fome defigned for the fupport of the ani- 
 mal tribes, and fome more immediately adapted to the 
 ufe of man. 
 
 On the furfate of the earth we meet with fprings and 
 ftreams at convenient diftances !0 fatisfy the thirdy beaii, 
 a^ veil as to ferve the purpofes of the rational inhabitant. 
 And beneath the furface there are, every where, coiitin- 
 
iial currents of wa^er, fpreading, like the veins in a hn» 
 man body, in various ramifications, from which, with 
 little labor, daily fupplies may be drawn. 
 
 The great bodies of water, with which the land is in* 
 terfecled, furriih f.^od for man, faci'i ate the commerce 
 of nations, and lefrclh and fertilize the earth. 
 
 By the heit of :he fun, and other co-operating caufes^ 
 waters fromihefeas, rivers and ft)untains are raifed into 
 the cooler regions c f the atmofphcre, there condenfed in- 
 to c'ouds, wafted around by winds, and fiftei down in 
 kind and gentle fhowers. Ihus aie our fields watered 
 without our laDor or ficill. 
 
 The earth fupplies us with timber, (lone, cement, me- 
 tals, and all ne celTnrT materials, from which we may fa« 
 bri.ate implements for labor, coverts from cold and 
 ftorms, Bri 'ges for pafTing the ftreamSa and vcffels for 
 navigating ihe fcas. 
 
 Then tural world is governed by uniform and fleady 
 laws. Hence we may judge, within our fphcre, what 
 means are neceiTary to certain ends, ;*nd v»'hat fuccefs 
 may ordinari'y attend the woiks of our hands. 
 
 Now to what end was all this order and beauty of na- 
 ture — -his ferdii y and. furniture of the earth, if there 
 were none to contemplate and enjoy them ? Without 
 fuch an inhabitant as man to behold the works, and re- 
 ceive the bounties of God, this earth would be made in 
 vain ; it mighi as *ell have been a Tandy defert, or an 
 impenetrable rock. 
 
 But flill the earth, richly furniflied as it is, would 
 lofe more than ha'f of its beauty and utility, if man the 
 pofTefTor were not endued with a faculty of invention 
 and adion. *' This alfo cometh forth from the Lord of 
 hofts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in 
 working — for hit God doth inllrucl him to difcrction. 
 
and doth teach him." God has done much for man ; 
 but has left fome:hi?ig for man to do for himfelf. The 
 materials are furnillied to his hand ; he mull fit and ap- 
 ply them to actual uf?. 
 
 In the firfl: ages of the world, when its inhabitants 
 were few, its fpoiuaneous prodiidions in a great meafurq 
 fupplied human wants. Bjt as men increafcd in num. 
 bers, ttiey found it ncceffary to form focictr, inftitute 
 government and iiitrodace arts for ^ more eafy, and iefs 
 precarious fubfiftance, and for more effedual defenfc 
 and fecuriry. Hiilory carries us back to the time when 
 arts hrft began — when iron and brafs were firit wrought 
 inio otenfils by the hand of the artificer — when tents and 
 houfes were coniLrud:ed for human accommodation — 
 when mulijaj inftruments were invented to amufe the 
 mind, or to 2.{[i({ devotion. 1 he hiilorv which we have 
 of the beginning and progrefs of arts — the (l.^te in which 
 ^e no'jp iee them, and the improvements made in them 
 within (he time of our own recolledion, a-l tend to con- 
 firm the Mofalc account of the origin of the world. 
 
 The improvement in arts, tho* in general but flow, 
 ha? nearly kept pace with human exigencies. For fomc 
 time pad, their progress has been rem.arkable. Their 
 prefenr ftate of advancement would have been thought in- 
 credible a century ago. A century hence there may bs 
 fach additional difcoveries and improvemeiits as would 
 kcm incredible now. 
 
 Not only in Europe, but alfo in our own country, ef- 
 pecially fmceour late revolution, great progrefs has been 
 made in astronomical dif overies, by Vfhich navigation is 
 afli'ied ; — in medical fcience by which dileafes are pre- 
 vented or cured — in agriculture by which our lands have 
 much incie'ifed in their produce and value, in inilru- 
 mentb and m.achines to expedite and diminifh human la- 
 bor — in the mechanical conftrudtion of mills and other 
 vater-works to effect the fame and fuperior ends by a 
 
lighter impulfc of water — in the forn^ation and eredioft 
 of Bridges to break the DOwer of ices, and withfiand the 
 impetuofity of floods — in opening artificial carals by 
 which the fails and rapids of flreains are rurmounted or 
 avoided, and in " cutting out rivers among the rocks, 
 and binding the floods," fo that an inland navigation is 
 accompliflied. 
 
 Who among us, twentv years ago, expe^ed to fee 
 the two banks of Connecllcut river united at Springfield 
 by a Bridge, which ihould promife durability ? Yet fuch 
 a flrcdure we fee, this day, completed and opened for 
 paifage— a (Iru^^ure which difplays the wea'th and enter- 
 prize of the proprietors, and the (kill and fidelity of ths 
 artificers, and v/hich will yield great convenience and 
 advantage to the contiguous and neighboiing towns and 
 to the public at large. 
 
 " Except the Lord build the edifice, they labor in vain 
 that build it; and excepc the Lord keep it, the watch- 
 men wake in vain." In a work of this kind, there is 
 the fame reafcn to acknowledge the favoring and pre- 
 serving hand of God, as in all other enterprizes and un- 
 d jrtakings ; and more in proportion to its complexity, 
 difficulty and magnitude. The fe:dfons have kindly fmil- 
 .ed on the operations ; and the work was nearly comple- 
 ted Aiihcut any unhappy accident or evil occurreat. 
 
 We lament the cafualty, by which a number of the 
 workmen were endangered, fome were wounded, and 
 one lofi: hi; life,* a life important to his family and valua- 
 ble to fociety. And yet, confidcring the nature of the 
 work, the length of time fpent, anCl^^che number of peo- 
 ple employed in ir, we muit gratefully afcribe it to the 
 watchful care of providence, that no other carualty has 
 occurred. And when we confidcr the fuddennefs and 
 unforeseen caufe of that event,, by which fo great a num- 
 ber were imminentiy expofed, we fee great caufe of 
 thankful nefs, that it was not more difallrous. They who 
 
 '^ Captaia Amos Skow, of Ashford, Connecticut. 
 
cfcaped without injury, or with but temporary wounds, 
 ought often to look back to the time, when there was 
 but a flap between them and death. 
 
 This work, tho' the unhappy occafion of one death, 
 may probably be the means of preferving many lives. If 
 we were to calculate on the fame number of men, em- 
 ployed for the fame number of days, in con fir uc ting and 
 credin^r our ordinary buildings, we fhould cer'ainly ex- 
 pedl cafualties more numerous and difafl:?ous, than what 
 have happened in this great, unufual, and apparently 
 more dangerous undertaking. 
 
 The flrudlure, which we this day behold, naturally 
 fuggefis to us a mofl convincing evidence of the exi/ience 
 and government cf a Deity. 
 
 Let a flianger come and look on yonder bridge ; and 
 he will at once know that fome workmen have been 
 there. Let him walk over it, and find that it reaches 
 from ihore to (hore ; and he will know that it was built 
 with defign, and will not feel a moment's doubt, what 
 the dt^igii is. Let him then defcend and examine the 
 workmauOiip ; and he will be fure, that much (kill and 
 the nice[t art have been employed in it. And now let 
 this fame man cait his eyes around on the world, obferve 
 its numerous parts, the harmonious adaptation of one 
 part to another, and of all to the ufeand benefit of man ; 
 and he will have equal evidence, that there is a God, 
 who made, fulhins and rules this ftupendous fabric of 
 nature, which he beholds every day, and which fur- 
 rounds him wherever he goes. 
 
 Such a flrufture as vonder Bridg^e convinces us of the 
 iniportaiice cf civil fociety, and of ^Jirm and Jliady gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 It is only in a ftate of fociety and under the influence 
 of government, that grand woiks of public utility can 
 be effedeJ. There muft be the concurrence of many— 
 
ihere mufl: be union and fubordination — there muft be 
 tiansferable property — there mull be a knowledge of 
 aits — ihere mufl: be fomc power of coercion ; none of 
 ^hich can take placein a favage (late. An agreernert 
 purely voluntary among a number of individua's, with- 
 out any bond of union, but each one's mutab'e wi'!, 
 would no more have been competent to the compie ioii 
 of thi. Bridge at Springfield, ih.n it was enciertly to 
 the finilhiog of the tovver on the piains of Shinar. It 
 vras ne:eiT,Ty here, 'hat there fhou id be a corp^^raiioii 
 veded wi:h a. power of conipulfion over each of its mem- 
 bers, and with aright to receive gradual rerr.unera ion, 
 for the experife of ihe work, fr^ni thofe wh.. fhcuid en-" 
 joy the benefit of it. And fuch a corporation mull de- 
 rive its power and light, as well as exiflence, from fu- 
 perior authority. 
 
 The man of reafon will pity the weaknefs, or rather 
 defpifethe folly of th fe vifiuna.'y and '^hluifical philof- 
 ophers, who decry the iocial union, and the controling 
 power of government, and plead for the favarce, as pre- 
 ferable to the civi ized ftae of mankind, pretending that 
 human nature, left to its own incliiiaiions and eaergieSj 
 ^' tends to perfeclability." 
 
 If fociety were diffjlved and government abolifhed, 
 what v/ould be the confequenv-ze ? All the ufeful arts 
 would be laid afide, loii and forgotten ; no works of 
 public utility couid be a:.Cwmpiiihed, or would be at- 
 tempted ; no commercial intercourle could be maintain- 
 ed ; no property could be fecured, and little would be 
 acquired; none of the conveniences and refiaemeots of 
 life could be obtained ; none of the cordialities of friend- 
 ihipand ie!ation v/ould be f -'t ; more than nine tenths 
 of the human race mufi perifh to make room for the 
 few who would have ihe good furtunc, or rather the xnif- 
 f 01 tune, to furvive. 
 B 
 
10 
 
 Compare now the ravage and the civilized (ta'tej mA" 
 fay ;_ Is it better, when you are on a journey, to clinib 
 ragged mountains, aod defcend frightful precipi.e?, thaii 
 to travel in a plain and level road ? Is it better to pafs a 
 dangcirous Rre-.m by fwimming with your arms, or by 
 floating on a \o^^ than to walk fecurely on a commodi- 
 ous bridge ? Is it better to till your ground with your 
 naked hands, or with a ftarp (lone, than with the labor 
 ot the patient ox, and with inltruR^ents' fabricated by 
 the carpenter and the fmith ? Is it better to cover your 
 bodies with hairy ikins torn fiom the bones of wild! 
 fceadi, than with the fniooth and foft labors of the^oom ? 
 Is it better to llarvethro* a dreary winter in- a niiferable 
 hut, than to enjoy a fj 11 table in a warm and convenient 
 rranficn ? h it better to live in continual dread of the 
 rufhlefs and ven^erul aiTafli:?, than to dwell in fafety ul- 
 der the protedion of law and government ? 
 
 . When men pVad for the preference of the favage to 
 ihe fecial Hate, they either muil talk without th6ught ^ 
 o! mult wifh to abohih a fiee gpv<:rr.ment, that it may 
 Sefuiceeded by ano:her more abfo'ute, in the manage- 
 fnertt of which they expeft a pr^-eminent fhare. 
 
 :/rhe,work, which we this day, fee accompliilied, fug- 
 gefis fome ufeful thoughts, in relation to the nature of 
 civrifociety. 
 
 '' Tlie undertaker?, tiff His ^?.-ork have fleadiry kept their 
 great obj^rci in view, ha-ze p\:rrued it with unanimity 
 ?hd zeal, have employed artitic^rs iVilful in their profc> 
 fibri, and workmen faithful to their' engagements, and 
 they have fpa: ed no necelTir y CO'fl. Thus they have feen 
 the woik CO wipleted to thdr fiiti^faction, and touniverfal 
 approbation. 
 
 Here is an example for a larger fociety. Let every 
 member act with a regard to the common inter eft, and 
 
II 
 
 fludy the things which make for peace. la his fmgle ca- 
 pacity, lei hiai be quiet and do his own bufiaefij ; but 
 when he a^ls in hi^ focial reiation, kt the general iiite- 
 rell: predoaunate. Let him deteil: that falfe and mirera- 
 ble economy, wliich, under pietcxt of lavir^g, eiibances 
 expcnfe, arid ultimately ruins the concemphted objec>. 
 Let him never c.onfentto withhold from faithful fervants 
 their merited coiiipenfation. In rhe fe'ection of men to 
 manage tre public concerns, let him always prefer the 
 wile to rhe ignorant, the experienced to the rude, the 
 virtuous and faithful to the .^fiih aad unnrincipled, the 
 men of activity in bofmeis, to the TauiUe^'i^g fo^^s of idle- 
 nefs andpleafure; and in fuch men lee hira place }^^ 
 confidence, and to their meafures yield cheerful fupport. 
 Thus he may hope to fee the works of foc^ety conducted 
 as prudently, and terminated as fuccefsfully, as the work 
 which we this day aJmiie. 
 
 In the work iife'f we fee an e?nb!cmof a gond fociety. 
 The parts fitly framed and clofely com.paCted together, 
 afford mutual fupport, and contribute, each in its place, 
 to the common flrength ; andthe\^hoie ft u6lure refls 
 firm and ileady on a foiid foundation. In fociety there 
 muft bea power of cohefion, refulting from benevolence 
 and mu'ual confidence ; and there muft be a ground 
 work fuificient to fupport ir, and this muft be religion. 
 
 It is obvious, that no fociety can fubfiTl: long in a ft ate 
 offreedoj-n, without juftice, peaceablenefs, fobriety, iii- 
 dufbry and order iimcng the members 5 or without fiiel- 
 ity, impartiality and public Ipirit in the rulers. It is €- 
 qiially obvious, that the bans of thefe virtues can be no- 
 thing lefs than religion. Take away the belief of a divine 
 moral government, and the appr^henficn of a future iiate 
 of retribution ; ind what principle of focial or private 
 virtue will you find ? 
 
 It is too much the humor cf the prefent day to coafi- 
 
 (\M 
 
der religion as having no connection with civil govern- 
 ment. This fentiment, firft advanced by infidels, has 
 
 been too implicitly adopted by fome of better hearts 
 
 But it is a fentiment contrary to common experience, and 
 common fenfe, aid pregnant of fatal evils. As well 
 may you build a Cad I e in the air, without a foundation 
 on the earth, as maintain a free governnicnt without 
 virtue, or fupport virtue without the principles of reli- 
 gion. Will you make the experiment ? Go, firft, and 
 tear away the pillars from yonder Bridge. See if the 
 well-turned arches will fuftain themfelves aloft by their 
 own proportion and fymmetry. This you may as well 
 expert, as that our happy ftate of fociety, and oar free 
 conftitution of govtrnment will fland fecure, when reli- 
 gion is flruck a^ay from under them. 
 
 If a breach fliould happen in thofe pillars, immediate 
 reparation will doubtlefs be made. Let the fan^.c^ atten- 
 tion be paid to the fta'e of religion and morals. Let 
 every fpccies oi vice and every licentious fentiment be 
 difcountenanced — be treated with abhorrence — Let vir- 
 tue and piety be encouraged and cherifhed — Let the 
 means of religion be honored and fupported. Thus on- 
 ly can o'lr focial happinefs be maintained ; thus only 
 can we hope, it will defcenl to our pofterity, 
 
 Theprogrefs of arts naturally reminds us of the im- 
 port a?ice of revelation, 
 
 Theacqulfition of thf^e is left to human experience 
 and invention. Hence they are more perfed in the pre- 
 len', than they were in preceding a^es. But to in^trucl: 
 us in moral duties and in our i clarions to the invifible 
 world, God has given us a Revelation, and this he has 
 communicated to us by men infpired with his own fpirit, 
 and by his fon fent down from Heaven. Some arts, 
 known in one age, have been loll in ficceedingares. If 
 we attentively re«d the book of Job, we ftiall find, that 
 
in his day, the arts, among the Arabians, had rifento a 
 degree of perfedion, of ^hich fome following ages could 
 not boaft. Bwt the revelaion, which God has given us, 
 he has taken effcdlual caieto preftrve, fo far that no 
 part of it is lo(t to the worAl. *- 
 
 Now fay, Why ha? God giveffS revelation to inflrud 
 us in the truths and duties irf>'-itigion, and none to in- 
 flrud us in hufbandry, artrononiy, mathematics and mc^ 
 chanics ? May we not hence conclude, that religion is 
 a matter which demands our principal attention ? 
 
 If a number of men fliould combine to exterminate 
 the arts, who would not deem them enemies to mankind? 
 Who would not ri'e to oppofe fo nefarious a defign ?— - 
 But thefe would be harmlefs men compared with the 
 malignant ene.nies of reve'arion. Yet the latter may 
 talk and write ; and hundreds may atend to, and fmile 
 at their talk, and may read and circu'ate their writings ; 
 and few feem concerned for the corlequences. Yea, 
 feme vill fc: ffingly fay, " If religion is from God, let 
 tim take care to preferve h ;" as if they thought, none 
 uere bound to practife it, and nonc-but God had any 
 intereft in it. 
 
 While we contemplate theprogrefs of arts, we are led 
 to believe z future Jiaie of exiiteuce. 
 
 If this world was made for man, certainly man ^as 
 not made merely for this vvorld, but for a more exalted 
 fphere. We have caparities which nothing earihly can 
 fiil — cefires whi:h nothing temporary can iati>fy. This 
 rational mind can contemplate the earth and the heavens 
 ^-':an lock back to its eariieil exiilence and forward to 
 (iiitant ages — can invent new artr — can improve on the 
 inventions of others, and on its own experience — can de- 
 vife and accomplifh works, which would have been in- 
 credible to preceding ages — can makeprogrefs in fwieoce 
 
for beyond what the prefent fhort term of exigence will 
 ftUow. Its wifhes, hopes and^profptcts are boundlefs and 
 eternal. There is certainly tanother date, in which it 
 may expand to its full dinienfions, rife lo ics juft perfec- 
 tion, and reach the fammit o-; ics hopes and piofpecls...... 
 
 O, my foul, what is, wealth or honor, a mafs of earth or 
 SL gilded title tofuch a being ^as thou 3r% who canft con- 
 template the glorious ij^-^v^r, parti^ke of his divine na- 
 ture and rejoice forever in his favor ? The inhabitants of 
 the earth, hke travellers on the bridge, appear, pafs a- 
 way, and are gone from our fight. They enter on the 
 ftage, make a few turns, fpeak a few words, ftep off, and 
 are heard and feen no more I Their places are filled by 
 others, as tranfient as they. How vafl: is the number 
 of mortals, who in one age only, make their appearance 
 and difaopearance on this globe ? Can we imagine, that 
 thefe millions of moral and rational being:-^, who, from 
 age to age, tread the earth, and then are called away, 
 drop into eternal oblivion ? As well may we fuppofe, 
 that the fuccellive travellers on that Bridge terminate 
 their exiftcnce there. This furely is a probationary 
 flate. Here we are to prepare for a glorious immortali- 
 ty. For Juch a defign the world is well adapted. Here 
 God makes known his cliar'ader and will, difpenfes a 
 thoufand bleffings, mingles forae nereffary afliidioL!? 
 with them, calls us to various fervices, puts our love 
 and obedience to fome trials, gives opportunity for the 
 exercife of humility, gratitude, bene/olence, ir.eeknefs 
 znd contentment, and proves us for a time, that in the 
 end he may do us good. 
 
 This world has every appearance of a probationary 
 flate — that it really is fuch, reve'ation fully aifares us. 
 Happy is our privilege in the enjoyment of a revelation, 
 which inflruds us, what beings we are, for what end w.e 
 were created, what is our duty here, and what is the 
 ftate before us. 
 
God manife-ds himfelf to us in the frame of our bcf^ 
 dies, in the faculties of our minds, in the wonders of 
 his creation, in the wifdom of his providence, m th« 
 fapply of our wants, and the fuccefs of our labors ; but 
 lEore fully in the comrnunicaticns of his word. Into 
 cnr world he has fent his o^.vn Son, who^ having afTum- 
 edo^ur nature, dwelt aman^ mortals, taught them, bf 
 his doctrines and example, how they ought to walk aid 
 to pleafe God, opened to them the plan of divine mer- 
 cy, purchafed for them a glorious immortality^ and 
 prepared a new and living way into manfions of eteriial 
 biifV. 
 
 Let us ,f^ratefully acknou ledge and affiduorily improve 
 our moral and religious advantages ; regard rnis life, zt 
 k-is^^ a fhort term of trial for endlefs felicity and fulne's 
 of joy ; and while we remain pilgrims here on ear.h, 
 walk as expeclants of the heavenly world. 
 
 Let us be fellow helpers to the kingdom of God. 
 That is a kingdom of perfect benevolence. To prepare 
 for that date, we mufl begin the exerciie of benevo'ence 
 in this. God is the great pattern of gcodnefs. Our 
 glory is to be like hirn. We then fhew ourfeives to be 
 like him, to be hi:^ children and heirs of an inheritance 
 in hh kingdom, when we love our enemies, relieve 
 the miferab'e, encourage virtue and righteoufnefs, and 
 promote the common happinefs within the humble fphere 
 of our adivity and influence. 
 
 How aflive and enterprizing are many in ^he prefent 
 day, to facilitate an intercourfe between different parts 
 ©fthe country by preparing fmooth roads in rough pla- 
 ces, by (Iretch-ng bridges over dangerous ftream.s, and 
 by opening canals around rapid falls, arid thro' inland 
 towr:s ? — Their motives, we trull, are hoaorable ; but 
 whatever be their motives, they are advancing the inte- 
 reil and profperity of their country. May all thefe works 
 
be a prelude to works more pious and more cxtenfivcty 
 berxcficent. May ihe time foon come, when an equal 
 zeal fijall appear to remove all imcediments, which lie 
 in "the way of a general fpread of the go'pel and a gene- 
 ral converfion of mankind to the chriiHan faith. May 
 the public fpirit, which operates fo fuccefstully in the 
 former caufe, rife and expand until it ardently embraces 
 the latter. May we foon hear a voice, crying in the wil- 
 dernefs, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make flrait 
 in the defen a high way for our God. Caik ye up, caft 
 ye up, prepare the way, take up the (lumbling blocks 
 out of the way c f his people." And may we fee thou- 
 fands and thoufmcls proajptly obeying the call. " i hea 
 ihall every valley be fiTied, and every mountaiii and hill 
 fhall be brought low ; the crooke.i fhall be maJe flrait, 
 and the rough ways {liaU be rr^aiefmooth. And all fleih 
 fliall fee the falvation of God," 
 
 
 x>,