at random for every excess of fanatical pride and cruelty: now, its authority goes for nothing, however clear and striking the analogies may be, which appear to warrant us in referring to it.  The two extremes, as usual, meet; and in this very remarkable point: that they both avail themselves of the supernatural parts of the Jewish revelation to turn away attention from that, which they, of course, most dread and dislike in it: its authoritative confirmation of the plain dictates of conscience in matters of civil wisdom and duty.

That portion, in particular, of the history of the chosen people, which drew from Samuel, the truest of patriots, the wise and noble sentiment in the text, must ever be an unpleasing and perplexing page of scripture, to those, who would fain persuade themselves, that a nation, even a Christian nation, may do well enough, as such, without God, and without His Church.  For what if the Jews were bound to the Almighty by ties common to no other people?  What if He had condescended to know them in a way in which He was as yet unrevealed to all families of the earth besides?  What if, as their relation to Him was nearer, and their ingratitude more surpassing, so they might expect more exemplary punishment?  Still, after all has been said, to exaggerate their guilt, in degree, beyond what is supposed possible in any nation whatever now, what can it come to, in kind and in substance, but only this;—that they rejected God? that they wished themselves rid of the moral restraint implied in His peculiar presence and covenant?  They said, what the prophet Ezekiel, long after, represents their worthy posterity as saying, “We will be as the heathen, the families of the countries.” [10]  “Once for all, we will get rid of these disagreeable, unfashionable scruples, which throw us behind, as we think, in the race of worldly honour and profit.”  Is this indeed a tone of thought, which Christian nations cannot fall into?  Or, if they should, has it ceased to be displeasing to God?  In other words, has He forgotten to be angry with impiety and practical atheism?  Either this must be affirmed, or men must own, (what is clear at once to plain unsophisticated readers,) that this first overt act, which began the downfall of the Jewish nation, stands on record, with its fatal consequences, for a perpetual warning to all nations, as well as to all individual Christians, who having accepted God for their king, allow themselves to be weary of subjection to Him, and think they should be happier if they were freer, and more like the rest of the world.

I do not enter into the question, whether visible temporal judgments are to be looked for by Christian nations, transgressing as those Jews did.  Surely common sense and piety unite, in representing this inquiry as, practically, one of no great importance.  When it is once known for certain that such and such conduct is displeasing to the King of kings, surely common sense and piety concur in setting their mark of reprobation on such conduct, whether the punishment, sure to overtake it, come to-morrow, or a year hence, or wait till we are in another world.

Waving this question, therefore, I proceed to others, which appear to me, I own, at the present moment especially, of the very gravest practical import.

What are the symptoms, by which one may judge most fairly, whether or no a nation, as such, is becoming alienated from God and