by Rev. William Romaine
In the beginning of the last war providence seemed to take part with our enemies. We wanted unanimity in our public councils, and success in our public measures. One miscarriage followed another, Our national courage ceased to exert itself, and a general dejection of spirits ensued. At this time several clergymen of the established Church agreed to meet at the Throne of Grace on the Lord’s-day. The subject of their joint prayers was to ask the blessing of God upon our public councils, our fleets, and our armies. They were soon joined by a great number of the laity in most parts of the kingdom. In the spirit of prayer and supplication they humbled themselves before the Lord: they sought success at His hands, and He was gracious to their requests; He sent victory after victory, until our enemies were willing to be at peace, and then they gave Him unfeigned thanks, and ascribed all the glory to His goodness and power.
The principles upon which they then acted were these. They believed in the Being of God, the Lord and Maker of all worlds. They acknowledged His providence over His works; for “He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth.” His kingdom, ruleth over all, every person and every thing, and “none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?”
They believe also, that in the course of His providence, He acts by an infinitely wise rule, which He has made known to us in the holy Scriptures. He is the Almighty Creator, and sovereign Lord of mankind, and He has given them a law, which is holy, just, and good. Every title of it is not only for His glory, but also for their profit. He has secured obedience to it by promises and threatenings, neither of which can fail. His Word cannot be broken, either to the obedient or disobedient. According to His revealed will His love infallibly follows the one, and His justice the other.
This is true of societies, as well as of private persons. Sin is like the transgression of the law, and deserves in many or in few the threatened punishment; but according to the number, it becomes more poisonous, because it spreads its infection by example. When the multitude agree to do evil, the restraint of shame is taken off. If times should favour them through much luxury, and great licentiousness, they harden one another in sin. Then general dissipation and false pleasure take possession of the heart. These hinder the mind from being cultivated with any profitable knowledge. The sound principles of religion become neglected, and as these grow out of fashion, immoral practices must prevail. The authority of God is cast off. His Word, His Sabbaths, His ordinances, are first disused, and then by degrees despised. Thus infidelity gets deeper root, and immorality, which is its natural fruit, becomes luxuriant. The restraint of the Divine law being taken away, human laws lose their force upon the conscience; for when the fear of God is gone, there is no motive left sufficient to influence the heart or conduct; men will then venture to sin without any sense of danger, even of death itself. And when national sin is come to this height, God has declared in His Word, and by the constant course of His providence has made it manifest, that He will interpose to maintain the honour of His law and government. When men have thus deeply corrupted themselves, He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins: “Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord, shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?”
When God arises to vindicate His authority, He is never at a loss for means. All creatures are ready to execute His judgments, which are the more fearful, because in His hands, irresistible. Among them war is one of the most severe and desolating; it is one of the sore visitations of God (as Ezek. xiv. 21), which does not come by chance, but by His command. And He sends it (Amos ix. 4) to plead His controversy. It is the just appointment of His providence to vindicate his broken law and His despised government. It is His wise interposition, either to correct for those things, or to destroy. When it is the loving rod of correction, it humbles; it brings the sinner upon his knees; he repents, he turns from the error of his ways, and is reformed by the visitation. When it comes to punish, He gives warning before the blow, but the people sin on, they fear not the sword, nor Him who sent it; then it vindicates the righteous quarrel of the Lord upon impenitent sinners. It strikes at every thing truly valuable — liberty, property, yea life itself. This scourge is now sent, and felt; sent by the Divine providence, and felt, yea sorely complained of, but not as it should be; not with submission to the justice of the visitation, but with murmuring; not with turning from sin, but with returning to it with more hardness and greater greediness.
This was our situation when we entered upon the war in 1756. Considering ourselves as Christian ministers, we saw our duty and what part it became us to act, as good citizens. We had read the promises of God made to those, who at such times seek His help, and implore His blessing. We had seen those promises fulfilled. We in earnest pursued the means of His own appointing, and we met with the desired end. He humbled us at His footstool; we asked pardon for our national departure from the Living God; we implored His mercy through Christ; and He heard prayer, He answered prayer, and we glorified Him.
The use of the same means is now again recommended; the same occasion calls for it, and we have the same encouragement. The promises, and the examples in Scripture, warrant us to expect the same success. May the Spirit of grace and supplication be poured out abundantly upon ministers, and people, that multitudes may use the means, until God send us a blessed issue: yea, may He turn to us in mercy, and turn us as a people unto Himself, with repentance and faith. The cloud may be dark which hangs over our heads; it may threaten a destroying storm; it may spread blacker, and look more dreadful; yet prayer can pierce through the cloud; the prayer of faith can gain admittance into His presence, who “has His way in the whirlwind, and who presides over the storm.” The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous was heard, the cloud was dispersed, and the face of the heavens again serene and peaceful. O for another army of such supplicants! What cannot they do! calling for, and trusting to, the help of the Almighty? This is our spiritual armour, and more useful than the arm of the flesh and we would that thousands be stirred to humble themselves under the mighty Hand of God, and to seek His help in this time of need. If we do it in earnest we need not despair. The same means will bring about the same end. May we use the means, and pray on, till God shall hear and answer.