Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/283

with him as its Provost, together with his by-play of local politics, we can form some realization of his great energy and keen intelligence, shunning no work, accepting in the warmth of youth all those duties which an active and willing man always draws to himself, and performing them with singular zeal and tenacity. In the height of the Roberdeau controversy, occurred the public fast, appointed by the Government of Pennsylvania, for 2 May 1756; and Mr. Smith preached at Bristol, 7 Pennsylvania, one of his published Discourses, taking as his text certain vecses from Jeremiah viii. In his introduction he " acquaints the reader that the discourse was delivered when the Province was groaning under all that load of misery, which was the consequence of Braddock's Defeat and the inroads of the French and Savages on our distressed and helpless Frontiers, and any apology for the matter or manner of it would be needless." In it he eloquently describes the visitations of Providence, which brought from the Authorities the call for a Fast. Within the short period of one year, how many marks of God' s dealing with us have we seen? Not to mention excessive droughts, earthquakes and other omens of his wrath, the troops sent to our protection have been most miserably defeated, and such scenes of barbarity, sorrow and desolation have ensued, as human nature shudders to recount, and history can scarce parallel. * * * Yet what have we profited by all this? * * * Has it brought our civil discords to an end? or has it eradicated those absurd principles of government that have brought our country to the brink of ruin? * * * Have we not many who have made it their business to restrain the ardor of God's people in their righteous cause; to tie up the hands of the king's best subjects in the hour of extremest danger, and cry, Peace, peace, when there is no peace? These political references were not misunderstood at the time. During the year prior to this, William Smith had written a pamphlet entitled A Brief State of the Province of Pennsylvania * * * in a letter from a gentleman who has resided many years in Pennsylvania to his friend in London in which the 7 Discourses, London 1759, p. 62. This is the only edition naming the place of preaching. This was afterwards preached " with small variation " at Germantown on the Public Fast in July 1757. ibid, p. 6l.