The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

208 SERMONSacertain maxim, that whatever European kingdom^hath the property and poflcfTion of North America,it muil alio, by its trade and the ftrength of its navy,have the empire of the fea, and bear the chief fvvayin Europe : AndI think it is not much lefs evident;,that vv-hen a fmall and a large country, fuppofed tobe but equally good, are under the dominion of thehme fovereign, the greater, when once it cdmes tobe fufficiently peopled, muft become the refidence of 'the court, and the feat of the civil adminiftration,Britain, though the fouth part of it at leaft is abundantlyfertile, is of fmall extent in comparifon of thelarge continent of North Am.erica -, nor doth Americayield to England iii the fertility of its foil. Sofine a country as North America will in time bepeopled : By the numl^er of induftrious hands, itspower and riches will increafe ; it will grafp at independency,it is del ng fo already; and to manageand dirc£l' the independent fpirit, it may be foundproper or nccefTary that the feat of government becitablifhed there. Now, many opprefl'ed people havealready gone, and many of you are thinking to gotliere to be ilieltered from domeflic opprcihon. Now,many people go there to refide for a time, with theview of making a fortune and returning to this country; but when America fliali become the feat of government,the v/ealthy pccple will go there in fv/arms,as our nobility and gentry do now to England, andnone will wiih to rct«n-n. Now, it is reckoned anadvantage for a man to be born in Britain rather thanin America ; but the cafe will then be reverfed, andevery man will value himfelf for being a native ofAmerica, and defcendetl from anceitors who hadlong ago fstded there. '^But the particular event ofwhich I fpeak may pofiibly not take place for a confidcrablecourfe of years, and therefore I lay little orno ftrefs upon it. It remains, however, true, thatGod hath provided for you " a good land and' a