The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-22 00:00:00

TILE NATIONAL EUMILLITION.

Yesterday being set aside for prayer and humiliation
to the Divine Majesty, and imploring hisi blessing and
assistance on our arms for the restoration of peace to
her Majesty and her dominions, it was observed in Lon-
don with much reepect. All the Government establish-
ments, Royal Exchange, Lloyd's, docks, banks, &c.,
wero closed, and the entire business of the metropolis,
with very few exceptions, was suspended. All the lead-
iug railways out of London limited their trains to those
running on Sundays.

At half-past eleven the Lord Chancellor, attired in
his robes, preceded by the offic,rs of the House of L,,rds,
the mace, and seal, went from the House of Lords to
Westmin tar Abbey. His lordship was accompanied by
a number of peers. Amongst them were the Earl
Granville, Earl Grey, Lord R3desiale, Earl Waldo-
grave, Marquis of Angi ey, and several of the bishops
in full canonica's. The Bishop of Salisbury preached
the sermon, taking his text from the 18th chapter of St.
Luke, 13th versa—" God he inere:ful to me a sinner."
At twelve o'clock 0 e members of the House of Com-
mons proceeded on Foot to St. Margaret's Chtirch. The
Srea'iu, who was robed, was attended by a large circle
of mentor=. Amongst them we observed Lord Pal-
merst m, Sir George Grey, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Vernon
Smith, Sir B. Hall, Sir J. NV: Hogg, Lord A. Paget,
Mr. T. Hankey, Lord Ebrington, 4:cc-% A most eloquent
discourse was delivered by the Rev. Mr. Melvill. Both
the Abbey and church were inconveniently crowded, and
a large coneourseassembled in Parliament-street to view
the procession from the two houses.
In the afternoon the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and Cor-
poration attended divine service at St. Paul's Catt e-
drat, the sermon being preayhed by the Bishop of London.
Collections were made at most of the churches, which
were all thronged.
The following reports give a fair idea of the various
sermons which were preached upon this solemn oc-
casion :

WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
Long before the hour appointed for the commencement
of divine service every pact of the Abbey was densely
crowded. Amongst the members of the Upper House pre-
sent were the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville Earl Grey;
Earl Waldegrave, Lord Redesdale, Lord Berners, the
Bishop of St. Asaph, the Bishop of St. David's, &c.
The sermon was preached by the Lord Bishop of Sails-
bury, from Luke xviii., part of verse 13, " God be merci-
eftfi
the
right
o meg hat
v.
srienne
prelate'sr."T he
discoursesubjoined h principal portion
The judgment that the war is a just and necessary one
is very unanimous, and, on the whole, correct ; and I put
this remark on the very front of this discourse, because a
different judgment would introduce into the subject of
humiliation on this day other elements than those which
now belong to it. One effect of such a judgment should be
to increase, quicken, and confirm our endeavours to obtain
success, and secure the restoration of peace. Whatever
s; and prudence and forethought, and manly
y can should be done; but perhaps my office to-
esdknaiyelrlgiasnndotgeu
so de
nimuch to deal with these secondary causes as
to bring you to that point in the chain of causation when
we come into the presence of the ordaining will of God,
and to remind you that the most powerful instruments we
can use when in that presence are prayer and fasting. and
resolutions of amendment of life and almsgiving. Now,
there are various metaphysical difficulties about prayer ;
but the premises about it in Scripture, the examples of
successlul prayer, and the doctrine of our Lord's inter-
cession; and the privilege enjoyed by God's children of
interceding for others, leave no doubt that prayer is
a means of obtaining blessings of pardon and grace,
and all other gifts of God ; and the Church has over mani-
fested in its life its firm conviction that this is so. But,
, and in the prac-
sseuye will tell you what has
of reaching forth their
boon
tbiceseicel efsHtlei
Church,ei.s- testimony
ye
uofmGeoyd
catehischise
ordGe
people on this
subject, whatever' be their condition—be they martyrs, or
rich men and yet poor in spirit, or the most destitute in
oeralile heytsaeni
r eadbeyewtahye happy issue
they
hands in prayer towards the mercy-seat of their God. But
of
fs
ei
publicanmea s of
o gracethe
ay be used well or ill—in the spirit
spirit of the Pharisee—we must
take care how we engage in it ; that we present ourselves
to God. in the same garb and character in which we have
commonly appeared before His all-seeing eye. We should
confess the plague-spots which mark our present condition
as a nation, and which are, far example, such as these ;
the great want of provision of the ordinances of our holy
religion for our.increasiug population, and the scanty mail -
tenance given in new endowments for these whce minister
Gun's word and sacraments ; the neglect of education, and
of reforming criminals, and of reclaiming Mapiniones ; the
imperfect condition of our hospitals, as places where not
only bodily but seiiitual diseases may be healed ; the wide-
spread indulgence' in the lusts of the Hest; the unbridled
licence of the tongue for which we are remarkable ; our
boastful and contemptuous temper ; our love of money,
014 all its *admit evils; our past confidence in our