WHEN Solomon says that the Light of the Eyes rejoyceth the heart, Pro. 15.30. it can only be understood, where the Ob­ject is delightful: For such a Pro­spect as Jeremiah had, when he saw the Desolation of Jerusalem, the Young and the Old lie on the ground in the streets, the Virgins and young Men fallen by the Sword; when he saw the Children faint for hunger in the top of every street, all that had been swadled and brought up, consumed by the Enemy; when the Lord slew them in the Day of his Anger, when he killed and pitied not, none escaped nor remained; as we find it Pathetically described, Lam. 2.Lam. 2.19,21,22. Surely such a Prospect as this could not but have so affected [Page 2]his heart, as even to make him cry out in the Lan­guage of the same Prophet, wherefore came I forth out of the Womb to see labour and sorrow? Jer. 20.18.

All which, if it were so afflicting to the Eye in the event, must needs be abundantly more so to see it likewise in its Cause, viz. The heigth of wicked­ness they were arrived at, that provoked God to this; the shameless and abominable Sins they were guilty of, as you see in the 9th and 10th Verses of this Chapter, that could Steal, Murder, commit A­dultery, Swear falsely and the like, and yet come and stand before him in his House, whereupon his Name is called, and say, we are delivered to do all these Abo­minations. Such a careless and stupid security, that could from God's forbearance presume upon peace and safety, notwithstanding all the terrible examples of Vengeance that befell their Fore-fathers; which they are put in mind of in the next Verse but one, to rowse them, if it be possible, out of their deadly Lethargy, this dangerous Insensibility. Go ye now, says he, unto my Place, that was in Shiloh, and behold what I did to that for the wickedness of my People, ver. 12. And can these hope to escape their punish­ment, who are as deeply guilty of all their Sins? So many, that it were an endless thing to go about to enumerate or particularize them; so great that they are beyond all expression; so evident and ap­parent, that it were but lost labour to offer at any Proof of them: And therefore has God thought it enough in all reason to call upon the Prophets, or in­deed any ones Eyes to be Witnesses thereof. Seest not thou what they do in the Cities of Judah, and in the Streets of Jerusalem? An aggravation far above [Page 3]any Description that could have been given of their doings.

For the handling of which words so as may be most suitable to my Design in chusing them, I need but remove the Scene from Jerusalem and the Cities of Judah to this Nation whereunto we belong, and ima­gine the Lord calling to us, as he did to his Prophet, to take a view of all the Wickedness and Profaneness the Debauchery and Immorality, the Atheism and Irreligion, that abound among us.

And this Call have I for my own part the more readily hearken'd to at present, since it has pleas'd Almighty God to put it into the heart of our pious Sovereign to consider, that the Reformation of our manners is the best return we can make for the hap­py and honourable Peace we are lately blest with: And that the vindicating of God's Honour from the many blasphemous Aspersions, wherewith the A­theism of this Age has endeavour'd to sully it, is the most seasonable Testimony of Gratitude for so signal a Mercy. Whose active Zeal in setting upon so no­ble an Undertaking has likewise stirred up an holy Emulation in his Parliament to joyn their helping hand, by contriving means to stem this Tide, and put a stop to that Inundation of Profaneness that has been a long time pouring in upon us. Which may, I hope, engage your Ears to entertain a Discourse of this Nature with the more Attentiveness: All especi­ally among you, that have any regard for Religion, or indeed for the Publick safety, that mightily depends upon the Success of their endeavours to hinder the spreading of this Contagion, which will otherwise most certainly bring down some heavy Judgment on [Page 4]our Heads. That no Assistance therefore may be wanting to the furtherance of so glorious a Work, 'tis likewise highly deserving the Care, of not only You, who by your Stations have any Authority, but of You, also, who by the winning obligingness of your Car­riage and Conversation have any. Influence, over o­thers: That so those, who sit in the Seat of the Scorn­ful, and call all Religion only, Priest-craft, a Trade whereby We get our Living: That regard the Holy Scriptures but as a well lard Romance, and the great Articles of Christianity as nothing else but so many Fables: That look upon our Preaching to be mere Cant, our Doctrine of Heaven and Hell, of a Resur­rection and a Judgment to come to be only a Trick to debar them the pleasure of Indulging their natural Appetites, and a bare Design to put a check upon their sensual desires and inclinations, which are very im­patient of any controul: That even those, I say, that entertain such invincible Prejudices against Our Admonitions and Reproofs, may yet be wrought on by You, whom they are not so ready to suspect of any By designs upon them, to enter into parly with themselves, and consider and see what it is they are doing. And that you may be the better animated to curb the growth of these pernicious Impieties, that tend to the utter Ruin and Subversion of all Religi­on among us, thereby to prevent, what you can, the dreadful consequence hereof, even the Destructi­on and Over-throw of your Native Countrey (a Judgment God never fails to bring on a Land, when all his milder Methods are not able to reform it) I beseech you now, that you would enter with me into a serious Meditation on the words of my Text in these three following Particulars.

[Page 5] First, I desire that you would take a view with me of the wickedness the Prophet is here called upon to observe in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem, and compare with that the a­bominable Principles and Practices, that at this day reign among us.

Secondly, That you would from the dreadful Ef­fects of this their Wickedness consider, what we may justly expect should befall us, if we persist with our no less heinous Provocations to incense the Majesty of Heaven against us.

And Thirdly, How much it therefore concerns us both by our own Repentance and our best endea­vours to reclaim others, to prevent those Judgments, which will otherwise moost certainly overtake us.

To the First of These the very words of the Text directly lead us. The Second and Third do natural­ly arise from a due Consideration, whither those Do­ings, we are call'd upon to take notice of, most ap­parently tend.

And, First, Let us take a view of the Wickedness the Prophet is here call'd upon to observe in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem, and com­pare with the same the abominable Principles and Practices, that at this day abound among us.

Their crying Sin, and that for which They had been often threatned with an utter Excision, was Idolatry. A Sin they were so strangely bewitch'd with, that notwithstanding God's continual Warnings against it, notwithstanding their miraculous Victo­ries over the Nations God deliver'd into their hands on the account of this very Sin, they could not, up­on being left never so little to themselves, forbear, [Page 6]ever since their amazing Deliverance out of the Land of Egypt. For which tho' God often plagu'd them, and Sold them into the hands of their Enemies, Judg. 2.14. till they were duly humbled under a sense of it, yet were they seldom long settled in a State of prosperity, but they had forgot him who had done so great things for them; Ps. 106.21. they could not grow fat, Deut. 32.15. but they must kick, become wanton and and go a Whoring after o­ther Gods. Judg. 2.17. All which God had as yet look'd upon but as so many startings aside, and so by some short Affliction, some sudden Judgment giving them a check, he soon reduced them into the right Path.Ps. 78.58. Old Trans. But now they are quite gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable, there is none that doth good, no, not one. Ps. 14.4. Old Trans. You may see their present Con­dition described by two Prophets Jeremiah and E­zekiel, sent on purpose to warn them what they must expect upon their continuance in such daring and provoking Impieties.

For what the First of these discovers upon a fur­vey of them, we need go no farther than this Chap­ter of my Text. Idolatry. They burn Incense to Baal,v. 9. make Cakes to the Queen of Heaven, pour out Drink-Offe­rings unto their Gods, v. 18. build the High Places of To­phet to burn their Sons and their Daughters in the Fire; v. 31. Profane­ness. set their abominations in the House, whereupon God's Name is called, to pollute it. v. 30. All this is a suf­ficient manifestation of their Idolatry and Profane­ness. Immora­lity.And to shew you, how excessively corrupted they were in their Morals as well as their Worship, you may read in this same Chapter likewise, that Truth is perished and cut off from their Mouth; v. 28. they Steal, Murder, commit Adultery, Swear falsely, v. 9. as [Page 7]you heard before. Incorrigi­bleness.Nay, that which rendred their Condition the most desperate, was, that they rejected all the means God made use of to amend them. When he encourag'd them to walk in all the ways which he commanded, that it might be well with them; v. 23. they would not harken nor incline their Ear, but walked in the Counsels and in the Imaginations of their evil hearts. v. 24. When he sent unto them his Servants, the Prophets, daily rising up early and sending them; v. 25. Yet hearkned they not unto him, nor inclined their Ear, but hardned their neck and did worse than their Fathers. v. 26.

Come we now to the Prophet Ezekiel, and we shall find God bespeaking him much after the same manner, as he does the Prophet Jeremy in my Text. Seest thou what they do, even the great abominations that the House of Israel committed here? ch. 8. v. 6. Their Idolatry in the first place. Idolatay. None cast away the abominations of their Eyes, neither did they forsake the Idols of Egypt, ch. 20.8. They made their Sons to pass through the Fire, v. 31. and said we will be as the Heathen to serve Wood and Stone. v. 32. Their Profane­ness next. Profane­ness. Thou hast despised mine Holy Things, ch. 22.8. Her Priests have violated my Law, and have profaned my Holy Things, they have put no dif­ference between the Holy and Profane, v. 26. By which and what we find in other places of the same Prophet we may likewise discern the corruption of their manners. Immora­lity. They have changed my Judgments into Wickedness more than the Nations, they have re­fused my Judgments and my Statutes, they have not walked in them, ch. 5.6. Again, ch. 22.7. They have dealt by Oppression with the Stranger, have vexed [Page 8]the Fatherless and Widow; have greedily gain'd of their Neighbours by extortion, v. 12. and v. before, One hath committed Abomination with his Neighbour's Wife; another hath lewdly defiled his Daughter-in-Law, another has humbled his Sister, his Father's Daughter. And to shew you, in a word, out of this Prophet also, how little hope there was of their be­ing reclaimed, we find the Lord telling him, ch. 3.7. Incorrigi­bleness. The House of Israel will not hearken unto Thee, for they will not harken unto Me; For all the House Israel are impudent and hard hearted. Thus have we out of the Mouth of these two Witnesses the truth of all that is urged against them sufficiently established, and their guilt notoriously apparent.

Add now, that we may see how God, when once a People have filled up the measure of their Iniquities, and are ripe for Destruction, gives them over to a Spirit of Infatuation, suffering them to take such Counsels and pursue such Methods as must necessarily bring inevitable Ruin upon them: Let us look upon the fatal and immediate Cause of their Desolation and Captivity; and we shall find this to be Zedekiah's rebelling against the King of Babylon contrary to his Oath. Perjury.Tho' he had sworn Allegiance to Nebuchad­nezzer, and particularly, that he would upon no ac­count side with the Egyptians, yet in a little time trusting in their Ability to support him, he enters into League with them; which brought the King of Babylon with a great Army against Jerusalem. And, being still flatter'd by those about him, that his Allies the Egyptians would not only raise the Seige, but al­so give them such a Defeat, that they should not be able to come down any more against him; he was [Page 9]prevailed with to depend on these hopes, and to trust in the shadow of Egpyt, which Isaiah had formerly prophe­cied, should be their Confusion; being but a broken Reed, whereon if a Man lean, it will go into his hand, and peirce it; Ch. 30.3. 36.6. rather than he would hearken to Jeremiah or Ezekiel, who had now foretold, that it would prove no better.

To bring him to this insensibility of his danger, per­haps he might be wrought upon by the same Evil Coun­sellors to believe, their Prophecies were inconsistent one with another, and therefore, since both could not be true, there was little regard to be had to either: The one ha­ving Prophecied, that his Eyes should behold the Eyes of the King of Babylon, and that he should speak with him Mouth to Mouth, and should go into Babylon, Jer. 34.3. and the other, that he should not see it, Ezek. 12.13. This we find Josephus gives for the main reason of his slighting what they said.Ant. Jud. Lib. 10. c. 9. And indeed had the later Prophet said no more than this, both were compleatly verified in the Event; he being in his flight overtaken near Jerico, and brought before the King of Babylon. who, after he had accused him of perfidiousness, and upbraided him with Ingratitude in rebelling against him, who had advanc'd him, order'd his Sons to be slain be­fore his Eyes; and then, that nothing might ever divert them after the horror of that dismal sight, or rather, that by a strange kind of Contradiction he might have it perpetually before his Eyes (the last Object we saw usu­ally continuing more lively on the Imagination till some­thing new offer it self to our view) he caus'd those very Eyes to be forthwith plucked out, and thus led him away Captive into Babylon: By which means the words of the Prophecy were exactly fulfilled, that he should ne­ver see it. Tho' I believe rather, they might possibly persuade him, that Ezekiel was inconsistent with him­self [Page 10]to talk of his dying in Babylon without living first to see it: Since 'tis plain he is express enough, that Ze­dekiah should be carried into Babylon, and dye there: As may be seen by the words immediately following in that Verse above cited, and other places of the same Pro­phet. However, we find, what reason so e'er induced him to it, he was sway'd more by Hananiah, of whom we have an Account, Jer. 28. and others about him, than by any thing these two Prophets offer'd to the con­trary. Whereupon God absolutely resolves and confirms it with an Oath, that this very thing should prove his o­verthrow. As I live saith the Lord God, surely in the Place, where the King dwelleth, that made him King, whose Oath he despised, and whose Covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall dye, Ezek. 17.16. and again, v. 20. I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his trespass which he hath trespas­sed against me. By all which it appears, that, when a People or Nation persist to provoke Almighty God by their continually repeated Transgressions, in Oppo­sition to all the gracious Methods made use of by him to reclaim them, he at length gives them over to strong Delusions, that they should believe a lye, because they re­ceived not Truth in the love of it; but, because they desi­red, did therefore believe 2. Thess. 2.10.11. (for quod volumus, facile credi­mus) the contrary to be true rather than it. The love of the Truth, that they might be saved. To whom as unto Children, that have not the use of Reason, he sends a Judgment to mock them, that they, who would not be re­formed by the Correction, wherein he dallied with them, might feel a Judgment worthy of God. Wisd. 12.25.26.

And so I come to see in the next Place how far we have Copied after this Original, and to compare, with what is here discover'd of them, the abominable Principles and Practices that at this day reign among us.

[Page 11] Wicked Principles and Opini­ons.And here alas! We shall find Men, whose very Prin­ciples give encouragement to all manner of Wickedness and Impiety by resolving the Whole of a Christian into a strong Faith: So that, if they can but believe them­selvrs to be of the Number of those, that are deliver'd from the wrath to come, 1 Thess. 1.10. all the Abominations they can be guilty of, shall be no Bar to their Entrance into the Kingdom of God, whereby they do in [...]ffect say with the Jews, in the 10th v. of this ch. We are deliver'd to do (or tho we have done) all these Abominations. These are Presumptions with a witness. But there is still another sort of hardned Sinners, that also shamefully abound, who do even deny the Lord that bought them. 2 Pet. 2.1. Who, tho' they pretend to worship one God, yet own him not in that manner wherein he has discover'd himself, denying in­deed all Revelation, and consequently the whole Oecono­my of our Redemption: To whom all the Sacred Mysteries of Religion, as Reveal'd in Scripture, are mere Nonsense, and the Doctrine of three Persons and one God, a Subject sit only for Mirth and Ridicule. Good God! that we should live to see the whole Platform of our future Hap­piness, wherein those adorable Attributes, thy Power, thy Wisdom, thy Justice, thy Mercy are so visibly dis­play'd, so contemptuously trampled on and exposed.

The first Charge I mention'd against the Israelites was their heinous Sin of Idolatry: which possibly I may run the hazard of being judged a false Accuser, should I go about to fix on this Nation, whose withdrawing its self from the Romish Communion was chiefly upon account of its Idolatrous Practices; a Sin not universally and direct­ly charged on them neither; tho' their Doctrines and their Doings that way tending are so scandalous and su­spicious, that we could not think ourselves safe or secure enough without fleeing from the very Appearance of it. And therefore perhaps it may look very strange to [Page 12]charge Idolatry upon any of that People, who have shewed themselves so zealous against it.

Idolatry.And yet, after all, if setting up a God of our own fra­ming be Idolatry, we need not mention the resting in mere outward Observances and Shadows of Religion, the placing it in hearing Sermons without practice, the not worshipping God after a due manner, not yielding a just Veneration to Sacred Persons and Places, making Reli­gion serve to evil Purposes, loving the Pomps and Va­nities of this wicked World; tho' all these are no less than several Degrees of it; yet, I say, we need not men­tion any such to prove the guilt of this Sin among us: Since we have alas! To many, that will not be content with any God but of their own making. And therefore, if we tell them of a God that will one day call them to an Account for the Wickedness of their Lives, and that for these short moments of Pleasure, there is an Eternity of Misery awaits them hereafter, they shall but laugh at us for our pains, and alledge that it is inconsistent with not only the Mercy but the Justice also of an Infinite Be­ing, in whom we own both those Attributes to be in the highest Perfection, to deal thus with his Creatures.

First, they look upon it as irreconcileable with his Mercy, since they cannot believe that an All-merciful God would make any thing to damn it. Never conside­ring that the very Superiority of our Nature above others consists in having the Liberty of Choice and the Ʋse of Reason, that by comparing one thing with another, we may know how to refuse the Evil and chuse the Good, Is. 7.15. which plainly makes Damnation our own Act, not God's: Nor so much as giving any Credit to what follows; namely, that, when, by making a wrong Choice, we had abandon'd ourselves over to the Power of him, who deluded us into it, yet God notwithstanding contrived [Page 13]such excellent means to recover us out of his Snare, and supplied us with such gracious Assistances to regain the Ground we had lost, that nothing, but our own Wilful­ness and Obstinacy still, can make us miserable: Which is the farthest that Infinite Mercy joyned with Infinite Wisdome can extend.

But then, Secondly, they hold it likewise inconsistent with his Justice to punish Temporal Sins with Eternal Torments. Wherein they as little consider, that those, whom God so punishes, have sinned as long as they are able, and that they Sin not to Eternity is wholy owing to the condition of their nature, since, if that were Infi­nite, so would their Sins be likewise. And yet, that these are the only Sinners that are eternally Damn'd, is plain, because at what time soever the Wicked turns from all the Sins that he hath committed Ezek. 18.27. (tho' even at the latest hour of his Life) by such steady resolutions of forsaking them, as, should God renew him a Lease of it, he could never be wilfully betrayed into the Breach of them again, he shall save his Soul alive. Doubtless this is never the sub­ject either of their Consideration or Belief: For, if it were, it must needs be likewise abundantly sufficient to clear Almighty God from the least Imputation of Injustice.

But, if to frame a God with Attributes only suitable to their own Notions of Mercy and Justice, such as may consist with a Liberty to live as they list, and to wallow in such Bruitish sensuality, as did generally accompany the Heathenish Idolatry, which is the reason that the Apostle, according to Dr. Hammond's Notion of the word [...] gives it that Name:Col. 3.5. See Ham. on Rom. 1.29. 1 Cor. 5.10. If such an Idea of God, as will suffer them to indulge themselves in the foulest and most beastial Sins, upon an Opinion that it is in­consistent with his Mercy and Justice to punish them eter­nally for it: If this, I say, be Idolatry, as I think we [Page 14]have but too just reason to account it; then we may conclude that we want not those, who are as notorious­ly Guilty, as the Jews of Old: Since it is at least as gross and absurd to make a God, that can quietly behold all manner of Sin without punishing it, which is in ef­fect to approve, at least not to disapprove of it, as it is to form a God of Wood or Stone, that cannot punish it by reason it neither sees it, nor is sensible of it.

Atheism.And now, if we are as bad as they already, what shall we be, when we have discover'd others, that believe no God at all, that will own no such Thing as an Immaterial Being, that deny therefore that there is any thing with­in us of a different Nature from this Corporeal Fabrick. And yet, that there are such, appears by one, who, on his ‘"usual calling on God to damn him in his common Discourse, being asked whether he were in earnest or not, when he used those words, answered that Jest or Earnest was all one, since he did not believe there was any thing in his Composition, that was capable of it:"’ As we have it attested by a very Ingenious Person in his Physico-Theological Letters. But let us beseech Thee, O Lord, to enlighten the Eyes of all such Miscreants in this Life, that they may see their wretched mistake, time enough to prevent a too sad and terrible Coviction of it in the next.

Tho. Cases Model of Spiri­tual Thankfulness before the House of Commons, Feb. 19. 1645. p. 24.One of the Assembly of Divines speaking of the Superstition, Heresy, and Profaneness, they had Covenanted to ex­tirpate, takes notice of no less than 180 Heresies, that were at that time pro­pagated in this Nation (whereof, if there were so ma­ny, I doubt we may e'en thank those of his own Stamp for being the occasion, by so miserably rending this poor Church in pieces as they did.) Among which he menti­ons [Page 15] the Divinity of Christ and the Holy Ghost question'd by some, deny'd by others; and that there wanted not such as asserted the Mortality of the Soul. Of the former of these 'twere to be wished there were not too many in our days. And of the latter History of A. B. Laud's Troubles and Tryal, Pub­lished by Mr. Wharton. Tho' this is but an old Heresy revived: For Euseb. Hist. Ec­cles. Lib. 6. c. 37. tells us of some in Arabia— [...]. Who said that the Soul of Man at the very instant of his departure dies and perishes together with the Body, and shall hereafter return to Life with it again at the day of Resurrection.A. Bp. Laud in his Answer to the Lord Say's Speech gives this Account; ‘"there were some then Living, who, tho' they durst not speak it out in all companies, did yet cun­ningly insinuate that at Death the Soul and Body were extinct together, but rise again at the Resurrection."’ It seems such monstrous Errors did not then ap­pear bare-fac'd: tho' he might possibly see this made publick afterwards, it appea­ring in PrintThe Mortality of the Soul by R. O. Printed in the Year, 1644. a little before his Death. But even those were more rational than our Modern Moralists (if I may be allow'd to use that Term) their Opinion suppo­sing an after Compensation of Deeds whether Good or Evil, that meet not with their Reward here: Whereas these remove every thing out of their way, that may curb or restrein them from committing the vilest enor­mities in this World, by expecting never to be called to an Account for them in another.

Wicked­ness and Immorali­ty.So that where we find such Principles, we need not be to seek for Practices answerable to them, or indeed for any of that black Catalogue of Sins, which we drew out of the two Prophets against the Jews. For, alas! what should hinder such from stealing, from using any sinister ways of defrauding their Neighbours, from Ex­tortion, from down-right Violence, where they are pow­erful enough, or some false pretence of Right, where [Page 16]they are not; from seeking to attain Honor or Riches by any unlawful means, &c. What should restrain them from gratifying their sensual Lusts, from height'ning them by pampering their Bodies, from inslaming them by Intemperance and Excess? What indeed can with­hold them from any kind of Sin whatsoever, that they are in the least tempted to, either by Profit or Pleasure, or even an Itch of boasting and glorying in their Wicked­ness, that we may see what Men of Courage and Bravery they are, how they can bid defiance to all manner of Fear or Danger of any after-reckoning.

Hence proceed those daring Sins of Profaning God's Holy Name by Blasphemy, common Swearing, despising his Holy Word, and those he has set a-part for the Dispensing of it, flighting all we can urge to Reform them, and endeavour to put Goodness and Piety out of countenance by Scoffing at all that is Sacred. By which means, I am afraid, it happens, that we find a great many, who have some secret Veneration for Virtue, and make Profession of the same Religion with us, from the contagious Influ­ence of such sad Examples, most scandalously blasphe­ming God by their wicked Lives.

Indeed how many are there, who come to Church, and vouchsafe us the Hearing, while we are reproving Vice, that can yet be guilty of many of the Sins above­mention'd, not scrupling to pass over any thing, that stands in the way of their Coveteousness or Ambition. If they can but get Wealth or Honor, no matter by what means, whether by lying or Arts of Deceit in buying or selling; by exacting on the Necessities of others; by giving or taking of Bribes, by ruining their Neighbours Reputation, or endeavouring to supplant him by any under-hand dealing or even Perjury it self. The very naming whereof, brings me to the last Sin I mention'd [Page 17]that hasten'd God's Vengeance on Jerusalem Perjury.(for 'tis more than time I should have done with this Head, which I could heartily wish I had not too much reason to be so large upon) and may put us upon considering whether we have not likewise too many Zedekiah's among us, that bear but little regard to the Oath they have taken to the King, under whose Government we are now (blessed be God) fully settled in a safe, and, we hope, a Lasting Peace. Now if we are no less guilty of their abominable Impieties, and have that Sin withall lurking among us, that was the immediate Cause of bringing that Captivity upon them; then it is high time for us to consider in the next place,

From the dreadful Effects of their Wickedness, what may we justly expect should befall us, if we persist with our no less heinous Provocations to incense the Majesty of Heaven against us? Which was the Second thing I desir'd might be consider'd.

Suppose ye, saith our Saviour, that those Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices, were Sin­ners above all the Galileans, because they suffer'd such things: or that those eighteen, on whom the Tower of Si­loam fell and slew them, were Sinners above all that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you nay; but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, Luke 13. the first 5 Verses. So, when the Apostle warns his Corinthians of what happen'd to the Israelites in their Passage out of Egypt into Cana­an for their disobedience, he tells them, that with ma­ny of them God was not well pleas'd, for they were over­thrown in the Wilderness, 1 Cor. 10.5. naming likewise in the Verses following several other Judgments, that befell them for several Sins: and to let them know that such Sins might justly expect the like Vengeance, he adds v. 11. that all these things happen'd to them for En­samples, [Page 18]and they are written for our Admonition, upon whom the ends of the World are come.

I think I have made it appear that our Sins are so far from coming short of theirs, that they seem in many re­spects to exceed them. All our hopes are, that we are not so universally wicked, that there are some Phineas's still left, that may hinder the Progress of this Profane­ness and Immorality so rise among us; nay, that, God be­thanked, we have a Moses to stand in the Gap; a Prince, whose endeavour to put a stop to this torrent of Wick­edness ready to overwhelm us, will, we hope, meet with its desir'd success; and the Zeal, he shews for God's Ho­nor, prevail with Heaven to avert those Judgments, we have otherwise all the reason in the World to expect, because we have so justly deserv'd them.

Which all among you, who have any regard for the Glory and Service of Almighty God, and observe how both of them are slighted and despised, cannot but be sufficiently sensible of: And that therefore, if God should in Anger remove those, who for the present stay his destroying Arm, nothing could be expected but una­voidable ruin and destruction.

How much therefore do all, that are duly apprehen­sive of these things, stand engag'd to add themselves to their number, that there may never sail a Generation of Men, that by their Zeal to suppress Wickedness, and the powerful Oratory of their Prayers and Tears may inter­cept the Calamities that would otherwise befall us. Which brings me to

The third and last Thing I proposed to your Consi­deration, namely, how much it concerns us, both by our own Repentance and our best endeavour to reclaim others, to prevent those Judgments, that will otherwise most certainly overtake us.

[Page 19] Reforma­tion.Which happy End, if Claudian's Regis ad exemplum be true, there was never a clearer Prospect of attaining, than at this present. We have already liv'd to see what Influence a Prince's Life can have on his Subjects. I wish the Effects thereof were not still too visible. But the being convinced of this by our own Experience gives us still the fairer hopes, that we may once again see the Power and Efficacy of so great an Example to nobler Purposes: That instead of that Luxury and Vo­luptuousness, that has of late Years infected the Land, we may begin to be seasoned with better Principles from an Imitation of our present King: Whose Example does not only shew it feasible, and will, we hope, render it fashionable, but his Resolutions likewise to Countenance Piety and Vertue, and Discourage Wickedness and Vice, make it still more eligible' to be good and virtuous upon the score of Men's Interest in this World, which is but too generally pursued with the greatest eagerness.

And that I may shew you what farther encourage­ment we have for the setting our hands to this desirable Reformation, let me observe to you another Cause of the Looseness and Immorality of the Age: Namely, the Principles of some late Philosophers, greedily imbib'd by several, who thought it an Accomplishment to have so much smattering that way, that they might be able to chatter in Philosophical Terms; and the falling in of these Principles with the Gratification of their Lusts gave them still the greater Relish. To which tho' we cannot but own the mighty Interest of Atheism and Irreligion: Yet, we see, Almighty God, that he might not leave himself without any Witness among the Inqui­rers into Nature, and that our Horizon might not be quite darkned by such a black cloud as was over­spreading the Face of it, has rais'd some bright Lumi­naries, [Page 20]that have not only set Nature in a clearer Light, and made her glorifie and proclaim her Author; but some of them, as if they were desirous to retreive the Credit of their Profession, and make amends for the Dis­honor, God and Religion have suffered by several, that were eminent in it, have likewise vindicated the Cause of Revealed Religion, not enduring to see the Holy Scriptures become the sport and May-game of such as would endeavour with their little Wit and Raillery to make them guilty of Nonsense and Contradiction. So that now, God be thanked, we find even the Physician's Religion, to be true and Orthodox, and that there are those now among them, to whom the Doctrine of a Cru­cified Saviour does not appear, as of old to the Greeks, and of late to too many among us, Foolishness; 1 Cor. 1.23. but as it is to those, who are Christians indeed, the Power and Wisdom of God.

Let us all resolve unanimously to become Champions in this Cause. The Defence whereof must begin in the Reforming ourselves, and taking care that no body be able to charge us with any thing that may discredit it. For there is certainly nothing that weakens the Cause of Religion more, or gives greater occasion to the Ad­versaries thereof to contemn and blaspheme it, than to see such, as would seem its most zealous Assertors, let their Practice run directly counter to the Precepts it enjoins: ‘Hor. de Art. Poet.Nam dicentis erunt si factis absona dicta,’ If our Actions give our Tongnes the lye, ‘Romani tollent Equites Pedites (que) cachinnum.’ We shall be so far from convincing any of the Reality of what we Profess, that we shall but make ourselves the subject of their scorn and laughter. Whereas, if they see the force and Power of our Arguments in our Lives, [Page 21]and that we do not offer with the Pharisees to lay such Burthens on them, that we will not touch ourselves, they will then judge us to be in earnest, and look upon us as persons, that believe what we affirm. Then may we boldly venture on that great Work of reforming others, and hope to gain Authority to what we say. Then would Wickedness not appear so bare-faced, nor Pro­faneness dare to support it self by that, which has of late usurp'd the Reputation of Wit, Namely, the scof­fing and deriding all that is Virtuous and Sacred.

If there be Men of good Natural Endowments, that employ their Parts this way, if there be such, as are really witty and ingenious, that are withall very lewd and Atheistical, the more's the Pity. But, blessed be God, there are likewise such Gentlemen among us, that are every way, at least, as accomplished as they, wan­ting no Wit to recommend them to Conversation, who are also at the same time Friends to Religion, and highly concerned to see any endeavour to droll it out of countenance.

'Tis true, there is, for the most part, an innate Mo­desty, that attends Goodness, which as this decays, usu­ally wears off, so that Lewdness is generally stocked with Confidence enough, which, in the way of Raillery often passing for Wit, clearly t [...]iumphs over the other: And by this means the Modest Man is frequently dis­couraged from venturing on the vindication of Goodness against so much Confidence and Assurance; especially when perhaps there may be none else in Company to to side with him therein.

Now, I dare say, would such Men of Parts, as have withall a due Sense of Religion, labour to overcome this Discouragement, by plucking up a good Spirit, and joyntly agreeing among themselves to make Atheism [Page 22]and Profaneness so far the subject of their Mirth, as where ever they meet with it, to ridicule and expose it: Which, I doubt not but there those that can do, with as much facetiousness and pleasantry, as they pre­tend to, who employ it against God and Religion: If this, I say, were but done as often as opportunities of­fer themselves, it might soon be jeered into corners and made ashamed to shew its head, and so by degrees in a little time be quite laugh'd out of the World.

We find there are few, if any, of these Atheistical Scoffers, that so often wound our Ears with their Pro­fane Jests, that, when they come to dye, can forbear crying out Lord be merciful: Who yet would look up­on us as very barbarous and severe, should we then sarcastically bespeak them in the Language of Elijah to Baal's Priests: Cry aloud, for he is a God. Peradven­ture he sleepeth and must be awaked. 1 Kin. 18.27. And yet it would be no more than what they justly deserve, who have all their Life time so abused him, as if they thought he were indeed a-sleep and heard them not; or rather as if they did not believe there were any such Being at all.

If we could by this or any other means suppress the growth of such monstrous Wickedness, we should hope we were in a fair way to appease the Wrath of a pro­voked God. but if something more were not yet done, we should not be altogether without fear, that his Anger is not quite turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Is. 9.12.

I have already told you, that the immediate occasi­on of the Jews Overthrow was Zedekiah's breaking the Oath he had taken to the King of Babylon. Perjury.And, unless several among us, that have Sworn Allegiance to his present Majesty, who has hitherto so signally protected them, even in spite of their teeth, and their ungrate­ful [Page 23]endeavours to ruin his Designs, forbear to trifle any longer with so Sacred a Thing as an Oath; we have cause to expect, that God may enter into Judgment with this Nation, even for that crying Sin. For Sediti­on and Treachery do naturally tend to the Ruin of the Innocent as well as of the Guilty; and so long as such turbulent and unquiet Spirits reign among us, we can never be secure. How far the Innocent may suffer with the Guilty, is not easie to foresee. However I wish they, who are this way Guilty, could prevail with themselves to consider what a dreadful hazard they run, and how certain a Judgment they are drawing on their own heads, from the Example of God's terrible Vengeance on Ze­dekiah, whereof I have before given an Account; and whose Violation of his Oath God Almighty did esteem as a breach of Covenant against himself. Seeing he despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant, when lo! he had gi­ven his Hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, as I live, surely my Oath that he hath despised, and my Covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompence upon his own head, Ezek. 17. 18. 19.

Disobedi­ence.And as for those who still refuse to take an Oath to our gracious Sovereign, tho' he has been so long esta­blished in a quiet Possession of the Throne; I shall only direct them to the Advice of those that were in Capti­vity to their Brethren that were left behind at Jerusa­lem, Baruch 1.11.12. Pray for the lise of Nebuchado­nosar King of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his Son, that their days may be upon the Earth as the days of Heaven. And the Lord give us strength and lighten our Eyes, and we shall live under the shadow of Nebu­chadonosor King of Babylon, and under the shadow of Balthasar, his Son, and we shall serve them many days, [Page 24]and find favour in their sight. Now, if they should not only serve that King. but think themselves obliged to pray for his long Life too, we have no Reason to ima­gine that they made the least scruple of plighting their Faith to him, even tho' they could not look upon him as their Rightful King in these Men's Notion of that World.

I shall add no more with respect to the many other Sins I mention'd, whereby we have incurr'd the Wrath of Almighty God: but shall beseech him to enlighen all our Eyes that we may see in this our day the Things that belong to our Peace: Luke 19.42. And consider, that, if ever we hope to become a flourishing People, it must be by fearing the Lord and the King, and not medling with those, that are given to change: Pro. 4.21. By not swearing deceit­fully: Ps. 24.4. By being zealous for the Honor of God, and of the Son of God our Saviour; promoting the Interest and Power of Religion in our several Stations, by our Ex­ample, by our Authority, by our friendly Advice and Admonition, and sweetly insinuating it into the Minds of others in the most engaging and winning manner we can think of.

In a word, it must be by endeavouring with joynt hands and heart to advance the Honor and Welfare of our Nation, by working Righteousness and following after Peace; which the Lord has promis'd by his Prophet shall be the Product thereof. The Work of Righteousness, saith he, shall be Peace; and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever. Is. 32.17. It is indeed this alone that can exalt a Nation; but Sin, as it is the Reproach, Prov. 14.34. so it will be the Ruin of any People.