I Wiſh, that another Senſe may now have the like Operation; That the Ear may alſo affect the Heart; That when the Heart-affecting Objects your Eyes may find in the World about you, do ſtrike upon your Ears in our Enumeration of them, the Hearers may be Heartily affected with it. My Hearers, You muſt ſhut your Eyes, and ſtop your Ears, & ſtupiſy all your Affections, if you take not an Affectionate Notice of the Things, which I am going to ſet before you. Among the reſt, I intend a very Particular Notice of ſome Obſervable Things which ſeem to be Evident Judgments quickly overtaking ſuch as have been given up to more than ordinary Wickedneſs, both here, and in ſome other Places.

It was an Ancient Obſervation; Eccl. VIII. 11. Becauſe Sentence againſt an Evil Work is not Executed ſpeedily, therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men, is fully ſet in them to do Evil. But ſince we have ſeen more than once the Wrath of God Executed Speedily, and ſo Dreadfully upon ſome Evil Workers, it may be Hoped, the Hearts of men will be Affected with it, and the Hearts of ſome, not ſo fully ſet in them to do Evil, as they uſe to be.

The Prophet and Poet, who made the Lamentations, that afford our Text unto us, had at this time a moſt Heart-affecting ſight before his Eyes. The whole BOOK of Lamentations is written, to tell you what it was. And the Clauſe that next follows the Text, more particularly does tell you, It was, Becauſe of all the Daughters of my City. The Chaldeans had made fearful Ravages upon the Country Towns, which were the Daughters of the Capital City. Jeruſalem was the Mother of them all. Jeruſalem was alſo expecting the ſame Lamentable Fate, with her Daughters. Yea, She had already Drunk very deep of the Cup; ſhe had already been once Taken, and Plundred, & Spoiled, & miſerably Circumſtanced. Now, ſays he, Mine Eye affecteth mine Heart! O Servant of God, what was in thine Eye? He had in his Eye, whole Towns laid in Aſhes, by a Barbarous Enemy, a Bitter & Haſty Nation; tho' far leſs Barbarous & Bloody than One at this Day running amuck among the Nations! He had in his Eye, multitudes of his Brethren, led away Captives by Cruel Babylonians; Multitudes Maſſacred and Murdered, and made a Sacrifice to the Fury of a Terrible Tyrant. He had in his Eye, the Effects of raging Famine & Sickneſs; All Order overturned; Univerſal Confuſion raging every where; the Symptoms of a Total Deſolation approaching. It muſt be an Heart of Adamant, that would not be affected with the Report, which an Eye beholding ſuch Spectacles muſt give unto it.

But the DOCTRINE which I am now to give you is this.

When we have Heart-affecting Spectacles before our Eyes, we ſhould be Heartily affected with them.

The Eye ſhould affect the Heart, when we ſee with our Eye, what ſhould not be ſeen without an affected Heart.

Firſt. Wonder not at it, That the World is filled with Heart affecting Spectacles; yea, with Miſerable Spectacles.

The Firſt of the Heart affecting Spectacles, is the Worſt of them all; that is, The SIN, the SIN of the world: this tis that has brought in the reſt. The Sum of the Heart-affecting Spectacles in the world, is that; Lam. V. 16. We unto us, that we have Sinned. Firſt, we ſee Sin breaking in upon the World; a Flood of Sin, by our Fall from God▪ breaking in, and carrying all before it. O Spectacle full of Horror! O Hard Heart, O Baſe Heart, that is not Affected with it! The Death which we ſee to be the Wages of Sin; the Evil which we ſee Purſuing of Sinners; the Wrath of God which we ſee Overtaking and Overwhelming the Children of Diſobedience; This 'tis, that makes every Corner of the world, full of Heart-affecting Spectacles. I am ſure, the Redeemer of the World ſo accounted of them.

Secondly. How ſhould our Hearts be affected with ſuch Heart-affecting Spectacles?

Not with Wonder, or Murmur, I have told you. But I anſwer; Variouſly. According to the Various Nature of the Spectacles.

When our Eye ſhows us a Miſerable Spectacle, it muſt affect our Heart with Commiſeration. We ſhould heartily Commiſerate the Miſerable; our Heart ſhould be touched with a Compaſſion for them. So we read, Job XXX. 25. Did not I weep for him that was in Trouble? Was not my Soul grieved for the Poor?

If there be Sin joyned with Miſery in the Spectacle, there muſt be Anger, there muſt be Anguiſh, joyned with the Compaſſion. We muſt be angry & not ſin; we muſt therefore be angry at ſin. Our Heart muſt be Affected with a juſt Indignation at every Sin. So we read, 2 Pet. II. 7, 8. Juſt Lot was Vexed with the filthy Converſation of the Wicked; That Righteous man dwelling among them, in Seeing and Hearing, Vexed his Righteous Soul from day to day, with their unlawful Deeds.

Nor is this all the affection that is now called for. When we ſee Sin committed, we ſhould be moved with Fear. Sin does Expoſe men to the Judgments of God. When we ſee Sin, we ſhould Fear, leſt the Judgments of God befal the Sinner; yea, and thoſe that are about him alſo. Thus we read; Pſal. CXIX. 118, 120. Thou haſt trodden down all them that Err from thy Statutes; My Fleſh trembles for fear of thee, & I am afraid of thy • udgments.

But then, methinks we may ſee occaſions for Thankfulneſs, even in every Miſerable Spectacle. We ſhould have our Hearts Affected with a Thankful Admiration at the Diſtinguiſhing Favours of God unto our ſelves. Lord, Why am not I ſuch a Spectacle? Why is not this my Unhappineſs? Tis what I have deſerved, as much as any in the world. In the midſt of Lamentations, we have thoſe Acknowledgments; Lam. III. 22. It is of the Lords Mercies that we are not Conſumed: becauſe His Compaſſions fail not.

The proper affections on ſuch Spectacles are not yet all fully to the Life Expreſſed. Something muſt be produced in the Life. Our Affections muſt produce Affectionate Reſolutions to Do all the Good that we can. We are affectionately to Deviſe Good, for the Relief of the Heart-affecting Spectacles. Or, the Spectacles are to mind us of ſome Good that we muſt Reſolve to do for our Selves, or Others. We muſt be provoked unto ſome Holy and Uſeful Reſolutions. We muſt fetch ſome Good out of Evil Spectacles, Think, Wherein muſt I be the better, by what I ſee? Think, What ſhall I do, that Others may be the Better for what I ſee?

To Illuſtrate this matter, there can be nothing ſo Suitably, nothing ſo Cogently, ſet before you, as the Example of the admirable JESUS. To introduce on all Occaſions, the mention of His Glories, you know, tis the Spirit, the Study, the Salt of our Miniſtry.

Our Amiable and Admirable JESUS, had often before Him, Heart-affecting Spectacles. How did He Entertain them? We read, He was Grieved. We read, He Sigh'd. We read, He Wept. We read, He was moved with Compaſſion. His Holy Soul was full of Agony. Oh, How He laid to Heart, the Evil which He ſaw that the Firſt Adam had brought upon the World! His Heart broke, and bled upon it! When He ſaw any Good, He Cried out, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven & Earth! And for the Good He did! He went about, ſtill doing of Good. Yea, the Sun in the Firmament, it never did the Good, that was done by this Brighter Sun of Righteouſneſs.

¶ I am now ready to ſet before your Eyes, O Congregation of the Lord, a Number of Heart-affecting Spectacles. They are Made already. They need only to be Shown. It may be, ſome of you have never taken due Notice of them. I am going therewithal to ſhow you, How your Hearts are to be Affected with them.

I. Look Inward. The Firſt Counſel, to be always given; Look Inward. Let every Man, and eſpecially every Unregenerate Man, Look Inward upon the ſtate of his own SOUL; And, Oh, Let him own it, a moſt Heart-affecting Spectacle. Man, Caſt an Eye upon thy own Soul! Say, was there ever ſuch a woful, ſuch a rueful Spectacle? What a Spectacle is the Leper? Or, the Creature deſcribed, Iſa. I. 6. From the ſole of the Foot, even unto the Head, no ſoundneſs; but wounds, & bruiſes, & putrifying ſores! Thy Soul, thy Soul, is under ſuch a Leproſy. A Soul Wounded in all its Faculties. Blind, unable to ſee Truth; Lame, Unable to do Right. A Soul, full of Enmity to GOD, and all Goodneſs. A Soul, Depraved with moſt Vicious Inclinations. A Soul, Enſlaved unto Satan, and the Powers of Darkneſs. A Soul, Born under the Guilt of Original ſin, and by the Guilt of That; and, Oh! what an Enormous Heap of Actual ſin! bound over to ſuffer the ſtrange Puniſhment, which the Juſtice of God aſſigns to the Workers of Iniquity. A Periſhing SOUL! A Soul every moment in danger of Eternal Perdition! Verily, An Unregenerate Soul, is the moſt Lamentable Spectacle in the World! Imagine a man Deformed in every Limb, Deprived of every Senſe; Over-run with Loathſome Ulcers. Imagine a Poor Man, Starving to Death, or Burning at the Stake, or Breaking on the Rack; Tragical Spectacles! O Unregenerate, Thy SOUL, Thy SOUL, is worſe than all of This. What a Spectacle is foretold; Deut. XXVIII. 67. In the Morning thou ſhalt ſay, Would God it were Evening: And at Evening thou ſhalt ſay, Would God it were Morning: for the Fear of thine Heart, wherewith thou ſhalt fear, & for the ſight of thine Eyes, which thou ſhalt ſee. Alas, Alas, Unregenerate; The ſight of thine Eyes, which thou mayſt ſee, is as Aſtoniſhing!

My Friend, This, this is the Spectacle before thine Eyes. How canſt thou turn away thine Eyes, from the Beholding of it? The firſt thing that in the Name of God, and for the Love of thy Soul, I demand of thee, is, To conſider the ſtate of thy own Soul. Oh! Take Time to do it in ſecret places.

But then; Shall not Thine Eye affect thine Heart? The Heart of an Unregenerate ſinner, ſhould be Affected, firſt, with an affrighting Aſhoniſhment at his own Condition, Sinner, Let thine Eye Affect thine Heart, into that Cry; Rom. VII. 24. O wretched One that I am, who ſhall deliver me? Think; Oh! The Wretchedneſs of my preſent Condition! What, what will become of me, if I Dy in this Condition! Retire for ſuch Thoughts. Devote ſome Time to theſe Thoughts. If this One Thing were obtained from the Hearers, what an Introduction might it prove, to all manner of Good! Oh! Moſt Obdurate Heart! If the Condition of thy SOUL will not Affect it, ſo much as this comes to; not ſo much as to make thee Think upon it.

But then; Secondly; The Heart of ſuch an one, ſhould be Affected into Earneſt Eſſays, to make Haſte out of this Condition. O Heart of ſtone; Be at laſt, at leaſt, ſo much Affected as to ſay, I muſt not continue in this Condition! I Reſolve that I will immediately Cry to the God of all Grace, that He would bring me out of this Horrible Pit! An Heart ſuitably Affected with the Miſchiefs and the Dangers of Unregeneracy, will immediately fall down before the Lord, with a Supplication, the Cry where of ſhall reach and pierce the very Heavens; That Supplication; Pſal. CXVI. 4. O Lord, I beſeech thee, Deliver my Soul. A Perſon whoſe Heart is Affected with the doleful Chains of Darkneſs, which Unregeneracy holds him in, will Immediately fly to the only Saviour; Immediately Plead the Sacrifice of his only Saviour, that God may be Reconciled unto him; Immediately lay hold on the Righteouſneſs of his only Saviour, that he may ſtand in that with ſafety before the Judment-ſeat of God; Immediately Embrace the Laws of the Holy Lord, as the Rules of his Life; and Enter into Covenant with God; Comply with all the Articles in the Covenant of Grace; Cry out, Lord, I am Thine, ſave me. O Unaffected Heart; How canſt thou bear, to let thy Soul remain an Exile from God, a Brand of Hell, a Prey to Devils! Let the ſight which thine Eye gives thee in thy own Soul, have that Iſſue; Pſal. CXIX. 59, 60. I thought on my ways, & I turned my Feet unto thy Teſtimonies. I made haſte, & I delayed not to keep thy Commandments.

II. Look Abroad. There is a world of SIN committed in the world; This is the moſt General, but indeed the moſt Sorrowful Spectacle, in the world. We read, 1 Joh. V. 19. The whole World lies in wickedneſs. The World is Drowned in Ignorance, in Corruption. Satan, the Wicked One, Rules: When he goes to and fro on the Earth, and walks up and down in it, he does little other than go in Progreſs thro' his own Dominions. Idolatry Reigns Superſtition Reigns, Vice Reigns; Oppreſſion, Fraudulence, Impurity, all manner of Wickedneſs. Few Nations have any really or viſibly Godly People in them. The Body of Mankind are in Actual Rebellion againſt God; Actually up in Arms againſt the Things that are Holy and Juſt and Good. Where any Godly People are to be met withal, they are but Few; A Little, Little Flock! Their Enemies fill the Countrey's. The World hates them; They are moſt Unreaſonably Perſecuted by the World.

In our Nation, what Abominable Things are done continually! Our late King, often ſpoke it unto the Clerk of his Cloſet; That he found the Engliſh Nation a very wicked Nation. Great Britain, is a very Polluted Iſland; a Land full of Bloody Crimes. There goes up a Cry from that Land, in the Ears of the Lord of Sabaoth; Such a Cry that we may ſtand amazed at the Patience of Heaven, that it is Reprieved from fearful Deſolations; we may tremble to ſee the Predictions of our Famous Hooker making ſuch Approaches towards a dreadful Accompliſhment. [See, His Life, in Magnalia Americana, Book III. Pag. 62, 63.]

There is a Faithful, and Worthy Man, Dr. John Edwards; who has lately obliged the Publick, with a Printed Sermon, on the Heinouſneſs of the Sins of England. That Servant of God, with a Courage well becoming ſuch an one, hath Enumerated horrendous Inſtances, wherein the Land hath grievouſly Sinned. I will Recite ſome of his words. He ſays; There has been a ſhameful Degeneracy from thoſe Chriſtian Principles, which ſome brand with the Odious Name (as they accout it) of Calviniſm. But it is plain to any Diſcerning man, that the Preaching of the Contrary Doctrines, hath given a New Turn to our Manners. It is Evident unto an impartial Obſerver, that for theſe Thirty or Forty Years, (the time they have been upheld and maintained by the Generality of our Preachers) Profaneneſs, Impiety, Scepticiſm, Debauchery have had an unuſual Aſcendent over us. He ſays, The Countrey was known in former Times, to be a place of Innocency and Simplicity. But it may cauſe Amazement to ſee, how theſe Places are changed of late, & over-run with all manner of Vice; Thoſe Diſorders which were, as it were, proper to Cities, are now come among the Inhabitants of theſe Parts. He ſayes; It is true, God may Save us, by His Sovereignty and Prerogative; which we have no Ground to Rely upon. But if He proceeds according to His uſual Method, and according to the Laws of His Declared Will, we have no Reaſon to look for any thing but Ruine and Deſtruction!

And this Our Land; a Land under ſuch Obligations to be a Land of Uprightneſs: what prevailing Iniquities threaten the Ruine of it? The Glorious Goſpel of the Bleſſed God, we may ſee, tis very Little, very Little, Hearkened to. We may ſee, the Spirit of this World, Eating out, Eating up, the Spirit and Power of Godlineſs. We may ſee a Scandalous Diſhoneſty in the Dealings of too too many. We may ſee Drunkenneſs likely to Extinguiſh all Good Order in many places; and a Flood of Rum and Ruine, Vomited out of the Mouth of the Dragon, likely to ſwallow up the Woman fled into the Wilderneſs. We may ſee the Crimes of Unchaſtity Debauching too too many; yea, the too well known Houſe of the Harlot reſorted to. And we may ſee many Ungoverned Families, Unnurtured Families; a ſcandalous Neglect of Houſehold Piety. O horrid Spectacle! Where, where ſhall we look, and not ſee ſuch a Spectacle!

But, How ſhould our Heart be Affected with what we ſee?

Firſt; Be ſure, Sorrow, Sorrow, is the Affection, which the Spectacle does call for. The ſight of Sin, wherever we ſee it, ſhould always broach our Sorrow. Oh! Let the Sinfulneſs of the World, and particularly, peculiarly, our part of the World, which lies moſt nearly before our Eyes, let it affect us at that rate; Pſal. CXIX. 136, 158. Rivers of Waters run down mine Eyes, becauſe they keep not thy Law. I beheld the Tranſgreſſors & was Grieved, becauſe they kept not thy Word. No doubt, Here are ſome, that in their Travels have had a ſight of Bedlam. If they were in a Sober Mind when they ſaw it, it Grieved them to ſee ſuch a Collection of Madmen; the ſight is a Grievous One! Sirs, The Sinful World, is little better than an Entire Bedlam; Tis full of Mad-men; All Sinners are Mad-men! With what Affliction, if we have any Love to Mankind, with what Affliction, muſt we ſay of the Fooliſh and Hurtful Things that we ſee done every Day; Poor Creatures, They know not what they do! Oh! To ſee Mankind almoſt every where, acted with nothing but Madneſs: Every where playing the parts and pranks of Mad-men; It ſhould afflict us wonderfully! If we are the Children of God, or have any Hope, of His Looking on us, as He uſes on them that Love His Name; it muſt affect us and afflict us, to ſee His Name Diſhonoured among the Children of men.

But then, I muſt add, That Abhorrence is another affection, which belongs to the Spectacle. Our Affection muſt be an Averſion, for the Sins that we ſee in other People. When others make void the Law of our God, Therefore, Therefore, Let us Love it above Gold, yea, above fine Gold; and Hate every Falſe way. When we ſee Ill Things, Vile Things, done by other men, it ſhould ſo Affect us, as to make us Avoid thoſe Things, and be able to ſay with him; Neh. V. 15. But ſo did not I, becauſe of the Fear of GOD. I have known ſome, who have Lived with Parents or Maſters, which took very Bad Courſes. The fight of the Sin in thoſe whom they Lived withal, it look'd ſo Odious to them, it has made them abhor thoſe Bad Courſes. Children, You make an Excellent Improvement of what you ſee.

This is not all. The ſight of the ſin in Others, muſt affect us with a Fear of our Selves. Be afraid, be afraid at what you ſee. Think, If the Sovereign GOD ſhould leave me to my ſelf, I ſhould ſoon do as Bad, as the worſt in the World. We ſee no ſin any where, but we have in our own Heart, the Seed of that very Sin. Chriſtian, Thou doſt not Know thy own Heart, if thou doſt not Fear thy own Heart. It is wholeſome Advice; 1 Cor. X. 12. Wherefore, let him who thinks he ſtands, take heed leſt he fall.

Finally; Labour to Suppreſs, to Reſtrain, to Reform, the provoking Evils that we ſee. When we ſee Sin gaining upon our Neighbourhood, it muſt Affect us, and Excite us to Do what may be done for the Reformation of theſe Evils. The ſight muſt make us Unite in our Endeavours, according to every ones Ability and Capacity, for a Reformation. Thus, Thus we ſhall procure a precious Mark from God upon us; That Mark; Ezek. IX. 9. Go thro' the midſt of the City; ſet a Mark upon the foreheads of the men that Sigh & Cry for all the abominations done in the midſt thereof.

III. The Calamities of the World, the Deſtructions of the World; Methinks, They are Heart-breaking Spectacles. I now make you that Invitation; Pſal. XLVI. 8. Come, Behold the works of the Lord, what Deſolations He hath made in the Earth. Look where you will over the face of the whole Earth, you may ſee the God of Heaven, Diſtributing Sorrows in His Anger. The Earth under the Curſe of God for the Sin of Man, brings forth, Oh! what Thorns unto him! That word is every where fulfill'd in the world; Iſa. XXIV. 4, 6. The Earth Mourneth & Fadeth away; The Curſe has Devoured the Earth, & they who Dwell therein are Deſolate. The World is every where full of ſad Things! What is the World, but a very Aceldama! In what wretched ſlavery do moſt of the Nations Languiſh? The Negro's in ſome Countrey's are a fearful Spectacle. God will conſider the Inhumane way of treating 'em! What a Wolf is one man unto another? What Wars do Embroil the World? What Wants Diſtreſs it? What Woes Confound it? I beſeech you, what are the Relations & Hiſtories of what is done in the World? Let this be the Running Title of all; A SINFUL WORLD MADE MISERABLE BY THE VENGEANCE OF GOD.

But, How ſhould our Hearts be affected with what we See? Methinks, A Servant of God, may proceed at this rate. Sirs, Accompany him. Let it not be a meer Soliloquy.

Mine Eye affecteth mine Heart. O my Soul, Tremble, Tremble at the Tremendous Juſtice of God, which will not let Sin go Unpuniſhed. Be willing, O my Soul, to Leave ſuch a World; a World every where Embittered with Vanity & Vexation of Spirit. Long, O my Soul, Wiſh and Pray for the Coming of thy Saviour; who will bringe Peace unto the World, & make it a Bleſſed World. This tis to be right • y Affected.

IV. The Afflicted that are about us in our next Neighbourhood; Theſe are Spectacles that we have near unto us; before our Eyes; Heart affecting Spectacles. We read, Pſal. XLI. 1. Bleſſed is he that Conſiders the Poor. There are thoſe that Conſider, who are the Poor, and Conſider, what may be done for them. If you look about you with a Conſiderate Eye, you may See ſome Sick & Weak; perhaps they are Chaſtened with Pain, with ſtrong Pain. You may ſee ſome Conflicting with Poverty. I certainly know, that there are ſome Scores in this Town, real Objects of Charity, on that one Score of Straitning Poverty. There are many more, whoſe Afflictions are heavy. Can there be ſo many Widows, and ſo many Orphans, and not very many under ſore afflictions? Many there are, whoſe Temptations make them Cry to us, Have Pity on me, O my Friends, Have Pity on me; You ſee what an Hand has touched me!

Such Things we may ſee every Day. But, How ſhould our Hearts be affected with the fight? Why,

Firſt; Be Thankfully Affected. How Thankful, How Thankful ſhould we be, that the Afflicted Caſe, which we may caſt our Eye upon, is not our own Caſe! When we ſee any Spectacle of affliction, verily it Preaches to us, the Leſſons of Thankfulneſs. As it was ſaid; Luk. XIII. 2. Suppoſe ye, that theſe were ſinners, above the reſt, becauſe they ſuffered ſuch things? I tell you, No. Thus are we to argue with our ſelves; Muſt I ſuppoſe, that they who ſuffer theſe things are Greater Sinners, than I that am yet preſerved from them? No, But then, O my God, What ſhall I render to thee? Tis thy Sovereign Grace that preſerves me from theſe things! Oh! What ſhall I render to the Lord?

But then, in the next place, we are to be Charitably Affected, Mercifully Affected. We read of ſuch a Lovely thing, as that; Prov. XXII. 9. He that hath a Bountiful Eye ſhall be bleſſed, for he giveth of his bread to the Poor. What is a Bountiful Eye? Tis an Eye that is upon the Look-out for Subjects to Employ Bounty upon; and an Eye that affects the Heart with Diſpoſitions to beſtow the Bounty. Oh! Be ready to ſuccour all that are under any Difficulties, any Exerciſes. Afford them all the Succours imaginable. My Brethren, Suffer this word of Exhortation. Enquire after ſuch as may need your Help, any ſort of Help that you can give them. Then Help them with all poſſible Alacrity. Take an unſpeakable pleaſure in Helping of them. Let it be the Firſt-born of your Delights, to be Helpful unto ſuch as want your Aſſiſtences. To Do Good Offices, Oh, Fly to it with Rapture. Never be weary of this well-doing. Tho' you meet with Monſters of Ingratitude, as I will aſſure you that you ſhall, yet be not Weary; But Overcome Evil with Good.

V. Can't you See; Oh, fearful Blindneſs if you cannot See! — moſt ſenſible Judgments of GOD, arreſting many Sinners before your Eyes? Theſe are awful Spectacles, and Heart-affecting ones. We read; Pſal. IX. 16. The Lord is known, by the Judgments, which He Executeth. There are plain Judgments, ever now and then Executed among us. There are Sinners, as it were hang'd up in Chains, by the Judgments of God. Formidable Spectacles; But God can make them to be Profitable Spectacles.

Don't you ſee Notorious Drunkards, meet with very Diſaſtrous Events? They Live Sordidly; They Dy Wretchedly▪ The profane Proverb, that ſays, They get us Harm, has terrible Confutations.

Don't you ſee, That Whoremonger & Adulterers God will Judge. Their Eſtates have a ſecret Curſe upon them; They fall under Unaccountable Impoveriſhments. Their Follies not being wiſely Repented, are ſtrangely Detected; Their Names are incurably Wounded. Their Bodies too anon become very Hoſpitals of Maladies. Yea, They Dy in Youth, becauſe their Life is among the Unclean.

What becomes of them, wh • diſtinguiſh themſelves as the Topping 〈◊〉 of the Town, for Pride, Vanity, Luxury? God ſoon diſtinguiſhes them with abaſing Humiliations.

Undutiful Children, Diſobedient Children, what becomes of them? Their Days are not long in the Land.

Mockers at Religion; Railers at the Inſtruments of promoting Religion; tis often ſeen, that when People arrive to this, Then, their Damnation ſlumbers not. God ſmites them; God makes them very Magor-miſſa • ibs. They go Quickly, and Roaring out of the world; Roaring for the Prayers & Aids of the very Men, whom once they Ridiculed.

And, I pray, what has been the Fate of them, who have Got Riches & not by right? Men who have been Falſe-Dealers; uſed abundance of Under-hand Dealing; Rapaciouſly reaching after all that could be got, Right or Wrong; Over-reaching all that they could be too Cunning for; Breaking their Promiſes; Lying in Debt unto all men, but not letting any manly in theirs; Defrauding the Hireling of his Wages; Hating to do an Honeſt Thing; Scarce ever doing it, but when Forced unto it. What has become of them? There has been a ſtrange Blaſt from God upon them. Lo, I have ſeen them ſpreading themſelves like a green Bay-tree; Yet they have paſſed away, & lo, they are not.

I could add one thing more. There have been Knotts of Young Men, who have been Bewitched with the Gaming humour. Riots and Revels have been frequent with them. Anon, ſome of them have gone to the Houſe, that is the way to Hell, going down to the Chambers of Death. Of the •• alſo I repeat the Queſtion; What has become of them? God has marvellouſly Deſtroyed them. They have marvellouſly come to Nothing! Ah, Young People; Will you not yet ſay, Deſtruction from God is a Terror to me?

Such Sights we have had among us. But, How ſhould our Hearts be affected with them? Truly, ſo Affected as to be Cautioned. Oh, Beware, Beware of the Impieties, which you ſee Puniſhed by God. When Corah was fearfully Swallow'd up with an Earthquake, we read; Numb. XVI. 34. All that were round about them, fled at the Cry of them; for they ſaid, Leſt the Earth ſwallow us up alſo. Verily, the Sinners whom you have ſeen ſwallow'd up, with the Scattering and Conſuming Judgments of God, and who have Periſhed from among the Congregation, make a fearful Cry in our Ears. At this Cry, Oh, Fly from their Impieties, and ſay, Leſt the Judgments of GOD ſwallow us up alſo!

I now look on it, as a ſeaſonable Diſcharge of a Duty, to take ſome Notice of ſome Aſtoniſhing Spectacles, in the Iudgments of God upon ſome, whom Satan ſeems to have had an uncommon Poſſeſſion of.

There is a Report of ſome things Extraordinary in ſome Late Judgments of God. It is likely, there may be various Miſrepreſentations of many Circumſtances attending that matter. I will not therefore depend upon every thing that may be Reported. But I ſuppoſe, no body doubts, There has been a very High Degree of Profaneneſs diſcovered by ſome Unhappy Men; and that God preſently ſingled out ſome of them, in a manner that much Awakened the Neighbourhood. But whether that matter have ſo much in it, as has been ſaid, or no, yet you may Remember, that a little while ago in this Town, A Poor Woman, was very much Diſcontented with her own Condition; but ſhe had Recourſe unto the Bottel of Rum, to quiet & allay her Diſcontent. In that, ſhe drowned her Soul; But with the Rum there entred Satan into her; Satan took a ſtrange Poſſeſſion of her; She imagined ſhe muſt go where Satan would carry her. Tho' ſhe were carefully ſhut up, ſuch was the Efficacy of Satan, that he help'd her out of a Window, it was thought into the River; but with Circumſtances that fill the Neighbourhood with Conſternation. Her Carcaſe was afterwards found, where it could ſcarce have been imagined!

Several ſuch things have occurred among us; The Judgments of God, making a Quick Diſpatch of Sinners, that have grown Outragious in the Efforts of their Impiety.

I think, Our Heart ſhould be affected at this rate, on ſuch Occaſions.

Firſt; We ought to Bawail the ſcarce conceiveable Wickedneſs, yea, Deviliſm, that Mankind may ſink into. When we ſee men Defying their Maker; Deriding all that is Venerable and Reaſonable; Burleſquing Religion and Eternity; Not only moved by the Inſtigation of Devils, but even Turned into Devils; How can we do any other than Mourn, that ever any part of Mankind ſhould fall into ſuch a Depravation! Alas, That any of our Race ever ſhould be ſo prodigiouſly Depraved! How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Mankind! Thy Throne might have been Exalted among the Stars of God. Thou art brought down to Hell, to the ſides of the Pit. Hell from beneath is moved for thee; The Devils there come to meet thee; They Triumph over thee; and their Hoarſe Notes upon thee are, Thou art become like one of us! When the Man of God ſaw a Spectacle of Profanity, very ſhort of what we have ſeen, he rent his Garments; he pull'd off his Hair; He ſat aſtoniſhed; he fell down on his Knees; he Cried out, Ezr. IX. 6. O my God, I am aſhamed, & I bluſh to lift up my Face to thee, my God. Bleſſed Ezra! What wouldeſt thou have done, if thou hadſt been in our Horrible Times!

Secondly; I am afraid, I am afraid, that the Language of Fiends paſſes too much Unpuniſhed. Yea, that moſt Helliſh and Roaring Blaſphemies, are too patiently heard among us. It is to be fear'd, we are too Chargeable with that Error; Jer. V. 28. They overpaſs the deeds of the Wicked; Their nefarious Deeds are paſſed over, without any due Puniſhment inflicted on them. The Swearing, and Curſing, & Blaſpheming, that is grown to Faſhionable with ſome Satanic People, will never be Suppreſſed, if it be not Puniſhed. The Magiſtrate cannot Puniſh it, if he be not Informed of it. Be ſure, We all juſtly Expect, That in his own Preſence, he will never Endure it. But men think it hardly Honourable or Charitable to be Informers againſt theſe Offendors. That is to ſay; If a Mortal Man or Woman in Authourity ſhall be Reviled, or have their Authority Denied, Information ought to be given. But if the Great GOD be Affronted, Abuſed, Vilified, and His Authority Spit upon, this muſt not be worthy of an Information! Ah, Zeal of Piety, When wilt thou return to the Earth, which thou haſt ſo much Forſaken! There are Two Parties, into which the World is divided; God • s Party, and Satans Party. O Sons of Indifference, which Party do you belong unto?

But, Sirs; You caſt off Charity too! The very Charity pretended for! Did you Rebuke the Delinquent; And on the Rebuke did he promiſe Amendment? In ſome Delinquencies, this may go a Good way. But if it has not been ſo, the beſt Charity you can ſhow him, is to procure him that Gentle Puniſhment, which the Laws have provided for him. Tis Charity, to have him thus Admoniſhed, and Check'd, & Stop'd, in his Fatal Career. God Sanctifies the Strokes given by the Sword of the Magiſtrate. He is the Miniſter of God for Good, even unto Them, when he is a Terror to Evil-doers. If you let him go on without Controul, you Murder him; you ſee him running on to Perdition, & you do nothing to hinder him. Where's your Charity?

And, Methinks, Charity to the Publick ſhould prevail a little with you. If you knew of a man, that were going to Fire the Town, or to bring the Plague into the Town, would you give no Information of it? Verily, Theſe Criminals are doing ſo. They do what they can, and it is a Great Deal that they do, to bring down Deſolation from the Incenſed Wrath of Heaven upon the Town. The Deſolations are haſtened, by their being left Un-chaſtiſed. Chaſtiſements on them, are ſome of the Sacrifices, which would avert and keep off the impending Wrath of Heaven. Man, Loth to be called, An Ill Neighbour; Alas, Thou art a very Bad Neighbour. All the Neighbourhood is like to fare the worſe for thy Puſillanimity.

If all other Charity wax Cold, as I doubt it may; Yet, My Friend, A Little Charity for thy ſelf may move a little. By bearing due Teſtimony againſt ſuch Criminals, a, Liberavi Animam, is obtained; thou delivereſt thy own Soul, from a ſhare in the Guilt of their Tranſgreſſions. It is an Eaſy and a Common Thing, for men to make the Sins of other men their own, by this; They hear them & bewray them not. Becauſe they do not what they may, to have them fairly brought to Light, and Cenſured, they Contract a Guilty Fellowſhip in the Unfruitful works of Darkneſs. It is to be Suſpected, very many, very many among us, have lying upon us, the Sins of Other Men, deeply to be Repented of.

I have one Propoſal more to make; but one that I am not my ſelf the Author of. There are beyond-Sea, many Societies for the Reformation of Manners. They have Informed againſt many Thouſands of Swearing, and Curſing and Blaſpheming Wretches; and procured a Legal Animadverſion upon them. They Publiſh many Diſcourſes and Perſwaſives, to Encourage men in that Action of Informing. And one of their Encouragements is; A Charity to the Poor. Very much of the Fines on the Offendors, is by the Law there, [And ſo tis here!] aſſign'd unto the Poor. There is a Charity to the Poor, in Puniſhing ſuch Offendors, according to Law. I will take leave then to add this Conſideration. This TOWN has in it abundance of Charity to the Poor; The Town has many Charitably-diſpoſed People in it. M • Brethren, I dig open for you a New Spring of Charity. Spring up, O Well! The Fines which you procure to be laid on ſome whoſe demerits do call for 〈…〉 Poor, the Poor will fare the better for them!

Thirdly; When, when will Riotous and Blaſphemous Wretches t • ke the Warnings of God? There is a Loud Voice in the Tragedy's that ſometimes are ſeen among us; A Voice, to a Drinking and a Damning Generation. Tis that Voice; Pſal. L. 22. Conſider this, ye that forget God, leſt I tear you • n pieces & there be none to deliver you. You ſee, O ye hardy Fighters againſt God, you ſee what befals your Fellow-ſinners. Will not your Hearts be now at laſt affected with what you ſee? You ſee the Fulfilment of that Word; Eccl. VII. 17. Be n •• overmuch Wicked, neither be thou Fooliſh▪ Why ſhouldſt thou dy before thy Time? And will you not leave off your Wickedneſs, till tis cut off by your dying before your Time?

Yea, I am to tell you, That you have ſeen Two Things in this World, ſometimes hapning to ſome of your Self-murdering Brethren, which may give you awful Intimations of what you muſt Expect more dreadfully to ſuffer in another World.

One thing is. You have ſeen them Siezed by Evil Spirits; hurried out of their Lives, by the undoubted Energy & Agitation of Evil Spirits. Into the Hands of ſuch Evil Spirits will you one day be caſt, by the Indignation of God. And Oh! how horribly will they handle you! Souls, You will be in the Place of Torments, when you are in the Place of Dragons.

But None, Oh, None in ſuch Danger of having Satan Enter into them, as thoſe Prodigies, who when they have been Blaſpheming of God, and Debauching of themſelves, will a few Hours after Preſumpteouſly come unto the Table of the Lord. It may be fear'd, Satan will ſo Enter into them, that they ſhall anon be aſtoniſhing Spectacles!

Another thing is this. You have ſeen the Rage and Force and Fire of a provoked Conſcience in them. When Conſcience has been Provoked and Awaked in them, they have been a Terror unto themſelves, and unto all round about them. They have choſen Strangling rather than Life! If you go on, you muſt undergo the Tortures of a Conſcience, which will be as a Worm that never dies, a Fire that never ſhall be quenched. And ſuch a wounded Spirit, Oh, Who can bear it! Who can bear it!

Conſider theſe things. Let your Eye affect you Heart! After ſuch Spectacles, Oh, Hear & Fear, & do no more ſo Wickedly!

VI. Are we not Surrounded with Unconverted Sinners? O Deplorable Spectacle! Deplorable Spectacle! Man, Thou art thy ſelf yet Unconverted▪ if thou art not Affected with it. How diſmal Spectacles was Egypt once filled withal, when there was not an Houſe in all the Land, wherein there was not One Dead! For many Ages they kept up an Anniverſary Commemoration of it, with very dolorous Ejulations▪ Alas, My Friends; It may be fear'd, there is hardly an Houſe in the Town, but there is in it One Dead. In many, they are All Dead; All Dead! People not Converted unto God and Chriſt and Serious Piety, are, Eph. II. 1. Dead in Treſpaſſes & Sins. Oh! Lay to Heart the Spectacle! If there were Two or Three Hundred Coffins with Corpſes in them, laid in the midſt of our Aſſembly, it would be a Frightful Spectacle. As many Unconverted Sinners as are now here, ſo many Coffins and Corpſes there are in the Aſſembly.

But I muſt bring the Spectacle a little nearer. PARENTS, Don't you ſee your CHILDREN yet Unconverted? Yet alienated from the Life of God? Oh! How can you bear to Look upon ſuch a Spectacle? A Blind Child would be a ſad Spectacle. Thy Unconverted Child is Blind: It cannot See the things of its Everlaſting Peace. A Deaf Child, would be a ſad Spectacle. Thy Unconverted Child is Deaf; It cannot Hear the calls of Heaven. What a ſad Spectacle were a Dumb Child? Thy Prayerleſs Child is a Dumb one. A Child Shrieking with the Stone, were a ſad Spectacle; enough to break an Heart of Stone. There is a Stone in the Heart of thy Child, that will not be perſwaded unto Religion. Yea, an Unconverted Child is one Poſſeſſed with the Devil. O Mournful, Mournful Spectacle!

But, how ſhould an Heart be affected with ſuch a Spectacle? How! Be concerned, Extremely concerned, for the Salvation of the Unconverted ones, and therefore for their Converſion from the Error of their Way.

I will ſay this eſpecially for that ſort of Unconverted Ones; Our CHILDREN. A ſad Spectacle! Children that, for ought we know, are brought forth for the Murderer? Oh! What ſhall we do on their behalf? Parents travailing over again for them, Speak to them; and Plead with them; and Pray for them; Yea, take them Alone with you, and cauſe them to Kneel down by you, and make them the Witneſſes of your Prayers & your Tears for them. Ask for them that Bleſſedneſs; 1 Chron. XXIX. 19. Lord, Give to my Child a Perfect Heart; Oh! Travail, till you ſee it accompliſhed.

I no ſooner turn my Eye from them, than I ſee another very ſad Spectacle! Our Unconverted OLD MEN. An Old Man, juſt Going, but not knowing Whither he is going. An Old Man, juſt Entring into Heaven or Hell, but not knowing which of the Two. A very Melancholy Spectacle! O Men of God, Go to them; Talk with them; Set before them their true Intereſt; Make them Wiſe unto Salvation, if it be poſſible; And, Oh, Do all you can, to make theſe Old People, become New Creatures, before they dye. Tis to be an Article of your care; Tit. II. 2. That the Aged Men be Sober, Grave, Temperate, Sound in Faith, in Charity, in Patience.

The Profeſſion of thoſe Children of Death, who have often been ſo Puniſhed as our Congregation has heard, brings to my View, one ſad Spectacle more; A Spectacle at which our Bowels ought to be moved Exceedingly. We have it, in our Unconverted SAILORS. Poor Men; Always Aſleep on the Top of a Maſt! We have no Bowels in us, if we are not moved at the Spectacle. SAILORS who ought to be the Beſt men in the World, how Bad are very many of them! And it is now generally ſaid, That tho' all the World knows they have had cauſe little enough, they have in the Laſt Ten years notoriouſly grown worſe and worſe. Ah! Evil Men! One would have ſcarce imagined them capable of Degeneracy: yet, they are ſenſibly Degenerated. Our Souls muſt Weep and Blood over them! They that have Underſtanding in the Times, apprehend, That (ſince we now ſee a Boyl on the Earth, or, a Plague raging in the Inland parts of the Old Roman Empire,) the next thing in the Prophecies to be Look'd for, is, that Second Vial of the Wrath of God; Rev. XVI. 3. Poured out upon the Sea, and it became as the Blood of a Dead Man, and every Living Soul died in the Sea. The Sea-faring part of Mankind, as well as the European Territories bordering on, or ſtanding in, the Sea, may feel the Effects of this Vial. Ah! poor SAILORS; with what a Stupefaction on them, are they Preparing for it! Can there be nothing done for them? This may be done. If Religious OWNERS, would compel their Maſters to uphold Religion and Good Orders aboard, and give them their Inſtructions, and make them know, that they ſhall be no longer for their Service, than they ſee them Executed; This would go very far, very far, in the Matter. Sirs, Take it into your Conſideration.

VII. I ought not to break off, without Minding my Hearers, That in Comfortable Spectacles alſo, their Eye ſhould affect their Heart, as well as in Miſerable Spectacles. If you ſee Others comfortably circumſtanced, Oh! Let it not be with an Evil Eye, with an Envious Eye. It is a very ill Character, that Some have not only ſo little Grace, but ſo little Wit as to manifeſt themſelves under the Power of; Pſal. CXII. 9, 10. A Good Man, his Horn ſhall be Exalted with Honour; The wicked ſhall ſee it and be grieved; he ſhall gnaſh with his Teeth & melt away. But then, Look on your own Enjoyments: What Spectacles have you, in your Houſes fill'd with Good Things? Your Tables, your Lodgings, your Deſireable Relatives. Oh, Let your Hearts be Affected with what you See. So Affected; Pſal. CIII. 1, 2. Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, & all that is within me, Bleſs His Holy Name. Bleſs the Lord, O my Soul, & Forget not all His Benefits. Go on; And Look on your Opportunities to Do Good; your Precious Opportunities. Let the Sight awaken you to Do all the Good you can for your Lives; to Spend all your Lives in the Doing of Good. Remember that Word; Prov. XIV. 22. Mercy & Truth ſhall be to them that Deviſe Good. I can't break off with a Word more Worthy to be kept in Remembrance with you!