i

1. HUMBLE our felves for our past Sins.

2. CAREFULLY obferve his Statutes and Ordinances for the future.

3. AND often earnestly intreat his Prefence and Bleffing.

1. IF we would gain God's Prefence and Affiftance, let us humble our felves for our paft Sins.

THO' we have many excellent Laws to check and reftrain Sin; tho' we have a Queen, who ftrives by Example and Proclamation to put them in execution; tho' the Light of the Gofpel fhines upon us with a more than common Brightnefs; yet when! alafs! when was Vice more rampant than in our Days? Among the many that cry Lord, Lord, how few, how very few, are there that do the Will of our Father which is in Heaven? Where, O! where is that Zeal for God! that Concern for Religion! that Care of Life and Conversation! that was once found, and that ought to be in all the Profeffors of Chriftianity Godliness is almost grown out of fashion, and Prophaneness by too many thought handfome and modih. Ab finful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, a Seed of evil Doers, Children that are Corrupters: We have forfaken the Lord, we have provoked the Holy One of Ifrael unto Anger, we are gone away backward, Ifa. 1.4. How long has Pride rid triumphant in our Streets? How many are there that tofs the facred Name of God on their impious Tongues, on every or no Occafion? How common is it to fee the Drunkard lie wallowing with the Swine in his Filth and Naftiness? What a general Contempt is there of facred Things? How have the great Myfteries of our Religion been ridicul'd and bantered, and all the Means of Grace flighted and despised? What a Spirit of Malice and Envy has there been lately discovered amongst us? What Mobs and Tumults have there been rais'd by those who pretend not to resist or

dif

difobey? What Cruelty, what Bloodshed has there been committed by fuch as would be thought the most peaceable Subjects in the World? How eager have we been to pull down each others Houfes, dafh out each others Brains? Is this agreeable to the Example of a meek Jefus, the Practice, of the primitive Chriftians, or the Rules of the Gofpel of Peace? Is this acting like Men, like Country-Men, like Neighbours and Brethren? Could Bears or Wolves do worfe? And wid not the Lord vifit us for these things? Shall not his Soul be aveng'd on fuch a Nation as this? Jer. 5. 9. He is a Holy God, he will by no means clear the Guilty, Exod. 34. 7. Or look on Iniquity, Hab. 1. 13. The Nation and Kingdom that will not ferve him, shall perish, yea, thofe Nations fhall be utterly wafted? Ifa. 60. 12. Therefore while we continue in our Sins, can we reasonably expect God's Prefence and Bleffing? Surely no: But if we will humble our felves, and heartily repent, we confidently may. Our Father is willing to receive and embrace returning relenting Prodigals. When Ephraim began to bemoan himself, when he turned and repented, when he was inftructed and fmote on his Thigh, when he was afhamed, yea, even confounded, because he did bear the Reproach of his Youth; hear how God commiferates him: Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleafant Child? For fince I fpake against him, I do earneftly remember him ftid: Therefore my Bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have Mercy upon him, Jer. 31, 18, 19, 20. And at whatsoever Instant God shall speak concerning a Nation, or concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to put down, and to deftroy it: If that Nation against whom he has pronounced, turn from their Evil, he will repent of the Evil that he thought to do unto them, Jer. 18. 7, 8. As vile and provoking therefore as we have been, if we will humble our felves, we may hope that God will yet mercifully regard us. O come then! let us fink, fink into the very Duft, before our God; let a fhameful Blush now cover our Faces; let the Thought of what we have done, what we have deferved, ftrike us deep; Let R1

( 14 )

vers of Waters run down our Eyes, because we keep not bio Law, Pfal. 119. 136. Let us be like the Doves of the Valleys, all mourning every one for his own and others Iniquity, Ezek. 7. 16.

2. IF we would gain God's Prefence and Affiftance, let us alfo carefully obferve his Statutes and Ordinances for the future.

A CHILD muft not only be humble and penitent for his paft Faults, but alfo dutiful and obedient for the time to come, if he would gain and preferve the Favour of his Father. A Traitor or Rebel must not only be forrowful for his Crime, but loyal too in his future Actions, if he would be regarded or advanced by his King. Thus, if we would be blessed by God, we must not only lament past Miscarriages, but reform and amend. The Wicked must turn from all the Sins they have committed, and keep all God's Statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, if they would live, Ezek. 18. 21. The Condition on which Ifrael of old was to be bleffed, was turning to the Lord with all their Hearts, and with all their Souls, and keeping all his Commandments and Statutes which were writ ten in the Book of the Law, Deut. 30. Samuel told the People, That if they would not have the Lord forfake them, they muft ferve him in Truth with all their Heart, 1 Sam. 12. 24. The Prophanation of the Sabbath, Coldnefs and Lukewarmnefs in the Service of God, and a proud Contempt of Ordinances, have ruin'd many famous and flourishing Churches. O let us take Warning then by their Fall! Let us not pursue that Course which lcd them to Destruction: Let us all with Zacharias and Elizabeth, walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless, Luke 1.6. Let us each ftrive to reform our felves, and not be afraid of thofe hard Names, or that ill Treatment Reformation may procure; but for our God, for our Country's Sake, endeavour to reform others also. Let us become a chofen Generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, hewing forth the Praifes of bim, who has called us out of Darkness into

his

his marvellous Light, 1 Pet. 2. 9. Let us prife Ordinances; fanctify Sabbaths; attend on, and wifely improve Sermons; prepare for, and in a fuitable manner, fit down at the holy Table: In fhort, yield the exacteft Obedience to every Command, and then we may be affured of God's Prefence and Bleffing.

3. Laftly, IF we would obtain thefe, we must often and earnestly intreat for them.

55.6.

GOD is the greatest Beauty, and the beft Friend, and therefore expects, as well as deferves our utmost Address and Application: Sometimes indeed, his Goodnefs prevents our Defires, but generally he waits our Requests,e're he confers on us his Favours; the Ifraelites were not only to humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways; but they were alfo to pray and feek God's Face, e're he would forgive their Sins and heal their Land, 2 Chron. 7. 14. and if we would be deliver'd, or fav'd, we must call upon him in time of Trouble, Pfal. 50. 15. We muft feek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near, Ifa. 55. 6. and for our Incouragement, he has promised to be nigh to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in Truth, Pfal. 145. 18. If therefore we would have God's Prefence in our Land, we fhould heartily and frequently beg for't; we fhould fet apart fome Days for Prayer and Supplication, and whenever we got to the Throne of Grace for our felves, we fhould be mindful also of our Dear Country; we should pray that God would not shower his Mercies on our Heads and Houfes only, but on the Nation in general. We fhould intreat him to preserve and councel our Queen, to bless his Church, continue our Liberty, heal our Breaches, be a Wall of Defence around us, and a Glory in the midst of us, and then we may expect his gracious Prefence.

2dly, ANOTHER Branch of our Duty, If we would be a happy People, is to be regular in our Carriage to each other.

THO' 'tis not wholly, yet 'tis much in our Power to make our felves a happy People: Our Happiness

сод

16 )

confifts in good Government, and a due Obedience; in Liberty, Peace and Union, as well as Health and Plenty, Safety and Victory; and thefe depend much on our own Tempers and Behaviour. Let's not then be wanting to our felves, let's not wilfully withstand our Common Good, but with one Confent obferve whatever is neceffary to the Profperity of our beloved Country, particularly these three things which are evidently of that Number.

1. CONFINE our felves to the Bufinefs of our particular Stations.

2. BANISH all Malice and Hatred, and embrace. each other with a hearty Affection.

3. AND do good to all according to our Capacity.

1. Let us confine our felves to the Bufinefs of our par ticular Stations.

THO' we are all fixed in the fame Firmament, yet we have different Spheres, fome higher and fome lower to move in; the Body Politick as well as the Body Natural has different Members, and each Member is affigned its particular Office, and ought to keep to it: Should the fhining Orbs above grow eccentrical in their Motions, they'd fpoil the Beauty and break the Harmony of the Universe, and dafh againft and deftroy each other: Should the Members of the Body ufurp each others Office; fhould the Ear pretend to fee, and the Eyes to hear; fhould we strive to walk on our Hands or Head, or contrive and work with our Feet, would not the Sight be monftrous, the Pain great, the Lofs very confiderable? So in the Body Politick: Should untemper'd Zeal, foolish Curiofity, or Pride and Ambition put Men on fuch Undertakings as they were never qualify'd for, or called to by Providence; inftead of ferving the Interest, they'd indanger the Safety, and interrupt the Happiness of the whole Society. Of the Truth of this, we have too notorious an Inftance fresh in our Memories: By

what