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felves before God to deprecate the wrath, that is gone forth against this finful Nation.

When the measure of Iniquity is once filled up; when men have finned to such a certain pitch, and shew no remorse, no senfibility of their crimes; then even infinite Mercy can spare no longer: the order of Government, that the fupreme Ruler has fixed; the rules of Justice, that invariably guide his Decrees; and the Balance, in which Nations are weighed; all these require, that Vengeance should take place of Mercy; and that the most merciful of all Beings fhould at length make bare his holy arm, and shake terribly the Earth.

But the Prophet has taught us, how to avoid these just judgements of God, Only fear the Lord, and ferve him in truth with all your heart, which is fo reasonable a fervice, that no man who owns a God and a Providence can object against it.

That a Creature fhould love, honour, and obey his Maker, his Benefactor, his Preferver, his God, carries manifeft demonftration. Creation indeed, unless attended with

goodness,

goodness, has no strict right to Worship; but the Being, who is cloathed with Majefty and Honour and Goodness, has a manifest claim. For is it not reasonable to revere that Power, which can both fave and destroy? to venerate that Honour, which is the most excellent in all the earth? to repay his Goodness in the best manner, we can, whofe tender mercies are over all his works?

To act otherwife would in effect be to deny the existence of that Power, which formed us; to refuse to pay honour, where the greatest is due; and to fly in the face of that Goodnefs, which exerts itself continually in our behalf: which are all such contradictions to reason, that common fenfe and gratitude are ashamed and confounded to find that there are any fuch inftances among that race of Beings, who of all others are the most indebted to the great and indulgent Father of the Universe.

If we fearch the Scriptures to confirm the reasonableness of paying worship to the Supreme Being, the teftimonies are fo many that it would be endless to enumerate them;

the

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the whole Bible is but one continued

argument for it; and all the distinct paffages fo many steps that lead to the grand demonftration.

The power, the wisdom, the goodness, employed constantly for our benefit, carry as many proofs as there are facts recorded, that flow from those adoreable Attributes.

What the true fear and fervice of God is, cannot be better expreffed to us Chriftians than in the Liturgy of our own Church, nor better practised than by a conftant attendance upon her public Worship: and faith thus exemplified in your lives will be a means to soften the Divine Justice, and to diffipate the clouds, that hang over us.

Let the Knees, which have never bowed to Baal, fall down humbly before the Throne of Grace; let the pure Hands, which have never offered incenfe to Saints, or Angels, or fuch strange Gods, be lifted up in fincere adorations to the True one; let the Hearts of the whole Kingdom become broken and contrite; let our Tongues continue to be our beft Members by earnest interceffions for pardon

pardon and protection; and we humbly truft that God will shew himself as mighty to fave a penitent, as to deftroy a guilty Nation.

The crying fins of this Nation are Infidelity in fome, and Lukewarmness in others: let Infidels but once correct their lives, and they will inftantly correct their judgements; let the numerous fect of the almoft Chriftians become altogether fuch, and their Lives will foon answer to the purity of their Faith: our folemn Sabbaths will no longer be contemned, as fit only for the Journeys of the Great, and for the fottish merriment of the Vulgar; and Affemblies and Gaming will no longer be used by the polite world, as the only proper paftimes of that day, which ought to be devoted to more religious exercises.

But, beloved, I hope better things of you; and that you will continue to practise fuch things, as accompany falvation, by which you will be able to fave both yourselves and others.

If

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If the Prayer of one righteous man availeth much, what success and weight will all the united prayers of a whole Kingdom have, truly converted from fin to a real life of holiness? They will take Heaven, as it were by violence, difarm the Almighty of his thunder, and exchange a state of enmity for that of ftrict alliance between them and their God.

Thus upon Jonah's uttering, yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown, the people proclaimed a faft, and put on fackcloth from the greatest of them even to the leaft of them. And the King himself arofe from his throne; laid his robe from him, covered him with Sackcloth, and fat in afpes, and caufed it to be proclaimed by the decree of the King and bis Nobles; Let neither man, nor beaft, herd nor flock taft any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water; but let man and beaft be covered with fackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence, that is in their hands: who can tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce

anger,

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