a fualties incident to human Affairs and human Life; or that, if the destroying Angel should be authorized to vifit the Houses around You, he shall have it in Charge to pass over Your's. This would be a Difcrimination, for which the Retributions of the prefent State were never intended. But it should be fufficient, that, with regard to Retributions of infinitely greater Moment, the Foundation of GOD ftandeth fure: Should Your Habitations and Your Lives, with Thofe of all that are dear to You, be involved in the fame Ruin with Thofe about You; amidst all this Confufion, the LORD knoweth them that are His, and will publickly own them as fuch in that Day when He maketh up His Jewels: When He will put a final Difference, and enable Men and Angels to discern, between them that have ferved Him and them that ferved Him not. b To Conclude: We of this Nation, after having, for fome Years paft, been awakened by many awful Calls upon Us of various Kinds, feem now to be upon the Brink of a War: A State, burthenfome and uncomfortable at beft; and in which, notwithstanding the commendable Activity of our Preparaa 2 Tim. II. 19. b Mal. III. 17, 18. tions, and our supposed Strength at Sea, I prefume, no wife Man would, at any Time, pronounce Us fuperiour to Danger. But, if Glorying in our own Might ever can be peculiarly unseasonable, it must be so at a Time, when Variety of Terrours, ftill farther furpaffing all human Efforts, have lately alarmed us on every Side, and may be to us alfo (how foon we know not) the Beginnings of Sorrows.--At fuch a Juncture, highly proper muft it be for Us, as a Nation, thus publickly to humble ourselves for our manifold Tranfgreflions before the LORD of Heaven and Earth; and thus devoutly to recommend ourfelves and our Caufe to His Protection and Bleffing. And, if these seasonable Acts of Devotion be but accompanied with a fincere Repentance for our Perfonal Sins, and fucceeded by a lafting Reformation of our National Conduct: We may then fecurely a Truft in the LORD for ever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting Strength: We may then humbly hope to avert His Judgments now in the Earth from falling upon our own Part of it; as alfo, by His Affiftance, either to difpofe our Enemies to be, upon reasonable Terms, at Peace with us, or effectually to defeat their unreasonable Enterprizes against a If. XXVI. 4. us. b a us. --- However, fince we can neither be anfwerable for the Refolutions of Men nor the Events of Things; fo long as we confcientiously discharge the Duties of our respective Stations, we shall the lefs need to be afraid of any fudden Fear, or even of Defolation itself when it cometh. Our proper TREASURE is beyond the Reach of fuch Cafualties: And ill would it become Us Chriftians, to be terrified on fuch Occafions as if our ALL were at-stake, or to be inconfoleable for any Loffes we may happen to sustain, like Men without Hope of any future Reparation. We know, that, if our earthly Houfe of this Tabernacle were diffolved, we have a Building of GOD, an Houfe not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens. If this ancient City (which may Providence ever preferve!) should share the Fate of other flourishing Cities lately as little apprehenfive as Itfelf: Yet We look for a City, that hath Foundations, truly so called, whofe Builder and Maker is GOD. Nay, should That great DAY of the LORD come, whilst We ourselves are alive and remain; in the which (we are affured) the Heavens fhall pass away with a great Noife, and the Elements Shall melt with fervent Heat, the Earth alfo C c Heb. II. 10, a with all the Works that are therein shall be burnt up!-- Nevertheless We, according to His Promife, look for new Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth RIGHTEOUSNESS. "Of which Righteousness, O merciful God, may the Inhabitants of the World so learn the peaceable Fruits from Thy Judgments here on Earth, that thy CHURCH may joyfully ferve Thee in all Godly Quietness; 'till We finally come to the perfect Exercife, the full Fruition, of It in Thy Everlasting Kingdom: Through JESUS CHRIST, our LORD." Amen. a 2 Pet. III. 13. |