195 A A A A A A A AAAAA SERMON X. Shewing the Greatness of our Danger, and which way we may best procure the Safety of our COUNTRY.. A FAST SERMON, Preach'd January 14. 1703: JONAH 1. 6. What meanest thou, O Sleeper? Arife, call upon thy God, if fo be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. T HE resemblance between the Vol. II. it; and the Deportment of the Mariners Vol. II.is fo Wife and Religious, that it cannot but fuggeft good Rules for our Conduct. If we look upon the Condition of this Kingdom at prefent, it fails in bad Weather and a boisterous Sea; without are Storms and within is Guilt, and there is no way to fafety but by following the Example of the Mariners of Joppa; that is, by throwing over-board the Weight that is ready to fink us, viz. our Sins, and calling earnestly upon God, who alone is able to fay to the Winds and Waves, Peace, be still, who alone is able to procure our Safety by giving us either Victory or Peace. My Bufinefs therefore fhall be to awaken and rouze you in the words of the Ship-mafter to Jonah, What meanest thou, O Sleeper? Arife, call upon thy God, if fo be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. From the Words confider'd together with the Context, I obferve these two things which are a very proper fubject for our Meditation on this Occafion. I. That it is stupid and unreasonable to be fecure in the midst of Dangers, and thefe great and terrible ones. What meanest thou, O Sleeper. II. That II. That the Wifeft thing we can do in our present State, is to imitate the Example of the Mariners in this Chapter, which teaches us this one great and plain Truth, That our only way to fafety is to fly to God, to appeafe his displeasure and implore his Favour. Arife, call upon thy God, if fo be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. I begin with the Ser. X. It. That it is ftupid to be fecure in the midst of Danger. There are too many amongst us who are infenfible of our Danger, who live as in a deep Security, even when we are ready to be swallow'd up by the Indignation and Wrath of the Almighty. This is not to be imputed to their Innocence, but Obduration; it is with these as it was with Jonah, the reft of the Paffengers were at their Prayers, when Jonah was fast asleep in the fides of ver. 5. the Ship: He lay at his eafe, when the reft were filled with Fears and Terrors, and yet they were innocent, he was the Criminal, it was he that had rais'd the Storm, it was his Deftruction that Heaven aim'd at. Did I fay many amongst us are infenfible? I may, I fear, add Vol. II. most amongst us are too little concern'd for the Dangers that threaten us. Have I not reafon then to endeavour to awaken you by a plain and juft Expoftulation, What meanest thou, O Sleeper? What can be the Caufe of fuch a Stupidity as this? Do you really think that the Kingdom is in no Danger, or do you alone hope to escape the Evils which threaten it when others fuffer? If the first of these be your meaning, you must either conclude that we can't be conquer'd by our Enemies, or that we have little to apprehend from it if we be: If the latter, you must have Reasons for it which I am not now willing to inquire into. I will therefore apply my self only to examine the Grounds of the former fort of Security, how we come to promife our felves either that we can't be defeated by our Enemies; or that the Effects of their Conqueft will be fo mild and gentle that we have no reason to be very follicitous about the Event of this long, this bloody, and expenfive War. As to the firft of thefe; have we any reafon to defpife the Enemy we have to do with? Their Numbers, their Unity, their Difcipline, their Diligence, their Difpatch, and that fupply of Wealth which they draw from the Weft-Indies hould, should,methinks, makeMen of very com- Ser. X mon Parts form a very different Idea of 'em. It is true two or three profperous Campaigns did very much raife us, but the last as much mortified us; for it has prov'd by Matter of Fact that we may be baffled, that we may be beaten, that the Grandeur of France which has been long railing cannot be foon pull'd down, and that they have ftill Courage and Policy enough not only to defend themselves, but to weaken us, and that after the lofs of Three terrible Battels. But alas! if we could contend with their Armies, yet have we reafon to fear our own Sins; for if God hath raised this Storm, how fhall we be able to weather it? If he be come forth against us, what Power, what Policy is able to withstand him? And is there not too just a ground to fear that this is our Cafe? Was ever Christianity more openly attack'd than it is amongst us? Was ever a Kingdom more divided against it felf than ours is? Was ever any People more infenfible of Mercies, and more ungrateful for Deliverances, or more incorrigible under Judgments than we have been? Can Pride, Luxury, Lewdness, Intemperance and Fraud reign any where more licentiously than it does here? Nay there are O 4 rifen |