together in the Prophecy, as they were by God united in the Execution; certain it is, That a greater and more amazing Inftance of the Divine Vengeance upon a particular Nation, has hardly been known from the Beginning of the World, than that of their Deftruction; nor fhall there, I fuppofe, be any Parallel, to the very End of

it.

But it is not my Defign to enter on any Reflection of their Punishment, but to enquire rather what it was that Mofes here fo much wishes they would have done, in order to the preventing of it; what that great Defect was, which was the Caufe of all their Evils.

Now that, in one Word, was Inconfideration: A Fault certainly very great in that People, than which none had ever received more clear and fenfible Proofs of the Divine Power and Goodnefs. They had feen the Miracles by which God had brought them up out of the Land of Egypt, and continued to conduct them now almost Forty Years through the Wilderness. They had beheld his Majefty, when himself in that terrible Manner, that we read in the xixth and xxth Chapters of Exodus, vouchfafed to give them his own Law from Mount Sinai. Nay, that nothing might be wanting to awaken a stupid and infenfible People, they had known his Fudgments too in the Punishment of their Sins. They had feen the DeftruEtion which their Fathers had fuffer'd, and they were here exprefly foretold what Evils themselves and their Pofterity fhould hereafter undergo for their Impiety. Yet was not all this fufficient to awaken their Confideration to a Sense of their Danger, and a Care to prevent it.

And now I would to God these Jews were the only Men we could justly charge with this Neg

lect;

lect; and that our own Indifferency in the concern of our Duty, did not equally tax us with the fame Inconfideration. But alas! I fear, were we here to enter on a Review, we fhould find but too juft a Parallel, both in our Danger, and in our Ingogitancy: And that a very little Reafoning upon the Methods of God's Providence, without the help of a Prophetick Spirit, might be more than enough, to make any fober, confidering Man tremble, to think what fhall be the Confequence of fuch a general Infenfibility as we have these many Years shown, notwithstanding all his Mercies and his Judgments in vain made ufe of to reclaim us. At least, I hope it will be abundantly fufficient to Apologize for me, if I beg Leave, efpecially at fuch a Seafon as this, freely to expoftulate with you in the Words of Mofes in the Text:

O that ye were Wife, that ye underflood this, that you would confider your latter End!

In fpeaking upon a Subject, both in its felf fo important, and to us fo neceffary; that I may, if poffible, not omit any Thing that may ferve either to excite or to direct the Practice of it, I fhall endeavour with all the Plainnefs I can, to Difcourfe to you of thefe Four Things:

If, Of the Danger and Mischief of Inconfide

ration.

Ildly, I will enquire into the Caufes of it.
IIIdly, I will offer fome General Rules for the
Practice of Confideration. And,

IVthly, and Laftly, Will clofe all with fome
Motives that may ferve to ftir you up to the
Discharge of your Duty, in fo great and impor-
tant an Inftance of it,

I be

I begin with the Firft of thefe.

I. Of the Danger and Mischief of Inconfide

ration.

It has been the ufual Method of moft Cafuifts, in enquiring into the Caufes of Sin, to expose the Mischief, and aggravate the Danger of thofe particular Temptations that are the immediate Occafions

of it.

Hence there is hardly a Man fo little inftructed in Morality, that has not learnt to run into an Invective against the Interefts and Pleafures, the Honours and Riches of this World; that the good Chriftian muft refolve either to abandon them as much as is poffible, or at leaft to quit all undue Efteem, and inordinate Defire of them.

But the great and Catholic Caufe of all our Evils, Inconfideration; this is either not at all, or but very lightly touch'd upon by them. So far are men from expofing the Danger of it, that I believe there are few who have yet learnt to place it in the Number of their Temptations, or that think themselves at all concern'd to provide against

it.

Very neceffary therefore it is, before I proceed to thofe particular Propofals I am hereafter to make for the Removal of this Evil, that I fhould first convince you of the Neceffity there is of fetting about it; to fhow you, that of all the Artifices of the Devil, this has been the moft fuccessful; that whatsoever Strength any other Temptations may feem to have, 'tis all derived from the Influence of this. In a Word, That Riches, and Honour, and Pleafure, and Intereft, feduce fome Particulars only; triumph over the Weakness of fome certain

Difpofitions that are more peculiarly apt to be moved by them. But that Inconfideration is a general Snare, ftops not at Particulars, but carries all before it: The On, Laft, Univerfal Caufe of all our Sins, being no other than this, That we do no confider as we ought, what our Duty is, and what our Obligations are to the Practice of it.

And ift, It cannot be denied, but that this Inconfideration exposes us to every Temptation which the Devil fhall think fit to lay in our Way; is very often the Caufe that we are tempted at all, but always the Reason that we are overcome by the Temptation.

I fhall not need to fay how many Sins Men fall into, for want of confidering, and knowing that they were fo. I would to God the frequent Excufes that are drawn from this Topick, did not too fully fhew, how great a Cause this is of our of fending. There is hardly a more general Plea in the Mouth of every Sinner, than that he meant no Harm in what he did, but either he did not know, or he did not think that it was unlawful. But then I am fure we must refolve to lay afide this Excufe altogether, and confefs it to be as falfe, as indeed it is for the most Part frivolous; or we must be allowed to conclude from it, that this want of Confideration expofes Men to infinite Temptations, by keeping them in an unwarrantable Ignorance of what they might have known, and ought to have Confider'd.

But they are not only the Ignorant that are concern'd in this Danger. He who knows his Duty the best, is yet oftentimes no lefs furprized by his Incogitancy, than he who is the most Ignorant of it. The Devil, who knows our weakest Times, and conftantly watches his Advantage, ne

ver fails then efpecially to affault us, when he fees we are least upon our Guard, and by Confequence leaft in a Condition to refift him. And if by a diligent Care of our felves, and Attention to our Duty, we are not as ready and prepared to refift thofe Temptations which may be apt to folicit us from it, as we are otherwife well inftructed in the Duty it felf, 'tis evident, that our Enemy will have a very great Advantage against us; and 'tis Odds, if for want of being prepared to fight, we are not for the most part overcome by him.

3

For 2dly, And which may be alone fufficient to confirm my Affertion, that 'tis our Inconfideration that is the real, ultimate Cause of all our Sin; be it obferved, Secondly, That there are in our Religion, fuch Motives, fuch Engagements to Obedience, that were they but duly weighed, it would be impoffible for a Man ever to live wickedly.

And indeed he must be a very great Inftance of this Defect I am now fpeaking of, and never have confidered any Thing at all of his Religion as he ought to do, that can reasonably doubt of what I now fay..

Is there any among us that has but once ferioufly reflected on the Nature of God Almighty: How excellent his Goodness is, how Terrible his Juftice? With what an irreconcilable Hatred he profecutes Sin and Sinners for its Sake? That he is Omnipotent, and cannot be Refifted: Omniscient, and cannot be deceived: Nay, that he is Prefent with us, fees our most retired Actions, and will one Day bring them all to Light, in Prefence of the whole World, in the Day when He Shall judge the World in Righteoufnefs. Is there any one here, that has but feriously confider'd all this? Let him then

fay