Attentive Confideration of thefe two

points;

I. First, The Rule and Measure of our Duty, under a Proper Senfe of the Threatning in the Text; and

II. Secondly, The Punishment, which may be expected, if our Duty be not Fulfilled.

I. The Rule and Meafure of our Duty, under a proper Sense of the Threatning in the Text. And as the Sins of the Nation are affigned for the Caufe of God's Inflicting the Punishment Denounced · against it; our Duty, under a Proper Senfe of the Threatning, depends especially, upon Two Things;

ift, A Sincere and True Repentance for our own Sins.

2dly, Our Detefling and Bewailing the Sins of other Perfons, and Deprecating that Divine Vengeance, which may fuftly fall upon the Kingdom, on account of Their Sins, or, our Own.

1. Our Sincere and True Repentance for our own Sins. The Neceflity and Efficacy of True Repentance, are Fully reprefented, in this Moving Account of S 3

the

the Condefcending and Compaffionate Regard, which the Author of our Beings, hath to our Happiness: * Repent, and turn your felves from all your tranfgreffions; fo Iniquity fhall not be your ruine. Why will ye die? I have no Pleasure in the death of him that dieth, faith the Lord God; wherefore turn your felves and live ye. God is Abundant in Mercy and Commiferation towards Mankind; But ftill, Mercy it Self cannot fkreen us from his Wrath, if we will not be prevailed upon, to fulfil the Conditions of Mercy. Though he hath given us This Character of Himself, for our Encouragement and Confolation, that his Compaffions fail not; yet, that we may not Groundlefly Prefume upon Them, or, conceive Them to extend unto Persons who are not Proper Objects of Them, He gives this Remarkable Warning to Incorigible Sinners; I will dafh them one against another; I will not pity, nor fpare, nor have mercy, but deftroy them. Difobedience is the Only Means of Forfeiting, and Sin

Ezek. xviii. 30, 31, 32.

Jerem. xiii. 14.

Lament, iii. 22.

cere

cere Repentance the only Means of Regaining his Favour.

He, whofe Hand directs Thofe Arrows of Death, which we are now afraid of, is Diftinctly obferving, how Serious, or Superficial we are, in endeavouring to prevent their being levell'd at Us; and our Fate will be Determin'd by our Behaviour. It is not the Mournful Voice, or the Dejected Looks, but the True and Deep Contrition of our Hearts, that can Avert the Impending Judgments of God from us. Is not this the Faft that I have chofen, to loofe the Bands of Wickedness*? Our Conversion is the Proper Measure of our Hopes; and the Proportion of our Fears, is to be taken from our Impenitence. 'Tis left to our Choice, whether we will abandon our Sins, or our Safety; whether we will be veffels of wrath, or, veffels of mercy; whether we will be Defended, or Destroyed by the Almighty.

How shall we then be Particular enough in Recollecting, or Earneft and Vehement enough in Detesting and Bewailing, the

Ifa. lviii. 6.

S4

Sins

Sins and Follies of our Lives, and the Defects which may be chargeable even upon our Former Exercifes of Repentance itfelf? If it be found, after all Past Instances of Humiliation, that Worldly Men have ftill Relapsed into their Eager Love and Purfuits of the things of the World; The Drunkard and Glutton, into his Intemperance and Excefs; The Impure, into his Pollutions; the Proud and Supercilious, into his wonted High Esteem of Himfelf, and Contempt, or Neglect of Others; The Paffionate and Boisterous, into their Ufual Forgetfulness of Themselves, and Indulgence of their Tumultuous Paffions; The Slothful and Negligent in the Duties of Religion, into their former Lazinefs and Remiffness; the Hypocrite, into his Old Tricks of Falsecolouring and Mifrepresentation, retiring within his Cover'd Ways, and running the Fatal Rounds of Pretence and Difguife; The Factious, Prejudiced, and Partial, into his Inveterate Spirit of Faction, Prejudice and Divifion; The Uncharitable and Unmerciful, into his Customary, Impious Disregard to the Miseries of his Brethen;

Brethren: If in Thefe, or, any other Inftances of Iniquity, it be found, that, after all our Faftings and Humiliations, Sighs and Tears, Vows and Refolutions, we are ftill the very Same Men, have ftill run Back into the Dominion of the very Same Paffions, and Allowance of the Same Vicious Practices, as Before, we may Hence draw this Afflicting and Woful Confequence for our felves, That we are still Obnoxious to the Indignation of our Maker, we are still to Begin the great Work of our Repentance Afresh, and to Humble our felves before God, even for the Inefficacy and Unfruitfulness of our Former Humiliations before Him.

Whofoever is in this Unhappy Cafe, fhould obey the Prophet's Injunction, and Indeed Rent his Heart, under this Reflexion, That All he hath hitherto done, fignifies nothing; For All does fignify nothing, if he hath ftill fallen off from his Holy Purposes, if he hath still returned to his former Sinful Courses, and be still Swayed and Governed by his Unruly Paffions, of what Kind foever they be. Let