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SERMON VII.

A Faft Sermon.

DEUTER.

XXVIII. 21.

The Lord Jhall make the Peftilence cleave unto thee, until he have confumed thee

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may

UCH are our Prefent Apprehenfions, and fuch Caufe have we to very Apprehensive, of That great Evil, which is here denounced, that the Sound of the Words in the Text well make both the ears of every one that heareth it to tingle. The Danger of this Severe Judgment, which we dread, is not very far from us; And the Reafons, which, in Respect of Religion, we have of dreading it, too Nearly S 2

concern

concern us: For it cannot be Denied, and ought, with all poffible Humility, to be Confeffed, that it would be Just in God, to bring Evil upon us, even the year. of our Vifitation.

Ought we not therefore to be Serious and Thoughtful, Studious and Sollicitous, Impartial and Particular, in Confidering and Applying the Reasons of God's Inflicting the Punishment here Denounced? And These are obfervable from the 15th ver. It fhall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to obferve to do all his Commandments and his Statutes, which I command thee this day; that all these curfes fhall come upon thee; And to This is fubjoyned an Enumeration of the Various Curfes, including That in the Text, which their Difobedience would Infallibly bring upon them, and which their Obedience would effectually Pre

vent.

Under this Relation of the Text to the Context, the Subject and the Occafion of this Difcourfe do require our

Atten

Attentive Confideration of these two points;

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

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

may filled.

I. The Rule and Meafure of our Duty, under a proper Senfe 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 efpecially, upon Two Things;

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

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

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

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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 shall 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 Groundlesly Prefume upon Them, or, conceive Them to extend unto Perfons who are not Proper Objects of Them, He gives this Remarkable Warning to Incorigible Sinners; I will dash them one against another; I will not pity, nor Spare, nor have mercy, but deftroy themt. 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 loose the Bands of Wickedness*? Our Converfion 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.

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Sins

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