It is not for Man to Determine, or, Imagine, what Number of fuch Holy Supplicants may fuffice to Avert the Wrath of God, that he may fpare the place, for their fakes. But we are certain, from the Scriptures, that he Particularly Regards the Duties of fuch Faithful and Devout, and Zealous Servants, as Oppose themselves to the Iniquities of their Countrey; And Therefore it is, that, after he had charged the Jews with all their Abominations, before he Proceeds to execute his Vindictive Juftice upon Them, he gives in this Observation, * I fought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and ftand in the Gap before me, for the land, that I should not deftroy it; but I found none. In one Inftance, He condefcended to Declare, what Determinate Number of Righteous perfons in a Government fhould fuffice to Prevent the Deftruction of the Whole. And who would not Wish and Labour to be ranked in fuch a Bleffed Number? Who would not Crown his Repentance

* Ezek. xxii. 30.

for

for his Own Sins, with all the Effects of a True Sorrow for the Sins of his Brethren, thereby Contributing to Their Present Safety and Happiness, as well as his Own?

But if any man fhould fail, This Day, of Teftifying in his Heart, under the Prefence of God, the Searcher of Hearts, and Hereafter, in his Words and Actions, as Occafions fhall Require, his Abhorrence of any of the Sins, which Appear in the Nation, and Threaten to bring Mischief upon it; let him be well Apprized, how far he would be Anfwerable to his Countrey, if it should be Depopulated by a Monster, which he will not lend a hand to Deftroy; how Properly he may be accounted a Partaker of the Sins, which he does not, Proportionably to his Power and Opportunities, Oppose and Discountenance, and not only fo, but which he does not fo much as Disapprove and Deteft; and, by Consequence, how far he may be Accountable for those Calamities, which National Guilt may bring upon us.

And, that the Reasons of the Duty, which have been offer'd, may be the more fubfervient to the Present Great purpose of our Reconciliation to God, let us Apply them, briefly, to a Few Particulars, under which every one may try himself, by the General Obfervations that have been made, and form a Competent Knowledge, whether he Contributes, by an utter Disapprobation of his Brethren's Sins, and the Proper Effects of it, to the Prefervation, or, by his Approbation of them, and the Effects of That, to the Defruction of his Countrey.

The Particulars, which I fhall mention, do nearly concern All Chriftians; and yet, to fuch an Inexcufable and Prodigious Length are we run, in our Divifions and Animofities, that they now reach to Points, which are the Common Cause of all the Faithful Difciples of Chrift. And This very Thing might be here infifted on, as a Principal Article amongst those Sins of Others, which every Man ought to Deteft and Bewail, if the Charge of it were not fo General and Comprehenfive, that I thought it Proper to be mention'd

mention'd under the First Head of this Discourse, concerning every Man's Repentance for his own Particular Sins. There is little stress to be laid upon our Repentance, so long as we Act by the Flagitious Principles of Partiality, Prejudice, and Refpect of Persons, and that even in the Things of Religion. It can neither be Concealed, nor Excufed, that we are beset with Men fo Abandon'd to Bigotry and Prejudice, that they commonly graft a Disesteem and Neglect of the Duties and Principles of Christianity, upon their Averfion, and Unjuft Aversion too, to the Perfon, by whom they are vindicated, or recommended, if he Differs from Them in any Point relating to their Secular Interest. This is fuch Confummate Iniquity, fuch a Readiness to Offer up God upon the Altar of Mammon, that nothing Lefs, than the Streams Iffuing forth from the Fountain of Infinite Mercy, could Hitherto have fufficed to wash off the Stains of it's Tranfcendent Guilt. 'Tis next to an Impoffibility, that a Kingdom fo Wretchedly, fo Impiously Divided, fhould ftand.

This being obferved concerning This Depravity, the Wild Spirit of Divifion, which indeed mixeth more or lefs, with Most of our other Depravities, I proceed to those Particular Sins of Other Men, which were proposed to be mention'd, as worthy of our Deteftation and Sorrow. And the

1. First of them is, A Neglect and Contempt of Revealed Religion. There are Men to be found, who have set up their Reafon for their Idol; who have fixed their own Natural Notions for their Only Guides, Difregarding and Despifing the Guidance, and the Authority of God's Holy Word, which is given them, from Heaven, for the Adequate Rule of their Lives. Let thofe for ever give up their Pretenfions to Just Thinking, as well' as to Religion, who will not Allow the Highest Reverence towards thofe Scriptures, whofe Divine Authority is attested by fuch Evidence, as Nothing but Perverfeness can Reject, and Common Senfe obliges us to Believe. We must strike out of our Minds all our Notions of the Distance betwixt the Almighty, and our

Selves,