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Profperity, can be fure of poffeffing his SER M. Soul with that Humility and Meeknefs, which Adverfity would teach him? or that, in Adverfity, can be fure he should not be puffed up by a courfe of Profperity; fo as to make it to himself a much greater Evil, than the Affliction he is now fo uneafy under, and the Usefulness of which he is fo loath to be fenfible of?

2. ANOTHER End of God's fending Afflictions and Troubles upon Men, is to lead us to Repentance for our past Errors. This is excellently expreffed by Elihu ; (Job xxxvi. 8;) If they be bound in fetters, and be bolden in cords of affliction; then he fheweth them their work, and their tranfgreffions that they have exceeded; he openetḥ alfo their ear to difcipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. When a wicked man profpers in all his worldly affairs, and his defigns are crowned with perpetual Succefs; when he is furrounded on all fides with undisturbed Plenty, and all his appetites are gratified with the conftant injoyment of Eafe and Pleafure; 'tis no wonder that he forgets the God that is above, and confiders that not for all thefe

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XII.

SER M.these things God will call him into judgment : Good Admonition and Advice makes no impreffion upon his Mind, and the serious exhortations of Religion find no room to enter: He is apt to put far from him the Evil day'; and to fay to his Soul, Take thine eafe, eat, drink, and be merry; we will fill ourselves now with new wine, and to-morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant ; (Is. lvi. 12.) Perfons in this State, the Scripture every where represents as in the most dangerous condition: Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, faith St James, and been wanton; ye have. nourished your hearts as in a day of flaughter; Jam. v. 5. Wo to them that are at eafe in Zion; Amos vi. 1. I am very fore difpleafed with the Heathen that are at ease; Zech. i. 15. Moab hath been at eafe from his Youth, and he has fettled on his lees; Jer. xlviii. 11; i. e. has gone on careleffly, in a long and uninterrupted courfe of Wickedness. The greatest Bleffing and Happiness, that can befal fuch perfons as thefe; the greatest instance, of the mercy of God towards them; is, the fending upon them fome great Affliction;

which, like a fevere medicine in a very SER M. dangerous diftemper, may awaken them XII. out of their Lethargy and Stupidity; may cause them to confider, and entertain fober Thoughts; may bring them to a right understanding, of themselves and of their own Danger. The filent inftruction, of Reason and true Wisdom; the soft voice of God, in the gentle admonitions of Confcience not yet terrified with any great Fear, is not attended to, by inconfiderate Perfons; is not heard in the Hurry of Paffions, that have been long used to prevail; and among a multitude of Appetites, which have been conftantly accuf tomed to be gratified without denial. But when the Judgments of God are abroad in the Earth, then the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness; If. xxvi. 9; Then men begin to confider with themfelves, what their State and Condition is; and Confideration, is the foundation of Repentance, the firft motive and beginning of Religion. Of This, an eminent inftance is recorded in the Hiftory of Manasseb; who, in his Profperity made Judab and the inhabitants of Jerufalem to

err,

SER M. err, and to do worse than the Heathen XII. whom the Lord had deftroyed before the

children of Ifrael: But in his captivity, when he was in affliction, he befought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers; 2 Chr. xxxiii, 9, 12. And the example of his Repentance was afterwards as eminent, as that of his Impiety before had been pernicious. This is the proper effect of God's Judgments in the World; And if these last and feverest Exhortations to Repentance, have not that due effect upon Sinners; their cafe then becomes defperate and without hope. Nothing then remains, but that God leave them to themselves; For, why Should they be stricken any more? they will revolt more and more; If. i. 5. This is the greatest and most extreme, of all the Temporal Curfes of God; I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your Spouses when they commit adultery; Hof. iv. 14. And 'tis the proper confequence of not being brought to Repentance by this last Admonition, even by Afflictions themselves. Thus God complains of the impenitency of the Jews,

Am.

Am. iv. 6, &c. I have given you want of SER M. bread in all your places, and have with- XII. bolden the rain from you, and have Smitten you with blafting and mildew; yet have ye not returned unto Me, faith the Lord. I have fent among you the peftilence after the manner of Egypt, your young men have I flain with the fword; I have overthrown Some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah; yet have ye not returned unto Me, faith the Lord. And 'tis fet down as part of the character of the Kingdom of the Beast, the Kingdom of Antichriftian Tyranny, the corrupteft State of men that ever was in the world, Rev. xvi. 9, 11; that they blafphemed the name of God, becaufe of their pains and their plagues, but repented not of their deeds, to give glory to the God of Heaven: That is, to return from their Idolatries, Superftitions and Follies, to the rational Worship of the True God, in Righteoufnefs, Charity and Truth. This Incorrigibleness, is the worst and most desperate state, that wicked men can poffibly arrive at in the present World: But the proper and natural Effect of God's Judgments, if they would hearken to

them,