SER M. felves and blowing up their own defigns, XVI. involving themselves in the Calamities which they defigned for others; in a dorable dorable perfections displayed in fuch ex-SER M. traordinary events; and provoke others XVI. to confider and do the fame; that men may praife the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men; that they may offer the facrifice of thanksgiving, and declare his works with gladness; that they may speak the glorious honour of his might, and of his wondrous works; that they that they may declare the glory of his kingdom, and talk of his terrible acts. Let us trust and place our Affiance in God, who hath done fo great things for us already whereof we rejoice; and learn from the confideration of former mercies, to rely upon Providence for Deliverance in future Dangers. Thus the Pfalmift, when he had praised God for past Deliverances, faying; Bleffed be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey into their teeth; Our foul is escaped as a bird out of the fnare of the fowler, the fnare is broken and we are escaped; immediately he adds in the next words; Our help, that is, our Trust and Dependance for the future, is on the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. VOL. VI. Cc 2dly, SER M. 2dly, Since God hath already vouchXVI. fafed This Nation fo many and great De liverances from the Attempts of Popish Superftition and Cruelty, we ought to be greatly careful to prevent the fpreading of that Superftition, that we again feel not the Effects of its Cruelty. That which was spoken by Ezra upon a like occafion, may moft fitly be faid by Us, at this time; Ezra ix. 13; After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trefpaffes, feeing that thou our God haft punished us less than our iniquities deferve, and haft given us fuch deliverances as thefe; should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations; wouldft thou not be angry with us till thou hadft confumed us, fo that there should be no remnant nor escaping? It highly behoves us therefore to be very vigilant in preventing the growth of that Superftition, which this Nation hath already fo often felt the ill Effects of; and to be diligent in endeavouring to reclaim Thofe who have been feduced by it, or have been unhappily educated in the Prejudices of it. God has indeed by great Deliverances freed this SER M. Nation from the immediate and immi- XVI. nent Dangers of its prevailing Cruelty; but there are still great Remains of That Superftition in the Nation; and it has by great Industry even to This Day been fo propagated amongst us, that our Superiours have almost every year been obliged to confider of new means to prevent it, and to recommend to all fuch as have any opportunity, to endeavour heartily the putting a stop to it. The first means that we should use to this purpose, is to endeavour to convince them, with all meekness of Temper, that the Doctrines of Rome are not the Doctrines of Chriftianity; and to demonftrate to them by the Influence it hath upon our Lives and Practice, that our Religion is better than theirs. Our very keeping up the Remembrance of This Day, is a fufficient Testimony, how contrary to the Spirit of Christianity and how utterly unjustifiable we account that Zeal, which under pretence of Religion fubverts even common Humanity, and destroys Mens Lives which Chrift came into the World to fave: And no SER M.thing can be more proper to convince XVI. good and well-meaning perfons of the Er ror of That way, than to fhow them vi fibly how much the Principles of the Reformed Religion are more agreeable to the common Design of Religion and to the Spirit of Chrift, than the Doctrines of Rome are. But above all, the greatest and moft effectual means that we can poffibly ufe to prevent the growth of Popery and Superftition, is to be infinitely careful not to run into that Atheism and profane Libertinifm, which is the contrary extreme to Superftition. For as unreasonable Superftition enflaves the Minds of men, and makes them fo uneafy under the yoke, that they often fly off into the contrary extreme of Irreligion and Profaneness; fo the natural Effect of Profanenefs, when men fee the intolerable Confequences and Mifchiefs of it, is to drive weak Minds into the other extreme of Superstition. If therefore while we fly from the Superstition of Popery, we run into the Contempt of all Religion; that profane Libertinifm will probably terminate in Popery again. WHERE |