wound that work has got in our day: and it has proceeded to a cafting off the covenants for it in principle, and a cafting dirt on the faces of our zealous forefathers, as unenlightened in the matter. Yea and the root of Christianity has been ftruck at, by calling in question the neceffary exiftence and independency. of Christ the great God our Saviour. It is true, our church has teftified her difpleasure with the men that have given these bold ftrokes: but they cease not for all that to be fad symptoms of wrath. So it was with the Jewish church before their deftruction.

Sympt. 2. In the mean time the pillars of the land fail. Many mourners in Zion and wreftlers are taken away by death. The generation of profeflors is exceeding naughty, their converfation generally ftumbling and offenfive, fitted to expofe religion to the contempt of others, and to fright them at it, turning religion into mere fhew and talk, without any tolerable regard to the duties of morality; fo that we may fay, that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away, and be at reft; and, Oh, that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the flain of the daughter of my people! And finally, there is a decay and damp on the fpirits of the truly-godly, that they are fighing and going backward, in worfe cafe at this day to meet with trials than several years ago.

Sympt. ult. We are far on in the time of the delay, and the controverfy is ftill ftanding and increafing. Therefore we may conclude, that the days are near, and the effect of every vifion.

The last branch of the doctrine is, When threatened wrath long delayed does break out, the days of it are readily very fore, all coming on together. For,

1. The grounds of the controverfy are always increasing with an impenitent people fpared. As the fnow-ball the farther it is rolled, and the water the

farther

farther it runs, is the bigger; fo when all comes to be laid together, it makes fwelling accounts.

2. As fin increafes wrath increases, Rom. ii. So the longer judgement is a-coming, it is the forer when it comes. When God enters on the plea, he pursues for both principal and intereft together. Hence,

3. The ftroke in that cafe is fudden, fore, and of various kinds. Like a water long dammed up, breaking out at length, it comes down fuddenly, and overflows all its banks.

Repent therefore, and betake yourselves to Jefus Chrift, if fo be ye may be hid in the day of the Lord's anger, Sinners day will come at length, and a fad reckoning they will have.

But come what will come, let not the godly defpond. In the forest days, it shall be well with the righteous. See a strange word, Luke xxi. 25. 28. And there fall be figns in the fun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth diftrefs of nations, with perplexity, the fea and the waves roaring, &c. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. What though there arise a strong wind, rending the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces, and after that an earthquake, and after that a fire; the Lord may be coming after all in a still small voice, as he did in Elijah's time, 1 Kings xix. 11.

The

Lord may bring on the heaviest judgements on our land, nay even make it nearly defolate, yet out of the ruins of the whole, he may rear up a stately building to himself, and give to fuch as fhall furvive the defolating stroke to see glorious days.

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A Caveat against feeking great Things in an evil Day.

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SERMON

Preached at ETTRICK, on a Fast-day appointed by the Synod of Merfe and Teviotdale, April 24. 1729.

JEREMIAH xlv. 5.

And feekeft thou great things for thyself? feek them not; for behold, I will bring evil upon all flefb, Jaith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

PRO

Rovidence is vifibly frowning on the land at this day, and on the country, infomuch that few or none of us all have miffed of these frowns, one way or other. Our great duty is to fuit our fpirits to the difpenfations of the day. And the voice of God to each of us seems to be that in the text, And seekeft thou great things for thyself? &c. O that we were as fure of the well-grounded application of the latter part, as we are of the former.

This is a part of God's meffage to Baruch, a wellinclined pious young man, fetting out in the world. He was Jeremiah's fcribe, and read the roll, chap. xxxvi. Thereupon an order is iffued out to apprehend him, and he is forced to abfcond. He is dif couraged with that, and very uneafy, one trouble coming on him on the neck of another, chap. xliii. 5. inftead of the great things he had in view. In the words we have,

1. A check to him for the fret he was in, upon what he had met with. And therein,

(1.) He is rebuked for his golden dreams of worldly eafe and comfort, the entertaining of which had made him fo uneafy on his disappointment; And feckeft thou great things for thyfelf? He is not rebuked for feeking fimply: a time of trial fhould be a time of requests, a praying time; but then we fhould be fure to feek aright. He was fecking great things for himself; not the great things of another world, that is never unfeasonable; but the great things of this world, worldly eafe, reft, and profperity: and had he fought thefe with due fubmiffion to the will of God, it had not been ill taken; but he fought them inordinately, being on the fret on the disappointment. And therefore he is rebuked here, as for a thing unfeasonable, fhameful, and unreasonable.

(2.) He is peremptorily ordered to humble and quiet himself, and fuit his spirit to the difpenfation of the day; Seek them net: Lay your neck under the yoke; be as a weaned child; and be mainly concerned how you may be carried through in the day of the Lord's anger.

2. The reafon of this check given him. Wherein, (1.) An univerfal calamity coming on the land, is laid before him: Behold me bringing evil on all flesh, Heb. A general stroke is on its way, when all will be in the utmost confufion, by the Babylonians. Is it time for you to be painting your own cabin, when the whole fhip is finking? to be dreaming of eafe, when the Lord is rifen up to break down, and pluck up the whole land?

(2.) The moft that was to be expected in such a day, viz. to efcape with the life, and that the Lord affures him of, his life for a prey in all places whither he went. He intimates, that, ere all was done, he fhould be well content to quit the great things, fo that he could escape with the life. He fhould have a toffed life of it, going from place to place; but God

would

would protect him, when many bulls should lie on

the green.

The fubftance of the words may be fummed up in the two following doctrines.

DOCT. I. The appearance of God's bringing a ftroke on all, fhould bring off men from feeking great things in a world for themselves, and move them to fuit their fpirits to the difpenfations of the day.

DocT. II. It should move men, under fuch an appearance, that a time may come, that they fball think they win well away that win away with their life. I fhall explain each doctrine in its order.

DocT. I. The appearance of God's bringing a stroke on all, fhould bring off men from feeking great things in a world for themselves, and move them to fuit their fpirits to the difpenfations of the day.

In difcourfing this fubject, I fhall fhew,

I. What appearance there is of a general stroke coming on all at this day.

II. How we under that appearance fhould fuit our fpirits to the difpenfations of the day, not feeking great things.

III. Wherefore fuch an appearance fhould bring us off from feeking great things for ourselves.

I. I shall fhew what appearance there is of a general stroke coming on all at this day.

1. Univerfal corruption of life and manners, as was the cafe in the antediluvian world, Gen. vi. 12. 13. God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God faid unto Noah, The end of all flesb is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold, I will deftroy them with the earth, A. deluge of fin is a prefage of a deluge of wrath. The former is let in upon us, and no wonder the latter follow. Profaneness overflows all its banks.

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