banks. There is a growing untenderness among all ranks in church and ftate. Our very gold is become dim; religion is turned with many into mere form and fhew, and many have quite loft the very form which they had.

2. The notable ftand which the fuccefs of the gofpel is now at, Luke xiii. 7. It is near about forty years we have in peace been drinking in the rain of the gofpel; but where is the fruit now? Heb. vi. 7. 8. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh eft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dreffed, receiveth bleffing from God: but that which beareth thorns and briers, is rejected, and is nigh unto curfing; whofe end is to be burned. This church is like land now fo long laboured, that it is worn out. Look to our temple, and we may see a departing glory, a fad prefage; Ezek. ix. 3. 4. And the glory of the God of Ifrael was gone up from the cherub whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house, and he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his fide; and the Lord faid unto bim, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerufalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that figh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midft thereof. The white horfe of the gospel defpifed, is followed with the red and pale horfe; and contempt of the marriage-feaft with destroy'ing armies. Confider that alarming paffage, If. vi. 9. 10. 11. Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but underfand not; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not. the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes: left they fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then faid 1, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wafted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly defolate.

Make

3. Incorrigibleness under former ftrokes, partly threatened and partly inflicted, as in Amos iv. See

ver. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Ifrael: and becaufe I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Ifracl. O how often has the Lord been threatening this generation, thefe bygone years, with defolating strokes; yet has mercifully prevented, or carried them off without coming to an extremity! But ftill as the new deliverance came, the generation has grown a degree worse, till it has arrived now at a height.

4. Few mourners in Zion left among us. Many of them are now removed by death, whose room is not filled up, If. lvii. 1. Such as remain, there is a damp on their spirits. The mouths of a praying remnant for a finking land are much clofed, and their prayers returned into their bofom, as for a generation of wrath.

5. The ftriking at the root of Christianity, by the atheism and infidelity of the generation. That bitter root began to fpring forth fhortly after the revolution: but the magiftrate effectually interpofing, and making one an example to the reft, it was curbed. But now it has fpread broad and wide, and the proper divinity of the Son of God is attacked through the three nations by many. And the hands of the general affembly of this church have been filled with matter of that fort. It was the oppofition to the Son of God that ruined the Jewish nation, and it is like to be the drop in the cup of Britain and Ireland, that will make it run over.

6. Laftly, The leffer ftrokes going through the whole land at this day, as figns of greater to come. Trade is decayed through the whole land, in the mean time a dearth of victual, an unusual stroke upon the flocks, great fickness, and frequent deaths in every corner, and a threatening feafon, whereby the earth is made as iron already. These things look like warnings of worse to come.

II. I fhall fhew how we under that appearance fhould

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fhould fuit our fpirits to the difpenfations of the day, not feeking great things.

1. Awake out of your golden dreams of worldly ease, and lay your account with tribulation and trial, If. xxxii. 9. 10. Rife up, ye women that are at ease, hear my voice, ye careless daughters, give ear unto my fpeech. Many days and years hall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage fhall fail, the gathering Jhall not come. There is a difpofition in all to dote this way, and build castles in the air that will never be inhabited. It is fo with carnal men, who are often finging of peace, when destruction is at the door; as was the case with the rich man in the gospel, Luke xii. 19. 20. I will fay to my foul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine eafe, eat, drink and be merry. But God faid unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee : then whofe fhall thofe things be which thou haft provi ded? And even good men are apt to fall into fuch doting; Job xxix. 18. Then I faid, I fhall die in my neft, and I fball multiply my days as the fand. And it is evident from the cafe of the difciples on the mount of transfiguration, who faid, Lord, it is good for us to be here, Matth. xvii. 4. What was their fate? Peter was crucified, James was flain, John was banifhed into a defolate ifland, though he afterwards died in peace. If ye mind for heaven, at all times ye shall meet with tribulation, John xvi. ult. Though ye hold the broad way, it is like in this time ye meet with tribulation.

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will

2. Set not your hearts upon the world's wealth, the filver and gold, the corn and cattle; for ye may foon find them like a fandy brae, that will flide away with you: but if ye be weaned, and make God and his promises the stay of your heart, ye will be able to ftand in the evil day, Hab. iii. 17. Let Chrift be your all, and then blow what wind it will, all yours fhall be fafe.

3. Seek nothing, lefs, nor more, in

any way inconfiftent

confiftent with juftice or charity to your neighbour. Do not dare to drive on your own intereft in any unjuft way. Diveft not yourselves of mercy and charity to others, in pursuing your own intereft, without any bowels of compaffion. It is very ordinary in a time of public calamity, for one to build up himself on the ruins of another. For that fort of work already, God is contending, and will not overlook it; If. xxxiii. 1. Wo to thee that spoileft, and thou waft not spoiled; and dealeft treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee: when thou shalt ceafe to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou fhalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. James ii. 13. For he fball have judgement without mercy, that hath fhewed

no mercy.

4. Be content with, and thankful for the little that ye have, and take God's fecurity for what ye want. For he hath faid, I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee, Heb. xiii. 5. He that has taken fome from you, might juftly have taken all; and whatever he has taken from you, he might have taken your forfeited life. when he took it. Therefore acknowledge ye are his debtors, and let not your crofles and trials make you overlook mercies.

5. Sit quietly under your cloud, be it thinner or thicker, till the Lord be pleafed to make it clear, and bring you forth to the light, Micah vii. 9. Whatever yoke the Lord lays on you, bear it tamely: and it will not gall your neck, be it never fo heavy. Say as David, Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother: my foul is even as a weaned child, Pfal. cxxxi. 2.

Laftly, Seek the things that are most neceffary for yourfelves, and in them ye will not be difappointed; Luke x. ult. One thing is needful. And Mary hath chofen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. It is to ftir up hereunto, that God denies men great things of this world.; for it is hard to have

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great things of this world, and not to flight the neceffary things. And thefe are two.

(1.) Seek the happiness of another world, Matth. vi. 33. Seek ye firft the kingdom of God, and his righterufnefs, and all these things fhall be added unto you. The more that providence frowns upon our lot here, let us be the more eager in our pursuit of a portion in heaven. If God refufe to give us our good things in this life, let us take it for an intimation, that he will have us to infist for them in the other life; Matth. vi. 20. 21. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be alfo.

(2.) Grace for the way to it, especially for the time of trial, how to get cleanly through. The moft neceffary thing in a time of private affliction, or public calamity, is grace to carry right under it. That is more neceflary than deliverance, as the foundness of the foul and confcience is more valuable than ease to the outward man.

III. I fhall fhew wherefore fuch an appearance fhould bring us off from feeking great things for ourfelves. It may have this influence on us, if we con→ fider,

1. That we have enough to do otherwife, in preparing to meet the Lord, Amos iv. 12. When the Bridegroom is on his way, and the voice is heard, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him; it is not time for the virgins to be trifling, but going out to meet him. When the heavens are growing black above one's head, it is not for one to be lying at ease on the grass, but to make away to the house; as did Noah, Heb. xi. 7. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not feen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the faving of his house; by the hich he condemned the world, and became heir of the ghteoufnefs which is by faith.

2. Such