صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

ścious and injurious to his Fellow-creatures; SERM. what Religion he professes, imports little XV. more to his Moral character, than the Shape or the Colour of his Cloaths. What matters it in point of Religion, to deteft the Violences and Perfecutions of Rome; if men still continue Lovers of Violence and Contention? What matters it in point of Truth, to have rejected the unintelligible Doctrines of Rome; if men still continue fond of unintelligible Notions? What matters it in point of Virtue and real Goodness, to have departed from the Superstitious Practices of Rome; if men will still be fond of Superftitious Practices? The Religion of Christ confifts, in the Worship and Love and Imitation of God, and in universal Charity and Good-Will towards Men. The One of these, is the First and Great Commandment; and the Other, says our Lord, is like unto it: And on Both of them, depend the Law and the Prophets, and the Perfection of the Gospel of Christ. If Protestants at any time depart from This Principle, they depart from their Profession: And whensoever they do so, they justly provoke God to deliver them Aa 4

up

SERM.up again into That Darkness, from whence XV. they have escaped; and into the Power W of That Tyranny, from which they have often been so marvellously delivered,

SERMON

SERMON XVI.

Providential Deliverances from
Slavery.

[Preached on the 5th of November.]

PSAL. xxxiii. 10.

The Lord bringeth the Counsel of the Heathen to nought; be maketh the Devices of the People of none Effect.

T

XVI.

HIS Pfalm, is a Pfalm of SERM. praise and Thanksgiving, upon the Subject of God's works of Creation and Providence; and the royal Author of it, seems in his enumeration of the Works of God, to equal the Wonders of Provi dence with those of Creation. Ver. 6; By

the

SERM.the word of the Lord were the beavens XVI. made, and all the host of them by the breath ~~ of bis moutio; be gathereth the waters of

the fea together as an beap, be layeth up the depth in ftore-bouses; Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him; for be spake and it was done, be commanded and it flood fast: The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought, be maketh the devices of the people of none effect,

THE reason why the Pfalmist thus joins the works of Creation and Providence together, as equal Subjects of Praise and Thanksgiving, was the many wonderful Deliverances which God had worked for the Nation of the Jews in general, and (if this Pfalm be bis) for the perfon of David in particular; many of which Deliverances were so extraordinary and remarkable, that they could not poffibly have been brought about, but by the peculiar influence of that divine Providence, which mightily over-rules all things; the Designs of the Enemies having sometimes been laid with fuch Secrecy, and sometimes

car

carried on with such strength, that all SERM. Hopes from natural Causes ceasing, it XVI. seemed that no less Power, than that, which as it created, so it governs all things, could be able to disappoint them, Wherefore the Pfalmist having declared the Weakness and Insufficiency of all other Causes, and the Uncertainty of all other Hopes which men usually depend upon, concludes, ver. 12; Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom be bath chofen for his own inheritance.

Now, excepting some few cafes, wherein God exerted his Almighty Power in plain and undisputed miracles; the Deliverances which Providence has worked at several times for this our Nation from the professed Enemies of its Religion and Liberty, have been in no wise inferior to the greatest Deliverances that God ever vouchsafed to the Nation of the Jews. We need not search for other instances, nor mention the many Examples, which cannot but offer themselves to every one's thoughts. The Two great Deliverances which we This Day commemorate, and are met together to return Thanks to God for,

« السابقةمتابعة »