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XV.

cious and injurious to his Fellow-creatures; SER M. what Religion he profeffes, imports little

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 ftill continue Lovers of Violence and Contention? What matters it in point of Truth, to have rejected the unintelligible Doctrines of Rome; if men ftill continue fond of unintelligible Notions? What matters it in point of Virtue and real Goodnefs, to have departed from the Superftitious Practices of Rome; if men will ftill be fond of Superftitious Practices? The Religion of Christ confifts, in the Worship and Love and Imitation of God, and in univerfal Charity and Good-Will towards Men. The One of thefe, is the First and Great Commandment, and the Other, fays our Lord, is like unto it: And on Both of them, depend the Law and the Prophets, and the Perfection of the Gospel of Chrift. If Proteftants at any time depart from This Principle, they depart from their Profeffion: And whenfoever they do so, they justly provoke God to deliver them

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SER M.up again into That Darknefs, from whence XV. they have escaped; and into the Power of That Tyranny, from which they havę often been fo marvellously delivered,

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SERMON XVI.

Providential Deliverances from
Slavery.

[Preached on the 5th of November.]

PSA L. xxxiii. 10.

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

T

Devices

HIS Pfalm, is a Pfalm of SER M.
praise and Thanksgiving, up- XVI.
on the Subject of God's works
of Creation and Providence ;
and the royal Author of it,

feems in his enumeration of the Works of
God, to equal the Wonders of Provi
dence with thofe of Creation. Ver. 6; By

the

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SERM.the word of the Lord were the heavens XVI. made, and all the host of them by the breath

of his mouth; be gathereth the waters of the fea together as an beap, be layeth up the depth in ftore-boufes; Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world fand in awe of him; for be pake and it was done, be commanded and it flood faft: The Lord bringeth the counfel of the heathen to nought, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect,

THE reafon why the Pfalmift thus joins the works of Creation and Providence together, as equal Subjects of Praife and Thanksgiving, was the many wonderful Deliverances which God had worked for the Nation of the Jews in general, and (if this Pfalm be his) for the perfon of David in particular; many of which Deliverances were fo 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 Defigns of the Enemies having fometimes been laid with fuch Secrecy, and fometimes

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carried on with fuch strength, that all SER M. Hopes from natural Caufes ceafing, it XVI. feemed that no lefs Power, than that, which as it created, fo it governs all things, could be able to disappoint them, Wherefore the Pfalmift having declared the Weakness and Infufficiency of all other Causes, and the Uncertainty of all other Hopes which men ufually depend upon, concludes, ver. 12; Bleed is the nation whofe God is the Lord, and the people whom be bath chofen for his own inheritance.

Now, excepting fome few cafes, wherein God exerted his Almighty Power in plain and undisputed miracles; the Deliverances which Providence has worked at feveral times for this our Nation from the profeffed Enemies of its Religion and Liberty, have been in no wife inferior to the greatest Deliverances that God ever vouchfafed 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,

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