SERM.selves and blowing up their own designs, XVI. involving themselves in the Calamities ~ which they designed for others; in

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word, if turning wise men backward, and making their knowledge foolishness; if confounding the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprize; if taking the wife in their own craftiness, and turning down the counsel of the froward headlong; if all these things, I say, be tokens of Providence interposing in any great event; then are This day's Deliverances certainly of that kind. Thus was Pharaoh overwhelmed, when he had just overtaken the Children of Ifrael; Thus did Haman perish, when he had procured a royal decree, and had fixed a time to destroy the Jews; And thus were numberless other designs, mentioned in Scripture, disappointed by strange, and to human Wisdom, unaccountable Providences. Let us then acknowledge the hand that worked these things for us, and express our acknowledgments in fuitable Thanksgivings : Let us declare God's works, that is, publickly glorify his special Providence, and celebrate his adorable dorable perfections displayed in such ex-SERM. traordinary events ; and provoke others XVI. to confider and do the fame; that men may praise 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 bis might, and of his wondrous works; 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 so 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 Pfalmist, when he had praised God for paft Deliverances, saying; Blessed 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 Snare of the fowler, the snare 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

SERM. 2dly, Since God hath already vouchXVI. fafed This Nation so many and great De

liverances from the Attempts of Popish Superftition and Cruelty, we ought to be greatly careful to prevent the spreading of that Superftition, that we again feel not the Effects of its Cruelty. That which was spoken by Ezra upon a like occafion, may most fitly be said by Us, at this time; Ezra ix. 13; After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses, feeing that thou our God haft punished us less than our iniquities deferve, and haft given us fuch deliverances as these; should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations; wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst confumed us, so 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 so often felt the ill Effects of; and to be diligent in endeavouring to reclaim Those who have been feduced by it, or have been unhappily educated in the Prejudices of it. God

has indeed by great Deliverances freed this SERM. 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 Christ came into the World to save: And no

SERM.thing can be more proper to convince XVI. good and well-meaning persons of the Er

ror of That way, than to show them visibly how much the Principles of the Reformed Religion are more agreeable to the common Design of Religion and to the Spirit of Christ, than the Doctrines of Rome are. But above all, the greatest and most effectual means that we can poffibly use to prevent the growth of Popery and Superftition, is to be infinitely careful not to run into that Atheism and profane Libertinism, which is the contrary extreme to Superftition. For as unreasonable Superftition enflaves the Minds of men, and makes them so uneasy under the yoke, that they often fly off into the contrary extreme of Irreligion and Profaneness; fo the natural Effect of Profaneness, when men see the intolerable Consequences and Mischiefs of it, is to drive weak Minds into the other extreme of Superftition. If therefore while we fly from the Superftition of Popery, we run into the Contempt of all Religion; that profane Libertinism will probably terminate in Popery again.

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