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A31110
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A sermon preached at St. Mary le Bow before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, on Wednesday the 16th of July being the fast day by Samuel Barton.
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Barton, Samuel, 1647 or 8-1715.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing B991; ESTC R16055
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17,246
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41
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of it and accept the Invitation that God gives us to become better 'T is time for every man to begin a Reformation of himself and his Family and all as far as he has Influence and therein to follow the Conduct and advance the Work of that Good Providence which seems now to be vindicating the oppress'd Cause of True Religion and which though we have highly deserv'd Gods Anger yet has open'd a way to us to become yet a very happy if we will but be a reform'd People And I insist the more on this because I verily believe that were mens Vices and Debaucheries well cur'd it would prove a great healing of all our Divisions and Differences it being but too notorious that many seek to encrease and set forward these not so much for any real concern they have at the bottom for one side of the question or the other as for fear that if we should agree there would in time be a more strict Rein of Discipline laid upon their Necks and they should not be suffered to be so openly Prophane and Licentious This makes too many list themselves in that Party which they think will give least restraint to their beloved Vices who in the mean time little concern themselves which side has the Truth or so much as where the real difference lies But certainly it seems a very plain case that 't is the Duty of every Christian as to live according to the certain and uncontested Rules of Piety and Virtue so to joyn himself in the worshipping of God with those who have the Advantage of a Publick and Legal Establishment so far as he may do it without Sin And if but so much as this were well considered and conscientiously put in Practice it were enough to make us a very happy Nation and to Cure many of our worst Distempers Such Admonitions as these if we would be perswaded to take we need not at all question the good Effects of it But if after all that God has done for us by his Providence in a way of Chastisement or in a way of Mercy there still appear no amendment among us as we shall highly deserve so I know no Reason but we should expect to fall under severe Judgments And tho' God may give us that success at present which he sees necessary to the carrying on other ends of his Providence in the World yet we may assure our selves of this that he can never want means to punish us And though we were totally deliver'd out of all the dangers that at present seem to surround us yet more and greater Evils may still arise and are like to do so so long as Wickedness shall continue uncontrol'd and our Lives unreform'd If too general an Impenitence shall still prevent our happiness which God forbid and provoke him to exercise severity toward us there is yet this Comfort to every particular Person that will but be faithful in doing his Duty that by a due Preparation to meet the Evil the Burthen of it may be greatly lightned which was the 4th Observation drawn from the words and from it I shall only make this my last Inference and so conclude viz. 4. That whatever evil may come upon us it is our greatest Wisdom not to be taken unprepar'd We see what Misery some would bring upon us For we have too great cause to suspect there are those among us that car'd not tho' they ventur'd the subjecting this whole Nation to a forreign Yoke of most miserable Slavery so they might but have their Ends for the present And we are confidently told what I am very loth to believe and am resolv'd I will not believe till I see it evidently prov'd that there are some who call themselves Protestants who yet stick not in a most lewd and flattering Address to invite the Common Enemy of their Religion and Liberty to rescue them from what they call a cruel Usurpation But I cannot perswade my self that so great a Wickedness should enter into the Hearts of any number of Men that go under that Character And if it did I should think that in the next place they would apply themselves to the great Enemy of Mankind to free them from the Tyranny of God Almighty But we have seen also that which gives us far more just cause to apprehend our selves in danger That our manifold Provocations and great incorrigibleness that has hitherto appear'd may very justly expose us to heavy Sufferings A general Repentance and Reformation would no doubt prevent any such thing Yea the great Mercy that God has so lately shew'd us is a manifest indication that he is not willing to deal with us as we have deserv'd But since we cannot promise our selves any security 't is our wisest-way to prepare for the worst It will not be lost labour though it never come We are never so fit for a prosperous condition as when we are ready if God call us to it to submit to an adverse and can heartily pray that his Will may be done If we have Peace in our own Consciences and Peace with God we are then ready to meet him in any of the Varieties of his Providence and may say with the Prophet Habakkuk Although the Figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines tho' the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat though the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet we will rejoyce in the Lord we will joy in the God of our salvation Hab. 3.17 18. But till we be reconcil'd to God and have Peace with him 't is impossible we should be ever safe in any times amidst the manifold Vicissitudes of this Life Let us labour therefore to obtain this Peace by a true Repentance and forsaking all our past sins and by bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance by Universal Righteousness and Holiness of Life and more particularly at this time by Charity and Almsgiving to such as are in need which is a Sacrifice alwayes acceptable and well-pleasing to God and then especially most proper when we would appease his Anger or implore his Blessing or render our thanks to him for his great Mercy and Goodness to us All which we have now occasion to do I conclude therefore with those words of the Psalmist which are a great Encouragement to Liberality and Bounty to the Poor especially in times when men are apprehensive of any Danger Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in the time of Trouble The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive that he may be blessed upon the Earth and will not deliver him to the Will of his Enemies Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us Everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace Comfort your Hearts and stablish you in every good Word and Work To him be Glory for ever and ever FINIS