publishing to the World that our teaching the Truths of the Gospel is but Priest-craft and our Pressing a Good Life but a Trade that by these base and sinister Methods they may through our sides more effectually wound and undermine the Religion we Profess and Defend and make Men dissolute and regardless of God and their Duty But thus much may suffice to evince the incontestable Truth of the first Proposition that Impiety and Irreligion are at this Time very prevalent amongst us I now proceed to Prove 2. That this ought to be matter of the deepest Humiliation and Sorrow to all good Men and especially to those that are in Stations of Eminence and Authority such was David a Great and Pious Prince in Israel and therefore Rivers of Waters ran down his Eyes because Men kept not Gods Law For the greater and better Men are the more hearty and affectionate concern they must needs have for the Glory of God the Honour of Religion the Welfare of the World and the Prosperity of that particular Kingdom or Civil Society of which themselves are Members and upon all these Accounts they have just cause to be afflicted and humbled for the Confederate Insolent attempts of Wicked Men to disturb or destroy the Tranquility and Happiness both of Church and State 1. Such Persons may consider that the Infidelity and Luxury of a Nation is the ready way to provoke God to Unchurch us and to remove our Candlestick out of its Place the Scripture tells us that when God is most angry and resolves to punish a People most severely he threatens them not so much with Temporal Losses as with Spiritual Judgments as to deprive them of their Pastours and Teachers to remove their Candlestick to send a Famine of the Word among them and to leave them to themselves and to their own Way A Famine of Bread and want of Water are great and heavy Punishments upon any People but there is something worse than all this and that is a Famine of the Word This God-himself sets down as the heavier Judgment of the two Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will send a Famine in the Land not a famine of Bread nor a thirst for Waters but of hearing the Word of the Lord And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it Amos 8. 11. This is a Calamity indeed greater than all others When God to punish a People for their wickedness takes away the very Means of their becoming better and because they spurn'd at the Light condemns them to spiritual Blindness and Darkness And what is this but to begin Hell upon Earth and to take an Antepast of Outer Darkness and Misery to come It is one of the most dreadful and awakening threatnings that God cou'd use to Excite the * The Church of Ephesus Asiatick Churches to repent that if they did not he would come unto 'em quickly and remove their Candlestick out of its place And surely if the loud Oaths anâ— daring Blasphemies of not a few If thâ— hypocritical Pretences of many to Pieâ—â— and Devotion If the Cheats and Pâ—â— juries and Oppressions under whicâ— the Nation groans If the filthy Speeches and lewd Actions If the Drunkeâ—nesses Adulteries Whoredoms and iâ—moralities of all sorts which some aâ— so far from being afraid to commit iâ— secret that for want of other Witnesses they will Evidence against themselves by declaring their Sin as Sodom Isa 3. â— In short If all the Profane Raillery anâ— Abuse which is daily put upon the Scriptures and every thing that is Sacred particularly the Ridiculing and Exposing the Mysteries of our most Holâ— Faith can provoke God to abandon â— People to lay them waste to removâ— his Church and Gospel from amongsâ— them and to make them the Scorn anâ— Derision of those who are round about then have we just cause to fear anâ— tremble lest God shou'd pronounce thâ— same Sentence upon us as he did upon the wiâ—ked and ungrateful Jews Jer. â— 12. Go ye now saith he unto my placâ— which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my People Israel Now because ye have done all these works saith the Lord and I spake unto you but ye heard not therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name as I have done to Shiloh and I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren Paralel to which is that Commination of our Saviour to the same stiff-necked and rebellious People therefore I say unto you the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Matth. 21. 43. This is what we have great reason to fear because we so justly deserve it and indeed what Counterpoize can there be to such bold such daring impieties but the Prayers and Tears and Endeavours of those good Souls who betake themselves to the Throne of Grace to that Infinite Mercy of God which hath so long spared us when we deserved Punishment for if God had been extream to mark what we have done amiss we could never have been able to abide it but we find by experience that there is yet Mercy with him that he might be feared And Oh! that our deep Humiliation our hearty Repentance and Reformation may still engage God to be propitious to his Church and to pity his Heritage that so iniquity may not be our ruine But 2. As our prevailing wickedness threatens the Removal of our Candlestick the Misery and Desolation of God's Church amongst us so the abounding Impiety and Profaneness of any People does constantly provoke God to inflict severe Temporal Evils and Punishments upon them according to the Measure of their Demerits and Provocations and for this all of us and especially those that are good have just cause to be humbled under the mighty hand of God and to tremble at the apprehensions of his Judgments because Men keep not Gods Law God's dealings with particular Persons in this Life arâ— so chequer'd and intermixt with variety of good and bad Events that tho they point out a Judgment to come becausâ— they give no clear indication of an impartial Justice distributed here whiâ—â— the Judge of all the Earth who cannot but do right will at one time or other execute yet no Man knoweth Love or Hatred by all that is before him Here God frequently afflicts particular Persons for the Probation and Exercise of their Vertues and the Example of others and Notorious Sinners oft escape their deserved Recompence in this Life being reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished But 't is otherwise as to Nations and Publick Societies of Men who as such cannot be accounted with in the World to come where every man shall receive according to his own Works and are therefore rewarded
or punished here according to their National Virtues or Impieties So that when a Kingdom or Country continne to do wickedly we have abundance of reason to conclude that the Providence of God will promote the Misery and Unhappiness of such a People and manifest it self sooner or later in severe and remarkable Judgments upon them And this is very agreeable to the plain Expressions and Declarations of God's Will who hath constantly determined to pull down or build up Nations according as they persist in or turn from their Evil Ways as may be seen at large in the 18th chap. of Jeremiah or elsewhere And indeed in all Ages and Places his Judgments have succeeded the prevailing Wickedness of a Church or Nation In the very Infancy of the World when the wickedness of man was great and all flesh had corrupted his way upon earth God sent an universal Flood of Waters to sweep and wash away its polluted Inhabitants Gen. 6. 5 12. When the Cry of the Sins of Sodom which were very grievous came up before God he quench'd the Flames of their unnatural Lusts by showring down Flames of Fire and Brimstone from Heaven to destroy them Gen. 19. 13 24. And when the Wickedness of the Amorites was full what a Series of terrible Devastations succeeded for their Extirpation But why should I multiply Examples to prove that which the Records of all Nations so demonstratively confirm to us To omit all others our own History will readily instruct us how oft our Land has chang'd her Inhabitants and certainly for the wickedness thereof Even in our own Memory we have had Pestilence and Fire and Sword amongst us and we have lately been engaged abroad in a Tedious and Expensive War which yet blessed be God is brought to an Happy Conclusion by an Honourable Peace And adored be that Goodness which has not of late inflicted a Famine upon us to compleat Ezek. 14. 21. his Four sore Judgments For surely we cannot be so credulous as to believe that any thing withholds him from the Infliction of that or the severer repetition of his other Judgments but his long-suffering Goodness design'd to lead us to Repentance For our Sins are so great that I fear we may vie with any Nation in the World Good Heathens wou'd blush at those Impieties tho but to see them acted by others which they who call themselves Christians and shelter themselves under the Name of Protestant dare commit before all Israel and the Sun Drunkenness Whoredom and Swearing are reckoned but puny trivial Modish Sins We are advanced to Crimes of a deeper Dye to Cursings and Blasphemies and a slat Denial not only of the Revelation of God's Will but even of that Invincible Power that Inflexible Justice that made us and can destroy us in a Moment And shall not God visit for these things shall not his Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5. 9. This is what we have all reason to fear and to be humbled for notwithstanding our present Peace and Security least even whilst we cry Peace Peace sudden Destruction should overtake us I know 't is an unpleasant thankless Office to forbode Evil to a Man's Native Country Nor am I fond of Predictions from Vulgar Prodigies which mightily alarum the Common People Yet I may be bold to affirm with a Learned Man of our own * Dr. Spencer of Prodigies c. Sect. 6. p. 116. That when such Prodigies As Monsters of Vices and Opinions do generally obtain in a State When the old Man of Sin is grown too big for the girdle of Shame or Fear and the Hand of Publick Justice neglects to rub off that Rust which is growing upon the Iron Age then it may be quickly expected that God should do his own Work himself assert his own Righteousness by throwing such a People into the Fire of some terrible Judgment to refine and purifie it Then in the Language of the Psalmist 't is Time for God to lay to his Hand when Men have destroyed his Law Psalm 119. 126. This I say is what all good Men have Cause to be apprehensive of from the abused Patience and Long-suffering of God And yet amidst our Fears we may not cease to Hope that the many good Souls who stand in the Gap to ward off the Blow by their devout Prayers and Intercessions whose Eyes in David's Language Run down with Water because Men keep not Gods Law that the Pious Resolution of His Majesty effectually to discourage Prophaneness and Immorality with what He and our Senators have excellently done to that Purpose together with the hearty Endeavours of some in almost every Rank and Order of Men amongst us in whom at this Time there appears a great Propensity and Disposition to put a stop to that Inundation of Wickedness which threatens a Deluge to our Destruction Will by their United Force yet prevail with God to be favourable to his Land so oft preserv'd and rescu'd by the Miracles of his Mercy and to Pity his People And O that the Concurrence of these joyn'd with a Divine Blessing and Cooperation may at length effectually prevail To set bounds to our Errors by Truth to our overflowing Impieties by an universal Reformation of Manners and to our Unhappy Divisions which are such a Pastime to Popery by that real and unfeigned Charity which may teach us to maintain the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace But this suggests the 3. Particular which is to shew what Effects the Sorrow and Humiliation of all good Men especially of those in Stations of Eminence and Authority because Men keep not Gods Law ought to have upon them And we cannot give a better account of this Matter in Reference to those last mentioned then by considering what the Psalmists Practise was in the like Case For if we can plainly discover what Effects Davids Grief and Humiliation because of the Wicked that forsook Gods Law had upon him we may conclude that the same Cause ought to have the same Effect upon every good Man especially upon those in Authority according to their Power and Capacity in their several Stations Now what David's Resolution upon the Melancholy Apprehensions he had from the Consederacy of Wicked Men that kept not Gods Law was we find in several Places of his Psalms but no where better then in the 101. Psalm where he fixes his Pious Purpose first how to Govern himself and then his Court and Kingdom and that with so much Justice That the good and virtuous might ever expect all possible favour from him but that he would as constantly discountenance discourage and punish evil doers of all sorts according to their Demerits and thus he concludes that Psalm I will early destroy all the Wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord i. e. Assoon as ever I am peaceably setled on my Throne I will use Dr. Hammond in
Locum my utmost Diligence to reform the whole Nation especially Jerusalem the Place of Gods Peculiar Residence which ought to be an Example to the rest of the Kingdom taking Care that all Offenders be severely punished in the Courts of Judicature and if there be no other remedy cutting off those Putrid Members that will otherwise endanger the Infection of the whole Body having got incurable Habits of committing Wickedness And this Effect the Sarrow and Humiliation of all good Magistrates for the overflowing Impiety of the Nation will have upon them viz. To quicken them in their several Places to punish Wickedness and Vice to defend the Truth and execute Justice They consider that 't is from our loud Sins and crying Provocations that our Publick Calamities do proceed and that for these the heavy displeasure of God is kindled against us and will we know not how speedily be executed upon us And this will plainly suggest to them that they ought not to permit the Sword of Justice to Rust and Canker in the Scabbard but by prudently drawing it to protect the Innocent and punish the Guilty To do which by the Direction of our excellent Laws without Fear or Favour Interest or Partiality is the wisest Course an honest Magistrate can take to secure either a good Conscience towards God or a good Reputation among Men for he that Acts thus can scarce possibly procure any Enemies but the Lawless and Disobedient whose Favour is as insignificant as their Anger for as his Sword which in the Execution of Justice is guided by the Hand of Heaven the Judgment being Gods usually secures him from the latter so his Integrity Seals up his Ears and fortifies his Heart against the flatteries and sordid Insinuations of the other 'T is an Observation confirm'd by Experience that no Nation in the World is so Jealous of those Laws which relate to the Liberty and Property of the Subject as the English and most Men think with good Reason since Beggary and Slavery are things very unagreeable to humane Nature But then why shou'd we not be equally Jealous for the Honour of those Laws in the strict Observation whereof the Glory of God the Interest of Religion the Prosperity of the Nation and the Felicity of so many thousand Souls are concerned For shame let us never more tamely suffer Wickedness to gain not only Strength but Impudence and I had almost said Reputation too by our cowardliness and pusilinimity But let us all joyn our Heads our Hearts and Hands to disgrace and dash out of Countenance the daring Efforts the outragious Sallies of Prophaneness and Immorality that Drunkenness may no longer dare to stagger in our Streets nor loud Oaths be belch'd in our Faces as we go along that Men may no longer be permitted to Boast much less act their bestial Sins like Sodom nor such leud Places of Entertainment any more be suffer'd in the Land That Violence be no more heard in our Streets that our Officers may be Peace and our Exacters Righteousness that the Fury of the Oppressour which is ever ready to destroy may be broken and that we may no longer hear the Cry of the Widdow the Fatherless or others oppressed amongst us This is what all good Men Pray and Wish and Hope for at this favourable Juncture and which we all ought vigorously to endeavour in our several Stations and Capacities And the rather because to do this we have the fairest Incouragement the greatest Obligations imaginable Which is the last Part of my present Undertaking I say to engage our most vigorous Endeavours to promote and carry on a Happy Reformation of Manners we have the fairest Incouragement the most indispensible Obligations imaginable 1. And first for our Incouragement Let us consider that God is on our side this is his own Cause for which he has often and signally appear'd by the remarkable Judgments which in all Ages he has Executed upon desperately wicked Sinners especially when Hand joyns in Hand and the Multitude oâ— Offenders seems to plead for the Impunity of their Offences then he will noâ— suffer the Wicked to go unpunished I am sensible we want not Instance of those who have given the Namâ— of a good Cause to very vile Actions and who the better to cheat People in to a Concurrence with them in theâ—â— riotous and disorderly Attempts foâ— the Reformation of Religion as theâ— pretended have cloath'd their groâ—â— Immoralities Treasons and Rebellions in the sanctified Livery of the Cause oâ— God and Religion But though from the very bottom of our Hearts we detest and abhor such impious Pretences and Practises yet surely no Man can doubt Whether a Work so just in its Design and so honourable and advantageous in its End as to endeavour according to the Laws of God and Man to put a stop to the overflowing Wickedness of a Nation to give a check to those Hellish Principles and Practises by which God is daily dishonour'd Truth and Justice perverted Religion and Piety exposed the Prosperity of the Nation obstructed and Multitudes of Souls endanger'd be his Cause and Work or no I am sure the Psalmist calls it Gods Cause Psalm 74. 23. Arise O God! maintain thine own Cause remember how the foolish Man blasphemeth thee daily And if we will still hear his glorious Name blasphem'd and all things sacred honest or of good Report trampled on and we stand by as unconcern'd Spectators we may expect that God will not like us Desert but maintain his own Cause take the Matter into his own Hand and because we would not help to reclaim the Wicked from their Way thereby to hinder their Misery and Destruction involve us likewise in the same inevitable Ruine with them To prevent which and if possible to engage us further to carry on the necessary Work of reforming the prophaneness and debauchery of the Age in our Stations and according to our Capacities Let us consider 2. That the Laws both of God and Man as well as the Countenance and Encouragement of our Legislators are on our side to strengthen our Hearts and Hands in this worthy and generous Undertaking We usually say that ill Manners procure good Laws which has been as fully verified in this Nation I believe as in any Country under the Canopy of Heaven But then 't is very odd though obvious to Remark that the prophane and dissolute of this Age and Climate have strongly attempted to invert the Maxime by being guilty of the most profligate Manners in defiance of the most excellent Laws both of God and Man This is a Reproach upon us which we ought to endeavour by all possible lawful Means to wipe off for the future that the boldness of offenders may no longer offer such avowed affronts to the Laws of Heaven and Earth that our prudently-contriv'd English Laws may no farther be scandalized for Cobwebs which catch the little Flies the diminitive Sinners only but suffer the great and bold
Transgressors to break thorough To prevent which our Magistrates have power enough from the Laws of the Land and an encouragement sufficient from the Laws of God and Obligation from both for both Reason and Revelation tell us that they are constituted by God for the punishment of Evil-Doers and for the praise of them that do well and assure us that wicked Men ought to be afraid of Magistrates because they bear not the Sword in vain but are Ministers of God Revengers to execute Wrath upon them that do evil These are the only proper Expeâ—â—ents to reform or punish those 〈…〉 neither Advice nor Argument neither Admonition nor Fraternal Correption much less the despised Censures of the Church or any of gentler Methods can reclaim for when Sinners grow hard and impudent when they have put on the Whores Forehead and the Brow of Brass and scorn the weightiest Reproof and consequently nothing can hinder either the ill influence of their Example or put a Stop to the Current of those Judgments which their outragious Impieties will otherwise pull down upon us but the strict Execution of our Laws In this Case not only those in Authority are concerned but also every Man who hath any regard for the Honour of GOD the Welfare of his Brother or the Happiness of the Nation ought according to the Design of the Law and the Reason of the Thing it self to inform the Magistrate of those Enormous Offendors and Offences which come to his knowledge that they might be brought to Condign Punishment And this I take to be the Principal Design of those Societies for the Reformation of Manners which are already Form'd in divers Parts of this Kingdom as well as in this Place And I crave your Patience whilst I speak a little to this Subject either for the Prevention or Cure of Mistake or Prejudice And that I may be more succint and Methodical I will digest what I have to say upon it under the following Heads of Consideration very briefly I. I will suppose the Legality of these Societies i. e. their Agreeableness to the Constitution of the English Government as Established in Church and State II. I 'll take Notice of the Advantages that such SOCIETIES have above the Power of Single Persons to give a Cheque to the Combined Force of prevailing wickedness III. I will consider how they ought to be qualified who enter into or are admitted Members of such Societies And IV. I will observe That to render their Design The Suppression of Immorality and Wickedness according to the Laws successful they ought to act with great Piety and Prudence I. I shall suppose the Legality of these SOCIETIES i. e. Their agreeableness to the Constitution of the English Government as Established in Church and State This I do not Undertake from any extraordinary Skill I pretend to have in our English Laws and Government which is none of my Province But from that Countenance and Encouragement which is given to a late Excellent Account of these Societies * An Account of the Societies for Reformation of Manners 1699. by the concurrent Suffrages of a Considerable Number of Lords Spiritual and Temporal and a Majority of our Reverend Sages of the Law who Unanimously Declare That the Design of that Good Book the Principal Scope of which is to Recommend and Promote these Societies is truly Great and Noble so much for the Honour of GOD the Advancement of Piety and Vertue and the Publick Good both of Church and State that in their Opinion it cannot fail of being approved of by all Good Men And since by so great a Cloud of Witnesses of Unquestionable Skill and Ability in our Laws it tends to the Publick Good both of Church and State it must needs be agreeable to the Constitution of our Government in both And besides their Declaration of the Legality of this Design they most humbly and heartily pray That Pious Men of all Ranks and Qualities may be Excited by that Good Book to contribute in their respective Places and Stations their best Endeavours towards a National Reformation of Manners But so much I hope will suffice for a foundation of my Supposition That these Societies are agreeable to the Established Constitution of our English Government II. I am next to take Notice of The Advantage these Societies have above the Power of Single Persons to give a Cheque to the Combined Force of prevailing Wickedness 'T is true The Reformation of Mens Manners or but to endeavour to make the World better is a Work so necessary and truly Excellent that one wou'd think it impossible that such a Design should meet with any other Enemies than such as are likewise Enemies to all Religion and Vertue But then it must likewise be considered That the Enemies of Religion are very Numerous and 't is their daily Work to Unite for the strengthening Psalm 64. 5 6. of their Party They encourage themselves in an evil matter in the Language of the Psalmist and search out iniquities The Devils who are the Grand Abettors and Promoters of all Wickedness act in Combination they are Unanimous in their Counsels and Endeavours for the Ruine of Mankind for if Satan St. Luke 11. 18. were divided against Satan as our Saviour argues how cou'd his Kingdom of Darkness stand In like manner Vice promotes its Empire and makes its Advances by the United Force and Confederacy of wicked Men. And therefore 't is highly fit and reasonable That Good Men should Combine togâ—ther to countermine the Designs and to discover and defeat the wicked Policies of the Enemies of Gods Kingdom And humanely speaking there is no other way to take the Field against them than by setting Army in array against Army Wicked Men keep then 〈…〉 Credit by their Numbers a◠〈…〉 likely they shou'd be dash'd 〈…〉 out of Countenance till they see and are convinc'd that they that are against them are more than they that are with them And if ever we hope with any Success to encounter the Combined Strength of the Men that work wickedness we must animate and encourage one another to the Work and it will become every Good Man especially those in Authority to ask David's Question Who will rise up witâ— me against the wicked Psal 94. 16. or Who will take my part against the Evil-doers And if we thus Unite our Forces to the Combat we need not despair of Victory and Success For they come against us as Goliah did 1 Sam. 17. 45. against David with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Shield with Carnal Weapons with the Wisdom and Policy that is earthly sensual devilish for their Chieftain is The Prince of the Power of Darkness but we come against them In the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel whom they Defie and we may be well assured That by strength shall no man prevail against God and that No Weapon form'd against Omnipoience shall