The Second s E R M N Oh Z E PH. H. 1, 2, 3· Gather your jelves together, jea, gather together, 0 Na~ tion not deftred. Before the decree bring forth, •before the day pafs M the · Chaff, before the fierce Anger of the L,ord come upon you, before the day of the Lord'f anger come upon you. {See~ye the Lord, all the mee~of the Earth, which have wrought his JudgmeiJt, fee~righteoufnefs, fee~ meeft nefs: it may be ye jhall be hid in the day of the Lord~s Anger. THE Doctrine is, That in times when publick and common calamities are threatned and feared, God's People fhould then efpecially practice thefe Duties mentioned here. Seek the Lard, C!ic. This I will demonflrate, Firfl, In the general by Scripture ond Reafon ; f1en Secondly, enforce the particular Duties, upon particular grounds alio. Firfl, In the general ; they are before publick judgments to practice holy Du– ties. Becaufe the promife of hiding being made only to the practice of t uem as here. · And a godly man being only a wi!e man, for the fear of the Lord being the beginning of Wifdom, and the knowledge of the holy Underflanding,'Prov. 9· ro. This is one moin priviledge and benefit which he doth and mav get by this his Wifdom, to forefee the evil and to hide himfelt; 'Prov. 22. l· The wtje– mall forefees the evil andhides himfelf, whm a4 thr Stmptr, that isunregenerate perfon, paj[eth 011 aud j; ptmi(ht. For indeed wherein cloth Wifdom excell Idly; nnd what priviledge bath it above it? But in forecafting things to come. by in– fignt tnto tlmrcaufes and fo accordmgly ufing means to prevent them, if evil,ro attain to them if goo;l; Ecclefs. 8. 5· Who fo keepeth the Comm<11ttfment jb,t!J feet no evt!, And why? For a wife mans heart difcerneth timr antfj11cgmmt, the hints,nicks and opportunities; the want of which is the great mifery ofall other men, v er, 6. This want of wifdom in ~thers, God complains of, .]tr. 8. 6. That they are as a Horfe that goes on feanng no colours as forefeeing no danacr an fo rufbeth (as' tis fa id there,) i11to the Rllte!; whereas the Stork,and Cr.~u: . and S<J.ht!J~w, have an inftinct of wifdom to jmow the times of t heir removing before Wmter and cold weather, take thc!t nmcs to build their Habitations; but fays God, yatt /mow trot the .]utfgmellts of tbe Lo>·d; that is fore fee nor judg· mcnts in the caufes in like manner to hide your fe 1ves. y Ahfwc..
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