523 A REFORMATION SÈìtMON: -7t with the breath of his mouth the Lord can raise an earth_: quake that shall sink Great Britain into 'the sea, and it shall be found no more. Perhaps God may he now, as' it were, arguing the case 'as with Ephraim and with Israel of old ; lb s. i. 8. " How shall give thee up, Lon- don ? How shall I deliver thee, Westminster ?' How shall I make thee as Admah, How shall I set theeas Zeboim ? Which were twin sisters of Sodom and Gomorrah, and involved in the same vengeance ; Gen. xiv. and xix. 24, 25: 0 that the " heart of the Lord may be turned within him, and his repentings kindled' together, that he may not execute the fierceness of his anger." Yet let us not say peace to ourselves, if unrestrained villanies abound amongst us : Why should England be sò fond and partial to itself, as to believe that it shall be privi- leged by heaven above all kingdoms in' all ages 1' Why should we flatter ourselves that we only shall be indulged to sin with a high hand, and without punishment ? We bate the doctrine of indulgences, and yet we act as under' the influence of such apersuasion. Shall the' countries around us drink of the cup of his indignation with vari- ous mixture, and we still be excused from tasting ? The' Lord of hosts has many armies of judgment and desola- tiónat his command ; the variety of plagues' on Egypt is not a thousandth part of his artillery,'norof the kinds of terrors that are treasured in his magazine's ; he can drain his sword ofpestilence, and give it thiscommission; " Gó and slay a third part of' men ;" he' can send the sword of our enemies amongst us, who will neither spare nor pity : he can let France inupon us like a'flood, and Lewis the XIV. will be as zealous a servant of the Lord in such work, as Nebuchadnezzar was when God sent him' " to punish Jerusalem and the nations Jer. xxv. 9. When the French dragoons insult us, and our necks 'are put under the feet of our enemies, we may then, perhaps,` remember and repent; that we did not arise for the Lord against evil-doers,-and 'tread down-the enemies of`his holiness. Or, if the thunders of God lie still for a season, and his lightenings be not kindled ;' if plagues and famines, and foreign armies be restrained from our coasts, and peace and plenty dwell in our borders ; God has judgments of a severer kind' to' inflict upon -ùs, though they are niore 7
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