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2-o
A
REFORMATION
SERMON.
Aaron and
Bur,
Joshua
and the chosen
men,
all stand
firm
and:
maintain their
posts,
thenAmalek.isdiscomfited,
and'a
nation
of
sinners rooted out.
There
was
a
time
indeed: when
Moses upon the banks
.of
:the
:Red
-sea
said
to
_the
people,
"
Stand
still
and
see
;the
salvation
of
the
Lord
;"
&r.xiv.
13.
And
they
stood still
and
the
salvation appeared
:
But
God
Both
not
.
always
work miracles
of
deliverance without
the use
of
instruments: Here Joshua
and.
Israel are required
to
take
:up
arms
for
their
own defence
:
And
if
the captains
of
the
soldiers had
fled
from
the battle, Amalek had
pre-
vailed
as well as
if
Moses*
had ceased
to
lift up
his
hand.
I
may
venture
then to
lay down this
great truth
as
the
foundation
of
my.
following
discourse
:
"
When
a war with sin
is
begun
in
a nation,
it
must
'be carried
on
without
ceasing,
or iniquity
will
prevail."
-Every one must stand
to his
post and
fulfil
his
charge,
-lest the
troops
of
the reformation
be
routed, and
sin with
all
its legions
overspread
the
country.
To render this
proposition
more evident
to
the
mind,
and
more powerful over the
will,
I
shall
take
this me-
.thod.
I.
Prove
that
sin will
prevail,
if
the
war
be
neglected
'Which
you have happily
begun,
and carried
on thus far.
II.
:Set
before you
some
of
the
dreadful
consequents
of
prevailing iniquity.
III.
Remove the discouragements
that
may be
ready
to make your hands hang
down
in
this
work.
IV.
By
a
few
encouraging
hints,
endeavour
to
raise
any
that
are
sinking, and
to
strengthen
all
your resolu-
tions
in
this
glorious service
to
God and
to your country.
'.First, We may prove
that iniquity
will
prevail
if
the
war
be
neglected
by
these
-three
considerations
:
I. Consider
that
the
nature of
fallen man
is
turned
aside
from
God,
averse
to all
that
is
holy,
and
prone to
wickedness:
And
if
divine
grace doth
not
renew
'the
heart,
the
life
will
grow
old
in
transgression, and
abound
in guilt.
Where
the
root
is
bitterness, and the tree
vice,
every
branch
that
is
not
cut
off
will
increase and multiply
in
fruits
of
poison and
death;
for
a
corrupt
tree
'can-
not
bring forth good fruit,"
if
we
believe the words
of
our
Saviour
;
Luke
vi.
43. And
St.
Paul
affirms;
that
evil men
wax worse and
worse ;''
2
Tim.
iii.
13.
"
Con-