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RÉFORMATION SÉItMON.
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foregoing verses speak something more dreadful,
the
adultress
will
hunt
for the
precious life;
he
that
practises
this
sin
lacketh understanding,
for
he
destroys
his
own
soul
;"
verses.
26,
32.
Fathers, what
will
you say
when
you
see
your
children debauched
in
their
principles,
and
ruined
by
uncleanness? When
you
find
atheism
prevail
in
their
hearts, and irreligion
in
their
lives
?
When
they
break the
bars
of
paternal
government and
will no
more
be
reproved
?
When
they over-leap all
the fences
of
restraining
grace, and make haste to
perdition?
This
they
have
learned
of
those
evil
companions
whom
you
never endeavoured
to
reform
by
just
punishment.
What
will
you
say,
fathers,
when you follow
your
sons
to
an
untimely
grave,
and
putrefaction enters into their
bones
before the season
;
you
that
never did
any
thing
to
stop
this
growing plague among those
who
have infected
your
own children
?
What
will
you
say,
fathers,
when you see
your
young
heirs, now grown
up to the
size
of your
hopes
and
wishes,
seized
and drawn
away to
execution and the
gibbet,
for crimes
which you
never took care
to
suppress
in
other
men
?
Mothers, what
will
ye
say-
-but
I
must
forbear
to
address
the
tender
sex in
such accents
of pro-
phetic
sorrow;
to present
your
eyes
with such
prospects
as
these
would touch
your
passions too sensibly;
it
would
make
the
wound
in
your
souls too deep, and melt you
into
tears; let
a glimpse
of
such
mournful scenes
excite
you to
contribute
something towards the
general
refor-
mation.
Ye
wealthy citizens, the time may come when
you
shall
be
scarce secure
in
your
own
dwellings,
but
be
robbed
of
your treasures
by
nightly villains
that
will
satisfy
their
lusts
by
rapine, and make provision for
their
flesh by
plunder
and violence: You
will
confess
the
judg-
ment
of
God
is
just
in
it,
though
the
sin
of
man be
great;
for
that
you
never,
gave one penny to
carry
on
the
wars
of
the
Lord
with Amalek.
The
Amalekites have
now
fallen
upon
you,
and
rifled you
of
many
a
pound.
VI.
Fearful judgments
from
God
will
ensue; "
For
the
wrath
of God
will be
revealed from heaven,
sooner
or later, against
all
ungodliness
and unrighteousness.of
men
;"
Rom.
i.
18.
Fire
and brimstone
may come down
upon
an
island
as well
as
upon
the cities
of
the plain
;
other countries are capable
of
burning eruptions,
besides
Naples
and
Sicily,
and
the dominions
of anti-christ;