SERMONS. 387 



our wise and good God thinks it worth his while 

 to rout armies, and sink navies, to burn up cities^ 

 and turn kingdoms upside down ; to send wars, 

 and plagues, and conflagrations amongst us ; to set 

 open . all his schools, and ply all his severest me- 

 thods to teach it us the more effectually. Think, 

 now, that He looks down this day from Heaven, 

 to take notice of our proficiency ; to see how far 

 we are advanced by these his judgments in learn- 

 ing righteousness. And is it possible we should 

 stand out any longer? Can we still resist so 

 powerful a Grace ? Are not the parts of the text 

 by this time happily met together ; and the truth 

 of it accomplished and exemplified in us to the 

 full ? God's judgments on us, and his righteous- 

 ness in us ? Who would not think and hope so? 

 But as St. Jerome complains of his age (which 

 was indeed very calamitous) Orbis Romamis riiit, 

 et tamen cervix nostra non Jiectitur : the world 

 sinks and cracks about our ears, and yet our neck 

 as stifi", and the crest of our pride as lofty and 

 as erect as ever. How few are they that repent in 

 dust and ashes, even now, that God hath laid our 

 city in dust, and our houses in ashes ! Look we 

 first upon the text, and then upon ourselves, and 

 we must ingenuously acknowledge, that, what- 

 ever abatements or diminutions to the height of the 

 designed event of God's judgments upon us the 

 text, or any version of it note, or imply, our 

 wretched evil lives do but too plainly express 

 and justify. For — 



c c 2 



