yourfelves under the mighty Hand of God, that be may exalt you in due Time.

But I must not now enter on the Illuftration and Proof of this important Connexion. May our prefent Humiliation give an experimental Proof of it, by effectually inclining us to be reconciled to God; and inducing Him to direct our public Counsels into the Way of national Profperity, and our private Conduct into that of eternal Bleffednefs.

2 Cor, v. 20,

A

SERMON

PREACHED at the

Parish-Church of St. James, Weftminster,

April 11, 1744.

Being a Day appointed, by HIS MAJESTY'S Proclamation, for a GENERAL FAST on Occafion of the War.

SERMON III.

I PET. V. 6.

Humble yourfelves therefore under the mighty Hand of God, that he may exalt you in due Time.

A

T our laft Meeting on the fame most neceffary Occafion, which calls us together now, I endeavoured to lay before you, from these Words, both the general Duty of Man's walking humbly with his God*, and the particular Reasons, which we of this Nation have, for exercifing a very deep Humility towards him, as we have been particularly guilty, befides various other Sins, of that unspeakably fhocking one, Pride against him. Too many amongst us have dared to treat the Faith, if not of his Being, yet of the only Thing which makes it valuable, a juft and good Providence, with utter Con

Mic. vi. 8,

tempt:

tempt: abfurd as it is, that the wife and powerful Maker of the World should not be the Ruler of it, and that the Ruler of the World fhould not reward every one according to his Works*. Much greater Numbers, if they do not deny his moral Government, yet almost intirely difregard it: attend on his public Worfhip but feldom, and then vifibly as Matter of mere external Decency: never condefcend to pay him any Homage in private; nor through their whole Behaviour confider him, in the least, as, what they profess to acknowledge He is, the Lawgiver, the Infpector and Judge, of their Lives and Hearts: but fecurely follow Paffion, Appetite, Cuftom, Fancy, as the Guide of their Conduct; and openly ridicule those that do otherwife: call themselves Chriftians perhaps; but are totally void of Reverence for every Doctrine of Chriftianity, that is above their Comprehenfion, for every Precept that contradicts their Inclination; and ftrangely negligent even of natural Piety and facial Virtue. Larger Multitudes yet imagine, that they are mighty Religious Perfons, if they preferve but a tolerable Regularity in the outward Acts of Devotion, Juftice and Tempe* Matth. xvi. 27.

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