SER. CXXVII. dent and cautious fteps; with proper fubmiffion to all that are set over us, and with the most facred regard to the fovereign power; for if that be fhaken, experience hath fhewn us all is in danger. Let us therefore only remember, that whatever was wicked and pernicious formerly, is of the fame nature ftill; and it will prove an excellent direction to our conduct. From hence perfons in lower ftations will learn, not to difquiet themselves and their neighbours, to ill purpofe, with injudicious vehemence concerning things out of their sphere, but leave thofe to conduct them whose business it is; thinking charitably of them, and praying heartily for them. Thofe of higher degree will be induced to proceed, in what lies before them, with temper and confiderateness, with equity and candour; with care, neither to provoke refentment, nor excite jealoufy. And we fhall all of every rank be instructed, to acknowledge thankfully the many bleffings that we enjoy, beyond what our miserable ancestors did a century ago; and not only to bear with cheerfulness the neceffary, though heavy burdens, that have been laid on us, for the fafety of all which can juftly be dear to us, but submit with patience to whatever, we may any of us apprehend, we fuffer more than we need; seriously reflecting, what fatal effects may arife from a different spirit. For in the times before us, when there were confeffedly many grievances, and fome of them, great ones, yet how inconfiderable were they, when compared with the bloodshed and devastation, the oppreffion and confufion, the total destruction of church and ftate, which unwife and undutiful attempts for redrefs at length produced! Let not us, therefore, murmur, as fome of them murmured, and were deftroyed of the deftroyer*. A third leffon, which this day affords us, is, not to be fond of innovations, either in civil matters or ecclefiaftical. It is a common weakness of mankind, to overlook the advantages of their condition, and dwell only on its inconveniencies and defects, real or imagined; till, though a very tolerable, or perhaps, on the whole, a very good one, it appears to them worse than any other into which they can fall. Even the more indolent, therefore, inftead of difcountenancing, look favourably * I Cor. X. 10. favourably on proposals for change. And the more enterprifing rush on with eagerness to unhinge and overset; never once reflecting, whether the project be not either impoffible to be accomplished, or not worth the pains; injurious to others, or likely to prove pernicious to themselves; never feriously confidering what they have to fubftitute, whether it can take place; and laft, whether it will be, on the whole, for the better or the worfe. Thus were too many of our predeceffors in this nation disposed: extremely miserable under a conftitution of government, which they found too late infeparable from their happiness; and fo earnest to reform every part of it, that they ruined the whole. The projects for establishing perfect liberty in the state, ended, as too much liberty always will, in abfolute tyranny: fucceffive tyrannies, of various fhapes, and names unheard of, difpoffeffing each other; harraffing the nation with continual uncertainties and alarms; exhaufting it with daily executions and impofitions. The schemes for restoring an imaginary purity in the church, unexpectedly ran to fuch lengths, as destroyed the whole frame of it, and involved the crown in its fall. No other form of religion could be set up instead of that which was abolished. Mens minds were held in continual agitation, by the wild zeal of contending fects: teaching doctrines, fome blafphemous against God; fome fubverfive of all order amongst men ; fome contrary to all care of virtue and good life; and every thing was tolerated, but what had a right to be established. How these things would have ended; whether in a total contempt of religion, and moral obligations too; or whether, after that was found infupportable, as it foon muft, the Romish fuperftition, ever vigilant and active, would have overfpread the nation, wearied out with divifions, and glad to embrace any thing that promised unity: this God hath mercifully hid from our knowledge, by bleffing us, in the extremity of fuch mifery, with its only cure,, the restoration of our ancient conftitution. Let us efteem it then as we ought, and be zealous to preserve it; improve it, if we can really and fafely; but not be forward to practise upon it without neceffity, or fome very valuable end. Hoping for perfection, in any thing human, is vifionary; murmuring for want of it, is refolving never to be happy; and taking irregular methods to obtain it, is the fure way to be wretched. Some alterations, indeed, from time to time, the reason of things, and the changes of circumftances may require: but that no wanton or doubtful, much lefs dangerous trials, ought to be made, the fatal experience of this day fully fhews. And a fourth direction, which it gives as plainly, is, to beware of the fpirit of party. Nothing but that could have blinded and embittered people fo, as to make them deftroy themfelves and the public, without feeing or feeling it. Few, if any, at firft, had the leaft intention of what they afterwards did: very probably, had it been foretold them, they would have abhorred the thought. But perfons cannot even guefs, when they give themselves up to this kind of zeal, how strong it may grow within them; or how they may be entangled, and carried on, against their wills. The beginning of ftrife is as when one letteth out water: nobody can fay how far it may overflow, or how hard it may be to get it back into its channel, and repair the breach. Therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with *, and by mutual provocation worked up into a rage. When party refentments and contefts run high, the general good is no longer in view: both fides attend wholly to the advancement of their own power; depreffing their adverfaries; forcing them into measures hurtful to the public; the worfe the better; and no way is left untried to ruin one another, till the ruin of the whole is too probable a confequence. But above all, in countries bleft with freedom, amidst numberless advantages, there is one peculiar danger; that the high spirit which it gives men, and the full opportunities which they have to exert that fpirit, may produce diffentions utterly deftructive, not only of peace and comfort, but, in the end, of freedom itfelf. Let us therefore always remember St. Paul's caution. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not confumed one of another and behave fuitably to St. Peter's rule, as free, yet not using our liberty for a cloak of malicioufnefs, but as the fervants of God ‡. : Thefe then are the inftructions, which the dreadful judgment, this day commemorated, affords us to fear God, bo nour the king, and not meddle with them that are given to change *; but lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and bonefty. The tranfgreffion of these duties, was, by the natural confequences of things, and the just permission of heaven, the cause, on the peoples part, of thofe terrible calamities, under which our ancestors groaned fo long; and were made to learn righteousness, not as we, by experience of others, but by heavy fufferings of their own. To these, however, God in his good time graciously put an end and re-establishing our ancient form of government, hath, by a wonderful fucceffion of kind providences, preserved it, through innumerable dangers, from abroad and at home, to this day. Nor perhaps, with all the faults of the prefent age, which God knows are neither few nor fmall ones, would it be easy for us to fix on almost any other time or country, in which we could, with reafon, rather have made it our choice to live. Let us therefore join gratitude for his mercies with fear of his judgments; and be moved by both, to piety and virtue, public and private. He hath given us great and frequent proofs of his readiness to fave and protect us; together with some few most deserved inftances of difpleasure and punishment; thus placing before our eyes, and leaving to our choice, the happinefs of a religious, loyal and moral people, or the miseries of a profane, rebellious, and wicked one. Now, therefore, to conclude in the words of the prophet Samuel, If ye will fear the Lord, and ferve him, and obey his voice; then fhall both ye, and the king that reigneth over you, continue following the Lord your God. But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against his commandment: then fall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers ‡. Prov. xxiv. 21. + 1 Tim. ii. 2. 1 Sani. xii. 13, 14, 15. SER SERMON CXXVIII, (Preached in the Parish Church of St. James, Westminster, November 27. 1737, being the Sunday after the Death of her Majesty the late Queen Caroline.) THE ADVANTAGES OF VISITING THE MANSIONS OF DISTRESS. ECCLES. vii. 4. The beart of the wife is in the house of mourning THE providence of God is one great inftrument, which he uses for our inftruction; and every dispensation of it is fitted to convey very useful admonitions to persons of attentive minds. But the mournful events of things have a peculiar force to excite recollection and ferious thought; to place our condition here, in a juft and ftrong light before our eyes; to awaken sentiments within us, of piety and refignation, humanity and compaffion; and prompt us to make these the rule of our conduct. So long as nothing alarms us, we grow too commonly negligent and inconfiderate; forget our dangers, forget our mercies; give up our hearts to every passion that seizes on them; and thus are often led to do great harm, both to others and ourfelves. But when the judgments of God are in the earth, then the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness *. When the voice of the Lord crieth unto the city, Hear ye the rod, and who bath appointed it † : then the La. xxvi. 9. + Mic. vi. 9. ears |