BX 
 
 5133 
 
 WI9i 
 
 Warburton 
 
 Sennon preached on the 
 General Fast Day
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 FREDERIC THOMAS BLANCHARD 
 ENDOWMENT FUND
 
 A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 Preached on the 
 
 GENERAL FAST DAY. 
 By WILLIAM WARBURTON, M. A. 
 
 [Price Six-Pence.]
 
 < fbe- Nature of NATIONAL OFFENCES 
 
 truly Jlated: 
 
 And the peculiar Cafe of the Jewifti People 
 rightly explained: 
 
 SHEWING 
 
 ttat G R E A T BR i T A i N, in its prefent Cir- 
 cumftances, may reafonably afpire to the 
 dijlinguified Protection of Heaven : 
 
 A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 Preached on the 
 
 GENERAL FAST DAY, 
 
 Appointed to be obferved 
 
 DECEMBER 18, I74J. 
 
 B y 
 WILLIAM WARBURTON, M. A. 
 
 Chaplain to his Royal Highnefs the 
 Prince of WALES. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed for J. and P. KNAP TON in Ludgate-Strett. 
 
 MtfCCXLVl.
 
 By 
 
 /lJT^ -, 
 
 1 5 . 
 
 JOEL ii. & 10. 
 
 remove far off from you the 
 Northern Army, and will drive 
 him into a Land barren and de- 
 folate. 
 
 GO D, by the Prophet Joel, having 
 denounced againft his People, the 
 Invafion of the Affyrians^ together 
 with the Fore-runners of that Judgment, 
 his Army of Locufts, yet, at the fame time, 
 declares, that, on their fincere Repentance, 
 he would drive both of them back into the 
 horrid Regions from whence they came, 
 with an Ignominy and Deftrudion as great 
 as were their Inlblence and Ravages. Now 
 the Apoftle Paul tells us, that ivhatfoever 
 things were written aforetime, were written 
 for our Learning j that we, thro Patience 
 
 and 
 
 894394
 
 and Comfort of the Scriptures, might have 
 Hope * : which is fufficient to allure us, that 
 with the fume Difpofition of Humiliation 
 before God, of hearty Repentance for our 
 Sins, and fincere Refolution of Amendment, 
 the fame merciful Providence will enable us 
 to drive far from us the haughty Power of 
 France, with which we are now threaten- 
 ed; together with their Fore-runners, this 
 Northern Army of Locufts, allured hither 
 by the Scent of Prey, becaufe, as the Pro- 
 phet exprefles it, ^e Land is as the Garden 
 of Eden before them, and Mind them, a dc- 
 Jolate Wildernefs b . For as the Devil is faid 
 to carry his Hell about with him, even 
 when in Paradife, fo the Difpofition of the 
 Highlander makes every Place he treads up- 
 on as bare as his own barren Mountains. 
 
 Thus far right Reafon, the true Interpre- 
 ter of Scripture, will authorize us to infer 
 from the Nature of eternal JufHce and Mer- 
 cy, the efferitial Attributes of God, whofe 
 Will is unchangeable, and whofe Arm is 
 
 a Rom. xv. 4. u Joel ii. 3, 
 
 not
 
 not (hortened. But further to conclude of 
 God's Dealings with States and Societies 
 from his Difpenfations to the Jewiflj People, 
 will be the Occalion of our turning that 
 Scripture, which, the Apoftle here tells us, 
 was written jor our Learning and Injlruttion> 
 to our Dclufion ; and, at this Juncture, to 
 our apparent Damage. Yet, from this Cha- 
 racter given of the Holy Scriptures of the 
 Old Teftament, in feveral Places of the A- 
 poftolic Writings, Men have not only been 
 accuftomed to regulate God's Proceeding 
 with Particulars, but alfo to judge of the 
 Fate of Kingdoms and Societies, upon their 
 Ideas of his Adminiftration of the Jewifh 
 Commonwealth. This hath been the 
 Source of numberlefs Superftitions, hurtful 
 both to Religion and Government; fome 
 even derogatory to the Juftice of God, o- 
 thers to the Rights of Mankind ; but all of 
 them violating the rational Conclufions of 
 that Learning and Inftruction we are bid to 
 feek for in Scripture, which is fo abundant- 
 ly able to make us wife unto Salvation. Of 
 this kind is that Doctrine which teaches 
 
 that
 
 [8 3 
 
 that God, in the common Administration of 
 the World, punifhes Children for the Crimes 
 of their Parents 5 a Difpenfation peculiar to 
 the Jewifh People ; and there indeed ufed 
 with the higheft Juftice j but, in the pre- 
 fent Difpofition of things, it would, accord- 
 ing to all our Ideas of Right, intrench 
 greatly on that divine Attribute : And that 
 other which accommodates to modern Kings 
 the Title peculiar to the Jewijh, of the 
 Lord's anointed: which, as it is ufed and 
 inforced, intrenches as deeply upon the 
 Rights of Mankind. For a Jewijh Mo- 
 narch being really and truly the Lord's an- 
 ointed, as he was God's own Deputy or 
 Lieutenant in the Kingdom, and confe- 
 quently to refift him, on any Pretence what- 
 foever, being Rebellion againft God, the 
 fame Inference has been drawn, by Court 
 Flatterers, from the fame Title, for the 
 Support of modern Tyranny; and fo be- 
 come one of the chief Props of that abfurd 
 and deftructive Doctrine of divine indefeiza- 
 ble hereditary Right : Whereas it can be 
 applied, to modern Princes, only in a figu- 
 rative
 
 [9] 
 
 fative improper Senfe ; as it belonged to the 
 yewr/Jj Kings in a literal and real one : And 
 when thus explained, and it ought to be 
 thus explained by all who fo apply it, it is 
 of excellent Ufe to inform the People of 
 the iacred Character of every 1: Mr.* 
 
 giftrate ; the refiiling of whole Oruiuuncea 
 is, indeed, the refilling the Ordinance of 
 God. But I have neither Time nor Lei- 
 fure at prefent to go thro' the many vari- 
 ous Errors and Superititions, greatly .hurtful 
 (as we fay) both to Religion and Society, 
 which have arofe, in thefe latter -Ages, L-^i 
 a Mifapplication of the P; Pro- 
 
 vidences on which the Jci.v;jh State was 
 formed and conducted, to the Men. and the 
 Societies of the World at large. It /hall 
 fuffice, that I have juil p9inted out their 
 Nature and Confequences j and ihewn the 
 ground they {land upon, namely,, thole A- 
 poftolic Declarations, that ail Scripture of 
 the Old Teftament, was written for our 
 Learning and Inftruction ; which, taken 
 thus in the grofs, prove extremely hurtful ; 
 but when rightly diflinguiflied, produce 
 B that
 
 [10] 
 
 that Patience and Comfort ^ St. Paul fpeaks> 
 of, as the true Foundation of Chriftian Hope. 
 Let us underftand it, therefore, that the 
 dodtrinal Points found in the Old Teftament 
 were written for our Belief, the moral Parts 
 for the Regulation of our Conduct, and the 
 devotional for our Exercife in Piety 5 and 
 then we fhall apprehend St. Paul's true 
 Meaning, where he fays, All Scripture is 
 written by Infpiration of God, and is profita- 
 ble for Doctrine, Jor Reproof, for Correction, 
 for InftruBion in Righteoufnefs a . But the 
 greateft Part of the Old Teftament is hifto- 
 rical, and chiefly written for our Informa- 
 tion concerning the general Oeconomy of 
 God's Difpenfation to Mankind. Hence it 
 is, that fo large an Account is given of his 
 Adminiftration of the yewijh Common- 
 wealth ; a religious Policy added, as the 
 Apoftle fays, or thruft in between the Pa- 
 triarchal and Chriftian Difpenfations, becaufe 
 ef Tranfgrefjions, to preferve the Memory 
 of the true God in an idolatrous World, 
 till the Seedfiould come to whom the Promt fe 
 
 * 2 Tim. iii. 16. 
 
 um
 
 <was made*. In order to that End, God 
 faw fit, to erect that State into a Theocracy, 
 properly fo called, in which he was the fu- 
 preme civil Magiftrate. The Confequences 
 of which Form of Government were theie : 
 I. That it was adminiftered by the Exertion 
 of an extraordinary Providence. 2. That 
 Religion and civil Society were thoroughly 
 incorporated. 3. That Religion had a pub- 
 lick as well as private Part, the Subject of 
 it being as well the State collectively, as In- 
 dividuals particularly. And laftly, That the 
 Sanctions both of Religion and Society were 
 temporal Rewards and Punithments. Of 
 all this, that is to fay of the Expediency and 
 even Neceffity of fuch a Form of Govern- 
 ment for the carrying on the great Ends of 
 God's moral Government of the World, and 
 the natural Confequences ari/ing from it, I 
 have elfewhere difcourfed at large. 
 
 Now from the firft Circumftance, the 
 Exertion of an extraordinary Providence, it 
 follows, that we are not to regulate our 
 Notions of God's dealing with us, as a State 
 
 b Gal. iii. 19. 
 
 B 2 or
 
 [ i*}] 
 
 or .Nation, by his Adminiftratiqn of the 
 Jewifo People : Mankind being not now 
 under an extraordinary, but a common Pio- 
 vidence : I mean, it follows, we aie not to 
 expect it in the DEGREE; though indeed, 
 from this Circumftance, nothing hinders but 
 we might expect it in the Kind. 
 
 But then, from the three others, it fol- 
 lows, that we are not to expecl: it even in 
 the KIN D. For Religion, amongft the 
 Jews, was incorporated with their Society, 
 and had a public Part : Hence Vice and 
 Impiety, when abounding, became a public 
 Crime; and, as fuch, was, from time to 
 time, feverely piinifhed on the State. But, the 
 Chrijlian Religion has no public Part ; has 
 not the Stars, as fuch, but Individuals 
 only, for its Subject. Hence Vice and 
 Impiety are not now public, but private 
 Crimes, for which Offenders fhall doubt- 
 lels be moft feverely puniihed, but accord- 
 ' ing to the Gofpel Difpenfaiion. Again, 
 the Je-wijh Sanctions were temporal only, 
 which made it lit, and fome times neceflary, 
 that the Crimes, even . of private Men, 
 
 ihould
 
 fhould be punimed by the Defolation of the 
 State, as that derived condign Mifery on Par- 
 ticulars. But the Sanctions of our Religion 
 are future Rewards and Punifhments ; for 
 the latter of which, impious and wicked 
 Men are fitly refer ved, and fo not the fame 
 Expediency of punifhing them, through the 
 State, i .*$$ 
 
 This then, to which numberlefs other 
 Confiderations of Weight might be added, 
 is fufficient to (hew, that we have no real 
 Warrant from Holy Scripture, when in- 
 terpreted on the Principles of right Reafon, 
 to conclude that God's Dealings with the 
 yewijh People are the Meafure of admi- 
 niftering his Providence over other States : 
 Or that, becaufe the PRIVATE Vices and 
 Impieties of Men, under that Oeconomy, 
 by the juft Judgment of God, frequently 
 brought amazing Definition on their Na- 
 tion, that it has now the felf-fame Ten- 
 dency to provoke his Wrath againft ours. 
 
 This I prefume to be a fair Reprefen- 
 tation of this important Subject : And fure, 
 it will not be judged unfeafonable in a time 
 
 of
 
 ['4] 
 
 of general Danger; when, though the ill 
 State of our moral Condition mould not be 
 hid from us, yet methinks it ought not to 
 be aggravated by difcouraging Examples 
 drawn from thofe dreadful Judgments on 
 the Jeivijh Nation ; a Cafe much infifted 
 on, and not with that Exadtnefs which 
 the Dignity of the facred Writings deferve, 
 or the Tendernefs of our prefent Cafe 
 feems to require, when every good Man 
 will deferve the public Thanks, >uod de 
 Republica non dejperajjet. 
 
 But it will be a(ked, " Is not Vice and 
 " Impiety the certain Destruction of a 
 C State ? And are not States the Subject 
 " of God's Mercies and Judgments ?" My 
 Anfwer to thefe Queftions, which is in the 
 Affirmative, will ferve to fupport what has 
 been remarked before, concerning that crude 
 inconclusive Theology which makes God's 
 dealing with the yews the Pattern of his 
 Providence in the World at large j and, at 
 the fame time, explain and clear up what 
 may be obnoxious to Objection or Mifin- 
 terpretation. 
 
 2 Ta
 
 C j] 
 
 To the firft Queftion therefore I muft 
 obferve that, where, in defining the Na- 
 ture of the Jewijh Commonwealth, I fpoke 
 of God's National Judgments on his chofen 
 People for their Vices and Impieties, I ufed 
 the exaft and philofophic Language of a 
 Divine ; meaning thofe Confequences of 
 Wrong which arife from the Will of God ; 
 not thofe which follow from the Nature 
 of Things. Rewards and Punimments, in 
 the firft Senfe, are thofe only which Re- 
 vealed Religion acknowledges for the San- 
 ction of its Precepts ; though moral De- 
 claimers, and Platonic Preachers have been 
 accuftomed, by a Latitude of Expreffion, 
 to call the Mifchiefs arifing out of moral 
 Evil from the Nature of Things, by the 
 Name of God's Judgments ; which perhaps 
 might not deferve Notice, were they not 
 accuftomed, too, to confound thefe with 
 the Judgments of God, properly fo called, 
 to the great Injury, as I deem, of Revealed 
 Religion, for Reafons too long and intricate 
 to be here afTigned. Now, as to the na- 
 tural Confequence of Vice and Impiety, 
 
 nothing
 
 nothing is more certain than that they are 
 the inevitable Ruin of a Commonwealth. 
 
 IMPIETY, which confifts in a Contempt 
 of the Sanctions of Religion, removing; the 
 rn-ft and ftrongeft Prop of Society,' the Dread 
 of Divine Punimment for Fatmood and 
 Wrong. For from hence arifes a Disregard 
 to the outward Tye of Oaths, the great Se- 
 curity of the Magiftrate ; and a Diiiegard to 
 the inward Tye of Confcience, the great Se- 
 curity of the People. 
 
 As Impiety undermines Society, fo VICE 
 and Immorality more openly attacks it. But 
 both with the fame fatal Succefs. The Epi- 
 demic Evils of every powerful Community, 
 in its Decline, are LUXURY and AVARICE > 
 which, by an unnatural Corn-mixture, are 
 incefTantly begetting one another even in the 
 fame Breaft j whereby the national Wealth^ 
 one of our great Supports againft Foreign 
 Power, becomes in Part exhaufted ; and, 
 which is almoft as bad, in part, unequally 
 diftributed : And the perfonal Vigour of the 
 People, the other great Support againfl Fo- 
 reign
 
 I **1 
 
 reign Invafions, is either enervated by mifern* 
 ployed Opulence, or debafed by fordid Po- 
 verty. But to reckon up the long Train of 
 Evils, ifTuing out of thefe two capital Vices, 
 would be endlefs : Thefe being they which 
 fill private Families with unnatural Quarrels ; 
 the Courts of Juftice with Chicane, and the 
 Councils of Government with Fadion. Fac- 
 tion, which accumulates all the Evils of 
 Diilention in one, and pretends to all the 
 Virtues of good Citizens, with, the Dilpofi- 
 tions of the worft ! who, to fupport herfelf, 
 and to draw the deluded People to their own 
 Ruin, fpares no Name however facred, either 
 in Religion, or Government, but occafion- 
 ally employs them all to cover her private, 
 and corrupt Purpofes. 
 
 But then, if the Evils of Impiety and Viet 
 be, in themfelves, feparately, fo deftruclive 
 to a Public j how great mud be their Ma- 
 lignity, when they acl in concert, as they 
 always do, when they exiil together j Pro- 
 phanenefs giving an Edge and Keennefs to 
 Immorality 3 and Immorality a leaden Biafs 
 C to
 
 to the Mind, in its acquired Averfion to Re- 
 ligion. However diftant from the State, 
 therefore, may be the Objed of God's Judg- 
 ment for private Vices, yet, we fee, they 
 bring upon it the moil inevitable Ruin from 
 the Nature of Things. A Cafe, that, when 
 it comes to a certain Point, admits even lefs 
 Hope than the other. For God, whofe 
 Mercies are over all his Works, frequently 
 withholds the Evils of his Judgments from 
 finful Man j but never reverfes the Order of 
 Nature to embolden him in his Impieties and 
 Wickednefs. However we have, at leaft, 
 this Confolation, that, though fuch Deflruc- 
 tion be fure, we yet have it in our own 
 Power to avoid it, by a fpeedy Courfe of So- 
 briety, Juftice, and Piety j by which, as 
 Kingdoms become s great, fo by that only, 
 can they thus continue. For, is it poffible 
 to conceive, in the natural Body, that an 
 Athletic Habit, acquired by Abftinence and 
 Exercife, mould be preferved by Intempe- 
 rance and Sloth ? If it be, then may a Bo- 
 dy politic, made great by the modeft Parfi- 
 
 mony,
 
 [ '9 ] 
 
 mony, the Virtue and Religion of its Mem- 
 bers, become flill greater by their Luxury, 
 Injuftice, and Impiety. 
 
 We come now to our fecond Queftion > 
 c< Whether States, as well as private Men, 
 " may not be the Subject of divine Difplea- 
 " fure, fo as to bring down his feverefl 
 c< Judgments upon them ?" To which we 
 reply, that nothing is more certain. They, 
 as well as private Men, having all thofe ef- 
 fential Qualities, which conflitute a moral A- 
 gent ; a Difcernment of Good and Evil, a 
 Will to chufe, and a Power to put their 
 Choice in Execution. In one Word, arti- 
 ficial Men. Hence the Rules of civil Juftice, 
 in the Intercourfe between People and Peo- 
 ple, are exactly the fame, as thofe in a State 
 of Nature, between Man and Man. And 
 accordingly we find, (for here Scripture comes 
 in again for our Learning) that God dealt 
 with the Jewijh People under this Idea. 
 And though his particular Contratf - with 
 them will not fuffer us to collecl:, from that 
 Adminiftration, a limilar Mode of Providence 
 C 2 over
 
 [zo] 
 
 over others ; yet his entering at all into Con- 
 traft, (hews that States are confidered, and 
 will be dealt with by him as moral A, 
 gents. 
 
 We muft needs therefore conclude, both 
 
 from Revelation and Reafon, that the Hand 
 
 of Heaven diftributes Good and Evil to 
 
 Societies, according to their moral Merit or 
 
 Demerit. Not upon that Fancy, that as 
 
 States are only artificial Beings with a pre- 
 
 fent Exifience, and incapable of a future^ 
 
 that therefore God is obliged in Juftice to 
 
 punim and reward them here. This is a 
 
 mere School Invention, and confuted by 
 
 the general Hiftory of the moral World; 
 
 in which we find many fignal Examples of 
 
 the divine Vengeance .amongft States and 
 
 Communities j yet, generally, at fuch a 
 
 Diftance from the Crime, that a new Suc^ 
 
 cefflon feels the Pain of their PredeceiTors 
 
 Tranfgreffion. Now, the Doctrine here 
 
 confuted, goes upon the Idea of identical 
 
 Punifhment ; but, in the Qife given, the 
 
 Samtttejs is not real or natural, but nominal 
 
 merely,
 
 merely, and artificial. Again, according to 
 this Doctrine, the Adminiftration (hould be 
 conftant and exact, failing in no Inftance, 
 nor defective in any Degree ; whereas we 
 have many Examples in States, as well as 
 private Men, where Iniquity hath quite 
 efcaped the Divine Vengeance. From hence 
 we conclude, that, not for the fantaftic 
 Reafon here confuted, but for one far more 
 folid and fubftantial, Societies are punifhed 
 or rewarded according to their Behaviour ; 
 a Reafon worthy the Dominion of the Great 
 Lord of the Univerfe, that is to fay, for 
 Example, and to keep alive the Senfe of a 
 Divine Providence, in a carelefs impious 
 World. 
 
 It remains, therefore, only to confider 
 what thofe Aftions of Society be, which 
 are the peculiar Object of divine Favour 
 or Difpleafure : And thofe (in a Society, 
 already eftablimed, like our own, on a 
 Syftem of fundamental Laws fecuring Re- 
 verence to the Deity, and difcouraging all 
 Vice and Immorality) can evidently be 
 
 no
 
 no other than what concern it's Conduct 
 in tranfacting with Neighbour States 3 or, 
 in other Words, its Obfervance or Neg- 
 lect of good Faith, Juftice, and Equity. 
 By this Teft, then, let Great Britain be 
 tried. Let it be fairly examined whether, 
 in its collective Capacity, it defer ves, or 
 has juft Reafon to fear that impending 
 Vengeance, from the Hand of Heaven, 
 with which, in a time of fo apparent 
 Danger, good Men may be but too apt 
 to terrify themfelves. 
 
 Now, to pafs over our National Tranf- 
 actions fmce the Revolution to thefe 
 Times, (which have been fo unfalhion- 
 ably tenacious of the public Faith, and 
 objective to the good of Europe, that we 
 have gained abroad the Character of the 
 worft Politicians in it) and come to our 
 prefent Doings; it is certain, a .common 
 Obfervation will be fufficient to inform 
 us, that, though the corrupt Interefts of 
 private Men, of trading Bodies, and of 
 State Parties amongft us, might have all 
 
 concur-
 
 concurred to pufh us forward into a War, 
 the Effects of which we at prefent la- 
 bour under; yet that this War was be- 
 gun firft againft SPAIN, for the Repara- 
 tion of real Injuries, owned and acknow- 
 ledged, with Promife too of Satisfaction, 
 in public Convocation, by our very Ene- 
 mies themfelves ; but encouraged by our un- 
 happy Divifions, they violated this Con- 
 vention, on which, Hoftilities commenced. 
 In this Quarrel we were Principals. An 
 Auxiliary War followed, in fupport of 
 the Houfe of AUSTRIA, unjuftly attacked, 
 and againft all the Faith of Treaties ra- 
 vaged, which very Faith ingaged us to 
 carry our Arms to her Afiiftance. Both 
 thefe together foon produced a Defenfive 
 War againft FRANCE ; whofe reftlefs Am- 
 bition, (eflentiai to her Constitution) to 
 give Law to Europe, feizing every favour- 
 able Conjuncture of Advancing that darling 
 Idol of her Politics, encouraged Spain to per- 
 lift in denying us Juftice, and fupported 
 the Enemies of the Houfe of Aujlria in 
 
 their
 
 CM] 
 
 their cruel Inroads upon her Dominions. 
 And all this, with the moft apparent Pur- 
 pofe of breaking that eftablifhed and equi- 
 table Ballance of Power, fo neceflary for 
 the Peace and Felicity of Europe : which, 
 when {he found us refolved to maintain, 
 me publicly denounced War againft us in 
 .all its Forms. 
 
 This is a true State of the public Quar- 
 rel, and of our Share in it, and Conduct 
 with Regard to our Neighbours. And 
 what is there in all this, that mall make 
 us afraid to appeal for Juftice to the 
 Throne of Right ? 
 
 If Reparation, by the Sword, for Na- 
 tional Injuries, after all the Ways of Peace 
 had been tried in vain ; if the Performance 
 of public Faith, when folemnly called upon, 
 in behalf of a confederate Power, moft 
 unjuftly and perfidioufly opprefled ; if Self- 
 Defence againft thofe who openly fet 
 themfelves to traverfe and defeat the ho- 
 neft Purppfes which God and Nature call- 
 ed upon us to difcharge ; if laftly, the 
 
 Support
 
 Support of the eftablifhed Ballance of Power, 
 that is, the Liberties of Europe, againft the 
 moft deteftable Perfidy, the mofl unjuft 
 Ufurpations, and the mofl lawlefs and de- 
 ftructive Ambition that any Age hath dif- 
 clofed ; if, I fay, all, or any thing of this, 
 may intitle us to the Protection of Heaven, 
 we feeni to have the moft rational and 
 well grounded Expe&ations of its Declara- 
 tion in our Favour. 
 
 This public Act of Humiliation, before 
 God, is enjoined, therefore, with a Mo- 
 defty, and holy Confidence, not common- 
 ly obferved by Authority on thefe Occa- 
 fions ; where the tremendous Majefty of 
 Heaven is, with an Impiety that makes 
 fober Men aftonimed, too frequently 
 mocked and infulted by invoking its Blef- 
 fings on the Arms of Fraud, Rapine, and 
 Injuftice. But, bleffed be God ! Great 
 Britain has a Caufe which may not on- 
 ly, with Modefty, fupplicate the Protec- 
 tion, but, with Confidence, appeal to the 
 Juftice of Heaven : being founded on the 
 D folid
 
 folid Bafis of- -Self-Defence, Public Faith, 
 and the Liberties of Mankind, in a juft 
 and neceflary War. 
 
 There is only one impediment we have tp 
 fear, in the happy IfTue of our Appeal ; 
 and that is, the private Vices and Impie- 
 ties of the Nation : And to remove this, 
 was the Purpofe of this folemn Adi: of 
 Devotion j in which we are called upon 
 by our Gracious Sovereign (ever intent up- 
 on our Welfare) to humble ourfelves be- 
 fore the avenging Hand of God, and de- 
 precate his Judgments, by a free Confeilion 
 of our Sins, and a determined Purpofe of 
 Amendment. 
 
 I have {hewn you how certain and in- 
 evitable a Deflrudtion Vice and Impiety at 
 Length bring upon a People. If this be 
 not fufficient to induce you to a fpeedy 
 Reformation, think upon the Confequence 
 pf perlifting in them at this Juncture 
 when, by fuipending the Protection of 
 Heaven, which, as a Community, I have 
 ihewn, we might have jufl Caufe to ex- 
 pect,
 
 I C v 3 
 
 pect, we fcaften, by God's Difpleafure^ 
 that Ruin which Is more flowly advancing 
 from the Nature of Things. So that in 
 this, betides the Reafon of infinite Impor- 
 tance, our future Welfare, which we have 
 in common with all Men, our prefent is 
 vitally and immediately concerned. The 
 Enjoyment of all that is dear and valuable 
 to Men, depending on the Prefervation of 
 pur happy Conftitution, now more fhaken 
 by our private Vices, than by the Arms of 
 its degenerate and rebellious Subjects. 
 
 Let us then, in good Earneft, refolve up- 
 pn a thorough Reformation j a return to that 
 Simplicity of Manners, that Modefty in 
 Drefs and Diet, that Temperance in Plea- 
 fures, that Juftice in Bulinefs, which made 
 Britain fo diitinguifhed in the Annals of our 
 Forefathers. Let us fpeedily return to that 
 fober Piety, and ferious Senfe of Religion, 
 by which they were encouraged to form, 
 and enabled to fupport, the Principles on 
 which this happy Conftitution is creeled. 
 But above all, as the firft Step into the old 
 
 Paths
 
 Paths of Honour, let us emancipate ourfelves 
 from that deteftable Spirit of Libertinifm, 
 impudently afluming the Name of FR BE- 
 THINKING j the Bane of civil Life, the 
 Opprobrium of common Senfe, and a Dif- 
 honour even to our common Humanity. 
 Let us do this, and we fhall foon have 
 Earth and Heaven once more in Conjunc- 
 tion, to make us happy and victorious over 
 all the Enemies of our Peace. 
 
 FINIS.
 
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