A

SERMON

PREACHED at the

Parish-Church of St. James, Westminster,

November 10, 1742:

And at

King-Street CHAPEL, in the faid Parish, January 9, 1744-5.

Being Days appointed, by HIS MAJESTY'S Proclamation, for GENERAL FASTS, on Occafion of the War.

I PET. V. 6.

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

Η HUM

UMILITY of Heart and Behaviour is a Duty, fo deeply founded in the Nature of Man, that though we knew of no Power above us, we ought yet to think modestly of ourselves, from a Consciousness of our Infirmities; and pay a mutual Deference one to another, in proportion to the different Pre-eminences, be they ever fo fmall, by which we are feverally diftinguished. But the leaft Apprehenfion of a perfect Being fuperintending us, muft furely magnify beyond Expreffion the Sense, how very imperfect we are: and convince us, that the utmoft Reverence, of which we are capable, towards fuch a one, if such a one there be, will fall vastly short of what we owe. Now the Existence of a

powerful and wife, a juft and good, Ruler of all, is at first Sight a poffible Thing. And were we fure of no more, the Notion is fo respectable in itself, so beneficial to human Society, and fo peculiarly comfortable to every honest Mind, that paffing it over with a scornful Neglect, instead of attending to it seriously, would be a Haughtinefs of Spirit, blameworthy and shocking to a great Degree. But the Reality of this Notion is undeniably proved, by the plainest Obfervations on every Part of the Universe, and the ftricteft Inquiries into its general Conftitution: by the natural Prepoffeffions of common Men, the acutest Reafonings of fpeculative Men, and the most universal Consent, that ever any invisible Truth obtained, of all Men. Yet farther, to leave no Plea for Ignorance of it, or of its Confequences, the Creator hath made himself known to his Creatures by exprefs Revelation: and declared, what he is, what he expects from them, what he hath decreed concerning them. How monftrous a Difpofition of Soul muft it be then, that can pride itself in standing out against such Evidence of fuch a Doctrine: can take upon it to cenfure the Works of the Almighty, without understanding a fingle Part of them tho

roughly;

roughly; can triumph in the Thought of an ungoverned and fatherless World, of Wickedhefs unpunished, and Virtue unrewarded; and hold thofe in utter Contempt, who entertain better Hopes!

Our Nation affords, I fear, more than a few Persons, guilty even of fuch Pride against God; as this. But it affords Multitudes of a Sort, if poffible, yet more unaccountable; who believe in him, and flight him. Acknowledging a Sovereign Lord of the World, without standing in Awe of him, is doubtless a most astonishing Inconsistency: and yet I conceive it will ap→ pear, on Inquiry, the main Source of those great and many Sins, for which we are met here to express our Concern. Now if this be our Cafe, a little Reflexion will fhew it to be à very dangerous one: and the Apostle hath pointed out the only Cure, that fince, as the preceding Verfe teaches, God refifteth the Proud, and giveth Grace to the Humble, we should humble ourselves unfeignedly under his mighty Hand, which hath been, and is, in feveral respects, heavy on us; that fo, instead of depreffing us lower ftill, he may exalt us again in due Time.