A Diſſuaſive from Murmuring.

IT is a Character that has long ſince been given of Mankind, That he is Animal querulum, a Creature much given to com­plaining.

There is rarely ſuch a Concurrence of Cir­cumſtances as that all of them pleaſe us; and if any thing diſpleaſe or be offenſive to us, it uſually ſo engages our thoughts, that we ſcarce make any fitting reflection on the more favoura­ble Circumſtances, how great and numerous2 ſoever. And whilſt by this means one Evil, In­convenience, or Misfortune makes a greater im­preſſion on us than hundreds of Mercies and Advantages which we enjoy, we are generally diſpoſed to be diſſatisfied with our Condition, to Complain and Murmur when indeed we have no juſt reaſon ſo to do.

This being a Malady ſo incident to mankind, the Apoſtle, one of the moſt Able Phyſicians of Souls, has given us a Preſcription againſt it in the words of my Text; Neither murmur ye as ſome of them alſo murmured, and were deſtroyed of the de­ſtroyer.

In which Words we may obſerve, 1. A Re­lation of Matter of Fact, Some of them alſo mur­mured. 2dly. A Prohibition of the like Practice, Neither murmur ye, as ſome of them, &c. 3dly. An Argument to diſſuade us from the Imitation of them, drawn from the deſtructiveneſs of the Practice, evidenced by the Event it had on them, They were deſtroyed of the deſtroyer.

Firſt, Here is a Relation of Matter of Fact, Some of them alſo murmured. Some of them. Of whom? Even of the Children of Iſrael. It would be no ſtrange matter to hear, that Hea­thens, that men governed by the mere Conduct3 of Corrupt Nature, ſhould repine and murmur upon ſlight occaſions: But the Iſraelites had been inſtructed in better Principles, which one might expect ſhould have reſtrained them from ſuch diſtempers. Nay, the ſtate which they were in before was ſo very miſerable, and it was by ſuch a continued Succeſſion of Miracles, of De­liverances and Mercies, that they were arrived at that Condition at which they murmured, that one might in all reaſon expect to hear of their Tranſports of Joy, and Praiſe, and Thankſ­giving, when on the contrary we find an Epide­mical Diſcontent and Murmuring among them.

For if you reflect on their Condition in Egypt, you may obſerve them labouring under as great Oppreſſion and Tyranny, as ever an ingenuous People underwent; ſo that their lives were bitter unto them; and the ſenſe of their Miſeries made them vent their Griefs in Sighs and Groans, which mounted up to Heaven, and moved God in Compaſſion to reach forth his mighty Hand and outſtretched Arm to deliver them. As the Pſalmiſt ſays, Pſal. 105. 26. &c. He ſent to them Moſes his ſervant, and Aaron whom he had choſen, and they ſhewed his ſigns among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. He ſent darkneſs upon their enemies,4 and it was dark, and turned their waters into blood, and ſlew their fiſh. The land alſo brought forth frogs in abundance, yea, even in their kings chambers. He ſpake, and there came divers ſorts of flies and lice in all their coaſts. He gave them hailſtones for rain, and flames of fire in their land. He ſmote their vines alſo and fig­trees, and deſtroyed the trees that were in their coaſts. He ſpake the word and the graſhoppers came, and ca­terpillars innumerable, and did eat up all the graſs in the land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. He ſmote all the firſt born alſo in their land, the chief of all their ſterngth. He brought them forth with ſilver and gold, and (tho they were many hundred thouſands) there was not one feeble perſon among their tribes. And all along as we go on in their Hiſtory, we may obſerve ſuch evident, ſuch wonderful, ſuch ſea­ſonable Interpoſitions of the Divine Power and Goodneſs for their Defence and Relief, that one would think there could not poſſibly be any room left for diſcontent or repining among them. For, Were they perſecuted? God ſet himſelf for a Wall of Defence between them and their Enemies. Were they in diſtreſs for a Paſ­ſage? The Sea divided it ſelf, and its Waters roſe up on an heap, to afford them a Path through the deep, as through a wilderneſs. Did they want a5 ſhelter by day? He ſpread his cloud over them for a covering. Did they want a Guide by night? He himſelf went before them in a pillar of fire. Did they want Bread? He rained down Manna upon them, and filled them with the bread of heaven. Did they want Meat to their Bread? He made the wind to bring them fleſh like duſt, and feathered fowl like as the ſand of the ſea. Did they want Drink to both? He opened the rock of ſtone, and the waters flowed out, ſo that the rivers ran in dry places. Did they ſtand in need of Apparel? Their cloaths did not wax old upon their backs, nor their ſhooes upon their feet. Did they want Advice? God himſelf gave them his Vocal Oracle from between the Che­rubims. And beſides all theſe, there were ma­ny other occaſions wherein God exerted a Mira­culous Power to ſupply their Neceſſities, or gra­tify their Deſires. And yet, as the Apoſtle here ſays, Some of them alſo murmured.

Hence then (my Brethren) we may obſerve, That People's murmuring is no evidence that there is any good ground to do ſo. I take no­tice of this the rather, becauſe I have often ob­ſerved, that many men, whoſe Temper and Principles (as I have apprehended) did not at all diſpoſe them to Murmuring and Diſcontent,6 have yet been guilty of it, merely in compli­ance with others. They obſerve many whom they converſe with, and it may be, Perſons of great Reputation, that they make it a great Subject of their Diſcourſe to cenſure, find fault with, and complain of the ſtate of Affairs; and therefore conclude that they muſt certainly be grievouſly amiſs, and that they themſelves ſhould paſs for perſons of dull apprehenſions, and very ſhallow capacities, if they do not ſee reaſon to murmur as well as others.

Now if ſuch perſons would but obſerve in this Hiſtory of the Iſraelites, what little reaſon there was for murmuring, and yet how much they were guilty of it, it would certainly be a Caution to them to take heed how they are ſo eaſily miſled by following others Examples. For whether they are led away by the Conſide­rableneſs of the Perſons, or the Greatneſs of their Numbers, you will find them parallel'd in theſe unjuſt Murmurings of the Iſraelites;Numb. 16. 2. ma­ny princes of the aſſembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown; nay, ſometimes the whole Con­gregation being engaged in them. Or if any pretend that they are not prevailed on by conſi­deration of the Perſons, but by the Reaſons7 which they give for their Diſcontents; as no doubt they will: For when Perſons are diſpoſed to find fault and murmur, they can never long want a Pretence; it being impoſſible that in ſuch a Multiplicity of Affairs as concern a Na­tion, and depend on ſo many Perſons, all of them ſhould be ſo managed, as not to be liable to the miſinterpretation of malevolent tongues. But if you pleaſe to reflect on their Hiſtory, you will find that the Iſraelites themſelves were not without ſome apparent Reaſons for their Diſcontents. For to paſs by the other occaſi­ons, to avoid Prolixity, there were two which Commentators ſuppoſe the Apoſtle more eſpe­cially reflected on; the firſt, Numb. 14. and the other, Numb. 16. At the one the great Grie­vance was, That they were engaged in a War with ſuch Powerful Adverſaries, as they could never hope for a good iſſue of it; and therefore thought it more adviſable to return to Egypt, to their Bondage again, than to proceed in it. In the other the Pretence was, That their Gover­nors both in Church and State were Intruders and Uſurpers, and that Preferments run in a dif­ferent Channel from what they had uſed to do.

The firſt Pretence (I ſay) was, That they were engaged in a War with ſuch Potent Ad­verſaries, that they could never hope for a good Iſſue of it: For if you look into Numb. 13. you will find the occaſion of their murmuring to be, That the Spies who were ſent to ſearch the Land,V. 32. 33. upon their return repreſented the people whom they were to encounter with, to be ſtrong, and the cities to be walled and very great; that the men were of great ſtature, nay, that there were mighty gi­ants there, ſons of Anak, in compariſon of whom they were but as graſhoppers. And it was the concurrent opinion of them all, excepting two, that they ſhould never be able to withſtand them. This made the people deſpair and lament their Condition, and wiſh that they hadNumb. 14. V. 1, 2. died in the land of Egypt, or in the wilderneſs. For ſhould they ſtill perſiſt in their Enterprize, they could expect nothing elſe, but that they ſhould fall by the ſword, and that their wives and theirV. 3. children ſhould become a prey; and therefore concluded, that the beſt courſe they could take, would be to return again to the Bondage and Slavery from which they had been ſo wonderfully delivered. And hereupon they began to conſpire together for carrying on the deſign, ſaying one to another,9 Let us make us a captain, and let us return into Egypt, Numb. 14. 4. So ſtrangely does a diſcontented, murmuring Humour, deprive men of the uſe of their Rational Faculties; blotting out the re­membrance of all former Evils, either ſuffered or feared; making them ſenſeleſs of preſent Mercies, though never ſo pregnant with fu­ture hopes and expectations; abuſing them with imaginations of groundleſs Terrors, and inci­ting them to run to a certain ruin, for a refuge from an imaginary one.

The ſecond pretence was, That their Chief Governors both in Church and State, were no better than Intruders and Uſurpers; and that ſubordinate Preferments were diverted to ano­ther channel from what they had us'd to run in. For the caſe was this; From the beginning of the World till Moſes's time, the Royal Power, or Kingdom, and the Prieſthood, were veſted in the Patriarch, or Head of every Tribe; and from him deſcended Hereditarily on the Firſt­born of the Family: And this Succeſſion was rarely interrupted that we know of, unleſs it were in the caſe of Sem, whom ſome think not to have been Noah's Eldeſt Son; and in the caſe of Abraham the Youngeſt Son of Terah; and10 of Jacob the Younger Brother of Eſau. But now at the Iſraelites coming out of Egypt, Moſes, whom God had made the great Inſtrument of their Deliverance, was advanced to the Supream Power, and made King in Jeſhurun, Deut. 33. 5. Aaron was Inveſted with the High-Prieſthood, and the Tribe of Levi promoted to the Service of the Tabernacle, in lieu of the Firſt-born of their ſeveral Families, who thereby were exclu­ded from all hope of attaining to that Dignity. Theſe things were grievouſly reſented by thoſe whoſe Intereſt was concerned, and prejudiced by this new Eſtabliſhment: and they ſtrength­ned their Faction, and fomented their Diſcon­tents, till at length they broke forth into open Sedition:Numb. 16. 1. Da­than, Abiram, and On, were all Sons, that is, of the Poſterity of Reuben, who was the Firſt-born of Iſrael, but loſt his Honour by his Sin, 1 Chron. 5. 1. which his Sons by un­lawful means ſeek to regain. Ainſworth on the place. Particularly Dathan and Abi­ram, the Sons of Eliab, and On, the Son of Peleth, being the Principal Perſons of the Children of Reuben, the Eldeſt Son of Jacob, thought themſelves ex­treamly injured. For tho Reuben for his unnatural Sin was indeed Depoſed, and juſtly Deprived of his Right to the Primogeniture, Geneſ. 49. 4. and 1 Chron. 5. 1. Yet they would not allow of any Variation upon any account what­ſoever,11 from the uſual way of Succeſſion; a Succeſſion which (as they might plead) had been Eſtabliſhed from the Creation of the World, founded on the Principles and Laws of Nature, receiv'd and practis'd by all Nati­ons then in the World. And by this ſo ſacred a Right, the Royal and Sacerdotal Power be­longed to them as deſcendants of the Eldeſt Son of Iſrael. And beſides theſe, there were ma­ny other diſcontented Perſons, eſpecially Korah, who (as Solomon Jarchi ſays) was offended that Elizaphan, the Son of Uzziel, the Youngeſt of all the Brothers, was advanced to be the Chief of the Family of the Kohathites, Numb. 3. 30. in prejudice of himſelf, who was of an Elder Branch; and his Reſentment fermenting his Pride, made him think himſelf as fit for the Prieſthood, as the beſt of them. Theſe and many others, to whoſe Intereſt or Ambition this change of Affairs ſeemed not favourable, being Male-content, joyned together in tradu­cing the Government; Charge Moſes and Aaron as Uſurpers, Numb. 10. 3. and accuſe them, that, inſtead of delivering them from their for­mer Oppreſſions and Miſeries, they had brought them into a much worſe Condition; that there12 was nothing to be expected but Ruine under their Conduct, and that they ſhould be killed in the Wilderneſs; and that theſe things were ſo undeniably evident, that they muſt put out the eyes of men before they could expect to perſuade them the contrary, Numb. 16. 13, 14. And we find that their pretences were ſo very plauſible, and had ſuch a mighty and general influence on the People, that though Almighty God in a ve­ry Signal and Miraculous manner, declared his implacable Anger againſt the Principal Male­contents, and their Abettors, by a ſupernatural and prodigious Deſtruction; yet the very next Morning we find the People crying them up as Martyrs dying in a good Cauſe, and Murmu­ring againſt Moſes and Aaron, as Authors of their Murther, v. 41. So difficult is it for People to be convinced when their Errors are fortified by Prepoſſeſſion and Prejudice!

Thus (my Brethren) you have an account of the matter of Fact among the Iſraelites; the unreaſonableneſs of their Murmurings, with the occaſions and pretences of them. It is time now that we apply our ſelves to the conſidera­tion of the ſecond thing obſerved in the words, viz. the Prohibition directed to us by St. Paul13 againſt the like Practice; Neither murmur ye as ſome of them murmured.

The words are ſufficiently plain, and need little explication; for every one, I ſuppoſe, muſt needs underſtand, that when men are ready upon every occaſion to ſignify their diſſatisfaction with the ſtate of Affairs; when they detract from, and ſpeak againſt their Go­vernors; when they miſinterpret their Acti­ons; when they aggravate ſuch misfortunes as happen; when they are generally com­plaining of Miſmanagements, and ſuggeſt Evil things concerning them: In a word, when they ſhew themſelves Diſcontented and Deſi­rous of Changes, and endeavour to make others ſo: Theſe things (I ſay) and ſuch like, tending to Sedition, every one muſt needs underſtand to be acts of Murmuring and Re­pining; And theſe things therefore does the Apoſtle here prohibit; and it were eaſy to produce out of Holy Writ multitudes of other places tending to the ſame purpoſe. But to avoid tediouſneſs, I forbear them, as knowing that St. Paul's Authority alone muſt be own­ed14 ſufficient by all Chriſtians, ſuch as we all profeſs our ſelves to be.

Therefore I ſhall rather addreſs my ſelf to you in way of Exhortation; That you would take care to demean your ſelves conformably to this Precept, which is of ſuch undoubted Authority. And if one does but ſeriouſly re­flect on our Condition before the late Revo­lution, and repreſent to our minds the into­lerable Grievances and formidable Circum­ſtances which we then laboured under, one would think there could be no doubt of Succeſs. For alas! How diſmal did things then appear! How did mens hearts (as our Saviour ſpeaks, Luke 21. 26. ) fail them for fear, and for looking after thoſe things which were coming upon us! When we ſaw the Laws, the ſecurity of all that can be valua­ble in this world, profeſſedly run down and violated; Men, by Law unqualified for any Truſt, thruſt into all Offices of Truſt; and thoſe, who in account of the Law were Tray­tors, to have the chief management of the Government; when the Nurſeries of the Cler­gy15 were aſſigned over to Papiſts; and the Miniſters of Religion were enjoined, con­trary to the Laws in force, to proclaim Li­berty to their Pariſhioners to go to Maſs, or what they pleaſed, and threatned with a ſevere Proſecution for their non-compliance; and God knows what they might have ſuf­fered if Deliverance had not come to prevent it: When a Petition drawn up with all the Care and Caution poſſible, and preſented in the Humbleſt and Privateſt manner, was Cen­ſured for a Libel, and the Fathers of our Church ſent to the Tower for it; when an Army was kept up in time of Peace, merely to over-awe the People, and deter them from aſſerting their Rights; and the Soldiers were ordinarily per­mitted to act Arbitrarily, that they might be the willinger to ſupport an Arbitrary Go­vernment; when the Wolves, the profeſſed Adverſaries of the Church, were intruſted with providing Paſtors for it; the Jeſuits and other Popiſh Prieſts having the choice of our Biſhops, and the diſpoſal of all ſuch Ec­cleſiaſtical Preferments as belonged to the Crown; when all ſuch were turned out of16 the Court, Corporations, and moſt Com­miſſions of the Peace, and Lieutenancy, as would not engage to concur with the Popiſh Deſigns; when many honeſt men were de­barred of their way of livelyhood, and a re­ſolution was about being taken to ſuffer none to exerciſe ſuch an Employment as required a Licenſe, unleſs they would make the like Engagement; when the Parliament, which ſhould redreſs our Grievances, were no long­er allowed the Liberty of Voting; but the Lords and all others that were likely to be Members of Parliament, were Cloſetted, and all Arts uſed to induce them to betray our Liberties; when the Nation was no longer permitted the free Choice of their Repreſen­tatives, but Threats and Menaces, and all ſorts of Engines were uſed to determine them to ſuch Tools as the Papiſts ſhould think fit to nominate to them: When theſe (I ſay) and many other Grievances, too long to enume­rate, preſſed us, Oh! what Trouble! what Anxiety of thought did they cauſe in us! What great portions of our Eſtates would we then have given for the ſecurity of our17 Religion, our Liberties and Properties! How zealous were our Prayers, how vehement our deſires of Deliverance! and with what tranſports of Joy and Thankfulneſs did we reckon that we ſhould embrace it when it ſhould come!

But this is not all; for it is not only ſo great a Deliverance that we have occaſion to be thank­ful for, but the wonderful Manner of it like­wiſe; That it ſhould be wrought to our hands, without any conſiderable Interpoſition of our own; that it ſhould be effected without un­dergoing the miſchiefs of having our Coun­trey made the Seat of War; nay, almoſt with­out any bloodſhed: This was ſuch a Wonder as ſurpriz'd the world with amazement. And every body owns, That the Reduction of Ire­land was accompliſh'd by a continued ſucceſſi­on of Strange, and I may ſay, Miraculous Pro­vidences. And what can be expected from a People to whom God has been ſo exceeding Gracious, but all the Content and Satisfaction, nay, all the Joy and Thankſgiving which it is poſſible to expreſs?

And yet alas! how different is it with us! What a ſtrange Forgetfulneſs of God's ſtu­pendious Mercies towards us! What a ſtudi­ous depreciating and extenuating of them! And what a world of Diſcontent reigns a­mong us! As if we reſolved to emulate and outdo in their Crimes that perverſe and ſtubborn generation of the Iſraelites who pe­riſhed in the Wilderneſs. And if you pleaſe to reflect on the Pretences of our Modern Malecontents for their Murmuring, though I have not time to examine them particular­ly, yet methinks it is enough to bring them out of credit with any conſidering perſon, that they are ſo very like to thoſe which the Seditious Iſraelites made uſe of, as I have al­ready ſhewed you.

Ay! but may ſome ſay, Did God himſelf interpoſe among us, as he did among the Iſraelites; had we ſuch Governors as Moſes and Aaron, choſen by God himſelf, and di­rected by his Oracle in the Conduct of them; then we would be far from murmuring; then we would be the moſt ſatisfied and obedient People in the world.

Now to paſs by other things that may be replied to ſhew the Weakneſs of this Ob­jection, I ſhall obſerve at preſent only this, viz. That this Objection would fruſtrate the Apoſtle's Precept; for it affixes the Criminal­neſs of the Murmuring of the Iſraelites, upon ſuch Circumſtances as are never to be ex­pected to happen again; whereas it's unde­niably evident, that the Apoſtle muſt ſpeak of Murmuring in ſuch a ſenſe, and in ſuch ca­ſes, as may and often do happen in theſe Ages of the world, when Revelation is ceaſed.

And this, I ſuppoſe, may ſerve in ſome com­petent meaſure to ſhew, That we, as well as the Iſraelites, have no juſt reaſon to murmur, but rather to be thankful for that great De­liverance which God has vouchſafed to us: But if this will not perſuade us, let the Apo­ſtle's Argument at leaſt prevail with us to forbear murmuring for the future, conſider­ing the Deſtructiveneſs of it, evidenc'd by the Event it had on the Iſraelites,2 Sam. 24. 16. ſeeing they were deſtroyed of the deſtroyer; that is, by an Angel to whom God gave it in commiſſion,20 That he ſhould deſtroy them. For as he is the God of Order and of Peace, ſo nothing can be more repugnant and offenſive to him, than ſuch Seditious and Rebellious Murmur­ings; inſomuch that it is obſerved,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Chryſoſt. l. 5. p. 205. Ed. Savil. That he has in his Laws aſſigned ſeverer Puniſhments to ſuch ſins as tend to the Diſturbance of the Peace and Welfare of Human Society, than ſuch as have a more direct reference to himſelf. And as he juſtly expects our Praiſes and Thankſ­giving in return of the Mercies which he confers on us; ſo nothing could be more provoking in his people than their ungrateful Murmuring and Repining after ſuch a Miraculous Deli­verance as he had wrought for them. And therefore his Wrath was ſo incenſed againſt them, that he offered to have conſumed them all in a moment. And tho Moſes by his Interceſ­ſion prevailed ſo far as to prevent the Total Deſtruction of them at once; yet he ſlew many Thouſands of the Principal Murmurers, their Abettors, immediately; and for the reſt, he ſwore they ſhould none of them enter into his reſt, but their carkaſſes ſhould fall in the wilder­neſs;21 which accordingly came to paſs. Now this is not to be looked upon as a mere Hiſtorical Relation of what befel them; for the Apoſtle urges it here as a Reaſon to enforce his Prohibition of our imitating their Example: And therefore hereby inſinuates a Menace of ſome Dreadful Judgment and De­ſtruction that will befal us, if we murmur and perſiſt in it as they did. And in the following Verſe he tells us plainly, That theſe things hapned unto them for our Enſam­ple, and are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Hapned to them for Enſamples; the Word is〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Typically; whence St. Chry­ſoſtom infers,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That we are threatned with ſtill more direful Puniſhments than they underwent.

And beſides theſe and other ſuch like Threats which God has revealed and publiſh­ed in Holy Scripture, there is another ſort of Puniſhments that are plainly legible in the nature of things. For the Divine Wiſdom ſo contrived and framed his Works, that there is a certain Nemeſis interwoven in the Con­texture22 of them. So that by conſidering the natural tendency of many ſins, we may evidently diſcover the temporal penalty which by the Divine diſpoſition is annexed to them. And theſe are generally owned to be ſins againſt the Law of Nature. And ſuch is this ſin of Murmuring; there being nothing which has a more viſible and direct Tenden­cy to the Miſery and Ruin of a People, than it. For it is its ſelf a Plague to thoſe who are guilty of it; its immediate effect on them being, that it deprives them of the enjoy­ment of, or ſatisfaction in the Bleſſings which the Goodneſs of God vouchſafes to them. It ſo ſowres their Humour, that it perverts and renders every thing offenſive and irkſome to them, or at leaſt diverts them from taking notice of any thing but what is ſo. And if we conſider it in reference to the Publick Weal, its effects are ſtill worſe: For it is di­rectly contrary to that Obedience and Con­cord which are the Nerves and Ligaments of all Bodies Politick, and whereon their Strength and Welfare, and their very Being eſſentially depends. It creates mutual Jealouſies, Heart­burnings,23 Strifes, and Contentions. It ob­ſtructs the ſucceſsful Management of the Pub­lick Affairs, diſcourages many able men from being concerned in them; creates a world of Difficulties to thoſe that are, hindring them from that Vigor and Reſolution which would conduce much to their Succeſs. On the o­ther hand, it is a mighty Encouragement to our Enemies; they reckoning, that ſo many Murmurers as we have among us, ſo many Favourers and Promoters of their Enterpriſes have they. So that however our Murmurers are ready to urge the ill Succeſſes and Bur­dens of the War as a ground of their Diſcon­tent; yet in reality there are none to whom they are more juſtly imputable than them­ſelves. And yet I have that good Opinion of the greateſt part of them, that I am per­ſuaded, that if they did but once conſider the miſchievous Conſequences of their acti­ons, they would no longer be guilty of them.

And if there be any ſuch here, I crave leave to ſpeak to them more particularly:24 Brethren, I beſeech you let me be ſo happy as to prevail with you for once to lay a­ſide your Paſſions and Prejudices, and to conſider ſeriouſly what you would have, and what you Deſign.

Here is cetainly the Welfare of a Church and Nation lies at ſtake: And can any man here be ſo Unchriſtian, ſo Inhumane, as to trifle in matters of ſuch moment, and act inconſiderately, without any known end or deſign? Conſider therefore what it is you aim at: Is it to promote Diſcord and Sedi­tion? To ſet the Nation on a Flame? To ſtir up an inteſtine War and Rebellion among us? Is it to weaken the Government that ſhould protect us? To give our Enemies an advantage to Vanquiſh us, to Invade us, and to Reduce us into the ſame fearful condition which God has ſo graciouſly reſcued us from? (though indeed it cannot be the ſame, but it muſt alſo be much worſe). Is there any one that can think of theſe things, and the many intolerable Miſeries neceſſarily attend­ing them, and is not ready to cry out with25 Hazael, Am I a Dog, that I ſhould do this thing? 2 Kings 8. 13. And yet if theſe be not your deſigns, What means your diſconten­ted Murmurings and Repinings, which all wiſe men teach, and which your ſelves muſt own, have a natural tendency to them? and which, if not timely ſuppreſſed, will lead you from one Sin to another, till ſuch Calamities overtake you, as you never deſigned or dreamed of being the procurers of?

Wherefore let us all in this our day, mind the things that belong to our peace; and reflect­ing on that diſmal Condition which we were lately in, and the wonderfulneſs of our Deliverance, and the miſchiefs enſuing from Diſcontent: Let us with all Thank­fulneſs recognize the Divine Goodneſs to us, and diſcarding our Murmuring Ungrateful Humour, let us ſtudy to lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godlineſs and Ho­neſty.

So ſhall we ſecure to our ſelves the con­tinuance of the Divine Favour, and then26 through him we ſhall overthrow our enemies, and in his name ſhall we tread them under, that riſe up againſt us. Which God of his Mercy grant for Jeſus Chriſt his ſake, &c.