therefore learn to serve the Lord with fear: and then you will be entitled to rejoice unto him with reverence.

The word of God, far from encouraging groundless and superstitious horrors, cautions against them strongly. In all ages and nations, men have been terrified with eclipses of the sun and moon: in many, with conjunctions, oppositions and aspects of the stars, and other celestial appearances: things altogether harmless. Therefore such frights the prophet expressly condemns. Thus saith the Lord: Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, because the heathen are dismayed at them: for the customs of the people are vain *. But whatsoever things are real instruments of our Maker's will, we are to consider as such; and respect all that is wrought by them, as proceeding from his appointment. Were we sure of living ever so long on earth; we are absolutely in his hands all the time. we live; and ought to be deeply sensible, that our happiness or misery, even here, depends continually upon him. But he hath passed a sentence of death on us all, to be executed, at furthest in a few years: and this furnishes a new motive to seriousness of heart, which we should be recollecting daily and hourly. But instead of that, we contrive all possible means never to think of it; and we succeed too well. Therefore to awaken us from this lethargy, he hath ordained besides, that the whole of life shall be full of diseases and accidents, to cut it short on a sudden, often when there was least cause to expect them: and here is a more pressing call to consider our latter end †. But however surprising each of these may be, when it happens very near us; yet, as one or another of them happens pretty frequently; for that very reason, + Deut, xxxii. 29.

* Jer. x. 2, 3.

though they ought to affect us the more, they scarce affect us at all. Therefore he also brings on, from time to time, the less common, and more widely destructive events, of wars and pestilences. Of the former we have for several years, not long past, had heavy experience. And what we see and hear to this day of the latter amongst our cattle, tells us, one should think, in a very interesting manner, to what we are subject ourselves. But if all these things fail of the good effects, which he purposes by them, as it is notorious they do with us most lamentably: he hath in reserve more alarming methods of admonition still one in particular, by which he shakes whole cities, whole countries and nations, sometimes to the extent of many hundred leagues at once, notwithstanding the intervention of large and deep seas; and hath frequently taken away the lives of thousands in a moment, by a ruin, which no wisdom can foresee, no caution prevent, no strength withstand, no art evade.

You have often read and heard of such threatenings and devastations elsewhere: but did not look on them, as having the least relation to yourselves. Possibly some of you imagined, that this part of the world was exempt from them. But indeed your ancestors have felt them, many times recorded in history, probably many more. However, that, you might think, was long ago; and would be long enough, before it happened again. Yet not a few persons, now alive, remember one earthquake in this city and that you may not dream of being safer than they, Providence hath taken care, that you shall feel another. Still, when you had escaped one shock, perhaps you thought the danger was over. There

fore you have felt a stronger. And which of you can be sure, that this will prove the last?

But you will say, Neither these nor the former have done any harm and therefore why should we fear it from future ones? But let me tell you, earthquakes have done harm in this kingdom, in this town: overturned many private houses, many churches, not without the loss of many lives. But if that were otherwise, have we any reason to doubt, but the causes of earthquakes are the same here, as in other places? Why then may not the effects be the same in our days, though formerly they have been less? Who can look into the bowels of the earth and assign a reason? Place the cause, if you will, contrary, I think to plain evidence, not in the earth, but the air, what will you gain by it? Would not a very little more force, nay a few moments' longer continuance of the same force, that shook our houses the other morning, have buried many or most of us under them, whencesoever it came? And if it had, let us ask ourselves, were we in due readiness to have appeared before God?

No longer than fifty-seven years ago, when the last earthquake before these was felt here; within a few months of the same time, near 2000 persons were destroyed in a moment by one at Jamaica; and near 100,000 by another in Sicily. Not three years and a half ago, in Lima, the principal city of Peru, containing 60,000 inhabitants, 5000 perished by an earthquake in less than three minutes, and but twenty-five houses were left standing. At the seaport of Callao, belonging to it, not one building, not one ship escaped, and only 100 inhabitants out of 7000: nor were there fewer, than sixty shocks more,

in thirty days. Indeed at the same place, they return generally about once a month, and with great violence once in a few years. Ought the consideration of these things to have no effect upon us? Allowing them not to prove, that we ever shall be in so dreadful a situation: yet they prove, that, for aught we know, we may: they shew, in a strong light, the terrors of divine power; and should remind us of all the other reasons, that we have, to stand in awe of it, both in this world, and a future one of which we ought to think without such warnings; but if we can be thoughtless in the midst of them, we are void of all excuse. By taking pains for it, we may bring ourselves to imagine the sufferings of others, no concern of ours: and our own danger, a very slight one. But do we resolve then, that nothing shall move us, but what will destroy us? That we will not repent, unless we are attacked by a judgment, that will leave multitudes of us no time to repent? You have, in the Revelation of St. John, this prophetic description: And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and in the earthquake were slain of men, seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven *. Had it not been much better, that all should have been preserved, by giving glory to God in time? And who can be certain, in such a case, that he may not be one amongst those who perish, however few?

But suppose we could be assured, that this land of ours would for ever be exempted from the severe visitations, which so many others have long undergone, do still, and are likely to undergo: who hath exempted us? who hath made us to differ †? Do we + 1 Cor. iv. 7.

Rev. . xi. 13.

owe him nothing on that account; that the lot is fallen unto us in so fair a ground, that we have so goodly a heritage*? And ought such mild admonitions from God, as we have lately received, of what he could do, and doth not, to pass by us unregarded? Do we despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance, instead of knowing, that it leads us to repentance † ? The countries, that suffer most, have no right to complain. He hath doubtless wise, though unsearchable reasons, for subjecting them to the calamities, from which he hath preserved others: and he will sufficiently distinguish hereafter the good and the bad, whom at any time he involves in a common calamity here. Yet surely we are glad, every one of us, that we are not in their condition: and whatever we have cause to be glad of, we have cause to be thankful for it, to the Author of all good.

But perhaps you will say: "These things are na"tural and therefore what foundation is there for "considering them in a religious light?" But supposing they are, which is more than we know, is not the whole frame of things, of our bodies and our souls, natural? And are we therefore to consider none of them in a religious light? We are to consider them all so. Life and death are natural. Judgment, heaven and hell, are just as natural. For what is nature? The order established by a wise and holy God. And must he not design, that we should learn from every part of it, especially the most striking parts, to honour him, and fear before the Lord? He foresaw from the beginning, that constant and uniform impressions on our minds would be apt to grow faint and languid. Therefore he interwove, in his original scheme, incidents, that should alarm us, from time † Rom. ii. 4. Haggai i. 12.

* Psal. xiv. 7.