PREFACE.

Y lord of London in his letter concerning the late earthquakes, has these words, “As "to you my brethren of the clergy,. "who share with me the care of the "fouls in these populous cities, let me "exhort you (though I trust you "want not to be exhorted) to awaken "the people, to call them from the "lethargy in which they have too long "lived, and make them fee their own danger. Speak to them, perfuade "them, as knowing the terrors of the "Lord. Speak to their hearts and confciences with fuch plainnefs as becomes the minifters of the gospel; "tell them in feafon and out of fear fon, that unless they repent, they muft perish. If the warnings we "have had are a call to the people to "repentance, remember they are fill "Stronger

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fronger calls on us to preach re"pentance, and to difcharge the duty we owe to God and his church, and to the flock of Christ over whom we are placed. May this work of God profper in our hands!" Amen, fay I. This advice is worthy of a chriftian bishop, and I wish all the clergy in England would follow it. I have endeavoured to follow it in this plain difcourfe, and although it was drawn up and printed in an hurry, yet it is feafonable and neceffary. The defign of it was to roufe careless finners out of their lethargy, and the neceffity of calling upon them is now evident. I waited, while the former editions were felling, to fee how they would be affected with the defolation, which God bath wrought in the earth. But they are not alarmed. They lay it not to heart, but go on fecure in the ways of fin, as if no fuch dreadful providence could befal them. They fortify themfelves in their fecurity by

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feveral very abfurd opinions, which only to mention is to confute.

It is one very prevailing opinion, that earthquakes are not common in this country. They are not. But the lefs common they are, the more should they alarm us when they come; for there is a providence over this country, and when He orders, our land fhalt fbake and reel like a drunkard. He fent two earthquakes lately, to fir us up to repentance, and he who fent these can send a third, and London may share the fate of Lisbon.

It is another opinion, that earthquakes are the effects of fecond causes. Be it fo. Then there is a firft caufe on whom they depend.

But the learned can give a philofophical account of them. What! fuch an account, I fuppofe, as they did of the earthquakes in the year 1750, by changing their names into airquakes, and then they were explained philofophically. It will not be fo eafy to ac

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count for the fhaking of the land for feveral hundred miles, and of the fea for feveral thousands at once, which was the cafe in thefe laft earthquakes. What natural caufe will they affign equal to this effect?

There is another opinion, from which men promise themselves fecurity, and that is the great wickedness of the Portuguefe. Doubtless they were finners, but not above all the inhabitants of the earth. We rival them in immorality, and we exceed them in infidelity. They were cut off in judgment. We are spared in mercy. From their punishment if we take no warning, we shall be greater finner's than they could be: for if neither the goodness of God can foften our hardened hearts, nor his judgments terrify us, then we may fear, that when he draws the fword of justice, we who would not cry for mercy at fuch a time as this, fhall receive judgment without mercy.

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Careless finners may flatter themfelves with notions of fafety, but unless they leave their fins they cannot be fafe. While the almighty is their enemy they can have no peace. May he open their eyes to fee this truth practically, that they may find the neceffity of being at peace with God. The way and means thereto is to fue for mercy through Jefus Chrift by faith and repentance: but there is fuch a general and violent oppofition to this method of reformation, that we have more to fear from the anger of God against this dreadful fin, than even from the trembling of the earth under us. May the prayers and humiliation of the righteous avert the judgments of God due to this and all the other crying fins of this kingdom.

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