JOHN V. 14.

Afterward Jefus findeth him in the Temple, and faid unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: Sin no more, left a worfe thing come unto thee.

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FTER feven yearly Fafts, we have. now through God's Mercy, before we have deferved it, one Day of general Thanksgiving: and furely our Concern is to employ it so, that we may hope for more. Now there can be no wiser or kinder Direction for this Purpose, than that of our Lord in the Text. He had juft healed the Perfon to whom he speaks, and therefore certainly did not mean to use him harshly in these Words: but indeed to fhew him ftill greater Goodness, than he had done already; as much greater, as Spiritual and Eternal Welfare is than Temporal. His Cure had been the heaviest of Misfortunes to him, had he behaved improperly upon it. But Jefus found him in the Temple, whither probably he went with a M 4 devout

devout Heart, to give God Praife, This promised well concerning him: yet by no means rendered a strong Warning to him fuperfluous. Permit me therefore, finding You, and God be thanked that I find fo many of you, in the Temple on a like Occafion, to treat you in a like Manner. And think it not strange, I befeech you, if at present you hear not folely the Voice of Joy, though never was a juster Occafion for it, but are exhorted, even now, to ferve the Lord in Fear, and rejoice unto him with Reverence*. I hope many Teachers of his Word will dwell this Day on the fame Subject: for the Advice, here given by our gracious Master, comprehends every thing that our Condition requires.

I. A thankful Senfe of the Bleffing, which we have received. Behold, thou art made whole. II. A firm Resolution of virtuous Obedience in Return for it. Sin no more.

III. A prudent Confideration of the Danger of behaving otherwife. Left a worse thing come unto thee.

I. A thankful Senfe of the Bleffing, which we have received. Behold, thou art made whole.

*Pfalm ii. 11.

At

At this Time laft Year, and for many. Months after, we had a very afflicting Sense of the Judgments, that threatened us: the whole Nation had it, and with the utmost Cause. Our Religion, our Liberties, our Lives, our public Independence, our private Properties, were all at Stake. Our Forces were few, unsuccessful, and disheartened: the Rebels were numerous, flushed with Victory, and increafing. Then, befides what appeared, we knew not how much more Evil we had to apprehend, from abroad or at home, from the Fury of our Enemies, from the Coldness of our Friends. The Danger too was no lefs imminent than great: and muft foon crush us, if not foon averted. We faw, and felt, and trembled at it; we exerted ourselves against it with a Spirit, never known amongst us before: and God forbid we should have forgotten, God forbid we should ever forget, the Impreffions that we had fo lately, first of the Terrors impending over us, then of the Felicity of their sudden Difperfion.

It is true, we are not yet perfectly whole. Far from it, Heaven knows. But what would we have given once for fo happy an Approach towards it, as we how poffefs? Our domestic

Foes

Foes are fallen in Battle, or cut off by Justice, or driven into other Lands, or abfconding in Corners of their own, impoverished and difarmed, and taught by Experience neither to rely on themselves, nor their faithlefs Allies. Our Soldiery have recovered their ancient Courage and Character. The Nation in general hath united in active Loyalty: we are known and trufted one by another; known and dreaded by our Adverfaries, who had ftrangely miftaken our inteftine Divifions, bad as they were, for fomething much worse. Our Distemper is V at least expelled from our Vitals, and driven to

the extreme Parts. We have Notice, we have Time, to provide against a Return of it: and poffibly at present France may be feeling from us, in her own Dominions, a fmall Share of the Sufferings, which She projected for Ours, while We are enjoying in Peace all that we feared to lose. Whatever we may want therefore to make our Happiness complete, we ought to be most deeply fenfible, that our Portion of it is remarkably large: fo large, that there is not furely a Nation upon Earth, with which any one of us, in the midst of all that we have to complain of and lament, would be willing on the whole to change Conditions.

But