N00989:57
The voice of God, in stormy winds. Considered, in two sermons, occasioned by the…
The voice of God, in stormy winds. Considered, in two sermons, occasioned by the dreadful and unparalleled storm, in the European nations. Novemb. 27th. 1703. / By Increase Mather. ; [Five lines of quotations]The voice of God, in stormy winds. Considered, in two sermons, occasioned by the dreadful and unparallel'd storm, in the European nations. Novemb. 27th. 1703. / By Increase Mather. ; [Five lines of quotations]
printed by T. Green for Nicholas Buttolph, 1704
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Voice of GOD IN Stormy Winds. › SERMON II. › Application 2: USE II.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Another Improvement that we should make of this awful Providence is to beware of those. Evils that use to be attended with Storms. Whether we speak of Storms in a Literal-sense, or of Storms of […] Judgments. As now, Security is one of those Evils. When men are secure; God sends a Storm to awaken them with a Vengeance. 1 Thes. 5.3. When they say Peace and Safety, then sudden Destruction comes on them. It was so with the Town of Laish ▪ (it were well if it were not so with Boston,) they were Secure, Judg. 18.10. and when they least thought of it, Six Hundred Men fell on them with the Sword and Destroyed them. It has been often observed, that when a People are most Secure, then terrible Judgments have ⟨p. 58⟩been near to them. It was so with old Babylon. Bei•azz•• made a very impious Feast, for a thousand of his Lords; yet at that time, their Enemies were investing the City; but they feared not: they had a River to defend them; a treble Wall, Provision for twenty Years, and Scorned what the Midst, & Persians, with their Army could do unto them. But while they were in the midst of their mirth, the Scripture assures us that that Night the King of Babylon was slain: and History informs us, that all his Nobles were slain with him in that Night of their profound security. And Mystical Babylon, (Rome that is) when she shall say, I have no sorrow, then her Plagues, Death and Mourning come upon her in one Day. Therefore beware of Security, which brings unexpected Storms. And let us beware of Sinful Storms. Where there are great Divisions & Contentions, there use to be Sinful Storms: And such Evils are oftentimes attended with Storms of Persecution. It was so as to diverse of those Persecutions which befell Christians in the Primitive times: Especially before that of the Emperor Aurelian; Professors of Religion were scandalously ⟨p. 59⟩abusing one another. When Sheep are scattering from one another, God lets loose Wolves to drive them together And Oh! Beware of Crying Sins. It was the Crying Sins of Sodom that brought the horrible Tempest on them. But what were they? Oh! that there were not any of them in Boston. But the Prophet Ezekiel tells us that the Sins of Sodom, were, Pride, Fullness of Bread, and abundance of Idleness. Are not those Sins in Boston? Is there not a great deal of Pride, as to Vanity in Apparel?