Poor People will go beyond their rank, & beyond their ability, which is a great iniquity, and very provoking to God. Fullness of bread, and of drink, great abuse that way; Drunkenness is become a common Sin among us. Abundance of Idleness: There is not that Industry among us as ought to be. How many spend their Time in Taverns; if they spent their Time Industriously, they might live comfortably. When as there are too many, that their Wives & Children are perishing at home, when they are Idling in Taverns or Public houses. Alas! Sinful Boston, dost thou not see, that Poverty is coming on thee like an armed Man, and that many of thy Houses will be forsaken and left desolate. Now the great question is, What shall we do that we ⟨p. 127⟩may be extricated out of our difficulties? You say, Blessed is the Man that can tell us what should be done. Some say that if an old Law of the Colony were revived, That no Merchant should ask above Four Pence, or Six Pence in the Shilling for what he Sells, that would bring Money into the Country, and save the Land from ruin. That's a matter out of my Province to meddle with. I have nothing to say about it, but I can tell you of another thing that must be done, and if it be done, God will deliver Boston, and New-England, out of the dismal straights and difficulties that are upon us: The thing to be done is, to Repent and Pray. Don't think Praying alone will do without Repentance, without Reforming and Returning to the Lord; but if you do that, I can assure you in His Name, He will deliver you out of your distresses. I will bring you a plain Scripture for it. Jer. 18. 7, 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, & concerning a Kingdom, to destroy it; if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Well then, let there be ⟨p. 128⟩that Repenting, that Returning to the Lord that He now expects from us, and we may be sure of it, God will be as good as His Word, and turn from His Anger, and be pleased with us: Only do it without delay; don't put it off till hereafter, Remember the words of the Prophet: Zeph. 2. 3. Seek the Lord ye meek of the earth, before the decree bring forth; Seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be ye shall be bid in the day of the Lords anger. Be in earnest with God.
Poor People will go beyond their rank, & beyond their ability, which is a great iniquity, and very provoking to God. Fullness of bread, and of drink, great abuse that way; Drunkenness is become a common Sin among us. Abundance of Idleness: There is not that Industry among us as ought to be. How many spend their Time in Taverns; if they spent their Time Industrously, they might live comfortably. When as there are too many, that their Wives & Children are perishing at home, when they are Idling in Taverns or Publick houses. Alas! Sinful Boston, dost thou not see, that Poverty is coming on thee like an armed Man, and that many of thy Houses will be forsaken and left desolate. Now the great question is, What shall we do that we ⟨p. 127⟩may be extricated out of our difficulties? You say, Blessed is the Man that can tell us what should be done. Some say that if an old Law of the Colony were revived, That no Merchant should ask above Four Pence, or Six Pence in the Shilling for what he Sells, that would bring Money into the Country, and save the Land from ruine. That's a matter out of my Province to meddle with. I have nothing to say about it, but I can tell you of another thing that must be done, and if it be done, God will deliver Boston, and New-England, out of the dismal straights and difficulties that are upon us: The thing to be done is, to Repent and Pray. Don't think Praying alone will do without Repentance, without Reforming and Returning to the Lord; but if you do that, I can assure you in His Name, He will deliver you out of your distresses. I will bring you a plain Scripture for it. Jer. 18. 7, 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, & concerning a Kingdom, to destroy it; if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. Well then, let there be ⟨p. 128⟩that Repenting, that Returning to the Lord that He now expects from us, and we may be sure of it, God will be as good as His Word, and turn from His Anger, and be pleased with us: Only do it without delay; don't put it off till hereafter, Remember the words of the Prophet: Zeph. 2. 3. Seek the Lord ye meek of the earth, before the decree bring forth; Seek righteousness, seek meekness, it may be ye shall be bid in the day of the Lords anger. Be in earnest with God.
