The Expected Dissolution of All Things

SERMON I. Of the Dissolution of all Things.

SEEING then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

LOOKING for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of GOD?—

I AM pretty certain I need not inform my hearers, what is the more particular and special occasion of my chusing this passage of holy Scripture for the subject of our meditations at this time. So alarming a visitation of providence, does, I think, naturally lead to it, and now claim our particular notice; and the rather, because it has been repeated, even so lately as the last evening. Tho' there are many persons p. 6thro'out the world, so thoughtless and irreligious as to disregard the common, ordinary occurrences of divine providence, which are familiar to them; yet there are few, if any, who are arrived at such a pitch of impiety, whose consciences are so feared and hardened, as not to have their attention awak◊ned, and to receive some religious impressions, by mea◊s of such unusual, such striking and stupendous events. When God "looketh on the earth, and it trembleth," or "toucheth the hills, and they smoke," [Psalm 104.32. It seems not improbable that Earthquakes, and the Eruptions of Volcanos, were the Phaenomena which the Psalmist here had in view.] even the most abandoned men, who are witnesses of these his mighty works, are generally struck with a solemn awe, and have their thoughts turned towards the great Author, Upholder, and Governor of the universe: And whenever they are thus led to think seriously of Him, they cannot but wish themselves the objects of his favour, and shudder under the apprehensions of his righteous displeasure: They cannot but account his displeasure even worse than death, and his

loving kindness better than life.

SUCH seasons and opportunities as the present, when the ears and hearts of men may be supposed more open to discipline, ought not, therefore, to be neglected, but carefully improved by those, whose particular business it is to "call sinners to repentance," and to preach righteousness to the world. They may reasonably p. 7hope to have an easier access to the minds and consci◊◊◊◊◊ of men, at such times than at others; and to find them more susceptible of those good impressions, which, tho' at all times fit and reasonable to be received, ◊re yet too often attempted to be made to no purpose, at other seasons. I believe there is no wicked man amongst us, tho' it may be justly feared there are many to whom this character belongs; I believe there is no wicked man amongst us, I say, whose heart did not tremble within his breast, when the earth so lately trembled under his feet; none, the joynts of whose loins were not loosed, and whose bones and marrow did not seem to be dissolving, when the very frame of nature, and the foundations of the world were put out of course; and all these things seemed to be dissolving. For the truth of this, I dare appeal to the most profligate, hardened sinner present; even to those, who may have only made a mock of sin before, not having considered, that with God there is terrible majesty, till He thus caused his dread to fall upon them, and his excellency made them afraid.

p. 7MY design, therefore, is, by the assistance and blessing of Him,

who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will,

[Eph. i.11.] in the kingdom of his providence, and of his grace, to fix, confirm, and cultivate into a principle of sober, practical religion and piety, those good impressions, which, I cannot but hope and believe, have been made upon the hearts of the young and tho'tless; and even upon those of the p. 8most profane and dissolute, by this awakening and repeated visitation of divine providence: Improving it, at the same time, for the quickening of good men in their christian course, and "the perfecting of the saints"; that they may give the more diligence to be found of their Judge in peace at last,

without spot and blameless.

For we are, I think, naturally led by these visitations and admonitions of providence, to turn our attention to that great period, when we shall

all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ;

and when all these things which were, just now, only shaken, shall be intirely dissolved; and when, not only the earth shall be moved out of her place, but the heavens themselves "shall pass away with a great noise."

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of GOD?

IN discoursing upon this subject, it will be proper to inquire, in the

FIRST place, what things those are, of which St. Peter speaks; and all which, he assures us, shall be dissolved?

SECONDLY, what we are to understand by the dissolution of these things? And,

THIRDLY, when this great and interesting event shall come to pass? or what will be the forerunners, concomitants, and consequents of it?

p. 9FOURTHLY, I shall, in conformity to the original design of the passage, and the manifest scope of the apostle, urge the certainty hereof as a motive to universal holiness, and, thereby, to prepare for, and hasten unto, the coming of this Day of God.

THE subject will then be closed with some application of it, relative to the present season, and to those providential dispensations, which so naturally lead us forward in our contemplations to the great catastrophe of nature, when p. 9all these things shall be dissolved.

Nor can I doubt but that you will favour me with a serious attention, both the subject and the occasion being such, as may justly claim one.

HOWEVER, it is not my intention to address myself merely to the passions of my hearers; much less, to take this opportunity, when the minds of many people may be ruffled and discomposed, to promote the cause of superstition; a cause which, I bless God, I have neither any interest nor inclination to serve. I shall, therefore address myself to you, as to men, and reasonable creatures; endeavouring to gain access to your hearts and consciences, to the most secret apartments of your souls, if I may so express it, thro' the door of your understandings. And this will so much the rather be the manner of my address, because I am perswaded from my own observation, that no religious impressions can be of the right kind, durable, and of lasting benefit to the subjects p. 10of them, besides those which are made, or at least fixed, by rational, sober, and honest methods, with the concurrence and blessing of Him, who