The choice: a discourse, occasioned by the present severe drought; the mortal fever which prevails in Portsmouth, in this near vicinity, and in many of our capital, sea-port towns; and the threatening prospect of a calamitous war with a powerful nation. Delivered at Greenland, Sept. 9, 1798 / By Samuel Macclintock, D. D.

  • Samuel MacClintock
Date:
1798
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The choice: a discourse, occasioned by the present severe drought; the mortal fever which prevails in Portsmouth, in this near vicinity, and in many of our capital, sea-port towns; and the threatening prospect of a calamitous war with a powerful nation. Delivered at Greenland, Sept. 9, 1798 / By Samuel Macclintock, D. D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    iag JG-tuation, when thefe judgments are necelTary for our correction and amendment, and to vindicate the honor of the divine government. We are dire&d, by the example of the royal fpeaker in the text, what choice we Ihould make : We fhould prefer thofe judgments which are inflicted by the more immediate hand of God, to our falling into the hands of men ; being given up to the power and will of vindictive mortals, to unfheathe the de- Itroying fword againfl us ; and for this vceighty rea- fon, that his mercies are great. We therefore have the higheft reafon to hope for more favorable treat- ment from a merciful God, wdiofe nature is infi- nitely remote from cruelty, than from finful, imper- fect creatures, who are apt to be governed more by furious paiTions than calm reafon, in their afts of revenge. We have the higrheft afrurance, from the abfolute perfection of the divine nature, that God cannot do injuitice to his creatures, and from his benevolence and mercy, that he is ever ready to pardon the of- fences of the moft unworthy and ill-deferving, for the fake of Clirift, and to confer upon them all the good they are capable of enjoying. This is agreea- ble to the doctrine of Scripture, and verified in our own daily experience. Though we are in the hand of God, as the clay is in the hand of the potter, to do with us as feemeth good unto him, and he could eafily crufli us to deftruction in a moment ; yet, be- caufe he is God, a being of infinite goodnefs and mercy, as well as power and juftice, therefore we are not confumed, but fpared year after year, under all our provocations of his juftice ; and not only fo, but we are loaded with benefits from his liberal hand, even while we abufe them to the difhonor of his o’reat name. We
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