e Sufferings of the
_Galileans_ into a special Act of Divine Vengeance for their Sins; which
they certainly believed very heinous, as these People differed with them
in some religious Points; and, no doubt, might from thence take some
Occasion to preach up Repentance to the rest of the _Jewish_ Nation. But
he, who could not err, whose Knowledge was infinite, checked their
uncharitable Presumption, teaches them, that they are not to judge of the
Sins of a People by the natural Calamities that fall upon them; nor to
paint the Deity as ready on every Occasion to execute Vengeance against
Sinners. "As I live, saith the Lord, I take no Pleasure in the Death of a
Sinner, but rather that they should repent and turn from their Evil Ways."

Now, Friend, without supposing the Shocks we felt any other than the
Result of Natural Causes, thou mightst from thence have found sufficient
Matter to have roused the most hardened Sinner from the Lethargy of Sin
and Death, by observing, that, besides the many infinite Casualties to
which Life is exposed, there are yet more terrible Accidents that may
sweep them off without a moments Warning, and plunge them into Eternity,
loaded with the Weight of their Iniquities. By supposing such Events never
to happen, but as particular instances of God's Vengeance against Sinners,
the atrocious Sinner is rather led into Despair, than Repentance. Whereas,
when we believe them the Result of a natural Cause, that may take Effect
every moment of our Lives, of which we can have no Foreknowledge, nor the
least possible Means of Prevention, a rational Creature, whose
Understanding is not intirely blinded, or whose Conscience is not
judicially seared, must be awakened to Repentance, and prepare himself for
the great Change, by _his forsaking evil Ways, and turning to the Lord his
God with all his Heart and Strength_. Thou mightest from thence have
availed thyself of all the Instances, that History, sacred and prophane,
furnishes thee with, of Cities and whole Nations, being destroyed by
dreadful Calamities, without teaching thy Flock that uncharitable
Doctrine, that such natural Disasters were the Effect of the peculiar Sins
of these unhappy People. A very dreadful Earthquake happened in _Jamaica_,
in the Year 92, that destroyed a great part of that Colony, and almost
totally ruined the City of _Port-Royal_. Another within these few years
swallowed up the greatest Part of the Capital of _Peru_; and scarce a Year