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 passes, but we hear of the dreadful Effects of Earthquakes in _Italy_. Dost thou, like the Jewish Doctors above-mentioned, think, that these People were _Sinners above all others_ that escaped that dreadful Visitation? And yet, by supposing the two slight Shocks we have lately felt the Effects of a special Providence, that uncharitable Doctrine is fairly inferred; a Doctrine diametrically opposite to the Spirit of our Holy Religion. But I have said enough to convince thee, that, in thus explaining that Event, thou hast followed too much the Devices of worldly Wisdom; and that thou thyself hast fallen into a greater Error than those Philosophers, whose little Knowledge thou takest upon thee to despise.