But _Jeshuron forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation_. And did not _England_ too? Ask ye of the generations of old, enquire from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, whether there was ever a people called by his name, which had less of _God in all their thoughts_? Who in the whole tenor of their behaviour shewed so _light_ an _esteem for the rock of their salvation_? Could there ever be stronger cause for God to cry out, _Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth_! For hath he not _nourished and brought_ us _up_ as his _children? And_ yet, how _have_ we _rebelled against_ him! If _Israel_ of old _did not know God_; if his antient people _did not consider_; was this peculiar to them? Are not we also under the very same condemnation? Do we, as a people, _know_ God? Do we _consider_ him as God? Do we tremble at the presence of his power? Do we revere his excellent Majesty? Do we remember at all times, God is here! He is now reading my heart: he spieth out all my ways: there is not a word in my tongue but he knoweth it altogether: is this the character of us _English Christians_? The mark whereby we are known from the _Heathen_? Do we thus _know_ God? Thus _consider_ his power, his love, his all-seeing eye? Rather, are we not likewise a _sinful nation_, who _have forgotten him days without number_! A people _laden with iniquity_, continually _forsaking the Lord, and provoking the Holy One of Israel_. 2. There is indeed a wide difference, in this respect, between the _Jews_ and us; they _happened_ (if I may so speak) to forget God, because other things came in their way: but we _design_ to forget him; we do it of set purpose, because we do not like to remember him. From the accounts given by _Jeremiah_, we have reason to believe, that when that people were most deeply corrupted, yet the greatest men in the nation, the ministers of state; the nobles and princes of _Judah_, talked of God sometimes, perhaps, as frequently as upon any other subject. But is it so among us? Rather, is it not a point of good-breeding to put God far away, out of our sight? Is he talked of at all among the great? The nobles or ministers of state in _England_? Among any persons of rank or figure in the world? Do they allow God any place in their conversation? From day to day, from year to year, do _you_ discourse one hour of the wonders he doth for the children of men? If one at a gentleman or a nobleman’s table was to begin a discourse, of the wisdom, greatness, or power of God, would it not occasion (at least) as much astonishment, as if he had begun to talk blasphemy? And if the _unbred_ man persisted therein, would it not put all the company in confusion? And what do you sincerely believe the more favourable part would say of him when he was gone? But that――“He is a little touched in his head!” or, “Poor man! he has not seen the world.”