Transcriber's Note: This e-book, a pamphlet by Daniel Defoe, wasoriginally published in 1704, and was prepared from The Storm, amodern reprint (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 2005). Archaic andinconsistent spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and hyphenation,as well as apparent printer errors, have been retained as they appearin the original.
THE
Lay-Man’s
SERMON
UPON THE
LATE STORM;
Held forth at an Honest
Coffee-House-Conventicle.
Not so much a Jest as ’tis thought to be.
Printed in the Year 1704.
NAHUM. I. III
The Lord has his way in the Whirle-Wind and in the
Storm, and the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet.
This Text is not chosen more for the Suitableness to the presentCallamity, which has been the Portion of this Place, than for theaptness of the Circumstances, 'twas spoken of God going to Chastise, aPowerful, Populous, Wealthy and most reprobate City.
Nineveh was the Seat of a mighty Empire, a Wealthy EncreasingPeople, Opulent in Trade, Flourishing in Power and Proud inProportion.
The Prophet does not seem to deliver these words, to the Ninevites,to convince them, or encline them to consider their own Circumstancesand repent, but he seems to speak, it to the Israelites inviteingthem to Triumph and Insult over the Heathen adversary, by settingforth the Power of their God, in the most exalted Terms.
And that this is a just Exposition of this Text, seems plain from thewords Imediately going before, the Lord is slow to Anger, and Greatin Power and will not at all acquit the wicked. These words couldhave no Connexion with the Text, tho' they are joyn'd with them in thesame Verse, if it were not meant of his being slow to Anger, to hisown People, and Terrible to the Heathen World, and this being spokenas an Expression of his being not easily provoked as to his Church,the Subsequent part of the Verse tells them how his power and Venganceis matter of particular Satisfaction to his People as being exercis'din Revenging the affront put upon his Glory by his Enemies, God isJealous, and the Lord Revengeth, the Lord Revengeth and is Furious,the Lord will take Vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrathfor his Enemies. Tis plain this is meant of his Enemies, but as ifbrought in with a Parenthesis, tis spoken for the comfort of hisChurch, the Lord is slow to Anger as to them, and to lift up theirhearts in a further confidence that their Enemies are all in his hand,he goes on discribing the Terrors of his Judgement.
The Lord has his way in the Whirl-wind and in the Storm, and theClouds are the Dust of his Feet. Eloquent Flourishes upon theOmnipotence of God.
The short Exposition I shall make of the words, Tends only to remindus that the Whirl-wind and Storm which are here made use of, toexpress the Magnipotent power of God are acted by his Direction, hehas his way in them, it may note indeed the Invisible secrecy andswiftness of his providences, but to avoid long Paraphrases, I confinemy self to my own Construction, as that which, as it is a justinference from the matter of the Text, so 'tis most suitable to thedesign of this discourse.
And as this Sermon may be a little Immeth