The New Hampshire Gazette

To the Publisher of the New-Hampshire Gazette.

The following Performance of an old Gentleman of about 70 Years of Age, you are desir'd to insert in your Paper, which will oblige a Number of your Country Customers.

Is it the fear of most people in New-England, that it is like to have sevenfold more plagues than we have had? what seven times as hard earthquakes, seven times as awful thunder and lightning, sevenfold as much pestilence, seven degrees more famine, seven swords to one; and worse than all these, seven times more hardness of heart, and seven degrees of blindness of mind: And to have our civil and religious privileges taken from us. And is something of this doleful scene coming on New England, and we all seem to expect it, and sit still as if there was no remedy: We read, wisdom is better than weapons of war, Eccl. ix. 13. and onward: We read of a poor wise man's delivering the city. May the wonderful Counsellor improve my poor heart and hand to write something by way of advice to my fellow men: I do not expect that we in New-England shall be delivered from the awful judgments we are threatned with, except there be a universal reformation speedily; saints and sinners must amend their walk. I have had a large acquaintance with the children of God for near fifty years past, in several towns, and now am an old man, and am fully persuaded that Christ will soon have a church in the world, that shall look forth as the morning: This land have had superior advantages, many eminent men in church and state; yet we have not lived as the church of Christ must do: And if we would not have Christ give us up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind, and the most awful plagues that can be thought on; we must labour to understand the will of God as it is revealed in his word; that is in the first place, what real internal pure religion is, and also whatsoever is virtuous and praise worthy among men; and not only get some head and tongue knowledge hereof, but find we have a God like temper of heart, have Christ to dwell in us by his Word and Spirit, that the same mind be in us as was in him: I am expecting that the set time to favour Zion is at hand, and if the protestants which have been so highly favour'd, don't now observe the cause of God's Word and Spirit, nor the calls of his rod, but set at nought all his counsels, and will none of his reproof, that he will laugh at our calamity and mock when our fear cometh: And if it should please God to take our antichristian enemies and fulfil what is written in the 36th of Ezek. at the 25th verse to the end of the chapter, on them, and leave us to pine away in worse than Egyptian darkness; how will those words appear as a thousand darts, how often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathereth her brood, and ye would not, but now your house is left desolate. Let the poor old man give a word of advice to New-England, without delay, to keep even days of public fasting and prayer, one day in a week, for seven weeks successively: Who can tell but that it may please God to fulfil what is promis'd in the above 36th of Ezek. on us. May the blessed Head of the church, in whom all fulness dwells, fill the ministers of the gospel with a double portion of divine wisdom, that they may discern the signs of the times, and be all of one heart, one mind: the doctrines of Christ, and