IT is the duetie of the LORDS 1. Watch-men, whom hee hath sette on the Walls of Ierusalem, Ezech. 3. 33. To consider dili­gentlie both the estate of it within, and the dangers imminent from with­out: And according as they see, to giue faith­full and tymous aduertisement to the people, Habac. 2. 1. Isa. 21. 8. That thereby they may both deliuer their owne Soules and di­rect the people by speedie Repentance, to pre­uent the approaching wrath.

This their Calling craueth; for they stand betwixt God and his people, as the Interpreters [Page 4] of his will to them. Iob. 33. 23. And as their Remembrancers to God, to present them and their necessities to him continuallie. Isa. 62. 6. 7. Hee calleth them vp to the Mountaine to see further than other, and (beside their giftes ând graces, as Christians) giueth them a Pastorall eye to see, and a pastorall heart to consider, and a pastorall mouth to declare what they see and consider.

This also he commandeth them vnder a most heauie paine. Sonne of man, I haue sette thee a Watch-man vnto the House of Israel, therefore thou shalt heare the word from my mouth, & warne them from mee: When I say to the wicked, O wic­ked man, thou shalt surelie die, if thou doest not speake to warne the wicked from his way, that wic­ked man shall die in his sinne, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Ezech. 3. 17. 33. 7. 8.

And God commnendeth this as wisedome in Pastors according to his heart, Who is the wise mā to vnderstand this? and who is hee to whome the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that hee may de­clare it? for what the Land perished. Ier. 9 12.

Vpon these considerations, the Clergie of 2. this [...]and, taking to heart the Estate of the Church of God, both in this Kingdome and other reformed Countries, haue thought it necessa [...], ( Suppreme authoritie commanding also the same) That all the Congregations of this Land keepe a solemne and publicke Fast, the [Page 5] third and fourth Sundayes of this instant Moneth of May, and the weeke dayes betwixt these two Sabbaths: To intreat GOD, in all humilitie, and repentance for pardon of our sinnes, and for auerting of his just wrath, where it is alreadie begunne, and to hold it off these who are threatned with it.

And for the better informing of euery one in the equitie & necessitie of that religious work of Fasting and Prayer, and their better stirring vp therevnto: The just and weightie causes thereof are to bee considered, which may bee re­duced to these heads. 4.

1. First the most lamentable estate of the re­formed Churches of Germanie, and other Coun­tries in Europe: Where the Gospel did shine, and Gods worshippe was exercised fruitfullie to his glorie: But nowe by the crueltie of the preuailing Papists, fearefull desolation is wrought in these places, GODS Sainctes bereft of their liues, their blood spilt as water in the streetes, their women shamefullie abu­sed, their goods taken from them: And the estate of them who haue escaped the rage of the sword, worse than the slaine. Their li­berties lost and themselues either driuen from their dwellings or compelled to forsake their God & Religion, & take themselues to Romish Idolatrie, or to banishment. And vnder the name of an Imperiall reformation, there is no­thing [Page 6] but a Godlesse deformation, setting vp the abomination of ignorance, and errour where the light hath beene.

How many Prouences sometimes pleasant, in a peaceable professing of y ^e Trueth, as the Pa­radise of God, are now turned in a wildernesse: And the Houses of God prepared sometime on the top of the Mountaines, and exalted aboue the Hills, wherevnto people did flowe, are destroyed: And the Lords displayed banner, vnder which many did merch in comelie order, is cast down, & manie mothers in Israel, famous Colledges and Universities are scattered, and the abomination of desolation erected in them.

So wee may say with the Prophet, Come, & behold the workes of the Lord, what desolations hee hath wrought in the Earth. Psal. 16. 8. The Heathen are come in the inheritance of the Lord, his holie Temple haue they defiled, and made Ieru­salem heapes of stones: The dead bodies of Gods Saincts haue they giuen to bee meate to the Fowles of heauen▪ and the flesh of thy Saincts to the beastes of the earth: Their blood haue they shed as water a­bout Ierúsalem, and there was none to burie them: They haue deuoured Iacob, and made his dwel­ling place waste. Psal 79. 1. 3. 4.

God hath forsaken the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among them: He deliuered his strength in captiuitie, and his glorie in the enemies hand. Psal. 78. 61.

[Page 7]And wee may lament with Ieremie. How doeth the Citie remaine solitarie, that was full of people? Shee is a widow: Shee that was great among the Nations, And Princesse among the Prouince is made tributarie. And wee may wish with that same Prophet, Oh, that mine head were waters, and mine eyes a Fountaine of teares, that I might weepe day and night, for the slaine of the Daughter of my people. Ierem. 9. 1 5.

This worke is a part of Antichrists persecu­tion, for now hee is both breathing threat­nings & slaughter, against the reformed Chur­ches, and executeth his crueltie against them, because of their obedience to Gods voyce in comming out of Babell, and that according to the bloodie decrees of the Counsell of Trent. For after that Sathan had for a long space ven­ted his first propertie of lying by Antichrist his first borne involuing and holding these We­sterne places of Europe vnder the errours of a false Religion: And seeing that Manger his malice, God in the appointed time brought in the Light of the Gospel, and discouered that darkenesse: Then hee tooke him to his other propertie and practise of blood, to maintaine by force his discouered Heresies: And hee set An­tichrist and his supposts to worke, to put out the Light of the Gospel, in destroying the professours of it.

So the indyting of the Counsell of Trent [Page 8] beares: Ad reformandum Ecclesiam & exstirpan­das Haeresies, To reforme the Kirke, and roote out Heresies; That is to say in the Romane sense, To confirme and establish the deformities and cor­ruptions of their Church, and roote out the Trueth, which God hath brought in againe by the Go­spel. And from that tyme, hee hath sent out his Emissaries, Iesuites and other Locusts from the bottomlesse pit, to stirre vp the Kings of the Earth to fight against the Lambe: This is the quarrell now debated in Europe.

And albeit hee hath cast in the mixture of 6. ciuill respects, in rights to Kingdomes and Dignities, and such like, to blind the eyes of the simple, as to make them belieue that all these warres are onelie for ciuill and not for Sacred things: Yet sure it is, that all this mat­ter is directed and sweyed by the Pope: For his maine end is to roote out the Gospel, and re­establish his false Religion: His purpose serueth to the end of his associat Kings & Princes, and their power serueth his end. As they plotte and worke joyntlie in the worke, so they share in the end for their seuerall aduantage: For the Countreyes subdued, fall as a prey and a re­ward to the enlarging of Princes Dominions, and therein Idolatrie is established, as the Popes recompence.

Beside, what euer be the mixture of the cause, yet their maine intention is manifeste from [Page 9] themselues: For one of them in his alarme to this warre, stirreth vp the Emperour to destroy the Protestants, as Moses did the Moabits: And if he did not so, his life should goe for their life, as A­chabs for the King of Syria. Sciopp. Classicum belli Sacri. cap. 1. 2. 18.

Next, their Cardinals consulting, how to restore their Church to her auncient integri­tie aduised the Pope, that there was no better way to doe it, than by prosecuting this warre, to the roo­ting out of Protestants. Aphorisml. Cardinal. Anno 1623. And for this end, a new order is instituted called the sodalitie of the Christian defence, that is to say, of Antichristian offence of the Protestants, Cancell. Hispani. Consid. 1.

This course as others of the like stampe of the mysterie of iniquitie is drawne deepelie, for now Antichrist vnder the Name of Christs Vicar persueth Christ; vnder y ^e Colours & banners of the Crosse of Christ hee destroyeth the doctrine of the Crosse: Vnder name of the Church, hee oppresseth the true Church: Vnder the name of y ^e pretended Verity, he rooteth out the Trueth of God, to establish his owne heresie: And vnder the name of an old Religion, hee setteth vp a new vp-start Religion. This is Iudas his betraying of Christ with an Haile Master: When his pretended Vicar turneth all his usur­ped power to the destruction of his King­dome: The Titles and Names that of old were the notes of the Apostolicke Church, are clai­med [Page 10] now of the Antichristian Synagogue, and made signes for the persecution of the Church of Christ.

God doeth so afflict his Church, not for her 7. Religion, but for the abuse of it: He hath cal­led vs out of Babell, and wee haue obeyed his voyce in comming out, and haue vndertaken to walke in the Light of God; but wee haue contemned that Light, and in the midst of it brought out the workes of darknesse: Sinne is grieuous in euery person, tyme, and place, but most grieuous in the Church, in the time of so cleare a Light: And where euer men sin, they are in Gods sight, but his eye in a more particular manner is ouer his Church.

A Father is angrie at faults in his seruant, but more angrie at them in his Sonne: The more liberall and bountifull God is to a peo­ple, the greater is their sinne, and heauier shall bee their judgement Woe to thee Chora­zin, woe to thee Bethsaida, for if the great works which were done in you, had beene done in Tyrus and Sydon, they had repented long agoe in sack-cloth and ashes: But I say to you it shall bee more easie for Tyrus and Sydon at the last day than for you. Matth. 11. 21. 22. And it is a strange forme of reasoning with Israel, You onely haue I knowne of all the Families of the Earth sayeth the Lord: Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Amos. 3. 2.

[Page 11]God may justlie compleane of vs, as hee did of the Iewes. Hee planted a Vineyard in a fruitefull Hill, and fencedit, and gathered out the stones of it, and planted it with the choisest Vines, and built a Tower in the midst of it, and a Wine­presse in it: And hee looked that it should bring foorth Grapes, but it brought foorth wylde grapes: And now, O Inhabitants of Ierusalem, and men of Iudah, iudge I pray you betweene mee and my Vine-yard: What could I doe more to my Vine­yard, than I haue done? And now I will tell you what I will doe to my Vine-yard, I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall bee eaten vp, and breake down the wall thereof, and it shall bee troden downe, and I will lay it waste. Esa. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4.

As hee threatned them, so hee performed it. Hee brake downe her hedges, so that all that passed by plucked her The wilde Boare out of the woode destroyed it, and the wilde beastes of the fielde did eate it vp. Psal. 80. 12. 13. For after that hee had chastened his people by Edomites, Moabites, Philistims, and other bordering Nations, and they became incura­ble: In end hee chased them out of the Land: And that not at once, but by degrees, for hee powred out that wrath first vpon the tenne Tribes, reseruing to himselfe the Tribe of Iu­dah: And when Iudah was not made wise by the sinne and punishment of Ephraim, but Ieru­salem did justifie Samaria by her greater sinnes, [Page 12] God sent Iudah also away in captiuitie to Baby­lon: And after hee had brought them againe, and settled them in the pleasant Land, they returned to their olde sinnes, till in end God cast them off altogether.

Thus God dealt with the Iewes, and after 8. the like manner hee is now dealing with the Churches reformed, to bring them to amen­dement in time, that they may eschew a finall destruction: Their heauie calamities who are now vnder that bloodie persecution of Anti­christ, are cleare documents to vs in this Land, commanding vs in time to turne to God, lest the like or a worse befall vs.

Wee can no wayes compare with these wor­thie Churches, neither in Grace nor in the fruites of the Gospel: And yet God hath be­gunne at them. If hee haue done so to the greene tree, what will hee doe to vs, who are a dry and a barren tree.

God in our sight and hearing these eight years, hath smitten seuerelie, thogh justlie these Churches, and that to teach vs Repentance: But wee are as Iudah, who mended not at the captiuitie of Israel▪ VVhen I had put away back­slyding Israel for all her iniquities, and giuen her a bill of diuorcement, then trecherous Iudah sea­red not, nor turned not to mee with all her heart, but fainedlie. Ierem. 3, 8. 9.

Though euerie report of their calamitie bee [Page 13] Gods calling vs to sack-cloth and mourning, yet for all the newes of their trouble, wee are not turned to Repentance.

They were not the greatest sinners in Ierusa­lem, on whome the Tower of Siloh fell, neither were they the worst Galileans whose blood Pi­late mingled with their sacrifices: They are not the worst Protestants whose blood is shed by this Romane Tyrannie and persecution, but except we repent we shall all likwise perish. Luk. 13.

Their tryall is our lesson, and their chastise­ment is our document: VVee shall learne it, and tak it out wiselie, if their example turne vs to God: But if we doe not so, the heauier judge­ment abideth vs: They haue drunken the brimme of the Cup of wrath, [...]t the dregges of the bottome are reserued for [...] except in time wee repent. 9.

Neither let v [...] [...]inke, that their affliction doeth not concerne vs, because they are farre distant from vs: For the communion of Saincts knoweth no distance of place, and the Church of Christ which is his Bodie, as it hath him for the Head, so his Spirite for the life, and that Spirit quickning all the Bodie, indueth it with a fellow-feeling of others miseries: If wee haue fellowship with them in Christ, vve must feele their troubles, and mourne with them: If wee doe not so, wee proue wee haue no fellow­shippe with them.

Let such hard-hearted and sensles Christians [Page 14] reade their Doome and dittay in the Prophet Amos, Woe to them that are at ease in Sion, they put the euill day farre from them: They lye on their beddes of Yvorie, and stretch themselues on their beddes, and eate the Lambes of the Flocke, & the Calues out of the midst of the stall: They drink wine in bowles, but no man is sorie for the afflicti­on of Ioseph: Therefore now shall they goe into Cap­tiuitie with the first that goe captiue, & the sorrow of them that strech out themselues, is at hand. Amos 6. 1. 3. 4. 6. 7.

These are twinne branches of a senslesse and carelesse heart, in the day of the Churches affli­ction: First they put the euill day farre from themselues & maka couenant with Death, as though it neuer should, nor would come neere to them: Next, they put the affliction of their Breth [...]ē far from their feeling and affection, as a thing that concerneth them not, The first is a fleshlie dreame of their owne immunitie: The other, a senslesse mis-regarde of their Brethren▪ and both of them a just cause, and certaine pre­sage of a grieuous ruine to come vpon them, who are so graceleslie disposed.

But the godlie are otherwayes affected with the troubles of Syon: For they take plea­sure in the stones, and delight in the dust thereof. Psal. 102. Though Nehemiah was in the fauour of his King and great prosperitie, yet when he heard that the Iewes were in great affliction [Page 15] and reproach, and the wall of Ierusalem broken downe, and the gates thereof burnt with fire, hee sate downe and weeped, and mourned cer­taine dayes, and fasted and prayed before the God of Heauen. Neither could all his court­lie happinesse smoother the griefe of his heart: But when the King perceiued the sadnes of his countenance, and asked the cause of it, he said, VVhy should not my countenance bee sadde, when the Citie, and House of the Sepulchre of my Fa­thers lyeth waste. Nehemia. 1. If hee was so grieued for the violation of the Sepulchres of the dead: Shall not the cruell murther of the liuing Temples of y ^e holie Ghost, moue vs more?

And Ieremiah, though hee was at libertie a­mong the people, and well looked to by Nebu­zaradan, yet when hee saw Ierusalems desola­tions: For these thinges I weepe, mine eyes casteth out water, because the Comforter that should refresh my Soule is farre from mee, my Children are deso­late, because the enemie preuaileth. Lame. 1. 16.

Beside, the respect of their persons, their 10 cause should also moue vs to this holy griefe: The Gospel of Christ & true Religion in them, is persecuted and oppressed: And if wee haue found grace and comfort in that Gospel, should we not be grieued whē so glorious a meanes of grace is obscured, and the cause of our good God borne downe by his enemies. God hath lighted that candle, to discouer the darknesse [Page 16] of Sathan, and destroy his worke: And when the prince of darknesse preuaileth so farre as to put out that Candle, and to cast downe the Candle-stickes on which it shined, if wee bee the Children of Light, wee must sorrow for that change: Therefore if vve feele not their sorrowes, wee declare wee haue no commu­nion with them in the Bodie of Christ, and no part in the grace of the Gospel, which in their handes is persecute. No feeling, no Communion, and no Communion, no vnion with them, and Christ: If wee haue no griefe for the Light put out, vvee haue no part in the Life and Grace, that the Light carrieth.

We ought then a brotherlie compassion to 10 them, vnder their trouble, because they are Brethren, and fellow members of Iesus Christ, and the more, because their affliction, is not for ciuill or common causes, but for Religion: As wee are commanded to mourne, with them that mourne, so much more, with them that suffer for the Gospel: Bee partaker of the suffe­ring of the Gospel, according to the power of God. 2. Tim. 1. 8.

Shall Sathan make errour and heresie, so forcible in his Supposts, as to joyne their heartes and hands, to giue their power to the Beaste, to fight against the Lambe? And shall not Trueth and Charitie, in the Children of God, procure at least, a brotherlie compassion [Page 17] of the griefes of other? The first is a won­der, to see the Spirit of diuision make such an union among his adherents: But it is a greater wonder, not to see that compassion in them who are one Spirit in Christ Iesus. 12

But though wee would in the hardnesse of our heart cutte our selues off from all feeling of their miseries, that would not secure vs from punishment but rather double our sinne, and hasten a double punishment vpon vs: Wee stand in that same case with them: In a true Religion, in the abuse of it, and so vnder Gods processe for our sins: And it is a great mercie of God, that hee hath spared vs so long, and giuen vs so large a time of Repen­tance: When hee might haue begunne his Iudgement at vs, hee hath begunne at other, that by their example we might turne in time, & preuent his heauie strok: If forraine miseries beyond Sea, will not moue vs to sorrow, let our own home sins & dāgers moue vs to repētance. 13

And for this ende, wee haue to consider, our owne state in this Land, as the second cause of our Humiliation: God hath blessed vs with his Law & Gospel, but we haue sinned against them both: There is no precept of the Law, whose breach is not shameleslie practised & avowed 1. Euerie one maketh himselfe his owne god, and seeketh themselues, their owne glorie, and gaine, directing all their wayes [Page 18] from their own heart, and turning all to them­selues. 2. Idolatrie (once alluterlie banished) is cropen in, and setteth vp the head in this Land, and manie who professed the Trueth, are gone backe to Poperie: They close their eyes from the shining light, that is readie to re­solue and reforme them: And are so possessed by errors and darkenes, that they abhorre the light, which wold pull them out of their fleshly delights. Their case is to be pitied. who so wil­fullie losse themselues, refusing Saluation, and running head-long to Hell. 3. The abuse of the glorious Name of the Lord our God, is gro­wen a popular disease, & reigneth in all Estats, & the better sort out-run the common people in so grieuous a sinne. And the rifenesse of it hath put it out of the respect of a sinne, and hath turned it in the flower of their language, as though all speech were but wersh, and could neither fill the mouth of the speaker, not the eare of the hearer, except the Name of GOD bee profaned, and God himselfe thereby thrust through. If the flying Booke of the curse of God, light vpon the house of euerie swearer, to destroy the Timber and stone. Zach. 5. How few houses shall escape the curse of God in this Land, which groaneth vnder the multitude of oathes. 4. The profanation of the Lords Day is vniuersall, and no difference made betwixt the obseruation of it, and other dayes: But ra­ther [Page 19] more libertie is taken in vaging, in drin­king, & chalmering, & wantonnesse, in idle and profane speaking in it, than in other days: As if God had set it a part, not for his owne honour, but for the workes of the flesh▪ Though wee bee not bound to judaize in the Sabbath, yet are wee bound Christianlie to spend the Lords day in abstaining from euill, and busying our selfe in the works of Pietie & Charitie, as the Sabbaths proper Exercise: as a memoriall of the Resurrection of Christ, & our Redemption perfected thereby: and a to­ken of our eternall Sabbath, & rest in heauen.

5 Disobedience to Superiours, is a reigning sinne: Though God for their further honou­ring hath placed the Precept that commandeth their obedience, Next to the Precepts of Pie­tie, and calleth the dueties of it by the Name of Pietie, yet it is least respected. Parents na­turall are misregarded: Pastours who beget and feede people in Christ, are contemned▪ And supreme Authoritie disobeyed of the most part. 6. Innocent blood is shedde in many places, as water, and the Earth groaneth vn­der it, and the cry of it ascendeth to Heauen to bring down a judgement vpon vs all. 7. Fil­thinesse, hath layed off the former vaile of shame, and is now impudent: Fornication, A­dulteries & Incests, out-face the Light and mul­tiplie out of number: And the couenant of God [Page 20] in marriage is lesse respected and keeped then light promises amongst men: Whereby thogh their were none other sinnes, a way is made to ouerthrow families, for God cannot blesse Inheritance in the hands of wrongous Heires. 8. Secret and open hurting of the lots of men, is a common practise, and no man standeth in awe, to make his Neighbours ruine a stepping stone to his owne exalting. The most part without regarde of God, Con­science, or humanitie lose their Soule, and quite the Heauen for the baggage of this life.

9. And Calumnies are now so frequent, that their is no godlie man who findeth not the scourge of the Tongue. And no man almost, who lendeth not to Sathan, his eare to heare and his heart to belieue lies, and his tongue to bee a scourge to his Neighbour.

10. As for the abominations of the heart, though they bee hidde from vs, yet they are manifest to God, and by these and the like fruites, the world may see, that the heartes of the most parte are voyde of God, and are vyle puddles to defile themselues, and ouer­flow this Land with sinne: These filthie foun­taines are not seasoned with the salt of Grace, but send out the deadlie waters of filthienes, to burden this Land, and make it spew vs out.

These and the like grieuous sinnes against the Law, doe swarme in this Land: But the 15 [Page 21] sinnes against the Gospel, are more grieuous, both because of their kind, and because they are sinnes against the remeede of sinne.

Faith, a speciall part of our Euangelicall 16 duetie, is rare to bee found: God day lie is of­fering Grace & Saluatiō in the Gospel, yet few do receiue it by Faith: And so his greatest mer­cie in offering Christ, is mett with greatest wickednesse on our parte, in not belieuing: Wee count Fornication or Thift, or Murther, to bee sinnes, but Infidelitie worse than anie of them, is counted no sinne, and yet it is among the greatest pardonable sinnes. 17

This Infidelitie bringeth out all sortes of Disobedience: When the heart by Faith is not purified, and ioyned to God, it is casten loose to all kinde of iniquitie, without any restraint of euill, or constraint to good: Our hea­ring, and reading, is not mixed with Faith, and so bringeth not out the obedience of faith, if wee neither belieue the promised reward, nor threatned punishment, wee cannot obey the directing Precept.

With these sins, is a fearefull Apostasie to Poperie in many partes of this Land: Many & these of the better sort, are seduced and dra­wen away to Romish superstition, and that because they were voyde of the Trueth of God, and beeing ledde with their owne lustes, they haue rendered themselues to that fleshlie Reli­gion [Page 22] which giueth them libertie to sinne.

I speake of you, and to you, O seduced 19 Papists, how long will it bee, ere yee open your eyes to see how your blinde Guides are leading you to damnation? If yee will not try this matter by Conscience try it at the least by common sense, & see what sort of Guides these are, who take you by the hand, with this condition, to close your eyes, that yee neither inquire, nor care whether they lead you: Tell mee if you would com­mit your selfe in a dark Night to such a Guide, as would close your eyes, put out the Lanterne in your hand & not suffer you to know how & what way hee leadeth you: Yee might think he were a Ruffian, to mislead you to a Bordell, or to rob you & yet ye hazard your Saluation vpon such cousening: Yee know your Iesuites and seducing Seminaries, strictlie discharge you the reading of Scriptures, and holde you hood-winked vnder the vaile of implicite Faith, or rather explicite Ignorance. They pro­pone to you worse conditions, than Nahash the Ammonite did to the men of labesh Gilead: hee craued that one of their eyes should bee put out: But they craue, and yee agree, to haue both your eyes pulled out of you: It was Israels priuiledge▪ to haue light in Goshen, in the midst of Egypts darknesse, but your de­light is to haue darknesse in the midst of Go­shen, [Page 23] and to winke in the cleare Noone-day of the Gospel, shining in this Land.

You know, they haue drawne your Houses within the compasse of Treason, and are a Moth and canker-worme to eate vp your State: And how euill they recompence your good intreating them in secrete, by defiling your Houses, in joyning bodilie whoredome with spirituall? For the married Women, they keepe their old direction, Si non caste, ta­men cautè, If not cleanelie, yet Cannalie. But with Maides they cannot so conuoy it: The professed Chastitie of these Ghostlie Fathers, maketh Virginitie fruitefull: And their Au­ricular confession is found to bee a carnall pollu­tion.

These thinges, and worse, you knowe of your seducers, yet you will not see them: But choose to couer your errours by a selfe-de­ceate, and least you should let men see, that yee know your abuse, yee remaine still vnder that your willing and wilfull Captiuitie.

This is none other, than that strong de­lusion, making you beleiue lies, because you will not receiue the loue of the Trueth.

They abuse you as their Slaues vnder blind Credulitie▪ to belieue their lies, and base Obsequiousnesse to doe all their dire­ction.

[Page 24]It is time for you to auenge your selues on these Philistines for your two eyes by pulling downe the house of their Dagon, and to ven­dicate your Goods, Children, Wiues, and Con­science from their Tyrannie. Though it bee a benefite to the Church, that you separate your selues from it, as the bodie is relieued, when noysome and excrementitious humours draw themselues to byles and Apostemes, yet your Apostacie bringeth guiltinesse on the Land.

Further more, vvho seeth not Atheisme an 20 uniuersall disease in this Land: Many pro­fesse the true Religion, and some are fallen to Poperie. But Atheists are moe than true Pro­testants, and superstitious Papists. The most part doe liue, as though there were not a God, or an Heauen for the godlie, or an Hell for the wicked: Some more openlie expresse in wordes and actions, their grosse Atheisme, other more closelie couer it with a ciuill life, and a morall honestie: But all of them say in their heart, That there is no God. So the Lord may say to vs as by Ieremiah, Run to and fro in the streetes of Ierusalem, and inquire in the open places of it, if there bee any that executeth iudgement, and seeketh the Trueth, and I will spare it Ie­remiah. 5. 1.

As Impietie hath spred it selfe ouer all, so God hath punished it with the breach of Charitie. 21 All Estates of this Land, are rent from other, [Page 25] and euerie one of them diuided in it selfe. It was an vntimous strife betweene the seruants of Abraham and Lot, when the Canaanites (e­nemies to them both) were in the Land: Gen. 13. 7. Peaceable Abraham reproued and a­mended it, saying, Why doe wee striue, since we are Brethren. And Moses tooke that [...]essoun of him, and reproued the two Israelites for their strife, VVhy striue yee together, yee are Bre­thren, Our renting is like the diuisions of Reu­ben, strong thoughts of heart. Iudg. 5. 1 [...].

Weaknesse of judgement cannot discerne thinges, but breadeth scruples, and the scru­pling weake minde is strong to hold fast the apprehension, and refuse better information and for to intertaine Schisme.

They are sinfull of themselues, & dangerous to vs [...]ll: VVhen the Papist taketh occasion of our diuisions, to strengthen himselfe, and waiteth opportunitie for our ruine. If wee can recon­ceale our selues to God, hee will soone bind vp our diuisions with brotherlie loue, in the bond of Peace. It is oftimes an ominous pre­sage of ruine, if ye byte & deuoure one another take heed ye be not deuoured one of another Galat. 5. 15.

And among all the sinnes against the Go­spel, the contempt of the Gospel, and the Mini­strie 22 of it, is a great one, and so vniuersall, that few can cleanse themselues of it.

1. Papists abhorre them, because the light [Page 26] of their doctrine discouereth their abominable errours, as Theeues in their thift abhorre a Torch-bearer. 2. Atheists hate them deadlie▪ because their Doctrine suffereth them not to sleepe peaceablie in Sathans armes but suggesteth to them the thoughts of God, of the Soules immortalitie, of the last judgement, and eternall rewardes in heauen and hell: These, things make their Conscience checke them, and so troubleth their false peace. 3. De­boshed and dissolute men pursue them for their Discipline, because they suffer them not to run on in the workes of the flesh without censure.

4 And Politickes care not for their message, but serue themselues of them, for gaining a name of good professours, they cannot abide faithfull and free Pastours, but labour for a Trencher Ministrie, and to haue them as base­lie obsequious, as their foote-boyes: If they with Michah can finde a Leuite for ten shickles of siluer, and a sute of apparell, they care not for the Gospel, nor the Ministerie of it.

5. And other who possiblie doe neither mis­like their Doctrine, nor Discipline, nor sin­ceritie, doe grudge at them for Church Patri­monie. This is counted a great degree of Iu­lians persecution (though they bee not of his minde) by withdrawing the maintenance of the Professours, to vnderminde the Profession and Religion it selfe. This hath beene since [Page 27] the Reformation, and yet it is a great sinne in this Land: Men of the greatest sort pulling Gods portion from his Church, and turning it to the increase of their own estat. Whereby the Gospel is spoiled, & many thousand Soules perish: Where there is no vision, the people perish. And where there is no maintenance, how can there bee prophecie or vision?

It is now a question greatlie debated, how it commeth to passe, that moe great Houses are decayed within these few yeares, than in some three Ages before? But it is easilie an­swered, 1. In the generall: Sinne is the ruine of all Estates. 2. In the particular the abuse of the Gospel: For as one hotte day'rypneth the cornes more, than twentie colde dayes: So one yeare vnder the cleare Light of the Gospel, filleth more the cuppe of the sinnes of an House, than twentie yeares vnder ido­latrie. 3. And Sacriledge is a consuming moth, to destroy a State, other wayes well acquired and guided.

It falleth to them as to the Eagle: Shee was not content of her free booting abroad, but pulled a collop from the Altar wherein was fastned an hotte firie coale, and when shee brought it to her nest, & filled her birds with that sacrilegious morsel, the coale fired her nest and burnt her birds in ashes: It is manifest to the worlde, that Houses moste ladened with Church Patrimonie, haue gone most to ruine. [Page 28] If one Achan stealing a part of things cōsecrate to God, and not as then conuerted to the use of the Tabernacle, brought wrath on all Israel: What shall wee looke for, where so many pull from God, these things, which beside their de­voting, may pleade prescription, for many ages▪ And if in the beginning of the Gospel, God gaue an exempler punishment, on Ananias and Saphira, for interuerting a part of that which was once their owne, and was not sacred by that primarie separation of God, but by a se­condarie mortification in their owne voluntarie offering, what shall bee their punishment, who draw that to themselues, which was neuer theirs but hath long stood both vnder a sa­cred separation and a religious use.

God compleaneth of the Iewes. Will a man robbe God? Yet yee haue robbed mee. But yee say. Wherein haue wee robbed thee? In Tithes and of­ferings. Yee ar [...] [...]ursed with a curse: For yee haue robbed mee, euen this whole Nation. Bring yee all the Tithes into the store-house, that there may bee meate in mine House, and proue mee now heere­with▪ sayeth the LORD of Hostes, if I will not open to you the windows of Heauen, and powre you out a blessing, that there shall not bee roome enough to receiue it. Malach. 3. 8. 9. 10.

Such is the state of the Gospel, concerning the maintenance of it▪ in this Land, that had not God in mercie stirred vp the Heart of King [Page 29] IAMES, of happie memorie, and made now our gratious King CHARLES to suc­ceede Him, in that Religious affection, as well as in the Thrones of these Kingdomes, to proue a Nurse-Father to the Church, and maintaine her maintenance. Pouertie would banish the Gospel out of this Land.

And with these sinnes is joyned Impenitencie: 23 All men sinneth, but no man repenteth, or mourneth either for his owne sinnes, or the sin of his time. God hath giuen vs a time of Re­pentance, but we let it passe without turning, And though hee hewed vs by his Prophets, by de­nouncing judgements, yet wee feare not. Hos. 6. 5. And though hee haue smitten vs with Famine, Pest, and Mortalitie, yet we haue not turned. The Lord hath stricken, but wee haue not sorrowed, thou hast consumed vs, but wee haue not receiued Correction, wee haue made our face har­der than a stone, and refused to returne. Neither know wee the time of our mercifull visitation, and the thinges that concerne our peace, nei­ther our just Correction to amend.

And with all, this wicked disposition, a worse is joyned, that the most parte▪ will neither for­sake sinne, nor repent, nor suffer it to be called sin▪ or themselues to be reproued and censured for it. It is not now sinne, to commit sinne, but to call sinne sinne, and in an holy zeale, for the wakening of mens Cōscience to reproue [Page 30] it, that is now called sinne, and an intolera­ble thing. And so to fill vp the cuppe of our sinnes, many are come to this degree of vncu­rablenesse, as to quarrell the reprouers of their sinne, as God noteth it in Israel. Let no man reproue another, for my people are as they that striue with the Priest. Hos. 4. 4.

This is a great policie and preuailing of Sathan, hee desireth nothing more, than to holde men sleeping to death in sinne: And hee knoweth no meanes more able to waken them, than faithfull Pastours: Therefore hee laboureth to discredite them by contempt, that their warning may bee fruitlesse: And thus hee doeth by secrete and close degrees: Hee maketh not men at the first to contemne Pastours, and their Callings, but to mislike their reproofes and taxing of sinne, as vn­dis [...]reet: From that hee leadeth them to hate their Person, and then their Calling: And so to contemne the Gospel, and make it fruit­lesse to themselues. When he hath thus far pre­uailed, he can lead them further, as to mak thē thinke that hating and abhorring of them, is a marke of true zeale: And to persecute them, is good seruice to GOD: As Christ fore­telleth, Whosoeuer killeth you, will thinke hee doeth God seruice. Ioh. 16. 2.

It is a forerunner of a grieuous judgement: Amos was euill handled of Israel, immediate­lie [Page 31] before their Captiuitie: And Ieremie was foullie intreated, and Uriah slaine, immedi­atelie before the Captiuitie of Iudah: And CHRIST Himselfe, and his Apostles per­secuted to death, before their last destruction. It cannot fall otherwayes to them, for con­temning the meanes of Grace: They are left to themselues, and so fill vp the measure of their sinne to the hight.

There is some hope, so long as God holdeth Pastours in a land: But whē the people cōtemne that his mercifull ordinance, it is iust with him, to send them harder Messengers of wrath.

So long as Gods Ambassadours are wel­come, there is appearance that GOD is working Peace: But when they are contem­ned, and reproached for their fidelitie, GOD is no more to negotiate peace, but to proceed to destruction.

If Dauid reuenged so seuerely the indig­nitie done to his Ambassadours by the Am­monites, What shall GOD doe, when his Messengers of peace are so spitefullie intrea­ted of men?

The signes of a desparate and incurable dis­ease in man, are foure speciall which are all 24 to bee found in this Land.

1. The first is, senslesnesse of all paine: Sick­nesse after a long strife with nature, preuaileth so farre against her, that as it hath expelled [Page 32] health, so it taketh away the feeling of that losse. 2. Next conceate of Health vnder that state: That notwithstanding of the great dis­ease, yet they conceate of strength and inte­gritie▪ the minde affected with the bodie, mi­staketh the true estate of it. 3. A carlesnesse to bee cured: Conceated health expelleth all care of helpe against sicknesse. 4. A neglect of the wholesome Counsell of the Physitian, with a reproaching and iniuring, his person.

All these are spirituallie in this Land. 1. An uniuersall senslesnesse, of our spirituall State: All Doctrine of the sicknesse of the Soule by sin: Of the nature of Conscience: The sense of God of his mercie and wrath, and such like, are to the most part but as free discourses, without trueth or use: There is not so much of the life of God in them, as to know or feele that there is such a thing: All are closed vp in the fatnes of a hard and senslesse heart. This is senslesse A­theisme. 2. And notwithstanding of this, there is a strong conceate of perfection in some: They judge themselues in their owne light, & ponder them in their own ballance, and thinke all that is spoken in Scripture against sinners pertaineth not to them, but others, and all that is spoken of grace, and promises, is layed in their lappe alone: This is proud Phari­saisme. 3. Many smoothing themselues vn­der this sweete sleepe, ly still in sinne, and [Page 33] neuer thinke of a Physitian▪ This is fleshlie Se­curitie. 4. And the last are worse, they tak not the information of Pastours, neither can they abide their Admonitions, when they are rebuked for sinne. Then they cry out as against Ieremie. The Earth dow not beare this mans words and railings. And take vpon them to prescriue to their Pastours, both mater and manner of Doctrine, They say to the Seers, See not, & to the Prophets, Prophecie not vnto vs right things: But speak vnto vs pleasant wordes, prophecie deceites. Isa. 30. 10.

They will gladlie heare the sweete Doctrine of the Gospel, but not of the Law: Theo­rie but not practise; discoursing of Doctrine and Controuersies, but not usefull applicati­on: And will heare the sinnes of other men, other callings, other Countreyes▪ and Superi­ours, but not their owne sinnes reproued.

This is a desparate resolution, not to bee cured at all.

This is the pittifull state of this Land, in all 25 Callings and Persons: From the crowne of the Head, to the sole of the Foote, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds and swelling, and sores. Isa. 1. 4. 5. 6. &c. He may justlie pronounce against vs, as hee did against the Iewes, Shall I not visite for these thinges, sayeth the Lord, and shall not my Soule bee auenged on such a Na­tion as this. Ierem. 5. 9. Therefore the Lord [Page 34] hath that same plea with vs, that hee had with rebellious Israel. Heare the Word of the LORD, ye Children of Israel: For the Lord hath a contro­uersie with the Inhabitants of the Land, because there is no Trueth, nor Mercie, nor Knowledge of GOD in the Land: By swearing, and lying, and killing, and steeling, and Whoring, they breake out and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the Land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth in it, shall languish. Hos. 4. 1. 2. 3.

Hee seeth vs lying in our sinnes, and is going to his Place, to see if wee will seeke him. I will re­turne, and goe to my Place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seeke mee, in their affliction they will seeke mee earlie. Hos. 5. 15.

The third cause of our Humiliation, is for an happie successe to our Kings Majesties weightie 26 Affaires, at Home and abroad, both in Peace and Warre. To pray to God, who hath the hearts of Kings in his hand, to multiplie more and more on his Ma. all Princelie Giftes and Graces, that Hee may walke before GOD in the Vprightnesse of Dauid, the Sinceritie of Hezekiah, and Tendernesse of heart, like Iosiah. That Hee would inlarge his heart more and more like Solomon, to goe out and in before his people.

And because His MAIESTIE is ingaged in a necessarie and dangerous Warre, for the defence of Trueth, and His Royall Allyance, [Page 35] whereby great Princes are become His Ene­mies, and His Kingdomes are threatned with a bloodie inuasion: It is the duetie of all, to intreate the LORD, for preseruation to his Ma. and His Dominions. When Iehoshaphat was beset by the Moabites and Ammonites: He set himselfe to seeke the Lord, with Fasting and Prayer: And all his people gathered themselues to­gether to aske helpe of God, and all Iudah with their Wiues; and little Ones, stood before him, who commanded them to stand still, and see the Saluation of the Lord, and gaue them a glorious deliuerie. 2. Chron. 20.

And when Hezekiah receiued the blasphe­mous and boasting Letter of Senacherib, hee went vp to the Temple▪ and sprede it before the Lord, and prayed for saftie, and the Lord sent away his enemies, with slaughter and shame. Wee haue at these times, to pray to God, that hee would bow downe his eare, and heare the blasphemie and boasting of the Enemies, and open his eye, and behold their bloodie decrees, and the plotting of Princes to execute them, and their insulting for preuailing against vs.

And since God hath put it in our Kings Ma. Heart, both to appoint to all His Subiects, and to keepe in His Royall Person, a solemne Fast▪ wee may the more confidentlie pray, that the Lord of Hostes, to whom pertaineth the issues of Death, would merche before our Armies. [Page 36] Psal. 68. 20. That hee would wound the head of our Kings Enemies, and thrust them through the thigh: And giue to Him their neckes and backes alwayes: That hee would cloath them with shame, and make his Crowne to flourish on His Head. Psal. 132.

Two punishments are most to bee feared at 27 this time, the remouing of the Gospel, and the Sword of man: The one to destroy the Soule, the other the Bodie. 1. God is threatning the remouing of the Word, because it hath beene long among vs without fruite: Wee haue not re­ceiued it as the word of God, to belieue and obey it, and to delight and walke in the light of it: Though God haue his owne amongst vs, yet the most parte doe contemne it, and the Preachers of it: It is counted an intolera­ble burden, because it curbes their lustes, and reproueth their sinnes so plainelie: they would bee glad to want it, that they might sinne freelie.

God brought it wonderfullie amongst vs, few Martyrs sealing it with their blood, and yet great opposition made to it: But God by his owne good meanes, lighted that Candle a­mongst v [...]: At that time this Nation was as a new laboured ground, with little labour it rendered great increase: Light was then plea­sant to men comming out of darknesse, and the taste of Grace was sweete at the first hea­ring [Page 37] of the Gospel: But now, after long hea­ring of it: Wee haue lost our first zeale, and are become as an out-worne & barren ground.

VVee are as the Earth, which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it, but bringeth out nothing, but thornes and briers, which is neere vn­to cursing, & whose end is to be burnt. Heb. 6. 7 8. The Lord hath patientlie waited on our fruits, and hath spared vs, like that figge tree, not for three, but three score and seuen yeeres, and yet neither is there fruite, nor Repentance, for want of fruite: VVhat remaineth in his Iustice, but that hee cutte vs downe, and cast vs in the fire?

Let vs not feede our selues with idle and groundlesse conceates, as that the Gospel is 28 pure amongst vs, and wee haue a true Religion & a glorious Profession, &c. The lik conceat possessed the Iewes in their greatest guiltines & danger: They cryed, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple▪ of the Lord, Ierem. 7. 4.

But ye trust, sayeth the Lord, in lying words, which cannot profite: VVill ye steale murther, and commit adulterie, and sweare falslie, and come and stand before mee in this House, which is called by my Name, and say, VVee are deliuered, though wee haue done all these abominations: But goe yee now into my Place, which was in Shiloh, where I set my Name at the first, & see what I did to it, for the wickednes of my people Israel. Ier. 7. 8. 9. 10.

[Page 38]They thought they vvere secure vnder their profession, and God would not forsake them, but hee tolde them plainelie hee vvould cast them off, as hee did Shiloh.

The Iewes had his presence, and now they are casten off, The Greeke Church in Asia, A­fricke, and the Easterne partes of Europpe, had the Gospel, but abused it, and now are giuen ouer to Mahumets carnall, and absurde delu­sions. And the Westerne places of Europ, and Rome at the first did shine as a glorious Church, It vvas then an hammer of Heretickes, and an harbour of distressed and persecuted Sainctes, and yet falling from that Trueth, is novv for manie Ages, the nest of Antichrist.

And this Nation at the first inlightned with the Gospel, enjoyed Peace (when other Nations were ouer-runne with Warre, and had almost lost both learning and Religion.) Then this Church proued a Mother Church▪ and sent out her Schollers as Apostles to conuert the most parte of England, and other Nations beyond Sea: But when shee was therafter first compelled, and then willingly yeelded to Romane superstition, God put out that can­dle of the Gospel, which had shined some seuen or eight Ages: And now since many Ignorants relapse to Poperie, and the most part fall in A­theisme, who are we after so many fearfull ex­amples▪ to thinke that God will still dwell a­mōgst vs, not withstāding of all our rebellions, [Page 39] This fleshly conceat is an high degree of fleshly 29 securitie, & as odious to God, as our other sins, for it would blemish him, whose eyes are purer, than that they can behold iniquity, as a fauourer of sin: As though he were tyed to dwell with ob­stinate and impenitent sinners, whom his Soule abhorreth: & to keepe his couenant with them who proudlie breake it, which is all one, as to make GOD and Beliall dwell together.

The discouerie of the Newe found Land, re­serued till the laste times, offereth a remar­kable consideration for this purpose: Some doe rest vpon naturall causes▪ as the perfection of sailing, & the inuention of the Sailers com­passe, and other naturall reasons: But Diuinitie leadeth vs a steppe further, in the cause of this diuine prouidence: That as Light came out from Sion at the first, and spred it selfe through all parts: & error and heresie came after treacing the steps of trueth, to the out most-parts of the earth, yet many Nations either remaining in, or returning to Paganisme, other falling in Ma­humetisme, & other were caried in that horrible Apostasie within y ^e Church to anti-christianisme. The Kirk groning vnder these abuses, & heresies within it selfe, did lute for Reformation. In this mean time God discouered another world to tel this old one, that if they wold not reforme thē ­selues, he had prouided him a soyle & dwelling place, & set vp a people that were not of our knowledge, to prouocke vs to Iealousie.

[Page 40]God hath indeede taken vs by the hand, but when nothing can moue vs to our duetie, what can hee but giue vs a bill of deuorcement, and put vs from him? God this day, and wee in his Name▪ are speaking as hee did to the Church of Ephesus. I haue something against thee, that thou hast forgotten thy first Loue. Re­member therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and doe the first workes, or else I will come against thee shortlie, and remoue the Candle­sticke out of his place, except thou repent. Rev. 2. 4.

The Iewes promised continuance of all hap­pinesse to themselues, because they were A­brahams seede: But Christ telleth them that God will not want a people, though they were destroyed; For hee could raise vp Children vnto Abraham out of the stones of the fielde: And hee letteth them see (if they would see it) to the griefe of their hearte, that hee is better ser­ued of the Gentiles, than euer hee was of them: If we joyne to our other sins, this fleshlie conceat also, that hee will want a people, if hee cast vs off: He can make either Barbarians or Iewes (or th [...]se who now are the enemies of the Gospel, turning them to the Gospel) better seruants to him than wee are: And will teach vs to our by eternall sorrow, that hee can haue a people, though wee bee not his people: But where shall wee finde a God, if in his Iustice hee cast vs off for our sin: He will euer prouide himselfe [Page 41] a Church, But woe to vs when hee departeth from vs. Hos. 9. 12.

The second plague to bee feared, is the 30 Sword of Man: God hath shaken many roddes on vs, and smitten vs with them, but we mend not: Hee hath broken the staffe of bread, and gi­uen vs cleannesse of teeth in our Cities, and multi­tudes in the streetes dying for famine: Hee hath stricken vs with Pestilence, and made that fly­ing arrow rage fearfullie: And great Mortali­tie on men and beastes, hath almost latelie ta­ken the tith of this Land, and yet wee haue not amended: The Sword onlie remaineth as the last and most fearfull plague, which God then useth, when all other chastisements haue not wrought his end to bring vs to repentance.

Wee are as Israel, whome God did smyte with plague after plague: And yet for all this, they returned not to me, sayeth the Lord. Amos. 4. And therefore, why should I smite them any more? Isa. 1. 4. And thou hast forsaken mee, saith the LORD, thou art gone backeward: Therefore will I stretch out mine hand against thee, and destroy thee, I am wearie with repenting. Ierem. 15. 6. When hee had taken paines on them, and they were not mended hee cast them a way. The bel­lowes are burnt, the Leede is consumed in the fire, the Founder melteth in vaine, for the wicked are not plucked away: Retrobate siluer shall men call them, because the Lord hath reiected them. Ier. 6. [...]9. 30.

[Page 42]It is now dangerous to sleepe in Securitie, 31 as though our enemies were farre off, and wee cōpassed with y ^e walls of a great Sea: We haue our enemies within; so long as sin increaseth, & is not repented, we wāt not enemies to destroy vs: God wanteth neuer instruments, whē he wil punish a Land, He can hisse on the Flee at the Ri­uer of Egypt, and on the Bee in the Land of Ashur. Isa. 7. 18. And though there were but men halfe wounded and halfe dead, they shall rise vp euery man in his tent, and burne Ierusalem with fire, when God is angrie with her. Ierem. 37. Gras­hoppers are but weake Creatures, yet when God sent them on Israel, they could not bee resisted, because the Lord uttereth his voyce before his Ar­mie▪ for his camp is very great, for he is strong that executeth his word. Ioel. 2. 10. As for our walls of Water, if our sinnes remaine, they will bee Shippes and bridges for our Enemies, to bring ouer the wrath of God, vpon vs: Though wee would build our nest into the toppe of Rockes, yet the hand of God can pull vs downe, where euer a man dwelleth, hee is a blacke marke for God to shoote at, and the arrowes of his wrath to light on, so long as guiltines abideth in him.

Wee should not indeede neglect or contemne 32 lawfull meanes of our defence, for that were to tempt God. Though the Apostle had an ex­presse promise, that none of his companie should perish in the Storme, yet when the Ma­riners [Page 43] minded to conuoy themselues away, hee said, Except these men abyde, wee can not bee sa­ued. Act: 27. Neither ought wee on the other part with Asa, to put our trust in meanes, as to rely on the reede of Egypt, or the Arme of flesh, for that is to prouocke God to Iealousie.

Both extremes, make God our Enemie, ei­ther in tempting him by neglect of meanes, or prouocking him, by trusting on them: The midst is his ordinance, which hee will euer blesse, to wit, the use of them, in holie wisedome and confidence in God. Our maine care should bee to bee at peace with him, that so the Lord of Hostes may bee with vs, and the God of Iacob may bee our refuge. Psal. 46.

In this case wee are inclosed in Gods pan­nall, 33 and he is set on his Throne to Iudgement, and the decreete will come foorth in the sen­tence, & bring forth the own executiō, except in time wee agree with our God. Long hath hee spoken by his Prophets, in his reforming, directing, and exhorting Word: But wee haue neglected all that faire proceeding: He is gone to an harder Word, euen the worde of Iudge­ment, and Processe: And let vs assure our selues, hee will not leaue off, till hee bring it to some end: When I beginne, I will also make an end: 1. Sam. 3. 12.

And there is none end, but one of two, ei­ther 34 our iust destruction, or mercifull preseruation. [Page 44] If wee dispute with him, hee is righteous, for we cannot answere to one of a thousand: And wee cannot flee from him, Whether shall wee goe from his Spirit? Neither can we resist him, for he is Almightie. Since then we can neither answere to him, nor flee from him, nor resist him, our onelie best is to flee to him with the forlorne Sonne and cast our selues in the Armes of his fatherlie mercie.

Thus, God who knoweth best how to bee intreated, commandeth vs. Come, let vs reason 35 together. Isa. 1. 18. Call a solemne Assemblie, sanctifie a Fast. Ioel. 2. Onelie acknowledge your iniquitie. Ierem. 3. 13. And as hee comman­deth, so he promiseth a blessing. Though your sins were as the Skarlet, they shalbe as the Snow: Thogh they were as the Crimson, they shall be as wooll, If ye returne and repent. Isa. 1. 18. And he will leaue a blessing behind him. Ioel. 2. Call vpon mee in the day of thy trouble, I will deliuer thee. Psal. 50. And I will bee with him in trouble, I will deliuer him, I will glorifie him. Psal. 91. 15.

And as he promised a blessing, so in all time hee hath performed it, for his people did ne­uer sincerelie humble themselues before him, but hee gaue them a visible blessing. The Book of Iudges is full of this practise. 1. Israel sin­ned against him, 2. And hee gaue them ouer in the hand of some Enemie. 3. And when they felt their miserie, they cryed vnto God, by Prayer & Fasting.

[Page 45]4. The Lord raised vp a Iudge or Sauiour, who deliuered them. When Niniuie was threatned with destruction, and humbled themselues in Fasting and praying, the Lord spared them, Ionah. 3. 4. And though Ahab was a wicked Hypocrite, yet when hee put on Sacke-cloath and fasted, the Lord said to Eliah, Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before mee? Because hee hath submitted himselfe to mee, Therefore I will not bring this euill in his dayes. 1. Kings. 21.

Prayers, and Teares, are the kindlie weapons of Gods Church, which they use in all their ne­cessities 36 and dangers: And that neuer without an euident blessing. They ouercome God, and bow him to mercie, because hee hath bound himselfe to accept the Sacrifice of a contrite heart: A contrite and a broken Spirit, hee can not refuse. Psal. 51. 17. And vvhen hee is re­concealed to vs in Christ, and our sinnes pardo­ned, hee becommeth our Friende, and Pro­tectour. So long as sinne remaineth, hee is our Aduersarie, and our sinnes bind his hand, that hee cannot helpe, and stoppeth his eare, that hee cannot heare. Isa. 59. 1 But vvhen God is appeased, then he becommeth our deliuerer frō all our dangers. And though they seeme but vveake vveapons to the Naturall man, vvho would haue his eyes filled with bodilie meanes, yet they are most forcible against our enemies.

[Page 46]And Sathan himselfe is affraied of nothing 37 more, than solemne humiliation and Repen­tance. Hee knoweth so long as God is an­grie with his people, hee will finde both great permissions, & large commissions against them, to their hurt: But when God and his people rea­son together, and his mercie pardoneth their sinne, then Sathans permissions are restrained, and his commissions end, and a certaine shame and disapointment is concluded against him.

There is neuer a solemne humiliation in the Church, but it bringeth a notable ruine to his kingdome: Our groanes and teares are as great Ordinances to batter and beate downe his building of iniquitie: All the Armories in the world▪ haue not so terrible Canouns to Satan, as faithfull hearts grieued for sinne: Neither so fearefull Bullets, as feruent prayer and suppli­cations sent vp with strong cryes and groanes to God: Though such hearts bee broken, in sending them vp, yet they batter Sathans Kingdome, and bringe health to themsel­ues.

To these Prayers and Teares, wee haue now a cleare calling: As God in his word comman­deth, 38 so he is by his worke applying that com­mand to vs. 1. By the obseruation of all his Ser­uants, the Prophets who with a pastorall heart and eye, seeth the present iniquities of this Land, and wrath hanging aboue our head.

[Page 47]This burden is layed on vs, who are Watch­men, to stand on our Watch, and sitte vpon our Tower, and see what God will say to vs, Sonne of man, if the Watch-man, when hee seeth the Sword comming, blow the Trumpet, and warne the people: Then whosoeuer heareth the sounde of the Trum­pet, and taketh not warning, if the Sword come, & take him away, his blood shall be vpon his owne head. Hee heard the sound of the Trumpet, and tooke no warning, his blood shall bee vpon him. But hee that taketh warning▪ shall deliuer his Soule.

So thou, O Sonne of man, I haue sette thee a Watch-man vnto the house of Israel: Therefore, thou shalt heare the VVorde at my mouth, and warne them from mee. Ezech. 33. 2. 3, 4. 5. 7.

Vpon this heauie charge layed on vs, and the care to saue our selfe, and our people, we cry a loude, and spare not, wee lift vp our voyce as a Trumpet, to shew to Israel his sinne, and to the house of Iaacob their transgression. Isa. 58. 1.

Therefore, gather your selues, O Nation not wor­thie to bee loued, before the decree come foorth, and yee bee as chaffe that passeth in a day, & before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you, & before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you▪ Seeke ye the Lord all ye meek of the Earth: It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger. Zeph. 2. 1. 2. 3 2. The obseruatiō of good people of euery sort, falleth vpon this necessitie and cryeth for a pu­blicke humiliation.

[Page 48]The causes are so manifest and vveightie, that anie who is not blinded may perceiue them, & vvhat is this else, than a mutuall exhorting one of another. Come, let vs returne to the Lord: For he hath spoiled, and he will heale vs, Hee hath wounded vs, and hee will bind vs vp Hos. 3. 6. 1.

Gods prouidence is a reall calling & a com­manding of vs to this Fast. Hee hath begun his Iudgements in other places, & we are vn­der the same sinnes, and hee is shaking that rod vpon vs. It vvas time for Dauid to pray for Ierusalem, vvhen hee saw the Angell stretch his Sword ouer it: Hee prayed, and God made the Angell stay his hand, 2. Sam. 24.

Seeing then vvee are ladened with so many sinnes, and compassed vvith so many troubles, 39 and God by his vvord and vvorkes, and our Conscience calleth vs to Repentance & Fasting, vve may not neglect this Fast. For he who will not afflict his Soule in the day of expiation, that Soule shall bee cut off from his people. Leuit. 23. 29.

And in that day, sayeth the Lord, I called to weeping & mourning & to baldnes, & girding with sackcloth: And behold ioy & gladnesse, slaying Oxen, and killing Sheepe, eating flesh, and drinking wine: Let vs eate and drinke, for tomorrow wee shall die: And it was reuealed to mee, by the Lord of Hostes, Surelie this iniquitie shall not bee purged from you, till you die, sayeth the Lord. Isa. 22. 12. 13. 14.

Neither let vs keepe the Fast of Hypocrites 40 [Page 49] who disfigure their faces, and looke sowrlie, that they may bee knowne of men to fast. Matth. 6. 16. They afflict their Soules for a day, & hing their heads as a bulrush, and yet they finde pleasure, and oppresse their Neighbour in the day of their Fast. Isa. 58. 5.

Neither let vs keepe the Papists Fast, who are Hypocrites in their externall shewe▪ and Epicures 41 in the dyet of their Fasting: There can bee no afflicting of their bodie, where for qualitie, they haue libertie to eate bread, Confections, Con­serues, Fruits, & to drinke all sorts of Wine: & for quantitie, to tak their satietie, & fill of them, and yet in so doing, they breake not their Ec­clesiasticall Fast. This is a mocking of the Christian Fast, a scorning of the VVorld, the feeding of the flesh, and a deceate of themselues in that wil-worship a Feasting for Fasting.

But let vs keep the Christian Fast, in a simple abstinence frō all that may comfort the bodie, 42 in true and vnfained Repentance, and forsaking of our euill wayes, turning to the Lord our God with all our hearts that he may haue mercie on vs. If vvee seeke the Lord vvhen hee may bee found, then vvee shall cry, and hee will answere, wee shall call, & hee shall say, Behold, heere I am if thou take away from the midst of thee the yocke of sinne, Isa. 58. 9.

And for this ende, wee muste first inquire 43 where these sinnes are, that so grieuouslie of­fend God, & that not by prying in our Neigh­bours, [Page 50] to lay all the blame on them, and trans­ferre it from our selues, and so to foster a con­ceate of our owne innocencie in this common guiltinesse.

It is a deepe policie of Sathan, to cousen 44 men in this case, to cleanse themselues, and blame their Neighbours. This is one olde lesson, wee haue of our first Parents. Adam layed the sinne vpon the Woman, and the wo­man on the Serpent: Wee are forward to com­mit sinne, but are ashamed of it, when it is committed, and would father it on another: Wee defile our selues reallie by the guiltinesse of it, and labour to cleanse vs by a conceate: But God will not bee so put off, and that shif­ting is a doubling of our guiltinesse.

So, after that Core, and his complices were punished, the people murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, Yee haue killed the people of the Lord. Nu. 16. 41. The cause of Corahs pu­nishment, was not in Moses and Aaron, but in Corahs sinnes, who inuying their credite, am­bitiouslie affected the like, and seditiouslie made a faction, and drew the people after him, against them whom God had set ouer them: But the foolish people, not considering his sinne, nor their owne factious following of him, layed all the blame vpon Moses and Aaron.

This is to harden our selfe in our sinne & im­penitencie, 45 [Page 51] and to freeze on our dregges. Zeph. 1. 12. But euerie one of vs ought to examine first & most our selues, and wee shall finde seuen abominations in our hearts: If we looke in the glasse of Gods Law, we shall see our leprosie, & bee forced with the Lepers to cry out, I am vncleane▪ I am vncleane.

So Dauid (albeit GOD beeing angrie at Israel suffered him to number the people) said to the Lord, I haue sinned, and I haue done wickedlie, but these sheepe what haue they done? 2. Sam, 24. 1. And Ieremie putteth himselfe in with the rest, vvee haue sinned, and thou hast not spared. Lament. 3. And Daniel, Wee and our Fathers haue sinned. Dan. 9. It is a token of true Grace, in the censure of our selfe, with the Apostle, to count our selues the first of all sin­ners: and a token of true Repentance. 1. Tim. 1. 5. In the appearance of sin with Ionah, to say, I know, that for my sake, this storme is come vpon you. Ionah. 1. 12. Euerie one of vs, hath broght his coale to this great fire of Gods wrath, so, let euery man come and take out the coale, hee hath cast in it, & draw waters out of his brokē heart and powre out the teares of true Repen­tance to quench it withall: Let vs search and try our vvayes, and turne againe to the LORD. Lament. 3. 40.

As on the one part wee ought not Pharisai­callie 46 to lay all the fault on others, so neither [Page 52] should weelazelie waite vpon the Repentance of other: Euerie one ought indeede to stirre 47 vp another to this holie Exercise: But if o­ther remaine in their hardnesse, and will not bee stirred vp to seeke the Lord, wee ought not to delay Repentance by their euill example.

Euerie one is bound to keepe his owne Soule: If yee vvill not repent, my Soule shall mourne in secrete for your pryde. Ierem. 13. 17. As the multitude of the godly cannot secure an euill man from Gods justice, hee found out Achan among the thousands of Israel, and punished him: So the multitude of impenitent Sin­ners, shall not hyde one mourning Sinner from his mercie: He sendeth not out his wrath, till first hee marke them, that sigh and cry for the abomination of Ierusalem Ezch. 9. And promi­seth to Baruch his life for a prey. Hee had the Arke readie to saue Noah, and a Zoar to re­ceiue Lot.

2. Next, for this holy Exercise, let vs rent 48 our hearts, and that by a true and godlie sor­row for our bygone and present offences, af­flicting our Soules by a true contrition, Ioel. 2. As wheate or corne, is brayed betweene the nether and vpper milstones, so is the penitent Soule, bruised betweene the griefe for sinne, and feare of wrath, with an holie indignation at our selues, for offending so good a God, and taking an holie reuenge or sythment, on our selues for [Page 53] that vylnesse. 2. Cor. 7. That when wee remember our wayes, and all our doings, wher­in wee haue beene defiled, wee may loath our selues in our owne sight, for all the euills that wee haue committed.

The reasons of this renting are, 1. Our heart 49 is the fountaine, from which all proceedeth, that defileth the man, and ought to bee stopped. 2. It is the forge-house, where­in Sathan forgeth all iniquitie, and must bee ruined. 3. And the place of the conception of all our miseries, therefore by an heart-brea­king godlie sorrow, it must be so disabled, as it losse the power of conceiuing, or bringing foorth of sinne as of before. 4 It is the bellie of the Viper for conceiuing, but it is not rent in the deliuerie of that venemous brood: Therefore it ought to bee rent in remorse for it, and with that renting, wee must bring out the birth of a sincer confession of our sinne, Let vs lift vp our heartes and our hands to heauen, and say, VVee haue sinned and haue rebelled, and thou hast not spared. Lament. 3. 41. 42.

3. Thirdlie, for the time to come, we must 50 purpose with our selfe, and vow to God amende­ment of our life, & y ^e studie and practise of new obedience: These holie vowes, will both bind our corruption, that it breake not out at all occasions, and stirre vp the grace of God to a life worthie of God.

[Page 54]True Repentance will so presse our corrup­tion, that it may finde for the present a weight to bow it downe, and a knyfe to cutte the throate of it: And it will strengthen Gods grace by remouing sinne, which is the bane of it. It is a repeating of our first conuersion, and a notable promouing of Sanctification, by so solemne a worke, adding a sensible degree of killing the old Man, & the quickning the new.

This is the fruite of our wrestling with God, euen to halt with Iacob: Though wee haue pre­uailed, our corruption will bee so disjoynted, as it be not so strong therafter. So, God in mer­cie to his owne, by true Repentance, slayeth sin, which Sathan augmented by our falling & disappointing him of his end, turneth his work of sinne in vs, to a destruction of our sinne.

Fourthlie, wee must strengthen our hearts 51 with confidence on God, that hee will haue mer­cie on vs: We can neuer goe to him with bold­nesse, without this confidence in Iesus Christ, but wee runne from him as a consuming fire.

For this end, we ought first to fixe our mind 52 vpon him, as hee hath discryued himselfe. 1. A God full of goodnesse, for hee is gratious, freelie to pittie vs not looking to our deseruing, but be­side, aboue, & contrare to it, to helpe vs, bringing all the reasons of his goodnesse to vs from himselfe, and respecting none other thing in vs, than our miserie to cure it.

[Page 55]2. Hee is Mercifull, to pardon our sinnes, and remoue all euill from vs, whom gratious­lie hee accepteth, and giueth vs euerie good thing that wee neede.

3. And slow to anger, because the best men are often falling in sinne, and so giue matter of his provocation, yet hee is not soone moued at their sinnes, but waiteth on their Repentance.

4. And of great Kindnesse, that euen in the time of his just anger, keepeth euer his Fa­therlie loue and benignitie to them: His an­ger can stand well with his loue, though wee doe not well consider it: Hee doeth not afflict vs willinglie. Lament. 3. 33. But in the midst of his wrath, hee remembreth mercie, in the change of his work and action, from blessing to crossing, his heart and affection is not changed vpon vs Hee is not hastie to anger, and long in it, but slow to it, and soone from it.

Anger is in men according to their seuerall disposition: It is in the Melancholian, a ver­tue, that hee is slow to anger, but a vice, that hee abydeth long in it: And it is the Cholerians fault, that hee is soone angrie, but a vertue that hee is as soone from it. Our good God, speaking of himselfe according to man, expres­seth his anger by the vertues of them both: With the first, hee is slow to anger, and with the second hee is soone appeased: And this is to our great comfort.

[Page 56]5. And he repenteth him of euill: Although our sinnes force strokes out of his hand, yet hee is grieued for vs vnder them, and by his sud­den relieuing of vs, so soone as wee repent, doeth testifie, that hee hath neither pleasure in the death of sinners, nor in the troubles of his owne: In all their afflictions hee is afflicted. Isa. 63. 9. And these diuine properties and their worke is not as his strange vvorke, and strange Act, but in those thinges, hee deligh­ted, because mercie pleaseth him. Isa. 28. 21. Ierem. 9. 24. Micah. 7.

And for our fuller confidence, wee haue not simplie to consider this his goodnesse in him­selfe, 53 but as it is presented and offered to vs in a Couenant, which is confirmed by Christ.

His goodnesse is in himselfe as a Fountaine superabounding, but the Couenant is as a Cha­riot, or Conduit, conuoying it to vs. His good­nesse assumed our Nature in Christ, to a per­sonall vnioun with the Sonne; to assure vs both of the grounds of that communication of his goodnesse, and of our right to it; and of the way how it is: That beeing and belie­uing in Christ our Brother, wee may haue boldnesse and accesse by that way, which his blood hath consecrate toward the Throne of Grace. Heb. 10. When in our mourning for sinne, our Faith looketh to Christ, whome our sinnes haue pierced, and intreate God, to looke on [Page 57] the Sonne of his loue, in whome hee is well pleased, wee haue confidence to bee heard in that wee pray for: Zachar. 13. No man can tryst and meete with God in Christ the great Peace­maker, who is both the Prince and pryce of our peace, but hee shall finde reconciliation in him.

Thirdlie, our owne Experience may giue vs confidence: When this Yland was inva­ded 54 by that great Nauie, that was called, In­vineible: God made the Seas to burie our Enemies, as it did the Aegyptians: Anno 1588.

Next, when Sathan saw, that our GOD vvas God of the Seas, hee tooke him to fire, and put it in the heartes of cruell Papists, to attempt the blowing vp by Powder, of the King, the Parliament, the Flower of all E­states of England: But God discouered that hel­lish plot, and brake their bow at the lowsing of their Arrow. Anno 1605. When Morta­litie passed through all this Land, and remo­ued many, God vvas intreated by our Prayers, and stayed it. Anno. 1623. When hee brak in with a fearefull Pest among vs, and we hum­bled our selues before him, he commanded the destroying Angel to depart from vs. An. 1625.

When hee threatened extreame Famine, in the rotting of all our Cornes, wee called on him by Fasting and Praying, & immediatelie thereafter for seuen weekes gaue such serenitie as scarcelie any man doeth remember the like. Anno 1626.

[Page 58]Hee is that same God, that hee was then▪ And if we will run to him in true Repentance, hee both can and will deliuer vs as of before.

In a word, we must processe our selues seuere­lie before God. 1. In presenting our selues be­fore his fearefull Tribunall, and standing there, compare our selfe to that righteousnesse of the Law, and our God, and wee shall finde that our sins are moe, than the haires of our head.

2. When wee haue found it so, wee must cry in the bitternesse of our heart, with the Publi­can, 55 knocking on our breast, The Lord bee merci­full to mee, a sinner▪ Luke. 18. 3. This sight of our vilenesse, and sorow for it, must chase vs to God, to begge remission of sinne, and to be couered with the righteousnesse of Christ▪ Wash mee throughlie from my sinne, and cleanse mee from mine iniquitie. Psa. 51. 4. We must striue to find remission sealed vp in the peace of con­science. All this processe before God, must be formed in our conscience, & led in a spirituall fee­ling: Many a time we doe the worke of God ne­gligently, and content our selues with a light thoght & motion of these things: But we must labour to bring our conscience to a sight & our heartes to a feeling of them, without which God cannot bee pleased, nor we blessed in this worke.

And this processing is a great blessing of God, because it bringeth vs back to the first processe, [Page 59] that God formed in vs, at the time of our con­uersion; and acquainteth vs with that Processe, which wee shall see at the last day; and shall se­cure vs from the terrour of it.

Wee shall then count our selues happie, for tymous processing our selues, whē we shall see others condemned, who now neglect to doe it.

Further, wee must remember our ordinarie measure of Deuotion will not serue our turne in Fasting: But as the solemnitie is more than cu­stomable occasions: So our Deuotion in it must as far exceede our ordinarie, as it is aboue ordi­narie occasions: The Sabbaths seruice had the own measure aboue the daylie Sacrifice: So our Griefe, Zeale, Faith, and softnesse of heart, must bee seuen fold more, than at other times: Therfore, is it compared to the greatest sorrow as the sorrow of a woman mourning for her first borne, and for the Husband of her Youth, and that as the mourning of Iudah in the Vallay of Megiddo for the slaughter of Iosiah. Zach: 12.

When our Soules by the Grace of GOD, are brought to this holie Disposition, we must also take order for our Bodie, that it may know in the owne kinde this Exercise; that defrauding it of the owne desires, wee may bring it to some feeling of that worke, that is within it euen of the reasoning betweene God and our Soule; that pinching of it, is both the cha­stining and amending of it.

[Page 60]Wee must abstaine from mirth and solace: When Gods Sword is forbished, shall wee then make mirth, and contemne his rodde. [...]zech. 21. 10.

Let the Bride-groome goe foorth of his chamber, and the Bride out of her Chamber. VVhen God is angry, it is not timous, nor comelie for vs to sport, or giue ourselues to any delight.

If Nehemiah forbade the people to weepe at the reading of the Law, because that day was a festiuitie to God, Nehem. 8. Shall it not bee more vnseemelie to laugh, and rejoyce in the dayes, wherein God calleth vs to mourning and teares? It is not a day of libertie or loo­sing our minde and body to delights, but in­closing and shooting vp our selfe in secrete. That wee retrinch, and call in all our thoughtes, that at other times, may goe out to our bu­sinesse, and keepe them all, as a mourning wi­dow▪ clothed vvith du [...]e, in tokens of the af­fliction of our Soule.

The maine thing indeed, that God requireth in publicke humiliation is true Repentance, in 59 godlie sorrow for our sinnes, and earnest im­ploring of his mercie in Iesus Christ. Rent your hearts, and not your garments, and yet with all, hee requireth also a bodilie Fasting, that our bodies bee defrauded, not onelie of their superfluous and vnlawfull desires, but also of their due and lawfull necessities in nourishment and rest, and that for these speciall reasons.

[Page 61]1. That the bodie by that abstinence, may bee afflicted and punished, as one instrument of euill to the Soule: Though strength and health of the bodie bee a blessing of God, yet oft­times it affecteth the Soule, and either stirreth it vp to euill, or else is a readie weapon of vn­righteousnes, to execute the euill desires of it.

2. That it may bee taught by that defrau­ding and punishing, what is the punishment of sinne. 3. That since it is a great impediment to our Soule in good, when it is satisfied in all the desires: it may not hinder, but rather further the Soule in so holie an exercise, but the felt necessities of it, make it to spurre our Soule to bee earnest in the seruice of God, who is on­lie able to saue both Soule and bodie.

4. Lastlie, for the compleete Humiliation of the whole Man: that as both Soule and bodie haue sinned, and euerie one of them haue had their owne parte in that wickednesse, they may now suffer conjunctlie, and bee humbled for it before God.

VVith prayer and Fasting other things must 57 bee joyned: First course and base Apparrell, that none come before God in their best cloathing, but in their course and common garmentes: Costlie rayment doeth no more agree with Fasting and Repentance, than laughing and surfette: An heart sopped with sorrow and bit­ternesse for sinne, can neither desire, nor take [Page 62] paines vpon the busking of the bodie. Remors­full thoughts can neither breed nor dwell vn­der a painted face, and a husked bodie: Con­trition in the heart commandeth a neglect of the flesh: As our flesh ought to bee taught by defrauding of nurishment, so also in baf­nesse and neglect of apparrell.

In most of our former Fastes, this hath beene a blotte, that people haue come to the Lords House in their best garments, vvhen hee hath cryed for sacke-cloth and ashes: They mak no difference betwixt Fasting and Feasting: Be­twixt Repentance and other ioyfull solemnities, as Communion and Thankesgiuing. Naomie thought her name (vvhich signifieth beauti­full) not fitting for her pittiefull estate, and the bitternesse of her heart, and desired not to bee called Naomie, but Marah or bitternesse.

VVhen our Parents sinned in Paradise, their nakednes made them ashamed, and that shame made them couer ther nakednesse vvith anie thing that come first to hand. Busking at Fasting is not of shamefastnesse, but a shamelesse out-facing of the vvorld, their own Conscience and the Iustice of God. That deuotion will neuer pierce heauen, vvhere the ratling of silkes and Veluets out-cryeth the groanes of their Spirits.

The sorrowfull Iewes: rent their garments, and cast dust on their heades: Dolour in the heart biddeth the bodie hing out sorrowfull [Page 63] ensignes, and these in blacke or base clothing: But in a busked bodie, there is not no such dulefull ensigne, and therefore, no sorrow in the heart. These painted Puppies seeme to bee sent of Sathan to Congregations▪ to bee blots in them, and scoffers of God in his Face.

The Primitiue Church enjoyned their Penitents to come before the Congregation in sackcloth, and cast themselues on the ground, so that oft­times their teares moystening the dust, defiled their faces with clay: A face so ouerlaide, is more beautifull in the sight of God, than Iezabells fairding. They seeme to read Silke for Sacke in the Prophets exhortations to Fasting; at least they put on Silke in stead of Sacke.

To heare Doctrine of Humiliation, and to bee richlie [...]led, doe not agree: To pretend griefe in heart, and bee sumptuouslie arrayed, is abomination in the sight of God, and a ui­sible Solecisme, in the eyes of Man.

2. The second thing to bee joyned with Fasting, Is a large offering for the support of the 58 Poore: It is our tyme of supplication to God for his grace, whereof wee both desire and ex­pect a large measure: VVhy should vve not thē bee liberall to the Poore? As vvee vvould haue him open handed to fill our hearts with grace, VVee should be free to helpe their necessities: Beside the measure of our daylie offering to them, wee are bound to conuert the charges [Page 64] of our house to their comfort, that vvhat wee spare on our selues in Fasting, may bee lent to God, and giuen to the poore.

Vnlesse this way wee helpe them, vvee offer to God but a lame sacrifice, and turne his ser­uice to our owne worldlie gaine, because that vvhich we spare on our selues, remaineth vvith vs To be large in Deuotiō, & niggard in our con­tributiō to the poore, is to proue, that we count more of our moneyes than of Deuotion: And to moue God to respect it as little, as wee doe

This hath also beene a great fault in our former▪ Fastings.

Wee ought therefore to giue our dinner to them that are hungrie, that Christ hungring in the poore, may receiue that which the fasting Christian doth abate: And so our Fastes may bee filled and fatted with Almous deedes, and wee may reioyce that our Fasting hath made another to eate.

3. Thirdlie wee must also joyne heerewith all requisite godlie Exercises, to bring our hearts 59 to that holie Disposition, that God, requi­reth, as, 1. The reading and hearing of the Law of GOD, that vvee may see our dittay in the Commands that wee haue broken, and our Doome▪ in the threatned wrath, vvhere­vnto vvee are lyable by these breaks: So Iosiahs heart melted, when hee heard it read, because hee saw great sinne in Iudah, and heauie wrath hinging ouer their heads.

[Page 65]2. The hearing of Pastours, apply that Law to vs, and lance our Conscience by their Do­ctrine: So Peters Sermon pierced y ^e Iewes hearts vvhen their sins vvere layed to their charge, & they were forced to seeke ease to their wounded Conscience: Act. 2. And when the Leuits did expound the Law, the people mourned before the Lord. Nehem. 8. That piercing sharpnesse of the worde, chaseth them that are wounded to God: The heart pierced with conscience of sinne, can find no rest, but in him.

3. The reading of Bookes of deuotion, which a­mong other good ends, are vvritten by godlie men to stirre vp the heart to a tendernesse, and affectuousnesse in the worshippe of God.

4. Conference with Pastours, and other well af­fected Christians, For the mutuall stirring vp of our hearts to that holie Exercife: As coales joyned to coales, augment the heate, so god­lie conference increaseth both zeale & affectiō.

5. Heerewith must be joyned holie Medita­tion: All worldlie thoughts must bee put out of our Soule, and the thoughts of God onelie keeped in it: Our heartes are hard; and not soone moued wee must labour on them paine­fullie, and hold them on the ben [...]sell of spiri­tuall disposition: Hard stones are dissolued by strong waters and Vineger, and the hardest heart will be softned by laying it in the strong water of Contrition, & that piercing Vineger of bitter [Page 66] remorse, all which things are furdered by con­stant meditation.

6. And aboue all, feruent prayers to God, and singing Psalmes of Repentance, that our desires be not a sound and multitude of words, but a pow­ring out of our verie heartes, as water before him: We must wrestle with him as Iacob in power of his owne grace, and not suffer him to depart, till hee blisse vs with the remission of our sins.

It is not enough that one sort of people fast, but all of euery sort and state; For all haue sin­ned, 60 and are impannelled at the barre of Gods Iustice: Gather the people, sanctifie the Congrega­tion, assemble the Elders, gather the Children, and these that sucke the brests. Ioel. 2. 16. And the King of Ninivie did fast, & made all his seruants to fast also. Ionah. 3.

1. Pastours haue their part in this worke. 61 To informe the people of their sin and danger of wrath, and waken vp their conscience by the terrours of the Law, that being priked in their hearts, they may cry out, Men and Brethren, what shall wee doe. Act. 2.

2. And not that onelie but also in example to goe before them: Let the Priestes the Lordes Ministers weepe betweene the Porch & the Altar. Ioel. 2. That thereby, they may shew to the people, that they themselues belieue the things which they speake of sinne and death, and [Page 67] that the worke of Humiliation is good when they practise it affectuouslie.

3. To interceede with God for their people, that hee would pardoun and spare them: Spare thy people, O Lord, and giue not thine Inheritance to reproach. Ioel. 2. Moses was so zealouslie carefull of the peoples safetie. that hee wished his name to bee rased out of the Booke of Life, ra­ther than they were destroyed: And Phineas seeing the plague, breake into the Campe, made atonement for them. This is to stand in the gappe, and make vp the breach from staying the proceeding of Gods anger. Ezech. 22. 30.

And the bearing of the names of the Tribes of Israel, on the Breast-plate of our heart, in a Pa­storall loue, and on the two Shoulders of an earnest care and assiduous labour: Presenting them and their necessities daylie to God.

Our tyme is like the tyme of Ieremiah and Ezechiel. God hath now presented the roule of his Booke vnto vs, and it is all written within and without, Lamentation, mourning, and woe. Ezech. 2. 10.

Our duetie is as Noah, to fore-warne the world of the Floode: As Ionah to denounce destruction against Niniuie: And as men that stand in the counsell of God, to discouer the iniqui­tie of the people, to turne them from their sinne, and turne away their captiuitie. Ierem. 23.

[Page 68]Now the Shippe of Gods Church, is tossed and beaten with the stormie Seas of calamities, and the multitude, like Ionah in the sides of the Shippe, and are fast asleepe in their sinne: Wee ought to rouse them vp, and cry, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, and call vpon thy God: If so be, God will thinke vpon vs, that we perish not. Ionah. 1. 6. VVhy will yee die in your sinnes, O house of Israel. Ezech, 18. 31.

The people also ought to cōsider their dueties 2 heere [...]n. 1. To count it a blessing of God to haue Pastours that will waken them, for none of themselues, can awak out of the sleepe of sin: Dauid a Prophet, & tender hearted, had neede of a Nathan to waken his sleeping Conscience. 2. Therefore they should heare and receiue infor­mation from their Pastours, whom God hath set ouer them: As hee hath bound Pastours vnder heauiest paine to informe them, so are they bound in Conscience to heare them, and re­ceiue their instruction. 3. To deale with their pastors, to interceed for them with the Lord: Cease not to cry to the Lord for vs, that hee would deliuer vs from the Philistmes, said Israel to Sam­uel. 1. Sam. 7. 8. And pray to the Lord, for thy seruants, that wee die not ibid. 1.

4. To ioyne their prayers with the prayers of their Pastors: If they lye still in senslesnesse, the prayers sent vp to God for them will not auaile. Pharaoh desired Moses to pray for him, [Page 53] but prayed not for himselfe. Thogh Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people. Ier. 15. 1. But when Pastors & people joyne their prayers together, then God suffereth himselfe to bee bound with the bonds of his owne making, euen his mercie and trueth in the promise layed vpon him by faith, in fer­uent prayers.

A cleare proofe of all these dueties, in Pa­stours and people, is in Samuel the Prophet, and the Israelites: When hee reproued them for their sinne the people drew out water (not out of wells, but out of their broken hearts) and pow­red it out at their eyes, and fasted, and weeped that day, and said, Wee haue sinned against the Lord, and besought the Prophet to pray to God for them. Then hee offered a sacrifice▪ and cryed to the Lord for them, and the Lord heard him, and deliuered in their handes the Hoast of the Philistimes, which was come vp against them. 1. Sam. 7.

If wee minde sincerelie to approue our sel­ues to God in Fasting, it must bee both pu­blicke and priuate,. Publicke humiliation at such solemne times, is both first and most required, for sindrie reasons. 1. To iustifie God, who hath arrested vs, and threatned or begunne judge­mentes, by publicke confession of our sinnes, proclaiming that hee hath just cause of wrath against vs; and so by that publicke homage [Page 70] done to him, to acknowledge our oblige­ment to him, for a newe holding of the life that hee spareth to vs.

2. Secondlie, to make a more forcible on­set on him, by all our prayers joyned together. For he who hath promised to heare vs in secret apart, and to bee in the midst of two or three, that are met in his Name, will not he be in the midst of some hundreths, and thousands when they are come before him. Matth. 6. 6. And he who said▪ Moses, Let me alone (as though Moses prayers did bind him) shall hee not suffer him­selfe to bee stayed from executing his wrath, when many thousands feruent and faithfull prayers lay holde vpon him at once.

3. For our mutuall and greater incitation: Many who in Congregations meete together, possiblie haue gone before other in euill ex­ample, and some haue offended and stumbled at the fall of other.

It is therfore moste expedient, that these see one another in that solemne Deuotion: That they who haue giuen euill example in sinne may giue good example by their Repen­tance: & they who haue conceiued just offence of other, may lay aside their offence, when they see them ryse frō their sin. Dauid offended ma­nie by his sinnes, but doubtlesse his Repentance satisfied them, and conuerted moe people to God.

[Page 71]4. For Sathans greater conuiction, hee inten­deth no lesse in drawing vs to sinne, than to yock God and vs together, & so to set vs be­fore him as guiltie persons to bee destroyed, both in this life, and at the day of our last rec­koning: But in these publicke Assemblies hee seeth the case altered, that God hath preuented the terme, and in place of a wrathfull meeting, to come to a friendlie commoning, & to end in a gra­tious reconciliation. When God commeth downe in these meetings, and melteth the hearts of his peo­ple, and reconcealeth them to him, such a sight is an heart-breake to Sathan.

VVe ought also to joyne priuate Humiliation 64 in our Houses, with that publicke Exercise. And they shall mourne euery Familie apart. The Familie of the house of Dauid apart, and their wiises apart: The Familie of the house of Nathan apart, &c. Zech. 12. And that for sindrie causes. 1. We pol­lute our houses by sinne, and therefore ought to sanctifie them to God particularlie, in the time of a solemne Fast. Dauid sanctified his House after Absoloms sin, and shall not wee much more consecrate our houses for our owne sinne?

2. For Preparation to the publicke worship: If wee come out of our owne houses to Gods House, without anie preparation, wee cannot looke for a great blessing in the Sanctuarie: Priuate worshippe before wee come out, is as a seede for the greater and publicke worke.

[Page 72]3. And when we haue beene in the Sanctua­rie, and returned to our houses, wee ought to turne it in an Haruest in them in reaping the fruit that we haue foūd in publick: Our Houses then are both the Barne and the Garner: wherein wee prouide the seede that wee take out to the Sanctuarie, and to the which wee bring in the Haruest, and increase that we haue found in it.

4. Priuate worship is a seale of the sinceritie of Grace, for manie doe counterfeate Deuotion & Repentance in publicke, who haue none exer­cise of it in their houses, all their care is to be seene of men, and so they are holie in the Church, and profane at home: But to exercise Gods wor­shippe feruentlie in priuate, is a token of a true and vigorous grace of God.

5. For greater libertie, to utter groaning, wee­ping, humbling, and prostrating of our bodie in pri­uate, than wee can in publicke, there wee doe ma­nie things which would finde an vncheritable censure, if they were seene of men: Affections once loosed, will breake out in sindrie actions, which in publicke wee must suppresse; but in priuate wee giue them libertie. Hannah vttered griefe of heart in the Temple, and was misconstrued by Eli, but her priuate deuotion at home, though with greater libertie was not offensiue, but a cause of her husbands more tender affection to her. 1. Sam. 1. Dauid in priuate, watered his [Page 73] bedde with teares. Psal. 6. And filled his house with roaring, which in publicke hee did moderate. Psal. 32. And by this priuate worship, is not onlie to be vnderstood, when the whole Family meeteth together in their Hall, or other con­uenient roome, but beside that, when the Master of the house hauing discharged that duety with his Family, goeth a part to some re­teered corner of the house, & there is yet more free in his deuotion than hee can bee in the sight of his Familie: And so other of the house, who are come to vnderstanding or any measure of Grace: This is, the Familie aparte and their wiues aparte.

In end, we haue three thinges to consider in 65 all his work 1. First our preparation for it: The worke is transcendent to the naturall man, and craueth preparation to lift him aboue Nature, in so heauenlie an exercise. Though sudden ejaculations waite not on preparation, because in them wee are set to worke vpon an instant, by some urging occasion, yet in the set dyet of his worshippe, we are bound to an holie preparation: And in this solemnitie we haue neede to double the measure of our deuo­tion, beeing called to the highest extent both of afflicting Nature, and stirring vp the grace of God in vs.

It is therefore needfull, to try if God prepare vs for the worke. This we shall know. 2. If he [Page 74] open our eyes, to see how needfull this humilia­tion is for vs, by seeing our sin & his just wrath, that wee may be driuen to that resolution that wee must either breake off our sinne by Repen­tance, or else be consumed in his anger 3. And by this sight, if he wakē our sleeping conscience and make it to set vs to worke, that we giue God no rest, till hee giue rest to his beloued. 4. This is some proofe of that which God telleth I haue beene sought of them that answered not, and found of them that sought mee not: And before they call I will answere. Isa. 65. 1. Where our miserable State hid from our selfe, is seene of him, so as hee pittieth it to helpe it, that our miserie vn­witting of vs, calleth for mercie: As the sores of a sleeping Childe moue the Father to com­passion: And though wee neither seeke him, nor call on him, in anie knowne or sensible in­calling, yet his Fatherlie pittie answereth the cry of that our necessitie, when wee know not: This is a preuenting Grace in this point: Whereby God finding vs in the pitte of miserie, setteth downe Iacobs Ladder to vs, afore wee know of our estate, or thinke of a deliuerie.

Next, wee should try our disposition in the 66 worke it selfe, if Gods preuenting Grace in pre­paration bee seconded by an assisting Grace, which standeth in those points. 1. If hee soften our heart, to powre out it selfe as water before him, and bruse it, so as to bee an acceptable Sa­crifice.

[Page 75]2. If hee powre vpon vs the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, his Spirite making interces­sion for vs, to helpe our infirmities, in teaching vs both what to aske, and how to pray, with groanes that cannot bee expressed.

3. If hee giue vs Boldnesse to draw neere to the Throne of Grace, and to finde accesse to him in the blood of Christ, and libertie of Spi­rit in all our deuotion.

4. If he giue vs the desire of our heart, in dis­posing it as we desire, to be both casten down for his offence, and raised vp in hope and confidence of his mercie: To feele our hearts melting in a godlie sorrow, is matter of vnspeakable joy; while that sorrow is melting the heart, the sense & conscience of that disposition, cōforteth our heart whē we find Gods Spirit hath giuē vs our will ouer our hard heart, to sacrifice it to God.

5. If wee see his beautie in the Sanctuarie, when hee holdeth the golden Scepter of Peace, like Assuerus, and commeth downe, and moueth people to teares and groanes. When the An­gel of the Lord, or the Prophet charged the people of their sins, they did mourne, so that the place was called Bochim or mourners. And assist­eth euery one according to their necessitie and place, making the Pastours as Trumpets, to speak and not spare, his words in their mouth is as the Hammer, that breaketh the Rocke in pieces. Ierem. 23. 23.

[Page 76]When hee casteth downe, and raiseth vp, woundeth, and healeth vs againe, and wor­keth so in the Congregation, that it may bee seene hee hath appointed that meeting, and kee­peth it to reconceale his people to himselfe.

6. If as hee worketh a godlie sorrow in our heartes, so bee putteth wordes in our mouth for his intreatie: Take to you wordes, and turne to the LORD, and say to him, Take away all our iniquitie, and receiue vs gratiouslie, so will we render the calues of our lippes. Hos. 14. 2.

And againe, Let them say, Spare thy people, Lord, and saue thine Inheritance. Ioel. 2. 17.

It is a token, God will heare vs, when he giueth vs his Spirit to helpe our infirmities, and dytteth our bill: Hee cannot refuse that sup­plication, which hee formeth himselfe.

Hee heard Daniel, and send him comfort while he prayed: While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sinne, the Man Gabriel beeing caused to flee to mee swiftlie touched mee, and said, At the beginning of the supplication, the Commandement came foorth. Dan. 9. 20. So sonne as wee are humbled on Earth, and send vp our supplicati­ons to God, hee is readie to answere vs to our heart.

Thirdlie, how vvee close that Exercise: If 67 as it beginneth in sorrow for our felt miseries, so it end in ioy, because our sacrifice is turned in ashes. VVee haue sufficient grounds of good [Page 77] successe vpon his promises: But beside these promises in his vvord, his vvorke in preparing vs for it, and disposing vs in it, are a good in­ducement to our hope: When hee powreth out the Spirit of Supplication on Ierusalem, then assu­redlie hee will breake vp a Fountaine to the house of Dauid for sinne, and for vncleannesse, Zac. 13. 1.

VVee know not his purpose and thoughts concerning vs, but his Spirit vvho knoweth his minde, reuealeth them, and this is an sort of reuelation by his working: For as he knoweth the minde of God, so hee vvorketh the godly to that disposition vvhich he knoweth is most requisite, for obtaining the purposed blessing. Therefore that holie and heauenlie, libertie, is [...]ome sort of euidence to vs, that God hath both purposed for vs, and will giue vs the blessing, which wee craue after that manner. When he strengtheneth vs to wrestle with him, like Iacob, hee will not depart, till hee blesse vs, and of wrestling Iacobs, make vs his preuailing Israel on whom is his peace.

But, let none deceiue himselfe by a volun­tar 68 apprehension of Peace, or fainzie to himselfe a ioy where hee hath none: God hath giuen vs the infalible mark of good successe of Fasting in new obedience: Who so after Fasting walketh not in a newnesse of life, is deceiued by his seduced heart.

This is cleare, both by the Nature of Re­pentance, and remission: True Repentance is [Page 78] not onelie in a sorrowing for sinne, and refrai­ning from it, for a day or two, but for all our lifetime thereafter. The purposes & vowes of obedience, which we make in our Repentance, must be practised and performed: Though the act of Repentance indure not euer in it selfe, yet the vertue of it remaineth constantlie in the godlie.

In Baptisme we are Sacramentallie changed, and at the time of our effectuall calling, wee feele that Sacramentall grace in justification, and sanctification, and all our following dayes vvee are bound to goe forward in them: Since Repentance then is nothing but Sanctification contracted: And sanctification all our life is no­thing, but Repentance inlarged and continued, it will follow that if sanctification doe not kyth constant after our Fasting, there hath beene no true Repentance in it.

Remission of sinne proueth the same: For though Iustification, and Sanctification be two seuerall graces in themselues, and bring seuerall respects & dispositions in vs, yet they are inseparable, for God neuer pardoneth the guilt of sin, but iont­lie therewith he slayeth sin originall: As he wa­sheth away the blot of all sinne, so he woundeth deadlie the roote of sinning sin in vs: And the cōscience of our washing in the blood of Christ, doeth euer beget in vs a care to keepe these gar­ments cleane which God hath cleansed.

[Page 79]Therefore, if there be not after our Fastings a visible amendement of life, neither haue wee repented, nor God pardoned our sinne, but we haue added greater and worse sinnes to the former, and brought vpon vs a degree of judi­ciall induration and hardnesse of heart: When Christ had healed the sicke man at the Poole of Bethesda, hee commanded him, Sinne no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. Ioh. 5. So when we are washed in the house of the Lords aboundantlie powred out mercie, let vs keepe our selfe from sinne thereafter.

If God be with vs, & accept our Prayers, then 69 we may be sure of these following fruits. 1. Of Remission of sinnes, in Iesus Christ: So when Da­uid confessed his sinnes, and said, I haue sinned a­gainst the Lord: hee was answered by Nathan: The Lord hath also put away thine iniquitie: he had a warrād more speedilie to absolue him, thā he had to accuse him. [...]. Sa. 12. And whē the Publi­cane knocked on his breast, & said, The Lord haue mercy on me, a sinner, he went home justified: Lu. 18. And whē the forlorne Son came in Repentance to his Father, he receiued him in his fauour & house againe. Luk. 15 He seeth no sin in Iacob, nor transgressiō in Israel: Our God pardeneth iniquitie, & passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his Inheritance; hee retaineth not his anger for euer, because hee delighteth in mercie.

[Page 80] Hee will turne againe, he will haue compassion on vs, hee will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sinnes in the bottome of the Sea. Mica. 7. 18.

2. He will accept of our persons, vnder his shad­dow, nothing holdeth vs out of that secrete 70 refuge, but our sinne, because hee is of purer Eyes, than hee can beholde sine, and he pur­sueth sinne in all, and can no more protect an impenitent sinner, than hee can denie, his ju­stice. But when the heart is purged from eue­rie euill conscience, thē his refuge is open to vs.

3. As for our Enemies. wee should consider 71 their estate, better than themselues, they are in Gods worke for our punishment, but neither in his fauour, nor of his disposition.

They are more foolish than Sathan, hee durst not hurt Iob, without a Cōmission of God, but they think all possible & lawfull to them: And when he set on to execute that Commission, though malice blinded his desire, yet not his minde, for hee did fore▪ see a disappointing, because hee knew Gods loue to Iob, by so ma­nie pledges and testimonies of his sinceritie in Grace: But our enemies are not so wise as hee: They goe on without Cōmission, sought & obtained they expound their preuailing, as Gods sen­tence approuing their cause, and see not that all their businesse is a prouyding of a Coffine, and beare-trees, to carrie them out of this com­bate with shame & confusion. God will pleade [Page 81] his cause against them. Hee hath giuen them a hard, but a just commission against vs for our sinnes. Assur is the rodde of mine anger, I will send him against an hypocriticall Nation, against the people of mine anger will I giue him a charge to take the spoile: But they passed the bounds of their commission, and satisfied their owne wicked heart vpon the people of God. For Assur meaneth not as God doeth, but his heart is to destroy and cutte off Nations, Isa. 10.

They say, Let vs defile Sion, but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither vnderstand his Counsell. Micah. 4 12. And when God suffe­reth them to preuaile, for the humiliation of his owne, they sacrifice to their owne net, and impute all this successe to their owne Idols. Habak. 2. 11.

When God hath humbled vs▪ and pardo­ned our sinnes, then their Commission expyreth▪ and God will plague them in his furie for their own wickednesse in doing his work peruerslie. And therefore, he will turne him against them, & plead his cause saying, I am verie sore displea­sed with the Heathen, that are at ease: For I was but a little displeased with my people, & the Ene­mies helped forward the affliction: I was angrie with my people, and polluted mine Inheritance▪ and giuen them in thine hand: But thou hast shewed them no mercie, thou hast layed vpon the Aunci­ent a verie heauie yocke. Zach. 2. 16. Is. 47. 6.

[Page 82]And in his due time, hee will turne the rage of the enemie to his praise, the remnant of their rage hee will restraine. Psal. 76. Hee will stretch out his hand against the wrath of our enemies, and his right hand shall saue vs. Psal. 138. 7.

So that wee may iustlie say to them, Reioyce not against mee, O mine Enemie, when I fall, I shall rise, when I sitte in darknesse, the Lord shall bee a light vnto mee: I will beare the indignation of the Lord, because I haue sinned against him, vntill hee pleade my cause, and execute Iudgement for mee. Hee will bring mee foorth to the Light, and I shall behold his Righteousnesse: Then shee that is mine Enemies shall see, and shame shall co­uer her, which said vnto mee, Where is the Lord thy God? Mine eyes shall behold her, now shee shall bee troden downe as myre in the streete. Mica. 7. 8. 9. 10. They are nowe an instrument in his hand, to execute his anger on vs, but they shall be the Bute and marke of his greater anger.

4. As for the Churches now desolate, God will returne to them in mercie, in his own time: 72 And this time is, when they are purged from sinne, and the sinnes and insolencie of the Ene­mie are come to an hight: Then God will ryse▪ and haue mercie vpon Sion: For the time to saue her, euen the sette time is come. Psal. 102. 13.

It is time for the Lord to worke when they haue made voyde his Law. Psal. 119. 126. So long as sinne remaineth in the Church, the commis­sion [Page 83] giuen to our enemies▪ is in force.

If wee moue the question, O thou Sword of the Lord, how long will it bee ere thou bee quiet? Put vp thy selfe in thy Scabbard and bee still: It will be answered, How can it bee quyete, seeing the Lord hath giuen it a charge. And the charge will lest till sin bee repented. When sin is par­doned, the Lord will speake to his reconcealed people, Feare not, thou worme, Iacob, I will helpe thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the holie One of Israel: Feare not, for I am with thee, I will vphold thee, with the right hand of my Righ­teousnesse. Behold, all they which were incensed a­gainst thee shall bee ashamed and confounded, and they that striue with thee, shall perish. Isa. 41. 10. 11. For I know the thoughts that I thinke towards thee, sayeth the Lord, euen thoughts of peace, and not of euill, to giue you the exspected end Ier. 29. 11.

He will build vp the Tabernacles of Dauid that are fallen downe, and make vp the breaches thereof, and repaire the ruines thereof, as of old: Amos. 9. 11. And will say, I am returned to Ierusalem with mercie, mine House shall bee built in it, sayeth the Lord of Hostes, and a line shall bee stretched out vpon it. Zach. 1. 5.

As for vs, whom as yet in mercie, hee hath 73 spared from cruell persecution, hee is now cry­ing to vs, Come my people, enter into thy Chambers, and shute thy doores about thee, Hide thy selfe, as it were for a little moment, vntill the indignation be [Page 84] ouerpassed: The Lord will ordaine peace for vs, when hee hath wrought all our workes, euen the workes of true Repentance and Conuersion in vs. Isa. 26. 12. 20.

If wee repent truelie▪ the Riuer of his Grace will flow among vs, and the Streames of it will make vs glad: Hee will dwell in the midst of vs, and helpe vs tymouslie. Psal. 46. Hee will be a fierie wall round about vs, and a glorie in the midst of vs. Zachar. 2. 5.

This is the summe of all: That wee returne 74 to the LORD our GOD, and seeke him vvhen hee may bee found, euen in this accep­table time vvhen hee is seeking vs: That wee afflict our Soules for sinne, and call for remission of them, vvithout which wee cannot be saued: That euery one of vs forsake our euill wayes, and renew our Couenant with him: And a­mong the rest, let vs mourne for this madnes that wee offended such a GOD, who as hee hath power to destroye vs, so also hee hath that Grace in his hand, vvithout the vvhich vvee cannot repent; our sinnes at once both pulling downe destruction, and closing the doore of his Grace vpon vs, except his vn­speakable mercie open it vnto vs againe.

The LORD our GOD, the Father of 75 Lights, from whom euery good Gift and perfect Donation commeth downe: And who hath the hearts of all men in his hand, worke [Page 58] in vs all, in this and all other Humiliations, that which may bee acceptable to him: That by his Grace wee may bee enabled to offer the sacrifice of a contrite and a broken heart, and obtaine at his hand full pardon and remission of all our sinnes.

And the good LORD pardon all our sinnes, and the verie infirmities of that our Repentance for sinne: And bee mercifull to euerie one that prepareth his heart to seeke the LORD GOD of his Fathers, though hee bee not cleansed according to the puri­fications of the Sanctuarie: 2. Chr. 30. 18. 19. Through IESVS CHRIST our LORD,

AMEN.