IT is sayd of Laish , that they Iudg. 18. were a secure people and dwelt carelesse : poore silly soules , they never dreamed of any harme , till the beesome of destruction came and swept them all away . It is sayd likewise of the old world ; that they Mat. 24. 38. eate , they dranke , they married and were given in marriage ; they gaue themselues wholly to iovialitie and mirth , living so here as if they should haue lived here for ever ; never considering , that the reioycing of the wicked is short , and the ioy Iob. 20. 5. Iob. 21. 13. of hypocrites is but for a moment ; That they spend their dayes in mirth and iollitie and sodainly goe downe to the graue : they lay in a dead sleepe , drowned in a deepe securitie , till a fearefull Gen. 7. and vniversall Deluge came out from the Lord , and drowned them all : onely waking Noah was wonderfully preserved in the Arke . I would I could not say of our Nation as it was sayd of Laish : wee are a secure and carelesse people ; I would these Scriptures were not this day fulfilled in our eares ; but alas it is more then manifest , wee are a Nation drowned in securitie ; this is the fruit of our long prosperitie ; wee are at ease in Sion , wee sit every man vnder his owne vine and vnder his fig tree , therefore we sing a Requiem vnto our soules , and say , We shall haue peace though we walke after our owne lusts ; wee shall never be mooved : Soule take Luk. 12. 19 20 thy rest , thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeares , eate , drinke , and take thy pleasure , let thy heart cheare thee , be ioviall and merry ; but alas poore soules they never consider , that this night their soules shall be taken away from them ; That for all these things the Lord will bring them to iudgement ; they Eccles. 11. 9. put farre from them the evill day . But in this sleepie and drowsie age , I doubt not but there be some waking Noahs , who if they cannot prevaile for others , yet at least build an Arke for the safety of their owne soules : in this cold and frozen age , doubtlesse there be some zealous Moysesses , who stand in the gap between God and his people , and hold Gods hand from smiting by their vncessant prayers : though Aegypt be full of darkenesse , yet there is some light in Goshen ; some that shine as lights though the whole world lye in darkenesse : though the world be full of folly and the most part runne on as fooles , and are punished , yet questionlesse there be some prudent men that learne to foresee the evill to come and hide themselues . Prov. 22. 3.

God hath given to this Nation of ours many a faire warning , as loath to smite , till needs he must : he hath sent his Ministers early and late to thunder in our eares ; yet except we doe repent , we shall all likewise perish , judgement will come : he hath set our neighbours house on fire as a beacon to giue vs warning , I meane , the judgements that haue befallen our brethren beyond the Seas : he hath sent many small judgements before , as forerunners of that great one to come ; as little gunshots before the great murthering peece : It hath beene told vs before , that if we repented not God would doe such a thing in England , that whosoever should heare thereof , both his eares should tingle ; thus the Cockes crowed before the storme , but we regarded it not : God hath now sent a fearefull plague amongst vs as another warning more heavie then the former , and if this cannot moue vs to repent , we may still looke for heavier , for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ; I will yet punish them Levit. 26. seven times more , and if that will not doe seven times more ; the Lord will not cease to smite , so long as wee cease not to sinne ; he hath more scourges then one ; if the present Plague will not doe , famine shall , if famine will not doe , the sword shall vtterly cut vs off from being a Nation . I beseech yee my brethren consider it , even with teares I beseech yee : what a woefull spectacle will it be to see our streetes swim with the bloud of vs all , to see our women ravished , and their little infants dashed against the stones ; to see the cursed and abominable Masse set vp in our Churches , to see all turned topsie turvie , vpside downe ; whose heart doth not yearne and even melt within him , to thinke on these things : oh consider the fearefull desolation that befell Ierusalem : Lamentation the whole Booke . and the grievous calamities comne vpon our brethren beyond the Seas , they were God his people as well as we : oh that we could be warned by other mens harmes .

Quest. But what haue I done ( sayth England ) that such things as these should befall mee .

Answ. Behold , thou hast requited the Lord evill for good : God hath given thee the glorious light of his blessed Gospell to be Preached plentifully for threescore yeare together ; he dispelled the mists and clouds of Popery and superstition , and caused this cleare light to shine ; he hath committed to thee his statutes and his covenants ; he hath not dealt so with every Nation : he hath given thee many great and glorious deliverances , the like never heard of , especially those of the Gunpowder-Treason and Eighty-eight : then thou didest promise better obedience : he hath given thee long peace and quietnesse , no noise of Warre hath beene heard in thy streetes : he hath given thee plentie and prosperitie , a land flowing with milke and hony , even all that heart can wish : he hath made thee even a Mirrour and a Wonderment to the whole world for his manifold blessings . But how hast thou now requited thy God , O England ? 1. with ignorance not onely compelled but affected ; Light is come into the world , but men loue darkenesse rather then light : 2. with contempt of the Gospell , a crying bloudy sinne , a sinne never heard of among the Iewes : 3. with Blasphemy of all sorts , swearing , forswearing , taking God his great and dreadfull name in vaine , nothing more rife even in the mouthes of children that can but newly speake : 4. with prophanation of the Sabbath , spending it in sports and idle pastimes . In thee is secretly committed that cursed sin of Idolatry : in thee is Atheisme , drunkennesse , rioting , feasting , when the Lord calls for fasting : in thee are disobedient to parents , contemners of authoritie , despisers of God his messengers , disdainers of equalls ; in thee are murtherers , even Soule-murtherers ; contentious persons , whoremongers , adulterers ; in thee is Bribery , Oppression , Vsury , Simony , fraud and cousenage ; Iustice and Truth is perished from thy Land : in thee is lying , tale-bearing , false witnesse-bearing , covetousnesse , pride , idlenesse , fulnesse of bread , deepe securitie , even all the sinnes of Sodome : in thee are many professors that make a shew of godlinesse , but deny the power of it ; in thee are Lukewarme Christians . These are the sinnes vnder which the Land groaneth ; Doest thou thus requite thy God O foolish people ? Shall we not thinke now that the Lord hath a Controversie with England ? Shall I not visite for these things ( saith the Lord ) ? Shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this ? Let me alone that I may destroy them at once . Heare O heavens , hearken O earth , I haue nourished vp children , Isa. 1. 2. 3. and they haue rebelled against mee : the Oxe knoweth his owner , and the Asse his masters crib , but my people haue not knowne mee ( sayth the Lord ) . Ah sinfull Nation , a people laden with iniquitie , a seede of evill doers , why should they be smitten any more , they fall away more and more . I take no delight to vpbraid mine own Nation , or to defile mine own nest ; but for Sions sake I cannot hold my tongue : let me perish if I see my Country perish , and giue them not warning . Wherefore I beseech yee my deare brethren ( all true hearted Englishmen ) in the bowells of Christ Iesus , who died for vs , and shed his owne heart bloud for vs , as you regard your owne soules , bodies , and estates ; as yee wish and desire the peace and prosperity of this our Sion , dally with the Lord no longer , God will not be alwayes mocked , turne now at the last vnto the Lord with all your hearts ; turne yee , oh turne yee , why will yee die ? seeke the Lord whilest he may be found , call vpon him whilest he is neere ; draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you . Oh that I could even weepe over this Land , as our Saviour did over Ierusalem , and say : O England , England , thou that reiectest my Prophets , and despisest those that are sent vnto thee , how often would I haue gathered Luk. 13. 34. thee together , as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings , and yee would not ; wherefore thy house shall be left vnto thee desolate : oh that thou wert therefore now wise yet in this thy day to consider those things that belong vnto thy peace , least at length they be hid from thine eyes . Woe to thee O England , Mat. 11. 21. if the great workes which haue beene done in thee , had beene done in Tyre and Sidon , in Sodome and Gomorrah , they had repented in sackcloth and ashes long ere this : And thou London , London , which art lifted vp to heaven , for abundance 23. of spirituall meanes , shalt be brought as low as hell , except thou repent : wherefore I beseech yee againe & againe for Christs his sake , for the Gospels sake , for your Countreys sake , for your owne soules sake be entreated ; Repent , repent ; Search , even search your selues O nation not worthy to Zeph. 2. 1. be beloved , before the decree come forth , and yee be as chaffe that passeth on a day : looke into your liues , consider your wayes , goe apart , and seriously aske your soules ; What haue we done ? Let your mirth be turned into mourning , your feasting Dan. 9. 19. into fasting , weepe and lament bitterly for your sins , cry mightily for mercy , even as for life and death ; cease to doe evill , learne to doe well ; wash you , make you cleane , put away your sinnes from before God his eyes ; rent your hearts and not your garments , amend and change your wayes , bring forth fruits meete for repentance : that so yee may get the sword againe into his sheath , which is alreadie drawne out , and will giue every one of vs our deaths wound , except we repent ; and may quench that wrath which is already kindled , and will burne hotter and hotter , and never cease vntill it haue vtterly consumed vs , if in time we quench it not by the teares of true repentance : wherefore now prepare to meete thy God , O England ; It is more then high time to repent , deferre no longer , if the last blow be once strucken , that is , cut it downe , even vtter desolation ; there will then be left no place for repentance . Oh that I could therefore perswade you ; but it is not I , it is the Lord that must doe it ; now Lord doe thou perswade Iapheth ; for wee cannot : Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord of hostes , make thy face to shine and wee shall be saved ; convert vs vnto thee , and we shall be converted , renew our dayes as of old ; Lord thou longest for our conversion ; thou standest waiting and crying ; Wash thine heart , O England , wilt thou not be made cleane ; oh when Ierem. 13. 27. will it once be ? Lord cleanse thou vs and we shall be cleansed ; wash thou vs and we shall be whiter then snow ; cause vs to come vnto thee , why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy feare : O Lord , thou art our Father , we are the clay ; Isay . 64. 8. thou art the Potter , we are the worke of thine hands ; oh destroy not the worke of thine owne hands ; frame and fashion vs , and make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to be : spare thy people , O God , spare thy people , and be jealous for thine inheritance , why shall the people say ; Where is their God ? O Lord heare , O Lord forgiue , O Lord consider , and doe it , deferre not for thy name sake , for thy Christs his sake , pittie the desolations of thy Sion , of the Cittie where thy name is called vpon ? Wilt thou O Lord , forsake for ever ? Why is thy wrath thus hot against the sheepe of thy pasture ? Our sins indeed testifie against vs , that we are a rebellious & stifnecked people , we lye downe in our shame , and confusion covereth vs ; thou art righteous and iust when thou iudgest , but we are a perverse and froward generation ; we would not heare when thou calledst , but stopped our eares , like the deafe Adder , therefore thou maist now iustly laugh at our Prov. 1. 26. 27 destruction , and mocke when our feare commeth : but there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared , we beseech thee in wrath remember mercy , haue mercy vpon vs according to the multitude of thy compassions , oh Lord saue vs or els we perish . Comfort vs according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs : Returne O Lord , how long ? and be pacified towards thy servants . Continue still to be our God , and let vs be thy people ; remoue thy judgements which lye heavie vpon vs , and destroy vs not vtterly for thy names sake : Make vs all to turne to thee from the highest to the lowest by speedie and vnfeined repentance , that so thou maist not vtterly cut vs off , even head and taile , roote and branch , in one day ; but maist still delight to doe vs good , to multiply thy blessings vpon vs ; and make vs as worthy to be beloved in and through thy Sonne Christ Iesus , that Sonne of thy loue , as we haue beene for our long peace and prosperitie of all the Nations of the earth admired : even so be it , Lord so be it .

This is the first and generall Remedie which a Nation must vse for the removall and preventing not onely of the Plague , but of any other judgement whatsoever ; namely , true repentance , which stands in sorrow for sinne , and reformation 2 Chron. 7. 13. 14. Ierem. 18. 7. 8. Isa. 1. 19. 20. Iere. 14. 11. 12 of life . If yee consent and obey , yee shall eate the good fruits of the Land ; but if yee refuse and be rebellious , yee shall be devoured with the sword , for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it . Now if so be I cannot prevaile with the whole Land ; then I turne to you that feare the Lord : I hope to haue audience in your eares . If yee cannot prevaile for others , yet make sure of your owne soules ; learne to hide your selues , to build an Arke for the safetie of you and yours . But yee will say , how may that be done ? I answere .

1. If yee would not partake with the Plagues of the times , be not pertakers of their sinnes . Come out of her my Revel. 18. 4. people ( saith God ) be yee not partakers of her sinnes , least yee also be partakers of her glagues ; if yee will needs sinne with them , looke to be plagued with them . Deut. 4. 3 , 4. Those that went with others after Baal peor were destroyed , but those that cleaved to the Lord were kept aliue . Zeph. 2. 3. Seeke yet the Lord all yee meeke of the earth , which haue wrought his iudgement , seeke righteousnesse , seeke lowlinesse , if so be yee may be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath . The way to be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath , is to seeke after lowlinesse , to carry our selues meekly , and to walke humbly , the lowest shrubs are safest from stormes ; to seeke after righteousnesse , to walke circumspectly , and warily , shunning the sinnes of the times , even more then the Plague it selfe ; to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world , to saue our selues from this froward generation : the infection of sinne is farre more dangerous then the infection of the Plague ; that indangers the body onely , this indangers soule and body for ever ; how should we shunne it therefore ? How had we need to abstaine from all appearance of evill , not onely from the flesh , but from all the garments spotted with the flesh ; the more wicked 1 Thes. 5. 22. Iude. 23. the times grow , the more holy we should grow ; the more iniquitie abounds , & the loue of many waxeth cold , the more blamelesse , and zealous in good duties we should striue to be : like bright orient starres , the deeper they goe in the darke night , the brighter they shine : thus Noah shined in his generation . Though Aegypt be full of darknes , yet let Goshen be light ; though Israel play the harlot , yet let not Iudah sinne . We are Christians , we professe our Hos. 4. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. selues to be children of the light , let not vs therefore haue any fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse , but reproue them rather : let not fornication or any other vncleannesse be once named amongst vs ; let not vs defile our garments . Revel. 3. 4.

2. It is not sufficient that we partake not with the sinnes of the times , but we must mourne for the sins of the times ; we must take a view of the abominations committed in Sion , and worke our hearts to such a sorrow as may make our eyes to gush out rivers of teares , because men keepe not God Psal. 119. 136. his law , then God will wonderfully preserue vs : As he preserved iust Lot out of Sodome , when it was consumed with fire 2 Pet. 2. 7. & brimston from heaven , because his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with the vncleane conversation of the Sodomites . There was a marke set vpon all the true Mourners in Sion , that when the Angell of the Lord came to smite , they might escape : so Ezek. 9. 4. Ieremy , because he wished his head a fountaine of teares , Iere. 9. 1. that he might weepe day and night for the sinnes of his people ; see how the Lord preserved him alone when all the rest Iere. 39. 11. 12 were carried into Captivitie : these things are written for our learning .

3. We must mourne for our owne sinnes and labour to forsake them . It is sayd of Iosiah , that because his heart melted 2 King . 22. 19. 20. at the Law read , both for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people , and he humbled his soule before the Lord , that therefore he should be put to his graue in peace , and his eyes should not see the evill that God would bring vpon the Land . So if like good Iosiah , our hearts even melt within vs , and we humble our soules vnfeinedly before the Lord for our sinnes , God will worke wonderfully for vs , and we shall find gratious experience of his goodnesse towards vs : if God spared Ahab for his counterfeit humiliation , and would not 1 King 21. 27. 29. bring the evill in his dayes ; how much more will he spare those that humble their soules before him in truth . And as we must grieue for our sinnes , so we must forsake our sins : he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper , neither in soule nor body , he lyeth open to all dangers ; but he that confesseth and Pro. 28. 13. forsaketh them shall find mercy ; God will be mercifull to his soule , and preserue his body : He that walketh vprightly , walketh safely ( saith Salomon : ) he that laboureth to the vttermost of his power to cleare himselfe from all sinne , to purge his heart from all hollownesse , not cherishng any one beloved sinne , to be vpright in his way ; walking in all the Commandements of God without rebuke ; such a man is a safe man , he is sure nothing can hurt him . It availeth nothing to burne Iuniper , to smell to Wormewood , to take somwhat in a morning , and to vse many outward meanes against the Plague , so long as our soules are not severed from our sinnes ; it is this inward vncleannesse that is the cause of that outward , the Plague-soare of sinne wherewith our soules are infected , causeth the Plague vpon the body : sever your sinnes then from your soules if ever yee meane to keepe the Plague from your bodies , say to these menstrous cloathes ; Get yee hence .

Fourthly : We must trust in God for safety and deliverance ; though we may vse all good and lawfull meanes , yet we must not rest in the meanes , but goe to God for his blessing , and depend vpon him for the successe . The Lord Nahum . 1. 7. is good , and a strong hold in the day of trouble , he knowes all those that trust in him ; he knowes , that is , he approues of them after an especiall manner , He is a strong hold to such in the day of trouble . Psal. 33. 18. 19. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him , and vpon them that trust in his mercy ; to deliver their soules from death , & to preserue them in famine . Psal. 91. 1. and so forward : Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High , shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie ; I will say vnto the Lord ; O my hope and my fortresse , he is my God , in him will I trust : surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the hunter , and from the noysome pestilence . He will cover thee vnder his wings , and thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers ; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler . Thou shalt not be afraide of the pestilence that walketh in the night , nor of the Plague that destroyeth at noone day . Thousands shall fall beside thee , ten thousands at thy right hand , and yet it shall not come nigh thee . And why all this ? Because thou hast sayd , the Lord Vers. 9. is my hope , and hast set the most High for thy refuge . Yee see then the wonderfull safetie of that man that makes God his confidence . The name of the Lord is a strong Tower , the righteous Prov. 18. 10. runne vnto it , and are exalted . Great is the safetie then of righteous persons , of such as haue gotten God to be their God in Christ , and stay their whole affiance in him ; God will be vnto them a Tower , a Castle , a rocke of defence , a safe refuge to fly to in time of neede . He will be their hiding Ierem. 16. 19. place ; He will keepe them safely vnder his wings till Psal. 32. 7. the indignation be passed over . He hath an Arke for vpright Noah , when he meanes to destroy with a vniversall Genes. 7. Deluge , an whole world of wicked ones . He hath a Zoar for righteous Lot , when he meanes to consume filthy Sodome Genes. 19. with fire and brimstone from heaven . For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous out of tentation , and to reserue 2 Pet. 2. 9. the wicked vnto iudgement . Therefore I conclude with that of David . Psal. 73. 28. It is good for me to hold me fast by God , and to put my trust in the Lord God : it is time for the chickens to runne and shrowd themselues vnder the wings of the henne , when the storme begins once to arise .

5. The fift and last remedie is , to betake our selues to our prayers and teares , to cry mightily vnto the Lord , to wrastle with him , as Iacob did : this is that which holds God his hands from smiting : so long as Moses his hand is lifted vp , Amalek cannot prevaile . I beseech yee therefore all yee that wish well to this our Sion , pray for the peace of Ierusalem : giue the Lord no rest , but cry againe and againe , he loues to be importuned ; the prayer of a righteous man availeth much , if it Iam. 5. 16. be fervent : Pray , pray , pray therefore , cry and say : O Lord we know not what to doe , onely our eyes are vp towardes thee : what shall we say vnto thee O thou preserver of men ; we are even ashamed and confounded to lift vp our eyes to heaven ; wee haue sinned exceedingly , wee , our Rulers and Governors , Prince , and people ; we haue all sinned ; our sinnes are gone vp as an heavy loade , too heavy for vs to beare ; heaven and earth even groane vnder the burthen of them , they cry mightily for vengeance , but heare the groanes of thy servants , let their cryes be lowder in thine eares ; heare the pleadings and intercessions of thine owne sonne for vs ; his bloud cryes louder for mercy , then our sinnes can doe for judgement , had it not beene for that , we had all long agoe perished , and beene vtterly consumed . O thou the hope of Israel , the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble , why art thou as a stranger in the land , as one that passeth by to tarry for a night ? Why art thou as a man astonied , as a strong man that cannot help ? Ierem. 14. 8. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the middest of vs , thy name is called vpon vs ; forsake vs not . Hast thou vtterly reiected Iudah ? Hath thy soule abhorred Sion ? Why hast thou smitten vs , that we cannot be healed ? We looked for peace , and behold no good ; for health , and behold trouble : wee acknowledge O Lord , our wickednesse , and the wickednesse of our fathers , we haue all sinned : doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake ; cast not downe the throne of thy Glory ; remember and breake not thy covenant with vs ; we haue no helpe but of thee , thou art our God , therefore saue vs ; oh be favourable vnto thy Sion , build thou the walles of Ieresalem : Psal. 51. 18. so shall we praise thy name for ever , and teach all ages to keepe praises for thee in store . Oh giue salvation to thy people out of Sion ; Psal. 53. 6. when thou shalt restore againe the captivitie of thy people , then shall I acob reioyce and Israell shall be glad .

But if ye cannot prevaile for others , yet at least aire your owne houses with daily and fervent prayers , and that will be a notable meanes to keepe them from the present infection : or if it please God to lay it vpon you notwithstanding yee haue faithfully vsed all these meanes : then I dare boldly affirme , yee shall finde greater refreshings Psal. 94. 19. from God , then your affliction can afford you griefes : howsoever , it will but rid you out of a valley of 2 Cor. 1. 5. misery into everlasting glory . Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things .