WHen I seriously consider the present Calm and Quiet , the great Peace and Plenty that is in this Nation , on the one hand ; and when I reflect and look back on the late impetuous Storms of Plague , Sword and Fire , that did afflict us on the other ; methinks , it calls for more then ordinary praise and thanks to be returned to the Lord . Oh , Friends , Friends , retire to the Witness of God in you , and that will give you a true sence of the Mercies of God to you ; I cannot , methinks , but look back on this outward Deliverance of this Nation , from those dreadfull Judgments wherewith we were so lately afflicted , the sence whereof is still springing up in me : How did the Plague and Pestilence sweep away thousands , and tens of thousands from this great City , and many other parts and places of this Nation ? how many were bereaved of their Children , of their Parents , of their Kindred , of their near and dear Relations ? and how near and dear did the sence thereof go to their hearts ? But when that Judgment seemed to abate , and go over , how did people begin to be unsensible again , and to harden their hearts again ? and as the Psalmist faith of Israel of old , They soon forgat his Works : But how did the Lord again awaken them with that amazing and stupendious Judgment of the conflagration , and burning of the City ( a Judgment , for the greatness , and dreadfulness thereof ( I think ) without all paralel ) the stately Buildings and costly Structures that were then turned into Ashes , marring all its outward beauty and splendor , and consuming much of the Wealth and Merchandize thereof ; this loud Cry of the Lord was again to humble us , and to bring us to hear his Voice , and to answer his Requirings of us , as when he led the Israelites of old through the Wilderness , it is said , he did it to humble them , and to prove them : Indeed , this Judgment was very terrible , a wonder , nay , an amazement to all the Christian World , so called , to have so great a City so soon destroyed and swallowed up by devouring Flames , notwithstanding all the numberless numbers of the People , with all their Strength , Power , Arts and Engines of the Inhabitants thereof , that could not in the lest abate the rage and fury thereof , until the Power of the Lord was seen in setting bounds to the raging thereof , and staying the surious Flames of this devouring Fire ; Methinks this second Judgment should quite have allayed all the Pomp and Pride that could be imagined in the hearts or heads of the Spectators , or Sufferers in it ; and indeed , no doubt the Rod had its voice , and some were called by it , but soon did the generallity of people , and professors too vaunt and pride themselves out of their former ruins , as if they would dare the Almighty to try another combat with them , so that the Lord might say , as he once did by the Prophet Amos , I have overthrown some of you , as I did Sodom and Gomorrah , and pluckt you as brands out of the Fire , and yet you have not returned to me saith the Lord : Indeed , the sad consequence of this Judgment , accompanied with a third , namely , that dreadfull Naval War , with our neighbouring Nations of Dutch , Danish and French was very terrible , so that almost all hearts seemed to be much astonished , the fears of Fire , and the many accidental Fires which then happened , with the great rumours of the Enemies Power , when approaching and drawing near our own Harbors was very dismal , so that all faces seemed to gather paleness , and every mans loyns to loose , having danger from dispitefull men at home , and potent Enemies abroad , and the Sword devouring many in that Naval conflict ; besides the great burden of Taxes which this War procured , caused great consternation of Spirit ; so that they that have any memory , or true sence thereof cannot but say , The dread thereof was beyond the Mouth or Pen of man to declare . But now after all these Judgments , when there seemed no safety to him that went forth , nor to him that stayed at home ; I say , after all these Judgments , and impetuous Storms , to have the bright side of the Cloud to appear ; to have Peace and Plenty , Fulness and Quietness , Freedom and Liberty , all spiritual and temporal Blessings accompanied together , and that not attained by any humane might or force , but by the secret Power of the Almighty , to have all fears and storms blown over , and every man to sit under his own Vine , and under his own Fig-tree , and no man to rise up to make him afraid : Methinks it calls for high praises to the Lord , and for every one to answer his requirings of them , to improve the Talent which he hath given every one to profit with , he hath shewed thee O man what is good , to do Justly , love Mercy and walk humbly with thy God : O methinks , how can vain men forget this love of the Lord unto them !

Oh , Friends , out of my bowels of affection to you that have ●●sted of this Love of the Lord , in a measure inwardly and outwardly ; this love of Christ constrains me to call upon you to retire , and consider your ways and your doings that have not been good , and return to the Lord , for he it is that hath wounded , and healed , that hath killed and made alive . Oh , my Friends , I cannot but be grieved , and my Life is grieved in me , and my Bowels are pained to see the great Vanity , Luxury , Pride and Excess that is in the Nation after so great a Deliverance , as if ( like Israel of old ) Ye were delivered to do all these Abominations : Surely , if ye do not return unto the Lord , He will recover his Corn , his Oyl , his Wool , and Flax of ye again : Certainly , He will come upon ye as a Bear robbed of her Whelps ; the Lord hath sent chosen Messengers among you , that have cried loud in your Streets , to bring you down to his Witness in you , that you may know your Teacher that shall not be removed into a Corner any more : Oh , Friends , Let not Wisdom cry at the corners of your Streets , and you stop your ears , charm the Charmer never so wisely ! O now therefore Hearken , and hear his Reproof , hear , that your Souls may live ; and be willing and obedient , that so you may eat the good of the Land ; for surely the Lord's Love is great unto you , to give you this glorious Day of Visitation once more , and that in so high and eminent a manner : Oh! do not do as those of old , of whom the Prophet Nehemiah complains , He gave them his good Spirit to instruct them , but they rebelled against it ; indeed great is the rebellion of this Nation at this day : I well know indeed great is the Profession at this time , and many are the Forms , and Ways of Worship that are set up , multitudes of Sacrifices , and many that cry , Lo here , and Lo there , But what means the lowing of the Oxen , and the bleating of the Sheep ? Where is the Odedience that the Lord requires ? Where is the holy Life , and the humble Conversation ? may not the Lord [ when he stands up to plead and judge the Professors ] complain as he doth by the Prophet Isaiah in his 3d chapter ? Is there not the same Uncharitableness , the same Houghty Carriage and Gaudy Fashions among you , as among those you separate from ? surely , I think , it is too obvious to every observing Eye , and therefore the Lord may well send the same punishments , in turning the well set Hair into Baldness , in giving Burning instead of Beauty , and instead of a Girdle a Rent , and stain the Glory of all your proud and lofty Imaginations ; some indeed there are in whose hearts is a Sincerity and Uprightness towards the Lord , who yet are feeding upon the barren Mountains , who in due time shall be brought to the true Shepherd and right Sheep-fold , where they shall feed and lie down in Peace : Surely now is the day which the Lord by the Prophet spake of ; His Rest shall be Glorious , and upon all their Glory shall be a defence ; and therefore hath the Lord sent forth many a Messenger , whose work hath been to gather you into the Life and Love of God , where you may be kept safe , when Stormes and Tempests shall arise ; indeed it is Summer now , but Winter will come again , and storms will come again , and Persecution will come again : Oh , now therefore consider the dealings of the Lord with you ! oh , you of this Nation , methinks , you should not forget how wonderfull the Lord hath appeared in out age and time ! so as he hath not done in many Ages before ; how he sufferred a Sword to pass thorow the Land , and caused Peace again ; changed the Government , and Governors , emptying from Vessel to Vessel , and still by reason of Transgression , how hath Judgments followed us ? that dreadfull Pestilence , and consuming Fire , with the fears that accompanied them , laying dread and terror almost upon all hearts ; and now the Lord in tender mercy hath once more visited us again , and that with so much peace and plenty to this great City , so lately much depopulated , and so greatly consumed by the aforesaid Judgments , now again so much erected , so numerously inhabited , and so greatly encreased in Wealth and Merchandise ; and above all , so much force and compulsion of Worship , in a manner , for a season laid aside , every man enjoying Freedom : I say , all these things considered , the deep sence and weight of them lying very heavy upon me , I am constrained to send forth these few Lines , to require you to prize this Love of the Lord to you , and mind this day of your Visitation , which else will soon hasten over you ; remember the words of our Saviour , To whom much is given , much will be required ; and do not spend your time and treasure in Pride and Vanity ; let not the voice of the Oppressed , nor cry of the Needy be heard any more ; remember the doom of Sodom and Gomorrah , Cities seated in a fruitfull soil ; remember the Riches of Tyre , that abounded in all Wealth and Merchandise , as well as you : nay , Remember ( saith the Lord ) my Place which was in Shiloe , where I set my Name at the first , and see what I did to it , for the wickedness of my People : The remembrance of these , & many other Examples of God's Judgments for Sin , and for Transgression should be of moment to us ; O the weighty consideration of these things ! that the Lord should exercise so many dreadfull Judgments in the midst of us , and we remain standing Monuments of his Mercy at this day , that after so great a Storm of dreadfull Judgments in this Nation , so great a calm of Peace and Safety should arise : Oh the true sence of these things might humble us , and make us bow down before the Lord , who hath not left himself without a Witness in every heart and mind ! but if yet you will walk contrary to him , ( and pass this glorious day of Visitation over ) he will walk contrary unto you , and bring greater and severer Judgments upon you for the same ; in Testimony whereof is this given forth ,