England called upon .

GOD at sundry times hath called England called upon , by the difference between Virtue and Vice . upon us in Divers manners . His Love and Hatred , an Intellectual eye sees imprest on the native Beauty and loathsome deformity , of good and Evil . Integrity hath such a fairness , lustre , and magnetick power , as by its own worth allures , and wins upon us , out of meer love , to close with such an Amiable object .

Among the worst is a kind of natural Awe and Reverence towards Good men ; their Intrinsick glory darts such rayes of outward Splendor and Magnificence , as makes them rather envied than hated , feared than disrespected : None neglect , or despise a good name , but he who either despaires of , or resolves against doing any thing that may deserve it ; therefore would by his obliquities deprive goodness and vertue of all just Honour , and Fame in the world . An unjust Judge , if disinterested in the cause , will give a Righteous judgment , he loves a Bribe , but not injustice . Such who care not to blot their names out of the Book of life , would fain write them in the Chronicles of fame ; and had rather their very graves be buried than their good works . The prophane affect to be esteemed Virtuous , but excuse or lay their faults rather on God , Satan , others , their natural Constitution than their own wills ; and like Irregular Patients blame their Physician for those ill accidents they know owing only to their own unruliness .

Sin hath many Servants but few Patrons ; t is in it self so shamefully disgracefull , that such as lodge it in their hearts , would seem to throw it out of their doors , and lay it at any mans rather than their own ; nor ever owne it except under some other name ; to play the Devil they personate a Saint , pursue vengeance under pretence of justice , murder , but 't is for their oath sake , Mat . 14. and that they may kill Christ , worship him . Mat . 2. 8. Satan would have many wares unsaleable , did not his Broker profit pander , which puts Vertues visage on Vices race ; casts a Samuel's mantle , over the Devil's shoulders ; Christens Covetousness goodhusbandry ; Fraud Ingenuity ; Cousenage Industry ; Rebaptizes oppression Equity ; and so the Soul embraces those Vices ( which naked would be skared at ) when found cloathed in the Silver vestment of profit . God hath stampt in the cruellest hearts a Reverend respect to his own Image in his people , as at first an awe of man in the fiercest creatures ; so as they that hate , doe yet honour them . Religion is so excellent , that such who out of passion , or interest condemn , their Reason absolve and give it letters of Recommendation : Their hearts Reverence it , while they lift up their hands to suppress it ; they assist oppressed vertue in its appeal , in the Court of Equity , Conscience , where its plea is heard , and righteous sentence reversed ; while the Criminal is self accused , when none beside controule , many flatter and commend ; They inwardly assent to the Justice and Authority of those Divine Rules , which their words and actions most oppugn . There is an early and immediate verdict passed in its behalf , in the esteem and liking , creating an Assent and Veneration , not only when obeyed , but from profest despisers , who cannot chuse but think well of that vertue they desert , and the necessity of their affairs compell them to speak ill of . The Judge who g●ve sentence against our Saviour , at the same moment washed his hands , and openly profest he found no fault in him . Were our eyes open we should see Charmes enough in Vertue , to procure it self a door without the help of other external Inducements ; A Beauty sparkling within its own bosome , rendering it enamoring without the assistance of those forreign aides , that so numerously surround it ; and 't is not only in it self Illustrious , but gilds those that are cloathed with it , 1 Pet . 5. 5 with its reflexive b●ames it shines through the coursest sackcloth , and Enamels the garments with so much glory , as adorns all that wear them with a remarkable Beauty and Splendor . Did women know how much Vertue inhances Beauty , they would be vertuous , that they might be beautifull ; and without corrupting nature by paint , would use no other Red , but that of modesty ; no other white but that of Innocence ; no other majesty but that of prudence ; no other sweet but that of meekness ; no other pomp , but that of humility ; for in this Cloathing , they shine with greater lustre , than in all the well wrought spoiles of Silkworms . The very Heathens distinguishing between Imaginary and Real Misery , so preferred suffering before doing Injustice , that they affirmed Injustice the worst kind of suffering ; and that nothing hurts a man so much as the doing harm ; for when one Injures another , the greatest mischief redounds to him who descends to the meanness of doing such things , as deprive him of the priviledge of being ( a helpfull creature ) like unto his Maker ; and renders him so much worse than the worst of beasts ( whose nature and property it is to persecute and devour their fellow creatures ) as he hath means allowed him of being better .

Who among them though never so wicked themselves seriously commended another for his rudeness and debaucheries ? Or reckoned his Lusts among the Titles of his Honour ? who ever raised Trophies to his vices ? Or thought to perpetuate his memory by the glory of them ? Who ever suffered in his Reputation , by being thought to be Really good ? Or where was Sobriety , Justice , Charity , thought the marks of Reproach and Infamy ? They accounted it a mans glory to be Vertu●us , and to be vitious base and mean ; to be betrayed into sin , weakness ; to contrive it , sordid ; to defend it , infamy ; to make a mock at it , a mark of the highest folly and Incorrigibleness , and the bare suspicion of vice in a person , was diminution to an esteem that might otherwise have been great in the world . We decline vertue only because 't is difficult , the companion of all excellent things ; and without which not worthy a Recompence . In the service of impetuous lusts is to be undergone far greater pains ; the Trouble of being sober , is far less than that of being debauched and intemperate . The pleasures ●f sin must needs offend through the opposite endeavours of Flesh & Spirit , & the bitter remembrance that they must end ▪ and yield no more than the Picture of Contentment to that in doing which leads to the right hand of God , where are pleasures for ever more .

Vice is the green sickness of the Soul , which makes her nauseate all substantial food , and long for nought but Trash ; she therefore swallows down sensual pleasures with such a delightful gust and Ho-goo , while all rational Spiritual delights leave their bitter farwell behind ; let drop a pious discourse to such , and you make musick unto deaf Adders ; do but fling out the Bait of an obscene story , and you angle their Souls into their ears : They find more pleasure in a Laseivious Poem ; than in the Psalmes of David ; the delights of a Jovial Club , more Eligible than those of a Holy Communion ; the reason is , their Appetite is wofully depraved , the stomach so surfeited with sensuality that it turns against and instantly vomits up all substantial nourishment ; but were it purged from the viciousness wherewith 't is cloyed and over-loaded , she would loath the Quails , as much as she doth now the Manna ; and in the room of her sensual Bou●imy , where-with sh● 's possest , would immediately succeed a Sa●red hunger , making her twine greedily about every precept , watch at every opportunity , suck sweetness out of every duty , extract the very spirits and quintessence of every Ordinance . Short fighted Souls look no farther than their senses , grope after Happiness in the Allurements of the flesh , think no Heaven to brave Apparell , or Paradise to that of their mistris's embraces ; wi●l buy revenge at so dear a rate as the price of Blood , and the damnation of their Souls with the Hazard of their lives and fortunes ; they think the of stain Blood is wiped off when their Sword is sheathed , and the noyse of murd●r full'd so soon as they have struck down their enemy : But he tortures himself that sins unpunished ; And did they experience the uninterrupted delights that arise from the Conscience of well doing , They 'd find good men do not serve God for nought ; but that it is worth their while setting aside another life , meerly to prevent a Hell in this ; And that themselves lose the substance by catching at the shadow ; seek for peace in wars and fightings , take much pains to gather Grapes from Thorns , and Figs from Thistles ; such pleasure from vice as only gr●w from virtue .

Where Grace hath not put a restraint on the Appetite , stoln waters may be sweet , but not pleasant : A man is Happy or miserable , according to his mind : Poverty with contentment is no great affliction ; Riches with greedy desires , with continual cares are a plague and torment ; the frolicks of voluptuous men that seem to pass away their daies in Mirth and Jollity , are but like the pleasures of a Robber on the Highway , accompanyed with fear and constant failing of his heart . We see their great estates , their delicious feasts , their full cups and merry countenances , but not the little Truce they have with misery ; what envy , hatred , from their neighbors ; what inward Recoylings , Trepidations , and convulsions ; what severe smarts , and Cruel lashings ; what gnawing gripes in secret ; what sad nights after their merry dayes : Their Joyes which make their neighbors envious , are but as the Tormenting Stone , or Gout , stately accomodated , or laid on a Purple bed ; those plagues and torments , which we call peace and happiness . O the melancholly intervalls they must needs suffer , who are fain to stretch themselves on Couches , to invent to themselves Instruments of Musick , to drink Wine in Boles , to study for new methods of losing time , that by these Amusements they may put far off the evil day , and be as unmindful of their own , as of the afflictions of Joseph : Am. 6. 1. &c. The morning to them , is as the shadow of death , if one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death : Job . 24. 17. conscience they dare not permit to speak , left it should say more than they are willing to hear : It suffers the violence of a prisoner , while it should sustain the place of a Judge ; yet while dancing round hand in hand , guilt like the Devil stands in the midst of the Circle , and with its flaming eyes often stares them into horror , and looks them into trembling . There are a great deal more pleasures at the Gate than can lodge within the Rooms , and Chambers of iniquity : In the closest retirement they can find to sin , they are not solitary ; and in the same hour of their sumptuous fare , a Hand writing so troubles their thoughts , that their countenances are changed , the Joints of their loins loosed , their knees smite one against another Dan . 5. and marrs their supper without imparing their dainties ; changing the scene of their delights into that of their pangs , and their full Boles into a cup of trembling : even in laughter their heart is sorrowful , and the end of that mirth , Heaviness . Such as applaud themselves in their privacy to defile their souls , shall be forc'd in the sight of the Sun to do penance before all the world , men , Angels , and Devils , and find confusion , as sure as late . The sting and shame which accompanies the pleasures of sin , the corners which it seeks , the repentance wherewith 't is followed , together with its little duration , allow it not worthy to be compared with being innocent and vertuous in the sight of the Sun ; debarring from no corporal pleasure that 's agreeab●e to reason , and our true interest , and astording delights incomparably beyond these , which strangers cannot understand , doth not intermeddle with Prov. 14. 10. . Disobedient men are self-condemned , & at Christ's Bar shall produce Records of their own keeping , writ as with the point of a Diamond , of all their evil deeds from the womb to the grave . They who hate the light to do evil , are scorched with sparks themselves have kindled , but cannot extinguish the Candle of the Lord , Pro . 20. 27. nor enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season , but are gnawed with that worm which shall never die , where the fire is not quenched ; the luscious sweets of sin are so dearly reckoned for , and afford so much biterness in the latter end , that their senses sadly convince them of ( which their sensuality kept them from believing ) the folly of gaining any thing at the rate of losing their souls .

Considerate men , not content to inhabit only , By the creature● . but to understand ( and so truly enjoy ) the creaation , discern a Divine Omniscient , shining through the most despicable object . Such a variety of curious useful creatures is this world adorned with , as may well astonish an intelligent inquisitve Spectator , who traces the Authors exquisite inimitable workmanship ; yea amaze and force such as see ( not the secret recesses or delicate lineaments ) but the surface , to adore the God of nature . Some born blind , restored to sight , have been so ravished at the surpassing Spectacle of so many curious objects , that almost every thing they saw transported them with such admiration and delight , as indangered the loss of the eyes of their minds , by th●se of their bodies . An ability not only to behold and sustain our lives by them , but to consider , compare , alter , assist , and improve them to various purposes , is a prerogative above other creatures , and so far capable of being advanc't by industry , as makes some men excell others as much as they do beasts . The more attentively they reflect upon those things it brings to their knowledge , the more they find the world to be an immense volume , which can be never enough studied , or throughly read : and the things of consideration which it offers to their understanding , infinitely exceed in number those that are read in the best furnished libraries . To them the earth seems quite another thing , and in every little particle of its matter ( by adding artificial organs to their naturall ) see almost as great variety of creatures : and in the parts of the most minute , such gildings , embroideries , and curious variety , as others are able to reckon up in the whole Universe . And how delicate a hand must be employed to contrive into so narrow a compass , the several external , and internal parts requisite to make up a little animal , so small that they are all workmanship and not discernible by the unassisted eyes . The numberless kind of birds , beasts , fish , herbs , shrubs , stones , mettals , minerals , and every of which indu'd with all the qualifications requisite to the perpetuation of their species , preservation of their lives , attainment of the respective ends of their creation , the plentiful and easie provision made them ; how many nascuntur Artifices , born their own crafts-masters , Physician , Carpenter , apparrell'd , and arm'd by nature upon their first entrance ; live and sport themselves in their several elements , bring forth young , and provide for them , build , and know their appointed time , every year keep the same course , and order , yet ignorant of what they do , and work for an end they do not understand ; Am. 9. 3 in their course fight against the Atheist , who rather ignores the being of God , than denies it ; and is little lesse a stranger to the mysteries of nature , than to the Author of it ; being writ in such legible Characters upon every leaf of natures book , that the denyal of it seems far more stupendious than those great works that demonstrate it . A studious , diligent perusal of this book of the world discovers to us a ladder , whose top reaches to the foot-stool of the Throne of God ; the highest link of natures Chain , tied to the the foot of Jupiter's Chair : God who made all things for himself , looses much of his design in setting forth so famous , so finely drawn , so magnificent , so many waies beautiful , a structure , by those busied only about what serves their own trifling uses ; living ignorant of all the rooms of the house , saving that wherein they lurk , minding nothing of the Architecture , proportion of its parts in relation to each other , and to the entire structure ; in which is display'd so much workmanship as was never meant for eyes , that wilfuly close themselves , and confront it with the not judging it worthy the speculating ; who are more concerned as Citizens of any place than of the world ; and live so wholly as Londoners , that they never find the leisure to worship and live as men : that behold so many instructive creatures with no more discerning eyes , than those whom nature hath denied the prerogative of Reason , as they deny themselves the use of it ; so taken up with trifles , or the works of mens hands , that they pass by those of nature , and admire every Artist , but the only excellent God , who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth , and makes us wiser than the fowls of Heaven , Job . 35 11. yet they ( guided by a reason transcending ours ) in some operations ( by instinct , not imitation , fancy supplying the place of reason ) surpasse those of the most cunning workmen . Nor can the benefit be any way so much as by promoting our piety . Were we as able to discern the secret workings of nature , as the productions of art , ( the Ape of it ) managed by Wheels , Engines , Springs , devised by humane wit ; and had a perfect insight into the subtilty of their composition , structure of their parts , various texture of their matter , instruments and manners of their regular motions , singular uses and properties in their several ranks , orders , times , and seasons , exact obedience , and significant representation of their supreme Maker and Governour , the curious and subordinate disposition one creature hath unto another , the exact symmetry and proportion of each part unto the whole ; we should find we trample upon many things for which we have cause to kneel , and offer praises to God for his excellent greatness . It may well stop our over bold enquiries to comprehend God , we can't all he hath put in any the least of his creatures . And what we vulgarly call ugly ( as a Toad or Serpent ) in respect of the Universe are as regular comly parts as any of the rest , their outward shapes suitable to their inward forms , and those purposes they were intended for , by him who hath not only given man a soul capable of enjoying himself , but such an Habitation for it here , as by the curiosity of its contrivance , number and usefulness of its parts , might be a perpetual and Domestick Testimony of the wisdom of its maker . And if we compare his munificence in creating so many things ( the cryers and Heralds of his glory ) that never violate the laws of their nature , nor endeavour to disappoint him of his ends , for the necessity and pleasure of rebellious unthankfull man ( designed to command this lower world and serve the Creator of it ) we must resent an ingenuous shame , and noble disdain , that that creature should be of all the least grateful , that hath received the most benefits , that those whom God hath made little lower than the Angels , should debase their nature below the very lowest rank of creatures , be the only jarring string in this great Instrument to discompose this divine melody ; become the only unprofitable useless part of the creation , and prove the most unruly who alone is priviledged with reason to rule himself , and to refer the creatures that want it , to the Creators glory : to that end hath he placed us here , as well as to prepare our selves for a better mansion . Even those that have not the Law , not only are a Law unto themselves , Rom. 1. ●● . but have the creation for their Library , Bible and History of the Almighty , already open in all places where they can run and read without a teacher , for ,

What e're they see , or wheresoe're they go , They must see God , whether they will or no .

In smaller creatures He 's set forth , as it were in Short-Hand , in great , in Capital letters ; in inanimates is a certain kind of dumb Eloquence , there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard , their line is gone out through all the earth ▪ and their words to the end of the world . P●●● 19. ●● To them the whole world is a Pulpit , and all things therein Regii professores , Divinity readers , preachers of the invisible God ; & almost every particle suggests an use of instruction , reproof , or exhortation . The M●le-hills inhabitant condemnes our improvident forecast ; the L●lies of the Field , our distrust of Gods Providence , &c. No Chymist can make such a rare extract of the creature as the Christians , they draw medicines for feavers , gouts , &c. He Antidotes against unbelief , &c. Do but aske the beasts , and they shall teach thee , and the fowls of the air , and they shall tell thee ; or speak to the earth , and it shall teach thee , and the fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee . Job . 12. 7. 8. Not only Kings of the earth and all people , but beasts , and all cattel , creeping things and flying fowls , dragons and all deeps , mountains and all hills , fruitful trees and all Cedars , fire and hail , snow and vapor , storm and wind , praise the Lord , and fulfill his word : Psal . 148. such as honour not God , in naturalls , are not sp●●u●ll , nor of their number that worship him who liveth for ever , and ever , and cast their Crowns before the Throne , saying , thou art worthy , O Lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power , for thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure they are and were created . Rev. 4. 10 11. By the Scriptures .

Addicting ones heart to the knowledge of nature , both invites and recompences our comtemplation ; highly gratifies our intel●ec●ual faculties , without displeasing any of them , being none of those criminal pleasures which injured and incensed consciences very much allay in the fruition , and turn into Torments after ; yet must give way to those wherewith the improved opportunities of serving and enjoying God , are capable of blessing the pious soul . As God , so the knowledge of him is infinitely better than of all things he hath made : And he that hath placed so much delightfulness in a knowledge wherein he allows his very enemies to become great proficients ( many of whom are so taken up with Astrological contemplations of Heaven , as they deny themselves time to study in his Book that made it the way of getting thither ) hath surely reserved much higher , to sweeten and endear those disclosures of himself , which he vouchsafes to none but such as know and do his will revealed in his Word ; in which is such an admirable Harmony and disposition , as manifests it the work of the same wisdome , that so accurately , divinely composed the Book of nature , which leaves all without excuse ; but this only able to make us wise to salvation , and affords him that searches for it as for hid treasure , not only light to workby , and a comfortable warmth while he is working , but animates by the hopes it cherisheth in him , that in due season his paines and diligence shall be rewarded . How admirable is infinite wisdome and goodnesse in so tempering his word , as induces the most learned to implore & depend on him for light by leaving amongst many passages that stoop to our weakness , some that may make us sensible of it , and others in so plain familiar a way , as the illiterate may see they were not forgotten or overlooked by him , places so obscure , as if it meant purposely to pose , teach us humility if nothing else ; and give us an happy opportunity to evince how great a reverence we pay Gods word , upon the single score of its being so . We ought to study what we can't understand : By the welcome Christ disposes us to give his word , he saith , what I say thou knowest not now , but thou shalt know hereafter . John 13. 7. Every new degree of Scripture knowledge , is an Instrument to acquire more ; and ignorance of those places whose sense we seek for , makes us more perfect in the meaning of all the rest . Religious Industrious inquirers by experience find , what at a distance deter'd them , was not intended to frustrate diligence , but to punish their lazinesse , who thought not such knowledge worthy studying for ; and do now admire what before they could not relish , because they did not understand . What at first through a superficiall cursory perusal , appeared barren , useless , or tautologies , their sedulous searching into , hath discovered such pregnant uses , as they have equally admired the riches of those texts , and their not discerning it sooner : Repeated p●ints make Hereticks blush to question , and despair to disprove truths attested by more than two or three witnesses ; and give Orthodox Believers the satisfaction of having there Anchor tied to a three-fold cord , which is not easily broken . The very words and phrases which clothe the obvious sense , are not only Emphatic●ll , but often mysteri●us and highly instructive ; affording not only seasonable fruit , but the very leaves are for the healing of the nations . Rev. 22. 2. The strongest Proficients in Scrip●ure-knowledge , have the keenest stomacks to this spiritual food ▪ at what a rate did those purchase the Bible , when 't was capital to be found possessors of it : Valued we not our bodies above our souls , and inferiour things before God ; we should esteem the words of his mouth , more than our necessary food ; 't would hugely indeare his word to us , that the object of our devotion is the author of it . How could our love to him suffer us from frequent entertaining our selves with those Leaves which are at once his writing and picture ; representing , and refreshing us with the vast unmerited Love ▪ and unresembling Idea ( in the absence of an immediater presence ) of our only desirable beloved , that the Deity hath framed for Mortalls to apprehend . Some possessed with this servent flame , placed so much contentment here ▪ that no thoughts so sweetly steal away themselves , & time , as those employed in conversing with God on the Horeb of both testaments ; the sweetnesse whereof so affecting them , as they could even beg of an Enemy this leave to be happy ; not without much unwillingnesse obtaining it of their thoughts , to return to sublunary employments ; one having tasted was so taken with the lusciousnesse of Christ's doctrine , that before much company could not forbear commending the Tree for the Fruit sake Luke 11. 27. Sure Atheists only omit frequent perusing these profound contrivances , whose wisdom ingages the Attention , & exacts the wonder of Angells , who for all their native abilities , high prerogatives and employments desire , yea , bow to prie into ; 1 Pet . 1. 12. disdaining , not to think our Instructions worthy their concern , while we disdain a concern for our own instruction . I appeal to the judgement of any carnall Reader unprejudicated , setting aside the Majesty of the Author , and profitablenesse of the Subject , whether any History be so pleasant as the sacred or can compare with it for Magnificence , Antiquity of the matter , sweetnesse of compiling , strang variety of memorable Occurrences ; Its Scribes supplying each others Omission , according to Gods decrees , and Seasons in dispensing his mysteries to his Church , that in Writers severed by so many Ages , and Regions , a Harmony whose seeming dissonances seem but to manifest the sincerity , and unconspiringnesse of the Author , their mutuall Irradiations , and secret references , perswade their Pens were guided by an Omniscient Hand , and were but the severall Secretaries of the same Inditer : where he stoops to our Capacities , is something so awfull , so clearly his , as manifests a Majestick Prerogative above any others . Eloquent Orators unsatisfiedly travelling through all sorts of Humane Volumes , have acquiest only in this Divine one : Beginning perhaps to read it out of Curiosity , or to learn some unknown Language 't was translated into , or some such triviall purpose , have found themselves engaged to continue that exercise out of conscience , having , by the means they elected , their reverence and assent carried away beyond the end they designed , in spite of their indisposition to it , climbing up this Sycomore-t●e● only to see Jesus have passed thence to be his Proselite and Convert , receiving him joyfully into their Hearts , and Houses . Other composures of Devotion still lose with nice pallats at second reading ; Acquaintance here still endeares ; Familiarity breeds not Contempt but Reverence . If we light of the sense , we can't miss of truth , nor be deceived , except we deceive our selves , by presuming we understand it , when indeed we do not : Therefore can't but prize a Book so comprehensive , which understood , makes it safe for us to ignore others as needlesse to Salvation , and which ignored , are insufficient : It containing virtually all Divine Precepts , others scatteringly glean out of Humane Books : and our selves otherwise affected to find the world depreciated by him that enjoyed all the delights and Glories of it ; then when we meet with the same from some beggerly Cynick that never tasted those luscious bewitching pleasures , and need no greater Philosophy to despise a World he judges of by the scanty share , the narrownesse of his condition allows him of the joys of it . When God affirms we cant be wise or happy , but by being good , nor avoid the greatest Miseries , but by eschewing Evill , it works on us otherwise than the same in Humane Authors , whose frailties make them obnoxious to mistake , and capable to deceive : Unwise , unthank full they , and as well wrong themselves as the Scripture , who choose to read Gods word rather in any Book than his own ; but much more , who make Divertisments their Impediment : To gratifie their Fancy , more than their reason : despise , neglect reading this ( the best way to Justfie it self , & disabuse them ) than which , scarce any thing can be more prejudiciall , to a Book that needs to be but heedfully observed , and sufficiently understood to be highly reverenc'd . Their pleasure is so bewitching , so dear to them , that they like nothing that would divorce , or divert their persuit ; whose pride , and lazinesse dare plead Multiplicity of weighty avocations against the one thing necessary : The importantest imployments , are the Study , and Glory of God ; and sure they that pretend want of leisure for their neglect of reading the Scripture ; must be able to give a rare account of all the portions of their Time , to make that passe for a Misimployment of it , that is laid out towards the purchase of a Happy Eternity . He ever makes an ill Bargain that gets Hell to Boot , who to gain so inconsiderable a possession as the whole world , shall part with his own soul . So earnestly is it injoined , that scarce any can think the neglect of reading it no fault , save those that are guilty of it , because it prophesies no good concerning them . Their vitious scandalous lives make them deny the Scripture , for fear of being obliged for meer shame to live more conformable to it . 't is the Interest , not the Reason of these guilty Malefactors that makes them find fault with this Statute-Book , that finds so much fault with them . Their Censures and irreligious expressions are as Apologies they judge necessary to palliate their sins , or as Acts of Revenge for their being exposed in all their deformities to the Eye of the World , and of their own consciences in the Bible , and do rather shew what they would have men believe of them , than what themselves believe of the Scripture ; by seeming to slight which they hope to have there vices imputed rather to a Superiority of their Reason over that of others , than a Servitude of their Reason to their passion ; when cast upon peruseing it , they do it in so perverse a manner , as if they went to revenge themselves on that unwelcome opportunity : Their Observation is worse than their Neglect ; They look into it insidiously , not as Disciples , but as spies , not to weigh the obligingnesse , but to quarrel at the unreasonablenesse , difficulty , impossibility of its Injunctions ; not to direct their practice , but to excuse their prevarications : They contrive , not how they may comply with it , but how they may best bend it to comport with them : They rebate its edge , or turn it only against such of their corruptions as they have least kindnesse for : They weigh its Precepts with no other design but that , of taking the lightest ; those to which their constitutions , or other circumstances carry least repugnance : They come unto it , not as to a Law , but to a Market , cheapen what they best like , and leave the rest for other Customers , nor will they take faith's word , that , so it is , unlesse Reason will be her Surety , and shew them bow . Profane Wretches stamp their own Image , and Superscription on Gods Coin ; Torture it to confess that which was never in it , and their own wits to pervert the Holy Scriptures expressions to deliver their obscene thoughts ; A thing so easie , as almost any man hath the wit to talk at their Profane Rate , that will but allow himself the sawey boldnesse , and Hellish Liberty to contemn , yea directly and immediately to provoke God , by making him the Subject of their derision , and sport with that word he so solemnly declares his mind by to Mankind , and which shall judge them at the last day . But considering persons will scarce deem him a Wit , that will venter to be damned to be thought one ; or admire his plenty who cannot make an Entertainment without furnishing out the table with a John Baptist Head ; nor please the Fancy , without offending the Conscience ; nor say any thing well , but what is Ill to say : Never using their Wits , but to gratifie their own or others Lusts , nor the Bible except in their Tavern-Songs , only as anchovis , to entice the company to drink the longer , instead of employing their parts , in working for the Sanctuary , by cloathing excellent thoughts , in suitable winning dresses , the way to have their names written , at once in Heaven , and in the immortall leaves of Fame , prostitute them to indite licentious irreligious ones , that argue more a depressed soul , than an elevated Fancy : A sin so unprofitable , as scarce gets them any thing but an ill name amongst good men upon Earth , and a worse place amongst bad men in Hell ; by making their Envy and Impiety so malicious and disinterested , that they will endeavour to do religion harm though it be to do themselves no good , and have no excuse of declining their conscience in complyment to their senses : nor will the highest favour of Applaus , and the being cried up for a wit , so repair the punishment of profaness , but that its wretched sufferers will find but small satisfaction , in having their name celebrated in other Books , while 't is blotted out of that of Lif : And can't but think that wisdom the greatest folly , who to tempt praises they seldom hear , provide themselves Torments they shall ever feel ; and that that pains and time spent in studying corrupt discourses , was a hewing fewel for Hell flames , where they shall be weeping and gnashing their Teeth , while they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament , and they that turn many to righteousnesse as the Stars for ever and ever Dan . 12. 3.

A Treble portion we enjoyed of Gods mercies , By our late Civill Wars . to mankind in generall , to the Christian world in particular ; our lines fallen in pleasant places : from our Fathers will in our mothertongue , we might take counsell as a man of his friend : To us chiefly have been committed the Oracles of God ; but have been exercised with such strange intermingled providences , as is a Theam worthy the best Historian Pen , and choycest Christian Meditation . We have had such unexpected wonderfull appearances of a Divine Hand , owning , preserving , rescuing Innocency in such eminent Exigences , as Experience seals that Proverb infallible , In the mount will the Lord be seen . Such remarkable events of mens vain projects , Gods infinite eye so piercing through all pretences , as Justice hath required no other Accuser than their own Consciences , bringing to light ( notwithstanding all possible care used to the contrary ) such private consultations , contrivance and practices as evince , there 's nothing hid that shall not be known , but what is done in secret shall be published on the House-top . How sad the condition of these discomposed dilacerated nations , what clancular actings of Satans machivals ( who cared not to set a whole world on fire , meerly to rost their own eggs by , and build themselves monuments of the Churches ruines ) how dareing the insolencies and attempts of unstable minds , acted by the various and quotitidian conduct of changeable and domestical Interests against our Moses and Aarons , hath been so well known at home and abroad , as hath rendered us a shame to our selves and a Ludibrium to the world ? The untimely death of Princes , the frequent expirations and vicissitudes of estates and Governments , servants set in great dignity , and the rich sitting in low places , persons of mean extraction , leaving their Cottages and dwelling in Kings Palaces , while Soveraignty forced to take up the Lodging of a Crow : Beggars lifted from the Dunghill to the Throne , while Majesty justled off , and not allowed the Liberty of a Subject : The dolefull earthquakes and concussions in Church and State ; the wild pernicious Opinions and horrid practices among us , seemed as if the scene of the ten Tribes was translated into these Nations , and we making hast to be a Lo●ru●amah , Hos . 1. 6 surely 't was through the wrath of the Lord of Host , that our Land was watered with bloud . Eze . 3. 26. And the People as the fewel of fire , no man sparing his Brother ; Isa . 9. 19. when War was proclaimed in our Gates , and our mighty men awakened , and all the men of war drew near and stood up , Joe . 3. 9. when our Cornets were turned into Fifes , our Dances into Marches , and our Banquets into want of Bread , our Livery-Gowns into Buf-Coats , our Suites of Gold into Glittering Armour ; our Beavers into Helmets ; and those into a Myter , and Infallibility inspired with the sound of a Trumpet , the pride of the Cupboard and the Fingers Glory into Souldiers Salleries , and the price of Blood , our Walking-Staves into Halberts , our Girdles into Belts , and our Cassoks into Coats of Mail , our Stately structures into Garrisons , our Dwelling Houses into Prisons , our Temples into Stables , Jakes , Places of Stench , and Filthinesse , the Abomination of Desolation , standing in the Holy place , and the House of Praier a Den of Theeves : When our Pruning Hooks were beaten into Spears , and our Plowshares into Swords , sharpened , not among the Philistines , but at Sion , which always makes it cut the keenest . Woe , and Alas to such sad Encomasticks , when men engaged in Designs not on intuition of their Lawfulnesse , but Profit , and never enquired into the Justice of the quarrel but the rate of the pay : when there were such Tigers and Fryars , as would rifle for drams of Silver , into the Bowels of their own Flesh , and either Kill , or Die for a Day's Wages ; Hewing down men like Brambles , and butchering them like Oxen , defaceing Gods Image as if it were but battering down a painted Picture ; opening the Conduits of life to gush forth till the last drop were their mirth ; wounds their feats of Activity , bloud their Cordiall , crying groans their musick , gastly faces their looking-glasses , shivering bones the reliques of their puissance , and dead carcasses the emblems of their glorious Triumphs , when the noise of Drums and Trumpets deafned our ears to the cries and groans of oppressed Sufferers , and Regall Laws must give place to private ones : When sate down to meat we suspected the intrusion of armed , uninvited guests ; and our next nights lodging to be in Prison , or out of our Beds , when we were rather Stewards than owners of our estates , and had rather the Trouble than Advantage of their Managery , when we strove to supplant , surprize , destroy our nearest Friend , or Kinsman , and our bloud was poured out as dust , and our Flesh as the dung ; Ze. 1. 17. and widdows encreased like the Sands of the Sea , Jer . 15. 8. when members of the same body carried themselves as if of a different world . They who once lay in one anothers bosome , could hardly endure to stand in the same seat , or join in the same Family Duty ; praying with , and for one another before , now one against another : Division of Hearts hindred the building of the new Jerusalem ; while contending about the Windows , we had almost lost the Foundation of the Church ; when pretence of inward Sanctity in some , devoured their outward decency , and was suborn'd to legitimate those practices , the reall solid one forbids and execrates ; and God said to be Honoured , and exalted by those ways whereby men would think themselves affronted & vilified , when faith was made subservient to extinguish love , Charity banished to fetch home truth , and a Coal from the Altar to set the Temple it self on fire : When our slightest problems were writ in blood ; Thousands made naked to keep the surplice off a few mens Backs ; pulling down Churches in displeasure at the Windows : when our minute differences became quarrels , by disputes raised about a Pin , or Naile of the Temple , shook and endangered the whole Fabrick ; and robbed the Church of Fraternall Unity , the surest Cement and Support : The Laws trampled upon , for the preservation of Right , Justice violated for its own security ; Oaths broken for the conservation of Faith ; The People oppressed for their Welfare ; The Nation inthrall'd for its Liberty , forced to maintain Tyranny for its freedom . When Christian Religion at once was violated & defamed , not only her Precepts broken , but her self asperst with the filthy consequences of that disobedience brought in , to abett seditious practices : when men could say Grace over the foulest Crimes , and consecrate them to the use of a good cause , when they should have been doing Gods work , were hiding the Babylonish garment ; instead of driving Nails into Gods Temple to 〈…〉 en it , were driving a wedge of Gold into their own Cofers : when neither the Command of G●● , the Authority of Laws , the Love of Peace , the Fear of War , the Sacred Unction , Royall Crown , nor Scepter it self , could awe the bloudy insolent Sword , secure and defend the Soveraign's Head : when men judged of the Justice by the Successe of their Attempts ; and that their cause was approved of God because prosperous , when our Hands were embrewed in our Neighbours bloud , Ambitious to be unjust Conquerors , and Honour sought in war , which formerly was not to be Crown'd with boasting Triumph : Be thou , Oh Charles ( the first ) added to our deplorable Trophies , who the Fortune of war caused to be esteemed faulty , and was looked upon as a Crime in thee to be overcome . Our War was ( both a Sin and a Judgement ) like to swallow up the one , and Victory the other , and the publick still sure to be a loser : War for the Kingdom against the King ; for his Authority against his Person : The Soveraign arraigned before his Subjects : Majesty it self accused of Treason , and barbarously slain ( with an Axe whetted at Rome , ) that they might se●● on his Inheritance ; let a Curtain there be drawn over our sorrows , a veil over our shame . Then did Royall Majesty descend into the dust , and the Glory , Peace , and Safety of the Nation with him . How then did all Loyall Hearts Throb and Tremble ? How did all faces gather blacknesse , that were not steeled with Rebellion , and Impudence ? How did the whole Land sit as a widdow , desolate , and forsaken ? So that our very Victories were Tragicall , and our Triumphs mournfull , and the Conquerors with the Conquered had cause to sit down in Tears ; For the Almighty had called for a Sword against us through all the Land , which cut off the righteous with the wicked : The dead bodies of his servants were made bridges over ditches , and given as meat unto the Fowls of Heaven , and the Flesh of his Saints unto the beasts of the Earth ; their blood shed like water round about the Kingdom , and none to bury them : So that we were become a derision to our neighbouring Nations , a By-word among the Heathens , a terror to our selves ; Troubled on every side , without were fightings , within fears , and none had Peace or was secure under his own Roof ; but every Heart melted , and all hands were feeble , every spirit fainted , and all knees were as water because of the spoilers rapine : and a man was made an offender for a word , Isah . 29. 21. and a Sword was sharpened to make a sore slaughter , and the Lord pleaded against us with blood , and with Fire , and with Brimstone , his fury was upon his face , and a great shaking in our Land : Jer . 1● . 12. ●3 . ●●e . 21. And yet the confused noise of battels , and warriors , the ratling of wheels , and of praunsing Horses , the jumbling of Charriots , and of the bright Sword , and glittering Spear , the multitude of slain , and the great number of carcasses ( So that we stumbled upon corpses , nah . 3. 3. and upon garments rowled in blood ) Isa . 9. 5. did not awaken us . As to many might it not be said , we are a talking , not a repenting People ; if our tongues are better , so are not our Hearts , our Bibles , our Pulpits have taught us little but a Scripture Language , a Sanctuary Phrase ; we repent in Adages , or ordinances only , not by ordering our feet ; turn from one opinion to other principles , from one faction to another sect , but who from his evill ways : we swim in other Seas , but like the Porcupine , the change of water makes us not lose our prickles ; shift places but like Serpents , carry our poison with us whereever we creep ; turn Proselites , not to God , but two-fold more the Children of wrath . Were ever so many Pulpits despised ? so many unregenerating Sermons ? unmollifying Lectures ? many watch over souls , but how few win them ? many Counsellors , but who is a Father ? Our Faith is a distraction , our repentance a contagion , a corruption . We talk much of the Gospel , and reformation , but when shall we once be Evangelicall , and the reformed Church ? We are gotten , we say , our of Aegypt , but do we not carry Aegypt into Canaan ? and make the Land of promise , a Land of provocation ? Fled farther from Rome , and gone into Sodom ? Left her corruption in Doctrine , but kept those in manners . Oh sad separation , for all the ground we have left behind us , have we left in the Red Sea , or in the Wildernesse , or upon the Bank of Jordan , our evill ways ? What reformation to be seen amongst us but beating down Crosses ? clashing windows ? demolishing a font ? new placing a communion Table ? plucking off that abominable Rochet ? hewing of May-poles ? but hath this reformation cleansed away sin ; are we made more morall than Turks ? more pure than Infidells ? Is there not as much pride and covetousness , craft and perfidiousnesse , peevishnesse and contention , as among Barbarians , and Scythians ? And how did that little blood left in others boil up in scum , and rage ? we impatiently murmured under those burthens , our sins prepared , and other mens laid upon us ; and disclaimed Gods relief , by indirect attempts of our own ; yet took it very ill , that he left us to the Successes of them , that he prospered not those methods he had interdicted , and made us Triumphant , not only over our enemies , but himself too . We laid boundlesse expectations upon the Justice of our cause , and as if we had extremely obliged God by not b●ing Traytors , thought he wronged us extremely that he made us not Victors : we seemed to think Loyalty witchcraft ; that like a spell it was able to keep us invulnerable , not only against our Enemies , but our selves ; and so countercharm all our Crimes , that they should only be active to please not to hurt us . How many had little private Rebellions of their own , even while they opposed the more publick ? that owed their zeal to their spleen ? and did not so much love those they fought for , as Hate those they fought against . The profession of Holinesse their adversaries had put on , more averted these Libertines from them , than all their reall Crimes : Their professing to advance the power of godlinesse , allarum'd them to contend , not for the liberty of their Country , but their Lusts ; so could with no Justice expect a reputation , or successe from that cause , which they at once Help't to defame and defeat : And the soberer 't is to be suspected were inspir'd more by the spirit of opposition than of piety , from whom the Liturgy never had so much veneration , as when the Directory was set up against it : A perverse kind of zeal or devotion , kindled only by Antiperistasis ( not of that pure flame which descends from Heaven ) excited by interdict , and deadned by invitation .

He then makes Civill wars to cease , and stilleth the tumult of the people Psal . 65. ● . and returns By our peaceable settlement . our Peace , before we had forsaken our sins ; As if he meant to try our Ingenuity that we who had been so much worse than Beasts under those former methods , and no stripes disciplin'd us , might have this advantage to redeem our credit , and be drawn with the cords of a man . After the shedding of Royall Blood , to the shame and reproach of Religion and the Nation , and perpetuall infamy of the Actors of it . He disappoints our Anointed's Enemies confident Hopes , of finding him among ●●● Slain , or Prisoners ; and delivers Good Men of their afflictive fears for his Jeopardy , and of ever seeing him on his Throne ; except he swome to it in the blood of his Subjects ; makes rebellious Absolons Executioner , our Lawfull Soveraigns Sanctuary ; provides him Safety & Favour in a strange Land . And though the dangerous oppositions of our provocations , insolent by contending against Gods goodness , made it far more reasonable to look for a Hand upon the wall , writing a visible irrecoverable sentence of Extirpation , than secretly and powerfully working deliverance behind it : When we had set our selves in a Defiance of his Judgement , he layed as it were an Ambush of mercy for us ; gave a Victory without a war ; and surprised us with Safety by such indiscernable ways , turning again our captivity , that we were like them that dream Psal . 126. 1. He bowed the Hearts of England even as one man , so that they sent this word to the King , return thou , and all thy servants , that all the people of the Land may rejoice , and the City may be at quiet ; so the King returned , and the Nobles went to meet and conduct the King . 2 Sam . 19. 14. 15. He erects his Thr●ne in as calm a manner , as was the Temple , without the noyse of Swords , Guns , Axes , and Hammers , when we had been so long dashing to pieces one against another , and all things reeling , and breaking into confusion , he composes and orders them as before ; Every one sitting under his own Vine , and under his own Fig-tree , eating the fruits of his own Labours , and none to make him afraid , nor danger of Sequestration , but from our own Luxury , or of being mocked into his Grave by Shews , and Pagantries of Justice that will but keep in the boundaries of known Laws . But no sooner is the Scepter redeemed from Bondage , and restored to its Master , but the whole Nation is made loose ; Licentiousnesse invades the People ; And we suffer smiling furies ; Luxury revengeth weapons , and England wips away war with a lazy peace ; giddy headed Liberty breaks its Reins , fumes , waxes hot , burnes , and swelling with successe tramples on Ordinances with a profane Heel : infected we are with filthinesse ; and a debauched company of People are inhabitants of a dirty Sty . When he had made Peace within our Borders , and filled us with the finest of the Wheat , Psal . 147. 14. our Late unhappinesse nor present favour prevailed with us : for his blessings we rejoiced , but grew rather wanton than thankfull ; we entertained the change with a joy too profuse , but not enough religious . We saw that great things were done for us , wherefore we were glad , but did not so much consider that the Lord had done them ; Psal . 129. 2 , 3. and so were rather affected with the rarity and profitableness , than mercy and kindnesse of the dispensation . Our transports were such as exhausted themselves in their noise . We expressed our joy in Bone-fires , and it vapoured away in the smoke ; there wanted that mixture of Piety , which should have fixed that volatile passion . We noted and surfeited on his blessings , feasted our lusts on his favours , dishonoured , spurned , kicked against him in the face of all his bounties . The Oil of his mercy made us more nimble , and active in feats of Impiety , and his creatures mighty to drink wine , and men of strength to mingle strong drink ; Isa . 5. 22. our requitall to him for composing our nationall intestine Broils , were to give Reins to our open Rebellion against Heaven ; for restoring our Soveraign to rise up against our God , for removing the Disorders of Church and State to bring them into our Hearts and Lives ; we put off not only Piety but Humanity , from the most benigne purposes , extracted nothing but our own mischiefs . We were the poorer for his Liberalities , and the worser for his goodnesse . Our sins by being common , made us approve them by being successfull ; because God kept silent , we thought he was such a one as our selves Psal . 50. 21. undervalued , or denied a Diety ; thinking nothing to be sin , but what hath punishment for its consequent , no fruit in the Garden forbidden , if a flaming Sword secure it not .

Having chastised and tried to reduce us by inferior Instruments and Lictors among our selves ; making one mans sin the punishment of another , as if he had the same jealousie for his Honour , which Joab had at the siege of Rabah for David ; 2 Sam . 12. 28. and feared to be rival'd in the Glory of our Ruine ; He takes us into his own Hand ; marks us out as he did Pharaoh to be the Trophies of his own peculiar Vengeance ; appearing signally against us in all the dreadfull Solemnities of an inraged Enemy . Three years he waited seeking the fruit of his providences , and found none ; yea granted one year more , to the intercession of his own goodnesse . To testifie then our ways did not please him , he makes a Nation at peace with us , become our Enemy . Pro . 16. 7. Where if he delivered us from their Fury , and prospered our Forces with remarkable successe , yet prevented a Totall Victory over them ; as if he designed to hold this Rod over us , till we gave some better proofs of our being Humbled , and Reformed by it ; and that which cost so much Blood and Treasure , must be accounted ( as 't is threatned Lev . 26. a Judgement for our abuse of peace , and incorrigiblenesse under former Judgements : As there 's required for war a Lawfull Authority ▪ a just Cause , and a right intention ; so it must not be out of Hatred , but with a desire to preserve life in the heighth of Battle . The lives of the vanquished are not wholly at the mercy of the Conqueror , who had need to distinguish well between a Conqueror and a Cut-throat vindicative War , must be moderated , that a man be not a too severe righter of his own injuries ; he ought to be satisfied with the Victory , and as much as may be , leave revenge to God . The principall Authors ought to be slain , and not the generality which are drawn in to be Parties ; yea killing is allow'd , but only against obstinate and desperate Adversaries : Conquest must end ▪ with the least damage both of the Enemies and inhabitants ; for the Community cannot be touched without the Hazard of many Innocents . 't is no little misery to be necessitated by Arms to maintain our own right ; for w●● is the extream act of vindictive Justice ; not approveable to God , for any other than a desperate Remedy . As it is sometimes necessary , so mostly unjust , always evill , and fighting is publick murder , if so constituted that there is a culpable scruple in the close , and any other end be proposed besides Peace . Therefore Noble Dispositions have still shewed their propensions to Peace ( though Victors ) calling for a cessation of Arms ( whereas necessity wrung it from the overmastered ) letting passe no opportunity of making spare of blood , and have deemed it an inhumane cruelty to shed it , where they have not first proffered fair conditions of Amity ; the Refusall whereof is justly punished with the Sword of Revenge ; or one drop more than that which was necessary out of insolency , and bloodthirstynesse . Pestilence , and Famine frequently follow this sore Judgement . Ezek . 14. 21. Slaughter is not the only effect of war , It destroyes the lives of many , but blasts the joys and supports of more . The Land is the garden of Eden before them , and behind them a desolate wildernesse yea , and nothing shall escape them . Joe . 23. Ours was war upon war ; Forraign upon civill , not against strangers , but Allys ; not with Pagans , Papists , but Protestants ; what will the Heathens say ? what ever either nation gains , Reliligion is like to be a Loser . It may well break our hearts , that so many are destroyed , whom Christ purchased with his own blood , and the Ocean turned into a Red Sea , by that of Israel . Victory lies not in the cause but in the God that owns it . Many a just Businesse is crossed , for a punishment to the Agent . Gods people for the accursed thing , may be defeated by the Benjamites Jud. 20. Jos . 7. and fly before the men of Ai . ( v ) T is no strange thing to see Israel troubled by an Achan , or the Ark taken captive from off the shoulders of H●pni , and Phineas . If we waged war for reparation of publick wrongs , and its ground not only pollicy , but religion , yet while some had rather been destroyed by the Enemy than live to see their Prince have the Honour of saving , and defending them , others strive to disoblige and incense him to whom we appealed , and seemed to enter prohibitions in Heaven against our desired enjoyment of successe . By nourishing our Lusts from whence cometh wars Jam . 4. 1. we fought against our selves , put a Sword into our Enemies Hands , and provoked God to destroy us ; as if our notorious fighting against him by our Trespasses , would oblige him to right us , and that when our Host goes forth against our Enemy , we ought to keep to every wicked thing . Deu . 2● . 9.

And lest this alone should not be physick enough for our maledy , Comes forth a destroying Angell , pouring out off his full viol such a Horrid Infection into our Ayr , as scarce we or our Forefathers ever tasted of . Whilest busied against men Abroad , God takes us into his own hand at Home , and surprizes us with new feares from himself by the noysome pestilence , which Cut off , from one City , in Less than nine months about 100000 Inhabitants , and Chased away more from their Habitations ; So that we had something of a wilderness , in a City , The streets formerly Throng'd with strangers , now destitute of Neighbours ; When few to be met but such , as lookt wan with grief , fear , or sicknesse ; when as many dead Carcasses hurryed along the streets i th' night , as living persons walking in the day ; Habitations made both Hospitalls and Charnell-houses ; where the sick without hope , for want of Help , die without Comfort , Consume without Interrment , or are Carry'd away without Sheet or Coffin save their Cloathes ; Thrown by Hundreds into a pit , and not a friend following to shed a Tear at their Funerall , except at a distance crying : pray Bury my Dead , when such noyse of Bells ; Complaints for loss of friends ; The liveing labouring night and day , scarce enough , and new ground must bee purchased to Bury the Dead , Heapes upon Heapes . The mother perhaps must Carry her Tender Infant to the grave , the Husband the wife of his Bosome , and a nearest Relation forc't to be both priest and gravesman ; scarce determinable whether the Drops that fell from their faces were the sweat of their Browes , or Tears of their Eyes . The Diseased groaning for Extremity of their paines , and Rejoycing exceedingly if they could find the grave . The sound weeping for the miseries of the sick ; longing for deliverance of their Family from the Burden of the flesh ; some Eating their Bread with Quaking , and drinking with Trembling and Carefullness , for fear 't would be their last , whilest others perishing for want of it ▪ The sight of this weekes Bill , appearing to many , but as A Repreive till the next ; So that they had no Rest , but the Lord gave them a Trembling Heart , and failing of Eyes , and sorrow of mind , and their life did hang in doubt before them , and they feared day and night haveing no Assurance of their Life ; Deu . 28. 65. 66. How then did the City sit solitary that was full of people ; and became as a widdow that was great among the nations ; she wept sore in the night , and her tears were on her Cheekes ; Among all her lovers she had none to Comfort her , all her friends had dealt treacherously with her , and by leaving her became her Enemy . And yet in our Blackest Bills , God writ but 50 for 100. How came it that our Houses were not all disinhabited , or one wherein not one dead , That our City was not turn'd into a very golgotha , ( and our fields into graves , ) for the wickedness of them that dwelt therein : For though Death surprised all Conditions , in all places , at all Times , in our streets , at our Labour , in our sleep , at our meat , in our Clossets , alone , in Company , some in the very Act of sin , others dead before they thought themselves sick , dreaming of nothing less than dying , the Bell Touling constantly , carrying some of our Fellow-servants to Gods Bar , yet the mouths of so many graves , the sad Charrecters writ on our neighbours Dores , the sight of so many Carcasses Death lead in Triumph before our own , did not preach us into Repentance , but even Extinguished Humanity , brought in a kind of Ferity and Barbarousnesse among us , rendering us vilinous to men , and Blasphemous against God ; desperate upon the prospect of our danger , or presumptuons on remedies , or Contemplation of our Escape . The very greatness and Commonnesse of our misery , made us so Careless , stupid , sensless , that we could sleep amidst dying groans , dance amongst graves , Revel at Funeralls , drink healths on Coffins , be obscene among the Dead , steal winding sheets out of the very Chambers of death , Eating and drinking , swearing and Rioting , marrying and giving in marriage , while the floud was sweeping nigh all away , and at the very pits brink thought not of death , but lived , as if by that Time all mortals were hurry'd out of the world , and that none were left standding there that should tast of death . Even in the height of it , we mis't not to be as Luxurious as we were able ; and if some of our Lusts were at all less Rageing , t' was only because they were starved into a Little Tameness ; the supplies and Conveniences cut off which should maintain our Riot . Those publick Humiliations and Intercessions recommended to the Country , as well by the Command of Authority , as the Common distresse , were cast off without the substraction of either of those motives ; so unmindfull of the Afflictions of Joseph , that we could not afford one day in a month for a solemne Reflection on them ; and sure we are not less wanting to our selves , than others in such neglects ; the office being no less designed for Antidote than Cure , to prevent a Judgment where it is not , as to Remove it where it is ; and if we will neither deprecate on our own behalf , nor Intercede on others , we are as Improvident , as uncharitable , and may justly expect the fatall event of both ; so that the Rest of the men which were not killed by the plague , Repented not of their murders , nor of their Fornications , nor of their Thefts , nor of the works of their Hands . Rev. 20. 12.

This Judgment being thus forced to raise its Seige ; at the Heeles of it marches devouring By the late dismal fire of London . Flames . For ere the destroying Angell had finished his work here , and was Rageing in many parts of the nation , as though the Infected Ayre had been too kind and partiall to us , and had only destroy'd the vile and Refuse , and spared the greatest of the people ; As though the grave had surfeited with our dead bodyes and was loth to go on in the execution of Gods displeasure : He Imploy'd a more furious Element which might in a more lively manner represent to us , the kindling and Continueing of his wrath against us which was Attended to a very Excessive Heat , that thus poured out it selfe not only like La . 2. 4. but in fire : In so stupendious a manner desolating the glory of our land , that no Humane fury could have procured or even wish't the like vastation and Ruins ; and what neither Forraign nor Domestick Enemies could in a succession of many Ages effect , one blast of the breath of his displeasure who is a Consuming fire , performed in a moment : Those whom the King of Terrors frighted from their Habitations , had not been long returned full of Resolves to Redeem by double Dilligence , their loss of Trades and Time , but a dreadfull fire ceases upon our great Metropolis , defaces the Beauty and splendor of England , wherles into flames that glorious mart of Trade , and covers that Queen of Cities with its ashes , making her both Funerall pile and urne to her self ; Consuming in 4 days above 13200 of our Houses , the price of many years Labour , more wealth than an ordinary Arithmititian can numerate ; with those publick monuments and ornaments , wich had out-lasted the Injuries of many hundred years , in the space of far less hours . The detriment sustained in our Civill interest , nothing but time and Experience can give a full estimate of . Its sad Consequences are unknown , clouded in its owne smoak ; yet must needs Cast forth some of her Ruines , desolations , want of Trade , and poverty upon the neighbou● Towns and whole nation . A fire which began with that unexpected violence , and spread with that Horror , and Rag'd with that Furie , and Continued so long with that Irresistable force , esteeming Brick as stubble , stone as straw , and Brass as Rotten wood , that Laugh'd at the shakeing of an Engine , and despised all Resistances in its way ; that made the streets to Boil like a pot , and the Houses like a pot of oyntment ; that made a path to shine after it ; one would have thought it a Type at least of the universal Conflagration : so full of Dread and Astonishment , that nothing less than Hell flames can awaken him , who by it is not wrought upon to lye down in his shames , and his Confusion to cover him ; because God hath Covered the daughter of Sion with a Cloud , and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the Beauty of Israel , and Remembred not his foot-stool in the day of his Anger , La . ● . 1. Laying in Ashes such a City , as I expected not to see on this side the Heavenly ; making our magnificent Temples , not Habitations for owles , but Ruinous heapes , and spectacles of desolation . Had only the scenes of our Luxury and fraud been destroyed , this might have sent us with more fervency to the places of our Devotion ; and we might have frequented Gods house the Better for being destitute of our own ; but when these also are made parts of the Common heap , when our holy and beautiful houses , where our fathers praised him , are burnt with fire Is. 64. 12 ▪ , 't is a sad Testimonial that our very Religion was provoking , that the pageantlike piety that we deposited in our Churches only to make a shew with on holy-days , served only to defile those holy places , and render them so poluted , as required no slighter purgation than that of fire : Of our comely hospitalls , stately halls and pallaces , nothing remaining , but a strange mass and Labyrinth of naked steeples , useless Chymnies , fragments of Ragged walls , amidst heapes of stones and Rubbish . In stead of sweet smells a stink ; burning for well set houses , ashes for Beauty , a spirit of Heaviness for the garment of praise . Yet while most were only Amaz'd and Terrified , others in stead of letting go , increased their sins under the Judgment ; useing it as a Happy opportunity to steal , while the Judg himself before their faces was doing Execution , and were glad of Satan's Commission to carry away their neighbours goods , while the fire of God was falling upon them , Job 1. 16. 17. and entered into the Houses of his people to lay hands on their substance in the day of their calamity . Obad . 13. Their designs of advantages took all thoughts off their own turning ; imploying them to gather up the Reliques of others Ruines ; the spoyles of a common wreck to increase or Repair the breaches of their own fortune ; so they esteem'd it not as a Judgment , but kindness of Heaven , to advance their own private interest ; and interpreted those loud calls to repentance , invitations to eat , drink , and be merry ; because they had more goods layd up for them . And others turned not to him that smote , because they saw an advantage arising from the blow , for they said in the pride and stoutness of their hearts , the bricks are fallen down , but we will build with hewen stone , the Sycomores are cut down , but we will change them into cedars ; Is. 9. 9 , 10. and not a few , in Requitall to God for their preservation , evil intreated , yea raised themselves on those whom God had cast down ; By their mercyless cruelty adding affliction to the afflicted ; by their rigorous exaction of rates for carriages , houses , provision , and withholding contribution from them to whom it was given , beyond the laws of reason , equity , conscience , or common humanity : By shutting up their Bowells against those whom God had stript naked , they took away the sheaf from the hungry , and caused the naked to lye without cloathing , that they had no covering in the cold : so that men groaned from out of the City , and the soul of the needy cryed out , yet they think God layeth it not to their charge . And those compassions which the novelty at first gave us to sufferers in this kind , seems now quite extinct ; so unconcern'd are we grown to every thing that touches us not in our individualls , as if we owned no relation to the species of man-kind , though backed also with that closer tye which the spiritual consanguinity hath superadded . Those that escaped , had an equall share in the procuring cause of the Judgment ; their great Insensibleness of what others groan under , is not only a dangerous symptome , but a probable means of drawing the like calamity on our selves ; when God sees we will suffer nothing by way of consent and sympathy , 't is but equal we have our part in a more direct and immediate infliction ; and feel what we would not compassionate . How few eye the primary efficient , meritorious cause , or mortifie the main incendiary ; but throw the desert off themselves , on other persons , or such a party , whom they would punish , if in Gods stead ; as if they must needs displease him , which doth themselves : so tossing the guilt from one another , it remains among us all ; none amending himself , while he expects it only from those , for whose sake we say , this evill is come upon us . What industry so ever hath been used to intitle the negligence or designes of men unto our overthrow ; yet sure , never any Judgment had more Legible marks of Gods immediate hand ; such as shew he meant to revenge the abuse of his former gentle methods ; that those who would not be reformed by smaller corrections , might find a Judgment worthy of God . By how much the more there is not an apparent author of so vast a ruine , by so much the more evident is the power of his Almighty arm . Its rageing fi●rceness , quick dispatch ( a parish for every hour ) spoiles , destructiveness , duration , time ( when few friends at home , and many enemies abroad ) day , and place it began , dryness of the season , standing and increase of the wind , irresistableness even against it , and all other oppositions , unexpected stop , infatuation of the people , &c. are so many dreadfull remarkable evidences of divine wrath .

Quis talia fando temperet àlachrymis .

To what purpose do we rail against obscure authours of our destruction , since our sins have spread abroad the flames , and added nourishment to their furious heat ? although extravagant suspicion make not many of us guilty , yet if we confess the truth , all had a hand therein , and we but act against our selves , by complaining of what we deserved . Oh! England , thou long since owed this Burnt sacrifice to Heaven : nor are thy crimes yet expiated ; unless by good actions thou cancell former pretermissions , in vain thou hopest incensed anger is appeased .

One would have thought our hive being burnt , By the fire in our Harbour . the Bees our Lusts should have been smothered in the smoak ; but in stead of that , they fly Humming about our streets in far more numerous swarms than ever . We stumble at the old stone ; burn our fingers in the former Flames ; Run into the Pest-bouses where we Catched our first plague sore ; fall a stealing when the branding-Iron newly taken from our Hands : to Forgeries , so soon as Come down from the pillory . Our seeming sorrows of Repentance restrain not future vitiousness ; but we defile our selves with disclaimed Impurity ; we lick up that we had disgorged ; Soyl our skin in the old puddle ; with the Dog return to the vomit , and with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire ; we come Canker'd Mettle out of the furnace , and Leprous out of Jordan . This Judgment being defeated ; he then Reaches the Rod out of his own hand , into our Enemies . Such an infatuation falling on our Senators , as they neglected those Counsels , obvious to the commonest person . His Providence as well as our carelesness , let s loose that Belgick Lion upon us , to enter into our very Entrals , and burn our strength in our own Harbor ; Exposing our Houses to be made our Shambles or Prisons : pulling down those Brazen walls that for more than a hundred year rendred us terrible and impregnable to all nations round about us : which judgment , if mercy to a miracle prevent not , is like to prove but a prologue to a more fatal Tragedy . Thus ready to be straitned in all our Interests ; scarce possible for us to flee any way but to himself ; Imprisoned in our native Countrey , and Invironed round by Insulting foes , we were minded to surrender our lusts ( which provoked him to make war upon us ) and our selves to him , that we might gain a Title to his Rescue and Deliverance . We called our Moseses to Improve their Interest ; we let down our Almes Basket of repentance , looked out at our prison grates , and cryed , Lord remember the poor prisoners : He pittyed , and took compassion &c. and as he passed by , dropped in an alms of mercy and deliverance . When we stood upon the brink of destruction , and ripe for ruine ; when vengeance even knocked at our door , and the sword at our breast , he held his hand , offered violence to his own justice , and called upon us , Turn yee , turn yee , why will yee die ! He put us once more into the hands of our own counsel ; set life and death , Blessing and Cursing before us , yet to chuse and make our own fortune . We cannot have forgotten the fears , losses , mischiefs , o● our late war , especially that dread , consternation and shame we were affected with , when our enemies did distress us in our very gates . But neither did we set our hearts to this also ; no sooner was the present smart and sting of that judgment abated , but we began to cast up new Trenches of security ; to fortifie our old Lusts with thicker Rampants of a more Resolute impenitency ; great Amazement , some Humiliation , but no amendment : we turn into a Temple , into a Closset , into a Counsel Chamber , turn to devise new platforms , but not from our evil ways . We soon forgot the promises made in the day of our distress : our Devotion abated with our fears ; and our piety ceased with his Rod : God no sooner held his hand , but we held our tongue : He forbore plagueing , and we forbore praying ; and greedily again sucked in the poyson , we had only laid down while we were begging for our lives . We soon grow weary of our own rest , and make war upon our own peace , and become cruel to our own mercies . As if we were so inamored of destruction , when prevented of it from our Enemies abroad , we ( by Duells and divisions ) seek it from one another , and find or make Enemies at home : As if we thought publick peace intollerable , that when it is cast upon us we are faine to take in private quarrels as our rescue from that dull quiet , and court the utmost mischiefs to avoid the oppression of the greatest happiness . That we might be prepared if attempted by others , we try and exercise the Acts of war ( lest we forget them ) on our selves . We dread the reproach of vain Impotent men , yet confidently Incounter the anger of the omnipotent God . Thus perversely do we countermine his purposes of kindness , and when he hath secured us , solicitously seek to be delivered from our safety ; project new dangers , and dare his power with a yet harder Taske , the delivering us from our selves as well as our Enemies .

Thus one Rod swallowed up another : And the Lord hath come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirle-wind , to render his Anger with fury , and his Rebuke with flames of Fire ; for by fire and by the sword hath he pleaded with us , and the slain of the Lord have been many 〈…〉 . 1● . ●● . . Nor hath he been silent by Extraordinary admonitions , Bl●zing Stars , and prodigies in nature , the usual Tokens and Comminations of his Anger , Trumpets and Instruments of judgment , Portenders , and Anticedents of mundane Catastrophes . He with whom it is free to do or forbear , usually thus shakes his Rod before he strikes a nation , threatens to try , and when iniquity abounds , by th●se fore-runners makes an out-cry to Alarum us by repentance to meet him ; ( so will avert the evil or provide it shall not be evil to us ) who is marching on in fury after them ; and that steps not out of his ordinary road , besides the order of nature , but for special ends and designs . To declare to the world they are insignificant , is to cast a vail upon the face of providence , to put out the eyes of most men living , and ●o raze the records of all past ages , and our own experience , who have seen and felt their doubtful effects . ( h ) And although he hath not hitherto 〈…〉 , 2● . Act. 〈…〉 . sent famine amongst us , yet this calls as loud because so deserved though at present not inflicted . He gives us bread , that we may live to see our selves miserable . Yea , there is much of famine in our very plenty ; with our store of Corn , so great a nationall poverty if not occasioned by , accompanied with it ; that he seems to have over-blest us with Abundance , and made us unhappy by his mercies ; we want by having much , fulness of bread is our sin and punishment . Thus by all means manifesting himself , he hath not left himself without witness , but us without excuse , who resist all indearments , and by kindnesses will not be courted into Amendment ; we even provoke the day of the Lord , and insult over his vengeance , and offend notwithstanding , nay the more for such terrible judgments , as appale and strike us into terror and confusion : No nation was ever more signallized by Gods goodness , or its own perverseness . It being hard to determine , in which of these respects it is most eminent . But we still Affect prodigies , take a kind of wanton joy in defeating his designs ; and as if we aspired to use miracles with him , have made our returns as unparralleld as his mercy : and would strive whether he should be first weary of smiting , or we of Sinning . We look up to heaven with as black Brows , and walk the Church with as Crooked feet as before . He that was filthy , is filthy still . What Adulterer hath yet unclaspt his hands with his curtezan ? what drunkard hath drawn his lips from his intemperate cups ? what proud person shifted himself from his fantastick garbs ? what swearer latcht his tongue , or miser opened his cofer ? what man given to appetite hath put a knife to his Throat ? or scoffer ceased to blaspheme ? such as observe us , cannot conclude we are so modest as to stick at saying the worst we can think , or suppress any thing as too ill to be acted or spoken . And if our noon-day sinners be so unreformed ; could we search the blind corners , pry what the ancients do in the dark , and look through the hole of the wall , what strange chambers of imaginary , and creeping things , and fourfooted beasts , might be there discerned F. Z. 8. 7. &c. ; how many black-nighted birds appearing upon the walls ? but what then is seen by the all-seeing eye ? The Times , the face of things turn , there are several variations and changes in humane affairs , but not in humane actings , men are resolved upon their paths , constant in their extravagances ; their necks are as Iron : They sweat and ride post in their waies , that an Angel with a naked sword in his hand can scarce make them give a check with the bridle ; so degenerate we are , and habituated in vitious courses , that if Enoch again walked with God upon earth , he should scarce draw us to walk after him ; was Noah to preach over his old notes , we would mock at him , rather than listen to him ; not a man more would be saved , but leave him to ship himself and family only in the Ark : was Elijab to prophesie to this age , himself might be carried up in a fiery charriot , but leave Ahab and Azuriah to plagues and vengeance : were Christ once more to take flesh on him , he might sooner be led again to be crucified , than crucifie our unmortified lives : The most pervers Jews , obstinate Scribes and Pharisees , were never hardlier to be converted than we . Vice goes strutting to and fro our streets in its gaudy bravery , while despised virtue hangs her drooping head ; as if to make an open shew of the spoils of goodness we lead our lusts in triumph . We ingrosse and set up a Monopoly of vice , and have made this land the Cut-purse Hall of the earth , the stews of the whole world ; as if all Miscreants were here met as at a general Randevouz . How have the filthy streams and Channels of all nations round about us , emptyed , and disgorged themselves in this common-shore of iniquity : we may here behold the old worlds oppression ; the fulness of Bread and idleness of Sodom ; the pride of Jerusalem ; the drunkenness of Holland ; the vanity of France ; the uncleannesse of Spain ; the Iron yoak of Egypt ; the furnace of Babylon , &c , The land is covered with filth , and a dunghil lies at each man's door . We are building up to such a prodigious height , the confused Babel of our own sin and guilt , that we seem to threaten heaven it self ; as if we meant to make war upon God to invade his territories , to pull him off his Throne , and prescribe Laws to him for Agreement ; our daring lusts bid battel to all the Artillery of the almighty , meet him in his Loudest thunder , and venter on destruction in its dreadfullest form ; we love our sins , even when they threaten us ruine ; and serve them assiduously , while they promise no other wages but utter overthrow . Oh! what balm is there in Gilead for this wound ? what Jordan to cleanse this leprocy ? what can we presage from execrable courses but a desperate end ? what do our monstrous impieties , but foretell prodigious punishments ? that sin will at last rap us in her fatal rope . If nothing but bearing fruit will save this figtree that cumbers the ground , it is in great hazard to be cut down , and this kingdom in the broad way , the high road to destruction . There may be threshing mountains , beating hills as chaff , shattering gates of Brasse , cutting asunder Bars of Iron , giving people as dust to the sword and as driven stubble to the Spear , turning , Cities into a Heap , and Eden into a wildernesse , sweeping away the valiant men , and causing the Carcasses of the dead to fall as the dung , throwing down golden Candlesticks , and bringing a famine both of bread and of the word upon a Nation , that hath been full fed with the ordinances ; for there is no reformation to preserve a falling Church , to rescue a perishing Kingdom . We have all reason to expect God should exert his power as eminently against us , as he hath done for us , unlesse perhaps that he sees that is not necessary for our ruine . For indeed let him but stand by , and not interpose his Omnipotence for us , he may trust us to be his Executioners , our vices having a naturall , as well as morall efficacy to destroy us ; and ▪ we have cause to fear that 's the reason of his seeming connivance , that he forbears to strike us , to give us up to those more fatall wounds , we inflict on our selves . 't is not our innocency that gives us impunity , but ( more than probable ) our incorrigiblenesse that God gives us over , with a Why should you be smitten any more ? will not prostitute his judgements ; but as the basest of Malefactors , leaves us to the basest of Executioners , and let our iniquities become our ruine : the severest purpose God can entertain towards us , and to avert it our most important concern . And oh ! that we who have so perversly resisted all the designs of his love , would now try to defeat that of his anger , rob him of those intestine avengers within our own breasts ; 1 Pet . 2. 11. which not only provoke , but execute his wrath , and make us more miserable than Hell it self could do without them . 't is more than time for us to seek to escape from so formidable mischiefs ; O let us not contract one minutes delay ; let 's cast our selves at the feet of our offended God , and beg that he will please to think us worthy his own correction ; that whatsoever we suffer from his hand , we may not ( like Herod ) be delivered up to the loathsome fortune of being devoured by our own putrification , but may fall into the hands of God , and not into the hands of men , at least , not of our selves , who are more to be dreaded than all our other enemies .

Now will I sing to my well beloved , a song By the parable of a Vineyard . of my beloved touching his Vineyard ; Isa . 5. 1. &c. Mar. 12. 1. &c. [ my beloved planted a Vineyard in a very fruitfull Hill ] on which his paths dropt fatnesse . To secure it from invasion of Forraign Enemies , [ he fenced it ] with water . His Providence , and Protection encompassed about , and hemned it in , as a garden enclosed , appointing Salvation for walls and bulwarks . It 's invincible strength put despair into the fainting Hearts of Forragin Monarchs , all their rage unable to bring : mischief upon it ; [ he gathered out the stones thereof ] throwing out the Heathen Psal . 4● . 2. Idolaters , or whatsoever might prove snares , stumbling blocks to annoy , or hinder its fertill prosperity ; delivered it from Hellish cursed conspiracies of trayterous Papists , ( men of bloudy principles and practices , oh my soul , enter not thou into their secrets ) and plucked it as a fire brand out of the fire . He [ planted it with the choycest Vine ] richest means , and such excellent ones Psal . 16. 3. as he chose to be a speciall people unto him , above all upon the face of the earth , ( o ) and out Deu . 7. 6. of his speciall love gave them Kings for their nursing Fathers , and a Queen their nursing-mother . Isa . 49. 23. To spy and see what returns it would make , and for its Beauty and Strength He [ built a Tower ] erected his worship [ in the midst of it , Isa . 6. 27. Mich . 4. 8. giving such frequent , plain , awakening , vehement , alluring , passionate instructons , invitations , pleadings , admonitions , promises , threats , solicitations , expostulations , & warnings by his watchmen , that every one was ashamed not to owne Religion , or pretend Ignorance of his duty , or despair of his reward , or to want obligations to bring forth much fruit . To distill the spirituall juice of grace which chears God and man , [ He hewed out a wine-presse in it ] making our plagues wonderfull , and us a Theatre of his providences , mercies , judgements , and disquieting prodidies . His Heralds having worn and wearied themselves out of Breath , with crying , and displaying the Banner of Peace , he came himself in the fiercenesse of his wrath , with a flaming Sword in one hand , and a Besome of destruction in the other ; and he put on righteousness as a brest-plate , and a Helmet of Salvation upon his head , the garment of vengeance for clothing , and was clad with zeal as a cloak Isa . 59. 17 : for he called for a domestick Enemy to be the Hammer wherewith he might break us , for a Forraign nation to be the arrows of his quiver wherewith he might cleave us , for death to be his syth to mow us down like grass , for the fire to be his glittering Sword wherewith he might terrifie and destroy us , plying us so close with his judgements that the Land it self mourned for her houses and inhabitants Ho . 4. 3. who did not for themselves . And after so much cost , pains , and means , I might well [ look that it should bring forth grapes ; ] for though none expect a Vintage from a wildernesse , yet who plants a Vineyard and eats not of the fruit thereof ? 1 Cor . 9. 7. or sowes wheat and reaps only Tares ? the earth gives seed to the sower , the Harvest-man gathereth the corn , and reapeth the ears with his armes , the mower filleth his hand , and he that bindeth up sheaves his bosome : Psa . 129. 7. And in the nobler cultures of the mind , men justly expect of their Pupils that their manners attest the discipline they have been under ; His expectation from it could not but be very high , there being no place under the Sun whom he hath more signallized as his own immediate care , on whom the Divine Oeconomy hath more constantly , and even solicitously attended in all the variety of seasonable and powerfull applications ; but such a strange unhappy propriety there was in the soil , that after all this culture , it produced nothing but [ wild grapes ; ] answered all his care and kindnesse in husbanding it , with an ungodly prodigeous wickednesse . The plentifull Showers , and Sun-beams of his blessing , drew from them the more filthy stenchful lusts , and noysome vapors of their corrupt lives . The sweet dews of Hermon , made the Hill of Sion fruitfull only in unfruitfull works : whether God strike or stroak , the obstinate grow more rebellious by correcting , and untoward by indulgence ; they harden under the shine of his mercies , and hammering of his judgements ; any wind will serve his turn that 's sayling to the Land of darknesse . [ And now Oh inhabitants of London and men of England ] I summon you into the Court of Conscience , and arraign and plead against you , like a wronged plaintiffe at your own Bar . I impannel no Jury , but your own consciences , nor condemn you by any other verdict , but that out of your own mouths : Judge I pray you between me and my vineyard , to evince the equity of my proceedings ; I refer the controversie to any rationall mans decision ; I appeal to your own Testimony ; be your selves Judges in your own case ; tell me what your selves would do , if so served as I have been , or [ what could have been done more for my Vineyard that I have not done : ] Indeed God can do more ●●●n he doth or will do ; he is not bound to 〈…〉 he can , and if he did , he could not 〈…〉 , but doth all in number weight a 〈…〉 re , as pleases him , and seems most agr 〈…〉 to that infinite eternall wisdom that gove 〈…〉 nd regulates all his Actions . He can overturn the order of nature , enlighten the world without a Sun , and command corn to spring forth of the earth for the use of man , without plowing , sowing , Sun , or showers , with as much ease as he upholds second causes in an ability to produce those effects ; but he ordinarily will n●t ; the established order of nature , is the orb wherein his power moves . He hath chosen and pitched on this way of governing and maintaining the world by the ministery and Agency of second causes , without which he seldom works , even miracles to give an allay to meer and pure omnipotency ; Exod . 10. 3. Mar. 8. 23. he carries on his work in a way of wisdom , tempers his omnipotency according to the nature and necessities of man ; puts forth so much of an omnipotent power , as serves to bring about his own ends , and uses it in such a manner & not ordinarily to over-power his creature by irresistable force , nor shew any more of his omnipotency than the condition of man-kind requires . He had done all for it that he could suitable to the Law of Humane nature , wherein he hath established such a liberty of will , as is steered by the compasse of reason , managed by the force of morall Arguments and inducements ; not hailing in chains of violence , or dragging forceably as slaves , but drawing by the Bands of a man , and cords of Love , he works in such a manner as is fit for reasonable souls , by overpowering our Judgements with such clear convictions of the beauty , excellencie , and necessity of Divine things , as may in a manner sweetly and gently ravish our wills into the embraces of them ; not by any force of coercion , but of perswasion and conviction , and by the same principles in man that the devill did with his first temptation , self-love , and self-interest , a desire of preferment and bettering our condition . Gen. 3. 5. &c. The grace of God was never intended to supersede but encourage mens endeavours ; so that if we be not saved we may thank our selves ; 't is not because he doth not vouchsafe us a sufficiency of grace for that end , but because we abuse the liberty of our wills in hardening our selves against that grace that is tendered to us ; boulting and fortifying our Hearts , & making them impregnable against all his assaults . He that shews a man that precipice upon whose brink he stands , that entreats , importunes , nay , bribes him with the greatest rewards , to retire from danger , and chuse safety , hath done all that can be expected from a friend , or charitable man● ; and if after all , the wretched person so advised shall cast himself headlong upon ruine , no inquest surely would return his murder in any other form than Felo-de-se . He had done so much for them as were proper , and abundantly sufficient to have wrought repentance in the most obstinate ; but yet successe and efficacy answered not the sufficiency and probability of the means . Now hear O House of England , are not my wayes equall ? are not your ways unequall ? Ezek . 1● . 25. Have not I wooed thee with tears of love ? wrestled by my Ambassadors ? trained thee up in the school of my providences ? sent thee to it with a rod at thy back , a Garland over thy Head ; useing there all means to learn thee righteousnesse ; trying smiles and frowns , courting with all the Arguments drawn from the topicks of promises , and threatnings , judgements , and mercies ; waiting with unwearied patience ; all the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a rebellious and gainsaying people Rom: 10. 21. And if the day be not long enough , I have stood till my head hath been filled with Dew , and my Locks with the drops of the night . Can . 5. 2. How many plaisters have been laid upon our sores , yet the Ulcer as bad as ever ? How many Ministers Heart-strings have been broken , and sent into their graves with our impenitency , to afflict their dying spirits ? We weary God with expectation ; the eye of Heaven akes to see this nation humbled . We hear many clocks strike , yet do not believe that the hour is yet come that we should fall to our work . All the Watchmen upon the walls cannot give us warning . All the clouds of Heaven gathered together , cannot water our dry consciences . All the Hammers of the Temple striking in their order , cannot break our stony-Hearts . The whole Colledge of Physicians cannot cure us : Myriads of Preachers , that have been in this Nation have not been able yet to convert us . We come away dry from the purest springs ; poor from the richest Mines , unregenerate from the most soul saving Fathers . If the presence of one Minister contemn'd will make men one day know and feel that there hath been a Prophet among them ; Ezek . 2. 5. what a judgement doth this Nation ly under , for vilifyand nullifying so many seraphicall Sermons . Whole Nineveh turn penitent by one Jonab , and the cry of one days journey , but the zeal of many Teachers , and Gods patience for many years , leave us impenitent . [ And now go too , I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard ] seeing it hath defeated all my attempts of mercy , vanquished all the stratagems of my love , frustrated all my expectations , [ I will take away the hedge thereof , and it shall be eaten up , & I will break down the walls thereof , & it shall be troden down , ] and destroyed by Hostile invasion ; for I will leave off to help , succour , and defend it , and lay it open to the rage , and fury of its enemies ; so that all that passe by the way shall pluck it , the Boare out of the wood shall wast it , and the wild beast of the field devour it Ps. 30. 13. : [ And I will lay it wast ] turning it from a Vineyard into a desart , without any inhabitants : [ It shall not be pruned , nor digged , ] seeing my former husbanding it was but lost labor , and cost cast away , I will hold my Hand ; and [ there shall come up briers and thorns ; ] It shall be overgrown with Idolatry , superstition , errors , abominations , and such noxious weeds . Its very root also shall wither ; it shall be no more comforted and refreshed by my Ministers , whose Doctrine used to drop and distill on it as the Dew ; for [ I will command the Clouds that they raine no more upon it : ] Howl for her , take Balm for her pain , if so be she may be healed ; we would have healed her , but she is not healed ; Forsake her , and let us go every one to his own place , for her judgement reacheth unto Heaven , and is lifted up even unto the skies : Je . 51. 8. ● . Gods promise of cohabiting and residence is limited to those who own themselves his people ; therefore , when so many of us have openly renounced that relation we cannot justly expect the blessing appendant to it , that he should longer reside among those , who so avowedly disclaim him . And though this seem to some no formidable thing ; God's withdrawing himself , is but agreeable to their wishes , a kind of quitting the field to them , and so rather matter of complacency than regret ; but there 's another presence of God that will infallibly succeed this : When he removes that of his grace , 't is to make way for that of his anger , and we shall know the God of Israel is among us by his plagues ; 1 Sam . 5. And like the damned in Hell , discern his presence only in the punitive effects of it , and read his nearness in our sufferings . And those that have most despised or loathed the soft breathings of his word and spirit , shall find it yet harder to endure the whirlwinds of his wrath , which will snatch from us those secular advantages , for whose pursuit we have neglected the better part ; Lu . 10. 42. And leave us as little of worldly enjoyments , as we desired to have of spirituall . [ For the Vineyard of the Lord of Host , is the house of England , and the men of London his pleasant plant . And he looked for judgement , but behold oppression , for righteousnesse , but behold a cry ] nothing but fraud , and force ; pinching , and biting ; supplanting , and circumventing ; prosecuting , and persecuting ; glossing , and varnishing ; suffisticating , and adulterating ; lengthning , and spinning out suites and quarrels ; dreadfull decrees in the Court of Conscience , and horrid orders in the Courts of Justice ; as if oppression and tyranny were a trade , and the Poets Iron-age , a tipe of ours . O where shall the wronged seek for relief , or the innocent find a bar of Justice ? 't would perplex one to think how many writs are fil'd , records entred , bills preferred , Judgments and executions passed ; how many regiments there are of Serjeants , and Bayliffs , how many brigades of Attornies , and Counsells in this little Kingdom ? were not violence predominant , what need there be called in so many necessary Agents to restrain it ? were not the house ruinous , what need of so many Masterworkmen to repair it ? O! when will the whip depart out of the Kingdom ? when will the wild beasts teeth fall out of their heads ? when will the hammers leave beating ? when will the Milstones leave grinding ? when will repentance so reduce us to equity , that there need neither Tribunall to rectifie injuries , nor Pulpit to touch consciences for extortion ? How can a man desire God to remove Judgements , when he removes Land-marks ? or to cast away his rod , when himself chastises with Scorpions ? or to have a taste of free mercy , when he eats the bread of others without money ? shall he repent with his Bears teeth in his head ? or his Lions skin upon his back ? 't is in vain to sigh for compassion , where the sighs of the poor cry for vengeance ; or think to pacifie God , till he hath pacified the world ; or to look up to Heaven for pardon , till cured of his blood-shotten eyes , or to strike his hands for mercy , till he hath quit them of violence . 't is much men can take their nights rest , for they lay themselves down upon clothes layd to pledge ; Mic. 2. 8. or joy in their dwellings , for their stones are hewen out of a rough quarrey ; their houses are built by unrighteousnesse , and their chambers by wrong ; Je● . 22. 13 or that they can walk the streets , the cryes of the oppressed are so shrill against them , that they can eat their meat , when they find so much strange flesh in the Caldron , or comfortably enjoy enjoy their estates , when they know by what an Ahab's evidence they hold the Vineyard ; that they can make their wills , when they feel on their death-beds , they are but to give away ill gotten goods for legacies . O how many seek places to suck the veins of the people ? buy Offices , to shark upon the Nation ? Turn Informers , Promoters , waiters , searchers , not to discover , but to distill ; not to punish , but to prey upon errors ? so many wild beasts , and ravenous Serpents rang , that one would think this Land were the forrest of Tygers , and dragons : Men enjoying preys with as much inward satisfaction as Birth-rights , and possessing rifles with as quiet a conscience as just earnings . Digging of pits , taking up all with the angle , swallowing people alive as the grave , enjoying fruit without money ; breaking the arms of the Fatherless , afflicting . Gods heritage . Aegypts Iron furnace is even amongst us . How many roaring Lyons , and Wolves of the evening , devouring with such fury , that they leave not the bones till the morrow ? Some with Felix griping for bribes ; others with Naash require mens right eyes to condescend to a peace ; some with Jezabell's Judges pronouncing sentence of death upon a framed information ; others running greedily after the error of Balam for reward : Should men demand according to Gods Law Ex. 21. 24. hand for hand , what a dismembred Nation would there be ? how many houses and estates are built with crying stones ? Cemented with bloudy morter ? Grounselled with damages ? Roofed with detriments ? Plaistered with the brains of widdows ? Hung with the skins of Orphans ? that keep a shambles of butchers meat , & have their caldrons boyling with the limbs and quarters of the poor , chopt in pieces with their cleavers ? people generally will scarce take notice of their cruelty , or feel their rough hands , much lesse take away the crimes , or turn from the violence of their hands : Instead of emptying their houses of preys , cleansing their estates from injustice , and casting away their illgotten goods over their neighbours thresholds , they will finger more , snatch at the rest , and make a perfect rifle of the remainder . Do you thus requite the Lord , O foolish people and unwise ? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee ? hath he not made thee , and established thee , and divided thee thine inheritance ? Remember the daies of old , concerning the years of many generations : Ask thy elders , and they shall tell thee what deliverances he hath wrought for thee ; and how he kept thee as the apple of his eye ; and was thy rock and mighty deliverer , when the Sea overwhelmed thy enemies ; Heaven even bowed down unto thee , and under its protection thou wentest as under a canopy of State ; He made thee to ride on the high places of the earth , that thou mightest eat the encrease of the field ; the fat of lambs , and of the kidneys of wheat , and of a land flowing with milk and honey ; and thou didst eat the pure blood of the grape . Deu . 32. 6. &c. Psa . 78. 53. But thou forsookst God that made thee , and lightly esteemedst the rock of thy salvation . Oh unkind people ! were it a nation I had not been acquainted with , had it been an enemy , I could have born the affronts you put upon me , but , what you my familiar ? what thou my son ? is this thy kindnesse to thy friend ? hast thou no bowels to spurn against , but his that yearns in compassion ; no breasts to shoot at but his that burns in affection towards thee ? Art thou resolved to make God to serve with thy sins ? His providence to be a purveyer to thy Lusts ? a Chamber-maid to thy pride ? a Cupbearer to thy intemperance ? a Groom to thy luxurious desires ? and divine patience to Lacque it , to run still at thy heeles ? to be a sinning stock , a pack horse for impenitent soules : loading , and forcing him to cry out , Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries ? will you extract the rankest poyson from the most soveraign cordiall ? and kindle hell out of a sparke of heaven ? will you nurse the brats of your lusts , at the breasts of divine bounty ? while he is smiling upon you , spit in his face ? and be sticking daggers in his heart , while opened to let you in ? do you spend the time of your reprieve , in plotting treason against your soveraign , in forging weapons against him , who stands beckoning to you at the gate of his promises ? why throw you the plaster the physician offers , in his face ? and fling out of the armes of mercy ? scorning , trampling her invitations under foot , that sets out , pursues , and overtakes you , spreads all her treasures at your feet , and on her knees intreates you to return and live ? do you nauseate your present state ? and desire a change ? are you satiated with comforts ? and sick of happiness ? do you loath mannah , and grow weary of your welfare ? have you dwelt so long in Canaan , that you know not the worth of a land of promise ? do you all you can to grieve providence ? and to exasperate a blessing God , to make gaps in your own hedge ? to pluck down the sticks of your own nest ? to drive him away from watching over you ? and force him that hath thus long dwelt among you , to turn his back upon you , and to leave your coast with distast and displeasure ? and invite in , the destroyer ? Is this the way to preserve blessings , or to wast them ? and to compel those mercies to forsake you , that you would be glad with wringing hands , to recall and regain ? wretches , I might have shut you up in the dungeon of desperation , with the silly heathens groaping in darkness , without the way , the truth , and the life , no man comes unto me , but by him , neither is their salvation in any other Joh . 14. 6. Act. 4. 12. 1 Tim . 2. 5. : How be it I sent unto you all my servants the prophets , rising up early and sending them ; so famous that you might well question whether you had Angells , or men to preach unto you , and more truly say , than the people of Lystra , that God was come down unto you in the likeness of men : Here one speaks like an orator , there another like a Logician ; Here one by rhetorick endeavours to charme and perswade , there another , by reason to convince ; here one shewes an Almighty arme to save , there another his hand to reveng ; here one comes with teares and terrours , there another with tokens of love and kindness ; here one offers an arke to such as desire salvation , there another raines down floods of curses upon refusers of it : These lights spend their own oyle to light you to Heaven ; and like silk-wormes spin out their own bowels to cloath you with the garment of Righteousness ; and loe they are unto you , but as a very lovely song , of one that hath a pleasant voice , and can play well on an instrument ; for you hear my words , but you will not do them : You were still talking against them by the walls , and in the dores of the Houses ; and spake one to another saying , come I pray you and hear , what will this Babler say ? you were readier to lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate Is. 29. 21 than to doubt of any snare coming upon your selves . Princes write such crimes , as contempt and abuse of their ambassadours , in the blood of the guilty , unless where an arm of power is wanting to weild the sword of justice , because it reflects on him that sends them Lu . 10. ; Jerusalem ston'd the prophets so long , till she had not one stone left upon another ; they mocked the messengers of God , and misused his prophets , till there was no remedy ; and when this cometh to pass , ( lo it will come ) then shall you know that a prophet hath been among you Ex. 33. 30 , &c. : wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth , and was kindled in the Towns of England , and in the streets of London , and they are wasted and desolate as at this day : for I sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt ; your young men have I slain with the sword ; I have overthrown some of you , as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah , and you were as firebrands pluckt out the burning , yet have you not returned unto me saith the Lord ; Am. 4. 10 11. you make a mock at Heaven , and slight , and contemn that power that strikes you , by continuing in sin under Judgment ; and put the greatest affront and indignity upon God , and all his attributes : carring his Judgments in triumph , and hauling them at the chariot-wheels of your Impenitency ; you proclaim to all the world , you have conquered the Lord of Host , defeated his power , vanquish't his vengeance , stood out the seige and shock of his omnipotent fury , daring Heaven to do its worst upon you , and charge thorow whole squadrons and troops of divine threatnings and Judgments ; telling him you are resolved to shelter his enemy , to interpose your own breasts as shields between his sword and your lusts , and to make your houses and hearts their sanctuary and refuge , manger all his revenges ? O desperate soules ! do you provoke the Lord to Jealousie ? are you stronger than he ? do you fling down the gantlet to omnipotency ? and challenge him into the field , that can easily vindicate himself in your confusion ? against whom no rebellion can be longer prosperous than he willingly permits ? Come sinner , gird up now thy Loynes like a man , for I will demand of thee in Gods name , and answer thou me Job . 38. 3 : Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds ? or hast thou an arm as long as Gods ? art thou able to wrest the sword out of his hands ? and make infinite vengeance fly before thee ? canst thou stand the shock of his fury , and bandy back his thunder-bolts ? and incounter the violent torrent of his indignation ? O prodigious folly ! to contend with one that can look thee into attomes , beckon thee into ruine , wink thee into nothing , point thee into destruction , and kill thee with a single frown . T is your sins have made havock of the church and state . The security and Licentiousness of your prosperous dayes , made the first breach in your walls ; and now your impenitency , profaness , incorrigibleness , cry , down with them , down with them even to the ground . Will you be so cruel to your selves , as by your persevering Impieties to smite and destroy those feeble and faint remaines of your former Felicities ? and not only curse , but destroy your common mother and native country , to abet and maintain those troops that defie and invade them ? O! why should you not at last recall your exil'd piety , and assume a holy and becomeing indignation against those your cruel and implacable enemies ? Know you not that England is destroy'd ? Are not your estates wasted ? your splendor ecclipsed ? your families broken and scattered ? your dignities trampled on ? And is it not time to dismiss the author of all , your sins ? which are also not your slaves , but task-masters , that set you to the most servile , vilest drudgery ; and are so far from bringing you in profit , Ro . 6. 21. that the only account , you can bring in of your harvest , is but the inventory of your miseries ? many houses and temples they have layd wast and demollisht , but you have no structures of theirs to shew , but a Babell of confusion . Would you yet fain feel the weight of an Almighty arm ? and force him to pour forth Judgment without mercy ? may it not suffice to have sinn'd away your plenty ? and so many thousand soules , and such a city into their graves ? no sooner is one plague removed , but do you lay hands upon Heaven , by the mighty cart-ropes of your iniquities , to pull another down on your own head ? Must you yet stir up a consuming fire ? have you not drunk deep enough already ? do you long to see the bowl going round again ? and to kindle the oyl of mercy , and the heat of wronged love into everlasting flames ? Are you resolved to try what Omnipotency can bring upon you , how far divine vengeance will pursue you , how low it is to the bottome of misery ? what ! call you for more plagues , and direfull curses ? do you cry out for the sharpe scourge to sting your backs ? and the cup of astonishment to be thrust to your lips ? that the line of confusion might be drawn over all your cities ? and the stones of emptiness might be found in your streets ? that you might be made as Admah , and set as Zeboim ? that head and tail branch and rush might be cut off in one day ? that there might be none but wild beasts in stead of living men to inhabit them ? a possession for the bittern , screech-owle , Zijms , and Sijns ? that you might be smitt till none remain ? that your land might be blotted out from under Heaven ? that not a Town , pallace , or ruin of a porch , might be seen ? but breeding of saltpits , nettles , and a perpetual desolation ? that your city might be made a heap , a burying place , a dunghill , a shambles ? that the day of our slaughter and dispersions might be accomplished ? Ah sinners ! are these your bloody designes , and endeavours ? the Kingdom might stand long enough , if you weaken not its foundations : If it fall , we know whose hands to charg for pulling it down ; not the hands of justioe , but of your own Transgressions : 't is they that plot treachery , and combine to work your ruine ; that open your gates ; that call in Judgments to slaughter on the right hand and on the left ; yea so inrage them , that they will not leave wasting , till made you utterly desolate . O England , thou hast destroy'd thy self ; methinks I see you bringing pick-axes to dig down your own walls , springing mines to blow up your own houses , kindling sparkes that will set all in a flame , barring up your Havens , unrigging your ships , building block-houses against your selves : Therefore now , thus saith the Lord , wherefore commit you this great evill against your soules , to cut off from you man and woman , child and suckling out of England , to leave you none to remain ; in that you provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands ; that you might cut your selves off , & that you might be a curse , & a reproach among all the nations of the earth Je . 44. 7. ● . And yet , as if he only spake big words , & all his threatnings were but meer bravado's of Heaven ; you slight & contemn both his golden scepter , and his Iron rod : you laugh at the shakeing of his spear , & account his darts as stubble ; you mock at fear , & at the alarum of war cry , ha , ha Job , ●9 . 25. . What , will you not turn to that great Soveraign , who hath invited you by more than six score thousand warnings , which cannot discern between pity and forgiveness , and also much forbearance ? were ever people so prodigiously besotted , as to think God will see himself thus infinitely provoked ? out-brav'd and defeated by a handfull of dust and confronted by a skin-full of wormsmeat ? As I live saith the Lord , I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner , much less of a people ; Wherefore turn ye from your evil ways , for why will ye dye ? 12 : 18. 31 & 33. 11 Can you tell why or wherefore ? what people ever perrished being innocent , or where were a righteous nation cut off ? or who hath harden'd himself against him and prospered ? But go ye now unto my place which is in Shiloh , where I set my name at the first , and see what I did to it for the iniquity of my people Israel Je . 7. 12. . When Pharaohs throne confronted Heaven , saying , who is the Lord ? God cloaths him with darkness , to convince him of his blindness ; turns his waters into bloud , to mind him of his oppression ; pours in armies of vermin to mock his numbers , death to destroy them ; and when he still drives on furiously in his sins , takes of the chariot wheels , and stops both them and him together . Belshazar while securely carouzing between the cup and the lip is surpriz'd with a hand on the wall , that shook him and his Kingdome into a convulsion . Nebuchadnezzar while boasting of the Babell he had built , by the greatness of his power , and for the Honour of his majesty , is forc't to lay down that and his humanity together , sent to graze in the field amongst beasts , and condemned for derogating from the power of Heaven , to have too much of its influence ; To speak of more the time would fail ; and will you dance upon the brink of ruine ? and rock your selves asleep in the cradle of security , while the hasty tide of divine vengeance is flowing towards you ? Ask Athens , Sparta , Babylon , Nineveh , Carthage , Sodom , Gomorah , Jerico , Corinth , Galathia , Philippi , Ephesus , Smyrna , Nice , Laodicea , Antioch , Constantinople , Tyre . Yea all the Eastern and African Churches ( who have no other defence , but paper walls , to keep their memories , and are set up , as night-lights to warn all , of those rocks and Quick-sands that ruined and destroyed them ) whether sin doth not ring your funeral knell in their ruines ; you may find enough treasure there , if well imploy'd , to redeem you out of present hazard , and future miseries . Oh the tender mercy's of our God! should he take our first refusall , and write every breach of his law in the bloud of his subjects ; should we bear no more from him upon our refusing his first call ; and go away when we thrust him away , who then could be saved ? but he pittys our weakness , over looks our infirmities , provides for our necessities , incourages our frail endeavours , accepts of our sincerity , and remembers we are but dust . He doth not examine by scourging Act. 22. 24. , nor ( as Zedekiah did Micaiah ) strike , and speak after . He lyes not at ketch to trapan us into ruin ; nor suddenly stirrs up all his wrath ; or immediately hurries from sentence to execution ; he tries , many hours Belshazzar , Da . 5. 30. and the Rich fool Luk . 12. 20. forty ; days the men of Nineveh : three years the fruitless figtree ; forty years Jerusalem , and the people of Israel ; a hundred and twenty the old world ; four hundred the Amorites : And though we can pluck down 20 houses in less time than we can build one , God was but 6 days in making the world , and yet seven in destroying one city ; longer in razeing the walls of Jerico , than in raising the fabrick of heaven and earth . He stoops to court the sinner to his own happiness ; rifles the creation for arguments ; and wrestles with him only that he would accept a blessing ; gives us good examples , burning and shining lights ; that he may thereby discover our deformity , and kindle our devotion ; overthrows them on whom the Tower of Siloam fell , that being dead , may yet speak in its Ruines ; mingles others blood with their sacrifices , that by a coal from their Altar , we may purge away our iniquities , or copy out our ruine ; gives us the fatnesse of the earth , that we may purchase the dew of Heaven ; the upper and nether springs to quench our thirst , to mind us of the Fountain of living water ; sends Nineveh a Preacher to forewarn them of their destruction , furnished not only with arguments from their condition , but an experiment of his own , able to convince them , both by the vengeance he denounced , and the punishment he had suffered : forbore the old world all the while the arke was preparing , which had they well considered the design of it , though it saved but eight , might have preserv'd them all . He hangs out articles of agreement , before his black ensigns of death : warnes , and whets his sword Is. 26. 21. , before he smite ; and lays the axe at the root of the tree , ere he take it into his hand , to hew down , and cast into the fire . Even the last day's tempest , is conspicuous in the black cloud of the threatning . If he use martiall Law , and hasten on to final execution , he steps out of the common road of justice ; when he executes that , is said to come out of his place , Is. 26. 21. , puts himself out of his usual posture , and forsakes his center as 't were , when he rises out of his mercy seat , to punish the inhabitants of the earth . His mercy is over all his works , he prefers it , and gives it a place above them ; and exercises it , though with some present disadvantage to his glory ; the world suspects his being , the saints quarrel with his justice , and question his love ps . 7● . : When Jonah had done his errand , free-grace seemingly made him a lyer Jo● . 4. 2. . Judgements are the reserve , which he will not have fall on , till mercy is defeated , as all other means prove unsuccessful , to revenge the quarrel of his abused darling attribute . He admonishes chides , expostulates , threatens . How many pauses doth he make , ere he take the rod in hand , and send us to his house of correction , and then , how leasurely doth he lift it up ; he will not lash , not lay it on , if shaking it over us will amend and bring us on our knees : nor punish till there be no remedy . How many warning-peices doth he shoot against us , ere he shoot oft his murder ing-peice ? Justice goes a foot's pace gen . 18. 21. ; mercy hath wings ps . 57. 1. ; he waits that he may be gracious : instead of bringing in an extinguisher , he lights up a candle ps . 18. 28. . In encountering a rebellious people , he sends forth smaller partys of Judgments , to prevent a more solemn ruin ; if they be vanquisht , he rallies into battle array a whole army of Judgments to root out and destroy Lev . 25 . He would fain have us reform , not at so dear a rate ; chops , prunes , lops , before he lay the axe to the root of the tree : Lighter Evills are sent before , that if they dispatch their errand , their whole army yet behind , may be disbanded or turned another way . Would words work us to his will , hee 'd spare his blowes ; would launcing heal the wound , hee 'd not chop of the head . He threatens , that he may not punish ; afflicts , that he may not destroy ; and when determin'd to cut off a people , he knows not how to sign the warrant for execution , while mercy stands up pleading their cause . It fetches tears from his eyes , to give way to justice , before he shed the bloud of his enemies Ho . 11. 8. Lu . 19. 41. : He doth but shake the candlestick , to settle it ; his hand trembles , when he must remove ; and when he sees we will not be ordered , he breakes out into a deep sigh , with an , O that my people would have hearkned unto me , and Israel walked in my wayes , &c. Ps. 81. 13 &c. . No nation is the root that bears mercy , but 't is that bears up all humane conditions , which hangs like a ball in the air , supported by infinite kindness . It is the great miracle we are preserved , not that we are in distresse , being so apt to danger that we are crushed before the moth , so worthless , that we perish by multitudes , without any regarding it ; so guilty , that all creatures in heaven and earth give their applause to divine Judgments upon us ; which are unwilling to proceed , till the stones cry out of the wall , and the beams out of the timber answer it Hab. 2. 11. : till the most insensible things , are ready to joyn with , and even provoke them up . Indeed , 't is inconsistent with those methods and contrivances he sets on foot for making us happy , to circumvent his creatures , with ambushes of unwarned judgments ; or execute his revenge , by sly unexpected stratagems . He makes not the sword the judge , but first weighs things in the ballance ; and ever layes judgment to the line , before he draws the line of confusion . But , though God be long suffering , he doth not tell us how long : Though infinite mercy will not be conquered , nor endless goodness admit of bounds , and mercy rejoyces against judgment Ja. 2. 13. ; yet he doth not forget , though he stay long : and the longer he forbears the interest , the greater summ , the principall of his vengeance will amount to . He is Just , as well as gracious : his truth obliges him to make good his threatnings against an unreforming people , and not to alter the word that is gone out of his lips . Sin may cry so loud , as to fetch him down with a vengeance Ge . 18. 20 &c. ; and be so importunate , as it seemes to say to the just judg , aveng thee of thine adversary ; I will not leave , not let thee go , untill thou hast punisht this people , and quenched the fire of sin , with a shower of bloud . For , so states are dashed in peices like a potters vessell , and kingdomes translated from one people to another . Whosoever harbours sin , is still unfortunate . A land spew's out its polluted inhabitants , when they have filled up the measure of their sins : put ye in the sickle , for the harvest is ripe , come get you down , for the press is full , the fatts over-flow , for their wickedness is great Ge . 15. 16 I●● . 1● . ●● . J●r . ●1 . 13. 〈…〉 . 12. Z 〈…〉 . 17. 〈◇〉 . ●z . ●1 . 2● . 〈…〉 . . Lo , he hath come year after year , with patience seeking fruit ; but found none , yet while the axe of his justice was at cutting down such cumberers of the ground , mercy interposed , Lord let it alone this year also . And when his hand hath been stretched out to strike , his dear children clunge about , ketched hold , and would not let him go ; so that he could not sling them off , till weary of repenting . Now after his yearly drawing nearer and nearer , to bewail our sin and forwarn our ruine , my heart trembles , lest I behold him in a relenting posture of humane despair , and like one with blubbered eyes , smiting his breast , tearing his garments , standing in funerall weeds , over his languishing , dying patient ; with whom no meanes are left unattempted , but now finding her marked with the tokens of stupidity and death , giving her over for lost ) to take his finall solemne farwell , expressing his sad Resentment , and compassionate relenting thoughts , weeping out the fatall period of an obstinate , incorrigible , self destroying people , saying , O my people ! what have I done unto you , wherein have I wearied you ? what fault can you find with me ? testifie against me . Have I been a barren wilderness , or a land of darkness unto you ? of dread , or of the shadow of death ? what iniquity have you found in me , that you are gone far from me ? How often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers , her brood under her wings , and you would not 〈…〉 . 1● . 34 . O [ if thou ] that art the wonder of the world , the holy and honourable nation , the delight of Heaven , the desire of the whole earth [ even thou ] that hast on thee such peculiar obligations , for whom I have had so much kindness , to whom I have sent so many Messengers , for whose sake I have rebuked so many people , of whom I have taken so much care , to whom I have preached so may I sermons , among whom I have wrought so many wonders , from whom I have received so many affronts and injuries , with whom I have been at so much cost and paines , and so long gone about doing thee good , teaching thee by my word , loading thee with my benefits ; ( at least in this thy day ) and happy season , while the treaty of peace , and offers of mercy are yet on foot , while the silver trumpets of Heaven and watch-men of Israel , rack and stretch their voices with ruefull elogies , so passionate , as might wring a stream of tears , from an heart of Iron . Even after thy so rudely treating my former messengers , killing so many prophets , openly , scornfully rejecting me their Lord , I yet made a pause , stood still , knockt , called , looked back ; thought I , well , I 'le stay a little longer , peradventure this sleeping church may yet awake : O that there were such a heart in them , that it might be well with them ; O that they would yet take up the controversie ; that I might put up my sword into the scabbard , and my arrowes into my quiver ; run ye to and fro through the streets of London , and see now , and know , and seek in the broad paths of England if you can find a man ●● 5. 1. that taketh hold of my strength , that he may make peace with me , and he shall make peace with me . Will none plead for a reprieve ? Will none interpose for pardon ? Will none mediate for reconciliation ? O my bowells , my bowells , must I lose my dear son ? Must I leave off my pleasant child ; what shall I do unto thee ? Which way shall I heal thee ? How shall I part with thee ? What more can I do for thee ? Is all in vain I have done to thee ? will nothing prevail with thee ? must I now quite destroy thee ? O London ! what shall I do unto thee ? O England ! what shall I do unto thee ? how shall I give thee up London ? how shall I deliver thee England ? how shall I make thee as Admah ? how shall I set thee as Zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , my Bowels are kindled together . O if at length thou [ hadst known the things that belong unto thy peace ] and wisely improved the advantages , that might have setled thee on lasting foundations ! But it 's too late [ now they are hid from thine eyes ] The glasse of divine patience is run out . Thy rocky heart hath barred up the door of mercy ; Ordinances , Providences , let her alone , to sleep on now . Though heaven thunder above , hell flame beneath , Judgments roar round about , they shall but Lull her into a sensless slumber , till destruction wake her ; for the day shall come upon thee , that thine enemies shall cast a Luk . 1● . 14. &c. Trench about thee , and compass thee round , and keep thee in , on every side ; and shall lay thee even with the ground , and thy children within thee ; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another [ Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation ] ( r ) Thou misimprovedst thy day of Grace and space of repentance . O Repentance ! Thou joy of Angels , thou glory of man , thou Crown of nations , thou Clarifier of hearts , thou refiner of lives , thou great Almoner of the world , thou nurse of orphans , thou patron of all goodness . O Repentance ! that art able to transnature , and translate a people , to purifie them in life , and pacifie them in death , and justifie them at the Throne ; that canst unlock the gates of heaven , put the triumphant palm in the hand , & set the Crown of immortal glory upon the head ; that saved 8 persons in the flood , A family at the destruction of Sodom , a mighty nation at the slaughter in Egypt , a great City , when after a thousand years Triumphant state , she had but 40. days respite to repent or be destroyed ; Nineveb had fallen , if thou hadst not supported it , and perished , if thou hadst not protected it ; 't is thou that wert her cure and covert , her shadow and shelter , her buttress and buckler , her brest-plate and head-peice , her shield and custos , her target and propitiatory ; 't is thou that taughtest her the art & mystery how to prevent an eminent danger , to preserve her self at an exigence ; that she stood still upon her old basis , when her grounsel was sliding and Cracking in peices ; That her fabrick remained firme , when the whole structure was dropping down , and not one stone ready to be left upon another . O Repentance ! how hast thou saved a flourishing City ? kept every pillar unshaken , every limb unshivered , ratified their liberties , confirmed their immunities , renewed their charter , continued them proprietaries in all their fees , Lords of all their Royalties , secured their authority and Jurisdiction , opulency and Affluency , C●lsitude & sublimity , power and pomp , principality and preheminence , procerage and peerage , crown and crown-land : 't is thou that heldst the crown upon the Kings head , preservedst the Nobles in their court Equipage , the Merchants in their splendid traffique ; pallaces , and banquetting houses , statues and sepulchers , Exchequers and wardropes , Coverts and arsenals , magazens and records , Laws and lives , by thee were safe ; not a tree blasted , not a stone cast down , not an Image defaced , not a creature destroyed , not the least dammage or detriment sustained ; vengeance took not from them a shoo-latchet . O Repentance ! how may we honor thy succouring bowels ? and kiss thy securing hand ? O great is thy potency , yea , a kind of omnipotency is bestowed upon thee , to rescue a people from greatest flatteries ; O repentance ! In the crowd of our scuffles and contentions , whither art thou escaped ? A midst our could entertainment into what quarter art thou stolen ? which way art thou gone ? to what region art thou fled ? in what unknown country dost thou reside ? tell us , that we may go and seek thee . O all haile Repentance ! Turn in unto us , be thou visible in this nation , that art able to repair the mischiefs , recall the vital spirits , reunite the scattered limbs of this mangled body , and in thee such an omnipotency as to effect a resurrection ; weep so long over its ashes , till that moysture hath rendered them prolifical , and thou see it spring out of its urn ; prepare us such a mercy-seat for God to appear upon within our walls . Let us be Ninevites , till thou canst make us the new Jerusalem ; open our Ears to listen to our prophets , that we may not have the Thunder of a confounding God ; lend us faith , that we may believe God , that trembling at his threatnings , we may not feel the Terrors of a perishing decree executed ; cloath us in sack-cloth , that we may not be stript of our gorgeous rayment , sprinkle us with ashes , that the smell of fire may no more be felt within our walls ; Enjoyn us to fast , that we may ere long be set down again at our spread tables ; make us cry mightily , that no other cry may be heard in the City , but those of devotion ; turn us from our evil ways , and from the violence of our hands , that they may not expose us to all manner of evils and the violence of Incensed justice ; that thou mayest be as Exemplary as our crimes are Exorbitant . Whither can we go , O miserable people , but unto God ? when we are in sickness , whither can we fly , but unto the fountain of health ? when in want , whither but unto that treasury of fulness ? when humane strength fails , whither can we go , but to omnipotency ? when humane wisedome is baffled , whither can we go , but to omnisciency ? God sometimes is out of sight , but never out of hearing : our sins may drive him away so far , that we may not be able to see him , yet they can never drive him so far ( though in the belly of Hell , wrapt within the horred womb of despair Jon . 2. 2. but he will still be able to hear us . Gather your selves together , O nation not desired ; before the decree bring forth , before the day pass as the chaff , before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you , before the day of the Lords anger come upon you Zeph . 2. 2. . O , I beg of you by all that 's dear and precious to you , for your own sake , for your dear Relations sake , for your native countrys sake , by all the hopes you have of future happiness return ; else , whatsoever is set on foot for your preservation , God will blast and curse it ; and his vengeance pursue you wherever you go , why will you expose your selves to the fury of a conquering foe ? why will you necessitate your little ones to wish , you and they had never been born ? and your posterity to curse you when layd in the dust , for leaving them only the guilt of your sins , and intayling upon them nothing but misery ? if you neglect to be holy , you are base Traitors to your King and Countrey ; you sell your souls , wives , children and nation to satisfie your lusts ; you betray those brave persons lives , that venture them to preserve yours . Stay not for a publick reformation , but every one endeavor to reconcile himself and the nation to God : one wise man may save a City Eccles . 9. 15. . By this may you lay a foundation for the future happiness of a sinking people , and those yet unborn , bless you . Come then my brethren , while our superiors are consulting our welfare , let us back their endeavours with our prayers ; now wrath is approaching , and heaven marching out against us , now Judgment is at the threshold , and vengeance at the door , drawing the latch , ready to come in , now the neck of our native countrey seems to lie upon the block , and the fury of heaven to be lifting up its Axe , ready to strike some more fatal blow than ever we have yet felt ; let us betake our selves to our closet devotion , let us beseige and environ the throne of Grace with our sighs and groans for mercy , and never cease ringing out a loud peale of Cryes and moanes in Gods ear , till he pitty , compassionate , and deliver us ; those prayers that make the longest voyage , will at length make the richest return ; Therefore , though God delay us , yet pray , though he deny us , yet pray ; who can tell , but that we may wrest the falling thunderbolt out of Gods hand , & pull the axe out of the arm of Almighty vengeance , and yet prevail for a Reprieve for our native country . There is no way to conquer heaven , and to put vengeance upon a retreat , but to fight upon our bended knees with tears in our eyes : Who knows , but that he whose Bowels our sins have shut , may have his bowels opened by our means and supplications , and his outstretched arm Imbrace us ; That God , who hath been our Enemy , may at last be made our friend , and then , no matter who is our Enemy . Can we conquer him by our prayers , he will conquer them by his power . If but our ways please the Lord , he will discover or disappoint their plots , scatter them like dust before a while-wind , and confound or make them to be at peace with us : such a change in us works another in him ; turns all his frowns into smiles ; his fury against us , into Zeal for us ; the thunder of his threatnings , into the sounding of his Bowels ; his compassions and Repentings will be kindled in him , in stead of kindling the fire of his Jealousie . And then , after the Dresser of the vineyard hath pulled up our pales and fences , and flung down our walls round about , and laid us wast , and torn us up ; he will at length return , dresse , prune , and cut us into fine knots and borders ; and this poor kingdome , now floating like a little spot in the midst of a sea of misery , become a fortified Island , incompassed found with golden streams of blessings , and in our laps descending showrs of mercy . So , me thinks I see his compassionate eye , looking upon this Renewed face ; fire from heaven falling upon this acceptable sacrifice ; tears quenching all Indignation , reformation ( as Rahahs thread hung out of the window ) keeping the house in safety ; judgment drawing back ; the destroying Angel called off ; the arrows taken off the string ; the viol of wrath set by : So long as we are peccant , God cannot but pardon sin , so soon as penitent , he cannot punish Repentance ; shall not I spare Nineveh ?