War our Land unnaturally embroyled in her own blood and not long agoe could have presented you even in the middest of her own bowels with whole heaps of slain This Land of England that for many Ages continued the happiest Nation on the habitable Earth under the gracious our Government of many famous Princes and we of our times cannot deny but we have enjoyed the highest blessings that either Heaven could give or the Earth receive the fruition of the Gospel which then setled a firme Peace and which Peace occasioned a full plenty to us a then thriving and I think a well-contented people insomuch that this Land then became the Earths Paradise and the Worlds Wonder or rather Envy Now alas the Nurcery of all Sects and of late years the Stage of Blood the Theatre of Warre having had her Peace violated her Plenty wasted and her People discontented and though now thanks be to God we heare not the ratling of Drums the clashing of Armour the neighing of Horses the sounding of Trumpets the thundring of Guns or the roaring of Cannons yet it is to be feared the Lord is still up in Armes against us his hand is stretched out still else what means these reports of Wars vast slaughters and murders on the Seas our Merchants and Traders spoyled their Goods Plundered their Ships burnt sunk or taken and themselves in their own defence either flain or carried away Captives So that all this little while or few years we seemed to enjoy a Peâ—ce every man again satiating himself under his own vine and firtree was so far from a true Peace with God as that rather it forms it was but a Truce for a time God expecting our amendment which being expired and we still continuing in our sins the Lord is again up in Arms for further revenge against us And what is the reason that the Lord is still thus incensed against this Land and people of England Surely it is against the nature of God to be continually chiding and scourging and whipping and wounding for the Lord our God hath no other Bowels then the Bowels of compassion no other Riches then the riches of his mercy nay the unlimited extent of Gods gracious mercy and goodnesse is beyond all imaginable proportions How coms then his favours to be turned into frownes his mercies into displeasures Why Surely if you will but trace the Seriptures you shall never find God angry but for fin nor grievously angry but for grievous fin so that the fins of this Nation must needs be mounting towring fins sins of the highest elevation and it s the height of our sins that hath alwayes brought down the weight of his judgements upon us and the eart ropes of our sins have hurried down his vengeance So that if we will but reflect upon our selves we shall find within our selves the cause of all our sufferings Plagues punishments and Woes our sins being the occasion of all our evils and the cause of all our miseries undermining our souls and drawing destruction after them and of all things else most hurtfull unto us St. Paul confirms this saying 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sick amongst you and many sleep And this was the reason why the Disciples questioned their Master saying Iohn 9.2 Quis peccavit Who did sin this man or his Parents Celidonius was born blind and our Saviour Christ going out of the Temple seeking to shun those stones which they intended to throw at him he cast his eye upon this poor blind man for the eye of divine pitty is ever fixed upon poverty and it is the priviledge of humane misery to have the eye of divine pitty to look down upon it and to favour the same so that he healed him at once both in body and soule The History is no lesse large then pleasing you may reade it at your leisures Now the Disciples having whispered amongst themselves touching this mans misfortune well knowing that sin what the occasion of all evill they askt our Saviour Quis peccavit what sin and wherein they went wisely to work in attributing punishment in the generall to sin One treating of those tears which our Saviour shed at Lazarus his death saith That he did not bewayle his Buriall for he know how happy he was in being out of the World but the occasion sinne He thought upon Adams Apple that had been the cause of so much hurt and this was it that made him to weep and this his weeping was as if he should have said What a deale of sorrow hath this one act of disobedience in him brought upon all Mankind and consequently upon me who must bear the burthen of his and their offence O sin how dear wilt thou cost both men and me Trace but the Scripture and you shall not find any one thing so often repeated there as That sin is the cause of our miseries How often doth the word of God paint out the foulnesse and grievousnesse of sin and the hurt that coms thereby making fin the very center of all possible infelicity and misfortune that can befall a man Sin was it that made our Saviour a Man full of sorrow when he took upon him the Person of an Offender turning the most favourable countenance of the most pittifull Father into frowns and florce displeasure against his onely begotten and dearly beloved Sonne discharging upon him the tempest of his wrath and made him of all other men the most miserable So that we may conclude Sin to be the cause of all our harm and that all possible ill that can be imagined is to be reduced unto it as to its Center Make a muster of all the enemies of man as Death the Devill the World and the Flesh and not any one of them nay not all of them together have the least power to hurt us without sin And therefore in our Lords Prayer silencing all other our enemies onely we beg of God that he would free us from sin But deliver us from evill which although some doe understand it to be spoken of the Devill yet as St. Aug. saith He can but barke he cannot bite onely Sin is able to doe both And Anselme saith That he had rather fry without sin in the flames of Hell then with sin enjoy Heaven He might well say so in regard of Hell for although that one drop of the water of Paradise might be sufficient to quench the slames of Hell yet shall it not be able to wash away the foulnesse of sin The Prophet desired of God 1 Kings 19.4 that he might dye under the Juniper tree and yet he would not be rid of his life by Jezabel in regard of the sinne that tyraunicall Queen should have committed 〈◊〉 that even in his mortall enemy so great an ill seemeth intollerable to him And though sin be so great an evill yet to this so great an hurt may be added another that is far greater and that is
Famine should come which is the very Engine of destruction and brings terrour to mortalls death to all things Are not we likely to he taken away with any of these and to have not our bodies onely but our soules in danger also and that of Gods wrath and everlasting displeasure Let us therefore seek to have our hearts mollified by this excellent meanes and for this end the better to move us let us consider of the blessings which God hath been pleased plentifully to poure downe upon this people as they did in the day of their humiliation Nehem. 9. of whom Nehemiah makes mention Let us likewise seriously recount how many mercies we have enjoyed and how much they have been abused how many afflictions we have felt and how little we have been betterd how many deliverances we have had and yet how carelesse nay how rebellious we have been notwithstanding them all Let us weigh with our selves what hurt our sins have done unto us how many good things they have turned from us and how many evills they have pull'd upon us and above all let us remember what a huge weight and multitude of miseries they have brought upon our Saviour namely debasement and humiliation exchange of the greatest glory for the greatest infamy sorrows and sufferings assaults and temptations the heavy burthen of our guiltinesse and the grievous punishment due for our deserts the rage and violence of most malicious men and the wrath and displeasure of the most righteous God torments of Body and terrours of soule and death it selfe a painefull death a shamefull death and a cursed death And because commonly sad spectacles call sorrow before it come let us look back againe upon that severe whip of Gods Justice the late Scourge of these three Lands and imagine you see your Children flame before your Eyes ones Head off anothers Arme a third crying unto you and the little one hanging upon you and then tell me if it be not hgh time to weep and mourne with them of Ziglag whose foules were grieved and they wept till they could weep no more every man for his Sons and for his Daughters 1 Sam. 30.4.6 But especially to lament for our sins of all things else most hurtfull to man undermining our soules and drawing destruction after them unsheathing Gods Sword and violently forcing him to his Armory to put on the Garments of vengeance as Isaiah speaketh And as thus the Caâ—tropes of our sins have hurried downe Gods Judgements upon us and have cryed to God for vengeance so now let our miseries cry unto him for mercy and let us implore Gods gracious power and that with an howling lamentation to stay his further threatned and justly merited punishments from any more displaying horrour throughout our Nation And for this purpose let us weep and sob and sigh and cry mightily unto the Lord our God And the more sorrow the better for us for such moysture will dissolve the clouds of our iniquities and the more showers of griefe fall from our Eyes and Hearts the cleerer and fairer will the wayes of our Hearts be for the feet of the Lord to walke in Let us then sollow the Apostles councell James 4.9 Suffer affliction sorrow and weep And if any thing keep us from this mourning away with it Let our laughter be turned into mourning and our joy into heavinesse for we cannot cast downe our selves so low but God will raise us up againe Seeing then sorrow is the onely Antidote and Soveraigne Remedy for all our poysonous Diseases let there be weeping and crying in every Towne in every Street in every House in every Chamber Cry unto the Lord. Obj. But perhaps some will say Is Godly griefe a Salve for all Soâ—es a Remedy for all Diseases Suppose Warre as lately it did should againe thunder in this Land Surely to weep and lament in the time of Warre is no signe of Manhood it rather argues that Men are faint-hearted want courage and fortitude so that this wringing and wayling is altogether unbeseeming the person of a Man of Valour let us therefore trust in God and be stout and of a good courage and never mourne for the matter Ans Doâ—h it argue want of Courage to lament for sinne It râ—ther argues want of Faith not to lament for sinne What doe you thinke of Jacob was he a Coward you cannot say so of him for the holy Ghost gives him this commendation That he had strength and courage not onely to prevayle against men but with the Angel of the Covenant Gen 32.28 And his conflict was he Wept and Prayed So that that which we thinke weaknesse the Scripture calls strength For by his strength he had power with God Hosea 12.2.4 What doe you thinke of David was he a Coward there is none I thinke will so disgrace that worthy and renowned Captaine of the Lord of Hosts And yet he himselfe in his Psalmes often makes mention of his Teares and sayes Psal 6.6 That he watered his couch with his teares And that his Eyes did gush out with Rivers of teares What will ye say to all Gods People of whom it is said Zach. 12.11 That they should mourne as they did for Josiah in the Valley of Hadadrimmon and as one mourneth for his First-borne the onely Heyre and hope of the Family Will you condemne all Gods people for a generation of Cowards nay this is so farre from bewraying any want of Courage that we may boldly say That when men are fullest of such Teares then are they fullest of Fortitude What shall we thinke of the Lord Jesus Christ had he no Heart was he destitute of Courage that could not possibly be And yet when he was to exercise the fulnesse of his Power to undertake such a worke as no creature durst attempt when he was to offer up himselfe to his Father as a Sacrifice for the fins of the World when he was to encounter the Lords wrath and his justice the Devill Death Hell and Damnation and all the Powers of Darkenesse that same time Heb. 5.7 he Wept and that abundantly And I hope none will say that then our Saviours strength fayled him notwithstanding his bitter Tears and Cryes Surely those that doe not weep when there is cause they are without Heart and utterly voyd of true Valour and subject to marvellous fears and violent distempers which arise from a base mind For what is the reason they are so afraid of Death but because they have not mourned for their sinnes and so removed the sting of Death which if they had done they would then triumph over Death and say with Saint Paul O Death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 their heartâ— would then stand fast as the strong mountains and not bâ— afraid of any evill tidings No not of the Pestilence thâ—â— walketh in the darke nor of the Plague that destroyeth 〈◊〉 noon-day Psal 91.6 Againe Since sorrow is our onely safety This makes
Publick Sorrovv A Remedy for ENGLANDS MALADY Being an Explanation of the fourteenth verse of the first Chapter of the Prophet Joel By Ellis Weycoe M. A. Weep for your selves Luke 23.28 Be Afflicted and Mourne and Weepe let your Laughter be turned into Mourning and your Joy into Heavinesse James 4.9 Blessed are they that Mourne for they shall be Comforted Matth. 5.4 GATESHEAD Printed by Stephen Bulkley 1657. To his very much beloved Friends and Neighbours the Inhabitants of the Towne of Bridlington and the Key and to all the Parishioners thereunto belonging Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father c. Christian and endeared Friends VPon that Edict of the first of January 1655. prohibiting Sequestred and Ejected Ministers from Pulpit and all other imployments though I verily beleeve that his Highnesse and Councill chiefly aymed at the muzling of the Mouthes of such turbulent Spirits and Martiall Ministers as are no sooner claspt in their Pulpits but presently Proclaym War in stead of Preaching Peace Sedition in stead of Obedience and Confusion in stead of Order without the least intent of prejudice to such as were quiet and peaceable in Israel and not hearing as yet of any limitation being amongst many others by force thereof not onely disused from officiating in Publick but likewise debarred of all wayes and means through which by my costly Education I might have procured some reasonable competency for my selfe and the many depending wholly upon me I have had leisure enough to bewayle both mine own and others miseries And after not a few melancholy Cogitations finding my selfe an Achan a great troubler of this poor Church and People and seeing mine as much if not far more then others sins to be the onely cause of all our woes I set my selfe to find out some Remedy for distressed Englands Malady Hereupon I sometimes Mournfully yet willingly sate downe by the Banks of Babylon there making Sorrow my Soules Solace finding indeed no greater joy in my heavinesse then in Sorrow for sin Sometimes I walked abroad into the pleasant Meadows greene Fields and fresh Pastures of holy Scriptures there to seek and sinde some soure Hearbes and of the tartest relish and some Flowers of the darkest hew and strongest scent that their sad complexion might best please the weeping Eyes of a pensive Heart and their bitter smell might best affect the distasted Pallat of a sin sick-sorrowfull Soule Of both which sorts I found the Psalmes Ezekiel Hosea Joel Nehomiah and the Lamentaions of Jeremy well stored and thick Planted and gathering some of them such as I thought for my purpose I then took a turne into the delightsome Gardens of holy Writ to seek out some sweet flowers of comfort and finding plenty I cropt some few to mix with the other that the ones sweetnesse might something alay the others tartnesse And though thus full furnisht yet distrusting my own Skill and Judgement in so great a Cure of such a dangerous and deadly Disease I went to View the Receipts of far more Able Wise and Learned spirituall Physitians and from them extracted the best directions which together with my own weake Meditations I mixt with all the other Ingredients and having first washed them well in the waters of Marah have of all these severals or simples made up such a Compound as I hope will be a good Preservative against the Infectious poyson of sin and a good Salve for Englands present Sore And upon some thoughts that if this Medicine were good for my selfe it might by Gods blessing be comfortable to others also Considering also that a Book perhaps may speake when an Author may not not harbouring the least thoughts of Vain-glory or Popular Applause I resolved with my selfe to make my Meditations Publick like our Sorrows And not knowing how to doe it any other way I took this occasion of manifesting my dearest affections and best wishes to you amongst whom I had my first Breathing and have lived so long as that none better then your selves are able to give evidence both of my former conversation and present condition It may be meane and plain as it is it may conduce to the benefit of many but my principall intent in it was the zeale I have to your Soules the salvation of which I shall ever most heartily pray for Accept therefore I beseech you of these my poor Endeavours and make use of this Physick I have prepared for you But give me leave to give you some Directions in the taking of it You must Chew it Swallow it and Digest it not throwing it up so soon as you have received it for then it will doe you no good but if you can keep it in the Stomack of your Souls you will find it to be such a Violent Purge and working Vomit as will force you to Cast or Spue up all the Poyson of Sin If you think it be toe much to swallowow all at once you may divide it at you please into severall Potions yet I think the whole will be but three easie Mornings Draughts for your Soules however leave it not in the halfe though you take longer time to Drink and Digest it all and then I doubt not but as it bath been to me so it may be to you that takes it somewhat usefull and helpfull And if any of you find ease or get help by this Publick Sorrow the onely Physick for a sin burthened Soule then Prayse God and Pray for The unworthy Servant of the Lord Ellis Weycoe To the Sin-sick Reader Mat. 9 12. THey that be whole saith our Saviour need not a Physitian but they that are sicke This Physick I have here prepared for thee is made up of bitter Potions and sowre Druggs which taken according to the Direction in the Epistle Dedicatory will Purge corrupt Humours scoure away the filthinesse of sin and bring health and happinesse to thy sin-sick soule The severall Ingredients at the first I intermixed and framed into this Compound onely for my own use and have had from them the Operation I desired namely they have made many irksome houres the lesse tedious to me and much heavinesse to sit a great deale the lighter upon me It was far from my thoughts ever to trouble the too much oppressed Presse I am so conscious of my owne weaknesse as I cannot but blush in secret that ever I was prevailed with to make my selfe thus open I know not how my scribled Papers chanced to come to the view of some Persons of Judgement by whom I have been not intreated onely but very much importuned also to make this Treatise like the title of it Publick They set upon me with some Arguments which I could not gain-say truth is they have overcome me and made me at last though most unwillingly willing to expose my selfe to the Interpretation of this Censorious Age. Good Reader my Publick Sorrow hath long layd hid by me in the wombe of obscurity but is now after nine
Obstinacy in sin never to be cured Job painting out this evill saith That the sinner taketh pleasure therein and that it seemeth sweet unto him it is as pellets of sugar under his tongue he first delights in the company of sin then he marries himselfe unto sin and leaves her not till death them depart Thus sin creepeth into the heart by steps and degrees till at last it sinks him down to the bottom of Hell But woe is pronovnced to that sinfull Nation to that people that are laden with iniquity Isay 5.18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cord of vanity and sin as with cart ropes For God is a severe punisheâ— of sin and his wrath fails not to come and seize on those that soâ—â— pillows underneath their sins Ephes 5.6 So St. Paul Let no man deceive yâ—â— with vain words for for such things commeth the wrath of God upoâ— the children of disobedience Was it not sin that brought the cursâ— upon Adam and all his Posterity his Apple proves his poysonâ— 1 Sam. 23 28. Saul for his disobedience was turned out of his Kingdom What 〈◊〉 the ruine and destruction of Countres and Cities but the sins 〈◊〉 the People 2 Sam 24 15. Davids sins and his Pride was the death of seventy thousand in an instant there the people perisheth for the sin of the Prince I could tell you of a Prince that perished for the sins of the people whose like was no King before him neither after him arose there any like him You may find him your selves 2 King 23 25 26. Like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his wrath wherewith he was angry against Judah c. 2 Kings 22 2. Josiah a good King one whose like was not before him Josiah who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet Josiah must be slain Thus you see when iniquity hath playd her part vengeance will leape upon the stage What was the reason why Gods hand was stretched over this Land why the Sword devoured and the people perished but the sins of the Nation And was there ever more sinning or ever lesse remorse for sin What is this world but the region of sin a Sea of filthinesie and whilst men are bewitched with the delight thereof how like Swine doe they wallow in the filthy mire and puddle of their sins It may be their bodies are curiously deckt and shining but alas they have nasty and abominable soules Is not our Land still full of Achans looking upon the Wedge of Gold Ios 7 21. or Babylonish Garment How is the beauty of Bathsheba able to entice the greatest number Gehazi will still post after Naaman for rich presents 2 Sam. 11 12. but the leprosie follows him close at his heels vengeance attends him neer Was there ever more Drinking Swearing Stealing Lying Envying c. and since our sins thus cry for vengeance what wonder is it that the Lord is stil up in arms against us O then put away your swinish drunkennesse your prophane swearing your brutish fleshlinesse your devilish lying and deceiving your hellish covetousnesse your savage eruelty and all your other notorieties and frame the whole course of your lives according to the rules of Temperance Chastity Truth Righteousnesse and holinesse and so though our souls be yet all staind with sinue they may in time become cleerer and whiter then snow Let as all with a spirituall eye behold the things of the world separate from their seeming beauty and so we shall not be bewitcht therewith Let us consider Gold and Silver not as glistring and shining but as drosse and dung yea as poysonous through a curse incorporated herewith-all if our hearts be insected with the love thereof or by any unlawfull means we doe seek after it Let us consider the beauty of the fairest woman as vanity or as a piece of painted clay or as a stale set for the taking of silly fooles And lastly Let us consider all other pleasing things as Drinking Banqueting Gaming Playing c. as the very stinging of a Scorpion which giveth incredible delight for the present but is by and by turned into tormenting and deadly pangs till the man thus stung perisheth And therefore since sinne is thus hurtfull let it be as hatefull unto us and let us hereafter strive as resolutely against sin as we have formerly served cheerfully under it Let us hate all sins of all suits and keep our selves from all spot of sin 1 Thes 5 22. And with St. Paul Abstaine from all appearance of evill Iude ver 23. And with Iude Hate the very garment spotted with the flesh In a word Let us avoyd all sins and have nothing to doe with these filthy inmates that are dayly plotting and contriving to set the whole tenement on fire and are good for nothing but to bring rottennesse into our bones and bowels And let us not defer to turn from sin nor delay till the Morning but take warning by the foolish Virgins for to morrow for ought we know may be the midnight of Christs call when if we be found wallowing in the mire of our sins and stinking puddles of our iniquities how can we hope or expect to be taken as associates to so glorious a Bridegroom And thus having found the cause of our sufferings to be in our selves let us lament for our sins that have brought upon us a burthen so heavy the onely way to re-infavour us again with our justly offended God And for that purpose I shall endeavour my selfe to the utmost of my skill to clothe every one of you with a livery of sorrow which is the next in the Text the assembly called must be solemne Call an assembly First part of the method or order Ierusalem the largest map of misery that ever eye beheld having been often threatned often battered and her visitation growing neerer and greater then before Salem being to become a tributary City Lam. 1.4 Jerusalem a solitary widow the wayes of Sion to mourne her streets to be empty her gates desolate her feasts unfrequented her Priests to sigh and her Virgins to be afflicted she her selfe the object of this sight and subject of this sorrow Lam. 1.2 to weep day and night and the tears to run down her cheeks continually her plagues growing mighty because her sins were waxen many many committing them few mourning for them Ezek. 9.2.5.6 The Lord now sendeth six to destroy this City commanding them to spare none nor take no pitty but to destroy young and old Maids Children and Women yet to touch none that had the Marke and what this marke is you may see in the fourth verse Sighing sobbing
crying for the abominations weeping and mourning for the wickednesse that is committed there you shall find a publick Notary sent to take the list of mourners their sorrow is their safety their lamentation the cause of their preservation for for our comforts mercy hath her lodgings taken up in every Town in every City in every Country be Gods judgements never so great mercy cannot mercy will not be excluded the Saints are alwayes priviledged men they have speciall in munities an Arke a Goshen a Zoar a City of Refuge shall be ever prepared Mat. 5. to the 12. The meek the mercifull the Peace-maker the persecuted the poor in spirit the pure in heart and those that hunger annd thirst for righteousnesse all these shall be blessed and not onely these but mourners shall have a part Psal 125.5 The godly may sow in tears but shall reape in joy thousands shall fall before them and ten thousands at their right hand but the plague shall not come nigh them Our English Sion while those unhappy differences and wofull divisions continued amongst us was like Ierusalem the very map of misery the Sword devoured the people perished our sons butcherd our young men slain our Goods plunderd our Lands sequestred and our bodies Catived our plagues then grew mighty because our sins were waxen many the most committing them few mourning for them and it is still to be feared though we have thus sinned and have thus been punished that there was never more sinning nor never lesse remorse for sin and if againe the Lord should still be incensed and up in arms against us what strength were there in us who are but stubble to stand before such a consuming Fire And therefore to prevent Gods further revenge and threatned punishments since you have seen in Ezekiel that tears are the preservatives of the living for not a sigh is sent out but is heard in Heaven not a teare but is kept nor a groane but it coms before God let us sigh and cry for all the abominations of the times let us weep for the sins of the Nation let us lament for out sins the cause of all our sufferings and wee let sorrow now cloath us and mourning cloud us let our Foreheads be marked with a down-right solemne mourning the Assembly called must be solemne Call a solemne Assembly The word solemne which is as much as serious sad and heavy me thinks may well contain furniture for the times of mourning and having never more cause I wish I might robe you with the garment of heavinesse The Text Proclaims a solemne assembly and wills you to mourn for the sins of the Land the word solemn me thinks wills us all to lay aside our wanton superfluous and supercilious sales of Pride and put on sables mourning habiliments I mean heavy sad and solemn countenances outwardly to testifie our sorrow inwardly because the Lord hath turn'd his favours into frowns He that formerly cloathed us with Beauty did again cloath us with Leprosie He that formerly cloathed us with Health and Happinesse did again in stead of a Garment give us a Rent and plagued us with the Sword and other deadly poysonous and Infectious Diseases Will you look a little into the rifling of a Wardrobe in Isaiah the Inventory you will find taken in the third chapter from the 18. ver to the end of the 23. The bravery of their ornaments and chains and bracelets and mufflers and bonnets and tablets and eare-rings and rings and ornaments of the legs and changeable sults of apparell and mantles and wimples and crisping pins and glasses and boods c. But the destruction of all this Foeminine Furniture you shall find in the next verses from the 24. to the end It shall come to passe that in stead of a sweet smell there shall be a stinke in stead of a girdle a rent in stead of well set haire baldnesse and in stead of a stomacher a girding with sackcloth and burning in stead of beauty The gates shall lament and mourne The story sheweth what our state was God grant we have not cause again to say is for so we sinned so we were plagued and me thinks should be sufficient to stir up all the powers and passions of sorrow in every one of us this me thinks should be sufficient to set open those ciâ—terns of our souls that rivers of tears may flow from our heart-breaking yet well-pleasing pensivenesse for the nature of griefe doth utterly exile all objects of pleasure and when true sorrow sits her down in a stupid and a stupendious manner and calls for Heaven above to weep with her the Earth beneath to lament the Rocks to cleave the Mountains to Eccho forth groans and the Rivers to run with tears of griefe the Israelites did not more loath then such sorrow as this doth delight to sit down on the banks of Babylon her Musick is Lachrymae or Doloroso she is as Rachel in her hard labour she no sooner conceives but is delivered and no sooner delivered but conceives againe her throbs and throws almost divide her soule from her selfe but that her solace being in division that which killeth others keepeth her alive emptinesse in the bowels blacknesse on the back round about spectacles of misery all circumstances to make sorrow greater then her selfe Surely our cause was and is great sinne being the cause of our misery Let then our tears be many let us put on the garments of lamentation let mourning be the marke of our Foreheads let our hearts be heavy our bodies faint our looks sad and our countenance solemne and especially upon our Fast dayes or dayes of Humiliation let us all goe mourning to the House of the Lord our God with garments rent and with sackcloth cloathed Let the Bride goe forth of her chamber Let the Priests weep between the Porch and the Altar Nay howle ye poor Firr-trees and let the House of David mourne and let all the Inhabitants of the land mourne and weep and lament and let our lamentation be as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo And let the land bewayle every Family apart Let weeping be in all the ends of our Nation and complaining in the streess of every City Towne and Country crying in the chambers of every house Woe and alas Woe unto us that we have sinned Nay let all the Orders and Companies of every severall holy convocation throughout this Land of England from the Ruler to the Subject from the Priest to the People from the Honourable Councellour to him that draweth Water from the Men of gray years to the yong Child and Suckling all plentifully water their Cheeks with Tears Let sighs be their ordinary Language to our offended God and cry unto the Lord to spare us from the Sword c. Our occasion is just our cause is good for our sins are great and our God is incensed and therefore solemnity expects it Call a solemne Assembly Obj.
But perhaps some will say What needs all this adoe what needs this sad behaviour or solemne Assembly Doth not God sea the heart and if our bearts can but bleed in sorrow for sin What need our eyes weep our tongues lament our countenances be sad or our whole behaviour solemne Ans The reason is though I might give you severall yet being in hast take this one for all as the maine Because the Lord our God is Lord as well of Body as of Soule and as well of Soule as of Body And therefore in performing any service unto him he expects-both in his Service and Worship as in Prayer our Knees must be bended to him in signe of our humility our Eyes our Hands our Hearts and all must be listed up unto him in signe of our confidence So in lamenting our sins Let our Eyes weep our Breasts sigh our Tongues complain our whole Body faint and our Soule languish see Mary weeping Peter weeping and Jeremy never making an end of weeping for the sins of his people Besides these outward circumstanees doe most lively expresse our inward sorrows Down down then with all the signes and sales of Vanity and in true sorrow and humility humble your selves before God and cry unto the Lord saying praying Enter not O Lord into judgement with thy servants for in thy sight no flesh shall be justified Keep us O God from the cursed custome of sinning and from the direfull executioners of vengeance especially from the Sword Good Lord deliver us Call a solemne Assembly It was an ordinary custome in any common calamity to rent their garments put on sackcloth and mourne in ashes When the Israelites found want of the favour of God they put off their wonted Garments as in Genesis in Amos in Iob in Ionah may be found But not to stay at all upon the renting of garments and cloathing with sackeloth nor to dwell any longer upon sad behaviours heavy countenances or solemne Assemblies I le onely wish you observe how that the sorrow and sadnesse of spirit draws the Body and all the abiliments of the Body into the participation and manifestation of griefe and indeed how is it possible that our countenance should testifie gladnesse when our hearts are heavy And though I grant that it is not needfull now to use such shadows in the light of the Gospel which hath brought us greater liberty So that whensoever you reade or heare of Isay 22.12 Weeping Mourning Baldnesse or girding with Sackcloth repentance by these signes are but thereby noted out unto us for Repentance neither consists in sackcloth nor ashes nor in any externall thing but onely in the heart Those who doe in good earnest Repent and are displeased with themselves they hate their sins and are touched to the quick with such a sense and feeling of sorrow that they abhor and detest themselves and their life past and by these outward signes they give testimony of their inward sorrow so that humbling themselves before God they therewithall shew testimony of that displeasure they had conceived in themselves before men so that indeed the signes alone are nothing and the Ceremonies are indifferent neither have we any Commandement to put on sackcloth or to pluck off our haire but the occasion of this Discourse and naming of these Signes and Ceremonies is That I might the better prevaile with you all willingly and in good earnest to put the truth of these signes in practice namely to have an unsaigned displeasure with your selves that you have so displeased your God confesse your sins your rebellions your offences and that with a broken heart and sorrowfull soule with an intent to leade a new life and hereafter as resolutely to strive against sin as we have formerly served cheerfully under it for if we judge not our selves worthy of punishment we cannot come into favour with God And therefore as the poor Malefactor bows down his face and cloaths himselfe in vile and base rayment to move the heart of the Judge so ought we to run in all humility to Gods mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ with unfaigned testimonies of our inward Repentance for conversion begins at the heart So the Prophet Joel Rent your hearts and not your garments And therefore to leave the signes to passe by the ceremonies and close up all in our mourning weeds our heavy countenances sad behaviours and solemne assemblies let us be sure to cloath mourning minds and truely sorrowfull soules Augustine is said to weep a shower of teares Ambrose a flood of tears And I am sure Jeremy wisht for a Fountain of tears Certain it is that none of us can condole so much as we ought for our sins are many and Gods plagues are mighty and therefore a deluge of tears were little enough to bear the Ark of our sorrow for our sins I have thus far brought you sorrowing towards this deluge this sea this fountaine of sorrow let us still follow on with paces of lamentation and sorrowfull remembrances of our sins which have forced the Lord to his Armoury and to put on the garments of Vengeance against us And for that purpose I shall endeavour to robe your selves with mourning garments and cloath them with the inward sackcloth of sorrow that your hearts thus rent and torne to pieces with godly griefe you may cry more earnestly to the God of mercy to spare this Land and not adde to our afflictions least those that have evill will at our English Sion rejoyce and triumph at our present miseries Souls sorrow outward griefe The word Solemne shews that our outward sorrow should testifie our inward griefe so that that which went before was but the Signe we now come to the Truth For our part we pronounce not renting of cloaths onely without the putting on of other robes not so much wishing you to put on sackcloth as to put on Christ Indâ—iâ—e is the voyce of Scripture not Scindite Put on not Rent off the Originall being from that of St. Paul Put on the Lord Iesus Christ which will be the better performed if you please to acquaint your selves with this inward mourning not Scindite Vestimenta but Scindite Corda Rent not your cloathes but rent your hearts And it was not without much reason that Solomon gives councell To goe to the house of mourning Est enim illie benedictio there is performed that blessing which Christ promiseth Mat. 5.4 A blessing is promised no where to mirth but to Mourning our Saviour hath annexed this reward And surely the keeping under of the soule is much available to all religious and devout offices and I am sure there ought to be sorrow in every soul The whole course of our Saviours life was spent in solitary sorrow and doubtlesse the cause of his sufferings being in us our Sins we had need all the dayes of our Pilgrimage lament for our sins that brought upon our Iesus a burthen so heavy insomuch that not
the end or exit of the verse where we shall meet with nothing but lachryma and suspicia Tears sighs sobs sorrows deploration lamentation fit meditations for our sorrowfull souls for the end doth hold a correspondency with the beginning Cry unto the Lord. Sanctifie a fast Against some Vertues some Emulators have not stuck to speak but against Fasting no man ever opened his mouth Mahomet himselfe never denyed the noblenesse of Fasting but rather so much commended it that our Fastings should be ashamed to stand in competition with theirs And I find such forcible Arguments upon this point that me thinks it s but a superfluous labour to advise whether it be to be done or no. It s but superfluous to advise a man that is sick to observe a dyet so it s as needlesse a thing to command a man to Fast who from the beginning of the world took a surfet of eating Ninive was saved by Fasting And Joel me thinks proposeth the like means when he cryes unto the people Convertimini ad me in jejunio Turne unto me in Fasting c. The antiquity of fasting For the antiquity of Fasting we find That when the Law of Grace was first published through the world Fasting was Proclaimed John came neither eating nor drinking And the first step of our Saviours pennance for our sins was Fasting in token that our first hurt came by Eating The first Law that God gave man after that he had Created him was Gen. 2.17 That he should not Eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill wherein two things were to be noted the one That man in this so great an happinesse should not forget that he had a Lord and Master The other had an eye to the repairing of his future fault and that man might understand that he should in Fasting find a remedy for that hurt which came unto him by Eating And as a wise Physitian feeling the sick mans Pulse finds out his ill disposition and perceiving that his sicknesse grew from that ill ripened Fruit which even to this day is not yet fully digested did prescribe this Recipe as a Medicine to cure this our Malady to the end that as a man did Eat to sicknesse so he might Fast to health And as Gluttony did banish us from Paradise so Fasting might recall us thither again So that not Fasting was the cause of all evills sin as you have it before was the cause of all our misery Now out not Fasting I meane not abstaining from the forbidden Fruit was the sin so that all those evills that are now in the world are in recompence of that wrong which was done in Paradise unto Fasting And not onely our first Parents smarted for it but all their Posterity even to this day and if any thing help this surfeit it must be Fasting The Prodigall cryes out Fame perco I dye by hunger whereupon this presently followeth Surgam ibo ad Patrem meum I will arise and goe to my Father It was Fasting and Hunger there you see that restored him presently to his former estate So that if our ancient lost liberty could possibly be repayred it were no wayes better to be recovered then by Fasting and if by Fasting the ship of this our life takes in no water and without it is overwhelmed and drowned Let us lay the whole lading of all our ill or good upon our Fasting Saint Ambrose proveth That while Fasting continued in the World God did still better and enrich it with new things The first day he Created the Light the second Heaven the third Earth the fourth Sunne Moone and Starrs the fifth the Fishes of the Sea and the fowles of the Ayre and though he gave them his blessing yet he did not say unto them that they should Eat The sixth Beasts of the field and Man and giving them licence to Eat the Works of God and the perfections of the World were ended wherein God gave man as it were a Watch-word that Eating would be his undoing And as St. Chrysostome hath it If in that so happy an estate Fasting was so necessary what shall it be in this miserable condition of ours Saint Johns Disciples said unto Christ Master Why doe we and the Pharisees Fast and thy Disciples Fast not He answered While the Bridegroome is present the Children are not to weep but the time shall come wherein they shall not have him with them and then they shall Fast and Mourne The presence of our Saviour and the enjoying of his most sweet company did bridle their appetites and keep their soules in subjection but in his absence he inferreth that this must he done by Fasting I might stay to tell you of miraculous effects by Fasting in Niniveh in Moses in Elias in Daniel in Easter in the Mothers of Sampson and Samuel in Judith in others and how David with Fasting covered the faults of his whole life Sola gula peccavit saith Saint-Bernard sola jejuâ—et sufficit Onely Gluttony offended let Grutteny onely Fast and it sufficeth not that the Vertue consisteth wholly in abstaining from Meat for our Saviour Faâ—â—ed but when he was oppressed with Hunger he did Eat And the like may every good Christian doe yet a man may deny that to desire which he may grant to necessity So that Carnis curam nè feceritis in desiderâ—is Let the cockering of your Flesh be no part of your desire but the maine or principall Fasting is to Fast from sin to which the other Fasting is but onely a preparative So that all this Discourse touching Fasting is but superfluous having such forcible Arguments to move us thereunto I rather therefore think better to advise you how it ought to be done and that without trespassing at all against my own ease you your selves may sufficiently see in that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians Sive comedatis sive bibatis sive quid aliud facitis omnia in gloriam Dei facite 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink doe all to the glory of God Which that ye may the better doe in your Fasting observe these foure particulars 1. That we must not onely doe good but shun evill let us not be like those Hypocrites whom the wind of vain glory rob'd of all the good they did we are but dust and the Gospel bids us beware of Winde Mat. 6.16 that we be not carried away therewith this vain ostentation of man hanging our Consciences upon other mens lips but for our parts we must not onely doe good but shun evill 2. We must acknowledge That our Fastings and good works are more from God then our selves Non possumns cogitare aliquid ex nobis Of our selves we cannot so much as think a good thought Mans poverty is so great that he cannot so much as come to a good thought and therefore may not make Merchandise of that wealth which is none of his own but God is so free in the works of
Isay 54.1.2 The barren and desolate hath now more children then the Married Wife that the place of the tents of the Church is thus enlarged and the Curtains of her habitation thus spread out so that the Dogs and Whelps may now clap their hands for joy that they are received into pitty and that the wings of Gods mercy are stretched out over them The poor beleever the thrall the servant the base in the world may cheere up their hearts that even they whom men so despised are now so effectually called to see the Grace and Salvation of God He that parhaps is but a servant to some meane man here upon Earth is a free Citizen in the Heavenly Jerusalem he that hath never a foot here below is become a great purchaser above Here is no complaint that the Prodigall Son is entertain'd and the serviceable Son neglected The Eunuch need not now complaine and say I am a dry tree Nor the Son of the stranger Isay 56.3 The Lord hath surely separated me from his people but whosoever cleaveâ—h unto the Lord to love the Lord and serve him to them he will give a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall never be put out Thus you see That the generall promises of the Gospel are Published and offered to all without exception bond and free Publican and sinner strangers and forreighners are now Comites Sanctorum fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God so that our sins need not hinder us from approching to the Throns of Grace if we can but come to the Lord Jesus upon the Feet of Faith and Repentance heavens gates are as wide as ever and the call as universall as ever Not onely the Elders but all the Inhabitants of the Land So we step on to the third Circumstance in the Method or Order of keeping this Fast the place of refuge or Sacred Sanctuary the House of the Lord your God I must now like a faithfull Steward in my Masters house take by the hand all you the weary Sons and Daughters of the everliving God and leade you into the Kings Wine-sellers there to refresh and stay you with the Flagons of his Wine to comfort you with his Apples to strengthen you with his hidden Manna and to make you merry with that Milke and Honey which our so dearely loving Husband Christ Jesus hath provided for us to sustaine us that we faint not through those manifold temptations which encumpasse us in this barren Wildernesse namely into this right Arke or little Zoar The House of the Lord your God The whole Colledge of the bodily Physitians and the Prince of them that Wise and Learned Galen prescribes for the time of Plague that of all Remedies to prevent the contagion the best is To fly and shun the infected and corrupted Ayre and to depart unto a wholesome and purer Ayre and that with these three Rales Citò Longè Tardè To depart speedily farre off and returne slowly And as this is Physically prescribed so it hath been as diligently practised by all sorts of men But because by the corruption of our Nature which is more then the corruption of the Ayre we suffer our selves as with maine sale to be carried away from the Creator to the Creatures fixing all our senses more upon the Aeriall corruption then upon the inward cause of the contagion the Plague of our sins and rottennesse of our bones and bowels which we carry within our selves and are more carefull to depart into the Country then unto the Lord as if by the swiftnesse of our Feet we could out-run him who Rideth upon the Wings of the Cherubims which often causeth that the Lords Pursuivant doth often Arrest us in the purer Ayre as well in the Country as in the City In the time of Famine the best Remedy is To fly from places of scarcity to places of more plenty And this was practised by Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.5 who went into Egypt to buy Food but because of their sins trouble came upon them in their very first journey thither and though after that they were nourished Ver. 21. and had Possessions in the best of the Land yet were they at last kept under with burthens and by cruelty caused to serve insomuch Exod. 1.11 that the Egyptians made them weary of their lives by sore labour in Clay and Bricke and in all worke of the Field with all manner of Bondage which they cruelly layd upon them In the time of Warre The best way to preserve our goods from spoyle and our selves from Captivity is To fly to the best and strongest Garrisons and this was as diligently practised by us in the time of the late Warrs in this unhappy Land but that proved so poor a safegard as that which was there preserved for a time quickly became a Prey to others And since in the storms of misery all these are such poor shelters I will therefore prescribe you a better flight in the time of Plague or Famine or Warre or any other common calamity then that of Galen or that of Iacobs Sonne or that of our English namely To the name Jehovah that Tower Royall or as Solomon calls it strong Tower Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth unto it and is preserved even the House of the Lord our God And this was Davids practice in the time of Plague 2 Sam. 24.25 Hezekiahs practice in the time of Warre And here the Prophets direction in the time of Famine 2 Kings 19.1 Gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land into the Honse of the Lord your God And now that I may the better instruct you in this journey to this House I will branch the description of this House into these three severall parts which will store us with clusters of singular Meditations First the Name of this Place it s an House and therefore a shelter against all stormes and tempests Secondly The property of this Place it s the House of the Lord and therefore able to defend us against all assaults and violence Thirdly the safenesse of this Place the owner is our God God is our Father and such a Father as will not shut the doore against his children that in time of extremity fly to him for security So that in comming to this place Exod. 24.6 Psal 103.3 we come to the Lord our God strong mercifull and gracious flow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth We come to the Lord our God the supream Physitian of our soules who healeth all our iniquities Psal 62 1.2 We come to the Lord our God to whom power belongeth and whose alone is salvation Who would not then run to this Place this House this Tower Royal in the time of Warre Plague Famine Sicknesses Diseases or any Calamity or Misery O ye Righteous souls that thirst or may thirst by
exceedingly for the comfort of those that are Mourners in Sion they are in favour with God and out of the reach of all danger so that nothing can befall them for hurt Blessed are they that mourne saith Christ for they shall be comforted Matth. 5.4 More happy is the poor man that weeps for his sinne then the greatest Potentate that rejoyceth in abundance And though we have cause enough of sorrow if we should flay to looke into the Calendar of these dayes and see and find the sinnes of this Land to be aspiring sinnes to see Drinking Cheating Whoring Swearing as common as Breathing which though they may be wincked at by the Eyes of Men yet are they crying in the Eares of God But to passe by these and likewise Covetousnesse Oppression whose Houses filled by cruelty and deceit Extortion of the Rich Wantonnesse of some and Prophanesse of all enough to sit every Pious soule in Mourning for the miseries of England And to look onely upon the woefull divisions amongst us touching matters of Religion not medling at all with that remnant of Baal I meane our Papists though me thinks its strange that after so long Preaching of the Gospel there should be still such as inundation of Popery nor with our hollow hearted bypoerites nor with the Atheists of our times who neither seek the Lord nor enquire after him Let us onely look upon our new Apostates and see what numberlesse numbers are carried away from true Religion to Fancies yet I reckon these Separists to be ours however they may be somewhat Sun-burnt Tand and Tackt with private Opinions though I hope the cloth is sound they yet hold fast the Foundation but runne through the Streets of every Towne and you shall scarce meet with two of one Opinion and yet all would be thought Religions and admired for Holinesse by which meanes the seamelesse Coat of Christ is miserably rent and torne and too many God grant they prove not irreparable divisions are in this poor Reuben O how should thoughts of these things open the very sluces of sorrow and cause Teares to trickle downe all cheekes that the Children should take delight in the Mothers ruine and Rayes of the glorious Gospel should suffer such dismall Eclipses by the strange and unheard of interpositions of those that would be deemed the onely Professours and lovers of it For surely there can be no greater cause of lamentation then the miseries and calamities of Gods poor distressed Church and People Hence the Point shall be this That the greatest affliction that should touch the Hearts of Gods People should be the affliction of his Church and People this of all others goes neerest the Hearts of the Saints For this see Ieremies Lamentation for the judgements of God on his Church and on Ierusalem his owne City and for the misery and calamity that lay upon the whole State see them thus bewayling their heavy ease Lament 3.48 49. c. Mine Eye casteth out Rivers of Water for the destruction of the Daughter of my People Mine Eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not Mine Eye breaketh my Heart because of all the Daughters of my City For when Gods Inheritance was spoyled some put to the Sword others led Captive the Temple of God rized and the exercises of Religion abolished this was it that wrought upon Ieremiah and made him to grieve and breake forth into these wishes O that my Head were full of Water and mine Eyes a Fountaine of Teares that I might weep Day and Night for the Slaine of the Daughter of my People Ierem. 9.1 as if he could not have his fill nor weep enough for the desolations of Zion and the miserable overthrow thereof which he fore-saw And this was it that went neer the Heart of good Nehemiah who being in great prosperity Nehe. 1 4. Cup-hearer to the mightiest Monarch in the World and in speciall favour with him yet for the affliction and reproach wherein the Church of God was he conceived such inward sorrow Nehem. 2.1.2 That be was sad in the Kings preserce which was a thing that he must and would have forborne if possibly he could Moses goes further He doth not onely Mourne but is content to lay downe his prosperity and to expose his Estate to a manifest overthrow so that he might help forward the deliverance of the afflicted Israelites and save them from the hands of their Oppressours Hâ—b 11.24.25 For he knew he could not be in favour with Pharaoh if he should joyne with them whom he so cruelly handled But he chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God then to be called the Sonne of Pharaohs Daughter Esther seems to goe somewhat beyond him for she resolves with her selfe for the cause of the Jewes who were all appointed to slaughter to adventure her life in going to the King in their behalfe I will goe saith she though it be contrary to the Law and if I perish I perish Esther 4.16 and God blessed her boldnesse with an happy successe she saw the deliverance of her People and the confusion of her Enemies But our Lord Jesus Christ goes beyond them all for when he was in supreame excellency he was so affected with the woefull case of his Elect into which they had brought themselves by their owne rebellions against him that he humbled himselfe Phil. 2.6.7 and tooks on him the forme of a Servant and submitted himselfe to many sorrowes disgraces and sufferings not onely while he lived but principally at his Death that so he might deliver his People from the wrath to come and from Eternall Death which they had deserved and must have otherwise endured But for proofe enough if you will have Reasons take these three First There is great Reason why the affliction of the Church and People of God should so affect us In regard of the Communion that is betwixt God and them For they are called the Lords Flocke his chiefe Treasure under Heaven his First-borne yea the very Apple of his Eye and therefore being so deare unto the Lord they should be deare unto us and we should have a tender care over them and mourne in our hearts for any evill that befalls them as Jeremy did That the Lords Flocke should goe into Captivity Secondly There is great Reason why the affection of the Church should so affect us In regard of the Communion that is betwixt them and us for we are their members and neerer then bodily members And surely we should have greater care of the whole Church then of our selves because it more concernes Gods glory and yet in caring for them we care for our selves too and in labouring to prevent their afflictions we prevent our owne and in weeping for others miseries we get Armour of proofe that will keep off misery from our selves And that there is no danger in thus doing for the servants of God may appeare in Exodus one would have thought that
onely Pray but Cry Let us then having first washed our hearts and hands from unrepented sins goe unto the Lord and cry unto him to give us the assurance of eternall life and the joy of the holy Ghost and then come life or death it matters not much for though our name and liberty and riches and all be taken away from us yet we shall be setled in the assurance of an happy issue out of all our straits and difficulties for the Lord our God will maintain our cause against all those that strive with us and will stand on our part and fight against those that fight against us according to that of the Prophet Isaiah He watcheth over them night and day and waters them every moment and he will contend with them Isa 27.3 that contend against his people and so either free them from their oppressions and miseries or else which is best of all take them to himselfe where they shall be sure to have joy without sadnesse pleasure without paine wealth without want health without sicknesse life without death and a Kingdom without a change The consideration whereof me thinks should strike terrour into the hearts of those that are injurious unto the servants of God they may be bold where the hedge is low every Dwarfe will adventure to leape over there but let them know that God is a wall of fire about those that are his and he will maintain the right of his children and therfore it must needs at last goe ill with such as list up themselves against them Lam. 3.58 O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule there is our stay Let us be sure we have a good cause and lay it before Gods judgement seat and then though we be overborne God will not be overborne but he will stand on our side even he that loves goodnesse and hates wickednesse and will be avenged on those that bend themselves and their endeavours to doe mischiefe unto his people Lam. 3.59 Again all our wrongs are known unto God O Lord thou hast seen my wrong nothing is done spoken or imagined against any of Gods Children but God takes knowledge of it there is not one practice slander or devise of cruell wolves against the sheep of Christ but God sees it and markes it and it belongs unto him to judge the cause of his servants Reuel 20.12 and to reward every one according to their works He must and will give them full pay and for that end keeps all upon just and due record so that as the works of the righteous shall stand for them so shall the works of the wicked he written in great Capitall Letters against them that all the world may take notice of them at the last day How may we then cheare up our hearts in all distresse for howsoever our Adversaries be busie and watchfull to plot and procure our hurt yet they cannot be so vigilent for our hurt as God is watchfull for our good and therefore we may be sure to have an happy issue out of all our troubles if so be we can but make our moan to God and wait patiently for his mercy And though God knows our griefes and oppressions before hand and purposeth to destroy our enemies yet would he have us to prefer our Bill of complaint and goe on in our suite against them and still cry unto the Lord. Neither is this to be restrained onely to corporall adversaries but it holds much more strongly for spirituall enemies Say a man be surcharged with sin and Sathan who play the Tyrants over him his soule being even scorched with the flames of Hell let him but bemoane his Case before the Lord and it will be a marvellovs ease unto him Therefore in all such extremities likewise let God be our refuge and Tower-Royall let us cast all our cares and sorrows upon him who is both able and willing to beare them and in due season will both free us from them and in the end make us gainers by them if we cry unto the Lord. To come to the close In the first of the Chronicles 1 Chron. 4.9.10 Jabez the son of Ashur is said to be more honourable then all his brethren the reason is because his Mother bare him in sorrow and his name is a name of sorrow and it is there said That Jabez called upon the God of Israel to be delivered from evill and the Lord saith the Text heard him and granted the thing that he asked And is the Lord so ready to hear and willing to grant how then comes it to passe that we who have been so severely scourged with the whip of Gods indignation after all these years of sufferings of punishments and of divisions amongst us the hand of the Lord should be stretched out still for though thanks be to God we are no way disquieted with any sound of war nor alarmes to Battell in our Nation yet the reformation of Religion which was one main thing intended at the beginning of our unhappy differences and as hopefully expected and prayed and sought for hath been hitherto so eclipsed as that whereas before there were different opinions amongst us as indeed there was never Church without the wrinkles of division so now men are grown to such variety of conceits about Gods service as that we have almost as many religions as men insomuch that we who should have all one God to our Father all one Church to our Mother all one Christ Jesus to our elder Brother are so far from unity amity and unanimity amongst our selves in respect of these woefull divisions as that opinions must either be suffered to take wall of Scripture and substance give way to circumstance which God sorbid or else as branches we cannot grow together nor as members agree together nor as brethren love and live together nor as Christs Sheep Feed and Fold together And what is the reason that after all this while we are not yet helped but Religion in stead of being reformed must still receive new and more wounds then before Surely the cause is this Because we have not so mourned as we ought in these our common calamities for the sins of the times and for the abominations of the Land because we have not sighed and groaned heartily for the sins that cleave to our soules otherwise God would have been as ready to heare as we to cry for good suiters are alwayes good speeders but it seems we have howled upon our Beds as the Lord himselfe complains in Hosea Hos 7.14 And though these rents in our Church be sufficient of themselves to open the floud-gates of sorrow and clothe all our dejected soules with the garments of heavinesse and liveries of mourning yet there are other miseries and troubles though not fit to stand in competition with these that lye so sadly upon us as might well fill our eyes with tears our breasts with sighs To name them were superfluous
what eare heart not of troubles and losses and crosses on Land and on Sea at home and abroad and where is any mourning for the afflictions of Joseph where are our tears that should cry aloud and pierce the ears of the Almighty surely we have not so mourned as we ought to have done It is a Prodigy to see Fountains dryed up in Winter but far more prodigious must it needs be to see our eyes hearts breasts and all dry in these so many winters of our common miseries and these long continued stormes of our afflictions I know there is few or none of us but will sigh at the losse of his goods by enemies at the parting with his estate at the Imprisoning of his Person at the banishing of himselfe and friends from their native homes there is none of these but seems to take away the very life of our soules from us and yet few of us sigh for our own or other mens sins the cause of all our woe But surely all causes rather then effects are to be lamented sin is the cause losse but the effect And though t is true that reason doth informe and affection doth inforce a kind of lamentation weeping and mourning for the losse of goods liberty or friends c. yet grace doth commend and God doth command another fighing sobbing crying both for our own and nationall sins for nature doth teach us to weep for naturall causes but grace for spirituall and if the least of our bosome sins be fire in the hand and a serpent in the heart how much more then are common sins to be lamented being the unfruitfull thornes that choke the good seed of vertue and grace And yet it is to be feared if inquiry were made that many would be sound in this great and still continued misery whose mouthes in stead of prayers and cryes belch and breath out nothing but the unsavoury speeches of the soule corrupting not the company onely but the very Ayre in which they breathe whose eyes in stead of tears are the open windows to let in whole loads of sin into their minds whose ears in stead of receiving and conveying the good Word of God to their soules are the doores of their own destruction whose breasts in stead of sighs are the very store-house of corruption nay were inquisition made it is to be feared that many of us would be found in these our publick maladies though the times have long called to mourning scarce to have layd aside our publick sins not parting with our ordinary impieties in these extraordinary judgements Good Vriah refused to take his honest ease 2 Sam. 11.11 while the Arke and Israel and Iudah abode in tents I pray God none of us have presumed to take unhonest courses since our miseries have bin so great our plagues so mighty Gods judgements so weighty and our danger so eminent Let then all of us shew our selves by an holy mourning that we are so far from participating in such mens sins and in the wickednesse of the world as that in consideration hereof we may be found not onely sighing but weeping and bemoaning the increase of iniquity and deploring the sins of our Nation And no doubt but many might be found amongst us who sometimes send out a naturall sigh or sob in regard of some outward thing as in regard of shame and punishment in regard of wants and distresses or in regard of the hand of God upon them by sicknesse paine sores or the like Exod. 8.8 as Pharaoh did when the hand of God was on him then he cryed I have sinned and take away this plague but he never cryed take away the hardnesse of mine heart and the cursednesse of my nature Nay more perhaps some may be found who sometimes sigh and groane for some actuall sin when they feel it pressing and lying heavy upon their Consciences yet these men but groane as the bruit beast doth that is pressed with some heavy burthen but they fetch not their sighs from under that corruption that cleaves to their Hearts so they groane not with their Hearts soundly when they sigh for their Sins But if we would have true comfort in sighing and groaning for Sin we must down to the root of all Sins in our selves and fetch our sighs from under that corruption that cleaves inwardly to our soules and that 's the sighing of a Child of God and such loud-tongued scalding Sighs and salt brinish tears flowing from the Heart-breaking of a Sin-burthened soule will be both pleasing to God and yeild comfort to us Let us then sigh and groane heartily for those Sins which are so deeply ingrafted in us let us weep for our selves let us weep for others let every remembrance of Sin both our own and others make fresh bleeding wounds in our Hearts Let sorrow clothe us let mourning cloud us let weeping be in every corner let nothing be heard in our streets but the Voyce of wayling and while our miseries are smarting and our calamities lasting let nothing remaine to the godly but sorrow and weeping that so we may escape unhurt in the devastation of the wicked for the Saints are alwayes priviledged men their sorrow is their safety their lamentation the cause of their preservation So in Ezekiel Ezek. 9.4 c. mourners shall be marked Set a Marke saith God upon the Fore-heads of them that Mourne and Cry for all the abominations of the Land and by this Marke shall be preserved Examples to all Posterity and Saints hereafter in Eternall Glory And thus having clothed you in the Garments of heavinesse and robed your soules with the sable livery of Mourning I cannot I suppose leave you in a better habit then that of Sorrow nor in a better Posture then that of Humiliation nor in a better Place then the House of the Lord your God where if you Cry earnestly no doubt but he will heare graciously And so let Lamentation Seale up our Discourse Lord Heare our Prayer and let our Cry come unto thee AMEN FINIS