that as in Rehoboams case so likewise in ours The thing is of the Lord intending to bring his heavy judgement upon us for our great sinnes and our stupid and stupendious security in sinning and to make us instruments of his designed vengeance one upon another peradventure it would be a seasonable and necessary motion to be made to our King and his Nobles To revive this old Proclamation of the King of Nineveh and to send it with authority through His Majesties dominions and to try whether it will produce some good effect who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Who can tell whether he that hath the hearts of King and people in his hand and turneth them whithersoever he thinketh best may not upon our repentance take our extreamity for his oportunity and at last open our eyes that we may see those things that belong to our peace and shew us the way of Peace which hitherto we have not known but this by the way for my purpose I obsâ—â—â—e that this repentance which when the sword of God was drawne and his arme advanced for a blow stayd his hand and sheathed his sword againe was not a meere sorrow for their sinnes and a purpose to leave them nay it was not only laying aside their gallantry and bravery and putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes and crying mightily unto God of which yet we are come very short but it was also and that cheifly their universall turning from their evill way which above all the rest was prevalent and effectuall with God Almighty for so it is written And God saw their works that they turned from their evill way and God repented him of the evill that he sayed he would do and he did it not In the Gospell of S. Luke cap. 24. The condition of the new Covenant to which remission of sinnes is promised is expressed by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead and that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name which place if ye compare with that in the Gospell of S. Matthew Go teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy-Ghost teaching them to observe all whatsoever I shall command you It will be no difficulty to collect that what our Saviour calls in one place {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} repentance that he calls in another observing all that he hath commanded which if repentance were no more but sorrow for sinne and intending to leave it certainely he never could nor would have done And as little could S. Paul Act. 20. 21. professe that the whole matter of his preaching was nothing else but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ It being manifest in his Epistles he preaches and presses every where the necessity of mortification regeneration new and sincere obedience all which are evidently not contained under the head of Faith and therefore it is evident he comprized all these under the name of Repentance In which words moreover it is very considerable as also in another place Heb. 6. where among the fundamentalls of Christianity the first place is given to {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I say it is very considerable that though the word may not very absolutely be rendred repentance yet we shall do much right to the place and make them much more cleare and intelligible if instead of repentance we had put conversion as it is in some of the best Latine translations so for example if instead of repentance to God Act. 20. and repentance from dead workes in the Epistle to the Heb. which our English tongue will hardly beare we should reade conversion to God conversion froÌ„ dead workes every one sees it would be more perspicuous and more naturall whereas on the other side if instead of repentance we should substitute sorrow as every true and genuine interpretation may with advantage to the clearenesse of the sense be put in place of the word interpreted and read the places sorrow towards God and sorrow from dead workes it is apparent that this reading would be unnaturall and almost ridiculous which is a great argument that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to which forgivenesse of sinnes is promised in the Gospell is not only sorrow for sinne but conversion from sinne And yet if it be not so but that heaven may be purchased at easier and cheaper rates how comes it to passe that in the new Testament we are so plainely and so frequently assured that without actuall and effectuall amendment and newenesse of life without actuall and effectuall mortification regeneration sanctification there is no hope no possibility of Salvation Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire So S. Iohn Baptist preaches repentance it is not then the leaves of a faire profession no nor the blossomes of good purposes and intentions but the fruite the fruite only that can save us from the fire neither is it enough not to beare ill fruite unlesse we bring forth good Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire Not every one that sayeth unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven so our Saviour Matth. 7 21. And againe after he had delivered his most divine precepts in his Sermon on the mount which Sermon containes the substance of the Gospell of Christ he closeth up all with saying he that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not and yet these were the hardest sayings that ever he sayed I will liken him to a foolish man which built his house upon the sand that is his hope of Salvation upon a sandy and false ground when the raine descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beate upon that house it fell and great was the fall of it They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts So S. Paul Gal. 5. 24. they then that have not done so nor crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts let them be as sorrowfull as they please let them intend what they please they as yet are none of Christs and good Lord what a multitude of Christians then are there in the world that do not belong to Christ The workes of the flesh sayeth the same S. Paul are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Lasciviousnesse Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkennesse revellings of the which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdome of
that the transgressing any point of his Commission should cost him his life and the exact performance of it be recompenced with as high a reward as were in the Kings power to bestow upon him can it be imagined that any man who beleives this and is in his right mind can be so supinely and stupidly negligent of this charge which so much imports him as to oversee through want of care any one necessary Article or part of his Commission especially if it be delivered to him in writing and at his pleasure to peruse it every day Certainely this absurd negligence is a thing without example and such as peradventure will never happen to any sober man to the worlds end and by the same reason if we were firmely perswaded that this book doth indeed containe that charge and Commission which infinitely more concernes us it were not in reason possible but that to such a perswasion our care and diligence about it should be in some measure answerable seeing therefore most of us are so strangely carelesse so grossely negligent of it is there not great reason to feare that though we have professors and protestors in aboundance yet the faithfull the truely and sincerely faithfull are in a manner failed from the children of men What but this can be the cause that men are so commonly ignorant of so many articles and particular mandates of it which yet are as manifest in it as if they were written with the beames of the Sun For example how few of our Ladies and Gentlewomen doe or will understand that a voluptuous life is damnable and prohibited to them Yet Saint Paul saith so very plainely She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth I beleive this case divinely regards not the Sex He would say He as well as She if there had beene occasion Howfew of the Gallants of our time doe or will understand that it is not lawfull for them to be as expensive and costly in apparell as their meanes or perhaps their credit will extend unto which is to sacrifice unto vanity that which by the Law of Christ is due unto Charity and yet the same Saint Paul forbids plainely this excesse even to women also let women he would have said it much rather to the men array themselves in comely apparell with shamefastnesse and modesty not with embroidered haire or gold or pearles or costly apparell and to make our ignorance the more inexcusable the very same rule is delivered by Saint Peter also 1 Epist. 3. 3. How few rich men are or will be perswaded that the Law of Christ permits them not to heape up riches for ever nor perpetually to adde house to house and land to land though by lawfull meanes but requires of them thus much charity at least that ever while they are providing for their Wives and Children they should out of the increase wherewith God blesseth their industry allot the poore a just and free proportion and when they have provided for them in a convenient manner such as they themselves shall judge sufficient and convenient in others that then they should give over making purchase after purchase but with the surplussage of their revenue beyond their expence procure as much as lyes in them that no Christian remaine miserably poore few rich men I feare are or will be thus perswaded and their daily actions shew as much yet undoubtedly either our Saviours generall command of loving our neighbours as our selves which can hardly consist with our keeping vainely or spending vainly what he wants for his ordinary subsistence layes upon us a necessity of this high liberality or his speciall command concerning this matter Quod superest daâ—â— pauperibus that â—hich remaines give to the poore or that which St. Iohn saith 1. Ep. 3. 17. reacheth home unto it Whosoever hath this worlds good and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up the bowells of his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him which is in effect as if he had said He that keepeth from any brother in Christ that which his brother wants and he wants not doth but vainely thinke that he loves God and therefore vainely hope that God loves him Where almost are the men that are or willbe perswaded the Gospell of Christ requires of men Humility like to that of little Children and that under the highest paine of damnation That is that we should no more over-value our selves or desire to be highly esteemed by others no more undervalue scorne or despise others no more affect preeminence over others then little children do before we have put that pride into them which afterwards we charge wholy upon their naturall corruption and yet our blessed Saviour requires nothing more Rigidly nor more plainly then this high degree of humility verily saith he I say unto you he speakes to his disciples affecting high places and demanding which of them should be greatest except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Would it not be strange newes to a great many that not onely adultery and fornication but even uncleanenesse and lasciviousnesse not only idolatry and witchcraft but hatred variance emulations wrath and contentions not only murthers but envying not drunkenesse onely but revelling are things prohibited to Christians and such as if we forsake them not we cannot inherit the Kingdome of heaven and yet these things as strange as they may seeme are plainly written some of them by S. Peter 1 Ep. 4 ch. But all of them by S. Paul Gal. 5. 15. Now the workes of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fernication uncleanenesse lasciviousnesse c of the which I tell you before as I have told you in times past that they who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God If I should tell you that all bitternesse and evill speaking nay such is the modesty and gravity which Christianity requires of us foolish talke and jesting are things not allowed to Christians would not many cry out these are hard and strange sayings who can heare them and yet as strange as they may seeme they have beene written well nigh 1600 yeares and are yet extant in very legible Characters in the Episâ— to the Eph. the end of the 4. and the beginning of the 5 chap. To come a little nearer to the businesse of our times the cheife Actours in this bloudy Tragoedy which is now upon the Stage who have robb'd our Soveraigne Lord the King of his Forts Townes Treasure Ammunition Houses of the Persons of many of his Subjects and as much as lyes in them of the hearts of all of them Is it credible that they know and remember and consider the example of David recorded for their instruction Whose heart smote him when he had but cut off the hemme of Sauls garment They that make no scruple at all of fighting with His Sacred Majesty and shooting Musketts
and Ordnance at Him which sure have not the skill to choose a Subject from a King to the extreame hazard of his Sacred Person whomby all possible obligations they are bound to defend do they know thinke you the generall rule without exception or limitation left by the Holy Ghost for our direction in all such cases Who can lift up his hand against the Lords Anoynted and be innocent or do they consider his Command in the Proverbs of Solomon My Sonne feare God and the King and meddle not with them that desire change Or his counsell in the Booke of Ecclesiastes I counsell thee to keepe the Kings Commandement and that in regard of the Oath of God or because they possibly may pretend that they are exempted from or unconcerned in the commands of obedience delivered in the Old Testament do they know and remember the precept given to all Christians by S. Peter Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreame or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him or that terrible sanction of the same command They that resist shall receiue to themselves damnation left us by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans who then were the miserable Subjects of the worst King the worst man nay I thinke I may adde truly the worst beast in the world that so all Rebells mouthes might be stopt for ever and left without all colour or pretence whatsoever to justifie resistance of Soveraigne power Undoubtedly if they did know and consider and lay close to their hearts these places of Scripture or the fearefull judgement which befell Corâ—h Dathan and Abiram for this very sinne which now they commit and with a high hand still proceed in it would be impossible but their hearts should smite them as Davids did upon an infinitely lesse occasion and affright them out of those wayes of present confusion and eternall damnation And then on the other side they that maintaine the Kings righteous cause with the hazard of their lives and fortunes but by their oathes and curses by their drunkennesse and debauchery by their irreligion and prophannesse fight more powerfully against their party then by all other meanes they do or can fight for it are not I feare very well acquainted with any part of the Bible but that strict caution which properly concernes themselves in the booke of Leviticus I much ddoubt they have scarce ever hard of it When thou goest to warr with thine Enemies then take heede there be no wicked thing in thee not onely no wickednesse in the cause thou maintainest nor no wickednesse in the meanes by which thou maintainest it but no personall impieties in the persons that maintaine it Beloved for the former two we have reason to be full of comfort and considence For what is our cause what is that which you fight and we pray for but to deliver the King and all his good Subjects out of the power of their Enemies who will have no peace but with their slaves and vassalls and for the meanes by which it is maintained it is not by lying it is not by calumnies it is not by running first our selves and then forceing the people to universall perjury but by a just warre because necessary and by as faire and mercifull a warre as if they were not Rebells and Traitors you fight against but Competitors in a doubtfull Title But now for the third part of the caution that to deale ingeniously with you and to deliver my owne soule if I cannot other mens that I cannot thinke of with halfe so much comfort as the former but seeing so many Ionasses imbarqued in the same ship the same cause with us and so many Achan's entering into Battle with us against the Cananites seeing Publicanes and sinners on the one side against Scribes and Pharisees on the other on the one side Hypocrisy on the other prophanesse no honesty nor justice on the one side and very little piety on the other On the one side horrible oathes curses and blasphemies On the other pestilentlyes calumnies and perjury When I see amongst them the pretence of reformation if not the desire pursued by Antichristian Mahumetan devillish meanes and amongst us little or no zeale for reformation of what is indeed amisse little or no care to remove the cause of Gods anger towards us by iust lawfull and Christian meanes I professe plainely I cannot without trembling consider what is likely to be the event of these distractions I cannot but feare that the goodnesse of our cause may sinke under the burthen of our sins And that God in his justice because we will not suffer his Judgements to atcheive their prime scope and intention which is our amendment and reformation may either deliver us up to the blind zeale and fury of our Enemies or else which I rather feare make us instruments of his justice each against other and of our owne just and deserved confusion This I professe plainely is my feare and I would to God it were likewise the feare of every Souldier in His Majesties Army but that which increaseth my feare is that I see very many of them have very little or none at all I meane not that they are fearelesse towards their Enemies that 's our joy and Triumph but that they shew their courage even against God and feare not him whom it is madnesse not to feare Now from whence can their not fearing him proceed but from their not knowing him their not knowing his will and their owne duty not knowing how highly it concernes Souldiers above other professions to be religious and then if ever when they are engaged in dangerous adventures and every moment have their lives in their hands When they go to warre with their Enemies then to take heed there be no wicked thing in them You see beloved how many instances and examples I have given you of our grosse ignorance of what is necessary easie for us to know to these it were no difficult matter to adde more Now from whence can this ignorance proceed but from supine negligence and from whence this negligence but from our not beleiving what we pretend to beleive For did we beleive firmly and heartily that this Booke were given us by God for the rule of our Actions and that obedience to it were the certaine and only way to eternall happinesse it were impossible we should be such enemies to our selves such Traytors to our owne soules as not to search it at least with so much diligence that no necessary point of our duty plainely taught in it could possibly escape us But it is certaine and apparent to all the world that the greatest part of Christians through grosse and willfull negligence remaine utterly ignorant of many necessary points of their duty to God and man and therefore it is much to be feared that this booke and the Religion of Christ contained
He that kills an Oxe is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a Lambe as if he cut off a Doggs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered Swines flesh he that burned incense as if he blessed an Idol and what 's the reason of this strange aversion of God from his owne Ordinances it followes in the next words they have chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighteth in their abominations Terrible are the words which he speaketh to the same purpose in the prophecy of Amos chap. 5. v. 21 22 23. I hate I despise your feast dayes and I will not smell in your solemne assemblies though you offer me burnt offerings and meate offerings I will not accept them nor will I regard your peace offerings Now beloved if this hypocrisie this resting in outward performances were so odious to God under the law a religion full of shadowes and ceremonies certainely it will be much more odious to do so under the Gospell a religion of much more simplicity and exacting so much the greater sincerity of the heart even because it disburdens the outward man of the performance of Legall rites and observances And therefore if we now under the Gospell shall thinke to delude God Allmighty as Micholl did Saul with an Idoll handsomely drest instead of the true David If we shall content and please our selves with being of such or such a Sect or profession with going to Church saying or hearing of Prayers receiving of Sacraments hearing repeating or preaching of Sermons with zeale for Ceremonies or zeale against them or indeed with any thing besides constant piety towards God Loyalty and obedience towards our Soveraigne justice and charity towards all our Neighbours temperance chastity and sobriety towards our selves certainely we shall one day find that we have not mocked God but our selves and that our portion among hypocrites shall be greater then theirs In the next place let mee intreat you to consider the fearfull judgement which God hath particularly threatned to this very sinne of drawing nigh unto him with our lipps when our hearts are farre from him It is the great judgement of being given over to the spirit of slumber and security the usuall forerunner of speedy desolation and destruction as we may see in the 29 chap. of Esaiah from the 9 to the 14 vers. Stay your selves and wonder cry ye on t and cry they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drinke for the Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes The prophets and your rulers the seers hath he covered and after at the 14 vers The wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidde Certainely this judgement if ever it were upon any people we have cause to feare it is now upon us For if the spirit of deepe sleepe were not upon us how could we sleepe so securely even upon the brinke of the pit of perdition how could we proceed on so confidently in our mirth and jollity nay in our crying sinnes and horrible impieties now when the hand of God is upon us and wrath is gone out even ready to consume us if the wisdome of our wise men were not perished how were it possible they should so obstinately refuse the security offered of our lawes liberties and religion by the Kings Oath by his execrations on himselfe and his posterity in case he should violate it by the oathes of all his Ministers not to consent to or be instruments in such a violation by the so much desired Trienniall Parliament from which no transgressor can possibly be secure and instead of all this security seeke for it by a civill warre the continuance whereof must bring us to destruction and desolation or else he hath deceived us by whom we are taught That a Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand Now what was the sinne which provoked this fearefull judgement What but that which I have laboured to convince you of and to disswade you from even the sinne of hypocrisy as we may see at the 12th verse Wherefore saith the Lord for as much aâ— this people draw neare me with their mouth and with their lips doe honour mee but have removed their heart farre from mee and their feare towards mee is taught by the precepts of men therefore behold I will proceed to doe a mervailous worke amongst them for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish c. Consider Thirdly what woes woes woes our Saviour thunders out against the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites and againe and againe Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Beloved if we be hypocrites as they were Tith mint and Cumin and neglect the weighty matters of the Law judgement and justice and mercy as they did Make long prayers and under a pretence devoure Widowes houses as they did Wash the outside of the dish and platter while within we are full of ravening and wickednesse write Gods Commandements very large and faire upon our Phylacteries but shut them quite out of their hearts Build the Sepulchres of the old Prophets and kill their successors in fine if we be like painted Sepulchres as they were outwardly garnished and beautifull but within full of dead mens bones and rottennesse wee are then to make accompt that all these woes belong to us and will one day overtake us Consider lastly the terrible example of Ananias and Sapphira and how they were snatcht away in the very act of their sinne and that their fault was as the Text tells us that they lyed unto God Beloved we have done so a thousand thousand times our whole lives if sincerely examined would appeare I feare little lesse but a perpetuall lye hitherto God hath beene mercifull to us and given us time to repent but let us not proceed still in imitating their fact lest at length we be made partakers of their fall God of his infinite mercy prevent this in every one of us even for his Sonne our Saviour Jesus Christ's sake by whom and with whom in the unity of the holy Spirit be all honour and glory to the eternall Father world without end Amen FINIS 1 Pet. 3. 21. 1 Tim. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Sam. 26. 9. Prov. 24. â—1 Eccles 8 â— 1 Cor 7. 10. Matth. 3 10. Gal. 5 19 20 21
but to say that all things considered it was absolutely impossible for you to avoyd it is flatly to deny it Others there are that thinke they have done enough if to confession of sinne they adde some sorrow for it if when the present fit of sinne is past and they are returned to themselves the sting remaining breed some remorse of conscience some complaints against their wickednesse and folly for having done so and some intentions to forsake it though vanishing and ineffectuall These heate-dropps this morning dew of sorrow though it presently vanish and they returne to their sinne againe upon the next temptation as a dogg to his vomit when the pang is over yet in the pauses betweene while they are in their good moode they conceive themselves to have very true and very good repentance so that if they should have the good fortune to be taken away in one of these Intervalla one of these sober moodes they should certainly be saved which is just as if a man in a quartane Ague or the stone or goute should thinke himselfe ridd of his disease as oft as he is out of his fitt But if repentance were no more but so how could St. Paul have truly sayd that godly sorrow worketh repentance every man knowes that nothing can worke it selfe The Architect is not the house which he builds The Father is not the Son which he begets the Tradesman is not the worke which he makes and therefore if sorrow godly sorrow worketh repentance certainely sorrow is not repentance the same Saint Paul tells us in the same place that the sorrow of the world worketh death and you will give me leave to conclude from hence therefore it is not death and what shall hinder me from concluding thus also Godly sorrow worketh repentance therefore it is not repentance To this purpose it is worth the observing that when the Scripture speakes of that kind of repentance which is onely sorrow for something done and wishing it undone it constantly useth the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to which forgivenesse of sinnes is no where promised So it is written of Iudas the sonne of perdition Matth. 27. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he repented and went and hanged himselfe and so constantly in other places But that repentance to which remission of sinnes and salvation is promised is perpetually expressed by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies a through change of the heart soule of the life and actions {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Mat. 3. 2. which is rendred in our last translation Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand But much better because freer from ambiguity in the entrance to our Common Prayer Booke Amend your lives for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand From whence by the way we may observe that in the judgement of those holy and learned Martyrs repentance and amendment of life are all one And I would to God the same men out of the same care of avoyding mistakes and to take away occasion of cavilling our Liturgy from them that seeke it and out of feare of encourageing carnall men to security in sinning had beene so provident as to set downe in termes the first sentence taken out of the 18th of Ezekiel and not have put in the place of it an ambiguous and though not in it selfe yet accidentally by reason of the mistake to which it is subject I feare very often a pernitious paraphrase for whereas thus they make it At what time soever a Sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord The plaine truth if you will heare it is the Lord doth not say so these are not the very words of God but the paraphrase of men the words of God are as followeth If the wicked turne from all the sins which he hath committed and keepe all my Statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye where I hope you easily observe that there is no such word as At what time soever a sinner doth repent c. and that there is a wide difference betweene this as the word repent usually sounds in the eares of the people and turning from all sinnes and keeping all Gods Statutes that indeed having no more in it but sorrow and good purposes may be done easily and certainely at the last gaspe and it is very strange that any Christian who dyes in his right senses and knowes the difference betweene heaven and hell should faile of the performing it but this worke of turning keeping and doing is though not impossible by extraordinary mercy to be performed at last yet ordinarily a worke of time a long and a laborious worke but yet heaven is very well worth it and if you meane to go through with it you had need goe about it presently Yet seeing the Composers of our Liturgy thought fit to abreviate Turning from all sinne and keeping all Gods Statutes and doing that which is lawfull and right into this one word repenting it is easie and obvious to collect from hence as I did before from the other place that by repentance they understood not only sorrow for sinne but conversion from it The same word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Matt. 12. 42. is used in speaking of the repentance of the Ninivites and how reall hearty and effectuall a conversion that was you may see Ionas 3 from the 5 to the last verse The People of Ninive beleeved God and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them for word came to the King of Niniveh and he arose from his throne and he cast his Robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sate in ashes and he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Niniveh by the decree of the King and of his nobles saying Let neither man nor beast heard nor flock taste any thing let them not feed nor drinke water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God yea let every one turne from his evill way and from the violence which is in their hands who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away his fierce anger that we perish not Which words containe an excellent and lively paterne for all true penitents to follow and whereunto to conforme themselves in their humiliation and repentance And truly though their be no Ionas sent expressely from God to cry unto us Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shal be destroyed yet seeing the mouth of Eternall truth hath taught us that a Kingdome divided is in such danger of ruine and destruction that morally speaking if it continue divided it cannot stand and seeing the strange and miserable condition of our Nation at this time may give any considerable man just cause to feare