be the paternal affection of the Holy Father at Rome if this indeed be zeal for the Catholick Cause if this be the way to reconcile us to their Communion have we not great reason to be fond of returning into the Bosom of such a Church which may strangle us as soon as it gets us within her Arms But there are some whose concernment it is to make men believe there was no such dangerous plot intended I meddle not with that evidence which lies before you but there is one notorious circumstance obvious to all persons and sufficient to convince any which is the horrid Murther actually committed on one of his Majesties Justices of Peace in cold blood with great contrivance and deliberation Do men imbrue their hands in blood for nothing Why no other Person why at such a time why in such a manner There was a Reason for all this he had taken the examinations he knew too much to be suffered to live and they hoped by his death to stifle his evidence and to affrighten others from searching too far and they managed that matter so as though they had a mind to convince the World they had no other end in taking away his life but to prevent a further Discovery And they whom his Death doth not convince neither would they be convinced though he should rise again from the Dead God forbid that we should charge such barbarous cruelties such wicked conspiracies such horrid designs on all who live in the Communion of that Church but we must distinguish between the seduced party who are not thought fit to be trusted with such things for fear their Consciences check at them and their good nature disclose them and the busie Active Faction who are always restless and designing and act by such Maxims of Morality as the more sober and modest Heathens would abhor What hath this Party of men been doing among us this last hundred of years and more but plotting conspiracies inflaming our differences betraying our liberties heightning our discontents and in short undermining the Foundatior s both of our Government and Religion And shall such men alwayes triumph that they are too hard for our Laws and that like the Canaanites and Jebusites to the Children of Israel they will still be as scourges in â—â—r sides and thorns in our eyes If these things must be I hope God designs it not to destroy us at last by them but I am sure it doth prove and try us whether we will hearken to the Commandments of the Lord or to the vain Traditions of Men. God knows I speak not these things out of any malice or ill will to the Persons of any for that I may use St. Paul's words My hearts desire and prayer to God for them all is that they might be saved And although I cannot bear them witness yet my hopes are some even of these may think they have a zeal for God in all this but we are sure it is not according to knowledge Such a blind zeal as the Jews had who when they killed the Apostles thought they did God good service But it is so furious so inhumane so unchristian a zeal that it is charity to them as well as necessary care of our own safety to keep them from a capacity of doing themselves and others mischief But before I conclude the Text suggests to us three things very pertinent to the duty of this Day which I shall briefly recommend to your consideration 1. Matter of humiliation for our sins as they have an influence upon the Nations suffering 2. Matter of Advice Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth and with all your heart 3. Matter of encouragement For consider what great things he hath done for you 1. Matter of Humiliation for our sins Which have been many and great and aggravated by all the Mercies and Deliverances which God hath vouchsafed to us and therefore he may be justly provoked to punish us proportionably to the measures of our ingratitude and disobedience Let us lay our hands upon our hearts this day and seriously consider what requital we have made to the Lord for all the benefits he hath bestowed upon us For the Light of his Truth the Purity of his Worship the Power of his Grace the frequency of his Sacraments the influences of his Spirit and the continuance hitherto of our established Religion in spite of all opposition whatsoever But have we not been guilty of too much slighting that Truth neglecting that Worship resisting that Grace contemning those Sacraments quenching that Spirit and of too great coldness and indifferency about matters of Religion I do not fear that ever the Church of Rome should prevail among us by strength of Reason or force of Argument with all its specious colours and pretences unless it be among those who understand neither one nor the other Religion but if men be loose in their principles and unconcerned about Religion in general there will not be courage and constancy enough to keep it out I do much more fear Popery coming in at the back-door of Atheism and Prophaneness than under all its false and deceitful pretences of Universality and Infallibility And this those have been aware of who have been so industriously sowing among us the seeds of Irreligion knowing that if men be unconcerned as to all Religion they will never have the courage to oppose any but will be sure to close with the prevailing side Next to this I know no greater advantage that they take against us than from the unnatural heats and unchristian divisions which have been among us If men were wise they would consider at least in this our day the things which do belong to our Peace How can men answer it at the great day if in such a critical time as this is they stand upon little niceties and punctilios of Honour rather than Conscience or upon keep up the interests of their several Parties and do not those things which themselves think they lawfully may do towards an Union with us I pray God the continuance of these breaches may not look like an argument of Divine Infatuation upon us But what can we say to that looseness and debauchery of manners to that riot and luxury to that wantonness and prophaneness to that fashion of customary swearing and Atheistick Drollery which have been so much and so justly complained of among us I hope there are many thousands at this day in England whose souls abhor the abominations that are committed and who mourn in secret for them and therefore our case may not be so desperate as that of Jerusalem was May we all this day so heartily repent of all these follies and impieties that the Cause of our Fears which our sins give us being removed we may hearken 2. To the matter of Advice here given Only to fear the Lord and to serve him in Truth and with all our heart As though Samuel had said Your hearts
Religion and obey the Laws of God This he delivers 1. More Generally vers 14 15. If ye will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the Commandment of the Lord then shall both ye and also the King that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God i. e. God will protect and defend you But if you will not obey the voyce of the Lord but rebel against the Commandment of the Lord then shall the hand of the Lord be against you as it was against your Fathers But this being a matter of the greatest consequence to them whereon the welfare of the Nation did depend he delivers it 2. More Emphatically after the Thunder and Rain had affrightned and softned their hearts and they came praying to Samuel and confessing their sin to him then he counsels them not to fear if they did not forsake God and for his part however they had disobliged him he would not only continue to pray for them but give them the best advice and directions he could But I will teach you the good and the right way And then these words immediately follow Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart c. 3. These words are most considerable for the Matter contained in them which lies in these three particulars 1. The influence which continuance in sin hath upon a Kingdoms ruine but if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King 2. The best means for the welfare and preservation of it viz maintaining and practising the true Religion Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart 3. The great argument and encouragement here given for the doing it for consider how great things he hath done for you The first of these will be the main subject of my present Discourse viz. The influence which continuance in sin hath upon a Kingdoms ruine If we believe Moses and the Prophets we cannot question the truth of this concerning the People of Israel for this is the main scope and design of their doctrine Moses assured them that all the strength and force and combination of their enemies should do them no prejudice as long as they obeyed the Laws of God but if they would not do his Commandments but despise his Statutes and abhor his Judgements all the care and policy they could use would not be able to keep off the most dismal judgements which ever befel a Nation I will even appoint over you terror consumption and the burning Ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my face against you and you shall be slain before your enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if you will not for all this hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins so he proceeds to the end of the Chapter still rising higher and higher according to the greatness of their provocations And to the same purpose he speaks throughout Deut. 28. promising great Blessings to their Nation upon obedience and horrible Curses such as would make ones ears tingle to hear them upon their refractoriness and disobedience The Lord shall send thee cursing vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do until thou be destroyed and untill thou perish quickly because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me To the same purpose all the Prophets speak only applying this general doctrine to the circumstances of their own times If ye be willing and obedient saith Isaiah ye shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be destroyed with the sword the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it When the Prophet Jeremiah saw dreadful calamities coming upon his people he cries out Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart Ezekiel tells them there was no hope to escape being destroyed but by speedy and sincere Repentance Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your Ruine But here a material question may be asked whether this connexion between their doing wickedly and being consumed were not by vertue of that Political Covenant between God and the people of Israel which was peculiar to themselves and how far it may be just and reasonable to argue concerning the case of other Nations with whom God hath entred into no such Covenant as he did with them To make this clear and to bring it nearer to our own case I shall proceed in this method 1. To shew that God doth exercise a particular providence with respect to the state and condition of Kingdoms and Nations 2. That according to the usual method of Providence their condition is better or worse as the People are 3. That there are some circumstances of sinning which do very much portend and hasten a Peoples ruine 1. That God doth exercise a particular providence with a respect to the state and condition of Nations i. e. as they are united into several and distinct bodies which are capable as such of being happy or miserable For since mankinds entring into society is both necessary and advantageous to them and God doth not barely permit and approve but dispose and incline men to it and hath given them Laws to govern themselves by with respect to society it is but reasonable to suppose that God should call men to an account in that capacity and to distribute rewards and punishments according to the nature of their actions which must either be done in this world or it cannot be done at all for all those bonds are dissolved by death and men shall not answer for their sins by Kingdoms and Nations in another world but every man shall give account of himself unto God Either therefore those societies as such shall go wholly unpunished or they must suffer according to them in this world and therefore here the case is very different from that of particular Persons We say and with a great deal of Reason that it is no disparagement to the Justice of Gods Providence for good men to suffer or for wicked men to escape punishment in this Life because the great day of recompence is to come wherein there will be a Revelation of the Righteous judgement of God But that will not hold as to Nations who shall not suffer in communities then as they have sinned here and therefore it is more reasonable to suppose the rewards and punishments of such shall be in this life according to the measure and proportion of their sins And of this we have suffient evidence in Scripture upon these accounts 1. Because it
stand trembling still at the fear of Gods judgements when he doth but lift up his voyce in the Thunder and shew his Power in the Rain I will tell you how your hearts may be at ease and quiet from the fear of evil Be faithful to God maintain and practise the true Religion sincerely diligently constantly universally and never doubt his protection of you let your enemies be never so many or your dangers never so great Nothing exposes men more to the Wrath and Vengeance of God nor provokes him more to leave a People to their own counsels than false-heartedness in Religion and Hypocrisie do For the Hypocrite thinks to put a trick upon God Almighty and while he seems to carry it fair towards him he is dealing underhand for his own security another way And God is then concerned in honour to let the world see he will not be mocked for he knows how to take the crafty in their own devices and very often brings to nought the most politick fetches of self-designing men For when men seek themselves and not the honour of God or Religion but are ready to betray what ought to be dearer than their lives for some mean and private interests of their own they are oft-times so far from compassing their ends that they become the Scorn and Reproach of men But if men preserve their integrity and hold fast to the thing that is right they preserve their honour even among their enemies and either escape troubles or have the comfort of a good Conscience under them and however things happen to them for a while they are sure to have peace at the last 3. Lastly Here is matter of incouragement For consider what great things he hath done for you When Jacob was sent into Egypt and your Fathers cryed unto the Lord then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron which brought our Fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place When their sins had brought them into great distresses afterwards and they cryed unto the Lord and confessed their sins then the Lord raised up Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies â—n every side and you dwelled safe Now consider the same God who did those things can do as great for you still for his Power and Wisdom and Goodness are the same and therefore you have the greatest reason to put your trust in him at all times since he never for sakes them that seek him Blessed be God that we have this day a farther argument for us to fear and serve him in truth and with all our heart by considering what great things he hath done for us Many deliverances hath he wrought for us time after time for which we ought still to be thankful since we yet enjoy the benefit of them But the memory of former deliverances was almost worn out with many and some began to question whether such holy and innocent men as the Fathers of the Society could be guilty of such horrid conspiracies some were so perswaded of their Loyalty that the Vipers seemed to have changed their natures and to have lost their teeth and to be a very soft and innocent kind of Creatures In somuch that they were hardly brought to believe there could be a plot among them especially of so horrid a nature as this appears more and more to have been when such a viperous brood were suffered not only to lye quiet in the Shade but to sport themselves in the Sun and to enjoy the freedom of their own retreats But God doth bring to light the hidden things of darkness by such wayes as shew his Providence more than our prudence and foresight that while we have the comfort he alone may have the glory of our deliverance But yet methinks we stand as it were upon the brink of a mighty Precipice which is so full of horror that we tremble to look down from it we are at present held up by a strong hand but as by one single thread and can we then think our selves secure from so great a danger Blessed be God for that Unanimity that Zeal that Courage that Constancy You have hitherto shewed in the maintenance of our Church and Religion but there is so much yet to be done for a Firm Establishment of it to all Generations which now by his Majesties Gracious Favour is put into Your hands as calls for all our Prayers and your particular Care lest if this opportunity be let slip You never have such another This seems to be an Honour reserved for this Parliament as the Crown and Glory of all your endeavours for the Publick Good Go on then to raise up this Monument to your Eternal Fame This will not only make you beloved and esteemed by the present Age but this will endear your Memories to Posterity and make Ages to come rise up and call this a Happy Session But lest our sins should yet hinder us from so great a Blessing We have great reason to humble our selves before God this day to bewail those sins which may yet provoke him to punish us and by Fasting and Prayer to implore his Mercy that he would go on to preserve his Majesties Person from all violent attempts our Church and Religion from all the designs of its enemies and deliver us all from Unreasonable and Wicked Men. FINIS Psal â—â— 17 22. Prov. 19. 21. Gen. 25. 25. 2 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Sam. 4. 11. v. 18. 7. 3. v. 4. v. 5. v. 6. Mas. in Jof 18. 21. Drus. in Jud. 20. 1. 1 Sam. 7. 7. v. 8. v. 9. v. 11. v. 12. v. 13. v. 16. 1 Sam. 8. 2. v. 3. v. 4. v. 5. From v. 10. to v. 19. Jose An. l. 6. c. 4. v. 19 2c ch 12. 13. 8. 7. Deut. 17. 14. 12. 19. 8. 7. 10. 17. 11. 15. 12. 3. 4. From v. 6 to 14. v. 18 19. v. 20 21. v. 23. Lev. 26. from v. 3 to 14. v. 15. v. 16. v. 17. v. 18. Deut. 28. 20. Isa. 1. 39. 20. Jer. 4. 18. Ezek. 18. 30. Deut. 21. 1. v. 7. v. 8. v. 9. Numb 35. 33. Gen. 15. 16. Matth. 23. 32. Psalm 75. 7. v. 8. Is. 51. 17. Is. 19. 1 3. 16. v. 2. 11. 13. 14. Je. 27. 3. Ju. 16. 9. Jer. 25. from 18. to 26. Eze. 24. 2 c. 30. 5. Nah. 3. 8 9. Zeph. 2. 13. Is. 45. 2 3. Salvian de Cub Dei l. 7. Disput. in Liv. l. 2. c. 29. H. Jordanus de eo quod in morbis est divinum Conring Epist. 29. Jer. 18. 7 8. Jonah 3. 3. v. 5. v. 8. v. 10. v. 9. 2 Sam. 24. 10. v. 17. 1 King 16. 30. 33. 21. 25. 20. v. 29. 2 King 22. 16. 19. 20. 2 King 17. 2. Is. 33. 14. 1 King 18. 21. v. 15. v. 16. Arist. Pol. l. 4. c. 11. Polit. l. 3. c. 14. Psa. 144. 15. Jer. 25. 26. v. 9. 11. Marsh. Chr. Can. p. 556. Jer. 25. 15. v. 26. 2 Chro. 16. 9. v. 10. Jer. 25. 29 Eze 9. 6 1 Pet. 4 17 Amos â—â— 5. 9 29. hro 16. Jer. 23. 34 36. Ezek. 33. 31. In canticum oris sui vertunt illos Vul. Lat. Pro. 1. 24. 25. 26. Hos. 4. 2 3. Jer. 5. 1. Is. 1. 5 6. Lev. 13. 12 13 14. Jos. 23. 13. v. 8. 9. 10. 11. Ps. 9. 10.