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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	become_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	34	3	8.2942	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When † 2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When † Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n † Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea † Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat † 2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in

Ardour and Forwardness to promote this or that way of Government or Worship in opposition to all the rest which yet may be found in a man that hath never experimented the Power of Religion or Work of Sanctification upon his own soul Thus some are Zealous for the Episcopal others for the Presbyterial and others for the Congregational and not a few for the Anabaptistical way and herein lies the Main of their Religion Whereas the Life of Religion the soul of true Godliness lies in the Spiritual Worship of God † Joh. 4.24 It 's good indeed to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter * Gal. 4.18 but it s neither good nor safe to rest in a superficial Form a meer empty out-side of Religion though never so splendid and glorious But alas what do these men do that so earnestly contend for that way of Worship which is most agreeable to their own Fancies and censure all others as no Christians no Saints that are not moulded after the same Model what do they but promote the Distractions encrease the Divisions and widen the Differences of the Church of God which every good Christian should studiously endeavour to compose and heal Surely the setting up of and the Adhering to this and the other Party is not the way to promote the Interests of the Kingdom of Christ He is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 † MELCHIZEDECK King of SALEM Rex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitiae He is King of Righteousness and King of Peace † Heb. 7.1 2 And his Kingdom stands not in meat and drink but Righteousnesse and Peace and which results from them both Joy in the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Pacis When such Religious Factions prevail they sadly portend the Ruine of the Church Rom. 14.17 And ●hen are not such perillous times In the Primitive Ti●es which were Times of P●rsecution how zealous were Christians in the things of God and how fervently did they love one another Those Times were surely less perillous then these wherein the H●a● of Persecution is not more abated then Zeal for God and Love to one another amongst Christians But when P ofessors are generally Formall in the performance of the Duties of Religion very Perfunctory and Superficial in the service of God it s a sad Symptom of perillous Times When a man having tipt his Tongue with the Silver of the Sanctuary and so is able to speak well of the things of God to discourse well of the Matters of Religion shall for this only Reason be esteemed very Religious Whereas as the Apostle speaks † 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power When there is indeed much Preaching much Hearing frequent Receiving of Sacraments but alas little Life in Preaching less in Hearing little or no Affectionateness in Receiving and least of all of Conformity to these Gospel-Ordinances in the Life and Conversation Time was when Ministers preached with Plainness Life and Power so that their earnest * Rom. 10.1 desire of saving souls was apparent in their Preaching and Christians that feared God † Acts 17.11 Received the Word with all readiness of Mind entertained the * 2 Thes 2.10 Truth in the Love of it and had their Hearts much stirred and moved by every Sermon They not only heard the Preacher with their Ears but felt him in their Hearts and Consciences and were very much affected with all the Discoveries of the Will of God to them They took pains to work the Word upon their own Hearts They met together to whet it upon one another to exhort encourage and comfort one another in the wayes of God Oh! The Word of the Lord was precious in those days † 1 Sam. 3.1 How beautifull in those dayes were the Feet of them that preached the Gospel of Peace and brought glad Tidings of good Things * Rom. 10.15 The Ministers of the Gospel now so generally slighted and despised were then received by all good Christians as Angels of God yea even as Christ ●esus † Gal. 4.14 And then did Religion flourish in the Church and Christians manifested their experimental acquaintance with the Power of Godlinesse But when Preaching is become for the most part Notional and accommodated rather to the pleasing of the Fancy then informing the judgement convincing the conscience and affecting the Heart when Sermons are stuft with affected phrases and exquisitely embroyder'd with Artificial Ornaments and so deliver'd by the Preacher without one spark of Life or Zeale with such a singular care to observe the Emphasis and Elegancy of his study'd Expressions such a wary fear of rumpling his fine smooth forms of speech as if he was come thither to play the part of an idle Orator rather then to do the duty of a Gospel-Preacher who is to treate with men in the Name of Christ about the great affaires of their precious soules for their eternal Salvation this is a sad change seriously to be laid to heart and sadly to be lamented When People forsake and regard not sound solid Preachers of the Gospel but follow and flock after those that suit with their Humours and with such like quaint and curious notions please and delight their Fancies it argues a great Decay in Religion and speaks men to be great strangers to the Power of Godlinesse Nay when those that are indeed good Christians and sound in the Maine shall become very Formal Overly Superficial in the discharge of Religious Duties in their attendance upon Gospel-Ordinances When they shall take no paines to prepare themselves for Sabbaths and Sacraments when they shall be little or nothing at all affected with the Preaching of the Gospel when they seldome or never stirre up themselves to the Exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in the duties of Religion when they take no Paines to work upon their Hearts by Meditation and Prayer the truths which are delivered unto them nor study to expresse in their lives a rest●onsiblenesse to the Doctrines of the Gospel when they thus rest in the Forme and presse not after the Power of Godlinesse it s a Symptome of an Evill Age a Presage of Peri●lous Times We finde God nothing regarded the outward Performances of the People of Israel when they were utterly deficient in those Duties wherein consisted the Life of Religion * Isa 1 11-15 To what Purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the LORD I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the Fat of fed Beasts and I delight not in the Blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goats And when ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the Calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn

should thus separate themselves from the society of the Saints pretending doubtlesse therein to be led by the Spirit Thus we see self-separation from the true Church is a Scripture Character of false-Teachers and Seducers Amongst many such separations that of the Donatists is as to our present purpose very considerable The Father of this Sect was Donatus a Numidian who meerly out of Envy and Spite because Cecilian was prefer'd before him to the Bishoprick of Carthage and his devilish Designe which he conceiv'd hereupon for the extirpation of him and all the Bishops that ordain'd him by a false accusation fell to the ground in Contempt of all their Churches built up his Wall of Separation And though by his Pride Envy Lying and Malice he had printed so many staines upon his own soul yet had he the impudence to affirme that could be no true Church which was not altogether without spot or blemish and that such was the Church by him founded and father'd and no other in the world And yet they had no better Marks of their unstained Purity then these following Articles of their Faith viz. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE that no man must be prest to the Practice of piety but every man left to live as he list TOLERATION OF ERROURS that the Magistrate might punish no man for his Opinion though never so wicked in Matters of Religion REBAPTIZATION OF BELIEVERS that Believers Baptiz'd in their Infancy ought to be rebaptiz'd because Infant-Baptisme was a Nullity KILLING NO MURDER that though the Magistrate might not by virtue of his Office punish any man for his Religion or conscience yet they themselves being thereto moved by the Spirit might lawfully and without any scruple kill any man that was not of the Houshold of Faith or rather of the Synagogue of Satan if they had him at an advantage But may we not say of them and receive our warrant from our blessed Saviour * Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the TRUTH because there is NO TRUTH in him When he speaketh a LYE he speaketh of his own For he is a LYAR and the Father of it Now after a while this Church of the Donatists was divided in it self and so one separation still springing from another it at length expir'd in a fruitful Dissolution For as Vipers are said to have a bloody Birth by the Death of the Dam thus issu'd from the Bleeding Bowels of this divided Church many petty Congregations and yet all of them in some of the foremention'd Features and Lineaments somewhat resembling both Father and Mother Thus was the Schismatical Confederacy which at first rent it self from the true Church minc't and mangled as Augustine speakes In minutula Frustula Into small shreds of Society amongst whom there was nothing retain'd but a few rags of Religion which were not sufficient to hide their Nakednesse either from the eyes of God or men The chief of these Sub-Sects was that of the Circumcellions so called from their Cells and Cottages in which they liv'd separated from all Society that they might have the more freedome for the use of certain Austerities as they pretended for self-mortification But the truth is they rather lurkt in them as Lions in their Dens to take the better advantage for the exercise of their cruelty in the murder of Innocents For without touch of humanity these bloody Monsters would barbarously murther all they met with that were not of their Religion whereby they became more dangerous then High-way Robbers and more detestable then the vilest of men as being Enemies to mankind And thus at length did that separated Church which gloried in its singular sanctity produce a Company of common Cut-throats And by all this we see that Seducers are justly Stigmatiz'd with this brand of SEPARATISTS They are such as have a high Opinion of themselves though never so bad and a low Opinion of others though never so good and so they separate themselves from the Saints as being too good for their Society But we know that God himself vouchsafes to be present in the Assemblies of his Saints † Psal 89.7 Mat. 18.20 These therefore are by the Apostle fitly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of themselves but despisers of those that are good * 2 Tim. 3 2 3. And therefore however they may make a glorious Profession of godliness if we duly consider their Properties and Practices they are such as carry a flat contradiction to that golden Rule of the Gospel † Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme other better then themselves It 's true some of them it may be are of a Life unblamable But Haeresis docta est mentiri non Lingua tantum sed Vita si Fidem interrogas nihil Christianius si Conversationem nihil irreprehensibilius quae loquitur Factis probat * Bern. Ser. 65. in Cant. Heresie is not to learne the Art of Lying which it can performe not with the lips onely but with the Life also If you demand an account of their Faith there is nothing more Christian if you make enquiry of their Conversation its most unblamable and look what they affirme in their words they 'l by their works confirme it But the more holy they are in appearance the more hurtful An unblamable life is the fittest Field for Satan to set his snares in to take deceived souls The Serpent hath a beautiful skin but a deadly sting A beautiful Harlot shall have the most Followers Beautiful and glorious Appearances oft vaile the foulest and filthiest Abominations The great WHORE comes forth in a glorious Dresse and gives her Lovers Poyson to drink in a golden Cup. Behold her as she is represented to us in the Coelestial Mirrour of the REVELATION And sayes John the Divine † Rev. 17.4 the woman was aray'd in Purple and Scarlet-colour and decked with gold and precious stone and Pearles having a golden Cup in her hand full of Abominations and filthinesse of her Fornication The Spouse of Christ is not more glorious in her Apparel and Ornaments then this Mother of Abominations A Scarlet Robe may cover an ulcerous Body The Plague of Errours may be upon a man that wears cloth of Gold in his Conversation Satan never shews himself so much a Devil as when he appears like an Angel of Light And if Satan himself is thus transformed into an Angel of Light it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall be according to their works * 2 Cor. 11 14 15. The third Mark Railing and Reviling SEducers are wont with enticing words to deceive weak and unstable soules but to load them that are sound and stedfast in the Faith with vile Invectives and

for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreame or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of evil Doers and for the Praise of them that do well Subjection and obedience then is due to every lawful Magistrate by the Word of God yea and every Christian ought out of conscience to yeeld it to him † Rom. 13.4 5. For he is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Wherefore sayes the Apostle ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath i. e. for feare of punishment but also for CONSCIENCE sake Yet is not the conscience herein to be subjected to any Law of man but onely to the Law of God requiring this subjection and obedience to the Civil Magistrate for the preservation of Order and good Government in the world For as it is the highest degree of Spiritual T●ranny for any to lay the * Act. 15.10 Yoke of any humane Laws or Constitutions whether Civil or Ecclesiastical upon the Neck of the Consciences of men so is it no lesse then the sin of Idolatry for any to subject their Consciences to any such Laws or Constitutions seeing it is Gods Prerogative Royal to be the LORD of the CONSCIENCE He onely can give a Law to binde the heart and conscience who can discerne when that Law is broken or kept and accordingly give forth a righteous Punishment or a Reward of grace The Conscience then is not may not be subjected to the Will of Man but onely to the Law of God his Will revealed in his Word But now when the Law of God the onely adequate Rule of the Conscience is declar'd his Will is reveal'd in his Word it 's altogether absurd to imagine that the conscience of man which in this respect † Quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu prout Conservatrix Principlorum unde oritur Obligatio is but the * Custos Rotularum Keeper of Gods Court-Rolls should oblige to any thing that is contrary to it or should absolve a man from an Obligation to yeeld obedience thereunto To plead Liberty of Conscience therefore for the divulging of wicked Opinions contrary to the clear and manifest truths of the Word of God and for the Pra●t●se of grosse Impieties as in decrying the Ordinances and worship of God commanded in his Word and the setting up a false worship in the roome of it contrary to the expresse Rules of the Gospel this must needs be a sore Evil and a very great Provocation of the most high God especially when such wretched men shall be favour'd protected encourag'd in so unjust a claime to this sinful Liberty by those that are in Authority or Power who ought to take care that the Law of God be kept that they might set a Crown of Praise upon the head of them that do well and be a † Rom. 13 3 Terror to evil Doers by whom it is violated When this Liberty is thus granted and used the times must needs be perillous To plead Liberty of Conscience for an Exemption from any Obli●ation to the embracement of the Truth revealed the attendance upon the Ordinances instituted the discharge of the Duties enjoyned in the Word of God is to break open a wide gap to all manner of Licentiousnesse which is the ready way to pluck the Judgements of God down upon the Land This is to make the Conscience which is a Court wherein the Laws of God are to be pleaded to become a Consistory wherein a man shall be impowered to absolve himself from any of Gods Laws and shall take the freedom to act in all things according to his own Prescriptions What can be im●gin'd to be more Irrational and Atheistical then this This must needs be an Inlet to all manner of Abominations Even they that blaspheme God pluck the Lord J●sus as much as in them lies from the Throne of his Deity be●y the Holy Ghost in charging the vilest Errours upon the holy Spirit of Truth trample upon the precious Ordinances of the Gospel and pretend to be above them revile reproach and curse the children of God and when they have opportunity persecute them to the death even these will for these wicked Opinions and Practices plead Liberty of Conscience Intolerable Impudence Damnable Impiety Now such weeds as these grow apace under the favourable Influences of the higher Plan●ts This Liberty once indulg'd will soon become abundantly fruitful in the worst of Evils Let this Jubile the year of General Release be but once proclaim'd and the Church of God shall soone feele the sad and woful effects thereof Leave every man but to walk in his own way and we shall soone see the Vineyard of God troden down while its continually traverst in a thousand crosse and crooked paths Thus when there was no King in Israel every one did that which was right in his own eyes * Jud. 17.6 and 21.25 And what was this but every one might be as wicked and licentious as he list These were perillous Times in Israel But when the Bounds of sinne are removed the Banks of the Sea of Gods Wrath shall be broken up and his Judgements shall break forth as mighty Waters upon such sinners So sayes the Lord by the Prophet Hosea † Hos 5.10 The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will poure my Wrath upon them like Water Thus when that liberty is contended for which tends to Licentiousnesse when Impiety is grown so impudent as to plead for Impunity the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous But if the Opinion favour'd be so perillous the Practice allow'd must needs be extreamly pernicious If the Seed be so bitter what fruit can we expect it should bring forth but Gall and Wormwood This Provocation therefore is capable of a higher Degree which must needs be productive of the greater Peril as in the next case The second Case Protection of Errour and false-Worship VVHen Errour and False-worship hath as much Countenance and Protection from men in Authority as Truth and the true worship of God the Times must needs be perillous When the Harlot hath equal favour with the Queen and the Stews as strong a guard as the Palace When Thieves and Robbers shall be as quietly permitted and as fully protected in stealing and robbing as the faithful Shepheard in watching his Flock and painful Labourer in working in the vine-yard When Mad-men shall be suffer'd to go up and down with naked swords in their hands to kill and slay all that are not able to resist them When Plague-sick men shall have freedome to walk the streets and our Enemies full liberty to impoyson our Springs When a Guard shall be granted to them that come to throw Baits of Wild-fire into the City of God for the kindling of those fires that cannot be quenched When men shall be protected in their undermining the foundations

and Sporting and making Merry then does the Lord bring his judgements upon them even sudden destruction For sayes the holy Ghost When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 Do you know or have you consider'd what was the carriage of the men of the old world when the Lord brought the Flood upon them and of the children of Israel a little before they were carryed captive into Babylon Why the Scripture tells you that in the Dayes of Noah that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage until the day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and knew not untill the Flood came and took them all away † Mat. 24.38 39. They knew not that is they considered it not regarded it not For they had been warned of the coming of the Flood by the Preaching of Noah for the space of one hundred and twenty years and by his preparing an Ark for the preservation of himself and his own Family So the careless posture of the people of Israel in a free indulgence of their sensual Delights did but a little precede that cruel Captivity and bitter bondage which they so long sustained in Babylon * See Am. chap. 6. Now are not the people of the Land in these our Dayes generally senslesse of the crying sins and fearlesse of the following Judgements which may justly fall upon us Is it not time then for them that feare the Lord to lay these things to heart and to weep and mourne before the Lord for these Abominations Does it not both well become and neatly concerne the people of God in the Land to call one another to Fasting and Mourning and bitter Lamentation lest the Lord should kindle a fire in his wrath so that none can quench it O Christians can you sit still and be secure in such Times as these What do you not care how soone the Gospel the glory departs from England Do you not care what becomes of Religion what befalls the Church how soon you loose your Opportunities of enjoying the blessed Ordinances of the Gospel Oh are not these Opportunities precious are not the Ordinances of God precious are not the Ministers of the Gospel and the People of God precious in your Esteeme How then will your hearts bear it to see these Ministers of the Gospel murther'd these people of God led as sheep to the slaught●r Alas you know not how near the Dayes may be wherein you may say Time was when we enjoy'd the Ordinances of God and had many opportunities of seeking the Face of God in the Assemblies of his Saints but alas now we a●e deprived of these enjoyments And oh will you not yet lay these things to heart so as to mourn before the Lord for those Evils whereby we have provoked the Lord to plague the whole Land with his Judgements and utterly to deprive us of these precious Priviledges Do you see no cause of Feare no signes of Danger Are not Sabbaths profan'd Ordinances contemn'd the Word despis'd the Sacraments slighted Ministers reviled Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted Christ crucifi'd afresh and the Name of God blasphem'd amongst us Now are not these fearful Provocations of the most high God May not the despised Manna be restrained and God give us Quailes meat for our Lusts in wrath May not God justly punish mens wearinesse of his Worship with a Famine of his Word when men prize the World above the Word of God may not the Lord justly take away his Word and Gospel from such an unworthy people May not he suffer the seales of his Covenant the Pledges of his love to be taken away from us or polluted to us May not our Teachers be removed into a corner May not the Holy Scriptures the Well-springs of our Comforts and Joy be sealed up from us May not God take away his Holy Spirit from us that he may no more † Gen. 6.3 strive with a people devoted to destruction May not God charge upon the Land the guilt of his Sonnes Blood and revenge upon a rebellious people the wrong done to his owne Name Is it not then high time for us to * Am. 4.12 meet the Lord by Repentance and to humble our selves before him for the sins of the Land lest his indignation break forth upon us as a Breach of the Sea and there be no means left to escape Come then Christians and let us weep and mourne before the Lord. It may be he may regard our Tears and hear the voice of our weeping † Psal 6.8 and put on Bowels of Compassions towards us and spare our Land Who knows but the whole Land may fare the better for the sakes of a few Mourners in Zion Oh let 's every one labour to become one of that number So when the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion we shall be called to partake of her Joy Rejoyce for joy with her saith the Lord * Isa 66.10 all ye that have mourned for her However Christians go into your Closets and weep before the Lord in secret for the sinnes whereby God is openly dishonour'd This was the holy resolution of the Prophet Jeremy upon the pride and stubbornnesse of the people of Judah the sad Symptomes of approaching Judgements Heare ye sayes he † and give eare * Jer. 13.15 16 17. be not proud for the LORD hath spoken Give glory to the LORD your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountaines and while ye look for light he turne it into the shadow of Death and make it grosse Darknesse But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with teares because the LORDS Flock is carried away captive Now if you be of the number of those that mourn and sigh for the Abominations of the Times if the Lord shall bring his Judgements in your dayes upon the Land he will prepare his secret Chambers of providence for your preservation Thus the Lord sent his Angel to set a Mark upon the fore-heads of the men that mourn'd for the sinnes of Jerusalem that they might be spared when all the rest of the City by an impartial stroke were to suffer an inevitable destruction * See Ezek. 9 4-7 Thus Lot living in Sodom † 2 Pet. 2.7 8. a lustful City vexed his righteous soul from day to day with a holy sorrow for the sins of the filthy Sodomites and so the Lord preserved him in the dreadful overthrow of that sinful City O then Christians mourne and weep for the sinnes of the Times the Abominations of the Age wherein you live and it may be you may by this means save the City save a Kingdome from destruction however you shall be sure to save your own