God his messengers disdainers of equalls in thee are murtherers even Soule-murtherers contentious persons whoremongers adulterers in thee is Bribery Oppression Vsury Simony fraud and cousenage Iustice and Truth is perished from thy Land in thee is lying tale-bearing false witnesse-bearing covetousnesse pride idlenesse fulnesse of bread deepe securitie even all the sinnes of Sodome in thee are many professors that make a shew of godlinesse but deny the power of it in thee are Lukewarme Christians These are the sinnes vnder which the Land groaneth Doest thou thus requite thy God O foolish people Shall we not thinke now that the Lord hath a Controversie with England Shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this Let me alone that I may destroy them at once Heare O heavens hearken O earth I haue nourished vp children Isa 1. 2. 3. and they haue rebelled against mee the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but my people haue not knowne mee sayth the Lord Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seede of evill doers why should they be smitten any more they fall away more and more I take no delight to vpbraid mine own Nation or to defile mine own nest but for Sions sake I cannot hold my tongue let me perish if I see my Country perish and giue them not warning Wherefore I beseech yee my deare brethren all true hearted Englishmen in the bowells of Christ Iesus who died for vs and shed his owne heart bloud for vs as you regard your owne soules bodies and estates as yee wish and desire the peace and prosperity of this our Sion dally with the Lord no longer God will not be alwayes mocked turne now at the last vnto the Lord with all your hearts turne yee oh turne yee why will yee die seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call vpon him whilest he is neere draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Oh that I could even weepe over this Land as our Saviour did over Ierusalem and say O England England thou that reiectest my Prophets and despisest those that are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered Luk. 13. 34. thee together as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yee would not wherefore thy house shall be left vnto thee desolate oh that thou wert therefore now wise yet in this thy day to consider those things that belong vnto thy peace least at length they be hid from thine eyes Woe to thee O England Mat. 11. 21. if the great workes which haue beene done in thee had beene done in Tyre and Sidon in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented in sackcloth and ashes long ere this And thou London London which art lifted vp to heaven for abundance 23. of spirituall meanes shalt be brought as low as hell except thou repent wherefore I beseech yee againe againe for Christs his sake for the Gospels sake for your Countreys sake for your owne soules sake be entreated Repent repent Search even search your selues O nation not worthy to Zeph. 2. 1. be beloved before the decree come forth and yee be as chaffe that passeth on a day looke into your liues consider your wayes goe apart and seriously aske your soules What haue we done Let your mirth be turned into mourning your feasting Dan. 9. 19. into fasting weepe and lament bitterly for your sins cry mightily for mercy even as for life and death cease to doe evill learne to doe well wash you make you cleane put away your sinnes from before God his eyes rent your hearts and not your garments amend and change your wayes bring forth fruits meete for repentance that so yee may get the sword againe into his sheath which is alreadie drawne out and will giue every one of vs our deaths wound except we repent and may quench that wrath which is already kindled and will burne hotter and hotter and never cease vntill it haue vtterly consumed vs if in time we quench it not by the teares of true repentance wherefore now prepare to meete thy God O England It is more then high time to repent deferre no longer if the last blow be once strucken that is cut it downe even vtter desolation there will then be left no place for repentance Oh that I could therefore perswade you but it is not I it is the Lord that must doe it now Lord doe thou perswade Iapheth for wee cannot Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord of hostes make thy face to shine and wee shall be saved convert vs vnto thee and we shall be converted renew our dayes as of old Lord thou longest for our conversion thou standest waiting and crying Wash thine heart O England wilt thou not be made cleane oh when Ierem. 13. 27. will it once be Lord cleanse thou vs and we shall be cleansed wash thou vs and we shall be whiter then snow cause vs to come vnto thee why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy feare O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay Isay 64. 8. thou art the Potter we are the worke of thine hands oh destroy not the worke of thine owne hands frame and fashion vs and make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to be spare thy people O God spare thy people and be jealous for thine inheritance why shall the people say Where is their God O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thy name sake for thy Christs his sake pittie the desolations of thy Sion of the Cittie where thy name is called vpon Wilt thou O Lord forsake for ever Why is thy wrath thus hot against the sheepe of thy pasture Our sins indeed testifie against vs that we are a rebellious stifnecked people we lye downe in our shame and confusion covereth vs thou art righteous and iust when thou iudgest but we are a perverse and froward generation we would not heare when thou calledst but stopped our eares like the deafe Adder therefore thou maist now iustly laugh at our Prov. 1. 26. 27 destruction and mocke when our feare commeth but there is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared we beseech thee in wrath remember mercy haue mercy vpon vs according to the multitude of thy compassions oh Lord saue vs or els we perish Comfort vs according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs Returne O Lord how long and be pacified towards thy servants Continue still to be our God and let vs be thy people remoue thy judgements which lye heavie vpon vs and destroy vs not vtterly for thy names sake Make vs all to turne to thee from the highest to the lowest by speedie and vnfeined repentance that so thou maist not vtterly cut vs off even head and taile roote and branch in one day but maist still delight to doe vs good to multiply thy blessings
the remainders of sinne in vs not to our selues but that the spots of the soule may be drawn forth by these Plague-spots on the body and the sinne-sores of the soule may runne and be cut out of these bodily sores that sin and death if it proceed so farre may be dead by that our bodily death that the head of this Goliah may be cut off by his owne sword and death by death destroyed and our soules may escape as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler and may flee to their rest not in the Tabernacle like Davids Psal 84. Luk. 16. 22. sparrow but in Gods owne bosome As Lazarus when none of Dives houshold would come at him had Angells attending him to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome so when feare and danger this is part of this chastisement prohibite others from vs he hath given his Angels a charge concerning vs to convoy our soules to heaven and meane whiles to guard Psal 91. 11. their vnregarded bodies on earth Lift vp the eyes of your faith in beleefe of Gods promises you shall see by faith that which Elisha's servant did with bodily eyes the Cittie 2 King 6. of London full of Charets and horses of fire round about every Elisha God himselfe is the refuge of his servants a house to Psal 91. 1. them in this time of grace a temple to them beyond all times in glory Come Lord Iesus to fetch and receiue me to Apoc. 21. thy selfe and come in what chariot it shall please thee if in a chariot of fire as thou didst to Elias or if in infected aire by pestilent stroke thou that triumphedst on the Crosse over death hell and the devill canst triumph over my crosses and by suffering canst make me triumph also over them all Thy cōming to me by this or any other sicknesse or death is but my passage to come to thee and to goe to Christ and see him as he is doth infinitely more then recompence Phil. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 3. Rom. 8. 18. all the losses rubbes and whatsoever irkesomnesse in the way and passage And as for death we and ours are vaine and mortall we die daily our life is but a Candle which in shining burneth and wasteth it selfe Me thinkes it is better to haue a summons though by pestilentiall arrest then to be dead whiles we liue as many are which are giddy and drunken with full cups of prosperitie or whiles 1. Tim. 5. 6. Pro. 1. 32. Luk. 12. Heb. 6. 10. we are singing Soule take thine ease suddenly to be snatched out of the world God is not vnfaithfull to forget your free-will offerings lately to his poore members he will reward it with a new grant as to Hezekiah in his pestilence with a new Esa 38. terme of life here or which is best of all with that life where no plague nor Devill nor sicknesse nor death nor Apoc. 21. crosse nor grievance shall haue possibilitie to annoy where is fulnesse of ioy in his presence and pleasures at his right hand Psal 16. for evermore and those such as eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor heart conceived where we shall drinke of the River Psal 36. 8. of his pleasures c. But I must end though They doe not Your visitation hath not loft 〈…〉 gotten all these lines and my daily and more fervent prayer for you and yours to him who is able to keepe you that you fall not Your loving Pastour S. P. REad often Psal 119. and 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. and almost all of the Psalmes You haue I thinke the Martyr booke read the Epistles of Bradford Hooper Philpot and Carelesse with innumerable others you haue there also Read often Heb. 11. 12. 13. and the story of Christs passion Esay from the fortie Chap. to the end of that booke being full of sweete promises Also the eight to the Rom. Pray pray pray and cast all your care vpon God for he careth 1 Pet. 5. 7. for you With Peter agreeth Paul Phil. 4. 6. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplicatiō with thanksgiving let your request be made knowne to God and 1. Cor. 11. 32. When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be cōdemned with the world It is a short hell which we can haue here but our heaven will last for ever and ever My poore loue will scarsly suffer me to leaue you as you see by this long writing But God is all loue he comes thus to build you that is to hew saw cut with the chissell and with all his crosse-tooles to frame you to be a dwelling for himselfe a temple for his spirit a vine branch to his sonne thus purged to bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15. FINIS
vpon vs and make vs as worthy to be beloved in and through thy Sonne Christ Iesus that Sonne of thy loue as we haue beene for our long peace and prosperitie of all the Nations of the earth admired even so be it Lord so be it This is the first and generall Remedie which a Nation must vse for the removall and preventing not onely of the Plague but of any other judgement whatsoever namely true repentance which stands in sorrow for sinne and reformation 2 Chron. 7. 13. 14. Ierem. 18. 7. 8. Isa 1. 19. 20. Iere. 14. 11. 12 of life If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good fruits of the Land but if yee refuse and be rebellious yee shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now if so be I cannot prevaile with the whole Land then I turne to you that feare the Lord I hope to haue audience in your eares If yee cannot prevaile for others yet make sure of your owne soules learne to hide your selues to build an Arke for the safetie of you and yours But yee will say how may that be done I answere 1. If yee would not partake with the Plagues of the times be not pertakers of their sinnes Come out of her my Revel 18. 4. people saith God be yee not partakers of her sinnes least yee also be partakers of her glagues if yee will needs sinne with them looke to be plagued with them Deut. 4. 3 4. Those that went with others after Baal peor were destroyed but those that cleaved to the Lord were kept aliue Zeph. 2. 3. Seeke yet the Lord all yee meeke of the earth which haue wrought his iudgement seeke righteousnesse seeke lowlinesse if so be yee may be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath The way to be hid in the day of the Lord his wrath is to seeke after lowlinesse to carry our selues meekly and to walke humbly the lowest shrubs are safest from stormes to seeke after righteousnesse to walke circumspectly and warily shunning the sinnes of the times even more then the Plague it selfe to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world to saue our selues from this froward generation the infection of sinne is farre more dangerous then the infection of the Plague that indangers the body onely this indangers soule and body for ever how should we shunne it therefore How had we need to abstaine from all appearance of evill not onely from the flesh but from all the garments spotted with the flesh the more wicked 1 Thes 5. 22. Iude. 23. the times grow the more holy we should grow the more iniquitie abounds the loue of many waxeth cold the more blamelesse and zealous in good duties we should striue to be like bright orient starres the deeper they goe in the darke night the brighter they shine thus Noah shined in his generation Though Aegypt be full of darknes yet let Goshen be light though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne We are Christians we professe our Hos 4. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. selues to be children of the light let not vs therefore haue any fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but reproue them rather let not fornication or any other vncleannesse be once named amongst vs let not vs defile our garments Revel 3. 4. 2. It is not sufficient that we partake not with the sinnes of the times but we must mourne for the sins of the times we must take a view of the abominations committed in Sion and worke our hearts to such a sorrow as may make our eyes to gush out rivers of teares because men keepe not God Psal 119. 136. his law then God will wonderfully preserue vs As he preserved iust Lot out of Sodome when it was consumed with fire 2 Pet. 2. 7. brimston from heaven because his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with the vncleane conversation of the Sodomites There was a marke set vpon all the true Mourners in Sion that when the Angell of the Lord came to smite they might escape so Ezek. 9. 4. Ieremy because he wished his head a fountaine of teares Iere. 9. 1. that he might weepe day and night for the sinnes of his people see how the Lord preserved him alone when all the rest Iere. 39. 11. 12 were carried into Captivitie these things are written for our learning 3. We must mourne for our owne sinnes and labour to forsake them It is sayd of Iosiah that because his heart melted 2 King 22. 19. 20. at the Law read both for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people and he humbled his soule before the Lord that therefore he should be put to his graue in peace and his eyes should not see the evill that God would bring vpon the Land So if like good Iosiah our hearts even melt within vs and we humble our soules vnfeinedly before the Lord for our sinnes God will worke wonderfully for vs and we shall find gratious experience of his goodnesse towards vs if God spared Ahab for his counterfeit humiliation and would not 1 King 21. 27. 29. bring the evill in his dayes how much more will he spare those that humble their soules before him in truth And as we must grieue for our sinnes so we must forsake our sins he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper neither in soule nor body he lyeth open to all dangers but he that confesseth and Pro. 28. 13. forsaketh them shall find mercy God will be mercifull to his soule and preserue his body He that walketh vprightly walketh safely saith Salomon he that laboureth to the vttermost of his power to cleare himselfe from all sinne to purge his heart from all hollownesse not cherishng any one beloved sinne to be vpright in his way walking in all the Commandements of God without rebuke such a man is a safe man he is sure nothing can hurt him It availeth nothing to burne Iuniper to smell to Wormewood to take somwhat in a morning and to vse many outward meanes against the Plague so long as our soules are not severed from our sinnes it is this inward vncleannesse that is the cause of that outward the Plague-soare of sinne wherewith our soules are infected causeth the Plague vpon the body sever your sinnes then from your soules if ever yee meane to keepe the Plague from your bodies say to these menstrous cloathes Get yee hence Fourthly We must trust in God for safety and deliverance though we may vse all good and lawfull meanes yet we must not rest in the meanes but goe to God for his blessing and depend vpon him for the successe The Lord Nahum 1. 7. is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble he knowes all those that trust in him he knowes that is he approues of them after an especiall manner He is a strong hold to such in the day
of trouble Psal 33. 18. 19. Behold the eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercy to deliver their soules from death to preserue them in famine Psal 91. 1. and so forward Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie I will say vnto the Lord O my hope and my fortresse he is my God in him will I trust surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence He will cover thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Thou shalt not be afraide of the pestilence that walketh in the night nor of the Plague that destroyeth at noone day Thousands shall fall beside thee ten thousands at thy right hand and yet it shall not come nigh thee And why all this Because thou hast sayd the Lord Vers 9. is my hope and hast set the most High for thy refuge Yee see then the wonderfull safetie of that man that makes God his confidence The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous Prov. 18. 10. runne vnto it and are exalted Great is the safetie then of righteous persons of such as haue gotten God to be their God in Christ and stay their whole affiance in him God will be vnto them a Tower a Castle a rocke of defence a safe refuge to fly to in time of neede He will be their hiding Ierem. 16. 19. place He will keepe them safely vnder his wings till Psal 32. 7. the indignation be passed over He hath an Arke for vpright Noah when he meanes to destroy with a vniversall Genes 7. Deluge an whole world of wicked ones He hath a Zoar for righteous Lot when he meanes to consume filthy Sodome Genes 19. with fire and brimstone from heaven For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous out of tentation and to reserue 2 Pet. 2. 9. the wicked vnto iudgement Therefore I conclude with that of David Psal 73. 28. It is good for me to hold me fast by God and to put my trust in the Lord God it is time for the chickens to runne and shrowd themselues vnder the wings of the henne when the storme begins once to arise 5. The fift and last remedie is to betake our selues to our prayers and teares to cry mightily vnto the Lord to wrastle with him as Iacob did this is that which holds God his hands from smiting so long as Moses his hand is lifted vp Amalek cannot prevaile I beseech yee therefore all yee that wish well to this our Sion pray for the peace of Ierusalem giue the Lord no rest but cry againe and againe he loues to be importuned the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it Iam. 5. 16. be fervent Pray pray pray therefore cry and say O Lord we know not what to doe onely our eyes are vp towardes thee what shall we say vnto thee O thou preserver of men we are even ashamed and confounded to lift vp our eyes to heaven wee haue sinned exceedingly wee our Rulers and Governors Prince and people we haue all sinned our sinnes are gone vp as an heavy loade too heavy for vs to beare heaven and earth even groane vnder the burthen of them they cry mightily for vengeance but heare the groanes of thy servants let their cryes be lowder in thine eares heare the pleadings and intercessions of thine owne sonne for vs his bloud cryes louder for mercy then our sinnes can doe for judgement had it not beene for that we had all long agoe perished and beene vtterly consumed O thou the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why art thou as a strāger in the land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night Why art thou as a man astonied as a strong man that cannot help Ierem. 14. 8. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the middest of vs thy name is called vpon vs forsake vs not Hast thou vtterly reiected Iudah Hath thy soule abhorred Sion Why hast thou smitten vs that we cannot be healed We looked for peace and behold no good for health and behold trouble wee acknowledge O Lord our wickednesse and the wickednesse of our fathers we haue all sinned doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy Glory remember and breake not thy covenant with vs we haue no helpe but of thee thou art our God therefore saue vs oh be favourable vnto thy Sion build thou the walles of Ieresalem Psal 51. 18. so shall we praise thy name for ever and teach all ages to keepe praises for thee in store Oh giue salvation to thy people out of Sion Psal 53. 6. when thou shalt restore againe the captivitie of thy people then shall I acob reioyce and Israell shall be glad But if ye cannot prevaile for others yet at least aire your owne houses with daily and fervent prayers and that will be a notable meanes to keepe them from the present infection or if it please God to lay it vpon you notwithstanding yee haue faithfully vsed all these meanes then I dare boldly affirme yee shall finde greater refreshings Psal 94. 19. from God then your afflictiō can afford you griefes howsoever it will but rid you out of a valley of 2 Cor. 1. 5. misery into everlasting glory Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things FINIS A Letter full of sweete Comforts for such as are visited by the PESTILENCE GOD the Father of mercies which hath so loved vs to giue his onely Sonne for vs before he gaue vs either children or our selues be mercifull vnto you my deare hearts in the Lord Mr. A. and Mrs A. my bowells in the Lord and so fill you with his superabundant grace that you may say It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted The Lord Psal 119. Iob. 1. hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen Hearing of the Lords mercifull visitation of you and yours I was not a little affected neither hath any particular losse since this hand of God hath been on the Cittie though of friends and neere kindred more pierced my heart with griefe then this of yours Which seeing the Church which hath called me to a publike Ministery permits me not in presence privatly to signifie I beseech God to direct my pen to write somwhat for your comfortable application of Gods correction to your soules health It had much affected me to see the succession of crosses in your imprisonment your wiues long sicknesse with manifold danger of life c. And on Thursday last I was very inquisitiue of Mr. D. touching your wife and her delivery for I had thought shee had beene sent into the country because such is now the fashion and her time