save many Lives So many Christians have been preserved from Turkish Fury many Protestants from Popish Rage both in days past and of late So Jeremiah's case was weigh'd by the Chief Captain of the Assyrian Army Fifthly Merchants who travel into far remote parts for their Trade and Gentlemen who travel for their pleasure and to satisfie themselves by an occular survey of Countreys and Cities of which they often heard Reports scarce to be believed on hear-say These have some greater advantages to see and hear the low and sinking State or the rising and flourishing Condition of those Churches which are planted in such Countreys and as Christians they are bound to observe inform themselves and tell others how 't is with the Churches that Prayers and Praises may be offer'd unto God for them But this is very little minded by Merchants when abroad and less minded by them when return'd home with Wealth greater than ever they hoped Though Religion decay and Churches lessen in Number Knowledge Faith and Holiness yet who of them out of their abundance settle a tribute of Thankfulness to God making Provision for the sending and maintaining Preachers and School-masters among them Wo'd the enriched Merchants remember their Duty to God and what Thanks they owe to the People who were kind to them in Travels and Trading there would be some settlements made to encourage such as are fit and willing to employ themselves in promoting the Welfare of the Churches but Poverty and Low Condition in the World forbids them to do it on their own Estate and no due provision is made by others to support them in such a work Some few of this travelling disposition though poor do go abroad Tutors to some young raw Gentlemen who being so unexperienced and imprudent among Strangers and ever endangering themselves if the Tutor be absent he can do little but attend them in every place and spend his time in viewing things that please young fancies and profit none but those that are Door-keepers or Officers about the places One short Tour of a Learned Man now a great Prelate among us gives us assurance that Travels might give us good Intelligence of the State of the Church were there due care taken in this Dr. Burnet Bishop of Sarem by Persons who could bear the Expences of Prudent Experienced and Diligent Persons Lovers of the Truth and Church as well as Lovers of Knowledge we might in a short time have a good account of the true state of all or most of the Churches of Christ and our Praises would be more seasonable and suitable Sixthly There are the whole Tribe of Levi Ecclesiastical Persons who live upon the Emoluments of the Church These above others should concern themselves for the Church These are to manage Publick Prayers and Praises for the Church these are to be Examples to others to kindle the Affections of their people to pray and praise as occasions require They are or should be able to take account of the Church-Affairs written and publisht to the World in several Languages They should be diligent Readers of such Books They more than others should understand the Times and Seasons of the Prophecies and how the Wilderness State ends or the State of Return out of the Wilderness begins especially under such Revolutions as we now are as whither the Witnesses are rising or whether any Vials or how many are poured forth whether we are to encourage the People of God to hope for a speedy Deliverance or to advise them to expect and prepare for sorer and longer Troubles These and such like Enquiries the Learned Clergy are much more fit to make then the Layety and I think they are bound to it more than others But in a more particular manner those of the Clergy who have preferments which will bear the Charges of 1. All sorts of Books that concern this 2. All sorts of Ammanuenses and Helps to read and give account to them 3. All sorts of Intelligencies and Correspondencies with Bishops and Pastors of the Churches abroad 4. Entertaining and Conversing with all Exiles Refugees and Travellers that come from Forreign Churches 5. Sending if need be particular Messengers to know the Truth or falshood of what is reported to them Rich Archbishops Bishops and Deans might and ought to do thus or more for the Church of Christ I do not know how much of this Work is set on foot or whether none I can hardly think among so many and Learned Men as have Great and Rich Preferments in the Church of England 't is wholly omitted They do I believe receive Intelligences from abroad and if these be as true as those that some of them have sent abroad concerning the State of God's Church here in England no wonder they all grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived as the Apostle said of some other Men 2 Tim. 3.13 In giving all Intelligences to others let us keep and in receiving all from them let us desire them to keep to the Apostles Direction Inform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking the Truth in Love It is an inexcusable Crime to be malicious Slanderers one of another And since the Doctrine of the Church of England in points of Faith and good Manners the Renunciation of Popery as fully as is required are both subscribed and Allegiance to the Government assured by Oath or Subscription let none such be any more misrepresented as of no Principles in Religion Friends to Popery and Enemies to Monarchy and Government Ingenuity and Truth is much wanting both in Words and Writings of Men that should describe their Brethren to Foreigners instead of which they decipher a Monster of their own making and set it up to be abhorred by all that see or hear it A Famous Professor of Divinity in a University and City with which the whole Dissenting Party are often upbraided knew not our State or Cause for many years who when he was informed aright wondred extreamly at our ill usage at home and worse representation abroad I am I confess tempted to suspect very great partiality and falshood in Ecclesiastical Historians both Antient and Modern who have wrote with the Prejudice Enmity and Partiality of sworn Vassals to a Party Were there a Colledge of judicious impartial diligent and able Historians imploy'd and encouraged to search out the truth of all mis-reported parties and tell the world their best as well as their worst hath been told by others it would I think be an Ecclesiastical History far more desireable than any I yet have seen Quis dabit Thuanum Ecclesiasticum After so long a Discourse on the first Direction Enquire as fully as your capacity and opportunity can enable you II. If you would Enquire as Christians ought to affect your hearts in order to pray or praise God for the Church Let your Thoughts be much upon the Importance of what is reported to you Weigh well what influence the New things are likely to have
10. Epist mox ipso tractu ut fieri solet diffundente se crimine c. Adversus gentes ipsa multitudine perturbatus the Proconsul in Bythinia employ'd by Trajan to root up Christianity which they accounted a Crime did acknowledg Tertullian and others prove the spreading of it in the Second and Third Centuries So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed 25 Acts 19.20 in the primitive times ingenerating unconquer'd Constancy of Faith and Godliness in the minds of the Hearers and always victoriously triumphing over the Kingdom of Satan and false Religions In the beginning of the Reformation said Luther * Tom. 4.282 Ubique experimur in Templo in Rep. c. We do everywhere experience in the Church in the Commonwealth in the Family certain fruits of the Word which as Leaven doth spread it self into all the parts of the Commonwealth the Offices and all the States Afterwards we find how it did diffuse it self in England Scotland and Ireland c. ‖ See the Fulfilling of Scriptures p. 401 414. Is 46.10 John 10.35 Acts 1.16 Notwithstanding they of the Antichristian state have laboured to keep up their Superstition and Idolatry by feigned Apparitions as may be seen in later Collections of Popish Miracles the History of Jetzer c. 4. The Holy Bible being the appointed Instrument wherewith the Holy Spirit will work for the sanctification of the Soul 24 John 17.17 1 Pet. 1.22 it is indeed a surer word of prophecy which the Spirit of Christ that spake in the Prophets themselves did signifie 1 1 Pet. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than that which came from Heaven at the transfiguration 2 2 Pet. 1.18 19 Mat. 17.5 Not in regard of the truth for therein they were both equal but in regard that at the Transfiguration was more transient being heard but by a few this of the Scripture more firm and fixed being written for an unalterable Record just so as Holy Men had it brought to them at several times by the Holy Ghost it was not of any private Conception for it came not by the will of man but was brought into them by the will of God who hath strongly preserv'd it amongst his People notwithstanding the endeavours of Antiochus to destroy it under the Old Testament and afterwards when the Canon was compleated tho' several of the Roman Emperors used their utmost power to burn it * Euseb Eccles Hist l. 10. ch 3 4. 8.2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For rather than they whom the Spirit of God had wrought upon by it in the communication of Spiritual Light and Life would become Traditores such Traitors to God and their own Soul as to deliver it up to Dioclesian's Officers they in great numbers suffered themselves in Egypt to be bodily destroyed in humble confidence the Author of it would take their Souls into Abraham's Bosom to be for ever happy there So successful a means is the Word of God for the work of Grace in the Soul that no marvel upon the Rich man's speaking his own conceit or odd wish for some ones prodigious return from the other World as if a Preacher thence would bring his Brethren to return to God Father Abraham discovers himself to be of another mind as it were giving him a Reprimand shews that the Written Word giving more clear evidence of its really coming from above and so manifesting it self to be from God should rather do it as being the stated means which the Spirit useth in the conversion of others And therefore the hankering after Messengers to come anew from Heaven or Hell argues those who are so dispos'd to be such as our Saviour shewed in confuting the Sadduces who really know not the Scriptures nor the power of God therein 3 Mat. 22.29 For let us suppose one who had been dead and known to be so for several years should be wonderfully raised up by God to warn his known Friends here in this World to flee from the wrath to come and to return to God What new Arguments could He use that had not been used in the Ministration of the Word before sith therein he had been acquainted with the pure Precepts of the Divine Majesty and also his sure promises of Heaven to the Obedient with the certain threatnings of Hell to the Disobedient and the never-ceasing pains under the execution of them felt by him who in this Parable here would have warning given to his Brethren What can He suppos'd to come from the other World offer more to the serious consideration of his Relatives After a little startling of them who it may be would be somewhat concern'd a little while at the surprize as the Drunkard seeing his Pot-Companion fall down dead under the Table or others struck dead on every side in a dreadful Pestilence yet the Survivers remain unchang'd in their Minds Wills and Affections of Love and Hatred Hope and Fear all this while Tho' they have often heard the Ministers of the Word even in Christs stead laying cogent Arguments before them to gain their Assent powerful Motives to work upon their Wills and Affections from the sure Word universally suited to the Cases of their several Souls when it may be they had some common motions of the Spirit which they have quenched whereupon they may now be prone to doubt whether this suppos'd new and extraordinary Messenger be indeed Commission'd from God unless he produce his Credentials and these be attested to by the Spirit 4 Gal. 3.1 2. Lavater de Spectris For upon the appearance of an Angel there might well be a suspicion sith if a good one his Message would accord with God's Word if a bad one he would endeavour to deceive by his Lies When the Angel did instruct Joseph by a Vision he forthwith adjoin'd a Testimony from the Prophetical Scripture 5 Mat. 1.23 Isa 7.14 which Christ and his Apostles had respect to tho' they could work Miracles to confirm their Doctrin 5. God out of his infinit Wisdom hath given us his Oracles and sent his Embassadors in the ministry of reconciliation 4 2 Cor 5.19 20 men like to our selves as more suitable to us in houses of Clay than Angels which live out of the Sphere of our Commerce God might think now their Testimonies to his Church here below would not be so convenient for his Government and so consequently not so successful for the beginning of Conversion He could have had the use of the Noblest Spirits for his Errand and Embodied them if he would for expedition when he chose to employ Moses notwithstanding his excuses 5 Ex. 3.11 12. when the Promise of God's Presence with him on his Embassie might answer all 6 Ex. 4.10 12. so that he found be might say with converted Paul ‖ Phil. 4.13 He could do all things through Christ enstrengthning him Man is best drawn in such a
on the good or evil to the comfort or the discomfort of the Church-Catholick or any particular Churches near to or far from you Nehemiah no doubt weigh'd the importance of the News brought to him from Jerusalem and it was thought reasonable that Israel in Egypt on the first appearance of Moses should have considered what Importance it was to see such a Man as Moses was how likely he might be to bring them out When the Edict for Israel's return out of Captivity was first spread as good News to the Jews none of them resented it aright who considered only his personal advantage by it They pray'd and prais'd God aright who look't into the Import of it to the whole Church The News of the death of Ahaz and Succession of Hezekiah is not enquired after till the certainty of the Reformation of Religion and the great change for the better in the Church is lookt into Julian's death was great and good newes to the Church and called for praise to God but those that considered not the influence it would have upon the Church for good if God rais'd up a Christian Successor must needs fall very far short in their prayer and praise When the News of the death of Edward the Sixth afflicted the hearts of Gods children in England and they mourn'd and pray'd as apprehensive of the consequences of the death of a pious Prince a Zealous Reformer a Hearty Lover of Truth and professor of it whilest he lay sick these considerations quickken'd them of that Age to beg his life So when the sickness of Queen Mary was the News on the Stage and her death would be the safety of the Church no wise Protestant enquired after the News without a thought how much it would benefit the Church to lose her III. Who Enquires as a Christian in order to manage Prayer and Praise should I think Enquire of those who can and will inform him the best most truly and sincerely of any News he knoweth There ever have been and now are persons who abuse the world with false Reports to amuse the more simple-hearted they dare coin Lies and cry out Wo Wo or Peace Peace very unagreeably to the nature and aspect of Affairs If you have a Friend who dares not wittingly spread a Lye nor deny a Truth and knows much of publick Occurrences thou mayest rely somewhat on his word thou mayest with greater confidence pray for the Church in deep Distress and Praise God for bringing it out of its Distress When we know the Church needs our Prayers it is most agreeable to God that we do pray If when we praise God for the Church in any particular if afterwards it appear we were deceived by false Reports the Enemy scoffs at us we should to the best of our knowledge pray and praise suitably to the real state of the Church It was a common practice in our late Civil Wars upon a fight that both Parties kept Thanksgiving Days when 't was not possible both should have the Victory this was highly Scandalous and each upbraided others with Hypocrisie Let us as much as in us lieth prevent such a reproof what we cannot be Eye-witness of but must take on Hear-say let us endeavour to be truly informed that both prayer and praises may be grounded on the Truth of things as they proceed from Truth of Heart Tragical Stories of Catholicks prosecuted in England when Garnet and some few others were executed for their unparallel'd Hellish Powder-Plot and Treason set many a deceived Papist into Tears and Prayers who had they known the Truth of things would have prais'd God for preserving their King and Countrey condemned the Traitors and own'd the Hand of God in the Discovery of the Plot and punishment of Plotters On the other side when bloody Men imbru'd their Hands in blood of many Thousand Innocents in the Parisian Massacre and the Irish Rebellion destroy'd Innocent Protestants by Hundreds of Thousands it is palliated with false Rumors to lessen the Horrour of the Fact the Barbarous Cruelty of the Actors as if a few turbulent persons had been prevented and fallen by the hands of Self-Defenders Which had it been a Truth who could have found in their hearts to pray for such But with respect to all such bloody usage of the Innocent Church in all Ages past and in this of ours we will pray with the Psalmist Let God be known by the avenging the blood of his Saints Psal 70.10 IV. Who Enquires as a Christian must Enquire with a Compassionate Affection to the suffering Churches of Christ or feeling their Wounds as living Members feel the griefs and wounds of the Body in what part soever preparing to help the whole and bear his own part as one who prefers Jerusalem above his chief â—oy and can heartily rejoyce in her prosperity as one whose heart is wounded with the same sword that woundeth Jerusalem and therefore bitterly bemoaneth and heartily prayeth for the bleeding Church Give us an Nehemiah who chap. 1. ver 4. sate down and wept when he heard sad tydings great distress and long desolations of Jerusalem When you Enquire with Jeremiah's wish Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears Jer. 9.1 To weep for the slain of the daughter of my people Such an heart doth as naturally pour out it self in prayers as it doth into tears and doth as naturally rejoyce with the rejoycing Church as it either wept or pray'd before When Christ foresaw and foretold the doleful state that Jerusalem should fall into he wept over her and so must every Christian weep over desolate and disconsolate Jerusâ—lem when he hears her Sorrows and prays for her Relief Among Natural Relations few there are who are not affected with grief for the Sorrows and troubles of a Brother there should not be one among Spiritual Relations but should with hearty grief entertain the News of Sorrows and distress upon the Church and give God no rest till he make her a quiet Habitation till he turn her Mourning into Joy till he take away the garments of her Widowhood and cloth her with the garments of his Salvation When we hear the sad Tydings with such a Heart as Josiah heard the Threats of the Law read in his presence 2 Chron. 34.27 ver then we are like to do as he did to seek the Lord to return to him and make a Covenant with him to serve him that he may turn away his displeasure and spare his people Josiah heard the news with a tender heart a melting heart and sent to Enquire of the Lord that he might know what was to be done by him and his People to prevent or defer or lessen the threatned Evil. V. When you Enquire into the present News that concerns the Church that you may the better pray for the Church or praise God on behalf of the Church Enquire into the sins of the Church with an humble mourning and repenting Heart So
Reason our Law makes it Death to conceal High Treason so much as four and twenty hours I am sure God's Law requires you to Confess and Forsake your higher Treason against Christs Crown without so much as a Minutes delay And with much more Reason and Equity I thought I had done But I am sensible how little I have done And therefore before I make an end I must try to set two sorts of People a doing more for poor Unconvert young ones Two very concerned ones in the case Two that my Text hath surely somewhat to do with I mean Parents and Ministers Surely Natural and Ecclesiastical Fathers are all bound to joyn me in preaching of this portion of Scripture To you Natural Parents I first Address Beseeching you that you go study what you have to do and do all that you shall know for your Childrens early Conversion I am of the mind that gallant Language ne're did Gods Work And do find it what you call Wild Note rather than set Musick that I can ever move you by VVherefore plainly I tell you we may thank you for Earth's becoming thus unlike Heaven and like to Hell VVe may thank your Negligence and worse for the ruin of more Children than ever Herod slew or the Lyar and Murderer of France himself VVe may thank you that Children be so generally Beasts before they are Young Men and young Devils before they are Old Men. VVe may thank you for vitiating the most numerous the most ductile and the most hopeful part of the VVorld For robbing God of his First Fruits in the VVorld I beseech you by Gods tender Mercies repent of your Cruelties And I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ reform ye straitway and do as aforesaid The Light of Nature that guides you to help your Children to go and to speak and to do what is necessary for this Life guides you also to help them for the Divine Life Nor can you doubt but Gods Ordinance in the old Church for the appearanee of the Male-children before him thrice in the Year was to bring them to an early Acquaintance with himself And there is still both need and obligation to keep the substance of that precept now under the Gospel O let it not be said any longer that your care is more for your Childrens Cloaths than their Souls For shame Sirs for shame let them not be wicked without your pity nor Converted without your pains Think ye daily of both the Advantages and Engagements to do it Your Advantages You do Love your Children best do you not And you are best Beloved by them You are Nearest unto them and have most Authority over them You do know their Capacities and their Tempers VVho can suit them as you Your Engagements Their sore Needs do engage you And so do the sore Evils that however undesignedly you have done them Who brought Adam's Sin upon them and into them but you And who dares say that your own personal Sins have done them no wrong Dying Dr. Harris said He had made his Peace with God A Minister of the Church of England told me he had refused to Baptize some of his Parishioners Children because as he saw they would not afterward breed them up to Christianity And told his Children that his Sins should not hurt them therefore unless they made them their own Can you say so if you were now to dye Well very Nature also engages you Ay and Equity binds you For your Children are God's more than yours and sure it is to him and for him that you should educate his Children Truth also engages you For you promised you would so educate them when you had them Baptized did you not The Fear and Love of God if any be in you do engage you And so doth your own Interest also Yea lastly Shame engages you For 't is a shame is it not To teach Children to honour and serve you and not to honour and serve their God and yours I have bid many Children ask you whether if they were too young to be bound to keep Gods Commands they were not also too young to be bound to keep yours Listen not to the White Devils that will suggest If your Children take not to Religion of themselves without your ado your pains will do but little good Do Horses or Camels tame themselves Do Men tame Beasts of the Wilderness and you not tame the Children of your own Bodies and Families But all in a Word Does God set you a work and promise you Success and you dream it to no purpose to set about it Read you Prov. 22.6 23.13 14. 29.17 15. As for you Church-Fathers may I humbly assume to stir up your Minds but in way of Remembrance You know if the Lambs be lost the Lord of the Flock will with great anger ask Where were the Shepherds all the while What were they doing Nor will our highest feeding of the Sheep compound for the loss of his Lambs And I doubt it will not suffice to say Lord we were the while digging for profound Notions or Disputing Nice Questions or studying polite Sermons for people whose Peace and whose Praise we could not have cheaper Brethren for the Lords Sake let us all do somewhat weekly and set the Parents of our Congregations doing somewhat daily for young people's Souls And let both set to it Hopefully for the Reasons foresaid The Difficulty and Impossibility as to our Endeavours be left but to drive us to Diligence and Dependance on him to whom nothing is Difficult or Impossible The more we do look for success the more it will come Let not Catechising that is praised by all be Unpractised by any And in Preaching let none of us make need where we find none to shoot over young folks heads and use a Language we must needs know they understand not Love of God and of them would make us willing rather to be trampled under Scorners feet for our Faithfulness then to ride over their heads in Figures of Vain-glorious impertinence The which wise Hearers do no more commend than weak Hearers do Understand Neither be it any more grievous to us than it was to St. Austin to have now and then an Ad vos Juvenes To call and tell them Young people this is for you I would be glad to see wanton Wits have less Sawce and weak Souls have more Meat in all our Sermons And to discern that our pains in making Converts did exceed the Papists in making Proselytes For it must be owned 't is an uncolourable Profaneness to Baptize Infancy and not teach Youth or but slightly Because otherwise we shall starve the Nursery and then what becomes of Jesus Christ's Family The good Lord awaken us all And set Ministers Parents Young people themselves all a doing and well doing Our Churches then shall be Beautified and Joyed and Strengthned with abundance of young Meditating Isaac's Young Jacob's seeking
necessary to our Common Weale Let us all cry Turn us O Lord and we shall or will be turned Frame your doings as men determined to turn unto the Lord. Set heartily to it with all your might for it 's hard work delay it not a moment Oh God bow our wills that the Land may jointly answer Lo we come unto thee Jer. 3.22 for thou art the Lord our God Can you pretend wherein shall we return Alas Mal. 3.7 wherein have we not departed from him All in a manner is out of frame every thing every person considerably needs amendment Let us all Unite in this and God will bless us with Light and Love for Union in other things This work needs all our hands let us make up that wherein others will be defective all striving to begin and outdo each other Oh that all emulation and strife were reduced to this which of us shall first and most Reform 3. If the generality will not be perswaded to repent of National Sins let not particular persons neglect it I am loath to descend so low yet this is better than none Who knows how many may be convinced by the Repentance of a few At least you may preserve your selves Ez. 9.4 6. and view the publick Calamity with more composure than other Men as having done your utmost to prevent them We know not but God may delay Judgments for the sake of a few remarkable Penitents though we may not commonly expect it Shall there be so great cause and none set themselves to it Hath God none among us that regard his loudest Calls Can there be so little Love to his Name and Honour in England that even a few will not afflict their Souls that he is so provoked that a few will not testifie against this common Apostacy Poor Nation that hast none that love thy wellfare that all will lose showers of Mercy for thee rather than sow in Righteousness Ezek. 22.30 Oh that some would resolve this day Let not God say I fought for a man but I found none Repent of your Personal Sins otherwise how can you repent of National Sins Examine thy self how far thou art infected with the National Provocations What hast thou contributed thereto Charge thy Soul therewith Say the measure is so much the fuller for my sake Bewail thy share mourn over the faults of others thou mayest grieve for what thou canst not reform but be sure to reform thy self to thy utmost reform thy Family yea set thy self to bring all thou art in thy place capable to amendment Do not judge of faults by the common Opinion let not the Example of others be thy Standard but set the Divine Rule before thee and review things thereby Resolve to stem the Tide and to judge and act in the face of it What though the multitude be against thee what though Bigots rail what though many Professors yea Men of thy own Party condemn thee All is nothing whiles God will accept and approve thee A Man must be singular that will reform himself in a degenerate Age he must be resolved that will attempt to reform others 2. Let us enquire whether we may expect National Mercies from our present frame and state I believe God will not forsake us but in time he will do us good But the Enquiry is meant thus Whether Mercy will be immediately enjoyed is the wrath of God turned away and will his progress in a way of Judgments be stopped Can we reasonably conclude though the Sword hath been furbished it shall not destroy Our Warfare is accomplished the Clouds are past the bitterness of Death is over Dare I say rejoyce O Land in the favour of a reconciled God For good only good shall presently be unto thee I shall by way of Objections give you what is matter of Hopes and in the Answer to those Objections give you the ground of my Fears and in the end declare my Thoughts Object 1. Are there not some Testimonies of National Repentance from whence we may hope Mercy is towards us As 1. Penal Laws against the Worship of God are as good as disannulled and Persecution is at a stop Answ 1. I wish the general remains of Malignity argue not a sorrow for that Liberty 2. I find most of them that were guilty of Persecution instead of repenting of it do justifie it as a just Prosecution though it was an Usurpation of the Rights of People as Men and as Christians 3. Are the Sacrament Test and Act of Uniformity removed 2. We had a publick Fast-day kept with outward Solemnity Answ I 'll judge of no Mans Heart yet I cannot but observe 1. The most polluting Sins of the Land were not solemnly owned much less bewailed Where was a publick acknowledgment of the sinful Silencing Two Thousand Ministers because they durst not profane their Office and plainly Lye and Perjure themselves I might name many such other sins alas general Confessions avail little 2. What publick Reformation in Life and Manners appears since that day What fewer Oaths Profaneness is no way abated Men are returned with the Dog to the vomit Now Fastings without amendment are but a mockery with God and profit not a people 3. Men are so far from Repentance that they cannot endure to be reproved for their sins They say you irritate if you mention their offences They like to hear others accused but abhor the least hint against their own faults Tell the imposer on the Church that uninstituted terms of Communion are sinful and rage is awakened Perswade the bitter Spirit to be Peaceable and his Tongue is soon envenomed and you shall be railed on as the great disturber Object 2. But a great part of the Land is innocent of some of the most notorious Crimes the sober Persons are many who share not in the Profaneness of the Land The persecuted and ejected cannot be guilty of the oppressions they were under and many of the Church of England never agreed thereto Answ 1. How little do such truly mourn for those sins of other Men How much more common is it to hear the better sort scoff and laugh at Profaneness than bewail it Persecutors are more railed at than mourned for By this we become guilty 2. Are not there iniquities with the soberer part of the Nation impenitently continued in to this day Do we see backslidings healed how much more Mortified Heavenly Circumspect Charitable or Fruitful are the hopefullest persons in the Land by all our Calls Yea our Complaints though so general little tend to alter us Isa 64.6 7. Our Righteousness is as filthy rags we fade as a leaf Object 3. But if we consider the Sovereign dealings of God with us may not we expect Mercy though we see not Repentance As 1. God hath lately wrought a great Deliverance when we were on the brink of ruin and that by a series of Miracles when we were as unworthy as we are now Answ
amendment and a Testimony from Heaven against our crying Evils and shameful Impenitency By terrible things God will prepare us for Blessings and introduce our Happiness by that which will try our utmost Faith I can hardly account our Foundations sure while men justifie their Sins and persist in them Our very Reformation is impossible whiles men of most influence have no heart to it yea hate and fear it Whenever I see Magistrates engage in reforming us as their great Duty and with their whole might VVhen men of power esteem Repentance to be the truest Interest of the Nation VVhen the Ministry is awakened to cry aloud and doth impartially represent to the Land all its Sins and Dangers not mistaking or palliating our Offences VVhen the Body of the Land at least a considerable part of it do crave and approve of Reformation and concur with the Means God shall prepare for it Then and not till then shall I account our Repentance hopeful and consequently expect the Blessings to be established which God seems earnest to bestow Numb 24.22 But who shall live when God doth this VVhat overturnings will effect it when so many have failed to do us any good It s something very amazing which can alter Minds so averse or remove men unchangeably Obstinate Yet the Providences of God towards England are like to be terrible in proportion to all this I do not herein limit the Holy One but humbly propose my thoughts as to the usual aptitude of Means to their End not wholly neglecting the indications of present Providences as to this matter much less would I overlook Scripture Prophesies VSE of LAMENTATION Let us Lament the Impenitency of the Nation and its forfeiture of Mercies and hazard of Judgments hereby Jer. 8.6 What can be Cause of Mourning equal to our Obstinateness We are guilty of bloody Crimes and most regard it not We seem reconciled to our Abominations as if they were innocent and are as secure as if God had not threatned to punish a people for them The Land is full of Sin after all the means which were sent to cleanse us The Fire hath devoured yet our Dross remains The plague hath in its Rage swept away Thousands yet the provocations of England abate not How oft hath the Lord cried Wilt thou not be clean when shall it once be Jer. 12.27 But we have held fast our several Iniquities It s but lately that Popery and Slavery were coming on us like a Deluge to the amazement of all that could with any Zeal consider it but the Nation now seems sorry that it was at all Convinced and repents that there was the least motion in it towards amendment Oh the ferment that hastily succeeded our Fears least Sobriety or Holiness should obtain God hath followed his rebukes with undeserved yea unexpected Mercies but this Sun-shine hath made Weeds to grow instead of rendring Judgments effectual to make us Holy What Methods have been untried but none succeed Which is the Nation that ever withstood so many and various Calls to Repentance Niniveh is England's Reproach she repented at the first warning Sodom would have condemned us had it been trusted with half our Advantages Can the Earth shew an Instance of perverseness equal to ours As if the Gospel had extinguished Natural Conscience or a Christian Profession did make us more regardless than Pagans Every thing seems to harden us we grow worse by those things that recover others Alass We have few that bemoan our want of Mourning are all our Jeremiah's asleep that none drop a Tear for England's Security Do all think it needless or hopeless to turn unto the Lord that so few seem to set themselves in earnest about it How very few symptoms have we that we are not under a judicial Hardness Many are convinced they ought to Repent yea many resolve it but how Abortive doth all prove Our Iniquities baffle our Resolves and Satan triumphs over the vanity of our Purposes What a hateful prospect doth our Nation afford to God and Angels We are a wonder to our selves when a Drowsie Mind allows us to entertain any serious Considerations Lord what will the End of these things be Wilt thou always bear and seem to observe our Provocations as slightily as we do Alass this would make us more miserable than Gods sorest Rebukes Judgments more awful than any we have yet felt are become even necessary to our Happiness but though they be needful what heart can endure them What Terror must attend those Dispensations which will separate the Precious from the Vile pluck up Constitutions so rooted by Interest Custom Malignity and Ignorance Disable the Irreligious from settling Church or State and imbitter our reigning Sins to careless scornful and resolute Offenders How dreadful is that storm that will drive all good Men together when they are canton'd into so many Parties embittered by mutual Prejudices fond of and valuing themselves by fond Opinions and distances from others especially whiles self-conceit and ignorance so prevail How hot is that Fire which will purge out the Dross among Churches when it s eaten even into our Hearts What 's that which can awaken drowsie Saints make the selfish publick Spirited bring the careless to holy Watchfulness and revive that simplicity savouriness and heavenly-mindedness which is become such a Mystery and so unfashionable Surely we may expert a complication of Woes and each filled with unusual degrees of Gods avenging Skill and Power What may not we awfully expect Disappointment by the likeliest men dissolution of the most conceited Churches a shaking of the Nations Pillars a successive change of Instruments frequent blasts on begun Deliverances revivals by the most improbable Instruments many entire over-turnings and changes opposition among the best Friends very near Approaches of the most dreaded Mischiefs Mens minds struck with tremblings all Carnal Refuge failing us Reason put to a Non-plus Probable and Improbable confounded beyond Conjecture Counsel hid from the Wise Force and Power baffled Authority become weak all Order disturbed Men at a loss what to wish or deprecate uncertain what to Hope or Fear whom to distrust or confide in These and many such things seem obvious in the Constitution of that day of the Lord that is like to be upon us And how many more awful things are in his Treasures to fill up that Dispensation of which he hath so long warned the World as strange and unusual We cannot judge of this great Earthquake which will affect us as well as other Nations by what hath been for it is to exceed all that is past Who knows what new sights strange stroakes upon the Spirits of Men and unheard of Judgments may be reserved for this Season Can we love our Nation and be unmov'd Can we hate our selves so as not to Lament that these awful things should find us impenitent yea carry in them displeasing rebukes for that impenitency Should not we all wish that each of our Eyes were Fountains of Tears to bewail at once the Obstinateness and the impending Dangers of the Land of our Nativity Look away from me I will weep bitterly labour not to comfort me Isa 22.4 5. because of the spoilings of the daughter of my people For it is a day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts in the valley of vision breaking down of walls and of crying to the Mountains FINIS