to humble themselves is when the Decree is broken forth and the wrath of God is actually upon them when the smart of the rodd makes them sensible of their sinne as it is sayd of Israel Ps 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and enquired earely after God This was Mannasseh his season as vile a wretch as ever breathed upon the earth a very prodigie of wickednesse yet when he was in affliction when his chaines were upon him then he sought the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly 2 Chro. 33.11 A prudent man foreseeth the evill and hideth himselfe Prov. 22.3 Sees the Calamity in it's commination and prevents it in the threatning sees it first and as it is sayd of the man and the Basiliske kils it by having the first sight of it while the cloud of wrath is but like that of Eliah a hands-breadth foresees a tempest and makes hast for shelter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foole will be instructed while the rod is upon his backe children when they smart will cry and begge and promise never to do so againe The racke of a great Plague will extort a confession from obstinate Pharaoh I have sinned this time the Lord is Righteous and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9.27 When the judgement is not onely at the doore but entred into the house Quis rogo interfici alterum juxta se videt ipse non metuit c. Salv. and shall take away one here another there and all are in danger will not every one be affraid If the Lion roare will not the beast tremble much more when he shall come and seize upon his prey Is it not time for the whole Towne to come in when their houses are on fire with water to quench it It was high time for Aaron to stand in the gapp when the Plague had made a breach upon the People And Moses said unto Aaron Take a Censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and goe quickely unto the congregation and make an autonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Numb 16.46 Such cases as this admit no delayes as Messadamus was wont to say of himselfe Know no to morrow a little neglect here may undoe a Kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serious things to morrow cost him deere that spake it both his life and Thebes In such times as these who knowes what a day some few houres may bring forth Sodom and those sister Cities had a faire morne the Sun rose gloriously but never had people in the world a more terrible day High time therefore it is when Gods hand is exalted in the way of his Judgements for a people a Nation to humble themselves The necessity thereof will evidently appeare from the consideration of these particulars 1. That the sound of this Trumpet is the last summons God gives a Rebellious people it is the last Flagg that he hangs out if they submit not and yeild then nothing to be expected at Gods hand but utter ruine It is storied of the victorious Tamerlaine that great scourge of the Ottoman Empire that when he advanc't against any Towne or City so soone as he was set downe before it the first day his Tents were all spread with white a colour of Clemency importing to them that if they would presently surrender they should be receiv'd into Mercy if notwithstanding this tender they should yet stand out against him the next day his Pavilion was cloth'd with red a colour of bloud to give them to understand his severity If neither of these two prevailed for a surrender the third day the same Tents were all hung with blacke to let them know that now all overtures of mercy were past and that now they must expect whatsoever calamity the fury of a conquering enemy could bring upon them Such a course it is that God holds with a sinfull people according to the rule he himselfe gave unto the Jewes in their warres Deut. 20.10 He first proclaimes peace holds out the white Flagg summons them to repentance by the tenders of mercy Go saith the Lord and proclaim these words towards the North and say Returne O backsliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you Ier. 3.12 If this gentler invitation prevaile not upon their love he next sends forth his Rod-Herald to make such a summons as may worke upon their feare Heare ye the Rod and who hath appointed it Micah 6.9 This is Gods Red Flagg and the last he holds out to sinners with conditions of peaces If the Rod cannot teach a People their duty nor the severity of Iudgements upon the Land instruct the Inhabitants in Righteousnesse if a Nation remaine deafe at the thunder of Gods loud voice this obstinacy obstructes all the doores of hope all the passages of mercy God hangs out against them the blacke Ensigne of desolation Secondly Obstinacy under Judgements raiseth a sin to the very height it fills up the bag compleats the measure of a peoples iniquity and leaves sin uncapable of greater aggravation In the fourth of Amos God sets forth the sinne of Israel arrived as it were at the non ultra of sinfullnesse further then which it could hardly goe that notwithstanding the variety and extremity of the greatest Iudgements upon them they relented not nor returned unto God it is the burden of every charge by a patheticall scheme which the Rhetoricians call Epistrophe or conversion there five times repeated Yet have they not returned unto me saith the Lord I have sent among you pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slaine with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stinke of your Camps to come up into your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. I have overthrowne some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluck't out out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Oh this Yet hath an Emphasis an Accent upon it and makes sinne carry an infinite weight in the ballance of the Sanctuary They are not humbled even unto this day after all the experiences of divine Fury heightned the Iewes sinnes beyond an expression To relapse into the same offence after punishment doubles the malefactors guilt and deprives him of the Favour of the Iudge but to sinne upon the racke under the plague while Gods markes are upon them renders sinne almost incapable of forgivenesse O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a rocke they have refused to returne Jer. 5.3 It followeth at the seaventh verse How shall I pardon thee for this
me and that they have walked contrary to me and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the Land of their enemies if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then I will remember my Covenant and I will remember their Land An humbled spirit is most severe to it selfe translates not the fault upon others much lesse chargeth God with severity Job 7.20 I have sinned and what shall I doe unto thee oh thou preserver of men saith Job upon the dunghill He putteth his mouth in the dust saith Ieremie if so be there may be hope It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Lam 3.22 29. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it saith David Psal 39.9 Rehoboam his Princes and people humbling themselves though God threaten to leave them in the hand of the Egyptians now come up with a great Army against them yet acknowledge The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 12. O. O Lord to us belongs confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee was the confession of Daniel setting his face to seeke God by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloath and ashes but to our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Dan. 9.8.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord saith the Church in Micah because I have sinned against him Mic. 7.9 It is the course of some of our Courts of justice that the delinquent after sentence can obtaine no mitigation of his punishment nor discharge from his imprisonment till he acknowledge his offence and the justice of their proceedings against him this may seeme hard 't is possible in the Courts of men the innocent may suffer no injustice possible from the Court of heaven It is the rule of that Court no relaxation or mercy to be expected thence till we confesse the demerits of our sinnes and the righteousnesse of Gods Iudgements and therefore the Prophet David held this course in the confession of his sinnes and supplication for pardon I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me against thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest Psal 51.3 4. The Lamenting Prophet in that Sea of wrath let in upon Iudah gives God the glory of his justice Lam. 1.18 The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandement And this he doth by way of Proclamation too Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my Virgins and my Young men are gone into captivity It is the Lord saith Eli let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 This acceptance of their punishment was imported in the posture of the penitents standing before the Lord. 2 Chron. 20.13 Nâ—hem 9.2 It is storied of Mauritius the Emperour that when his children were murdered before his eyes as once were Zedekiahs before his and himselfe after received the sentence of death he cryed out Iustus es Domine rectum judicium tuum Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements These the speeches this the deportment of an humbled spirit And thus much in answere to the first Question what it is to be humbled the neglect whereof stands here charged against the Iewes They were not humbled unto this day I proceed to the 2d. Why when Gods judgements are up on a people then 't is high time for them to humble themselves For the satisfaction whereof I must desire you to take notice that after sins committed there are 3 seasons for a man or Nation to humble themselves The first immediately upon their Commission this indeed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best opportunity repentance in the Fathers language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great medicine to salvation and we know that a Soveraigne remedie will speed the cure if applied while the sore is fresh 'T is in the wounds of the soule as those of the body those that are long delayed are healed with more paine and difficulty That humiliation never miscarries of the blessing which as Jacob did Esau shall take sinne by the heele when they shall come as twinnes into the world sinne the first borne shall be destroyed like those of the Egyptians and the elder not only serve the younger but as Josephs brethren or like Dagon before the Arke shall fall downe before him Alexander being askt how he made himselfe master of Greece returned answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by making no delay should we put the same question to David and demand how he obteined pardon for his sinne in numbring the people he would make us the like answere by not deferring to humble himselfe no sooner was the fact done but his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24.10 This was Saint Peters season after the abnegation of his Master and perjury The Cocke crew Iesus look't backe and Peter immediately went forth and wept bitterly Matt. 26.75 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same night was conscious both to his sinne and repentance his wound and his cure Chryshom 53. This indeed is the handle of opportunity the locke of time to humble our selves and blessed are they that lay hold upon it The second season of humiliation is then when the conscience convinced of sinne committed beginnes to be affrighted with the apprehensions of wrath when the soule comes to see its guilt and is affraid of Gods judgements and therefore makes hast to agree with God offended while he is in the way and to stop the Decree of wrath before it come forth this opportunity deserves it's praise but as 't is said of some of Davids worthies in the second place That person under the Iudiciall Law that being guilty of man slaughter recovered the City of refuge before he was overtaken by the avengers of bloud saved his life so shall that man that nation theirs who understanding themselves in danger of Gods wrath by reason of sinne shall fly to the throne of grace and by unfained contrition lay hold upon the hornes of the Altar before the messengers of wrath have layd hold upon them But unto the King of Iudah which sent you to enquire of the Lord thus shall ye say unto him because thine heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heard'st that I spake against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse and hast rent thy cloathes and wept before me I have also heard thee saith the Lord. Behold therefore I will gather thee unto thy fathers thou shalt be gathered unto thy grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place it was spoken of good King Iosiah 2 King 22.19 The third and last opportunity for a people
the pot thus empty upon it that the brasse might be hot and burne that the filthinesse might be molten in it and the scumme consumed now because after all this her filthinesse remained and her great scumme went not out of her The Lord concludes her as an incurable City under that dismall sentence at the 13 vers In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more untill I have caused my fury to rest upon thee The Prophet Jeremy yet further illustrates the desperate estate of that people whom the extremity of distresse cannot reclaime from their wickednesse by a most apposite similitude taken from the Refiners who by melting their mettall in the fire make a seperation of the good mettall from the drosse Jer. 9.7 I will melt them and try them for what shall I doe for the daughter of my people as if he had said If there be any thing sound or of worth in a drossie cankred people it cannot be preserved but onely by melting them in the furnace this currupted Nation cannot otherwise be saved but onely by the fire Now with how great labour and exactnesse God performes this triall the Prophet expresseth Jer. 6.28 29. where he brings in God complaining against Iudah They are greivous revolters walking with slanders they are brasse and Iron they are all corrupters the bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away Malitiae corum non sunt consumptae their wickednessees are not consumed and purged by the refining fire of Gods Judgments Their iniquity is so incorporated that though the bellowes be burnt i.e. the voyce of the rod as well as the Prophet made hoarse and quite spent with crying unto them to humble themselves the lead used for the separation of the drosse from the better mettall was all wasted in the fire yet they were not purified their drosse did still cleave unto them no extremity of calamity could part them and their sinnes and therefore it followes at the next verse Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Fourthly God doth especially observe the severall deportments of the inhabitants of a land when his judgments are upon them his pure eye runns to and fro to see how men stand affected and to take notice what men do and say in the times of distresse It was a fearefull visitation which God threatens Iudah with Ier. 8.3 where the prophet tells them that so great should their calamity be that Death should be chosen rather then life at the 6 verse he represents God as it were going frō City to City from house to house and from company to company and there listening to heare what the people would doe and say in the day of their feares I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of the evell saying what have I done They spake happily much as God helpe us too many now but they spake not as they should they spake not aright for they repented not of their wickednesse no man sayd what have I done What a paucity is there in the world who in times of distresse speake that which God expects and desires to heare amongst all the talke of the times how rare is that of repentance the erre of teares and the voyce of weeping those sighes and groanes which the penitent soule sends up to heaven as Ambassadours to the throne of grace for mercy How few such speakers as the Prophet Malachi mentions Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Mal. 3.16 Where shall God find a selfe-humbling selfe-condemning sinner who sensible of his owne guilt saith What have I done Beloved that great God before whom all things are naked that knowes the secrets of all hearts is present amongst us at this time in the midst of the Temple and sees with what devotion or with what want of it we stand in his Courts he takes notice how the pulse of every one of our hearts beats there 's never a thought which he marks not never a sigh fetcht in private but he sets down in his book never a tear shed in our Closets that he saves not in his bottle he observes too who stands off and comes not in this day to afflict his soule as if he had no sinnes to procure the Judgements that are now upon us or no sence to feele them There 's never a person carowsing at the Taverne nor swearing in the streets no Zimri and Cosby acting their Lusts none idle or happly worse imployed in the house when the Assemblies are mourning at the Church that he observes not Never a sinne this day committed but he seales up in his bagge the sinnes that at other times might be mitigated by an excuse committed on this day grow into a presumption beyond an Apology God writes them in Capitall Letters with a pen of a Diamond he doth at all times abhorre a proud and unhumbled soule such a one this day is an abomination the soule that is not afflicted at such times as this shall be cut off from the people a contrite and broken heart is the onely sacrifice that can propitiate him in this day of attonement If we consult the sacred Records we shall not find a more perfect Register of any thing then of such both persons and People as humbled themselves under Gods mighty hand stretcht our in Judgement against them and of such as at these times remained obstinate and impenitent those he remembers to their advantage and mentions with praise these he records with indignation and sets a stigma a brand of infamy upon them for their lasting reproach so long as those sacred monuments shall remain in the world I can but point at one or two instances of many In 2 Chron. 32.25 we read of Hezekiah whom God had miraculously recovered from a dangerous sicknesse and granted 15 yeares more to his life when his terme was expired that he rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both he and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the dayes of Hezekiah In the next Chapter we have the story of the unparallel'd wickednesse of Manasseh his Son and how vanquish't by the King of Assyria he was carryed away captive in fetters to Babylon and there when he was in affliction how he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly On the other side it stands as a perpetuall blot upon the name of Amon the sonne of Manasseh
that though he had sinned as his Father had done yet he humbled not himselfe but Amon trespassed more and more And upon Zedekiah chap. 36.12 that he did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himselfe before Ieremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Examples in this kind would swell beyond the time I hasten 5ly There 's nothing in the world can stand in the gapp to stop God marching against us in the way of his Judgements and keepe out a Torrent of wrath flowing in upon a Kingdom but only the humbling of our selves Our eyes for the most part in times of distresse like Solomons fooles Prov. 17.24 are at the ends of the earth we looke upon our forces abroad and our fortifications at home like those in Isai 22.8 that in that day did looke unto the Armories made up their breaches drew in their waters broke downe their houses to fortifie the wall inlarged their trenches and let in the poole and these things are not to be neglected but here was their fault and I feare ours they looked not to the maker thereof they had no respect unto God no care by the humiliation of themselves in weeping and mourning a duty which the Lord of Hosts called for at their hands at that time as the only meanes of their safety and preservation to make him propitious to them to appease his wrath and engage him for them who if he keepe not the City the watchman watcheth but in vaine it is our God that is the Pignus Imperii the Palladium and Ancile of our Cities While we enjoy his protection and presence we may not only say of them as they did of Sparta that their men were their walls but our God salvation will the Lord appoint for walls and bulwarkes no weapon shall prosper against the City that is defended by God hee 'le send Armies from heaven to fight for us when we have none in the field They fought from heaven the starres in their courses fought against Sisera Judg. 5.20 The river Kishon swept them away even that ancient River the River Kishon Halfe a Regiment with Gideon when God goes Generall with them into the field shall be more then enough to discomfit the whole host of Midian he can strike the besiegers with a Panicke feare and make them fly at the onely imagined noyse of Horses and Chariots On the other side if God be against us it availes not what our provisions and fortifications be or how many thousand are for us All the Castles and Bulwarkes and Armies in the world cannot protect us from God as an enemy Aiguanus tells us of a Prince who being call'd in by the Inhabitants of a City to their assistance and the rather to perswade him being assured that the place was verytenible well provided and fortified The Prince return'd answere desireing to know whether their city were covered above so that Gods anger could not fall from heaven upon them signifying unto them that it was a vaine thing to hope to secure themselves in the strength of walls and the helpe of men while sinne layed them open to the wrath of God The sinnes within are more to be feared then the enemies without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a voice heard from heaven by the Tyrant Phocas who thought after all his villanie to preserve himselfe by the impregnablenesse of the place wickednesse is within the City shall be destroyed I read of a people that when Alexander sent unto them to know what it was they most feared he supposed they would have said himselfe but they answered that they were most affraid lest heaven should fall upon them and indeed this is most to be feared lest the wrath of the God of heaven fall upon us after all our fortifications we lye open to heaven and there 's no way to secure our selves from an enemy thence but by humbling our selves Humiliation hath often made up the breaches when a whole nation hath beene ready to be overwhelm'd by an inundation of Judgements As Abigail once did David it appeaseth God in the height of his fury it stands as the Raine bow that God hath set in the Cloudes which whensoever he lookes upon he relents and will not drowne that people in a deluge of wrath Non potest orbis cadere quē lacrymae sustentant saith S. Austin the teares of contrition they are the Pillars of a Kingdome the props that sustaine and beare up the world that it doth not fall into it's primitive confusion Humiliation is that sure Anchor of hope which hath saved the Church and State from wracke in the greatest tempests upon both God hath obtained his end when he sees us prostrate upon the ground and yeelding our selves his indignation doth not fall so low he cannot exercise vengeance upon them who revenge sinne upon themselves nor destroy them that lie downe at his feete and cry for mercy 2 Chron. 12 They have humbled themselves saith the Lord of Rehoboam and his Princes therefore I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be powred upon them by the hand of Shishach Goe saith the Lord to those Commissioners EZek. 9. Set a marke upon them that they may be spared in the day of my wrath They are mourners they cry out for their owne and the sinnes of the Nation If my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their evill wayes I will heare from heaven and have mercy I will pardon their sinne and heale their Land 1 Chron. 7.14 We have an exellent example to this purpose in the 10th of Judges The children of Israel fell from the service of God to the service of Idols God sells them that will not serve him to be slaves to their enemies who vex and oppresse them full 18 yeares a long bondage this the condition of the people on the the other side of Iordan and 't is like to be as bad with those on this side the river The enemy is upon his march with a mighty Army The People in distresse fly to God for assistance and receive a cold answer from him such as might have discouraged them from all hopes of deliverance for first he upbraids them with those many deliverances he had wrought for them already Did not I deliver you out of the hand of the Aegyptians and the Amorites and the Children of Amen and the Zidonians c. as if at this day he should answere us of this place Did I not deliver you from the Tyranny of the Pope from the Spanish Armado and the Gunpowder-treason from the many plots against the persons of your Kings and the peace of your State from the fury of the pestilence and the terrour of death in sundry battailes of late Yet have ye forsaken me and then concludes he will deliver them no more but bids them go to the
the Church and Kingdome rather then the time of the great perplexity and distresse of both the very names of our womens tackling would fill up the whole third Chapter of Esay Neither Gods Ministers nor yet his Judgements can preach downe this sinne no not so much as their blacke spots and their paintings Is it such a blackensse as this thinke ye that the Prophet Ioel speakes of Ioel 2.6 All faces shall gather blackenesse Consider that and be affraid ye know not how neare that day is and remember the fate of painted Iezabell Hath it not beene almost the Eccho of every Sermon against oathes and blasphemies and those cursed imprecations Oh doe not this abhominable thing that God bates and indeed should we be silent the very stones in the streetes would speake and the timber out of the house would answer them yet the wicked know no shame those sinnes are growne to a presumption both against God and the King The children of Israel faith God could not stand but turned their backe before their enemies because they were accursed Jos 7.12 Alas then how shall these stand in the day of battaile that doe so often curse and confound themselves It is said of the Thracians that when it thunders they shoot up their Arrowes as it were in defiance against heaven these men their oathes and execrations That excellent Law we have against this sinne hath beene strengthened by two pious Proclamations of late Oh that there were a like care and zeale in the execution Honourable and Beloved let me in the name of God and in the behalfe of this poore Kingdome beseech you as the Father in the Gospell sometimes did our Saviour for his child possessed with an uncleane spirit If you can doe any thing have compassion on us and helpe us I would I could say with our Prophet Mark 9.12 Surely those are poore and foolish they know not the way of the Lord nor the Iudgements of their God Jer. 5.4 5 I will goe to the great men and speake unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord and the Iudgement of their God Oh ye heads of our Tribes 2 Chron. 28.10 and ye the sonnes of Levi as the Prophet Oded sometimes spake are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God Pardon me I beseech you if I speake freely The Sacrifice of this day is a sinne offering and 't is Gods expresse command Lev. 5.11 that neither oyle nor frankincense be put upon it it is a sinne offering Lay your hand upon your heart and tell me what Reformation doe you find every one in his owne heart what one sinne have you forsaken of which before you were guilty what one duty doe you now make conscience of which you formerly neglected doe you find a Frame of spirit in your selves answering the sad and trembling condition of the Land in a word are ye humbled even unto this day I would I could heare a good answer from you that I might yet hope for better times as your persons are representative so are your sinnes too your sinnes are the sinnes of a whole Towne a County a Diocesse and so should I account your humiliation I doubt not but here are many which are exil'd from their houses and â—ifled of their Estates your condition is sad but let me put the Question to you Are your hearts humbled O Humiliation Humiliation what 's become of thee where shall I finde thee that thou mayst be a Pella a City of refuge to protect us from the Avengers of bloud a Noahs Arke to save a sinfull nation from the flood of Gods wrath The City says she knowes thee not the Court complaines thou art a stranger there and the Country cries thou art gone out of the Land Though the two great destroyers the Red the Pale horses have march't through the whole Land multitudes of people every day swept away the cries of our oppresed wounded spoyled undone freinds Fathers Brothers kinsmen sound every houre in our eares the sighes and teares and groanes of our dying nation are fresh and loud the ruine of the Kingdome and desolation as it were in sight yet are not most of us like that stupid judge in the Acts Act. 11.17 And Gallio cared for none of these things The truth is when these cloudes first began to gather together there was much perplexity amongst us where the tempest then hanging over our heades would fall we were all in great feare what the event of those distractions would be but now that our feares are come upon us we cease to be affraid like those Froggs in the Fable when Jupiter threw downe the logg amongst them it put them in a great fright for a time so that they held their croaking but after a while when the feare was a little over they came neare to the Log and leapt upon it The most of us seeme to be sicke of Ichorams disease 2 Chron. 21.15 our bowells of compassion to others nay which is yet more of pitty to our selves are fallen out We relent not at the murther and undoing of so many thousands of our brethren we can heare the passing-bell tole and see the panges of death upon our owne Country with dry eyes and unhumbled hearts and not so much as say Alas my mother what Jeremy nay what seas of teares even teares of blood are sufficient to lament this obstinacy Jonah 4.11 Should I not have compassion on a great City wherein are six hundred thousand soules that know not the right hand from the left the greatnesse of the multitude was a motive that prevailed with God to spare Ninive and should not this be an Argument as prevalent with us to withdraw us from sinne and to perswade us this day every one to humble himselfe Exod. 10.3 O my wretched heart How long Pharaoh like wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe If thou hast no pitty upon thy selfe yet shouldst thou not have compassion upon a perishing Kingdome Shall I carry to my grave nay to Hell with me the guilt of the bloud of so many thousand Innocents Those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that walke in their sleepe they will venture upon dangerous precipices because they know not their danger but when they are awakened and come to see what they have done they are astonish't and even strooke dead with the apprehension of the danger escaped it is a wonder to see that men awakened by the loud cries of Gods judgments or if we be asleepe still we are in a dead sleepe should dare to go on in such desperate wayes as many of us do that we should have our eyes open and see our danger and yet not be affraid that the wrath of God should be so long upon the Land and we not humbled even unto this day In a word to close up all I have already tyred both you and my selfe as Jotham sometime spake to the men
of She-â—hem Jndg. 9.7 Hearken I beseech you unto me that the Lord may hearken unto you I know the desire of your soule is to doe good to your poore Country your hearts cannot but yearne towards your distressed mother and I hope with many of you as this is the time of Jacobs trouble so 't is of Iacobs wrestling too Hos. 12.4 by strong cries and teares that the Lord would turne away from his fierce wrath compose our bloudy distractions and heale our Land Do you desire that God should heare you Why then hearken unto him 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God he will heare the prayer of the humble and what ever our present condition be he will exalt us in due time Ps 10.17 if your owne hearts tell you that you have not beene humbled even unto this day why then write the name of this day let your hearts be humbled before the Lord this day God forbid that any one of us should carry an unhumbled heart out of this house of mourning but when we are gone hence let us enter every one into his owne Closet and there powre out his afflicted soule in sighes and groanes and teares and prayers before the Lord for his owne sinnes and the sinnes of the Kingdome Oh let us make this day a day of Attonement for our selves and this whole nation When Benhadad was quite vanquish't By Ahab he sent his servants with sackcloth upon their loynes and ropes upon their necks which came to the King of Israel and said Thy servant Benhadad saith 1 Kign 2â— 32 I pray thee let me live the incouragement they had to do this was because they heard the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings Let us do so this day humble our selves in fasting and teares and begg our lives and the life of this poore Kingdome at Gods hands he is a mercifull God say unto him This expiring Church and dying Kingdome say we pray thee let us live O let us not deferre any longer to humble our selves I have heard of thee by the hearing of the care saith Iob but now mine eye seeth thee Job 42.5 6. wherefore I abhorr my selfe in dust and ashes we have heard long since by the hearing of the care what destructions God hath wrought upon the Earth we have heard of the Desolations of Jerusalem and many other Cities and Kingdomes of old and of Germany and Ireland of late the report is still bleeding new Oh distressed Ireland and happy had we beene had their examples awaked us that we our selves might not have beene made an History to others but now that we have seene him by the eye in the way of his judgements what will become of us if we do not humble and abhorre our selves It is sayed Rev. 9.20 That though the third part of men were killed yet the remnant that were not slaine by the plagues repented not of the workes of their hands neither repented they of their murthers nor of their sorceries nor of their fornications nor of their thefts O let it not be sayd of us of this Nation us of this place that though the sword and the sicknesse have slaine shall I say a 3d part of the Kingdome we know that many thousands are already fallen in England the sword is not yet put up into the sheath nor the coÌ„mission to destroy taken from the pestilence O let it not I say be sayd of us that are as yet spared from destruction that we have not repented of the workes of our hands much lesse let that be verified of us which is spoken of the Nations Rev. 16.8 9. That when the fourth Angel had poured out his viall upon the Sunn and power was given him to scorch men with fire the men were scorched with great heate and blasphemed the name of God which hath power over those plagues and they repented not to give him the glory The destroying Angel hath poured out the viall of Gods wrath upon the Sun of our peace former prosperity Through the anger of the Lord of Hosts is the whole land darkened the fire that is kindled in all our dwellings hath scorched some of our persons consumed many of our estates the Lord forbid that this great affliction should enrage our spirits to blaspheme the name of that God who hath power over those plagues or that this great sin should be laid to the charge of the inhabitants of this Kingdome that notwithstanding all the judgments upon them yet they repented not to give God the glory But let us rather make them our patternes who are propounded to us as examples of repentance in times of distresse and wrestle with God this day by unfained contrition for that blessing which we cannot obtaine at the hands of men Oh what would many of us give had we it to give for that blessing which lately was as a price in the hand of fooles Now what more doth God require of us for the redemption of this inestimable Pearle but onely this that we should humble our selves Honourable and Beloved there have beene many hopefull wayes taken for the recovery of our lost Peace your endeavours have exprest your hearty desires to compose our unnaturall divisions by an happy accommodation the Royall tongue hath prevented me in the acknowledgement of your paines this way the Lord reward it unto you and all those that are thus minded and the blessing of the Peace-makers ever rest upon you But the many and great sinnes of this Nation have blasted the successe and as yet hid these good things from us What remaines now but that Ye and We and all of us by uncessant prayers and teares importune the throne of grace and humble our selves before the God of peace for the blessing of peace Oh but methinkes I heare some say Alas my heart notwithstanding all that hath beene said is yet hard and unhumbled Can you give me some receit that may break it and melt it into teares of Repentance Take this breise prescription and carry it home along with thee in the first place Zech. 1â— 10 pray to God that he would poure out upon thee the spirit of grace and supplication Begge a looke from Christ there is a vertue in Christ his looke to peirce the hardest heart Luke 22.61 62. Respice Domine Iesu ut sciamus nostrum de â—lere delictum Ambrose Psal 147.18 Ios 15.19 and to soften it into godly sorrow and remorse for it's sinnes Jesus looked backe and Peter went out and wept bitterly The fountaine of penitent teares is in heaven our hearts are naturally dry like the desarts of Arabia untill he that turnes the wildernesse into a standing poole and the dry ground into springs of waters causeth his spirit to blow up on them and then the waters shall flow Goe to God with that request which Achsa did to her Father Give me O Lord the springs of water the upper and the nether springs that I may weep for our distresse but more for our sinnes In the next place raise up thy soule upon the wings of heavenly meditation and fly up to Mount Golgotha and there looke upon him whom thou hast peirced Consider him in his bitter agony sweating drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground In those consternations of spirit trembling under the unsupportable burden of his Fathers wrath hanging upon the Crosse nail'd hands and feet forsaken of men and in his owne sense of God too breathing out his afflicted soule in a loud cry And then reflect upon thy selfe not onely as the Author of all Heb. 6.6 but also as one that by thy knowne wilful presumptuous sinnes hast often crucified him afresh and put him to an open shame The fountaine of bloud opened in Christs side for the expiation of sinne will open a fountaine of teares in thy heart for the commission of it They shall looke upon him whom they have peirced and they shall mourne for him as one mournes for his onely sonne and shall be in bitternesse for him Zech. 22.10 as one is in bitternesse for his first borne Now the Lord in mercy bring home and settle that which hath beene spoken at this time upon every one of our hearts Amen FINIS