treadeth down the highest persons of the earth He comes upon princes as upon mortar and as the potter treadeth clay he bringeth princes to nothing he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity Isa 40. 23. He cuts off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes Psal 119. 118 119 though never so mighty And therefore be mâ—n never so great Conterens superbos Grotius or high this cannot secure them nor set them out of his reach who treads upon and treads down the highest places powers and persons of the earth And those that walk in pride he is able to abase as Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged Dan. 4. 37 Yea And in the thing wherein they deal proudly to be above them Exod. 18. 11. The loftiness of men he boweth down and the haughtiness of men he makes low He tells Edom Obad. 3. 4 The pride of his heart had deceived him that dwelt in the clefts of the rock and whose habitation was high that said in his heart who shall bring me down to the ground But says God Though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars yet thence will I bring thee down And it is said of the wicked Though his exeellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung c. Job 20. 67. And thus he treadeth down the heights of the earth and is most high for evermore Psal 92. 8. There are high and higher then they but God is highest of all higher than the highest Eccles 5. 8. than the Heavens yea the highest Angels in Heaven And hence he is said Psal 113. 4 5 6 to humble himself to behold even the things that are in Heaven 6. He that does all this the Lord the God of hosts is his name 1. The Lord Jehovah which denotes 1. His Self-existency that he hath his Being of and from himself and gives being to all his creatures And 2. His eternity that he is everlasting 2. The God of Hosts All the creatures in Heaven and Earth being as it were his Hosts under his power and at his beck and command as Soldiers under their General to order dispose and imploy as he pleases And he has his Hosts above and beneath Coelestial and Terrestrial And being such a God as before he is described He that formeth the mountains c. A God of such infinite power he can muster them up when and as he pleases and make them do what execution he will And this is a Title often in Scripture given to God we have it thrice in one Verse Zach. 1. 3 Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn ye unto me saith the Lord of hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of hosts which shews there is much in this to move us to turn to him For he being The Lord the God of hosts if we do so indeed he is every way able to save us and do us good but if we do not to punish and destroy us The Lord the God of hosts is his name And shall not all this now prevail with us to prepare to meet this God who doth all this who formeth the mountains createth the wind c. and whose name is The Lord the God of hosts For if we do indeed meet him what cannot so great a God do for us Surely he can disperse and drive away all imminent evils from us and communicate all good unto us but if we refuse to meet him what cannot he do against us and what evils cannot he bring upon us He that formeth the mountains c. And therefore if his mercy cannot move us let yet as I said his Majesty if not his Goodness his Greatness and seeing all that is here said fully declares that there 's no opposing nor resisting him by force our only way then is so to meet him as to appease him For with God is terrible majesty Job 37. 22. Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance yea all nations before him are as nothing and counted to him less than nothing and vanity Isa 40. 15 17. The mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein Nahum 1. 5. And who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go thorow them and burn them together Isa 27. 4. The most steely and flinty spirits in the World can no more stand before God than Briars and Thorns before a consuming Fire How easily does he break in pieces all opposite power By strength shall no man prevail 1 Sam. 2. 9. Where 's the Man that ever was able to carry it against him or hath got any thing by contending with him but blows and utter overthrow Pharoah contended with God but what got he So Julian the Apostate but was he not forc'd at last throwing up his blood towards Heaven to cry out Vicisti Galilee Thou hast overcome O thou Galilean Others even the mightiest have one time or other met with their match but never did God Before him the mightiest Giants are but as Pigmies and Potsherds and let the Potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth but not with the great God Shall weakness contend with strength Impotency with Omnipotency It is said of a creature Lay thine hand upon him remember the battel do no more And None is so fierce that dare stir him up Who then is able to stand before me Job 41. 8 10. You know what they said 2 Kings 10. 4 Two Kings stood not before him how then shall we stand Why a whole World could not stand before God He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himself against him and hath prospered Job 9. 4. And therefore there being no withstanding him by power nor carrying it against him by force let this prevail with us so to meet him as to labour by all possible ways and means to pacifie him And then that power which cannot be withstood by us will be imployed for us both for averting all imminent evils and for procuring all desirable good Mot. 3. The great God when he is in such away seeks for such that should so meet him as to appease him that should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before him for the land that he should not destroy it Which as it shews the great scarcity of such that they are but few For else what need they be sought So his great solicitousness for such and their great acceptableness to him and how unwilling he is to go on to execute what he threatens and that he had rather by such be prevented Now that the Lord seeks for such see Ezek. 22. 30 And I sought for a man
Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say here I am c. Isa 58. 6 7 c. Our shewing mercy to others and therein imitating God in his own goodness and kindness though it be not the cause yet is it a comfortable pledg and evidence of our finding mercy with God our selves The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesephorus for he oft refreshed me c. 2 Tim. 1. 16. And the gratefulness of this to God appears from the many exceeding great and precious promises that are made unto it see Psal 41. 1 2 c. 112. 5 6 7 8. Prov. 11. 25. 19 17 c. And that of all other evidences of Faith this is that especially which Jesus Christ will take cognizance of at the last day Come ye blessed c. for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. Matt. 25. 34 35 c. And therefore the loss of such is very sad That merciful men men of kindness are taken away Isa 57. 1. And the good man is perished out of the earth Micah 7. 2. Such as for whom some would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. VI. By extraordinary fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before the Lord. And this the Lord doth in a special manner in such a day call for and invite unto As in Joel God was there in the way of his judgments And sanctifie ye says he a fast call a solemn assembly gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land unto the house of the Lord your God and cry unto the Lord Alas for the day the day of the Lord is at hand c. And so Joel 2. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctifie a fast call a solemn assembly c. And thus we find his people still have done when God hath been in the way of his judgments See 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. 2 Chron. 20. 3 c. And thus the very Ninevites did They believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them For word came unto the king of Niniveh and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him c. and caused it to be proclaimed and published thorow Nineveh by the Decree of the King and his Nobles Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water c. Jonah 3. 5 6 7 8 And O that the Lord would put it into the heart of our king and into the hearts of our Nobles to decree and cause it to be proclaim'd that in such a way we might all meet the Lord by fasting afflicting and humbling our selves before him And certainly in such a day for people to be still feasting and making merry what is it but to walk quite contrary to God and in a direct opposition to what he is doing and calling for which much provokes him and which therefore he severely threatens And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping c. Isa 22. 13 14. What day was this You may see Isa 22. 5 A day of trouble and of treading down and of perplexity by the Lord God of Hosts in the valley of Vision c. And then did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping c. But behold joy and gladnefs slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall dye And Vers 14 It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord God of hosts And wo to them that are at ease in Sion c. that put far away the evil day that drink wine in bowls c. Amos 1. 3 6 c. CHAP. IV. The Reasons why we are thus to meet God 1. BEcause the great God commands it as here and so after elsewhere yea and dictates withal the way and manner thereof as Hos 14. 1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And 2 Chron. 7. 14 The Lord there prescribes the very platform thereof If says he they shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways c. and Isa 27. 4 5 Fury is not in me who would set the briars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together But he gives them better advice i. e. to make peace with him and directs them the way Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me And now God commanding us to do this and directing us withall how to do it surely this sufficiently declares it to be our duty and concern both And not to do it What is it but disobedience to God and a kind of slighting and despising of his Soveraignty and Authority 2. He expects it In their affliction they will seek me early Hos 5. 15. And when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Isa 26. 9. However they neglected to do it before he expects and looks they should do it then And therefore is it then in a special manner their duty to do it 3. Others formerly have done it How often did Moses thus meet the Lord when incens'd against Israel He stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Psal 106. 23. Thus Samuel and all Israel met him 1 Sam. 7. 5 6. Jehoshaphat and all Judah 2 Chron. 20. 3. Ye the Ninevites Jonah 3. 5 6 7. And it was not without success And surely what others have in such a case done formerly it is no less our duty and concern to do now 4. Because when God is in that way our great work and business is and lies with him he being the great Agent and Efficient in all judgments felt or feared threatned or inflicted I says the Lord form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Isa 45. 7. And Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deep places Psal 35. 6. And so he does still at home and abroad by Sea and by Land There is a wheel in the middle of the wheels as Ezekiel saw Chap. 1. 16 which as the Spring in a Watch orders and sets a going all the other and according to the motion of that which is Gods secret Divine Providence so are all motions regulated and ordered and all things are and shall be as he will who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Ephes 1. 11. Who is he that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3. 37. And therefore
what he will they care not they mind the World and their interests and concerns there on the Earth but never regard what heaven doth As the Duke of Alva once told the King of France when he had asked him whether he had observ'd the late great Eclipse in the Heavens No said he I have too much to do on Earth to mind the Heavens And how many such are there who Gallia like care for none of those things They are so far from meeting God so as to stay his hand that they will not so much as see or once take notice of his hand As the Lord complains of those Isa 26. 11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see c. And of Ephraim Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not Hos 7. 9. That is he hath no sense of it neither does he mind or regard it or lay it to heart And how many such sottish senseless stupid souls are there among us who regard not the works of the Lord nor consider the operation of his hands but are setled on their lees and secure and put far away the evil day But wo says the Lord to them that are at ease in Sion that put far away the evil day Amos 6. 1 3. And because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Psal 28. 5. See Isa 5. 11 12. 2. To those who instead of meeting God in the way of his judgments so as to appease him do rather by going on still in their sins more and more provoke him and instead of endeavouring to quench the fire themselves have kindled do rather add more suel to it Who say in effect as those Jer. 18. 12 There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart And come ye say they I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56. 12. And let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Isa 22. 13. Thus they spake in a scoffing way The Prophet tells us we have not long to live we shall soon be slain and therefore let us be jovial while we may O! the daring-impudence of sinners Solomon says The wrath of a king is as messengers of death but a wise man will pacifie it What Fools and Bedlams are those then who still more and more provoke the wrath of the great God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who cuts off the spirit of Princes and is terrible to the kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. And yet how many such are there who having troden down the hedg and opened the gap are so far from making it up again that they more and more widen it And instead of endeavouring to put a stop to Gods judgments do rather more hasten them And how justly are such to be reprov'd as enemies not only to themselves and to their own souls but to the Nation to Church and State to King and Kingdom For these take the ready way to undo all As Samuel told Israel But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King 1 Sam. 12. 15. II. By way of Exhortation When God is in the way of his Judgments is it his peoples great duty and concern to meet him as hath abundantly been made good Then God being and still continuing and going on in that way let us all in the name aad fear of God set our selves to that which is so much our duty and concern as indeed there is nothing more I mean to meet him in the way of his Judgments and let us meet him aright and as we have had it made out unto us and set before us with preparation by prayers and supplications and those aright qualifi'd by true repentance and conversion in and with a Mediator even that One and only Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus whom God hath made for us in things pertaining to him or to be done with him With Presents such as in and through Christ the chief Present of all are pleasing to God as of a broken and contrite heart a willing and ob dient heart a sincere and upright heart a merciful and compassionate heart towards others in their miseries and necessities For we go to God for merey for our selves and the Nation and we should then shew mercy to others And lastly by extraordinary Fasting Afflicting and Humbling our selves before the Lord And thus let us answer the Lords call here in the Text And because I will do this prepare to meet thy God O Israel And surely after all the Judgments which the great God hath inflicted on us he hath as great cause to complain of Englands incorrigibleness as here of Israel's Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and therefore may justly resolve as here concerning Israel Therefore thus will I do unto thee O England Truly what the Lord will do I know not neither am I able to say what he hath done a-late we see he hath broken out against us again by several Fires and dreadful Flames not only in the City but in several places in the Country He hath called Home several of his Ambassadors a-late taken away several of his Ministers two in one day and others of his choice Servants and that very suddenly such as should make up the hedg and stand in the gap before the Lord for the Land that he may not destroy it which though little considered and laid to heart bodes very ill and is one of those gray-hairs which are here and there upon us we may fear it is even night when the Lord gets his Children so fast to bed and that the storm is very near when he gathers and houses so fast his corn our Fathers the Chariots of our Israel and the Horse-men thereof go off a-pace and we shall see them no more here 2 Kings 2. 9. This now and a great deal more the Lord hath done a-late but what he 's yet about farther to do who can tell But we have great cause to fear he may do worse and deal severelier with us than ever yet he hath done For we turn not as least very few of us to him that hath so often smitten us neither as we ought do we seek the Lord of Hosts And therefore how justly might he bring final ruin upon us and cut off head and tayl branch and rush in one day as he threatens Isa 9. 12 13 14. And therefore that if possible we may yet prevent this let us do as we are here admonished meet God so as to appease and pacify him and make up the breach and take up the controversy between him and us that
so God may be aton'd and reconciliation made The Lord sends his Judgments as his troops against us and there 's no fighting or frighting them away but our way is to Pray them away to Repent them away to Fast them away there 's no raising the Siege by opposition but by humble submission no raising it by force but by an humble falling down at his feet to which let us all address our selves CHAP. VI. And now in the farther prosecution of this Vse I shall only do these Two things 1. Propound some Directions for the better managing of what we do and then 2. Some Motives the more to prevail with us to do it Direct 1. LET us do what we do Joyntly Unite our forces together and besiege as it were the Throne of Grace Gather your selves together yea gather together O Nation not desir'd Zeph. 2. 1 as it is said of those of Tyre and Sidon that Herod being highly displeased with them they came with one accord to him Acts 12. 20 so let us to God it being every ones concern and that which tends to the weal of all and the more here the better and likelier to prevail And thus we find the people of God have done formerly It is said of Judah that they gathered themselves together and out of all the Cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. And all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones their wives and their children c. 2 Chron. 20. 4 13 and Ezra 10. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together c. We have all one way or other help'd to kindle Gods wrath and we should all therefore joyn together in labouring to quench it We have all help'd to break down the hedg and we should all help to make ir up we have all help'd to open the gap and we should all stand in it And this the Lord calls for Joel 2. 14 Call a solemn assembly gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord c. So Chap. 2. 15 Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a Fast and call a solemn assembly ver 16 Gather the people assemble the Elders gather the children and those that suck the breast This was the more to affect the parents and stir them up to Repentance those poor infants being like to suffer no small share in that common Calamity caused by the sins of their Parents c. Shall a trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid or as it is in the Margent run together Come and let us return unto the Lord else all are like to share in the Judgment See Isa 24. 1 2 9. 14 c. Direct 2. Speedily without farther delaies For the matter is of too great moment and importance to admit thereof there 's no demurring in such cases Gather your selves together c. before the decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you c. Zeph. 2. 1 2. Thus when Abigail went to meet David it is said She made haste and except says he thou hadst hasted c. 1 Sam. 25. 18 34. And thus he that with ten thousand went to meet him that came against him with twenty thousand while the other was yet a great way off he sends an Ambassage and desireth conditions of peace Luke 14. 31 32. And when wrath was gone out from the Lord against Israel it was Moses his counsel to Aaron to go quickly to the congregation and make attonement for them and it is said he ran necessary things fall not under deliberation but require present expedition and this the Lord still puts us upon as to this great work That we do what we do now quickly Therefore also now says the Lord Turn ye even to me c. Joel 2. 12. And return ye now every one from his evil way c. Jer. 18. 11. Today if ye will hear his voice Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him Mat. 5. 25. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is neer Isa 55. 6. And give glory to the Lord your God before he cause darkness c. Jer. 13. 16 And if ye will enquire enquire ye i. e. speedily there is danger in delaies Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. And therefore when the Lord gives us signs and alarms of war we are to hasten to meet him and make our peace with him lest putting it off it prove too late Our Repentance must not only be true and thorough but speedy and timely say we then as those Zeph. 8. 21 Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also It is too late to think of a treaty or to call for a parley when the battel is joyn'd and Drums are beating and Trumpets sounding So when Judgments are actually come upon us and have taken hold of us Or if we yet should have peace we may smart soundly and pay dearly before we have it and therefore do we speedily what we do Direct 3. Very humbly and self-abasingly For God loves to see the creature stoop and lye low before him He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope Lam. 3. 29. And therefore in our addresses to God being incens'd by our sins we should go clothed with humility that should be the wear and garb we meet him in our frame should be such as Abraham's of old when he made intercession for Sodom Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. As Jacobs I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy servant c. Gen. 32. 10. As Jobs Behold I am vile and I abhor my self in dust and ashes Job 40. 4. and 42. 6. As Daniels And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes Dan. 9. 3. Thus we should meet the Lord as I hinted before as Jacob met his incensed Brother Esau He bowed himself seven times to the ground As Abigail David She fell before him on her face and bowed her self to the ground and fell at his feet As Benhadads Servants the King of Israel with sackcloth on their loyns and roaps on their heads As the Prodigal his Father and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants And God being angry and in the way of his Judgments this is a postuâ—e very sutable and acceptable to God that when he is humbling us we should be humble and that when he is laying us low we should be lowly If my people which are called by my name shall
humble themselves c. 2 Chron. 7. 14 And if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity c. Lam. 26. 4. He resisteth the proud but gives grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. And Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Psal 10. 17. And he shall save the humble person Job 22. 29. So that it is both our duty and security to humble our selves especially when God is humbling us Ahab doing this though but Hopocritically yet the Lord refpited the evil in his days 1 Kings 21. 29. Seest thou says the Lord to Elijah how Ahab humbleth himself before me this was but in outward appearance because he humbles himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days c. But how acceptable then is the hearty humiliatinn of a true penitent And according to what appears of this it bodes good or ill to a Nation When the Lord had manifested his displeasure against that people Exod. 33. 5 It is very observable what the Lord there fays to them Put off says he thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee But does not God know what to do to a people and what he will do with them Yes but his displeasure appearing against this people he speaks as one unrefolv'd either for sparing or destroying and as willing to be determin'd as he found their posture and demeanour to be As if he had said If thou do indeed humble thy self and repent I will shew thee mercy but if thou still persist in thy pride and impenitency I will execute my Judgments upon thee So that by what a people are as to this they may guess and conclude how it is like to be with them and what God will do to them and if so how sad may we judg it is like to be with England with London For do we put off our ornaments lay down our pride nothing less for was there ever more does it not testifie to our faces is it not visible and apparent And that even now when God goes on still to testifie his displeasure against us as he hath severely a-late verily we so carry it as if we would not be humbled though God humble us nor lye low though he lay us low and the Lord forgive it to us Ministers that we do no more reprove it in our Assemblies which some sadly resent trading indeed is low and mens estates low but we carry it as high or higher than ever God says to us as to Pharoah How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy self before me Exod. 10. 3. I have laid your health low your strength low many of your lives low your City low your houses low your estates low your trading low O! when shall your hearts be humbled and laid low certainly if we do not humble our selves and lye low God will yet lay us lower Direct 4. Doing what we do very humbly Let it be yet Hopefully Self-abasingly but not disparingly As Shechaniah said to Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10. 2. And who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not c. Jonah 3. 9. And the Lord does here in the very words themselves so express himself as yet to incourage his people For 1st he names Israel twice here O Israel and again O Israel as a name that had been and still was very dear to him as David because Absalom was dear to him he names his name thrice O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom c. 2 Sam. 18 33. 2dly He says Thy God to shew the Covenant still continued firm if they did but repent and all to keep up hope and that his people might catch thereat as it is said the servants of Benhadad did diligently observe whether any thing would come from the King of Israel and did hastily catch it 1 Kings 20. 33. Oh our iniquities are indeed great exceeding great and are increased over our heads and our trespasses are grown up unto the heavens Ezra 9. 6. But Gods mercy is great not only to the heavens but above the heavens and many and great both are his tender mercies And as the heavens are higher than the earth so are his ways and thoughts higher than ours Psal 108. 4. And he delighteth in mercy It was part of the Lords Name which he proclaimed before Moses The Lord God gracious and merciful abundant in goodness forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin c. Exod. 34. 6 7. And Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 130. 7 8. And the Lord likes well of this that his people humbling and abasing themselves should yet hope in his merey and not despair the Lords eye is said to be upon them that fear him and withal hope in his mercy yea he is said to take pleasure in such Psal 33. 18. and 147. 11. Expecting all from it and encouraging themselves in it which is so great and withal so free Direct 5. Perseveringly unweariedly resolving to persist in our suits till we prevail as the Saints of old I will not says Jacob let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32. 26. The Lord bids Moses Let him alone and offers him fair that he would make of him a great nation Exod. 32. 10 11 12 13 14. But that would not take him off but he still besought the Lord his God and prevailed we should resolve as the Prophet Isaiah 62. 1 For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And ver 6 7 I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night And ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth As it is said of the Macedonians that Alexander being displeas'd with them they not only laid by their Arms and put on mourning apparel and came running in troops to his Tent but there continued for near three days together beseeching his pardon till they obtain'd it And God forbid that we should sin against the Lord in ceasing still to pray for England for London c. but strive together in our prayers still for them with all perseverance and this the Lord is well pleased with we never give him more rest than when in this sense we give him least when we still pray and do not faint but follow on with our prayers till we prevail Direct 6. and last That we may Effectually do what we do and make peace Let us take hold of the Lords