THE KINGS MEDICINE FOR THIS PREsent yeere 1604. prescribed by the whole colledge of the spirituall physitions made after the coppy of the corporall kings medicine which was vsed in the city the former yeere GIVEN As a NEWYEERS-GIFT to the honorable city of LONDON to be taken in this yeere for the soule as the other was for the bodie HEREVNTO are intermixed First the wonders of the former yeer his triumphs two funeralls two coronations two preachers Secondlie LONDONS and ENGLANDS newyeers-gift to offer vp vnto the Lord for his new-yeers-gift containing King DAVIDS Sacrificing after the ceasing of the pestilence necessarie to teach vs the duty of our deliuerance The whole collected out of the first book of Chr. ch 21. Made and vvritten by IAMES GODSKALL preacher of the vvorde Iohn 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sinne no more least a worse thing come vnto thee At London printed for Edward White at the little Northdoore of Saint Pauls Church at the signe of the gunne To the right honorable the Lord Maior of the most reowmed City of London and to the right worshipfull the Sheriffes and Aldermen their Brethren I. G. wisheth all graces to be multiplied from the Lord by the holy spirit both for the gouernment of his people and for their euerlasting saluation through Iesus Christ THE almightie God right honourable and worshipfull hath dealte the former yeere with your city and suburbes as Kings and Princes in the besieging and taking in of towns first they inuade the suburbes and liberties where they destroy pull downe and set on fire Secondlie they come before the walles and gates of the city which if the inhabitauntes bee not able to resiste they presentlie take in sound the allarum blowe the trumpets strike the drumme and destroy both yong and old which causeth sighs lamentations weeping and howling So likewise the Monarche of the world the Lord of hoasts hauing put on his helmet cloake of reuēge Es 59.17 taken one of the weapons of his wrath of which in his armory of iustice hee hath great store hath first by his destroying Angel taken in your suburbs freedoms liberties there he hath kindled their housen with the fire of the plague made whole families desolate hee hath shot off his arrow that flieth by day Psal 91.5 set the pestilence that walketh in the darkenesse destroyeth at noon day thousandes and ten thousandes haue fallen before him Psal 9.6.7 hee hath made manie to fall and one fel vpon another as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 46.16 So that they haue first tasted the cup of gods wrath Secondly he is come before your gates takē thē in to speak with the psalmist he hath whet his sword Psal 7.12 bēt his bowe made it ready ordayned his arrowes for thē that persecuted him His angel hath kindled the flying fire among your citizēs it hath entred into their housen remained in the mids of thē Za. 5.4 The allarū hath bin giuen witnesse the cōtinuall allarum of bels the trūpets of Iehouah which haue soūded in your ears so that your citizens haue also bin set as a mark for the arrows of his heauēly displeasure to be spent at O the widdows desolate orphās O the sighs tears lamentatiōs of old yong rich poor yet cōtinuing for the miseries of the former yeer To what shal we ascribe the cause of our weaknesse that the bars of our gates we also haue not bē able to keep out the destroyer And to vse the prophets words why haue our valiant men been put backe Ierem. 46.5 and could not stand Two things R. H. make the inhabitants not able to resist first the force of the enemy without and lacke of weapons within to repell the enemy Secondly treason or traitors within the city which rēder it vp The first they are able often couragiously to withstand as experience of greene memorie in that admirable besieging of Ostende admired of all the nations of the world doth testify but the second very seldom of which the Low-coūtries haue had often wofull experience Both of these forenamed haue made vs vnable to keepe out of our city the Lorde of hoastes his slaying angell and his flying arrowes First the default and want of spirituall weapons and of that armor of proofe described in the 6. to the Ephesians our heades being not couered with the helmet of saluation our harts with the brest plate of righteousnesse our loyns with the girdie of verity our feet with the gospel of peace our hands hauing not the sword of the spirit and the buckler of faith the which weapons our long peace prosperitie had made vs to cast aside as carelesse soldiers and to take the armour of sathan The armour of Sathan the helme of mistrust the brestplate of iniury the girdle of falshood the shoos of discord the shield of infidelity the sword of the flesh the darts of Atheisme epicurisme vnmercifulnesse pride and gluttony The second cause of our weakenesse hath beene treason within the traitors and rebelles within our walles which haue rendred vp the city vnto the Lord of hoastes Perhaps you will obiect the Apostles saying vnto me 2. Cor 7 4. that I vse great boldnesse of speech toward you Be not offended beloued I meane our manifold sinnes and iniquities which are as an auncient father tearmeth them traitors within vs which render vp the castle and fortresse This is the nature of sinne it maketh vs soldiers rebels and to vse the words of the holy ghost fighters against God Act 5.39 Sathan beeing the captaine our flesh the lieftenant our pride the standart and flourishing ensigne our lying tongues the trumpets our blasphemies the pikes wherewith we do as it were pearce him through our dissensions the drum to giue the allarum and our damnable oathes and swearings the horses wherewith wee doe as it were tread and trample vnder feet the sacred name of the immortall god Foure sorts of traitors haue rendred vp the city But to particularize foure sorts of traitors and rebels wee haue had amongst vs which haue betraied vs and rendred vp the city First traitors against the maiesty of god the king of heauen our blasphemies Atheismes cursings idolatries damnable swearings our contemning of his heauenly proclamation and of his spirituall heraulds Thus sathan as an old Seba had blowen the trumpet and many entising blasts had caried vs away from our true allegiance to Christ Iesus our king These kinds of sins although they are committed beneath vpon the earth yet they reach as high as heauen and therfore may be compared vnto the Pioners or vnderminers who although they are busie vnder the earth about the foundation yet their purpose and intent is aboue to cast downe the high wals towres and fortresses Secondlie traitors against our neighbors our murthers adulteries our thefts robberies fraudes and oppressions of the poore our false witnesses against the innocent
in inconstancie being betwixt you and the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus therefore jâ—stly the Lord sent the tempest of the Pestilence to take away the loue of this worlde to remooue this moone that yee might beholde this amiable Sunne Further wee were as it were all asleepe and therfore he hath justly awaked vs made the whole countrey to stirre For loe the Citizens haue fled the Court hath broken vp the Vniuersities haue remooued Poore-men Poore-men there hath bene in some of you a famine and want of good workes and therefore there hath bene for a time as it were a famine and want of Gods mercie Martiall-men Martial-men you haue bene fighters against God Act 5. and therefore the Lord of Hoastes hath sent his souldiers his Angels and his arrowes against you in the Land Noble-men Noble-men because ye haue bene busier to hunt your Deeres also after the honours pleasures and riches of this life than after the liuing God therefore justly the Lord hath sent his Hunter in the Land as it is called Psal 91.3 to hunt slay vs who hath catched some walking some feeding some sporting some sleeping as the experience of the former yeere doth witnesse But to leaue generals I come to thee ô LONDON in particular An apostrophe to London thou hast suffered the heauiest brunt If the Nations that passe by the citie aske as they did of Ierusalem Jer. 22. Wherefore hath the Lord done this to this great citie What answere can we giue but that answere Ierem. 22. Because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lorde their God The mightines of thy state multitude of thy people hauâ— not bin able to keep out the Lords Purseuant nor to driue backe the Gun-shot of Gods displeasure Alas what hath bene thy greatnessâ— compared vnto the greatnesse of Iehouah thâ— number and height of thy proude Turrets could not threaten heauen for the closer they haue pressed to the seate of God the neerer they haue layen to his lightning Thou hast tryumphed in thy braueries and therefore the Lord hath the former yeere tryumphed ouer thee in his justice and of thee ô LONDON of whom it might haue bin said as it was of TYRVS whose riuer hath bene as the Haruest of thy reuennewes and a Mart of the Nations of thee we haue had occasion to say Esa 23. Esa 23. Is this that glorious citie of yours whose Marchants are Princes and her chapmen the Nobles the Lord of Hoastes hath stayned the pride of thy glorie To come vnto particulars London thou hast heard the former yeere a sorrowfull musicke which hath sounded in thy eares daye and night But what hast thou heard that thou hast not deserued Thou hadst brought ouer thy time in worldlie merriments dedespysing the harpe of DAVID Moreouer thou hast had a continuall allarum of Belles they were the Trumpets of Iehouah thy sinnes caused that allarum and they haue beene a witnesse that the Lorde had taken in your Citie and that you were not able to keepe him out The Lords spirituall Trumpets which haue sounded in our eares you haue not heard Es 58.2 but contemned and therefore hee hath made the very Bels his Preachers to be reproches to vs of our obstinacie and because wee haue not heard the Bels of the Pulpit he hath made vs to heare the Bels of the steeple What maruell if there haue bene heard within our walles continuall knels and ringing of Bels seeing there hath bene heard the continuall Bels of our tongues which by their oathes and blasphemies haue dishonoured the Lord of heauen I do appeale to the children in thy streetes ô Lord out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings from whence thy glory should haue proceeded Psal 8.2 from thence hath sprong that which hath dishonoured thee If the filthie Playes with the blast of a Trumpet haue sooner called thither thousandes then an houres tolling of a Bell bring one hundred to the Sermon what maruaile that tolling of Belles hath bene heard for another purpose Citizens you had not purged your streetes from the plague of sinne and therefore the Lord hath sent his heauenly Beesome to sweep away multitudes you had not taken away corruption within therefore he placed corruption without You haue bin too busie to adorne your houses neglecting the house of the Lord and therefore he hath made them desolate many for-saking them so that Nettles and Thistles might haue growen in your Pallaces Esd 30.20 Fraude oppression and stealing had walked vp and downe your streetes and therefore justly that flying booke Zach. 5. hath entred into your housen and taken hold of the stone and timber thereof LONDON thou hast had occasion to say Zach. 5. I see a flying booke thou hast seene it for it hath entred your housen and remained in the midst of them Alas wee haue all mourned and sighed for the great number that the pestilence hath encreased weekely aboue three thousande but what maruaile seeing there is none of vs in whom haue not raigned aboue three thousand sinnes The increasing voyce then of the Pestilence hath reproached vnto vs the increase of our sinnes The vnsatiable mouth of the graue hath craued still more and more and neuer thought it had enough and spared not to swallow vp our sweetest comforts Had we not deserued that by our couetousnesse our hearts had bene as vnsatiable graues still crying for more as SALOMON speaketh Remember Londoners how that some of your inhabitants haue ruffled in their royall-like garments and that therefore they haue bene adorned with a winding-sheete others gloryed in their bu ldings and therefore the Lord hath made Coffens and Graues for their habitations some in the multitude of their traine and attendants and therefore haue had other attendants the very wormes of the earth to attende vpon them and to eate them vp Learne hereby beloued of LONDON on the one side that greatnes of sinnes can shake the foundations of the greatest cities If their heads stood amongst the stars iniquitie would bring theÌ„ downe multitudes of offences wil consume multituds of meÌ„ Ier. 49. although the streets were soweÌ„ with the seede of man yet that they shall be so scarce that a childe may tel them On the other side learne your mortalitie to number your dayes that you may apply your hearts to wisedome Psal 90. The end of those royal citizens whom CONSTANTIVS entring Rome called reges Kings was death The Emperour asking of HORMISDA maister of his workes what hee thought of them answered that he tooke not pleasure in any thing but in learning one lessoÌ„ which was that men also dyed in Rome This is also your ende royall citizens and therefore with HORMISDA take pleasure this New-yeare to learne one lesson that meÌ„ die also in LondoÌ„ I haue further obserued foure things the former yeere Foure things to be obserued in the former yeere where-with I will acquaint you beloued of LONDON
the Lorde hath crossed vs namely by contraries The first hitherto I haue amplifyed Now followeth the second obserue them with me how wonderfully the Lorde the former yeere by the deluge of the Pestilence hath in diuers things crossed our expectation First which wee had spoken Secondly expected Thirdly begunne First we had said and expected 1 Encrease of people was expected that the number and multitudes of people should haue bene augmented both in the citie and in the Land and behold there hath bene a just contrarie it hath bene diminished in both ô howe many thousandes haue bene buryed Howe haue the Church-yeardes beene filled vppe that scarce there was no place hath not the Lorde shewen the trueth of that threatning Ier. 7.32 They shall bury in Topheth till there be no place Secondly wee had said and expected that multitudes against the Coronation would come both in the citie and in the Land and beholde a contrary multitudes haue departed out of Both some leauing the citie others the Land Thirdly wee had expected that euen our streetes should haue bene filled with joyes and tryumphs 3 Tryumphs that therein we should haue shewen the signes thereof and behold a contrary they haue bene filled with sorow mourning weeping howling for the funerals which haue walked along them These haue bene the tryumphs of LONDON We expected in our streetes the sound of the Trumpets The tryumphs of the last yere and the sweete harmonie of Musicke to welcome our Prince and behold in steede of them wee haue heard a contrary musicke the continuall knels of Belles to welcome death we expected shewes of tryumphs behold other shewes we haue seene the funerals of dead men who were gone to tryumph in heauen We had begun to builde towards heauen almost as high as the builders of Babell euery one for highest and finest ô the great preparations and diligence in their building and erecting But behold a suddaine alteration a stay of their worke where some had set vp others plucke downe and as the builders of Babel haue bene dispersed euen so ours haue bene scattered Some are dead and some yet left a liue The Lord hath sent some of them from their downe-beds to their dust-beds And as the arrow came suddainly from IEHV his bowe and stroke IORAM euen in his Chariot 2. Reg. 9.28 euen so the Pestilence the Lordes flying arrow Psal 91. hath strooke some euen in the midst of their tryumph he changed our glorie into shame Hos 4.7 and fulfilled that threatning by the Prophet Ier. 7.34 I will cause to cease from the cities of Iudah and from the streetes of Ierusalem the voice of myrth and the voice of gladnesse So that with HESECHIAS Esa 38.17 Thou hast ô London had occasion to say Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption Fourthly wee had expected profite Profite and that the traficke should haue flourished moreouer that now we should haue aduentured where before many kept themselues close and durst not How many had brought vp great store of pretious wares thinking that neuer they had had such a time and yet beholde a contrarie the traffick both of the mother-citie of the daughters of the head and of the members hath bene slacke doings little or none no aduenturing litle paying wares esteemed better thē debts and euery one keeping close so that wee haue had occasion to vse the saying of the Prophet Iere. 8.15 We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and beheld troubles Further we expected that our shops shold haue bin open in that ioyfull time which were furnished with great riches against the future triumph thinking to reape great profit and beholde a contrary many haue bin lockt vp by reason of a double departure of some out of the citty of others out of this world The Lord hath taken away from vs our markets and faires the greatest stayes of the common wealth and from thee ô London that renowned BARTHOLEMEVV faire and the sportes thereof wrastling and Shooting and insteed of them there haue bin wrastling against death the Lords Angels shooting off the Lords arrowes Psal 91. The reason of this all hath been because the Lord would haue vs profit not by our cōmodities but by his chastisements It is reported that the mountaines which are full of golden mines that they are commonly barren and vnfruitefull we by reason of our riches were vnfruitefull and barren in good workes therefore the Lord by his rod would make vs fruitfull and to reape profit for our soules Lastly many had made preparatiōs against the future tryumph to adorne themselues and to meete their Prince and beholde a contrarie some of them haue been adorned with a shrouding sheete and so are gone to meete another Prince in another kingdome to tryumph eternally It hath fallen out ô London with thee and thy inhabitantes as with the Emperour SALADINVS after he had gotten great victories and had tryumphed fell sicke had nothing carried before him to his graue then a shrouding sheete what else haue had many of your inhabitantes Thus then beloued the Lord hath spiced your great ioyes cōceiued in the beginning of the yeere with sorrow and bitternesse If you would know the reason that you shold not forget eyther the Lord or your selues for if you had surfeted of pleasure and receiued to much good it would haue bin as an introduction to worse to come When tydings was brought to PHILLIP of Macedon First that PARMENIO got the victorye ouer his ennemies Secondly ALEXANDER his son was borne And thirdly his Chariots wonne the prize at Olympus all in one day he called vpon fortune to doe him some little hurt to spice his ioyes with bitternesse that they should not make him forget himselfe Euen so ô England seeing that thou hast first obtained a vertuous Prince a wonder of the world secondly victories ouer thy enemies of Ireland thirdly aboundance of Corne and fruits of the earth and that all in one yeere it hath been good that the Lord hath done thee some little hurte and spyced thy joyes with bitternesse that thou shouldest not forget thy selfe That the Lord then hath thus crossed our expectations by contraries to what shall we ascribe it but to this that wee haue crossed his expectation by our sinnes I may vse the Apostles saying 1. Cor. 11. For this many among you are sicke many are dead The Lord of Hoastes hath dealt with thee ô England as TAMBERLAINE the Great in his besieging of cities First he erected white Tents in token of mercy if they would render themselues Secondly if they remained obstinate he erected red Tents in signe of blood Thirdly whē that preuailed no he erected black tents in signe of death Euen so the Monarcke of the worlde hath first erected among vs the white Tents of mercy by the
our slaunders and depriuing of the good name and fame of our brethren Thirdly traitors against our owne persons as our whoredomes traitors against our chastity drunkennesse against our health pride against our humilitie and prodigalitie against our substance Fourthlie some against the prince Abners Asahels Isbosheths 2. Sa. 2. Seminaries and Iesuites repining at his felicitie traitors to inuert the words of AVGVSTIN against the Donatistes conuicti non conficti by conuiction not by confiction locusts come from the bottomlesse pit of hell spued foorth from the sea of Rome and Rhemes in heapes into the land who would rather haue a Reboam then a Salomon and therfore ar vermins being come out of the high Oke tree of Rome seeke to destroy the green Oliue tree in the house of the Lord. 1 â—â—l 52. And haue not some home-bredde enemies blowne the trumpet of Seba 2. Sam. 20. saying we haue no part of Dauid nor inheritance in the sonne of Ishai to whome may be saide that which Wisdome speaketh to her sonne Pro. 31.1 What my sonne the sonne of my wombe and yet they haue risen against their mother that did beare them and gaue them suck These foure kinds of traitors haue betrayed vs and made vs vnable to resist the King of Heauen as they haue prouoked the Lord against vs so haue they also made the Lords Angels the elements our enemies As it hath beene with the father so hath it beene with the sonnes as it hath beene with the King so hath it been with the subiectes For a King being offended his seruants are ready to bee executors of his anger and displeasure O the admirable force of sinne that whereas nothing is able to break the hedge of the Lords vineyard the Lyon nor the wilde Bore yet our sins are able to make a breach as one speaketh The Lord is a strong Sampson but yet our sins are as a razor by which we take away as it were his strength and by which wee doe as it were shaue the heade of that great Sampson our Iudge and defender that he cannot or rather will not helpe vs. I haue shewed you then right Honourable the causes of our impotencie giue mee leaue also to signifie to you the meanes how to escape against the future the brunt of such a iudgement and heauie assault beholde in this newe years gift out of the armory of King Dauid I discouer the right armour of proofe wherewith wee shall bee able to keepe out another time the destroyer namely King Dauids repentance a tree branching it selfe into these fruites the knowledge of his sinne desire of remission accompanied with faith humble confession prayer sacrificing prostrating of himselfe in sackloath with the Elders of the people No other target or sworde no other gate to shut out the destroyer then this These are mans or rather the Christians weapons God hath giuen to euery liuing creature his weapon to defend himselfe and to resist to the Bee his sting to the Bull his hornes to the Cocke his spurres to the Horse his heeles to the Beare his pawes to the Elephant his snoute to the Lyon his teeth to the Fish his sinnes but to man or a Christian hee hath giuen one more forcible then all the rest repentance and prayer fit weapons to resist and to keepe out the slaying Angell and the Lords armie Now that wee might be skilfull in the handling of them this Treatise setteth before our eyes DAVID a skilfull capitaine Esteem not Right Honourable and Worshipfull that it coÌ„meth too late out of time for as after the taking in of cities there is a pourtrature and Mappe drawne of the siege and taking in and of the manner thereof with a description of the traitors which haue betrayed it or of the cause of their weaknesse and vnability to resist and that for the instruction of others that therein they might learne where to amende the fault and the meanes how to keepe out another time the enemie So likewise after the besieging and taking in of your honourable citie by the Lord of Hostes and his Angell beholde I haue made a pourtrature and drawne a Mappe of the manner of the causes of our weakenesse of the traitours which haue betrayed it to shewe hereby the meanes to stoppe the breach and the way to resist if he returne againe the next sommer or any other time For although now in the winter season our enemie the pestileÌ„ce ceaseth to anoy vs yet he may perhaps the next spring returne if we take not heed For the plague is like vnto Kings and Princes in the besieging of cities in the winter season they commonly retyre the coldnesse of the winter suffering them not to continue but when the Sommer appeareth beholde they are in armes and come before the citie destroying burning and shooting In the same manner the Plague which ceased in the winter returneth often in the sommer And therefore let vs not become carelesse Soldiers Great hath beene the diligence by the commandement of our wise and gratious Prince of the spirituall Captaines in your citie to traine vp the Lords Soldiers and to teach them to handle these weapons paise-worthy haue beene the weekely mustrings in the Lords fielde I meane your weekely fastings in the congregation through the whole citie wee haue experience of successe for wee haue ouercome the inuincible Lord and caused him to retire But let vs not therefore giue our selues to security and lay aside these weapons but rather as the citizens who are in doubt of the enemies returning let vs continually watch and pray Luk. 21. that if hee returne wee bee not vnprouided let vs not tarry to take them vntill the Lord enter the citie as wee haue done least wee smart for it againe Alexander the great being readie to giue an assault sawe one of his Souldiers then first to take his buckler in hand and viewing it to try if it were strong enough for which negligence hee displaced him and punished him let vs also take heede that wee suffer not a iust punishment for our procrastination and delay To auoide the same because the prints or markes of gods correcting hand are yet to bee seene and the noyse of the mournings and gronings of manie doe yet sounde in our eares giue mee leaue Right Honourable and worshipfull to giue vnto you Good counsel for the citie and to the whole citie a twofolde counsell First keepe in your citie this yeare yea continuallie spirituall garrison haue the armourie of Dauid exercise your selues in the handling of these spirituall weapons Secondly let your citie bee walled with mercie iudgement trueth sobrietie humilitie and sanctimonie and so it will bee stronger then if it had walles of brasse and Iron and will bee able to keepe out the iudgement of GOD in the highest strength therof To drawe towards a conclusion accept this little vnworthy Treatise Right Honorable and Right Worshipful I offer it vnto you
the spirituall Plague so hath there been a time for the Raigne of the corporall Plague Let vs now farther vnfolde the flying booke that with Ierusalem Eze. 16. wee may beare our own shame The order calleth me now to the applycation of the two lâ—st meÌ„bers which will stores vs with some singular meditations obserue with me beloued of LoÌ„ndon in the entrie of this New-yeare Note the thinges following The two preacherâ— of the last yeere that the Lord hath vsed the former yere two kinde of Preachers to mooue vs to repentance First a Preacher of anger and justice summoning vs by his smart-Preacher Secondly a Preacher of mercie So that the old yeere hath preached both mercy and iustice hath kissed each other The first Preacher is his justice which hee hath shewen in two thinges crossing vs two manner of waies First with the rodde of DAVID Secondly with coÌ„traries First the Lord hath chastised vs as it were by Retaliation a like Plague for the like offence according to the rule of the wise man 1 Gods smart Preacher wherewith a man sinneth by the same also shall he bee punished hath sent a diminution of people England thou hast had the experience of DAVID thou hast gloryed in the number of the people and hast long bene busie with a vaine Arithmeticke in the numbring of thy riches prosperitie housen c and therefore the Lord hath punished thee with a diminution of people and hath teached thee another Arithmeticke Thou hast bene busie with addition multiplication and the Lorde hath bene busie with Substraction and diuision Hee hath taken away thousandes and ten thousands and hath by the weekly Bils taught vs to number three things First our sinnes for them Secondly the diminution of the people therby thirdly to number our daies Further because ordinarie magistrates had not done their duty behold he hath sent an extraordinary Magistrate froÌ„ heauen to reforme vs feare him rich poore honorable contemptible this hath bin the Lord chiefe iustice PareÌ„ts Parents you haue also had experieÌ„ce of this because some of you haue gloried in the nuÌ„ber of your children louing theÌ„ too much setting your harts vpon theÌ„ the Lord hath takeÌ„ them away and made whole families desolate PareÌ„ts maisters Maisters you should haue bin little magistrates to your families which you shold haue purged but for wanâ— of this duety he hath sent another Magistrate Magistrates which hath purged theÌ„ because you had deformed not reformed your selues he hath seÌ„â— his Reformer Leu. 26. Merchants Merchants because you haue been more busie to pay the debts of meâ— then to pay a debt which you owe to God which is repentance which hee hath long required by his seruants the Prophets therefore he hath sent his Sergjants and Purseuants to warne and arrest you The Lord hath among the rest three Sergjants age sicknes and deathâ— by the second he hath warned some of you by the third he hath arrested some you that arâ— not yet arrested by death pay this yeere the debts which you owe to God before you pay the debt which you owe nature Husbandmen Husbandmen because you haue been more carefull to gather your fruites and to fill your barnes and that your figge tree hath produced euill fruite and your sinnes filled the measure of iniquitie therefore your teeth haue ben iustly set on edge the Lord hath filled full the cup of his wrath and giuen vnto vs his deadly wine to drinke The haruest was come and because our sinnes were ripe he hath sent a sickle from heauen to cut them downe and this hath mowens many thousands Gentlemen Gentlemen some of you haue gloried in the number and multitude of our laÌ„ds but what hath this auailed for the Lord hath giueÌ„ to some of you so much measure of grouÌ„d to the length breadth of your bodies as hath onely serued to bury them in or so many handfulles of dust as your bodies go into after their consumption SOCRATES carried ALCIBIADES bragging of his lands to a Map of the world bad him demoÌ„strat where his laÌ„d lay he could not espie it for Athens it selfe was but a small thing The Lorde hath told you the former yere and yet telleth and sheweth you this yeere where your Lande lyeth so much measure of grounde to the length breadth of your bodies as may serue to bury them in This is my earth and his earth your earth therefore if ye wil glorie glorie in the Lord For why art thou proude ô earth ashes Ruffianly Swaggerers and Caualiers you that haue contemned the Lord and spoken with Rabsacs proude and high words alas a little Carbuncle and a little spot in the skinne hath cast downe some of the proudest of you al and as MOSES smote the hard rocke with his rod so the Lord hath smitten some of your rockie hearts with the rod of his vengeance and because your damnable othes Blasphemers haue as it were whipped and tormented the patience of God they haue also receiued a scourge for which they called for Worldlings Worldlings you had not bene a long time at rest the cares of this worlde had too much molested you and as the clocke can neuer stande still from running so long as the Peases and Plummets hang thereat euen so hauing infiniteÌ„ cares hanging vpon your minds as weights vpon the Clocke you haue had no rest and therefore the Lord hath sent one to make you rest for a time and hath made you MARIES insteede of MARTHA that ye might not be troubled about many things but remember that â—â—e thing which is necesarie The Lord graunt that in your weekely fastings through the whole Lande you haue bene MARIES and sate at the feete of Iesus with humilitie deuotion and reuerence Schollers children of the Prophets Cleargy men and also all ye inhabitantes of this kingdome that hath bene the subject a long time of your discourses but your profite benefices pleasures the glory of this world in the beginning of the former yeere of the tryumphs of this lande euen from Dan to Bershebah from Douer to Saint Dauies From Barwicke to the Mount court citie therefore the Lord hath giuen vs justly another subject to discourse vpon a subject to speake of our sinne our creator our permanent citie our miserie and our mortalitie If hee had not offered vs this subject we should haue forgotten him O what a happy time then hath it bene for the soule who hath not discoursed of this subject prepared and ordered his house The New-yeere being come forget not this subject thinke not as the Emperour OTHO did that it is a part of dastardy to speake of death Astronomers Astronomers because you haue bene more busie to behold the Ecclipses of the Sunne and of the Moone than the Ecclypse in your owne soules the worlde like vnto the Moone
in the entrie of the New-yeere which are as it were foure Preachers to Preach vnto vs the doctrine of Repentance The olde yeere hath bene a yeere of wonders as fitly I may tearme it Witnesse the strange alterations like vnto the variable estate of the Moone As King AHASHVEROSH called to minde out of the booke of Records and the Chronicles the things fore-past Euen so call to your mindes out of the booke of your memories and the Chronicle of the former yeere the thinges which then haue hapned The Lorde hath visited vs the former yeere at diuerse times with foure visitations In the beginning in the middest in the ende Two of them are visitations of sorrow two of joye Two of them haue beene Funeralles two haue bin deliuerances and Coronations Two haue concerned a Prince two a Princely City These haue ben diuersly intermingled sorrow and joye haue followed and kissed each other Sorrow hath begunne the yeere joye hath ended it both joye and sorrow haue walked in the middest To particularize 1 A visitation of sorrowe with the funerals of a Noble Princesse The first hath bene a visitation of sorrowe and the funeralles of a Prince in the beginning of the yeere the Lord first visiting with sicknesse and afterwardes taking away that Noble Princesse of famous memorie that worthie instrument of Gods glory by whose sacred Scepter the faithful Protestant aswel we strangers as the natural inhabitants haue found a secure and fertile nurcery At that time ô the sighes of the righteous ô the coÌ„plaints of the godly ô the feare doubting of many Spemque metumque inter dubij some fearing some hoping 2 Chro. 35 Then as IOSIAS was mourned for by all IVDAH and Ierusalem and IEREMY mourned for IOSIAS al singing men and singing women Euen so all the coÌ„panies and Orders of the Realme the Princes and the prophets plentifully watered their cheekes euen from the honourable counsailor to him that grindeth at the Mill. This began a little to mooue vs as it were to taste the medicine of repentance for the death of a good Prince is one of the Lords Preachers to make many at that time to pray vnto the Lord that hee would be mindfull of Sion and not permit vs to fall againe in the superstitions of the Antichrist This part of the tragedy ended behold there followed the second alteration the visitation of ioy and mercie the proclamation of a new Prince and afterward his ioyfull Coronation At that time ô the admirable ioy euen from Dan to Bershebah 2 A visitation of ioy with the Proclamation and Coronation of a new Prince from th' one part of the land to the other for this heauenly gift of a noble renowned godly Religious vertuous wise learned Prince a man after Gods own heart and vnfeignedly I may speak a man after our owne heart long desired and wished for in the hearts of the Godly subjects true professours Sorrow in the first visitation was as it were a heauy stone vpon our hearts but in the second visitation hee hath as it were sent an Angell from heauen to speake to the whole Kingdome Feare not In the first the whole land was as it were laid down in the bed of sorrow but by the second there arose a new Sun whose beames were comfortable to the whole land This then hath bin another of the Lords Preachâ—rs But hath this mooued vs either to continue or to goe forward in the waies of the Lord alas wee haue not altered the colour or haire of our heads nor added one inch to our stature since all these thinges haue bin accomplished among vs our hearts haue bene as the adamant that the impiession of Gods graces haue not entred And therefore there followed the third visitation of sorrow lamentation the deluge of the Pestilence the second Funerall The funeralls of whole families and the funeralles of a Princely Cittie which was as it were going to her graue if the Lord in his mercy had not commaunded his Angel to put vp his sword into the scabberd this was an other kinde of Preacher The consideration of the second visitation 3 A newe visitation of sorrow with the funerals of a princely citie had made vs to say in our hearts with DAVID in his prosperitie Psa 30. I shall neuer be mooued The Pestilence of securitie did beginne to raigne among vs I doe appeale vnto the words speeches of the inhabitants which then were vsed in the Lande and therefore the Lord came and mingled our joy with sorrow sprinckled a little salt ouer the joy of the country and by a mortalitie hee did put vs in minde of our mortality As Christ shewed vnto PETER and the rest vpon the Mountaine when they were in the midst of their joye and that PETER said Let vs make heere three tabernacles as hee shewed I say to them MOSES and ELIAS which were dead men Euen so in the midst of our ioy and glory when wee were saying It is good to bee heere and to make our tabernacles heere euen then he shewed vnto vs MOSES and ELIAS and sent vs a mortallity It was vsuall amongst the Egiptians that in the middest of their feasts solemnities a resemblance of death all trembling and shaking was brought and carryed round about to make them remember it to learne sobrietie Euen so in the midst of our solemnities for the joye of a newe Prince death hath been carried round about the Land that we should not waxe to wanton and forget the Lord. It is storied that when the Emperours were crowned the Sepulchers of dead men were shewed vnto them to make them mindefull of death euen so when our King the former yeere was Crowned the Lord hath shewen vnto him and to vs the Sepulchers of dead men and by the continuall allarum of Bels put vs in minde of death which mindfulnesse as CASSiANVS an ancient writer speaketh is a generall restraint from euil Let this Preacher beloued of London teach you that as IOSEPH of Arimathea had a sepulchre in the midst of his beautiful garden eueÌ„ so you ought in the midst your prosperity felicity to be mindful of your mortal being The fourth last visitatioÌ„ in the end of the yeere hath ben a visitation of joy a deliueraÌ„ce froÌ„ the PestileÌ„ce as it were a second Coronation A newe visitation of ioy with a second Coronation a Coronation of your citie the Lord compassing it round about with joyful deliueraÌ„ce Ps 32. Ps 103.4 crowning it with his accustomed kindnes with mercy coÌ„passion But of this more at large in King DAVIDS sacrifycing To proceed I told you beloued before that the Lord by the smart-Preacher of his justice and anger hath crossed vs two maner of waies First punishing vs as it were by Retaliation for our glorying in the number and multitude with a diminution Secondly by contraries 2 The second thing where in
preaching of the Gospell Secondly beâ—ause we rendred not vp our hearts he hath erected vp his red tents threatning vs with an enemy without and an enemy within Lastly because this hath not auailed he hath erected the last yeere his blacke rents sending among vs mortalitie the funerals haue walked vp and downe our streetes with mourning and lamenting the parents for the children the children for the parents Let then the remaynders repent least they all likewise perish And thus much for the first Preacher of the former yeere the Lordes smart-preacher in his anger and in his justice There followeth now the second Preacher The Preacher of mercy which the Lorde whose mercies are infinite hath manifested in three thinges 2 The second Preacher of the former yeere the preacher of mercy manifested in three things in the giuing of a Prince in the fruits of the earth in the very Plague it selfe First by the gift of an honorable plant which his right hande it selfe hath planted among vs although I haue once already mentioned it before yet I would not esteeme it a tautologie to repeat it twentie and twenty times more vnto this benefite he hath added another The preseruing of him by his holy Angels his majesties safest garde First 1 In the guift of a Prince from the snare of the hunter and the noysome pestilence Secondly from intended treason against his sacred person Seeing the Lorde hath giuen vs a worthie instrument of his glorie to beate downe the walles of that Româ—sh IERICHO Satan would faine hinder it and thereby sheweth that hee hath no greater enemie in the world then our most Christian Prince Satan to vse the words of AVGVSTINE the former time was as a Lyon for then he raysed open persecution against the Church And now he playeth the subtile serpent and priuily lyeth in waite But although they all should stande vp as a huge mountaine against our ZOROBABEL Zac. 4.7 yet shall they bee made I hope a plaine as the prophet speaketh The second token of his mercie hath bene the blessing of a fruitfull yeere the aboundance of corne 2 In the blessing of a pleÌ„tifull yeere which the distilling dew of heauen hath comforted the sheaues whereof haue filled the mowers hands and the gleaners lap The heauens haue dropped their fatnesse and the earth hath made the hearts of manie to leape for joy and the barnes as it were to enlarge themselues for the receite of this blessed plentie This mercie of the former yeere is a Preacher preaching vnto you beloued of England the 8. verse of the 34. Psalme Taste and see how gracious the Lord is The third token of his mercie doeth appeare in the very Pestilence it self the Lord hauing shewen mercie as the Prophet speaketh in the middest of his justice 3 In the Pestilence it selfe as appeareth in foure things If this seemeth vnto you a paradoxe I will prooue and manifest it in foure things in regarde of the time of the number of the place of the kinde of punishment his mercie towardes vs rysing vppe by foure degrees like the water in EZECHIEL cap. 4.7 which at the first time came but to the ankles the second time to the knees the third to his loynes the fourth time was a deepe riuer First the time preacheth his mercy 1 In regarde of the time and that for our continuall sinnes without continuall repentance haue deserued a continuall Plague but the continuance of this rod hath notwithstanding not bene among vs The mercie of the Lorde towards vs in regard of the time doth appeare in two things before he commeth and when hâ— is come First before he commeth 1 Before hee commeth his greate patience and long sufferance he commeth leysurely but euery nine or ten yeeres once where as he might yeerely visite vs if he would deale with vs justly according to our sinnes 2 When hee is come Secondly when he is come the short continuance of the Pestilence feauen or eight Moneths at the most The Lord turning the storme to calme so that the waues thereof are still Psal 107.29 ô admirable lenitie and fatherlie kindnesse thus dealeth he not with other Nations Goe but vnto your neighbours they will preach vnto you Gods mercie towards you Aske the Pagans and they will tell it you witnesse that Plague begunne Anno 540. which lasted fiftie yeeres tormenting them Secondly the number preacheth vnto you Gods mercie Our infinite sinnes had deserued that millions and millions should haue beene swept awaye and yet there hath beene but a gleaning of few If you reply and set before mee 2 In regard of the number the greatnesse of the former Plague which seemeth to take awaie this mercie which I amplifie Aske but of DAVID and hee himselfe will open Gods mercie towardes you What is the number of thirtie seauen thousande in the space of a yeere in regarde of seauentie thousande in three daies Goe further and aske the Nations which knew not God they wil lay it opeÌ„ to you What is the number of 37. thousaÌ„d in regard of 2000. which dyed euery day in the time of VESPASIAN of 5000. euery day and sometime of 10000. in the time of IVSTINIAN of a hundreth thousande in the citie of Rome Anno 1521. Thou ô little kingdome of Bohemia which hast lost Anno 1577. 300000. mayest Preach vnto this kingdome the Lords mercie towardes her O Graecia thou hast in such manner bene consumed that there were almost none to burie thy dead Euseb lib. 9. Cap. 7 8 and yet thou ô England hast had not onely some to burie thy dead but to accompanie them decently and honorably to the graue It is then the Lordes mercy onely that we haue not all bene consumed Lam. 3. O that thou couldest ô England yet perceiue thy present happinesse and preuent a future horrour 3 In regarde of the place Thirdly the diuerse places vnuisited in this kingdome do Preach this mercy The Plague of the soule which had raigned in euery place had deserued that the Plague of the body should haue raigned also in euery corner The Lord might haue sent his Angel euen from Dan to Bershebah to strike not onely the head with some of the members but altogether and yet he hath not for although this Pestilence hath bene more generall then others yet many haue bene exempted Both DAVID and other nations doe Preach vnto thee ô England this admirable mercie Remember the 15. Prouinces of the Romaine Empyre wasted away in a short time by this smart-whippe In Egypt Exod. 12.30 there was no house where there was not one dead And yet behold there haue bene many housen I say not in England but in London it selfe which haue escaped To what shall we ascribe this but to the greate mercy of the Lord Fourthly the kinde of punishment wherewith we haue bene visited 4 In regard of the punishment it selfe and that in two respects
preacheth also the Lords mercie to England and that in two things First that he hath not sent vnto vs the whole Trinitie of chastisements propounded vnto DAVID Secondly In that he hath not sent the heauiest of them three First our sins did deserue them all three together 1 Of the trinitie sending but one the famine and scarcitie of good workes famine and scarcitie of bread our fighting against the Lord the sword of the enemie the infection of the soule the infection of the body But the Lord who is mercifull hath called backe his anger and not stirred vp all his wrath Psal 78.38 The Low-countries may Preach the Lords mercie towardes England They haue sometimes felt at one time the trinitie of punishments and the former yeeres both warre and Pestilence wee in the meane time feeling but the rodde of DAVID Wee did I confesse expect a heauier judgement wee looked for nothing else but blood-shedding and fighting for a crowne behold we haue nothing but joye peace prosperitie and joyful ringing for a Crowne This our joy in the meane time being spysed with a litle bitternesse Secondly he hath not onely visited vs with one of the three 2 Sending not the heauiest but also with the sweetest and the best vsing not the rodde of reuenge but the scourge of correction And although our sinnes had deserued the heauiest yet he hath shewen to vs that mercie which he shewed to DAVID not suffering vs to fall into the handes of men If he had sent vs famine it would haue made many to haue morgaged their Landes to PHARAOS Gen. 47.20 to haue left the kingdome Gen. 12. Famine as the Prouerbe is is an euill counsellor when hunger had gryped vs it would haue egged men to thefts murthers deâ—eits Many would haue liued vppon the ayre and their owne moysture and so consumed away and in doing nothing to vse the saying of AVGVSTINE haue come to nothing Mothers you may be Preachers of Gods mercie if hee had sent a famine alas the tongue of the sucking childe had cleaued to the roofe of his mouth for thirst The yong children had asked bread no man should haue broken it vnto them And to vse further the words of IEREMIE the hands of the pittiful woman would haue sodden their own children as they did in the siege of Ierusalem Iam. 4.10 If he had sent vs hostile persecutioÌ„ Alas the vnmerciful souldier would haue laied opeÌ„ your hedges leauiled your houses with the ground emptied you yours of all their possessions Where had bin your cities your wiues your daughters where your temples your Prophets yea where your religion they would haue displayed the banner and set vp the ensigne of the Romish-beast erected the signes of their abhominatioÌ„s They would haue blaspheamed the God of Israel and said are these the Christians where is their God But nowe beloued they all remaine in their flowre prime the rod of DAVID hath not hindred vs to enter the temple nor the exercises of religion we see our signes and our prophets we enter into the house of the Lord with libertie of conscience there to behold her beautie Psal 27. and to adore the God of Israell in the spirit and trueth Wee strangers An apostrophe to strangers may also bee preachers ô Lorde of thy mercie in the middest of thy justice It is true thou hast much diminished the number of thy litle flock collected in this Kingdome yet better hath it bene for them that are exiled here for the name of thy Sonne for the testimony of thy eternal truth to haue falleÌ„ in thy hands then in the hands of meÌ„ of whose barbarous cruâ—lty both they their fore-fathers haue had experience and although they are buried in their exile yet thou hast transported theÌ„ in their heauenly father-land Thou which hast brought this vaine out of the Romish Egipt planted it in this land as in another Canaan make it fruiteful returne we beseech thee and now visite it in thy mercie and wee will not goe backe from thee but cal vpon thy name I returne to thee ô LondoÌ„ preach thou also the Lords mercie he hath not vndon or dissolued thy coÌ„position nor couerd thee with brambles hee hath not vtterly destroyed thee as Babilon The great Niniuie Troy Ierusalem and the rest of which wee may truely say O iam periere ruina the verie ruines of them are gone to ruine thou standest yet and I hope shalt flourish as much as thou euer didst if the former iudgement mooue thee to repentance I will conclude with a paradoxe Mercie we had desired the former yeere and mercy hee hath also shewen the former yeere A paradoxe the trueth whereof the euent of the former yeere hath manifested yea by the sending of the Plague The Lord hath heard our prayers If this seeme strange to you beloued I will expound the paradoxe In the beginning of the yeere when that Noble Princesse Elizabeth of famous memory fell sicke during her disease wee mourned sighed and lamented We were heauie and much troubled many righteous soules prayed vnto the Lord and in their prayers desired two thinges of the Lord first that if she should come to die that hee would not suffer them to fall into the hands of men Secondly that hee would bee mercyfull to Sion and not dispearse and scatter them but gather keepe together his church and beholde the Lord hath heard our prayers he hath not suffered vs to fal into the hands of men he hath sent a pestilence by which we are fallen into his handes for what is the Plague but a fall into God his hands according to the definition of DAVID Further he hath not dispersed but rather called and gathered many of vs vnto himselfe for what is death else but a gathering vnto our fathers a departure vnto God The Lord hath called many of his children froÌ„ Schoole froÌ„ the Schoole of this world where they had learned no good he hath called them to that heauenly vniuersity Many had desired to see the tryumphes of the cittie but the Lord in his mercy hath made them to see a better tryumph in that permanent Cittie and heauenly Ierusalem Many had desired to see the Coronation of their newe Prince but the Lord in hss mercy hath made theÌ„ to see a better Coronation the Coronation of the Prince of glorie of the true SALOMON Christ Iesus yea he hath made many the royall priest-hood Apo. 1. Thus theÌ„ beloued of LONDON I haue amplyfied vnto you the mercy of the Lord which hath onely staied the Angels sword or else it would haue gone forward There is no comparison betwixt the mercy of God and the mercy of men It is reported that MARCELLVS after that his souldiers had conquered SIRACVSA not without the great slaughter of many was so compassionate ouer them that hee went vp to the highest Towre in the Castle with teares lamented the
this sacrifice publikely in the congregation in our streetes in our houses let vs fill our meetings and conferences with this heauenly harmonie and sweete sounding melodie Prouoke one another citizens to praise the Lord for his miraculous deliuerance Vp yee families vppe yee parents vp yee children vp euery particular soule whome the lord by the shadowing wings of his mercie hath preserued Ministers preach it in your Temples sing it in your streetes rich men write it vpon your doore postes paint it vpon your walles cut with an Adamant vpon the tables of your hearts You neede such remembrances for memorie as SENECA writeth is most delicate tender and brittle and soone forgetteth a benefit Citizens neitheir eate or drinke without this condiment to it The Lord bee praised for our deliuerance Daintie Dames let the frontlets beteene your eyes the bracelets vpon your armes and the gards vpon your garmentes bee thanks-giuing 24. Elders of the citie sing with the 24. Elders Reuel 4.10 Praise honour and glorie be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne It is hee onely not our prudence our phisitions the colde or the frost but as the Prophet speaketh Saluation is the Lords Here is an excellent posie and Epiphoneme Beloued of London I haue a suite vnto you if you doe erect your tryumphant arches against the entrie of him of whome wee may say as the Israelites did of Dauid Psalm 118. Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord forget not among the rest to adorne theÌ„ with Posies preaching the Lords mercies in this your deliuerance and to write this Saluation is the Lords write it in the Calender of Gods deliuerances and leaue a Chronicle of it to all posterity As for the newe yeare let the accustomed Lord of misrule and your vnlawful sports be banished and bring it ouer in the praises of him who hath deliuered you Shew your spirituall deuotions in the openest places as Dauid built an Altar in the threshing floore of Araunah Lastly offer vp this sacrifice not onely for your selues like vnto the Athenians who woulde offer sacrifice onely for their owne citie and their neighbours of Chios but for the whole bodie for the father for the mother for the daughters And thus much for the third kinde of sacrifice 4 Our children The fourth and last kinde of sacrifice are our children which must bee offered vp this newe yeare vnto the Lord. This concerneth you ô Christian parents Many haue offered them a long while some to Sathan teaching them the language of Sathan to sweare lye and blaspheeme some to the world and the pride therof bringing them vp in all voluptuousnesse delicious fare others to theft oppression and deceipt for which the Lords anger hath bene prouoked and hath also beene a part of our deserued pestilence Bring them therfore better vp then you haue done and as the wise man exhorteth Ec. 7.23 If thou haue sonnes instruct them and holde their neck from their youth If thou haue daughters keepe their bodies Worthy is the saying of Ferus Let vs learne to offer vp our children vnto the Lord non occidendo c. not murthering and slaying them as they did the beasts in the law but bringing them vp in the feare of God and accustoming them to religious exercises for this is a sacrifice acceptable to God Parents seeke rather to leaue your children honest then wealthy for which preposterous care Crates the Theban would deride manie if he liued that your children watch not for your death as the Eagles for a carcasse Families are the fountaines of all common-weals purge the fountaines that the streames may bee cleane And as the Israelites after that the slaying Angell was departed and had spared their children Exo. 13 offered sanctified vnto the Lord all the first borne euen so the lords slaying Angel being departed let vs offer saÌ„ctifie vnto the lord not onely our first borne but all the progenie by good instructions wholsom admonitions keeping them froÌ„ the infection of this world Further as you must saÌ„ctifie them so forget not the sacrifice of good Iob to sacrifice offer your prayers also for theÌ„ Iob. 1.5 shewing therby your religious care for them These are then the foure kindes of sacrifices the â—â—crifice of the heart of the mouth of the hand of the wombe which this newe yeare we must offer vp vnto the lord in the ceasing of the Pestilence Differre not to offer them but as Abraham rose vp earely in the morning in the beginning of the day to sacrifice his sonne euen so beloued of London rise vp early to offer theÌ„ in the verie morning beginning of the yeare A new yeares gift for England to bestowe vpon the Lord. And thus I haue absolued the Kings Medicine Now because it is the manner that one friend bestoweth a newe yeares gift vpon another giue mee leaue belooued of England to shewe vnto you out of the whole frame of the precedent discourse a newe yeares-gift to bestowe vpon the best friende wee haue If ye are desirous to knowe it it is the repentance of King DAVID vnto the bestowing of which three reasons ought to perswade vs. First the reliques of the Kings euill and of the spirituall Plague which yet remaine in vs that it may serue as a medicine to heale them Secondly the prints markes and reliques of the corporall Plague which in some places yet are to be seen that it may serue as a spiritual weapon to chase and driue them from among vs. Thirdly the decreasing of the pestilence in the mother citye from whence the other members receiue their maintenance as the senses and nerues of the bodie from the heade that seeing the Lord hath answered repentance with repentance we may againe returne repentance for repentance Holy and commendable hath beene your zeale and diligence Reuerend Elders of the English Israell that yee haue sanctified a fast blowen the trumpet in Sion called a solemne assembly gathered the Elders and all the inhabitants of the Land into the house of the Lord. Ioel. 1.14 Great hath also beene your obedience blessed inhabitants of this Land that yee haue all come togither mourned togither fasted and cryed togither and the Lord graunt repented togither Beholde therefore the blessed fruites of your zeale diligence and obedience the wrath of the Lord appeased his hand hath not beene shortned that hee coulde not helpe neither his goodnesse abated that hee woulde not heare Wisd 11. And to vse the wordes of that hony Father BERNAD you haue founde honie in the Lyon mercie in the feareful God of heauen I finde that verified among vs which Socrates found in the Lacedemonians who perceiuing that in certaine wars betweene the Athenians and them the Athenians offered much gold vnto their Idols and yet departed still beaten out of the field asked the Oracle what might be the cause of it It was answered that the praiers of the Lacedemonians preuailed more then