onely Pray but Cry Let us then having first washed our hearts and hands from unrepented sins goe unto the Lord and cry unto him to give us the assurance of eternall life and the joy of the holy Ghost and then come life or death it matters not much for though our name and liberty and riches and all be taken away from us yet we shall be setled in the assurance of an happy issue out of all our straits and difficulties for the Lord our God will maintain our cause against all those that strive with us and will stand on our part and fight against those that fight against us according to that of the Prophet Isaiah He watcheth over them night and day and waters them every moment and he will contend with them Isa 27.3 that contend against his people and so either free them from their oppressions and miseries or else which is best of all take them to himselfe where they shall be sure to have joy without sadnesse pleasure without paine wealth without want health without sicknesse life without death and a Kingdom without a change The consideration whereof me thinks should strike terrour into the hearts of those that are injurious unto the servants of God they may be bold where the hedge is low every Dwarfe will adventure to leape over there but let them know that God is a wall of fire about those that are his and he will maintain the right of his children and therfore it must needs at last goe ill with such as list up themselves against them Lam. 3.58 O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule there is our stay Let us be sure we have a good cause and lay it before Gods judgement seat and then though we be overborne God will not be overborne but he will stand on our side even he that loves goodnesse and hates wickednesse and will be avenged on those that bend themselves and their endeavours to doe mischiefe unto his people Lam. 3.59 Again all our wrongs are known unto God O Lord thou hast seen my wrong nothing is done spoken or imagined against any of Gods Children but God takes knowledge of it there is not one practice slander or devise of cruell wolves against the sheep of Christ but God sees it and markes it and it belongs unto him to judge the cause of his servants Reuel 20.12 and to reward every one according to their works He must and will give them full pay and for that end keeps all upon just and due record so that as the works of the righteous shall stand for them so shall the works of the wicked he written in great Capitall Letters against them that all the world may take notice of them at the last day How may we then cheare up our hearts in all distresse for howsoever our Adversaries be busie and watchfull to plot and procure our hurt yet they cannot be so vigilent for our hurt as God is watchfull for our good and therefore we may be sure to have an happy issue out of all our troubles if so be we can but make our moan to God and wait patiently for his mercy And though God knows our griefes and oppressions before hand and purposeth to destroy our enemies yet would he have us to prefer our Bill of complaint and goe on in our suite against them and still cry unto the Lord. Neither is this to be restrained onely to corporall adversaries but it holds much more strongly for spirituall enemies Say a man be surcharged with sin and Sathan who play the Tyrants over him his soule being even scorched with the flames of Hell let him but bemoane his Case before the Lord and it will be a marvellovs ease unto him Therefore in all such extremities likewise let God be our refuge and Tower-Royall let us cast all our cares and sorrows upon him who is both able and willing to beare them and in due season will both free us from them and in the end make us gainers by them if we cry unto the Lord. To come to the close In the first of the Chronicles 1 Chron. 4.9.10 Jabez the son of Ashur is said to be more honourable then all his brethren the reason is because his Mother bare him in sorrow and his name is a name of sorrow and it is there said That Jabez called upon the God of Israel to be delivered from evill and the Lord saith the Text heard him and granted the thing that he asked And is the Lord so ready to hear and willing to grant how then comes it to passe that we who have been so severely scourged with the whip of Gods indignation after all these years of sufferings of punishments and of divisions amongst us the hand of the Lord should be stretched out still for though thanks be to God we are no way disquieted with any sound of war nor alarmes to Battell in our Nation yet the reformation of Religion which was one main thing intended at the beginning of our unhappy differences and as hopefully expected and prayed and sought for hath been hitherto so eclipsed as that whereas before there were different opinions amongst us as indeed there was never Church without the wrinkles of division so now men are grown to such variety of conceits about Gods service as that we have almost as many religions as men insomuch that we who should have all one God to our Father all one Church to our Mother all one Christ Jesus to our elder Brother are so far from unity amity and unanimity amongst our selves in respect of these woefull divisions as that opinions must either be suffered to take wall of Scripture and substance give way to circumstance which God sorbid or else as branches we cannot grow together nor as members agree together nor as brethren love and live together nor as Christs Sheep Feed and Fold together And what is the reason that after all this while we are not yet helped but Religion in stead of being reformed must still receive new and more wounds then before Surely the cause is this Because we have not so mourned as we ought in these our common calamities for the sins of the times and for the abominations of the Land because we have not sighed and groaned heartily for the sins that cleave to our soules otherwise God would have been as ready to heare as we to cry for good suiters are alwayes good speeders but it seems we have howled upon our Beds as the Lord himselfe complains in Hosea Hos 7.14 And though these rents in our Church be sufficient of themselves to open the floud-gates of sorrow and clothe all our dejected soules with the garments of heavinesse and liveries of mourning yet there are other miseries and troubles though not fit to stand in competition with these that lye so sadly upon us as might well fill our eyes with tears our breasts with sighs To name them were superfluous
Body but also dismember it in the Common-weale making so many Factions as there are Functions in the Church so many fancies as men and as many opinions as fancies and to that height of impiety some are arrived as that being Christs Free-men they ought not to be subject to any but are set free by Christ from the observation of Fasts or Feasts appointed by the Prince or Governour and not submitting to the Government under which they live will hold fast their liberty purchased by Christ though the appointment of them by the Governour be onely for the assembly of Gods people and that upon speciall occasions for the exercises of the Word and Prayer without placing the worship of God or any force of Religion in the observation of them or without any opinion of holinesse in those dayes more then other dayes And thus the Church of England did ever observe Holy-dayes Fasts or Feasts and no otherwise and yet did not fore goe their liberty purchased by Christ I might give way to my Discourse in this and enlarge it to a Volume but I had rather mourn for this kind of people the onely troublers of our English Israel then meddle with them But to you that are peaceable in Israel willingly submitting your selves to the Government under which God hath placed you and that for Conscience sake know you that it is lawfull for the Dominator or Governour to appoint a Fast or day of Hamillation and you are bound to obey For the lawfulnesse of their Edicts I need not stand at all upon it it hath ever been used by Princes of all Ages for which I might produce clouds of witnesses but search you the Scriptures and trace all the Kings For our obedience to their commands know that we are bound to obey them in their absolute commands so far forth as they are warranted by the Word of God And for this let that praecept of St. Paul serve for all Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers and if every soule then no man is free And again Submit your selves to all manner of Ordinance of man for the Lord sake whother it be unto the King as unto the Superiour or unto Governors as unto them that are sent of him So that people that obey not the wholesom Laws of the Magistrate sin greatly and if any refuse to be ordered by them Rom. 13.2 they resist the Ordinance of God and are specially threatned that they shall receive to themselves damnation And thus have I showed you That Princes or Governours may in the time of War or other Judgement enjoyne us a Fast and Proclaime a solemne assembly to the end we may testifie our Humiliation and better attend on the exercises of the Word and Prayer and that we are to obey them but withall in keeping of a Fast let these cautions be observed 1. That our Fasting be voyd of superstition and that we place no worship of God in it but hold it onely as an help to further us in the duties of Religion 2. That we have no opinion of merit by it that thereby we merit forgivenesse of sins increase of grace or the like 3. That we hold it not of absolute necessity 4. Lastly That it be without breach of the rule of charity either hurting our selves or making us thereby unfit for good duties or giving offence to others such as are weak in knowledge causing them to call our Christian liberty into question rather Informing them that the Magistrate hath power to enjoyn and we are bound to obey who by his Authority doth not take away the use of the things we abstain from but onely orders and moderates the same The like may be said for Feasts dayes of Thanksgiving or holy dayes but I passe them onely I could wish That every one of you would keep every day a Christian Feast even every day holy day which you may doe by purposing every day to avoyd all and every sin and by setting your selves every houre of the day in the sight of God and walking as before him carefully and conscionably in all good duties and so doing you shall keep a good Conscience and that the wife man tels us Prev 15 15. is a continuall feast even every day holy day And now being fully resolved That the King or Governour may Lawfully enjoyn us a Publick Fast in the time of extremity or any common calamity whereby we may testifie our Humiliation with out the least opinion of meriting forgivenesse of our sins the causes of all our miseries and that he may Proclaim a solemn assembly and that we are to obey not with any opinion of holinesse in the time but that the appointed day is for the assembly and holy convocation of Gods people for the exercise of the Word and Prayer Let us all then as at all times so especially upon these dayes of Humiliation set a part turne unto the Lord our God with fasting weeping and mourning and cry unto the Lord to spare this Nation and command his destroying Angel to sheath his Sword and cease from punishing that there may be no more complaining no more leading into captivity Let us implore Gods gracious power to withdraw his angry moved hand against us and let us beg of the God of mercy to stay his further dreadfull vengeance and threatned punishments from any further displaying horrour throughout all our Nation And for that purpose Let us run to our place of refuge the House of the Lord upon the feet of Prayer and there cry unto the Lord to spare this Land to spare this People to spare us from the Sword c. The occaâ—ion or cause of the fast The next is the occasion or cause of this Fast and that if you please to look into the verses foregoing the Text you will find to be a great Plague of Famine for the space of no lesse thou foure years Ver. 20.11.12.13 Their field wasted theâ—◠〈◊〉 mourning their corne destroyed their vines dryed up their oyle 〈◊〉 their harvest perished all the trees of the field withered and joy withered away from the Sons of Men So that just cause had they to lament and howle and lye in sackcâ—oâ—h and ashes nay in dust and ashes But should I prosecute my weak apprehensions in this I should but draw the Treatise beyond a just extent Let it suffice That their Land was russeted with a bloodlesse Famine a dreary punishment Heavens curse and the engine of destruction which doth bring terrour to mortals death to all things and therefore good cause had they to call a solemne assembly to sanctifie a Fast to gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land into the house of the Lord their God and there cry unto the Lord. And as theirs was Famine so the cause of our solemne assemblies or dayes of Humiliation for some years by-past hath been Warre and the worst of Wars a civill
War our Land unnaturally embroyled in her own blood and not long agoe could have presented you even in the middest of her own bowels with whole heaps of slain This Land of England that for many Ages continued the happiest Nation on the habitable Earth under the gracious our Government of many famous Princes and we of our times cannot deny but we have enjoyed the highest blessings that either Heaven could give or the Earth receive the fruition of the Gospel which then setled a firme Peace and which Peace occasioned a full plenty to us a then thriving and I think a well-contented people insomuch that this Land then became the Earths Paradise and the Worlds Wonder or rather Envy Now alas the Nurcery of all Sects and of late years the Stage of Blood the Theatre of Warre having had her Peace violated her Plenty wasted and her People discontented and though now thanks be to God we heare not the ratling of Drums the clashing of Armour the neighing of Horses the sounding of Trumpets the thundring of Guns or the roaring of Cannons yet it is to be feared the Lord is still up in Armes against us his hand is stretched out still else what means these reports of Wars vast slaughters and murders on the Seas our Merchants and Traders spoyled their Goods Plundered their Ships burnt sunk or taken and themselves in their own defence either flain or carried away Captives So that all this little while or few years we seemed to enjoy a Peâ—ce every man again satiating himself under his own vine and firtree was so far from a true Peace with God as that rather it forms it was but a Truce for a time God expecting our amendment which being expired and we still continuing in our sins the Lord is again up in Arms for further revenge against us And what is the reason that the Lord is still thus incensed against this Land and people of England Surely it is against the nature of God to be continually chiding and scourging and whipping and wounding for the Lord our God hath no other Bowels then the Bowels of compassion no other Riches then the riches of his mercy nay the unlimited extent of Gods gracious mercy and goodnesse is beyond all imaginable proportions How coms then his favours to be turned into frownes his mercies into displeasures Why Surely if you will but trace the Seriptures you shall never find God angry but for fin nor grievously angry but for grievous fin so that the fins of this Nation must needs be mounting towring fins sins of the highest elevation and it s the height of our sins that hath alwayes brought down the weight of his judgements upon us and the eart ropes of our sins have hurried down his vengeance So that if we will but reflect upon our selves we shall find within our selves the cause of all our sufferings Plagues punishments and Woes our sins being the occasion of all our evils and the cause of all our miseries undermining our souls and drawing destruction after them and of all things else most hurtfull unto us St. Paul confirms this saying 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sick amongst you and many sleep And this was the reason why the Disciples questioned their Master saying Iohn 9.2 Quis peccavit Who did sin this man or his Parents Celidonius was born blind and our Saviour Christ going out of the Temple seeking to shun those stones which they intended to throw at him he cast his eye upon this poor blind man for the eye of divine pitty is ever fixed upon poverty and it is the priviledge of humane misery to have the eye of divine pitty to look down upon it and to favour the same so that he healed him at once both in body and soule The History is no lesse large then pleasing you may reade it at your leisures Now the Disciples having whispered amongst themselves touching this mans misfortune well knowing that sin what the occasion of all evill they askt our Saviour Quis peccavit what sin and wherein they went wisely to work in attributing punishment in the generall to sin One treating of those tears which our Saviour shed at Lazarus his death saith That he did not bewayle his Buriall for he know how happy he was in being out of the World but the occasion sinne He thought upon Adams Apple that had been the cause of so much hurt and this was it that made him to weep and this his weeping was as if he should have said What a deale of sorrow hath this one act of disobedience in him brought upon all Mankind and consequently upon me who must bear the burthen of his and their offence O sin how dear wilt thou cost both men and me Trace but the Scripture and you shall not find any one thing so often repeated there as That sin is the cause of our miseries How often doth the word of God paint out the foulnesse and grievousnesse of sin and the hurt that coms thereby making fin the very center of all possible infelicity and misfortune that can befall a man Sin was it that made our Saviour a Man full of sorrow when he took upon him the Person of an Offender turning the most favourable countenance of the most pittifull Father into frowns and florce displeasure against his onely begotten and dearly beloved Sonne discharging upon him the tempest of his wrath and made him of all other men the most miserable So that we may conclude Sin to be the cause of all our harm and that all possible ill that can be imagined is to be reduced unto it as to its Center Make a muster of all the enemies of man as Death the Devill the World and the Flesh and not any one of them nay not all of them together have the least power to hurt us without sin And therefore in our Lords Prayer silencing all other our enemies onely we beg of God that he would free us from sin But deliver us from evill which although some doe understand it to be spoken of the Devill yet as St. Aug. saith He can but barke he cannot bite onely Sin is able to doe both And Anselme saith That he had rather fry without sin in the flames of Hell then with sin enjoy Heaven He might well say so in regard of Hell for although that one drop of the water of Paradise might be sufficient to quench the slames of Hell yet shall it not be able to wash away the foulnesse of sin The Prophet desired of God 1 Kings 19.4 that he might dye under the Juniper tree and yet he would not be rid of his life by Jezabel in regard of the sinne that tyraunicall Queen should have committed 〈◊〉 that even in his mortall enemy so great an ill seemeth intollerable to him And though sin be so great an evill yet to this so great an hurt may be added another that is far greater and that is
Obstinacy in sin never to be cured Job painting out this evill saith That the sinner taketh pleasure therein and that it seemeth sweet unto him it is as pellets of sugar under his tongue he first delights in the company of sin then he marries himselfe unto sin and leaves her not till death them depart Thus sin creepeth into the heart by steps and degrees till at last it sinks him down to the bottom of Hell But woe is pronovnced to that sinfull Nation to that people that are laden with iniquity Isay 5.18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cord of vanity and sin as with cart ropes For God is a severe punisheâ— of sin and his wrath fails not to come and seize on those that soâ—â— pillows underneath their sins Ephes 5.6 So St. Paul Let no man deceive yâ—â— with vain words for for such things commeth the wrath of God upoâ— the children of disobedience Was it not sin that brought the cursâ— upon Adam and all his Posterity his Apple proves his poysonâ— 1 Sam. 23 28. Saul for his disobedience was turned out of his Kingdom What 〈◊〉 the ruine and destruction of Countres and Cities but the sins 〈◊〉 the People 2 Sam 24 15. Davids sins and his Pride was the death of seventy thousand in an instant there the people perisheth for the sin of the Prince I could tell you of a Prince that perished for the sins of the people whose like was no King before him neither after him arose there any like him You may find him your selves 2 King 23 25 26. Like unto him was there no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his wrath wherewith he was angry against Judah c. 2 Kings 22 2. Josiah a good King one whose like was not before him Josiah who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet Josiah must be slain Thus you see when iniquity hath playd her part vengeance will leape upon the stage What was the reason why Gods hand was stretched over this Land why the Sword devoured and the people perished but the sins of the Nation And was there ever more sinning or ever lesse remorse for sin What is this world but the region of sin a Sea of filthinesie and whilst men are bewitched with the delight thereof how like Swine doe they wallow in the filthy mire and puddle of their sins It may be their bodies are curiously deckt and shining but alas they have nasty and abominable soules Is not our Land still full of Achans looking upon the Wedge of Gold Ios 7 21. or Babylonish Garment How is the beauty of Bathsheba able to entice the greatest number Gehazi will still post after Naaman for rich presents 2 Sam. 11 12. but the leprosie follows him close at his heels vengeance attends him neer Was there ever more Drinking Swearing Stealing Lying Envying c. and since our sins thus cry for vengeance what wonder is it that the Lord is stil up in arms against us O then put away your swinish drunkennesse your prophane swearing your brutish fleshlinesse your devilish lying and deceiving your hellish covetousnesse your savage eruelty and all your other notorieties and frame the whole course of your lives according to the rules of Temperance Chastity Truth Righteousnesse and holinesse and so though our souls be yet all staind with sinue they may in time become cleerer and whiter then snow Let as all with a spirituall eye behold the things of the world separate from their seeming beauty and so we shall not be bewitcht therewith Let us consider Gold and Silver not as glistring and shining but as drosse and dung yea as poysonous through a curse incorporated herewith-all if our hearts be insected with the love thereof or by any unlawfull means we doe seek after it Let us consider the beauty of the fairest woman as vanity or as a piece of painted clay or as a stale set for the taking of silly fooles And lastly Let us consider all other pleasing things as Drinking Banqueting Gaming Playing c. as the very stinging of a Scorpion which giveth incredible delight for the present but is by and by turned into tormenting and deadly pangs till the man thus stung perisheth And therefore since sinne is thus hurtfull let it be as hatefull unto us and let us hereafter strive as resolutely against sin as we have formerly served cheerfully under it Let us hate all sins of all suits and keep our selves from all spot of sin 1 Thes 5 22. And with St. Paul Abstaine from all appearance of evill Iude ver 23. And with Iude Hate the very garment spotted with the flesh In a word Let us avoyd all sins and have nothing to doe with these filthy inmates that are dayly plotting and contriving to set the whole tenement on fire and are good for nothing but to bring rottennesse into our bones and bowels And let us not defer to turn from sin nor delay till the Morning but take warning by the foolish Virgins for to morrow for ought we know may be the midnight of Christs call when if we be found wallowing in the mire of our sins and stinking puddles of our iniquities how can we hope or expect to be taken as associates to so glorious a Bridegroom And thus having found the cause of our sufferings to be in our selves let us lament for our sins that have brought upon us a burthen so heavy the onely way to re-infavour us again with our justly offended God And for that purpose I shall endeavour my selfe to the utmost of my skill to clothe every one of you with a livery of sorrow which is the next in the Text the assembly called must be solemne Call an assembly First part of the method or order Ierusalem the largest map of misery that ever eye beheld having been often threatned often battered and her visitation growing neerer and greater then before Salem being to become a tributary City Lam. 1.4 Jerusalem a solitary widow the wayes of Sion to mourne her streets to be empty her gates desolate her feasts unfrequented her Priests to sigh and her Virgins to be afflicted she her selfe the object of this sight and subject of this sorrow Lam. 1.2 to weep day and night and the tears to run down her cheeks continually her plagues growing mighty because her sins were waxen many many committing them few mourning for them Ezek. 9.2.5.6 The Lord now sendeth six to destroy this City commanding them to spare none nor take no pitty but to destroy young and old Maids Children and Women yet to touch none that had the Marke and what this marke is you may see in the fourth verse Sighing sobbing
that hath meat to doe likewise Luke 3.11 Touching the second How much we must give and for this I find no certain direction any where set down but onely 2 Cor. 9.6 That we should give liberally Eccles 11.2 and give a portion to six and to seven Mat. 5 42 1 Cor. 16.2 and to give to him that askeâ—h and every man as God hath blessed him Touching the third To whom we must give Lusty rogues of either Sex onely excepted who either must work 2 Thes 3 10. or else let them not eat due Correction is more necessary to give to such if they ask then Bread Ecclesiasticus 12. Gal. 6 10. But these persons excepted the answer shall be Give to him that asketh Doe good to all but especially to those that be of the houshold of faith The Fatherlesse the Widdows the helplesse persons the Aged Halt and Blind and all that are in want or needfull are commended to your Charity Obj. But perhaps some will object and say Would you have us to give to all that aske we know that the poor neer us are so bad and wâ—cked and ill-condition'd that it is no Almes to give to them And as for wanderers the Statute prohibits it and besides being strangers to us we cannot tell whether it be Charity or no to give unto them Aâ—s These excuses of thine are no better then fig-leaves I tell thee thou must doe good to all and if any be so bad together with your Almes-giving give them admonition and exhort them to reforme And as for strange Beggars in whom indeed you may be deceived yet your Almes shall be no whit the lesse acceptable that you give them seeing they aske as Christs poor Members and in the name of poor and helplesse persons And he that gives to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall not lose a Prophets reward but they shall be sure to beare the burthen of their dissimulation whereby they invade the Inheritance of the poor to the robbing and despoyling them of a great part thereof Touching the fourth In what manner Almes ought to be given The answer is They must be given cheerfully and without all vain-glory and opinion of merit and onely of that which is our own and that in due season or due time First cheerfully For God loveth a cheerfull giver He that giveth grudgingly as it were out of constraint doth indeed the thing commanded but because he doth it not with an heart it is no more accepted of then Prayer made with the Lips when the Heart is away Secondly without Vain glory We must give not desiring to have our Charity taken notice of by others for so the Pharisees gave Almes to be seen and praysed of men of whom it was said That they had their reward Thirdly Without all opinion of Merit Almes must be given in humility we acknowledging this to be our duty as a Steward is bound in duty to give to every one his Portion for we are but Stewards under God of that which we have our Goods are a Portion committed to our trust to use according to his will as the Talents in the Patable Now God by whose allowance we have these Portions appointeth us to use them so as the poor may have comsort of them and thus in the persons of the poor we render unto God some part of his own again for Christ accepts it as done unto him Pourthly We must give of that which is our own onely not of what we have unjustly gotten for as is shewed in the Example of Zâ—cheus things unjustly gotten must first be restored and then Almes are to be given for in giving stolen goods or such as be gotten by oppression or deceit man maketh God a party in the theft or wrong which he hath committed when as indeed he is so far from this that he expostulateth with such for comming into his House saying Will you lye steale commit adultery and come and worship in this House c. The just God will not in the person of the poor accept of any thing unjustly gotten Fiftly and lastly We must give in due time or due season For the blessed man is like to a Tree Psal 1.3 that bringeth forth fruit in due season Gal. 6.10 And whilest we have time saith the Apostle let us doe good to all Some rely upon a last Will and Testament thinking to be accepted in their giving then when they must needs depart with all that they have To give when a man can keep his goods no longer is no better then to break off from any sin when he can no more commit it But for such as have neglocted this duty in their life let them humble themselves and rather then not at all give liberally at their Death and so happily as the Lord shall see the heart truely affected with penitency they may be accepted in their giving then Thus you see how Charity is a principall point of true Religion And if any shall alledge That their goods are their own and therefore see no reason like churlish Nabal to make that common which God hath given to their particular use I answer That thy goods doe indeed appertaine unto thee but upon condition that thou dealest one part thereof to the hungry and thirsty for thou art but a Steward and sure the hungry are defrauded of their right unlesse their wants be supplyed And this is one thing that sanctifieth the Fast Another thing is Prayer for Fasting is but the hand-maid of Prayer but of this when we come to the period of the Text Cry unto the Lord. Thus having upon second thoughts though contrary to the Rules of Art lookt a little back upon the duty enjoyned the first part of my Text. I now come to the second circumstance of the second part which I called The Method or Order prescribed of which the first being this Call a solemne Assembly The next is Gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land Wherein is to be observed The generality of this Fast In the Verse fore-going the Text you see a command layd onely upon some private persons the Priests and the Ministers they are to howle and lament but private mournings is not sufficing for Publick Sorrows there must be an epidemicall lamentation by a solemne Assembly And this Assembly must not be thin vel duo vel nemo as the saying is a small Congregation to serve God but it must be populous and full made up of a multitude Gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land Hence let this be the point Christs Schoole is a Schoole for all sorts not onely the Elders but all the Inhabitants Mat. 13.29.30 Let the tares saith our Saviour grow with the wheat it may be they may wither and dye ere Harvest the meaning is That it may be they may dye to sin Witnesse the Jayler who over night was scourging ere morning wishing
and anointing the wounds of the Apostles Witnesse Zacheus who of a pilling and powling Publican and a grinder of the faces of the poor presently became a mercifull refresher of their bowels Witnesse many others c. Every mans life is a Way wherein without intermission he walkes from the Wombe to the Grave Ab utero ad Sepulchrum ambulamus omnes and this is the way which Joshua calls the way of all flesh But in this way there is a great difference for some are upright in it and those are declared to be such as walk in the way of godlinesse to glorification Others turn aside after the crooked wayes of sin and those walk on unto perdition they goe singing and in a moment tumble into Hell Now the Lord our God that would not the death of a sinner calls all to Repentance whilest we not feeling those privy nips and perillous wounds that sin impaires our soules withall doe swim in the fullest delights that invention can procure us and our souls cleaving to the midst of our mirth our way but beguyles us and for not minding our Voyage in stead of arriving at our wished for Haven we are suckt into the gulfe ere ever we are aw re so that we had need labour for a Reformation by the wholesome Information of the Word and Christs Schoole being a Schoole for all sorts we had need all become Schollars in the Schoole of Christ both young and old and old as well as young First young men for the age of youth is indeed the age of right reformation Bend a tree while it is but a twig and it will ply which way you will have it but let it alone untill it be a sturdy Oke there is then no dealing with it Even so settle the soule once upon the lees of sinfull lust and custome in sinning proves another nature and in the end becomes inflexible incorrigible Let a man through his youth set his face against Heaven and blaspheme Gods Religion it shall be as easie for the Blackamoore to change his hue or the Leopard his spots as for that man that hath been alwayes accustomed to evill ever to learn to doe well I doe not say impâ—ssible for I know that it is the easiest thing in the world with God to enrich a sinner with his grace and therefore we dispute not his power nor his mercy Not his power for God can in an instant make of a sinner a Saint Not his mercy for Gods mercy knows no bounds nor limits But it is not easie for that sinner that hath been alwayes accustomed to doe evill ever to learn to doe well for you know the curse is commonly passed out against those who have been so long fruitlesse Mat. 21.19 Never fruit grow on thee henceforth neither in this World nor in the World to come reape they shall bring forth they shall not but they shall reape the fruit of Judgement the fruit of punishment other fruit they shall never bring forth dead Trees cut off from the land of the living dead Branches cut off from the Tree of Life And indeed what can that ground expect that brings forth nothing but thorns and bryars Heb. 6.8 but that the end of it should be to be burned So that though ye rejoyce in your youth O ye young men yet remember you must come to Judgement And sure it is but an evill and wofull division when young years are given to Sathan and old age to the Lord. It s the first fruits that God requires And you may find Saint John writing to Young men as well as to Elders 1 Iohn 2.12 13. to Children as well as to Fathers And Solomon adviseth the young man Eccles 12.1 To remember his Creator in the dayes of his youth And David Psal 119 9 to redresse his wayes For indeed the age of youth is the very Harvest and Summer in which whosoever sleepeth is the son of confusion but he that gathereth is the child of wisedome Pro. 10.5 It is with grace as it is with grafts there must be a time of in-setting and a time of out-growing and both these must be seasonable before fruit can be expected so that seed must be sown in youth which must come up in age For nip a blossome in the Spring and where is the hope of its Autumne And indeed where Sathan can make youth unprofitable little good nay much spirituall beggery may be expected in all the other ages of that mans life Again Call thy wayes to remembrance while thou art young that thy Conscience may be at peace when thou art aged for assure thy selfe that the vanitles of youth will vex the heart for many yeares after Psal 25.7 See David Praying against the sins of his youth and not without a bitter sense and sting of them Psal 25.7 Ieâ— 13.16 It was the voyce of Ephraim I was ashamed yea confounded because I did beare the roproach of my youth for though for the present a man may be sencelesse of his grossest sins yet God will waken his Conscience at last and make the very thought of his iniquities as bitter as ever the practice of them was pleasant the thought of them will fill him with trouble of Conscience and bring him not onely to doubt of his effectuall calling to Grace but almost to a despaire of his salvation And if he would be fenced against all these afterclaps the time is now wherein he may prevent such afflictions by bearing Gods yoke in his youth Now is the time wherein he should take notice of that great bundle of folly which is naturally bound up in his heart But alas No age so much stops its eares as this age of youth charme the charmer never so wisely For whereas young men should live as Nazarites consecrated to the Lord they rather live like men that have vowed and dedicated themselves to the service of Sathan loathing or seorning to become Schollars in the Schoole of Christ which indeed is most effectuall to cure the disordered affections of youth But those that would be Trees of Righteousnesse and known to be of the Lords own Planting laden especially in their age with the fruits of the Spirit must in their youth timely bud timely blossome and timely beare that so their whole lives may be a fruitfull course whereby God may be glorified others edified and themselves receive in the end a more full consolation Secondly as young men so old as well as young must be Schollars in the Schoole of Christ for though its true that the age of youth of all ages is most subject to the dangerous diseases of inordinate lusts yet there is no age without its blemishes not the hoary haire without its errors David so often as he considered his wayes found alwayes something that needed redresse and there is none so well renewed in this life but they may find somthing in themselves that needs further reformation Who can say
Christ finding him Preaching to the People they hearkned unto him with that earnest and diligent attention that they had quite forgot to put in execution that which was given them in charge by the Pharisees And being demanded by them why did ye not bring him along with you they returned this Answer Never man spake like this man The glorious Doctor Saint Augustine before that he had unwinded himselfe out of the error of the Manichees he went on purpose to heare Saint Ambrose but not with any intention to give any credit to his Doctrine but onely to please his Eares with the Elegancy of his Phrase and being ravished with the sweetnesse of his expressions had his Heart taken as well as his Eare his attention supplyed the fault of his intention this was that putting of a Knife to the throat The Apostle Saint Paul goes a little further and calls Gods word not onely Cultrum but Gladium not a Knife but a Sword Take unto thee the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God that thy Soule be not distracted with the troublesome businesses of this world freeing it from all worldly cares and molestations The fourth is Audire cum conservatione to heare with a retention and to lay up the Word in our Hearts to locke it up in the closet of our Soules and so Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keep it The Physitian despaires of that Patients Stomacke that cannot keep its meat but throwes it up as soon as it receives it So he that hears a Sermon should retire himselfe into his Chamber and there imprint it in his memory Many take no pleasure in Flowers or care any further for them then to look upon them to smell at them and to have them in their Hands while they are sweet and fresh and lovely and then throw them by but the Bee drawes from them both honey and was So many heares Sermons for pleasure for delicacy of words for gravity of Sentences and for gracefulnesse in the delivery but this is but to make a Nosegay to smell at for a while and presently to cast it away but we must heare with retention we must seale it up in the coffers of our Remembrance For blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keep it And now having learnt how to behave our selves in the House of the Lord our God in his Publick Service and Worship and particularly how to comport our selves in the Hearing of the Word both to our Comfort and Profit We come now to the greatest and the most excellent service that God requires of us and that is Prayer which is that very Art of Arts that adornes a Christian And David saith That the holinesse of the Temple consisted in the Prayers which then had their force there And here you see That the Assembly gathered into the House of the Lord their exercise there is Sighing Sobbing Praying Crying Cry unto the Lord. And to this the Angels whet on our diligence and the Lord himselfe by Prayer permits us familiarly to poure out our hearts before him for Prayer is nothing else but an opening of our hearts in the presence of God and the best remedy we have to releeve our cares anguishes miseries oppressions and troubles is to lay them all up in his bosome Cast thy burthen upon the Lord saith David and he shall nourish thee And therefore whensoever we feele our selves deprived o◠Gods benefits towards us whensoever we finde a want or 〈◊〉 with holding of Gods wonted favour and mercy from us by reason of our sins whensoever the height of our sinnes brings downe the weight of Gods Judgement upon us whether it be by Plague Famine Warre or any other calamity let us run to this House and importune the God of glory and compassion for this is the onely businesse of this Fast and of this Solemne Meeting which brings us to the last Circumstance in the Method or Order And cry unto the Lord. Good cause had all this People to figh and weep and cry continually for their Land was russeted with a bloodlesse Famine And for us of this Land Lamen 2.1 c. How hath the Lord darkened the Daughter of Zion in his wrath and hath cast downe the beauty of Israel and remembred not his foot-stoole in the day of his wrath He hath cut off in his fierce wrath all the herne of Israel he hath drawne backe his right hand and a Fire was kindled in Jacob which devoured round about he hath bent his Bow like an Enemy his right kand was stretched out as an Adversary He hath despised in the indignation of his wrath the King and the Priest So that well may we take up a lamentation such as was not in the dayes of our Fathers for alas no lamentation can proportion our affliction so that a Deluge of Teares is little enough for the Ocean of our miseries Let then sorrow be our individuall companion with this we begun with this let us end nay never let us make an end of mourning for the abominations of this Land and let us all learne that last lesson of our Saviour to weep for our selves to weep for our sins And for this cause I shall still leade you on with paces of lamentation to the House of mourning where we are to cry unto the Lord. We will stay no longer to look upon the behaviour of this People whose teares did not onely runne downe like a River Day and Night but their very Hearts cryed unto the Lord They poured forth their Hearts like Water before the face of the Lord they lifted up their Hands towards him for the lives of their young Children that fainted for hunger in the Corners of all their Streets the services they brought unto the Lord were not onely Prayers but Teares they did not onely Pray but Cry And since we have so sinned and have been so punished doth it not now concern us and is it not now high time for us to betake our selves unto this Sanctuary of Prayer nay what manner of Prayers should we now send up to Heaven surely not such as most what we use to make such cold and frigid ones as if they were onely for fashion sake and as if there were an indifferency in us whether or no they found acceptation from the Lord and People that are in the fiery Furnace of affliction under the torrid Zone of Heauens indignation to be so luke-warme nay so very cold in their Devotions what doth this argue but either desperation that their praying is to no purpose or else mindlesnesse under the heavy hand of God whereas there is no better meanes for the removing of this Hand then Prayer For what sin doeth Prayer undoeth especially fervent Prayer Therefore the sins of our Nation being so great and loud as that the cry of them hath brought downe such horrible Vengeance upon us who can tell whether the cry of humble Prayer unto
there had been some great mischiefe toward Moses and Aaron when they must fetch out of Egypt such a People from such a King not onely by Petition but by command and threatning If he would not let them goe one would have imagined that Pharah a proud man would never have endured this at their hands and yet if ye will trace them though you may find them in perill yet you shall find them of all others the most safe Thirdly There is great Reason why the affliction of the Church should so affect us and must needs so worke upon our Hearts because of the insultations and triumphs of the wicked against them when they cry out Where is now their God And this was it which Moses did urge to move God to spare his People when he threatned to destroy them for their Idolatry Exod. 32.11.12 He intreats God to remember his great name and to spare them least the Egyptians should say That he had brought them out maliciously to flay them in the Mountaines and to consume them from the Earth or that he was not able to bring them into the Land of Canaan This is it that goe to the Heart of the Faithfull when they heare prophane Persons reviling the Host of the Living God O these are they say they that stand so much for the exercises of Religion and for comelinesse of Order in the Church doe we not see that their exercises of Religion are abolisht and that they themselves some out off by the Sword some Exiled and the most of them pittifully pinched with poverty and necessity These and the like dospightfull and bitter speeches doe wound the very Hearts of such as love Gods glory and desire the prosperity of his Saints and so cause them much to bewayle the tribulation of the Church Seeing that the greatest Afflictions which should touch the Hearts of Gods People is the affliction of the Church First Then all carelesse Persons are to be reproved who so it goe well with themselves regard not the Church at all let it sinke or swim all is one to them so they may be free from danger and sit quiet in their owne Houses whatsoever becomes of others they regard not They Drinke Wine in Bowles but no Man is sorry for the afflictions of Joseph Amos 6.6 This was a great fault in the late times of our unhappy Warres when the Sword devoured and many Christians were taken away and smitten downe on every side yet the most of us did Eat and Drink and were Merry as if all things then went well with us The fault is little amended in these dayes for though we know that many of our Brethren are in Exile some Imprisoned others in Disgrace many in Penury and want and perhaps men of farre better Parts then our selves yet if we can but satiate our selves under out owne Vines and Fig-trees it matters not what becomes of others never once troubled at other Mens miseries but this argues strange insidelity and is such a sinne as the Lord will pursue even unto Death if it be not reformed See the threatning of the Prophet Isaiah In that day saith he did the Lord God of Hosts call unto weeping and Mourning to Baldnesse and girding with Sackcloth But behold Ioy and Gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheep Eating Flesh and Drinking Wine Eating and Drinking for to morrow we shall dye And it was declared in the Eares of the Lord of Hosts but what followes thereupon surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you t ist ye dye saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 22.12.13.14 We had need then redresse such things as are so dangerous to the whole Land Secondly There is a greater fault then this For many doe not onely walke securely in the affliction of their Brethren but desire the continuance and increase of it in hope that they shall enlarge their Possessions and better their Estates by other mens harmes but surely those who have but a glimpse of Christianity in them would rather wish the well-fare of others then desire and thirst to live upon their spoyles Thirdly There are a sort which are worse then these who come justly under this reproofe and such are they as long for stirres and mutinies and insurrections of this sort are they who under any Government of Church or State Cry Downe with Magistrates and downe with Preachers Of this sort likewise are those who cry ouâ— of too much Pâ—enty as a stop to their greedy desire of Gaine and of this sort also are they that murmur and repine at the Rich and multiply speeches of discontentment because Wealth say they is unequally shisted and therefore desire that Tumults may arise that they may get provision from such as fall into their Hands but these have bloody Hearts Fourthly There are yet worse then these who doe not onely wish for such troubles on Church and Common-wealth before they come but rejoyce at them when they are come and when others Eyes are full of Tears their Mouthes are full of Laughter As Jeremy chargeth the Moabites Jer. 48.26.27 He magnified himselfe against the Lord Moab shall wallow in his vomit and he also shall be in derision For diddest not thou deride Israel as though be had been found among theeves for when thou speakest of him thou art mooved This was there manner of dealing and this is the property of all such wicked Moabites they cannot speake of the calamities of the Faithfull but they are wonderfull affected with joy these have cruell hearts and shall be met withall as Moab was Fifthly There are a fort that are still worse then these who not onely rejoyee at the troubles but at the fins of those shat are religionsly affected and if they slip through infirmity and fall into any sin they are as glad as if they had go ten a Kingdome and came home in triumph Lastly There is a sixth sort that are worse then all these one higher degree then any I named yet which is When men are so sarre from grieving that it goes ill with Gods servants that if they be somewhat amisse they will make them worse and help forward their misery and for this end incense and mis-informe such against them as they know will inflict punishments upon them and all these severall sorts have of late been and still are Thornes in our Eyes and Pricks in our sides billowes and brands of Sedition and few there are but have shared in some of these common calamities O that all these severall sorts and companies were become strangers to our Land but I passe them as fellowes not worth any longer saluting The second is an Use of Comfort For if the afflictions of the Church of all other afflictions goe nâ—erest the Hearts of Gods Children Then surely this is for great comfort unto them that can mourne for the Calamities of the Church For this is a notable testimony that they are feeling members and have in them the life of