that we had contracted by our fulnesse by the contrary medicines of scarcity and want and so have reduced us to an healthfull temper of humility and obedience unto thee proclaiming thereby as it were a generall and necessary fast unto us in the house of nature that we might have made a vertue of that necessity in the exercise of repentance Sometimes thou hast afrighted and amazed us with prodigies in the Creatures by wonderfull and unwonted changes in the severall parts and operations of the universe by rare and unusuall Comets in the heavens and in the aire by fire from heaven sent upon our Churches and dwellings thou hast shot thy thunderbolts and hailestones against us the earth hath trembled and quaked under us as not being able to beare the weight and burden of our sins and the waters have broken forth upon us by sudden deluges to our destruction to mind us of our great pollutions wherby our iniquities have over slowed against thee yea they have altered their courses in their ebbings and flowings to admonish us of our unnaturall motions in our sinnes and when none of these things would prevaile thou hast drawn out the Sword of our neighbour nations against us and because that would not worke upon us thou hast now for a long time put the spirit of frenzy and madnesse into our hearts and armed us with sury against our selves making us to become the executioners of thy just wrath upon our owne Nation by sheathing our swords in our owne bowels thou hast divided us asunder dashtus in peeces one against another that by our enmity with one another thou mightst have scourged us to the embracement of peace reconciliation with thee thou hast put out the glory of our Nation and cast our Crowne downe to the ground thou hast raised up a rebellion amongst the people against thine annointed and suffered them to prevaile in their wickednesse that thou mightest thereby chastise us for our manifold Rebellions against thee our God The Pillars of that happie Government which thou hadstset up amongst us are broken thy Sanctuaries prophaned and demolished the light of thy truth is eclipsed and clouded by the foggie and poisonous mists of many Heresies Blasphemies and Corruptions and the Order and beautie of thy holy Seruice is continually interrupted and defaced Thou hast besieged us with the Armies of thy Fury on every side Thou hast shut us up unto misery and affliction Thou hast â—ndled a fire in the Forrest of our Carmell which hath consumed the greene tree and the dry the flame thereof is not quenched and our Faces are burnt therein A Sword ô Lord a Sword is sharpened and also surbished it is sharpened and hath made a sore slaughter amongst us it is furbished that it may glitter it contemneth the rodde of thy Sonne as every Tree thou hast given forth a Commission unto it to devoure the Inhabitants of the Land our bloud ô Lord hath runne like water our children are fatherlesse our wives are widdowes there is a Conspiracy of the Prophets in the midst of us like a roaring Lion ravening the Prey they have devoured Soules our Substance is snatched from us by Rapine and Violence our Cities have been surprized by Treachery and Oppression Thou hast made the enemy to possesse our houses and our holy places they have defiled Destruction commeth and wee have sought Peace and there is none Mischiefe is come upon Mischiefe and Rumour upon Rumour The Law is perished from the Priest and Councell from the Antients Thou hast set up wicked and ungodly men to rule over us thou hast cursed our blessings unto us The King mourneth and the Prince is cloathed with desolation and the hands of the people of the land are troubled These things ô Lord and much more hast thou done unto us Thou hast made our owne wickednesse to correct us and our back-slidings to reprove us that wee might know see that it is an evill thing and bitter that wee have forsaken the Lord our God and that thy feare is not in us from the Crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundnesse in us and yet ô Lord our God we have not humbled our selves under thy mighty hand wee have not turned unto thee that smitest us thou hast wounded us and wee have not grieved thou hast afflicted us and wee have not laid it to heart the spirit of drunkenness and slumber is upon us so that we have not relented at thy chastisements we have neither beene sensible of thy judgements nor lamented our sinnes nor sought unto thee for mercy as wee should have done nor forsaken our iniquities But in the very midd'st of the fire of thine indignation wee have encreased our impieties against thee and triumphed in our Pollutions and our abominable Transgressions thou hast called us to weeping and to mourning but behold joy and gladnesse slaying of Oxen and killing of sheep eating flesh and drinking wine the voice of the desperate Epicure is in the hearts of too many of us let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye although all this be come upon us yet we still continue in our sinnes thy Name is continually dishonoured amongst us by wicked and fearefull Oathes and Blasphemies thy service neglected and trampled on by Profanenesse Wee have said it is in vaine to serve the Lord or what profit is it that we should keep his Ordinances or walk mournfully before the Lord of Hosts We call the proud happy and they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered Wee accounted thy Worship a dishonourable thing and esteeme thy Service as a thing of nought We have loathed the heavenly Manna of thy Word and corupted thy sacred Truth to turne it into a Plea for our very sinnes and to make it a Cloak for seditious and ungodly practices The holy Seales of thy grace and mercy which thou hast ordained for us in the blessed Sacraments have beene corrupted and rejected by us Too too many of us have sworne unto iniquity and made wicked Oathes and Covenants to bind us unto sinne and the workes of Sathan whilst we have broken our holy Covenant with thee our God Thy holy Sabbaths are continually prophaned the joyfull solemnities of thy people abolished and rejected Rebellion and Disobedience is become a Vertue Murder and Bloudshed is taken for a worke of Piety Rapine and Injustice pleadeth Priviledge Gluttony and Drunkennesse Adultery and Uncleanenesse are esteemed matters of allowable merriment yea the subject of our Boasting and Glory and to reprove them is taken for sawcinesse and absurditie Carnall Confidence hath set up the arme of flesh and disarmed us of our trust in thee And Covetousnesse hath made gold our hope and we have said unto the wedge of Gold thou art our Confidence Idolatry and Superstition Hypocrisie Vaine-glory and Heartlessenesse hath polluted and our Fastings and Prayers turned thy face away
prodigall childe or like the Swine sed upon the huskes of empty speculations or upon the dung and drosse of grosse Errors and carnall doctrines and have rendred themselves of that evill complexion which the Apostle deciphereth in the first Epistle to Timothy the sixth chapter and the fourth and fifth verses Proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof commeth envy strife railings evill surmises perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse forgetting the wholesome advice of Saint Paul 2 Tim 2.14 Strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers And that at the 16 verse of the same Chapter c. Shunne profane and vaine babling for they will encrease unto more ungodlinesse and their word will eate as doth a canker And that of the 22 and 23. verses Follow righteousnesse faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they doe gender strifes Or else not minding that elegant and excellent rule of the same Apostle Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have strained their weake and feeble wits out of joynt by reaching at the knowledge which was neither necessary for them nor comprehensible by them and if they have by chance more than skill perhaps light upon things in themselves true and wholsome yet in default of that growth and age and manly strength of Christianity which they should have arrived unto through the knowledge of the first principles as the spirit of God leadeth on Heb. 6.1 That food otherwise sound and healthfull yet for want of ability of digestion breeds ill humours and noxious qualities and pernicious diseases in them whilst they have refused to stand to that wise dispensation of the Authour to the Hebrews Chap. 5. verse 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For every one that useth milke is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe but strong meat belongeth unto them that are of full age or to them that are perfect even those who by reason of use or habit have their senses exercised for the discerning of good and evill And so that is fulfilled in them which was spoken of the Gentiles by Saint Paul Rom. 1.21 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They became vaine in their ratiocinations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise they became fooles like weake and feeble eyes looking upon the Sunne or some glorious and splendid object above the passibility of the sense they have blinded themselves with too bold atttempts upon that light which they are not able to beare not considering that modestie and humility is the best gate to bring in knowledge into the soule and that there is scarce any more incurable bane unto agents and enterprises than the attempting of things that are above the strength of the undertakers From this it hath come to passe that this age of ours hath brought forth such monstrous and franticke opinions That the foolish and presumptuous seekers of our times have vented such mad and blasphemous questions like that which was once with great acutenesse and wisedome as the Author thereof seemed to thinke proposed to my selfe whether it were lawfull to desire God to forgive us our sinnes or no And indeed how can it bee otherwise but that many maladies both in judgement and affection and practice which is the child of these should proceed from such a miscarriage in dyet since it is of great consequence unto health not only that the food should be of good substance in it selfe but that it should be proper and fit for the nature and constitution of the body that receives it If all Parents should give unto their Infant children Beefe and Bacon instead of the breast and other such like sustenance which is apt for the weaknes of that age it were the ready way to the destrustion of mankind The blame of this mischiefe lyeth upon more than one sort of people The carelesnesse of Magistrates whose charge it is to see that things be rightly managed in the Church as well as to looke to the peace and government of the State and that should make that the principall worke of their Authority and wisdome The negligence of Ministers or which may be too probably suspected a vaine-glorious humour in them that affecteth nothing but that that bringeth honour applause unto themselves by the ostentation of their parts and gifts and hath taught too many of them to despise this and other prescribed duties of the Church and to looke upon it as a thing below their wisdome and excellency to have to do with children to descend to their weake capacities and to lead them on in that easie rode of instruction in the foundamentall points The intolerable improvidence of Parents and Masters of Families and their forgetfulnesse of that cure of soules which they have in this particular over their Families and of the great obligation that lies upon them for the performance of this duty to their Children and Servants by themselves and to send them at fit times to the Ministers for the bringing up of them in Religion and Piety that they may say with good Ioshua I and my house will serve the Lord whereby they become answerable unto God for the soules of their Children and Houshold whilst they take care indeed for their bodies and estates but reckon not at all what becometh of their soules whether they goe to heaven or to hell The miscarriage of Schoolmasters whose prime and most profitable businesse it should be at some set and convenient times frequently and orderly to initiate their Schollars and to leade them on in this way of Christian knowledge and to teach them Piety as well as other Learning That they may know Christ Jesus and him Crucified without which all other Rudiments will prove barren and fruitlesse yea even hurtfull unto them and will teach them only to be wise to do evill And lastly the stubbornesse of many children servants and others that stand in need of this instruction and for want of it incurre the danger of the damnation of their soules and yet will by no meanes submit thereunto Though invited and called upon accounting it their dishonour and an unnecessary slavery Oh how soone doe we grow too old and too wise to goe to Heaven The Lord grant that they may all seeke to reforme it That this so necessary and usefull an Ordinance may be restored into credit and practise againe amongst us The most ready way to recover the truth and unity of doctrine the firmenesse of faith the purity of worship and to reforme the abuses and miscarriages of life and conversation in this our lapsed and depraved Nation Yea although it is my hearty desire that the preaching of the word of God in the concionary way in doctrinall discourses Scripture-expositions declamatory exhortations unto vertue
those that are given to change restore unto us the joyfull solemnities of thy worship and vindicate thy portion from those Sacrilegious hands that have robbed thee of the incouragements and supportance of thy Service that we may yet againe and ever more and more serve thee our God in unity and truth and glorifie thy name for thy mercies from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with thee O Father and thy holy Spirit one Almighty Eternall and most glorious God be all honour and glory and blessing and praise from hence forth and for ever Amen Psalmes for Humiliation and Imploration of Gods Mercy c. Psalme 6.1 O Lord rebuke us not in thine Anger neither chasten us in thine hot Displeasure Have mercy upon us O Lord for wee are weake O Lord heale us for our bones are vexed Our soules also are sore troubled But thou O Lord how long Returne O Lord deliver our soules O save us for thy mercies sake For in death there is no remembrance of thee In the grave who shall give thanks unto thee Psalme 7.9 O let the wickednesse of the wicked come to an end but establish the just For thou O Lord tryest the hearts and reines Psalme 9.9 Be thou a refuge for the oppressed even a refuge in these times of trouble Thou that liftest us up from the Gates of Death Psalme 9.19 Arise O Lord let not man prevaile breake thou the power of the Enemy for the presumption of them that hate thee increaseth yet dayly Put them in feare O Lord that they may know themselves to bee but men Psalme 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemne God He hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it Verse 14. Thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefes and spite to requite it with thy hand The poore committeth himselfe unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherlesse Verse 15. Breake thou the arme of the wicked and the evill man seeke out his wickednesse till thou find none Verse 18. Judge thou the fatherlesse and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppresse Amen Another Psalme Psalme 12.1 HElpe Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithfull faile from among the children of men Verse 2. They speake vanity every one with his neighbour with flattering lips and a double heart do they speake Verse 4. They have said with our tongue will we prevaile our lips are our owne who 〈◊〉 Lord over us Verse 5. For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy arise now O Lord according to thy word and set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psalme 13.3 Consider and heare us O Lord our God lighten our eyes least we sleep the sleep of death Ver. 4. Least our enemies say we have prevailed against them and those that trouble us rejoyce when we are moved Psalme 17.3 Let our sentence come forth from thy presence let thine eyes behold the thing that is equall Vers 5. Hold thou up our goings in thy paths that our footsteps slip not Vers 6. We have called upon thee for thou wilt heare us O God incline thine care unto us and heare our speech Vers 7. Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse oh thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from them that rise up against them Ver. 8. Keep us as the Apple of the eye hide us under theshadow of thy wings from the wicked that oppresse us from our deadly enemies who compasse us about Vers 13. Arise O Lord disappoint them cast them down deliver our soules from the wicked which are thy sword Vers 14. From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose bellies thou fillest with thine hid treasure Vers 15. As for us we will behold thy face in righteousnes we shall be satisfied when we awake with thy likenesse Another Psalme Psalme 51.1 c. HAve mercy upon us oh God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out our transgressions Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we acknowledge our transgressions and our sins are ever before us Against thee have we sinned and done evill in thy sight That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest Behold we are shapen in iniquity and in sinne have out mothers conceived us we have sinned with our fathers we have done amisse and dealt wickedly Neh. 9.16 We and our fathers have dealt proudly we have hardened our necks and have not harkened to thy Commandements We have refused to obey neither have wee been mindfull of the wonders that thou didst for us and our Nation How thou hast brought us out of darkenesse into thy light How thou chasedst away the fogs of Errour and Superstition and causedst the glory of thy truth to shine amongst us Psal 84.11 How thou our God hast been a Sunne and a shield unto us Psal 66.12 How thou hast carried us through fire and water and hast delivered us from the Enemies hand How thou brakedst the Ships of the Sea and scatteredst the Armadoes of our Enemies upon the waters How thou armedst the very Elements to fight against our Adversaries And drewest forth the Stormes and the Tempests in array to chastise the pride and insolency of our foes and to turne the destruction upon themselves which they intended against us How thou hast defeated the divellish devises of the wicked and disappointed the hellish plots and conspiracies of the ungodly When the lot of destruction was cast upon us and the deepe designe thereof was even ready to blow us up When the contrivers thereof thought all things sure and that they were safe under the cloud of their darke counsels and were ready to triumph in the successe of their cruelty When the time of our expected overthrow was even come and they were gaping to swallow us up at once unto ruine Psal 78.65 Then thou Lord awakedst as one out of sleep as a Giant refreshed with wine Thou discoveredst the covering of their mischievous intentions and broughtest their designes of darknesse unto light Psal 18.12 At the brightnesse of thy presence the clouds removed and their secret wickednesse was laid open to our view Thou unfoldedst the riddle of their hidden impietie and madest us to understand the mistery of their iniquity so Thou overthrewest the enterprise of ruine that was against us Thou savedst us from the mouth of destruction and madest the pit that our adversaries had digged to swallow up themselves Thou gavest them shame for the wicked joy that they expected sufferedst them not to triumph in the bloud of thy people Psal 124.7 Our soules escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare was broken and we were delivered Psal 106.12 Then beleeved wee thy Word and sung thy Praise Ver. 13. But
and holinesse and dehortations from sinne may be more and more encouraged and promoted amongst us And am not at all of the opinion of those men of which side soever they are that cry downe preaching of the Word in that kind as if it were the cause of more evill than good amongst a people because too many have made a perverse and corrupt use thereof to the serving of their owne or others unsanctified ends to the raising of factious and seditious motions in the Body of the Church and State a mischiefe that lyes full sore upon our shoulders at this very time and yet of no such force as to give us a warrant to desire the abolition thereof from amongst us For this were to fall into the errour of the Papists who upon the like pretence have locked up the Scriptures in unknowne tongues from the people and prohibited them the liberty of the reading of them because as it is too true though not of all those upon whom the Church of Rome would fixe the charge thereof That many through presumptuous ignorance and resting too much upon their owne judgements and despising those guides which God hath appointed for their help to lead them on safely and keep them from drowning in those depths And perhaps many more through wilfull perversenesse have drawne poyson from that hony and by an ill composition and worse application of those excellent drugges that are there laid up and ordained by God for the health of our soules have procured diseases and death both unto themselves and others This were to be as unjust and unreasonable as some others that walke under a better title in these times that can find no other way of Reformation than like that foolish Vine-dresser that cut up the Vines by the roots in stead of pruning them to pull up the Trees of Government in Church and State Root and Branch because some boughes or spriggs thereof were unfruitfull or corrupted I know intemperance is a great evill and hath proved very pernicious both unto the bodies and soules of men And yet if any should advise the Husbandman not to sow his ground or the housholder not to provide meat and drinke for his family or any other absolutely to forgoe the use of those creatures for feare of abusing them It would be a hard matter to tell which were the wiser the giver or the taker of such counsell Many Doctors perhaps through carelesnesse or ignorance become the greatest diseases of their Patients And naturall bodies as well as politicke prove oftentimes to be sicker of their Physicians than of their maladies And yet he were no good Physician that would perswade men to cure themselves by abolishing the use of the Physician of medicine It is the expresse command of the Spirit of God and no pretences of humane wisedome must dissolve the force of it Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine Yea there is not only a bare command but a severe charge and adjuration applyed to Timothy by the Apostle to that purpose I charge thee before God saith he and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Preach the Word c. And dare any say that this was for Timothy only and not for all those that are called to the like office in the Church As well they may goe about to make void the Churches interest in the Gospell of St Luke because it was dedicated to Theophilus or deforce the Universall Authority of the Epistles of Saint Paul because the first was written to the Romans the second third to the Corinthians c. As if the People of England were not bound to submit to the King as Supreame because England is not in the Title of that Epistle of St Peter where this Precept is Recorded but that it is directed to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia nay there is no respect of persons with God Wheresoever any meet in their callings they must meet in duties as they do meet in obligations Therefore I say againe I cannot I dare not be of their opinion that would upon any pretences pull downe the Pulpits or strike them dumbe to prevent mischiefes and whilst God shall allow me liberty and strength and ability of performance I shall alwaies hold it my duty to be exercised in that worke and so much my duty that I shall take no humane prohibitions to bee my discharge though Kings or Parliaments or both joyne together therein And I wish there had been and were still more of my mind in this remembring that answer that the Apostles returned unto the inhibition of the Rulers of the Jewes that forbad them to speake at all or teach in the name of Iesus which I am resolved shal ferve my turne against any of the like sort Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye Act. 4.19 And yet though I have made all this digression to satisfie my Reader of the uprightnesse of my judgement and desires in this particular I am not afraid to professe that if the case were so that wee must needs part with one of them it were better and safer for a Church to want any other kind of instruction than to be deprived of the use of Catechisme which containeth the Principles of all Christian Doctrine for where this is well managed there can nothing be wanting in matter of knowledge that is absolutely necessary to salvation so that this alone where no more is to be had might serve the turne to steere us unto heaven and besides he that hath the principles well setled cannot but be made master thereby of many of the conclusions that flow from them These Fountaines will runne and produce their streames These seeds will grow and bring forth their flowers and their fruits though they have no other manure than our owne private meditations But where principles are not setled the conclusions that are taught without them are neither like to be soundly apprehended nor firmely embraced where the fountaines are not opened whatsoever showers may fall or whatsoever store of water may be cast in it will hardly produce a constant current of divine knowledge and Christian practice in the soule where the Plant wants Root it will have no lasting growth or fruit Nay I will venture one step farther and I am ready to wish that we knew no more than Catechisme than the meere necessary Principles so that all the Christian name were united in this rather than for want of holding this Head for want of sticking to this Foundation there should be so many quarrells and contentions amongst us as there are to the so great scandall and reproach of Christianity Pardon me if I forget the bounds of my discourse so farre as not to forbeare when I have been in
that remaine to the dishonour of God and the scandall of Religion When I observe how the Crutches are taken from the lame and the guides from the blinde by the mercilesse abolition of the set and advised Formes of Prayer out of the Church against so many Warrants of Gods Word allowing them and prescribing them so many necessities of the people requiring them so many undenyable reasons convincing the conveniency and usefulnesse of them so many cleare advantages of the Church therby commending them setting forth the benefit of them against so ancient so constant practise of the Church both Primitive and Reformed establishing and ratifying them and such a multitude of evill consequences upon their removall which our daily sad experience informes us of and urgeth unto us for the restitution of them The Tautologies the Blasphemies the corrupt unsound and unorthodox expressions the confused unmethodicall and undigested halfe codled scandalous and temerarious vociferations and frantick ragings rather than prayers and devotions that the people of God are continually in danger of thereby Together with that which is so much the more to bee deplored by how much the lesse it is deplored and considered of The turning out of the daily publick prayer every where for the most part out of the Church setled by Gods owne Institution and Commandment anciently in the Church of the Iewes and commended unto us in the Church Christian by the authenticall precedent and example of the Apostles and Apostolicall men In the second of the Acts and 16 Verse of whom it is said there That they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eate their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praising God and having favour with all the people and by the excellent fruit thereof set down there also in the last words of that Chapter And the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved When wee consider these things and how the Currents of Gods mercies are growne low and dry unto us since we left drawing with these Buckets of our dayly prayers and supplications in the Wells of Salvation How God hath forsaken us and cast us off since we have forsaken and cast off him and his service And when we adde unto these thoughts how the ancient and profitable Discipline of Christian fasting and humiliation is abominated and rejected and in stead thereof Iezebels bloudy and cruell Fasts for the destruction of poore Naboth and the surprizall of his Vineyard substituted in their rooms not to the reconciling but to the further provoking of the Almighty as we may too easily perceive by the wretched returns thereof that we continually receive whereby the Lord seems to answer us as he did the children of Israel in the 58th of Isaiah Wherefore have we fasted say they thou seest not wherfore have we afflicted our soules and thou takest no knowledge Would you know the reason heare then what God saith at the fifth Verse Behold yee fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse c. Whilst we fasted in earnest and fasted in unity and fasted in obedience and fasted in Charity how wonderfully hath the Lord heretofore answered us in this City of London and in other places of this Kingdome how hath God yeelded himselfe to be bound by us as it were hand and foot to bee disarmed by us of his Weapons of Destruction to be overcome by us unto mercy and compassion How speedily how hastily how wonderfully have the Plagues and the Pestilences fled from the faces of our sincere and Christian humiliations and devotions And how have we thereby as it were upon a suddaine ravished the sword out of the hand of the destroying Angel or caused him to put it up into the sheath But now since wee have set up our factious Fasts and our smiting Fasts instead of true Christian Fasts How empty have we returned What continuall repulses have wee received How hath the Throne of Graee been shut up from our praiers How have our miseries and desolations been confirmed and sealed and multiplyed upon us though we have repeated them so often though they have been performed with such outward strictnesse and solemnity though wee have roared like Beares and mourned sore like Doves yet we look for judgment but there is none for salvation but it is farre from us Iudgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afarre off for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter Yea truth faileth and hee that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey Though wee bellow and lowe like Oxes yet still the Yoake of our Transgressions is bound by the hand of the Almighty Our wounds still wranckle and fester and there is no healing for us When we thinke upon these things are not our Bowels turned within us What stormes and tempests of sighes and teares should bee raised hereby from our hearts were we not over-whelmed more in our carnall security than in so great a depth of affliction miserie How justly may we bee ready to cry out with the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy Water-spouts Thy waves and thy billows are gone over us How are wee beggered and broken by these losses How is the trade of our heavenly Merchandise and of our spirituall Trafficke decayed and intercepted How are we ship-wrackt and splitted in pieces like the Ship wherein St. Paul was in the 27th of the Acts at the fortieth Verse by the encounter of the two Seas that have met together against us the Seas of the divine indignation and of our owne divisions and confusions How is our totter'd Vessell runne a ground The fore-part that part of the Church which is right and orthodoxe sticketh fast as it were and remaineth unmoveable being restrained from the free exercise of that truth and worship which they professe and yet God be blessed that they yet sticke fast too unto their principles and hold so well together in so great a storme But the hinder part you know what I meane that is broken with the violence of the waves into innumerable pieces into a thousand fancies and foolish imaginations into a multitude of strange and monstrous Factions and Sects and Heresies and Blasphemous opinions and Diabolicall Enthusiasmes and the Souldiers Counsell is to kill the Prisoners it may bee feared lest any of them should swim out and escape VVhere shall we finde a Centurion that is willing to save a Paul Some indeed and too many cast themselves forth into the Sea forsaking the Communion of this poore distressed Church Some into the Sea of Rome by falling away unto the Idolatry and superstition of popery so much the more to be blamed for deserting the Truth in its affliction a cleare discovery that they were never sincere and hearty friends unto it otherwise sure they would not have left it in its distresse
inferiours to their ruine and destruction And now what is become of our Liberty surely there is scarce any other Liberty now left us but such a liberty as the poore Sheep have that are deprived of the Shepherd and are free to be devoured by every ravenous and savage beast We tooke our fold for a prison our Castle of defence for a Dungeon our Guardian for a Iaylor and our Security for Restraint We have broken down these Fences and now we rejoice much in our liberty Such a kinde of liberty indeed as the Lord threatned to the people Ierem. 34.17 wherewith he rewarded their Oppression of their Brethren A Liberty to the Sword and to the Famine and to the Pestilence A Liberty to the Oppressour and to the Plunderer and to the Thiefe A Liberty to the Murderer and to the Waster and to the Devourer Liberty to Desolation and liberty to destruction Heretofore no man could bee deprived of his estate or ejected from his possessions without a legall triall according to the knowne and established Lawes of the Kingdome No man could be adjudged unto death but according to the same established Lawes and that upon evidence and conviction by the triall of 12. men It was then no usuall course to imprison men at pleasure without any crimes laid unto their charge nor to keep them in prison six or seven yeares together without affording them a hearing and tryall being desired If there were some miscarriages of this Nature in the Government heretofore yet they were but rare like Comets and wonders as there are some extravagances even in the worke of nature it selfe and must be expected sometimes in the best Government by reason of the infirmities of men the miscarriages of Instruments the fallacies and deceitfulnesse of Representations and the manifold difficulties and impediments of Government which hath been too little considered heretofore and should have beene cured with medicines and not worse Maladies But now our Estates are ravished from us by violence by those new orders of Theeves called Committy-men and Sequestrators without so much as any Charge objected against some of us And if others have had some Charge laid against them yet how often have they beene charged with their Duties in stead of Crimes and condemned not for breaking but for observing the Lawes of God and of the Land and that without any due hearing or any the least shew of any legal Conviction witnesse those numerous multitudes of Loyall and Orthodox Ministers that have been whifled out of their livings and charges by the illegall storms of a Committee-tempest upon no other ground but a sic volo sic jubeo or because their Consciences would not stretch unto disloyalty upon the tenter-hooks of their oppression and that without so much as a forme of any legitimate triall and eviction Our Bodies are hurryed away to Iayles and Prisons without so much as any Cause declared or a Summons premised to come in to our Answer or the least Colour of Law to countenance it and both these clearely against the Petition of Right and the great Charter of England When some have been kept for divers years and have never so much as heard either why or wherefore but only to satisfie the pleasures of our new Lords The lives of the honest and loyall people of the land have beene sacrificed to the lust of cruelty and oppression by arbitrary Sentence and without any regular proceeding for committing Duties against their ungodly Designes for offences against no law either of God or man that allotted any capitall punishment thereunto but such as were made by an invalid power and that after the Facts conmitted which if allowed who can tell what to doe or when hee does well or ill or who can be secure of his life Witnesse the bloud that yet still cryes and speaks no better things it may bee feared than the bloud of Abel of Strafford Laud of Yeomans and Bowcher of Tomkins and Chaloner and many others in Coole bloud and deliberately massacred besides those many thousands destroyed by the lawlesse sword of Rebellion And witnesse that bloud now lately shed not by Lawes but by false glosses upon the Lawes rather the bloud of loyall Captaine BURLY And that this mischiefe may be secured if possible from all remedy it is become an high offence so much as to aske the Restitution of our freedome witnesse the barbarous massacring of the late Surrey Petitioners at Westminster And what freedome is left where wee may not so much as petition for our freedome Or what security remaines unto any either of life or liberty under them who take away mens lives but for asking their Liberties But what doe we talke of the Liberty of Subjects looke upon your King Yea let mee say unto you in Pilat's words unto the Jewes but in a better sense and with a better affection Behold your King and see the very Grave and Tombe of your Liberty in his base and unworthy Captivity and Bondage The Lord grant it a resurrection by his speedy deliverance and restitution But this is a subject both for the horrid impiety of the Actors and the Glorious and Christian patience of the Royall Sufferer now made nothing but a Royall slave by their wickednesse too full of Emphasis for mee to venture it upon the poverty of my Pen in that haste that I am in Consider it and let it divide your hearts at once into an abomination of their wickednesse an admiration of his courage and tolerancy and a lamentation of your owne wretchednesse and slaverie The Crowne whereof is the Captivity of the Crowne and your gracious King for though it bee true indeed that this is the just reward of the unthankfull murmurings and discontents of the people who were weary of their owne happinesse and have thereby betrayed themselves to misery and ruine and of that too much fondnesse of outward and mistaken liberty which whilst wee held at too great a rate and preferred inordinately before Peace and greater blessings and esteeming it above that true liberty and freedome of spirit which consisteth in an ingenuons and unservile Dominion over our selves our passions and affections which if we had not betrayed in our selves no man could have taken from us it being such as a noble Christian heart may enjoy in the greatest outward slavery and bondage in the closest Prisons the deepest Dungeons and under the tyranny of the most wicked oppressors Yet the visible fountaine of this Calamity is the desolation of just and lawfull Government amongst us And I need not labour much to tell you of the sad impairements and dissolutions of that amongst us You have the sad spectacle thereof daily and hourely before your eyes You may yet remember the time though it hath had a long interruption when the Crown of Majesty was the Ornament of this Nation and upon that glory was a defence when agracious and pious King was the Crowne of his Crowne and
He taketh the wise in their owne craftinesse They meet with darknesse in the day-time and grope in the noone-day as in the night Prov. 21.30 There is no wisedome nor understanding nor counsell against the Lord. And whatsoever is without God is against him No Associations can do good without him See Isaiah 8.9 10. Walls and Fortifications are to no purpose Isaiah 22.8 9 10 c. The sounds of Rams hornes shall be as good as the Batteries of the greatest Rams or the shot of the greatest Cannon against Hiericho if the Lords strength be not the cement of the stones thereof Iosh 6.20 There is no nourishing vertue in the creatures without him Matth. 4.4 Man shall not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God There is no Security no Prosperity no successe in any Action any Operation or Enterprize without the blessing of the Lord. Except the Lord build the House they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the City the Watch-man waketh but in vain c. Psalme 127. What seemes to be attributed unto Chance Eccles 9.11 being spoken as is thought in the person of a carnall man perhaps to convince such an one from his owne principles is without doubt the prerogative of God who is equally the great Master both of contingent and regular events for there is nothing contingent in regard of the first cause The race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor yet bread to the wise c. Eccl. 9.11 There is no peace nor indeed any good to bee had but from him Isaiah 45.7 I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord doe all these things The Scripture flowes with this kind of instruction And the voyce of Reason and Scripture is subscribed by Experience The experiments are innumerable that History affords to this purpose We need goe no farther than to those evidences which have been given us in our late miscarriages Wee see our Wisedome hath forsaken us and the contrivances of our great Counsellors have proved plots of destruction our policies have served but to improve our miseries to cheate us farther and farther into the power of Mischiefe and Desolation On the one side our gracious King the glory of our strength under God is imprisoned and he that should helpe us is not able to helpe himselfe God hath suffered so good a King to fall into such a condition perhaps to teach us this lesson that I am now pressing upon you I pray God we may learne it quickly for his sake Our Armies though they were strong and powerfull and had the great comfort and encouragement of a righteous Cause yet through miscarriage in the mannaging thereof and for want of engaging God with them in the work yea through their dis-ingaging of him by their wickednesse and horrid impieties they have beene defeated and brought to nothing I pray God this may be remembred hereafter On the other side the Armies in which so many have trusted and which they have beene at such cost to set up and maintaine instead of helping them have become their Oppressours the edge of their Swords hath been turned toward themselves and their own force threatneth them with ruine The Money and Wealth of the City and Kingdome hath purchased chased us no deliverance at all but hath rather served for the hire of our calamities All the Pillars on which we have leaned are broken as it were on all sides and we have no Foundation left us to rest our selves upon on earth Oh then now let us learne from all this that there is no helpe but in God If wee have our recovery we must have it from heaven and from his hand No Drug will helpe us but Manus Christi If wee ever have Peace we must have it from him Hee is the Prince of peace and the God of peace Though the whole World should conspire to doe us good and to relieve us yet if the Lord come not in to the worke it will be in vaine Let us therefore learne wisdome by our former follies and doe not now relapse into your old errours againe There is much gaping after helpe from this and from that from the Scots and from the Welch and from I know not whom and indeed these may be instrumentall helpes and it will be wonderfull in God to make them so But all these will deceive us unlesse God be brought in for us unlesse he be with us as good they were all against us They will neither prove faithfull unlesse God hold them nor helpfull unlesse God strengthen and prosper them Let us look upon them therefore as the returning glimpses of Gods mercy unto us as his proffers and invitations to make us seek unto him But let us take heed that we place not our hope in them nor in any creature It is the common Dilemma of humane folly and perversenesse that where no outward help appeareth it is apt to despaire of help from God and we will trust him no farther than we can see him in the meanes but they that are of this mind if they truely search into their condition will finde perhaps that they trust not in God but in the meanes And againe when outward help doth begin to shew it selfe we are presently too apt to forget our dependance upon God and to withdraw our expectations from him and to set up that meanes for an Idoll in his Throne by placing our hope and confidence therein I pray God deliver us from both these extreames and teach us in all the varieties and changes of humane things to keepe our selves unmoveably fixed upon this Rocke That our help commeth from the Lord which made heaven and earth Psal 21.2 But it is a great question that comes in the fourth place and would require more space than I have allowed mee to resolve it fully What course may be taken to engage God on our side and to obtaine help and relief from him First let mee entreat you all to bee firmly fixed upon this and to let it seize upon your affections as well as your judgements that if ever we be relieved it must be God that must relieve us And then take in this conclusion for your direction That there is no way to obtain help and deliverance from God but by Humiliation Repentance and faithfull Prayer unto him This onely will doe it and this will doe it I must divide and be briefe I shall premise only this premonition I deny not but God may grant outward deliverances outward blessings where they are not sought of him in this way for divers ends that are knowne unto his heavenly wisdome He doth sometimes take off judgements from the wicked that he may render them so much the more unexcusable and sometimes to give them the reward of some outward Services and sometimes for the sake of the righteous that live amongst them
take the rules of Iustice and Piety from him Since there must be yet more Warre remember this Bethinke your selves of your former sins and forsake them Enter into a true and a holy Covenant with God you cannot thinke I meane the solemne League and Covenant but enter into a Covenant of righteousnesse of holinesse and obedience with God dedicate and cōsecrate your selves unto him and then the Lord will be with you Be carefull to feare God as well as honour the King yea let the feare of God be the bond of your obedience to his Annointed else it is worth nothing we must submit to the King for the Lords sake and then we must needs submit to the Lord for his owne sake If you be Traytors to your God you will be likewise to your King You know my meaning your impieties and vile courses have betrayed him once already I speake not of you all no God forbid I should wrong that happy combination of Loyalty and Religion that hath shined in so many of you so gloriously I acknowledge it I honor it I rejoyce to think of it I could even kisse the dust of their feet But let me beseech them to encrease more and more And for others I beseech them to take better Courses I beseech them for their owne sake for their soules sake for their lives sake for their distressed and pious Kings sake for their Countries sake for the poore tottered and forsaken Churches sake yea for Gods sake If beseeching will not do But oh that it would If not I must take the boldnesse to require them to command them in the name of God The great and glorious and terrible Lord God In the name of Christ Iesus we have power to do it In that name at which the Devils tremble To conjure them As they will answer at the dreadfull day of judgement for all the misery that may befall their King The ruine and destruction that may yet farther befall their Country for the dishonour of righteousnesse and the miscarriage of that holy Cause which they have to mannage for the reproach of Religion and the Truth and the countenance of wickednesse and falshood and the utter devastation of this Church which may follow upon it That they give themselves to Humiliation and Repentance and to the practice of faithfull and earnest Prayer and Supplication to God The God of heaven worke it upon you all and make this poore and plaine but very friendly advise acceptable unto you my deare friends and Brethren and fellow sufferers that you may receive it as a message sent unto you from God for your good I might say much more and multiply arguments but I must not There remaineth yet one thing to make my building answerable to my platforme to speake some few words of direction for the right performance of these workes and I have done they must be but a few the Lord supply what shall be wanting 1. In generall to all 1. Let us all set upon a serious search and triall of our hearts and waies according to that advice of the Prophet in the like case Lam. 3.39 40. Let us take the survey of our former thoughts of our Words and of our Actions Of the substance of the circumstances and aggravations of our sins of our omissions commissions and repetitions of the same sins Of our failings in the end of our obedience in not ayming at Gods glory in our performances but rather sacrificing to our owne glory and to our worldly and wicked purposes which hath polluted our best Actions Of our failing in the rule of obedience In the matter and in the manner and in the measure c. Let us examine our selves and judge our selves not by the customes of the world nor by the opinions of men nor by the humours of the times nor by the corrupt imaginations and partiall affections of our own hearts But setting our selves before the tribunall and at the Barre of our Consciences as before the tribunall of God Let us sift our selves by the Law of God and consider wherein we have failed either in matter of piety towards God or in matter of Iustice and charity to one another or in matter of Sobriety and Purity and Chastity in our selves Trying our soules and putting Interrogatories to our consciences how we have lived in respect of every severall Commandement And when we have found out our sins let us condemne and judge our selves for them acknowledging them unto God with compunction of Spirit considering what a glorious and powerfull and what a gratious and mercifull God we have offended What a tender Saviour we have dishonoured what a holy Law we have transgressed what precious soules we have endangered what a glorious inheritance we have forfeited what horrour of hell and eternall damnation we have deserved what reproach we have brought upon the name of Christ and upon the profession of the Gospell and what ruine and destruction we have provoked hereby upon our selves and others upon the King the Church and the Commonwealth c. Secondly Let this set us upon a loathing of sin and of our silves for sin after the patterne of holy Iob. Iob 42.6 Thirdly Let this put us upon our slight from sin And upon the pursuit of righteousnesse Seeking unto God for pardon for what is past with hope in his mercy toward us in Christ Iesus and imploring the gracious assistance of his holy spirit for the time to come that we may be able to resist sinne and to cleave unto him in holinesse Fourthly Let us set our selves upon the diligent and conscionable use of the meanes of grace in reading the Scriptures and meditating frequently on them Hearing the word with reverence and godly feare examining all our thoughts words and actions thereby keeping this resolution as an unreversible fixed Law in our hearts not to allow our selves in any thing that is displeasing to God though it bring never so much pleasure or profit or seeming honour with it withall we must exercise our selves in the pious and frequent receiving of the Sacrament the neglect whereof as it may be well suspected to be one of the great floudgates of iniquity and impiety amongst us so the restoring of the Christian and frequent use with the due administration thereof would likely be a great meanes to recover holinesse amongst us Fifthly we must apply our selves to some honest businesse and some good employments Idlenesse being the great harbinger of sin the devill being like a great and exacting Lord of a mannour laying claime to all the woste and to a Christian watchfulnesse over our selves prudently avoyding the occasions of sin and endeavouring to foresee and provide against temptations It would be very helpfull I conceive every Evening to make even with God the English word Evening me thinkes may put us in mind of it and perhaps that may be the reason of the name by turning Pythagorases rule into Christianity Examining our selves alwaies
put it in practice beseeching thee that thou wilt take pitty upon them and that thou wilt be pleased now at length to sosten their hearts and to open their eyes That they pursue no further their workes of violence and rebellion but that having a true sense of their great iniquities and being truly humbled before thee for their sinnes they may lay hold upon thy gracious offers of mercy toward them in Christ Jesus and leaving all their evill and seditious courses may returne unto thee their God their obedience unto their Soveraigne and to the affections of justice and charity toward their Brethren That upon their unfaigned repentance thou mayest receive them into thy favour and that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Lord we know thou art a God thou art able to doe all things Thou stillest the raging of the Sea the noise of the wayes and the madnesse of the people Thou canst tame the fiercensse of the most savage Lyons and make the Woolfe to dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard to lye downe with the Kid Thou canst cause the fire to forget its fury and rage and thou refrainest the wrath of man Thou by the power and might of thy grace didst meet Saul in the midst of the very heate and violence of his persecuting zeale and didst turne him into a Paul a meeke and faithfull servant unto thee and madest him of an enemy to become not only a member of thy Church but also a glorious fellow-sufferer with thy people Lord shew the like power of thy mercy and grace unto these our persecutors smite them to the ground with an apprehension of their great cruelties and bloudy oppressions that they have exercised against thy poore Church and people and raise them up againe in the apprehensions of thy tender love and goodnesse in Christ Jesus Thou who hast pardon for the greatest sinners that come unto thee with penitent hearts and a firme beliefe in thy Son Christ Jesus as thou pardonedst Paul so Lord pardon them As thou convertedst Paul so Lord convert them c. and let them not pursue the destruction of their owne soules If it be thy blessed will O Lord bring them home unto thy fold Let not their successes beguil them any more nor any evill engagements detaine them in their sinnes Suffer them no more to set up their carnall policies against thy spirituall and heavenly wisedome but bring down every high thought in them unto obedience to thy heavenly Word make them to know that there is no shame but to be wicked and that their greatest honour will be to forsake their sinnes and to returne speedily and entirely unto thee their God O Lord breake in sunder those chaines of corruption whereby they are held from thee and deliver them out of the snares of the Devill O quench the fire of that malice and rage which is enkindled in them against us thy poore people and inflame them with Christian affections towards us againe As for us O Lord make us patiently to endure what thy fatherly hand shall be pleased to inflict upon us whether by them or by any other meanes and give us alwayes a readinesse of heart to forgive all those injuries that they have done unto us and to embrace an hearty reconciliation with them whensoever they shall be moved by thy grace to give over their unjust cruelties against us and Lord lay not those sins unto their charge Grant this O Lord for Jesus Christ his sake Amen * ⎠* A Summe of divers principall things contained in this Booke 1. AN Introduction consisting of various incitements unto Humiliation and seeking of God 2. A discovery of the sad condition of the present estate of the Church and Commonwealth of England First In a paralell thereof with the miserable condition of the Jewes set forth in the Lamentations of Ieremy pag. 57 Secondly In a more peculiar and expresse delineation of the cerruptions depravations and devastations thereof illustrated by the consideration of our former happy condition in matter of Religion of Peace of Liberty of Government of honour and reputation First in point of Religion and things conducing thereunto pag. 91 1. Of Corruptions on the rule of Religion pag. 99 2. In the mannage of the worke of Instruction pag. 110 1. By seaucing Doctrines Ibid 2. By running from one extreame to another pag. 124 3. By uncharitable censures of moderatâ— spirits pag. 124 4. By the spirit of contradiction and tyrannising over the consciences of men pag. 127 5. By partiality and prejudice c. The evill fruits whereof are described p. 128 6. Pulpits and Presses made marts of division p. 141 7. Hunting after applause p. 148 8. Pusillanimity and lukewarmenesse in the Ministry where an exhortation to Christian con-age p. 155 9. Neglect of Catechisme p. 159 2. Of corruptions about the Sacraments 1. Of Baptisme p. 190 2. Of the Lords Supper Ibid 3. In abolition of Excommunication p. 194 4. In rejecting the grave and learned Ministry and putting up youths and raw novices to be the guides of the people p. 196 And Lay men without any lawfull calling p. 29 A discussion of that point at large of popular Elections c. p. â—52 Of the ordination of Ministers the Apostolic call way p. 278 5. In the sacrilegious taking away of the revenues of the Church as Tythes c. where the Question about Tythes and of things devated to Gods Service is discussed p. 293 6. In Conventicles and unreverent carriage in the Church abolition of formes of Prayer and the evill effects thereof p. 361 7. In matter of Church government the sad causes and sountaines thereof p. 373 A discovery of the miseries and Corruptions of the civill State 1. In matter of Peace p. 388 2. In matter of Libertie p. 399 3. In matter of civill Government p. 415 4. In matter of Honour and Reputation p. 429 Of the sonntaine of these calamities which is the great wickednesse of this Nation p. 437 God the only Physitian p. 454 No way to obtaine deliverance from God but by Humiliation for sin p. 484 Conversion from sin p. 490 Prayer p. 497 Faith in Christ Iesus p. 501 The conclusion with exhortation to the Kingdome in generall p. 514 To the suffering Party p. 527 Directions concerning the exercise of the said daties p. 535 An help to Humiliation 1. A Confession and Supplication laying open the sinnes and miseries of this Nation and imploring Gods mercy p. 1 2. Certaine Psalmes for that purpose The first p. 41 The second p. 44 The third p. 46 3. Another Prayer for these Kingdomes p. 59 4. A short Prayer to be used upon the undertaking of any just designe or enterprize for peace p. 72 5. A Prayer for the restoring of a happy and setted Government in this Nation p. 74. 6. A Prayer for the King p. 86 7. A Prayer for Peace in the Church and State p 99 8. A Prayer for the two Houses p. 109 FINIS
from our Services Schisme and Faction hath broken the bonds of holy Communion amongst the people in the Church envy and malice hath set us on fire against one another Pride and Vanity hath still the dominion over us Usury and Sacrilege are established by Law amongst us unjust gaine is taken for godlinesse Perjury is used for Wisedome and Policy Our hearts are estranged from thee and from heavenly things and set upon the vanities of this present world and the sinfull pleasures of the Flesh and all these Mischiefes and Corruptions are bred in the womb and nourished in the lap of that spirituall ignorance and blindnesse that is in us Thou ô Lord our God hast a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor Knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and bloud toucheth bloud hence it is ô Lord that thou continuest still to plead with us in judgement and that thy hand is stretched out still Hence it is that thou still withholdest peace from us that thou hast stopped the Current of thy favour towards us and hast delivered us up into the hands of our Enemies Lord we acknowledge that thou art just in this and all thy dealing with us Yea O Lord we acknowledge thou art mercifull therein unto us that thou hast not long agoe given us up to a totall ruine and desolation and suffered us at once to have beene devoured by our enemies Thou hast not dealt with us O Lord after our sinnes but hast punished us lesse then we have deserved and hast sweetned thy Corrections with many blessings which thou hast yet continued unto us in that thou hast preserved us a remnant and hast yet given us our lives for a prey in that thou hast preserved unto so many of us our Liberties and enlarged thy selfe unto us in the supplyes of thy providence in the respite of thy judgements and hopes of further mercies O Lord our God wee beseech thee pardon and forgive us all those grievous and horrid offences which have exposed us to thy great and heavie judgements and made us unworthy of thy mercies Breake our Hearts with true and heartie sorrow and contrition for them all wash and cleanse us from them with the precious bloud of thy deare Son let the cry of that bloud which speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel drown the cry of all our iniquities that they may not incense thine anger any more against us Cloath us wee beseech thee with the Garment of thy Sons Righteousnesse that our Iniquities may not appeare before thee turne us O good Lord and so shall wee bee turned convert us and wee shall bee converted Helpe us all wee beseech thee to renew our Covenant of Obedience unto thee that thou maist renew thy Covenant of Mercy towards us Oh let us now at this very time break all the bonds of Corruption in our soules that we may not from henceforth allow our selves in any sinne raise up our Affections to thee our God and sanctifie us unto thee by thy Holy Spirit that thy Service and thy Glorie may bee precious unto us that our lives and safety may be precious unto thee Let Swearing and Blasphemie bee turned into Praiers and Praises unto thee our God Uncleanenesse and Intemperance into Sobriety and Chastity Violence and Injustice into Righteousnesse and Honesty Prophanenesse into Pietie Disobedience into Loyaltie Crueltie and Murder into Mercy and Compassion Pride into Humility Idolatrie and Superstition into Puritie and Worship Schisme and Faction into Unity and Concord Let Hypocrisie be changed into Sincerity and desire of Vaine-Glorie into an earnest seeking of thy Glorie let Malice and Emulation and Strife bee turned into the holy Flames of Brotherly Love and Christian Affection let the sordid love of the World and the impure flames of fleshly Desires bee turned into the holy Fires of Divine Love toward thee our God and to things that are above where Christ Jesus sitteth at thy right hand Let not Usurie nor Sacrilege nor Perjurie nor any other horrid Iniquities curse this Land of ours any more And that all these happie Changes may be wrought in us let the grosse blindnesse of our mindes be healed by the precious eye-salve of thy holy Spirit and thy heavenly light that so thou being reconciled unto us our warres may bee turned into an holy well-grounded and lasting peace our Confusion into Order and Beauty our sadnesse and discontent into joy and chearefulnesse that thine Anointed may be restored unto his power and Majesty to rule thy people according to thy will that all our Calamities may bee redressed thy Judgements removed thy blessings restored continued and encreased unto us And that the glorious light of thy Gospell may be more and more resplendent amongst us to guid us in thy waies and in the purity of thy worship O Lord according to all thy righteousnesse which is thy mercy we beseech thee let thine anger cease from ns for we are not able to beare thine indignation O let thy fury be turned away from this Nation which hath been heretofore thy holy mountaine Because for our sins and the iniquities of our fathers we are become a reproach unto those that are round about us now therefore oh our God heare the prayer of thy servants and their supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolate for the Lords sake O our God incline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the people that are called by thy name for we do not present our Suplications before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do deferre not for thine owne sake oh our God for thy people are called by thy name oh let the sentence of mercy come forth now from thy presence and call in those Commissions of vengeance and indignation which thou hast given forth against us oh make us to heare the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Oh comfort us againe now after the time that thou hast plagued us and for the yeares wherein we have suffered adversity shew thy servants thy work and their children thy glory and let the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us Oh take off the indignation of thine anger from the King and from the Priest and from all the people of the Land let the Magistrates rule in righteousnesse the Ministers guide in holinesse all the Members of this Nation live peaceably and religiously and honesty in their vocations keeping themselves within those bounds and limits of their callings which are proper unto them Let them study to be quiet and to do their owne businesse and keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace teach them to feare the Lord and the King and not to meddle with