the Representatives of the whole Nation who are the only Persons fit to judge and determine so great and important an Affair as was and is to the good liking and Approbation of the Majority of the People for no Nation can be well a Day without a Supreme Head or Power And these are now the Powers in being to which the Subjects owe Allegiance So that upon the whole 't is plain that the late King's Misgovernment was the Original Cause or Occasion of his Abdication and all his Misfortunes and it was not the fault of the People they not being obliged by any Law of God or Man to give him any Assistance in that Work and Business he was going about For it is not lawful for any Man at the Command of the greatest King on Earth to assist him in destroying the Religion Laws and Liberties of his Native Countrey And the late King believed this for which cause he raised a standing Army to assist him in his Work but that failed him too So that the whole Revolution was a gracious as well as wise and powerful Work of Divine Providence who has and ever will have a Prerogative of pulling down one and setting up another when and how he pleases And the Present Government being to the good liking of the Representatives and Generality of the People and solemnly engaged to conserve their Religion Laws and Liberties and actually do so it is a Lawful Government and calls for a Legal Subjection And therefore what Reason have any now to plead the Obligation of former Oaths of Allegiance which are rendred impracticable to any but such who think it is their Duty to embroll and enslave their Native Country Thus much have I written which I hope will be satisfactory to all dis-interessed sincere and unbigotted Readers and is sufficient to convince all our present Murmerers if they will but open their Eyes and make use of their Reason and lay aside all Prejudice Passion and Self-conceitedness Having now given a brief Account of those sorts of Sins and Sinners which the Nation is full of and which threaten us with all sorts of Judgments as Wars Earthquakes Famine Pestilence c. some of which we have already felt in part and do still feel Methinks a general Exhortation will not here be improper to press them earnestly to a general Repentance and Reformation as ever they would prevent a general Destruction And I would urge this Advice by two great and weighty Motives I. From a Consideration of their Souls II. Their outward Estate and Prosperity in the World 1. The Soul which is the best part of Man the Man of the Man if the Word of God be true and Christ no Lyar Except ye repent ye shall all perish No Repentance no Salvation 2. But if Men are so sensual they do not will not regard the Eternal Concerns of their Souls yet there is none but wish themselves long Life Peace and Prosperity in the World but now Sin ruines all these too Sin brings Wars and all other outward Calamities and it is in vain to hope to divide Sin and Punishment Your Iniquities will find you out tho Sentence against evil workers be not speedily executed yet it will certainly be executed if speedy Repentance prevent not Tho' God suffers long yet he will not suffer always But more particularly I would here apply my self to all those that profess themselves to be Friends of the present Government of what Opinions Churches or Parties soever You that profess you would have the Protestant Religion secured and flourish and would keep your invaluable Properties and Liberties what a shame yea a double Crime will it be in you to destroy with your own Hands that which you pretend so to value to pull down with your Sins what you so highly exalt with your Tongues What is this but to be pretended Friends and real Enemies Is not England as well as other Consederate Princes now in Consultation to provide for this ensuing Year against the Common Enemy Are not great Taxes necessary in order thereunto to provide Armies and Navies Do we not yet feel the Weight of them and would we not gladly be eased of them And will not our Successes or Miscarriages be of the greatest Importance Do we not need new Salvations and Deliverances And would you have all future Miscarriages laid at your Door and be imputed to your Impenitency Wickedness and Carelesness Security and Luke-warmness Shall it be read in Chronicles by our Posterity That the Friends of the Government were the cause of it's Ruine Or do you think you have done all your Duty towards it's Preservation when you have given your Taxes and raised Armies and Navies No no give me leave to tell you you have done but the least part it is True Faith Repentance Humiliation Prayers and Tears that must do the Work when all is done There is an admirable Passage in Exodus 17. When Joshua fought against Amalek Moses went up into the top of the Hill and it came to pass when Moses held up his Hands Israel prevailed but when he let down his Hand Amalek prevailed And Aaron and Hur held up his Hands till Amalek was thereupon subdued If we would have the Amalakites conquered by our Joshua the hand of Prayer must be listed up supported and continued A Spirit of Prayer and Supplication poured out upon a People is a more certain Sign of Success than the greatest Confederacy and Armies without it 'T is Prayer that moves and acts these Instruments successfully whatever there is else O that this one thing were once soundly and throughly believed and practised God would soon turn his hands against our Enemies and the haters of the Lord should be found Liars When we want success in our Attempts then there is great enquiring into the Causes this was the Cause and the other thing was the Cause here was a cross Accident and there was an unlucky Circumstance sell out and so Joshua is blamed when it may be the fault was that Moses's hand of Prayer was let down And give me leave to speak freely I think our want of Success by Land last Year must be laid at this door There was Counsels sufficient and Power and Instruments enough to have obtained what was projected but the hand of Prayer began to fall and slacken We were grown so secure and confident upon our Success at Sea that we thought to obtain Victories at Land with little difficulty as if of necessity they would even be forc'd upon us and so we began to boast of and rest in an Arm of Flesh and have since reap'd the Fruits of it But how few lay it to heart Is not there a deep Sleep and Security fallen upon the generality of the Nation Ministers and People and if a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication be not stirred up and awakened I dread to think of the Consequences notwithstanding all our other Preparations No doubt but shortly
and Posterity at once in a moment O what a cursed Evil must Sin be that brings forth such a Plague as this Among those variety of Judgments that God threatned Israel with by Moses in case of their Disobedience of which he gives us a large Catalogue Deut. 28. we do not find any mention of an Earthquake But Christ tells us there should be Earthquakes and great Earthquakes in divers places as if this greatest Judgment of all should be reserved for the greatest Sin of all namely the Neglect and Contempt of Christ and the Gospel O did Men but believe that Word and Gospel they profess to believe I need not here urge Arguments taken from Temporal Judgments to perswade them to repent and turn to God! For if the Word of God be true and if Christ himself be true all Impenitent Unbelievers shall as certainly be damned and go away into everlasting Punishment as that they shall die God will Cast Body and Soul into Hell which is worse than the greatest Shock of an Earthquake But because poor wretched Sinners will not give Credit to God's Word he will make them feel his Rod and seeing they will believe nothing but their carnal Senses to convince them of their Atheism God will make them feel his Plagues even in this World as well as in the next Was not this late shaking of the Earth a gracious as well as tremendous Warning of God to rouse us out of that deep Security into which we are fallen But what will become of us if we do not take it as a Warning It is a very dreadful Reflection to consider how little or at least to how little purpose the generality of People were affected with that alarming Providence and how quickly the Impression of it was worn off their Spirits when it did not last so long as Six days namely to the next Publik Fast-day as appeared too plainly by these sad Proofs in that Ministers took so little and some no notice at all of it in their Prayers or Sermons that Day and most People as at other like times either followed their Callings or their Recreations upon that very Fast-day and many that then attended the Publick Assemblies came with the Pride of all their Ornaments about them and look'd as unconcern'd as if they came rather to a Feast than a Fast. O horrid Stupidity and Security more to be dreaded of all that fear God than the Earthquake it self nor can there be a worse Sign or Prognostick of a far worse Earthquake or other great Judgment yet to come for let us not flatter our selves into a Fools Paradise If lesser and more gentler Methods will not do God will visit with severer strokes If Rods will not amend us Scorpions may quickly ruine us And this will appear no doubt more than probable when we consider this City and Land is full of all those Sins and Aggravations of Sin which have brought down fearful Judgments in all Ages and Countreys of the World Let us but look over the Black Catalogue of Sins in Scripture against which God hath denounced and executed fearful Judgments and if we will be true to our own Consciences we must acknowledge they are all found amongst us and that perhaps in the highest Degree and must confess that our Land is full of Sin against the Holy One of Israel But you may ask What are the Sins for which London and England are now threatned To which I answer All the People of England may be considered under Four Ranks and so there are Sins both common to all and peculiar to each of them First Such as are openly Profane and have not so much as a Form or shew of Religion tho' they bear the Name of Christians Secondly Such as have only a Form and no more Thirdly Such as in the main are sincere Believers and true Christians Fourthly Such as not acknowledging the before-mentioned merciful Warnings and Providences of God towards us nor our present undeserved Mercies are unthankful Murmurers against God because he has not order'd matters in their way namely to establish the Protestant Religion by Popish Governours and Councils and who are also secret Enemies to the Government it self that has been and still is so much a Friend even to such evil and unthankful ones First Such as are openly profane and have not so much as a form or shew of Religion tho' they bear the Name of Christians What are peculiarly the Sins of such People that cry aloud or Vengeance I answer 1. Their horrid Atheism and Contempt of Christ and the Gospel which sure was never more than in this Age. Are there not many that have out-gone David's Fool and not only say in their Hearts but also with their Mouths There is no God Others that speak very loosely and contemptuously of the Holy Scriptures and of the great Principles of Religion therein contained No wonder such wander in Darkness when they reject that which should be a Lanthorn to their Feet and a Light to their Path And do not such deserve to die in their Folly that reject the Holy Scriptures that should make them wise unto Salvation And will not this their wilful and affected Ignorance justifie that severe Sentence of God by the Prophet They are a People without understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them 2. The horrid Murthers that are committed almost every Week in one place or other so that it may truly be said Blood toucheth Blood 3. The frequent open Robberies and that which I think is as bad the Fraud and Injustice that is daily practised by such I wish I could say only such in matters of Trade and Dealing How many have not more served an Apprentiship to a Trade than to the Art or Mystery of Lying and Deceiving Insomuch that they who can lie most smoothly are counted the most hopeful Traders and like to thrive in the World yea there are not a few that to cheat more easily will confirm their Lies with horrid Oaths and Imprecations 4. Was ever Perjuries vain swearing horrid Imprecations and Execrations more common in London and in England than at this time the Streets and Publick Houses and which is worse Private Houses daily ring of them Who can number their Names that almost at every Word can call God to damn them and confound them and the Devil to take them whose Prayers are too like to be granted Was ever false Swearing and False Witness bearing more common in publick Courts of Justice and Equity than at this day 5. That odious Sin of Drunkenness How are all Degrees and Sexes Guilty of this sin which converts Men into Bruits and consumes Health Estate Time Soul and Body all together and perhaps this one sin consumes as much Money in a year as is given for that time to support the Government And how many Families as well as Persons are undone by it 6. The sin of Uncleanness Adultery and
the Piety of the Govnrnment will prescribe and enjoyn Days of Publick Humiliation as formerly which probably will be altogether slighted and neglected by the Enemies of the Government But shall any of the prosessed Friends of the Government do so too or at least that which is as bad be careless formal and remiss in the Observations of them as heretofore the generality of them have been Will God accept of Mock-Fasts and Humiliations Will they not rather bring down Cursings than Blessings What if our Joshua when he is going forth with the Host should put out his Proclamation directed to his professed Subjects and Friends to the Government and should say after this manner I am now going forth against the Common Enemy and the Lord saves not by many or by few I expect no certain Success but according as you my Subjects shall be serious and constant and fervent in your Hearty Prayers at the Throne of Grace for me and my Undertakings And if I can but hear that you are all diligent in this Work at all times but especially on publick Days of Humiliation I shall not doubt of Success And as you love me or the Prosperity of our Arms as you would approve your selves my true Subjects and true Friends to the Nation I charge you to be very serious in this Work I say should his Majesty thus address himself to his People as indeed in effect he doth whenever he appoints such Days of Humiliation would you think your selves Friends to him or the Nation if on such days you should be so much unconcerned as not to appear at the Publick Congregation or follow your Trades and Callings on such Days or which is as bad without any due Concernment of Spirit give your bare formal Attendance at Church and no more and be as little affected as the Seats you sit on as has been the manner of most People in the late Publick Days Will you come into the Congregation in the Pride of your Countenances and in the Pride of your Ornaments as many have done I wish I could say the most have not done so and that without any Reproof or Correction from their Ministers Is not this a sad Consideration that the generality have not yet reached to the Fasting and Humiliation of the Hypocrite The Prophet Isaiah tells us as a Man may afflict his Soul bow down his Head like a Bull rush and spread Sackcloth and Ashes under him and yet keep no acceptable Fast. But alas how few have attained even to this discover neither inward nor outward Tokens of Humiliation When Israel had sinned in the matter of the Golden Calf Exod. 23. God tells them by Moses Ye are a stiff-necked People I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do to thee And the Children of Israel stript themselves of their Ornaments And we see what was the Consequence of it God threatned to destroy them in a moment but yet upon stripping themselves of Ornaments in token of inward Sorrow and Repentance God did forbear to execute his Threatned Vengeance Truly God may justly say of most Professors in England that he doth not know what to do with them for notwithstanding all Judgments both felt and threatned they will not strip themselves of their Ornaments but in stead of that are rather enlarging and multiplying their Ensigns of Pride and Vanity unsuitable for Christians at all times and much more upon publick Days of Fasting That for my part I must own that in stead of having no more Success in our publick Concerns I have wondred that we have had so much or indeed any at all And I think we have but little reason to ascribe it even Instrumentally to such pitiful sorts of Fastings and Humiliations as have been observed by the most If a near Relation die most if they can will put on Mourning Apparel and continue it for a long time in token of their inward Sorrow for the loss of a Friend Yea many will lock themselves up in a Chamber to weep and mourn in secret upon such an occasion Now is not this palpable Hypocrisie that these very persons when God shall threaten their own Souls and Estates and is ready to pour down his Judgments on a whole Nation which is Ten times greater cause of mourning than the Death of a particular Relation shall make no difference between a Fast-day and a Feast-day as to their Attire or Habit or Concernedness of Spirit O that God would awaken Ministers that they by preparitory Sermons and fervent Exhortations would awaken their drowsie Hearers before-hand that they may be stirred up to more due Observations of such Days of publick Humiliation and not think it enough to give them a bare Warning that such a day is approaching If they would shew more Zeal in this matter it would have a greater Influence on People A lively serious Ministry is absolutefy necessary to this Work in a special manner and Ministers are and may be guilty of the Coldness and Formality of their People by their own Coldness and Indifferency in their Work And if I cannot prevail for a general Reformation yet methinks I might for a general Humiliation upon Fasting-days especially from all the professed Friends of the Government now God is threatning us so severely And I must tell you that a Humiliation that will not save your Souls may yet move God to prolong Mercies and defer Judgments Will it not be a sad Reflection for any that call themselves Friends to the Government and Protestant Religion if their Humiliation will not reach that of one of the most wicked Men and greatest Hypocrites that are recorded in Scripture And yet I should not think my Labour lost if I could prevail with the generality to bring up themselves to such a Humiliation We have a wonderful Instance in Ahab 1 Kings 21. 25 26 27 28 29. But there was none like unto Ahab that did sell himself to work Wickedness in the sight of the Lord. And he did very abominably in following Idols And it came to pass when he heard those words that he rent his Cloaths and did put Sackcloth upon his Flesh and fasted and lay in Sackcloth and went softly And the Word of the Lord came unto Elijah the Tishbite saying Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me I will not bring the Evil in his days Here was one of the vilest Sinners that ever was in the World and God by his Prophet had threatned to bring Evil upon him and his House and thereupon he falls to a very formal outward Humiliation for it was no more and yet even for this God was so well pleased that he deferred the threatned Judgment during Ahab's Life Would to God I could prevail with you to do as much in the work of Humiliation as one of the vilest Sinners has done Would to God the generality