sound knowledge faith humility zeal and every other grace and live together in mutual peace love and righteousness adorning the Gospel and glorifying their heavenly Father by such fruitful beautiful conversations But where-ever these things are less regarded â—et there be never so much empty noise of Order and Settlement upon sure and ancient foundations of a flourishing Clergy and excellent Constitutions because perhaps they all read over the same prayer or wear their Coats all of a colour yet whilst I believe the Gospel which tells us the nature and ends of this holy Society I shall never believe that to be the best ordered Church which falls so vastly short thereof even that where the Life and Power of Religion apparently decayes and ignorance Inkewarmness and prophaneness live thrive and over-run the members I think its far better to see the Physitians in times of great sickness busily running to rescue the diseased from the jaws of death though perhaps not with so much formality and orderliness as might at another time seem requisite than to have theâ— take state upon them and busie themselves in devisâ—â— and prescribing Orders about their Administrations thâ— make more for their own interest or at least for the hâ—mor of some of them than for the good of their Patients especially if they should proceed to make it 〈◊〉 Crime for those that may be as skilful and faithful 〈◊〉 themselves to endeavour the saving of their Neighboâ—â— lives except in every punctilio they comply with their humors But to do thus in matters that concern the everlasting life and death of immortal souls is such a piece of bold selfishness and uncharitableness as will scarce be well taken by him who died for them And whether there have not been such limitations and restraints 〈◊〉 upon many whose business and office it was to overtiâ—â— souls and thereby such injury done to their precious charge let any unbyast Reader who knows how affair stand amongst us determine as also if it be so whether such actions must not needs tend much to the provocation and dishonor of God being publickly owned and justified and the whole Nation involved in the Guilt 〈◊〉 far as it can concur to a single action and whether therefore the redress of this may not reasonably be thought one grand Admonition of the several calamiâ—â—â— which have of late like waves com'n riding one upon 〈◊〉 neck of another And now at length what as to this particular shall 〈◊〉 the fruit of these flames that have burnt up the Gloryâ— our Land Shall they not burn up the dishonour of 〈◊〉 too Shall not our animosities and contentions 〈◊〉 earthly carnal zeal which hath fed upon our spirits 〈◊〉 almost consumed our vitals with all our passionate 〈◊〉 flammations and heart-burnings be thrown into this 〈◊〉 never to revive and live more Oh would to God 〈◊〉 they might I should not then stick to call it a Blessed Fire which should consume and carry away so much of a worse even of Hell it self from amongst us Oh happy were we if our Dross and Tin were but thus burnt off that we might come out of the fire so well refin'd I That all our stubborn Spirits were but melted and softned into such mutual compliances as beseems Christian Brethren But alas what mortal power can produce such blessed effects What earthly instrument can bring about such an heavenly work No this is left for Omnipotence to accomplish Good Lord then let the power of thy Grace set in with thy Providences and let thy Spirit do that which neither Plague Fire nor Sword Mercies nor any Means by themselves can Even to work the Spirits of all those who call themselves thy Servants and Children into a gentle loving temper becoming that Profession and the nearness of their Relation that they may with faithfulness and resolution joyn hands in that work to which they are all engag'd and give each other what assistance and encouragement they are able for the subversion of Satans Kingdome and the carrying on those designs of mercy to Mankinde for which thou didst create and dost uphold this world and sent'st thy Son into it and keep'st thy Gospel and Ministers in it Is there any thing in this request to which all true Christians may not readily give their Amen Why then should not all who own that Name contribute their endeavours to the obtaining of that which they profess to desire How lamentable and strange a thing is this that when wee are all agreed or seem to bee so about the chief end which we ought to pursue and the principal means conducing thereto that yet we should stand at so hot and hurtful a difference about matters wherein one would think it impossible for rational Men to differ Are wee not all agreed that the honour of God and salvation of Souls ought to bee the principal end of our endeavours And that the bringing of men to know believe and obey the Gospel is the only 〈◊〉 for the attaining of this end And that the delivering explaining and inculcating upon them the truths and duties of this Gospel by a Ministry fitted for that work is the ordinary means for the begetting of Faith and Obedience And after all this shall it bee 〈◊〉 controversie whether many of those who are thâ—â— fitted and acknowledged to bee so shall bee kept off from this so needful so important a work rather than to bee dispenst with as to some such Subscriptions and practices which they that refuse dare not comply with for fear of sinning and which they that impose know they may lawfully dispense with being matter of that nature that the most zealous Assertors of them will not affirm they are of absolute necessity nor that they will countervail the loss of Souls which it 's 〈◊〉 too evident the rigid imposition of them does and will occasion Will nothing that hath yet befaln us help to clear our Judgements and settle our affections so far as to end this controversie Are not our suffering yer great enough to meeken and bow our spirits and drive us together Shall they not now at last work the same happy effect upon us in reference to these differences that Persecution and Imprisonment did upon those famous Martyrs Ridley and Hooper in a business 〈◊〉 the like nature The good man who was before so boâ— in pressings Conformity soon put off his harshness as appear'd by his loving Letter when he saw his Brother a Prisoner for the same common truth with himself They who may quarrel in the Palace are made friends in a Prison and embrace each other at a Stake And they who cannot agree so much as about wearing the same clothes are soon reconcil'd when they wear the same chain And should we be reduc't to the like case with them I am very apt to believe we should then be of the same relenting temper They who have been guilty of so much rigour would then I hope be
made our flourishing City to fall on heaps as if it would become a kind of common Tomb to its dead Inâ—abitants to serve as a Monument to Posterity who should find written upon it Here lie the fruits of sin Shall we dote upon a painted poysoned Harlot and that after the Varnish is fallen off and the poyson revealed Shall we still stroke and play with the Serpent after we have heard his hissings and felt some effects of his envenomed sting God forbid that we should be so wilful and foolish to imbrace the dart that hath murdered our friends to court the flames that have burnt our houses and will do worse than all this As then our calamities tell us to the quick that God hath observed and altogether dislik't our wayes so we see there is Mercy manifested in these Judgements whilst they tend to rouze us out of our security to convince us of the mischievous nature of sin before we feel the worst of it and afford us ground of hope that upon our conâ—iction and reformation there is yet mercy to be obtained for us If then we have any regard to our Makers pleasure or our own interest if we have any ingenuity or love to our selves let us he arken to these earnest calls of a compassionate God and speedily accept of motions for peace upon reasonable terms least our continued stubbornness should provoke him to resolve concerning us that since we accepted not nor improv'd the space he allotted us to repent in henceforward all signs and professions of Repentance shall come too late to prevent our ruine And that seems to be another Lesson which these Judgements teach us That is we contemn them and disregard God speaking to nâ—by them there is great hazard that this our incorrigibleness and strange 〈◊〉 pidity will procure our final overthrow If we reject the Scepter of Grace which hath been held forth to us 〈◊〉 can we expect but that it should be withdrawn and frightful Sword set up in its place If we are as resolve to hold fast our sins as Pharaoh was to keep the Israâ—liâ—â— our resolutions may cost us as dear as his did himâ— Though our God be long-suffering yet will he alwayâ— bear Will he never do more than gently lash us 〈◊〉 then wait to see what good his stroaks do upon us 〈◊〉 we shall still make void his expectations of our amendment will he not at length take another course with 〈◊〉 Hath not God been as it were laying siege to the heaâ—â— of this people and summoned us again and again 〈◊〉 make a surrender of our selves to him using those seâ—ral Engines that might serve to batter our hardness and prevail with us And if we still hold out against hiâ— rejecting the gracious messages he sends us slighting the Warning-pieces he hath shot off what have we to look for next but that his Murdering Canons should be planted against us That as by his last act of hoâ—â—thty he burnt one of our chief Forts so he should proceed to level all to the ground If God hath smote some of us with the Sword others with the Pestilence and â—â—verthrown some of us as he overthrew Sodom and Goâ—â—rah and yet we will not return to him may we not fear that our desolation is as near as theirs was who weâ—â— thus guilty and of whom God thus complains Amos 〈◊〉 The continuance and growth of sin under a smarting Rod adds an high degree of hainousness thereto which is usually followed with a vengeance proportionably heavy When a Nation shall solemnly bid defiance 〈◊〉 the most High and engage in a War with the Lord of Hosts fighting against him by renewed Rebellions 〈◊〉 he against them by reinfoc't Judgements we may easily know who 's like to come by the worst He hath Aâ—rows in his Quiver against which the rockiest stupâ—â— heart is but a weak defence which can shatter into pieces those who will not be foftned And he hath frequently exprest his unalterable will to conquer unreâ—enting sinners and that he will even take pleasure in â—ubduing such stout spirits whom nothing before would work upon or bring to take notice of his hand stretchâ—â—ut against them Of those who profanely cried that â—is word was but wind and that they should never see evil he â—hâ—eatens that this Word of his which they scoff'd at shold â—e fire in the mouth of his Prophets and the people should be â—ood Jer. 5.13 14. And Ezek. 5.13 Having before spoâ—en of all the sad things he would bring upon a stubborn people he adds Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and â—â—y fury rest upon them and I will be comforted and they shall â—now that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal when I have â—ccomplished my fury in them Who can in reason expect â—hat God should alwayes maintain his creatures in beâ—ng and continue their comforts whilst they imploy â—â—eir life and all their mercies against him who gave them â—oth Would not a Prince rather impoverish and deâ—roy any part of his Dominions than let it serve only â—â—r an harbour and supply to his mortal enemies Oh â—â—at England may not hear that doleful word pronounc't â—oncerning her which Israel once did Ezek. 7.6 An end 〈◊〉 come the end is come it watcheth for thee behold it is â—â—me Let us not go on to provoke the God of heaven 〈◊〉 poure out upon us all the plagues that are threatned 〈◊〉 those whom no former means will reclaim to deâ—ee a Consumption by Sword or Famine or any the â—â—e destroyers You that have no regard to your souls â—ethinks should be more concerned for your temporal â—elfare your lives your friends your estates than daâ—ngly to hazard all for the service of some base lust which will but repay you with damnation at last besides â—â—l the hurt it does in the mean time to your selves and those about you Oh be perswaded at length to 〈◊〉 pity on the Land of your Nativity yea to take pity 〈◊〉 your selves your children and the Wives of your 〈◊〉 some How could you bear it to have these ravisht froâ— your sides and murdered before your faces or worâ—â— than murdered by ghastly famine when you should see them and feel your selves as it were kill'd by piece-meal yea when your raging hunger should make yoâ— wish for and hasten one anothers death and cause yoâ— to take away life from them to whom you gave it 〈◊〉 your bellies to become the Tombs of those who caâ—â— from your loins Ah Sirs what reflections would 〈◊〉 Have in such a doleful day as this on your former delicâ—cies and riotous excesses Would not the memory 〈◊〉 your past fulness and the abuse of it help to tear yoâ— hearts as much as present want would do your bowels And know that plenty of Gods creatures which we 〈◊〉 enjoy is not so much an argument that this evil shâ—â— never betide us as our sinful lavishing of them in gluâ—tony and drunkenness is
shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.8 9. And thus I hope should I say no more I have shewed you abundant ground for patience and quietness under the hand of God Since 1 It is the hand of God who cannot wrong you and therefore gives you no cause to murmur 2 This hand of God hath not hurt you and therefore gives you no cause to complain 3 It may greatly profit you and so rather gives you cause to be thankful Two or three Considerations more I have to suggest which I shall with more brevity dispatch having stood so long on these 4. Though your suffering themselves cannot yet your impatience under them may very much hurt you whil'st on the other side your patience will equally turn to your advantage And this may sufficiently instruct you if you have any respect to your own interest outward or inward which to choose To pursue this in a particular instance or two 1 By quarrelling with Gods Will in his proceedings you add sin to your afflictions and thereby put a sting into them that may do you that mischief which otherwise they never could What think you is a sin if this be not to be discontent with any thing which God shall do with you Do you not seem so far to accuse him of want either of wisdome faithfulness or goodness and so of want of fitness and right to bee your Governour And what 's this but to desire that your affairs were in your own hands as if then you could order them better And have you not reason to suppress the very first motions which have so much wickedness rebellion and little less than blasphemie in them You may remember here what I have formerly said to demonstrate that sin is the greatest mischief that can light upon the soul of man If to comply with the Divine Will in all expressions of it be his only interest then to resist this Will must needs be his greatest misery Verily there is no such a deformed monstrous sight in the whole world as to behold a creature rising up against his Maker and entring into a solemn war with Heaven it self whether it be in violating his gracious precepts or repining at his wise providences And the very howling of Wolves or croaking of Toads is a thousand times more acceptable noise than to hear men complain and speak ill of the blessed and good God or any of his waies For their noise be it never so harsh is natural to them but this harsher voice of murmuring is most unnatural and a very breaking of the harmony of the Creation which consists in a sweet and chearful obedience of all creatures to him from whom they receiv'd their beings faculties conditions and employments and in their constant celebrations of his bountie according to their several capacities Is not the dumb meekness of a Lamb more grateful to all men than the roarings and strivings of a Swine Especially when kindness rather than violence is offered to us however our false opinions represent it Want of reason may excuse the struglings of a Bruit when you go to pluck a Thorn out of his foot or do him any the like courtesie but such bruitishness in a Reasonable Creature is inexcusable Believe it Sirs such unseemly carriage as this is infinitely worse in the thing it self and more disgraceful to you in the eyes of God and good men than your losing all the monie and goods you had in the world This meanness of spirit is another kinde of unhappiness and dishonour than any other povertie But on the contrarie to bear up under Gods hand with patience and courage is a greater commendation and priviledge than to abound in all riches Whatever the world may think it is undoubtedly true that to comply with the will of God under any suffering is a greater blessing than to have been secured from that suffering To bee content with sickness as it comes from God is a greater mercie than to bee in health and so patience under all your losses is a greater happiness than to have lost nothing For the worst of men may partake of these temporal favours but good men only are enricht with so excellent a spirit This tried and approved Faith and Patience are much more precious than the Gold that is tryed or than all that you have lost by the fire How worthie and commendable a thing is it for a Christian in the lowest poorest and most afflicted state still to think and speak as well and honourablie of God who hath brought him into it as ever before he was wont To Apologize for that Providence which hee smarts under and to let Spectators know that hee discerns so much equitie and mercie in it that he cannot chuse but submit thereto Might you not hereby do more to vindicate God before the world than any other by bare discoursing can And by your practice might condemn and shame all those unmanlie ones that act contrarilie and may convince themselves and others that it is from the weakness of their Faith the falseness of their opinions and the unruliness of their passions that they keep such a complaining and not from any real cause that God hath given them This you may teach them more effectually than another out of your condition can For they are presently apt to reply to such a one If you was in my case you would be as bad your self but when they see one in the like case whose carriage is so unlike theirs they will the sooner bee put to silence and set upon imitation of it And would not this do you think very much endear you to God to behold in you such a love for himself such a liking of his actions and such a zeal for his honour How do we finde him as it were glorying of the perseverance of his Champion Job to Satan his Accuser in that he held fast his integrity although his estate was destroyed Job 2.3 And does not both God and Satan now look upon you to observe how you will behave your selves and will it not please and glorifie God vex and confound Satan to behold your carriage like that holy mans How acceptable also will it bee to the Lord Jesus to see you transcribe the copy he set you to walk as he walkâ— when upon earth and to carry your selves as hee wont under all the sufferings he met with in it And if the eye of the Prince or General will infuse valour into the soul of the veriest Coward shall it not animate and raise your spirits to remember what Spectators you have besides the Inhabitants of this lower world Even God himself and Christ and all the holy Angels You need not sure bee told how much you are concern'd to gain the good liking of these and how much weight there is in their approbation nor on the other side how fad and shameful it would bee for you to have all these ashamed of you for your Cowardize and
it may the more convince you hear what a verie Heathen speaks to this purpose Thou art afraid saith he least thou shouldst want necessaries art thou so blinde that thou canst not foresee whither this want will bring thee even thither that a Feaver or any mortal wound does namely to death And hast thou not often gloried of thy willingness to die True but my Children will famish also what then Will this carry them any whither else Is not the passage the same and the state after death the same Wilt thou not therefore with a mind fortified against all fears of hunger and want look thitherward whether Emperours and Kings and the richest upon earth must at length descend Only thou perhaps mayst be kill'd with penury they with drunkenness and gluttony What a shame is it then for a Christian to be daunted with those things which an Heathen could perceive so harmless Though he could tell so little of any state after death that should make amends for the troublesome passage into it Know then for certain that whilst God hath any work for you to do on earth hee 'l maintain you in it Rather will he rain Manna from heaven or turn the stones into bread than let his servants want whilst he sees fit to have their daies lengthened out But when he is pleased to cut off the thread of life you may well enough bear it to have the staff of life withdrawn When your journey 's at an end what need you take care for provision for the way And needs must your provision last as long as your journey for when it all fails your journey 's at an end As the good woman valiantlie when the Popish Persecutors threatned to take away her food Why then faith sheâ— God will take away my stomack So when you are out of a capacitie of having maintenance you shall soon be past needing it And in the mean time question not but God will bring you through whatever he brings you to Wherefore let the confidence and resolution of Habakkuk be yours also that though there should neither be fruit in the field nor meat in the shambles yet you will rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of your Salvation Hak 3.17 18. Now though the fears of this calamity are for the most part very groundless yet I was willing to suppose a case as bad almost as is possible to fal out that you might bee convinc'd there is no such condition whereinto you can be brought that doth necessit ate or will justifie your dejection and distrust And if indeed the people are in so happy a case whose God is the Lord that no calamities need affright nor can undo them then let me hence take rise for an exhortation wherewith I shall conclude to all the serious and true hearted Christians in the Land into whose hands these lines may fall that in the midst of all the miseries and dangers wherewith we seem surrounded and threatned they would be of good chear summon up their fainting spirits and fortifie themselves to a resolute undaunted expectation of the worst that may befall us Let the Sinners in England be afraid and let fearfulness surprize the hipocrite but let him that walketh righteously be bold as a Lion since his dwelling is on high and his place of defence the munition of rocks Fear not you their fear neither bee afraid but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself let him bee your fear let him be your dread for hee is your Light and your Salvation whom should you fear He is the strength of your hearts of whom should you be afraid Let your mindes be stâ—â— on him who will keep them in perfect peace even on the Lord Jehovan in whom there is everlasting strength and they that trust in him shall be as mount Zion which cannot bee removed for as the mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people benceforth even for ever Wherefore though you walk even through the valley of the shadow of death yet fear none ill since God is with you who is a very present help in trouble whose name is a strong tower whereto the Righteous run and are safe When Saul the Commander of an Armie and Ruler of a Kingdome may in the anguish of his minde run to a witch for relief and Achitophel the great Politician may have recourse to an halter yet are they never in any case destitute of a refuge who are acquainted with the Almightie and dwell under the shadow of his wings Does God even your God reign in the earth and will you fear any thing that can betide you whil'st you are in it Are you not alwaies in his hands and where else can you be safer than there Must you not trust your souls with him when you go hence to that other world to which you are yet so strange And be whollie at his disposing what emploiment societie and condition you shall bee in for ever Can you then trust him for eternitie and not for a year or two till you come thither As confused as the affairs of this world may seem he hath not cast them out of his hands but governs all in perfect order according to the nature and capacitie of the subject When storms arise that seem to threaten the ship you are in you may apprehend him saying to you Be of good chear it is I I that raise or at least permit and I who will lay their troublesome tempest It would not indeed as the principal Philosopher saies be worth while to live in a world destitute of Providence but this is not so No events can befall without the permission of that will which you dailie pray may be done and is in some sense done on earth as it is in heaven so that I may say the whole world is rul'd according to your praiers And need you fear any thing from the will of God since it is his eternal and unchangeable decree that nothing shall make those men miserable who love him and submit themselves to his righteous administrations Whilst therefore you live under his government as you alwaies do and can meet with nothing but what he is pleas'd should come to pass as you never can how boldlie may you hold on your course though encountred with all those terrours which dismay the faint-hearted and cause them to run hither and thither trembling and lamenting Fire and Sword Pestilence and Famine though they may well terrifie those that converse with creatures only having no better a portion and no greater strength than what they afford yet the man that is arm'd with a self-resignation to and confidence in God may with an unbroken minde march through the thickest troops of these deaths and dangers as having God for his felicitie from whom they cannot force him and for his continual help and therefore they cannot vanquish him Yea may I not adde he beholds all these as fighting under the