To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
SIxtly wee are moreover to travell with our owne hearts to bring them to a right sense and feeling of our owne
sinnes, and the sinnes of other Churches, and chiefly the most heynous and crying sins there∣of, which have provoked the Lord to so heavy displeasure, thus to begin to proceede a∣gainst so many of his own deer children abroad, and amongst other, that carnall Gospelling of barely professing the name of the Gospell, but without any power or life thereof, so much complained of in all the Churches.
That our blessed God, ha∣ving committed unto us the hidde treasure of his heavenly Gospell, wee have not estee∣med of it accordingly: that we have onely professed it i•…•… word for the most part, but have not shewed forth any power of it as we ought. That wee have not caused our light to shine so before others, that yet sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death, as that they seeing
our good works, might come from the kingdome of Sathan to God, and glorisie our Fa∣ther which is in heaven. That thus he hath now alreadie so fearefully proceeded against so many of our brethren in forreigne parts for these and other sinnes, according to the threatnings denounced in his Law, and is so still going on forward in the heighth of his displeasure, and yet wee for the most part, remain without any true sense hereof, and the best of us without that which we ought to have.
Then from them abroad, we are to come home unto our selves, and to our owne sinnes; and heerein to consi∣der seriously, that our sinnes of this Nation, may justly s•…•…eme more heynous then theirs, or of any other people under heaven, and therefore cry lowder for vengeance,
both in that the Lord hath so long called us to repentance, not onely by the voyce of his Spirit in his heavenly Gospel, and by as many of his worthy Messengers, as euer he sent to any Nation before; but also so long warned us, and striven with us, that he might spare us, by all the other meanes that ever he used to reclaime any people, both by mercies and iudgements, and by his fatherly rods & corrections; more especially by such won∣derfull preservations of vs from our just feares, and so admirable deliverances, when we were in the middest of the fire, and when yet wee were without any sense or feare thereof, or power to helpe or save our selves.
Also, for that our outragi∣ous sinnes and abominations are so generally overspred and committed with so high a
hand; yea, that wee are so much worse and worse for being smitten, that we seeme desperately incurable, falling away more and more, though we see so many tokens of the Lords wrath; the bloody e∣nemies executioners of his vengeance on every side of us, and as we may justly fear, so many of these incendyaries the Iesuites, and Iesuited Pa∣pists in the midst among us. Whereupon all sorts, even meere naturall men, have and do dayly more and more feare some terrible scourge from the Lord, and wonder at our peace, especially considering the lamentable estate of so many other poore Churches, and the restlesse plots of the enemy, and most dangerous stratagems against them, and us all, thorow the Lordes mercy discouered dayly, and that yet we have not beene
warned by their ensample; nor yet so much as in any meete measure as wee ought, take their miseries and perills to heart.
Yea, which is more then all these, our gracious God would not have us to rest, un∣till we have a due feeling, and a right consideration heereof, that we principally above all other, have bene the men de∣voted to destruction, by the bloody designs of those most barbarous and merciless ene∣mies of the Church, and have 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and are, most en•…•…yed and hated by them, for that from and by us heeretofore, God hath given them the greatest foyles, like as I trust, he will still do for euermore.
And which is a higher de∣gree of our danger, that wee are not onely guilty of their sinne of carnall Gospelling, & carelesse profession in shew∣ing
forth so litle power in the practise of true piety in our generall and particular cal∣lings and duties, which is the very life and true power of godlinesse; but contrarily, by our ungodlinesse, our propha∣nesse and abominations in e∣very kinde, we haue in so ma∣ny even utterly denied all the true power thereof, which consisteth in the right perfor∣mance of all holy duties; as being ashamed to bee noted for more sincere profession; yea, we have so scorned and trampled it under foot, as that wee have caused Gods ene∣mies to blaspheme.
And which is yet also more to anger his heavenly Maje∣sty, for that we so generally, not onely our Papists and A∣theists, and all our notorious prophane persons, which swarme almost every where, but even all sorts of Laodice∣an
luke-warme professors are so farre turned even agaynst Christ Iesus himselfe (we may speake it with greefe & trem∣bling) and that as against our greatest enemy: although he hath hitherto so miraculously, yea so sensibly, and as it were visibly defended and protect∣ed us) and for that we do yet further dayly rise against him, still more and more.
That all this appeareth most manifestly heerein; in that howsoever these can some of them a little indure the out∣ward and common profession of his heauenly Gospell in word; yet the power of it, to wit, to submit themselves to live according to it (wherein chiefly his kingdom consists) they cannot indure, but ra∣ther seeme to hate it most deadly. And also, how this heynous and crying sin shew∣eth it selfe, as in the sight of
the Sunne, in all the odious names wherewith true godli∣nesse is branded, which are so frequent every where, & cast upon those that seek thus un∣feignedly to turne away the vengeance, by endeavouring to walke in all things in all the commandements of our blessed God.
Wee are therefore euer to be considering, and never to rest, till we have brought our hearts unto a right feeling of those, and all other our most intollerable and lowd crying sinnes, and how they are eve∣ry houre haling and pulling downe the vengeance of God upon us, as the like have done upon the other Churches, and do stil more and more, as they are thus dayly more and more encreased. And moreover, that there is nothing that kee∣peth backe his vengeance, but onely his infinite mercies, and
•…•…ndlesse patience and compas∣sion, which we haue so much abused▪ as that wee may all iustly wonder, that it is not turned into burning furie to consume us at once, and togi∣ther with that his endlesse compassion, the lowd cries of his poore children ever soun∣ding in his eares: even the cries and sighs of th•…•…se which are, and have beene so hated, contemned, greeved, and in∣juried by all possible meanes, which the Lord hath permit∣ted to bee exercised and pra∣ctised against them, chiefely by all the Popish sort in eve∣ry place, & namely, against his Prophets and Messengers sent unto us, in as much mercie as ever his Prophets were sent to Iudah. For which yet when they were so mocked & mis∣used, the Lord could spare no longer, there could be no fur∣ther remedy, but brought up∣on
them the King of Caldea, and all other the miseries of their long and wofull Capti∣vity.
And yet further, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Lord cals on us to bee•…•…ever ponde∣ring, how nothing can pre∣vent this wrath to give us any true security of our further es∣caping, either generall on par∣ticular, but onely our sound and true repentance; not in any formall fashion, but un∣feignedly humbling our selves, and rightly endeavou∣ring to take away all our cry∣ing sinnes, and to stoope unto the Lord our heavenly father, doing in all things as hee re∣quireth, that his wrath may be fully appeased towards us. That untill this time wee live but under a continuall expe∣ctation of the direfull execu∣tion of all his terrible plagues denounced in his holy word against us; either some such
sodaine blow of his venge∣ance to fall upon us, as was intended at the powder Fur∣nace, or some cruell or bloo∣dy inuasion, as in 88. or some such ma•…•…acring as was in the yeare 72. at Paris, and lately at Nigripelles in France, and Heidelberg•…•… in the Palatinate; or such cruell and mercilesse proceedings as in Bohemia, and sundry other parts of the Church: from all which evils, and the like, we are ever to cry that the Lord may evermore in his endles compassion, pre∣serve and keepe us.
And yet to proceed one de∣gree higher: The Lord calles lowd upon us, to be think our selves wisely of that judge∣ment which is heavyer then al the former, if for our con∣tempt of his Gospell, and all other our sinnes, hee should suffer us, as he hath done o∣thers, to have our Candlestick
removed, the blessed Gospell of his Sonne, the very life of our lives, to be taken from us, and the most abominable masse, even the abomination of desolation to bee set up in the place of it, with all the •…•…abble of their cursed Idola∣try, and all filthy abominati∣ons of that Strumpet of Ba∣bylon, and withal to have the bloody knives of outragious and mercilesse Idolaters, at our throats every moment of time, which Iesuites, and o∣thers of them so affected, are so manifestly, yea so shame∣lesly and impudently plotting and practising day and night, against all the Churches, and whereof they have thēselves so gloried and triumphed long agoe, as if it had beene already fully effected and dis∣patched.
That some of these must of necessity come to pass (if wee
judge according to the word of the Lord, or but to com∣mon reason) wee haue just cause to fear; for want of per∣formance of our promises of repentance. For that here un∣to we have so oft, and so so∣lemnly bound our selves eve∣ry one, at least by those in our places, I meane by our Magi∣strates and Ministers, as name∣ly we did in those sundry and solemne Fasts by commande∣ment in the yere eighty eight, when therupon our God she∣wed himselfe from heaven to fight for us: as accepting our vowes and promises of true repentance and amendment, and upon that condition •…•…a∣ring us, to prove and t•…•…ie us what we would do; and still from time to time, yea, from yeare to yeare, and even from day to day expecting the true and unfeigned accomplish∣ment thereof.
And more also by renew∣ing our promises and vowes in all the Fasts which were af∣ter in the dayes of our graci∣ous Deborah▪ while we lived in feare of the time, when she shold be taken from our head, and of the many evils to fol∣low thereuppon, even that whereof our enemies were wont so to bragge, that there would come a day, and con∣cerning which wee were still crying to our tender Father, to save us from the danger and dread thereof.
Yea, and yet more since that time, when our God brought in our dread Soveraigne, and set him so over us, as if there had beene no change, but all had beene done for the perpe∣tuall establishing of us & our posterity, at what time he cast such a feare upon all the ene∣mies, that not a dogge wag∣ged his tongue against any of
the Israel of God. What pro∣mises of thankfulnesse everie one of us did make, who in a∣ny sort layd these things to heart; by promising repen∣tance and amendment of all our wayes, and for ever to honor and obey our Lord Ie∣sus Christ.
And most of all, when of al other times hee did most ap∣parantly shew himselfe from heaven, as reaching down his hand, and plucking us all out of the very jawes of the devil, and out of the middest of the Furnace, where of all our holy and franke acknowledgments in our many Thankesgivings and Prayers extant in Print, and commanded to be used & practised generally, and most solemnly once every yeare, and all our good Lawes made thereupon, shall ever beare witnesse against us before the Lord: besides, every one of
our Covenants at our Bap∣tisme, wherewith we all stand obliged, and multitudes of o∣ther promises, whereby wee have also renewed our bonds unto this day.
So that wee are wisely to ponder, how now at length all these must either worke to bring us to a sound and un∣feigned performance of what∣soever wee have so promised, and to a true submission to our Lord Iesus Christ; or else arme him to come against us in his terrible vengeance, for all our falsi•…•…ying of our vowes & promises unto him, and thus dallying with him, and most heynously abusing his sacred Maiestie.
We are therefore never to rest untill wee have brought our hearts to a lively sence and true meditation of these things, and how wee have in∣deed dissembled with his
greatnesse and holinesse, as our forefathers did which the Lord so complaines of, so oft repeating it. Then they cry∣ed unto the Lord in their trou∣bles, and he delivered them from their distresse: but they kept not his great goodnesse in re∣membrance, but presently forgot his wonderous works, and with them all their vowes and promises, and did worse then their forefathers, yea then ever they had done be∣fore.
And yet more then all the former, this ought more deep∣ly to pierce into our hearts, that as wee have alwaies thus dealt with his heavenly Maje∣stie, so wee are now instead of repenting, farre worse in every kinde, and much further off from any hope of repenting or turning unfeignedly, or so much as of humbling our selves in any such publick
manner any more; that the most godly and religious be∣ginne to make doubt, nay ex∣treamely to feare, and to be as it were out of all hope of any sound humiliation, whereby to turne away the vengeance threat•…•…ned, and each almost, onely seeking to save his owne soule.
Together with all these and above all of them, we are seriously and wisely to lay this to heart, how the people of Iudah went farre further in performing their vowes both in the daies of that wor∣thy Hezekiah, and that holy Iosiah, and in taking away all the abhominations whereby the Lord was provoked, and also in restoring and perfor∣ming all things which hee re∣quired in his Law, and which they had promised for pacify∣ing of his wrath, even to a generall renewing the Cove∣nant
amongst all the people outwardly at least consenting thereto; yet when the hearts of the people consented not so, as did the hearts of their Kings, and namely as did the heart of Iosiah which melted into teares for the abhomina∣tions and plagues, nor yet continued, but started backe from the Lord ever & anon, and fell to their ancient sinne againe; the Lord after all their warnings, brought upon them that terrible Captivitie for 70. yeares, without any fur∣ther sparing or remedy.
This he did unto them not∣withstanding their good Kings, and some worthy Ru∣lers: yea all their holy Pro∣phets, namely Ieremy; so im∣portuning him day and night, Ezekiel falling upon his face, and even expostulating with his Majestie for Ierusalem his owne Citty, and for his peo∣ple
(being as a brand pluckt out of the burning) and not∣withstanding their mour∣ners, mourning and crying for all the abhominations, and lifting up hearts and hands day and night unto the Lord, yea notwithstanding all his former indulgences and mer∣cies, all their priviledges and prerogatives, and his cove∣nant onely with them, and all his gracious promises made to them above all the people of the earth.
Finally, wee are ever to bee beating heereon, what just cause wee have to thinke, that he having remooved the Can∣dlesticke from other Chur∣ches so sinning, wee cannot escape, but the longer his wayting and forbearing is, the severer his vengeance must needs bee when it comes.
And above all these, we are to labour to bring our hearts
to a due consideration and wise fore-sight hereof: that howsoever it goe for the ge∣nerall, that the Lord shall save us (which wee still and e∣ver pray for) or doe still de∣ferre his wrath, at the cryes of his owne deare children who stand in the breach; and though he may spare us in the bowels of his compassion, thus earning over us (as some∣times hee did over Ephraim in like case•…•…) O my people, how should I leave thee up to so many miseries, as thine enemies are devising and practising against thee? how shall I leave my great name to be blasphemed amongst my proud enemies? or though he doe still save us like as hee so oft saved and delivered his people for Moses alone, thus importuning him (albeit hee have over-just cause to say to us as hee said to Iudah before her Captivitie, though Noah,
Iob, and Daniel were amongst us, yet they should neyther save sonne nor daughter, but even their owne soules) yet I say, howsoeuer he shall deale in mercy for the generall, wee must notwithstanding know undoubtedly, that every par∣ticular soule that turnes not to God by unfeigned repen∣tance, and that prepares not himselfe to come thus to help by his prayers for pardoning the sinnes of the Land, and pa∣cisying of the Lords wrath, must certainly perish.
And to conclude this point, wee are to meditate likewise seriously, how GOD hath principally ordayned and ever used, when he would save his people, and call and bring them to true repentance, to do it in like manner by Kings and Princes, or other Rulers, stirred up extraordinarily, and by the voyce of his true Pro∣phets,
calling them, and his people by them thereunto, as by Moses, Ioshua, Iehosaphat, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, the king of Nineuy, and others, even when he wold but save them from the present temporall destruction.
And therefore as we are to pray instantly for all the Ru∣lers in the severall Churches; so above all, for our dread So∣veraigne, to whom hee hath given such excellent under∣standing of his heavenly will, and whom he hath bound un∣to himselfe by so many bonds of such great deliverances, & the like mercies and favours above all the Kings and Prin∣ces of the earth; that they may all yet, whilst there is time, now the Lord calles so lowd vpon them, set them∣selves to enquire wisely into the true causes of the evils al∣ready upon the Churches, and
of those which are further threatned.
That they may truly consi∣der, that all this is from the Lord, in his everlasting com∣miseration and fatherly pitty, tendering us as his deere chil∣dren, thus calling us all to a generall and unfeigned repen∣tance, that he may spare us; and that himself may take our cause in hand against his own and our bloody enemies. That they may with holy Iosiah, first inquire rightly into all the crying sins in every state and degree within their Do∣minions, and into all the pro∣vocations of the wrath of God, and see how the sinnes of our time, seem to be above the sinnes of Iudah before the Captivity; our glorious light and all other meanes which he hath used to reclaime us, being rightly weighed.
And secondly, that they
may consider wisely of the danger, which both them∣selves and all theyrs, yea all their Dominions stand in for the same, according to all the Lords most terrible warnings and denounciations.
And thirdly that they may thinke seriously as in the pre∣sence of the Lord and inquire from his mouth of the meanes yet left to pacific and prevent the same.
And finally, that they may set themselves forthwith, to put all the same in execution with holy Iosiah, and do in all things belonging thereunto, as the Lord himselfe directeth and commandeth; for that this alone can bring comfort and boldnesse to them and theyrs in assurance of the Lords mercifull love and fa∣vour, and that they and theirs shall abide still, and ever be∣fore the presence of the Lord.
Thus are we to labour to pre∣vaile espcially for our Sove∣raigne Lord, and his, that our God may yet by him magnify the riches of his mercy above all former times, bringing thus to us & all his Churches a third greater deliverance and cause of rejoycing by his hand (through our unfeigned repentance, and the like re∣pentance in all the Churches) then ever heretofore. And thus wee are earnestly accor∣ding to our bounden dutie to stirre up our hearts by our due meditations to cry for him, and to doe what we can both by our prayers, and all other holy meanes, that all o∣ther may ioyne with us here∣in; and that we may never rest wrestling with him & weep∣ing, untill he have heard us, e∣ven in this behalfe, for the pardoning and taking away our sinnes, in what sort soever
Forgive us our trespas∣ses as we for∣give them that tres∣passe against us.
To bring our hearts to a sense of the sinns so pro∣voking the Lord.
Chiefly car∣nal gospeling▪
That the Lord hath, & is stil so fear∣fully proceeding for these sins▪ according to the denunci∣ation in his blessed Law. Leuit. 26. Deut. 28.
Our sinne in not submit∣ting our selvs and seeking to pacific the Lords wrath▪ who hath so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and so many 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that hee might spare us.
By his Mes∣sengers.
By mercies & iudgements.
Wonderfull preservation & deliveran∣ces.
That our sins are so over∣spred & com∣mitted with so high a hand.
Wee worse notwithstan∣ding so many tokens of Gods displea∣sure.
No warning serving us.
To take their miseries o•…•… our owne pe∣rils to heart.
To labor for a feeling.
That wee are the men prin cipally devo∣ted to destru∣ction.
Most en•…•…yed by the ene∣mies of the Church.
Our sinne of carnall Gos∣pelling, grea∣ter then of other Chur∣ches, not one∣ly shewing forth▪
But so much denying all power of godlinesse.
Ashamed to be noted for more carefull profession.
Causing gods enemies to blaspheme.
Our sinne in∣creased to the uttermost by our turn∣ing against Christ Iesus, as against our greatest enemy.
Though hee haue so ui•…•…i∣bly protected us.
This 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ap∣parent, that we so many of us seeme deadly to: hate all po∣wer of godli∣nesse.
Manifest in all the odi∣ous names wherewith it is branded.
Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to a seeling of our sins, and hovv they are en∣creased.
That noth•…•…g keepes b•…•…ck his venge∣ance, but his in•…•…init mercy,
And the crie of his ser∣vant▪
Which are & haue bene so hated.
2 Chron. 36.
Nothing can give us any true security, but our un∣feigned re∣pentance.
Till this, no∣thing but ex∣pectation of some dread∣full scourge.
The remoo∣ving of our Candlesticke heavier then all other out∣ward iudge∣ments, & how we deserve it
And to have their Idola∣try set up.
Knives at o•…•… throats.
Some of these to be feared, for want of performance of ou•…•… Co•…•…so oft renewed by vs▪
As in 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Fasts since.
The peacea∣ble bringing in of our gra∣cious Sove∣raigne.
At our deli∣verance from the hellish Furnace.
So many wayes wit∣nessed.
How these must either worke the performance of our pro∣mises, or arme the Lord against us.
Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to consider our dissimulation with the Lord.
Psal. •…•…07. 6. 12. 19. •…•…3.
That we are now so farre further off from repen∣tance.
That all be∣gin to be al∣most out of hope o•…•… it.
How Iudah went further then we▪
Even to a ge∣nerall renew∣ing the cove∣nant out∣wardly.
Yet starting backe.
The Lord brought that Captivitie.
Notwithstan∣ding all other meanes of their security.
To be thin∣king of the removing the Candlestick from other Churches.
Though God spare the w•…•…ole at the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of •…•…is deerest.
Yet everie particular soule not tur∣ning and hel∣ping, must perish.
Kings & Prin∣ces ordained and used, to bring Gods people to re∣pentance. As by Moses, &c.
As by Moses, &c.
To pray ther∣fore as for all of them, so chiefly for our d•…•…ead Soveraigne.
That all may inquire wise∣ly into the causes of all •…•…heir evils.
That all is from the lord to bring us to repentance, that hee may spare us.
And he may take our caus in hand.
By seeing how our sin is increased.
And our dan∣gers.
And by in∣quiring the meanes to p•…•…isie the wrath.
And setting themselves to the spee∣dy execution thereof.
To labour to prevaile for all herein, cheefly for our dread So∣veraigne bringing thus the greatest deliverance by his hand.