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CAUSES Of a Solemn National Fastand Humiliation, agreed upon by the Commissioners of the late General Assem∣bly, met at Edinburgh the 4. of June 1696: And pre∣sented to the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Pri∣vy Council, To be read by the Ministers, in all the Churches at the Intimation of the said Fast.
THE KING'S MAJESTY, being gone Abroad, and Engaged in a Dangerous War, and His ROYAL PERSON exposed to Danger, on whose Safety and Success under GOD, the Welfare of these Nations, and of the Churches of GOD, both at Home and Abroad▪ much depends: It is Our Judgement, that there is great need of pour¦ing out fervent Prayer, and Supplications to GOD, for the Preservation of His MA∣JESTIE'S PERSON, and for Directing His Councils, and Blessing the Forces of His MAJESTY, and His ALLYES by Sea and Land with Success; and in Or∣der to Our Acceptance with GOD, It is Our Duty to join Fasting and Humiliati∣on and Reformation, with Our Prayers, and to be Humbled, and Lament bitterly be∣fore the LORD, That tho' there have been for some Years past, divers solemn Nati∣onal Fasts, and in some of them, a Particular Enumeration of the Nations Sins, yet few have been duly Humbled for these Sins, and few have joined suteable Reformation, with their profest Humiliation; and that notwithstanding of all the Great Things, GOD hath wrought for Us, and the shaking of his terrible Judgements of the Sword of a cruel Enemy, and Arrow of Famine, Yet few have turned from the Evil of their Ways unto GOD, or sought him with all their Heart, We have been unthankful for Our Delive∣rance▪ many have been angry at, or murmure under it, the Gospel hath little success, yea by many is much contemned, Iniquity aboundeth in City and Country, and in the Army, and while some are in great Straits, others abuse their Plenty to Excess and Riot and Lasciviousness, and by frequent Murders Blood toucheth Blood, Animosities and Divisions continue, and these contrary to the many Obligations We ly under from GOD, and have taken on Us to GOD, and under all this Sin and Danger, there is a woful Security among Us.
For these and other Sins this Nation hath Cause, By Solemn Fasting, to humble Them∣selves before the LORD, And to Repent and Reform, And to pour out Fervent Prayers to GOD, That He would give Repentance to all Ranks of Persons, and Forgive Our Sins, and Avert Deserved Wrath, And would Bless the Gospel with Success, Remove Iniquity from among Us, And Advance the Life and Power of Godliness, Heal Our Breach••s, Unite Us more to GOD, and one another in Him, That GOD, would Preserve, and Bless the KING, and Cover his Head in Danger, and go out with his Forces, and these of his ALLYES, And Bless them with Success, against the Common-Enemy, And in due time give a Comfortable well Grounded Peace.
We ought likewayes with Cordial Symphathy to pray for all the Reformed Churches of CHRIST, and in a special manner for our afflicted Brethren of the French and other Churches, whom the French King hath grievously persecuted and Scattered.
We ought also to pray That GOD would Pity and provide for the Poor in this present Dearth, and that he would alwise Bless the Land with seasonable weather, that there may be a plentiful Crop, and joyful Harvest, that the Poor may be satisfied with Bread.
And the saids Commissioners do▪ Beseech and Exhort all both Pastors and People to be Sincere and Serious in this Great Work, and who can tell, but the LORD will be Gracious, and avert deserved Wrath, and turn his Hand against Our Enemies, and yet delight to dwell among us, and do us Good.
Extracted By Me JO. MONCREIF Cls. Commiss.