The watch-man's voice, giving warning to all men of the dreadful day of the Lord, which he apprehends to be at hand that they may take a due care to save their souls and lives that they perish not therein, and that their blood may not be required at his hand / written by Digby Bull.

JOEL ii. 1.

Blow ye the Trumpet in Zion, and sound an Alarm in my Holy Mountain; let all the Inhabitants of the Land tremble; for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

I Being set up as a Spiritual Watchman over you, tho' unworthy of so high and sacred a Calling, do conceive that it is my duty to give Warning, whensoever I shall apprehend that any great Danger is at hand, or that any great Evil is ready to light upon us; And also that it is your duty to hearken to the voice of your Spiritual Watchman, and to take warning by him.

And now I conceive that it is high time, or more than time, that I give you Warning; That I give you Warning, That I apprehend that the Enemy is at hand; That the days of Darkness are coming upon us; That the Romish Religion, like a violent Flood, is ready to overflow us; And that that great Stream, if we have not a very great care, is like to carry us to Destruction and Perdition in the end. I conceive that all the humane Power that can be used at this time is not able to stop it, and that nothing but a general Repentance and Reformation of our Lives can prevent and turn away this Judgment of God from us, which we by our Sins and great Wickedness have brought upon our selves. And because such a general Repentance and Reformation of our Lives is now, alas, to be despaired of, therefore I have thought good to make choice of these words of the Prophet, for the Subject of my ensuing Discourse, that from them I might warn you of this Judgment which I apprehend and am fully persuaded is coming upon us; That we may prepare our selves against it, and may be able thro' Divine Assistance, in some measure to stand in the Evil Day, and not be carried away with the violence of Temptation to the ruin of both Body and Soul in the end.

But before I proceed to these words of the Text, perhaps it may not be amiss to premise this to you; viz. That I have not made choice

of these words, thereby intending to blow up any sparks of Rebellion, or to give any encouragement to rise up against Government. It is not my Province nor my desire to sound any Classicum for the Field, but to give Exhortations and some Instructions for the Closet, and for a Spiritual Preparation against this Day of the Lord; and to dissuade Men from taking up and medling with any carnal Weapons at this time. I have always born a Loyal Mind, and never entertained any Rebellious Thoughts, so far as I am conscious to my self; and, thro' Divine help, Loyal I intend to be in the blackest of Times. And I would have no one to entertain any Prejudice and Jealousie against me; for I am in Charity with all the World, as I hope, and thirst after no ones Blood and Destruction; and my Office and desire is to be a Messenger of Peace hereby to all Men without any exception, that will hearken to my Voice and take Warning by me. I am sen∣sible that the sacred Scriptures do strictly enjoin Obedience to Supe∣riors and Governors, and do sharply threaten all such as do rise up against their Lawful Rulers; and I would have all others to be so too. The great Reason that any may be apt to think that there is at some times to rise up against Authority and Lawful Government, will by no means tolerate and make it Lawful so to do; but those that do so are like to be sharply punished in the end for such a work. Our Lord hath told us, Matt. 26.52. That all they that take the Sword, shall perish with the Sword; And this was spoken when Peter had drawn his Sword to defend his Lord and Master, and to save his Life, John 18.26. And if our blessed Lord would not suffer him to use his Sword upon this account to save his life, but bid him put it up into its place again; we may be sure that we ought at no time to rise up against Government. If those then that should take up the Sword were like to perish with it, we may well expect the same now. And St. Paul doth tell us, Rom. 13.2. That they that resist the Power, re∣sist the Ordinance of God; and that they that resist, shall receive to them∣selves damnation; And I would not have this to be any of our portion. And if this was true Doctrine in Nero's time, we may be sure that it is so in ours. And saith St. John, Rev. 13.9, 10. If any man have an ear, let him hear: He that leadeth into Captivity, shall go into Cap∣tivity: He that killeth with the Sword, must be killed with the Sword: And so I fear it will be now. He that shall unlawfully and unjustly use this Weapon, must expect to have it returned upon himself, and to have his own blood spilt with it, if he use it in an unrighteous way to the shedding of the blood of others. From these places we may see what those are to expect that rise up against their Lawful Authority and Government. And we may see that we are comman∣ded

to be Subject to Kings, and all in Authority, and that there is no such Exception annexed to such Commands, that any time or cir∣cumstances will exempt Men from their Obedience to them. Rom. 13.1. saith St. Paul, Let every soul be subject unto the Higher Powers; for there is no Power but of God; the Powers that be, are ordained of God. We are to be Subject and Obedient to these in all things that are good and lawful, because they are ordained of God, and in so doing we are subject in a remoter degree to God himself. From these and other places we may see how clearly our subjection to Kings and Governors is set down; and that we cannot resist and rise up against them without transgressing the Divine Commands of Almighty God.

It is not to promote any sin and wickedness, or any disorder in the Nation, but to exhort us all to a general Repentance and amend∣ment of our sinful lives, and to implore help and assistance against the Evil Time; which I am convinced is coming upon us, that I have made choice of these words of the Prophet Joel: That we all from hence may be warned to call all our Sins and Iniquities to mind, and to be deeply humbled for them, and for the manifold and great Provocations and Transgressions of the whole Kingdom; That we may make our hearty and earnest Addresses to Almighty God, that he of his great Goodness, and for the sake of our dear Lord and Saviour would be pleased freely to pardon and forgive us our great Wickedness, that makes such a great separation and distance between us and our God; That we may call for, and seek to pro∣cure a supernatural Assistance from above to keep us from being born away with such a black Stream and Tide of Wickedness as is now ready to break in upon us; That we may all be awakened out of our carnal and vain Security, and prepare for such an extraordi∣nary coming of Almighty God among us; That every one may make clean his own Door against this signal Approach, that no Wicked∣ness, which is so loathsom to God, may be found thereat; That Warning may be given, and such a Preparation made, do I purpose, by God's help, to say something upon these words of the Prophet, wherein this Warning was to be given to the Jews of the Day of the Lord being at hand to them.

Blow ye the Trumpet in Zion, and sound an Alarm in my holy Moun∣tain; Let all the Inhabitants of the Land Tremble; for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

In these words we may observe these three Particulars.

First, That the Trumpet was to be blown and an Alarm to be sounded in God's Church and among his People: Blow ye the Trum∣pet in Zion, and sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain.

Secondly, That all were to hearken to, and regard the sound there∣of, and to be moved to fear and trembling upon it: Let all the In∣habitants of the Land Tremble. And

Thirdly, The Reason of it, because a great Visit and Judgment of God upon them was then at hand: for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. I purpose to say something to every one of these Particulars, but to begin with the last first.

I. For the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

I intend not to trouble my self nor you with any deep Inquiry what Day of the Lord this was, which the Prophet here declared to be coming and nigh at hand. The Day of the Lord, as it is a day and season of Terror and to be prepared for, doth signifie several Days and Times.

1. The Day of the Lord doth point at the great and final Day of Judgment, when our Lord and Saviour shall come in a most glorious manner to judge the whole World, and to reward every one according to his works; when the Heavens shall be dissolved, and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat; when the Earth and the Works that are therein shall be burnt up, as St. Peter saith, 2 Pet. 3.10. And when all sinners, that repent not of their wickedness, shall be given up to that everlasting Fire, that was prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Matt. 25.41. This is the most eminent and dreadful Day of the Lord of all.

2. The Day of the Lord in the Scriptures doth often respect some Temporal Judgment and Calamity that God doth bring, or is bringing upon a Land or Nation, for the great sin and wickedness thereof: And such doth this Day of the Lord here seem to be.

3. The Day of the Lord may be referred to particular Men, tho' the Scripture doth not seem often to use, the Day of the Lord, with respect to single Persons only. When God doth send some great Judgment and Calamity upon single Persons, it may be looked upon as a Day of the Lord's wrath to them: And the day of their Death may

well be accounted as such; And indeed a terrible day of the wrath of God will it be to them, if they be surprised and snatch'd away in their sins without Repentance. We may see what a miserable case the Fool in the Parable was in, who was snatch'd away in the midst of his Jollity, when he was singing Requiems to his Soul, and promising himself great joy and happiness to come; Luke 12.20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy Soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Like a Dream and a Vapor will all such Worldly confidence and trust leave Men, and into this Fool's Paradise will such be brought; The things where∣in they trust, like the Morning Cloud, will soon vanish away; and they from their high confidence will drop into the Pit of Destruction.

We read of the Rich Man, Luke 16.22— That he died and was buried; and immediately after it follows, That in Hell he lift up his eyes, being in Torments—. We may see that the day of Death, especially to sinners that die without Repentance, may well be looked upon as a day of the Lord, and a dreadful one too to them.

But here the words of the Prophet do seem to respect some tempo∣ral and publick Judgment and Calamity of God upon the Jewish Land and Nation, and are to be ranked in the second place. But what kind of Judgment and Calamity this was, which the Prophet here gives this Warning of, is not agreed. Some do conceive that this day of the Lord here in the Text was a sore and grievous Famine and Cala∣mity brought upon the Jews by Locusts, Catterpillers, and the like Creatures; And some places in this Prophecy of Joel, do seem to give testimony this way. Joel 1.4. saith the Prophet; That which the Palmer-worm hath left, hath the Locust eaten; and that which the Locust hath left, hath the Canker-worm eaten; and that which the Canker-worm hath left, hath the Catterpiller eaten. And v. 18. How do the Beasts groan? The Herds of Cattel are perplexed, because they have no Pasture — And Joel 2.25. And I will restore to you the years that the Locust hath eaten, the Canker-worm, and the Catterpiller, and the Palmer-worm, my great Army, which I sent among you. These and such places do give countenance to this Interpretation, that this day of the Lord was a sore judgment of Famine upon the Land of the Jews, occasioned by Locusts, Catterpillers, and such Creatures, and that by Famine and o∣ther ways they were sorely afflicted by them. And we may see in the Book of Exodus, chap. 10. That Locusts were one of the great Plagues and Judgments that God sent upon the Egyptians. And with a plague of Locusts doth God threaten to scourge his People the Jews, if they should revolt and fall from him to Idolatry, Deut. 28.38, 42.

Again some do conceive that this day of the Lord might be some great Destruction and Waste, that was to be brought upon them by the Ar∣mies of the Assyrians, and Chaldeans, &c. that they were to be plagued and scourged by them: And some places in this Prophecy do agree here∣with. Joel 1.6. For a Nation is come up upon my land, strong and with∣out number; whose teeth are as the teeth of a lion; and he hath the cheek∣teeth of a great lion. And Joel 2.2. A great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the like. And v. 17. Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. And v. 20. But I will remove far off from you the northern Army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate—. These places make it probable that this Day of the Lord was a Judgment and Destruction upon their Land by the Assyrians and Chaldeans. And it seems probable to me, that both the Captivity of the ten Tribes, and also of the Kingdom of Judah were hereby threatned, if they were not the chief things here intended by this day of the Lord; the Prophet Joel, as most affirm, living be∣fore them both. And this was a very sore and terrible day of the Lord to them indeed, when they were invaded and domineer'd over by foreign Armies; when they were driven from their own Habitations, and rooted out of their own Land, and their whole Polity and Go∣vernment was destroyed; when they were driven from Jerusalem, their beloved City, and the City of the great King, the Lord of Hosts, and their magnificent Worship at the Temple was quite extinguished, and the Temple it self burnt down and destroyed; when they were car∣ried away like Slaves into a strange Land, from whence the greater Part of them never returned again; and the other Part underwent a Servitude of seventy Years, before they returned and came back into their own Land again: This was a very sore and terrible day of the Lord to them indeed.

And some do refer this Prophecy of Joel to all the Miseries and De∣structions that were brought upon them by the Chaldeans. Persians, Gre∣cians, Syrians, and Romans. And it seems clear to me, that the Pro∣phet's great and terrible Day of the Lord, Joel 2.31. is to be understood of that dreadful destruction of the Jewish Nation by the Romans about 38 or 39 years after the Death of our Saviour, when they were most miserably destroyed, when Sword and Famine both raged horribly a∣mong them. The great effusion of the Spirit was to be before this day, as we may see here in Joel 2.28—. And this S. Peter tells us was fulfilled upon the day of Pentecost, and afterwards, Acts 2.16—. which makes it more than probable, that by this terrrible day was meant that heavy destruction by the Romans.

From hence then I shall farther shew, that God doth often threaten and inflict very sore and terrible Judgments and Calamities upon Cities and Nations for the great Wickedness of them, when it is grown ripe for such a temporal Punishment.

First, We may see, that God doth often threaten to send very terri∣ble and grievous Judgments and Destructions upon Cities and Na∣tions for the great Wickedness and Provocations of the Inhabitants of them, when they are guilty of such. With Sword, Famine, and Pesti∣lence, evil and noisome Beasts, and the removing of his Word and Gospel, and other such Plagues and Judgments doth God threaten those that abuse his Mercies, and rebel against him and the light of his Word, and wax bold and presumptuous in Sin and Wickedness. Moses hath spent the greatest part of Deut. 28. in telling the Jews what plagues and judgments of God should light upon them, if they should forsake God, and fall to Idolatry and such grievous Wickedness; how they should be cursed every way till they were consumed. Deut. 28.20— The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me. The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land whether thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fe∣ver, and with an inflammation, and with an extream burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew, and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. And much more to this purpose, as you may see there. The Prophet Samuel tells them after, that if they went on in Wickedness, they should be consumed. 1 Sam. 12.23. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your King. And the Prophets do often warn the Jews and others, that a day of the Lord's Vengeance was coming upon them in their days. Isa. 13.6. saith the Prophet, concerning the Burthen of Babylon; Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. And saith God to the Prophet Ezekiel, 14.13. Son of man, when a land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out my hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and Beast from it: And Sword and Pestilence are threatned too, as we may see in the following Verses. And, Ezek. 30.2—. Son of man, prophesie and say, thus saith the Lord, Howl ye, wo worth the day: For the day is near,

even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day, it shall be the time of the beathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take a∣way her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down. And saith the Prophet Zephaniah, 1.7, 8. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is at hand; for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the Princes, and the Kings children, and all such as are cloathed with strange apparel. And v. 14. The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. And saith the Prophet Zechariah, 14.1— Behold the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all Na∣tions against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the Women ravished,— Then shall the Lord go forth, and sight against those Nations, as when he fought in the day of battel. By these, and such places, we may see that God hath oft threatned to bring a Day of Vengeance and Wrath upon the Jews and others, and to visit them with some Judgment or other, for their Wickedness, when it was grown great.

We may see that such Judgments and Plagues, and Calamities are not meerly casual, and come not upon Men by blind Chance; that they are not the Effects of an inevitable Fate, farther than Men make them so themselves; and that they are not to be ascribed to such Causes as worldly and carnal Men are too ready to ascribe them: But that they are the Orderings and Disposals of divine Providence; and the Rods and Scourges of the Just and Righteous Governour of all the World, who hath said that Vengeance belongeth unto him, and that he will recompence, Heb. 10.30. And this the Prophet sheweth, Amos 3.6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? And saith God to Solomon, 1 Kings 9.8, 9. And at this house which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss, and they shall say, why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon o∣ther Gods, and have worshipped them, and served them; therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil. And saith our Lord, Luke 13.2— Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Gali∣leans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, nay; but except ye

repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And saith he by S. John, Rev. 2.5. to the Church of Ephesus; Remember therefore from whence thou art saln, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. By these and other places we may see, that such Judgments and Miseries do not arise meerly after a casual manner; but are really Judgments and Decrees in the Grand Court above, and are over-ruled and or∣dered by a divine Hand, and do not depend meerly upon the Will and pleasure of Men, even when they are the chief Actors in them.

But farther, (that we may be the more awaked out of our carnal Security and vain Confidence) we may see that the judgments of God, and these plagues that are threatned are very terrible and dreadful; and that such Days of Vengeance will come upon men, especially the Wicked among them, when they think little of them, and in an asto∣nishing manner will surprize them.

1. We may see that the judgments and plagues that are threatned for Sin and Wickedness, are set out in a very dreadful manner so as to move us to fear, and to give us just cause to tremble at the appre∣hension of them. Moses telleth the Jews, that they should be reduced to so great Want, and oppressed with so sore a Famine by their Ene∣mies, that they should eat the Fruit of their own Bodies, even their own Children. Deut. 28.53.— And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons, and of thy daughters, (which the Lord thy God hath given thee) in the siege, and in the straitness wherewith thine E∣nemies shall distress thee. So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil towards his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat; because he hath nothing left him in the siege—. With this miserable and terrible Famine by their Enemies doth he threaten them. And he sheweth what dismal Fear and Trembling God would send upon them, v. 65— But the Lord shall give thee a trembling heart, and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life. In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even; and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning, for the fear of thine heart, where∣with thou shalt fear; and for the sight of thine eyes, which thou shalt see In this sad and perplexed Condition, and in this shadow of Death, were they to abide, expecting every hour that their Life would be

taken from them. And saith the Prophet Isaiah 13.9— Behold the Day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the Land desolate, and he shall destroy the Sinners thereof out of it. For the Stars of Heaven, and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light: The Sun shall be darkned in his going forth, and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the World for their Evil, and the Wicked for their Iniquity—. And v. 13. Therefore I will shake the Heavens, and the Earth shall remove out of her place in the warth of the Lord of Hosts, in the day of his fierce anger. In this dreadful Equipage is the day of the Lord's Anger set forth, as if all the works of Nature should be disordered thereat; as if the Heavens and the Earth should be shaken and quake and tremble thereat; and all the glorious Lights above should be put out and extinguished. And the Prophet Joel here doth shew, that this was to be a very frightful and terrible Day of the Lord. Joel 2.2, 3. For the Day of the Lord cometh— A day of darkness, and of gloominess, a day of clouds, and of thick dark∣ness as the Morning spread upon the Mountains: A great People and a strong, there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth; the Land is as the Garden of Eden be∣fore them; and behind them, a desolate Wilderness, yea and nothing shall escape them. Such a black and dismal Day was this to be; and such wast and destruction were these Armies of the Lord of Hosts to make, That the Land, which they found fruitful like the Garden of Eden, and filled with all plenty and store, they would make and leave like a barren and desolate Wilderness, spoiling and consuming all before them. And v. 5, 6. Like the noise of Chariots on the tops of Mountains shall they leap; like the noise of a flame of fire, that de∣voureth the stubble; as a strong People set in Battel aray. Before their face the People shall be much pained, all faces shall gather blackness. And v. 10, 11. The Earth shall quake before them, the Heavens shall tremble, the Sun and the Moon shall be dark, and the Stars shall withdraw their shining. And the Lord shall utter his voice before his Army, for his Camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can abide it? Thus dread∣ful and astonishing doth the Prophet shew this day of the Lord here to be. And saith the Prophet Amos 5.18— Wo unto you that de∣sire the day of the Lord; to what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a Lion, and a Bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a Serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be dark∣ness,

and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Wo and sorrow is like to be to such as would have such a day of the Lord hasten'd; for such days are like to be surrounded with darkness, and will look dismal every way; and the flying from one danger and mischief, will be the making haste to another, as the Prophet here sheweth The Prophet Zephaniah also sheweth how terrible such a day of the Lord's Anger is like to be, in what he saith of such a day. Zeph. 1.15— That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, and a day of wastness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness; a day of the trum∣pet and alarm against the fenced Cities, and against the high Towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Such a terrible day were they threatned with, for their sin against Almighty God. And saith the Prophet Malachy concerning the day that he warned them of; Mal. 4.1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. By these, and such like places, we may see how dreadful and terrible such days of Vengeance are like to be, when God comes in wrath to visit the Earth or any part thereof, for the great iniquity of it, that we may be the more sensible before∣hand of the Terror of such a day when we apprehend it to be co∣ming upon us, and may take the greater care for our own security at such a time.

And in such days of Vengeance and publick Judgments, the Rich are like to be equally involved in misery and destruction with the Poor and Needy; and their Wealth will then stand them in no stead, but rather add to their Misery. For Riches profit not in the day of wrath; as Solomon saith, Prov. 11.4. And so saith the Prophet Zephaniah 1.18. Neither their Silver nor their Gold shall be able to de∣liver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land. And saith the Prophet Ezekiel 7.19. They shall cast their Silver in the streets, and their Gold shall be removed; their Silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord— The Riches of the Rich will not then be able to ward off the direful Blow, when God comes to strike in anger; And the great and mighty Men cannot

escape the lash of his Rod. The great and mighty Man will then find no more protection and security than the mean Man, but the mighty Man shall then cry bitterly, as saith the Prophet; Zeph. 1.14. There is nothing but Righteousness that will deliver Men.

Again 2. We may see that such days of Vengeance will take Men unawares, and surprise them, when they think themselves secure, and are not apprehensive of them, if they do not watch and prepare for them, but proceed on in a sinful course of life. Our blessed Saviour tells the Jews that his coming should be like the Lightning, Matth 24.27. For as the lightning cometh out of the East, and shineth even unto the West; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. This may have some respect to the last day of Judgment; but our Saviour hath also confined it to his coming to revenge himself upon the obstinate Jews and his crucifiers. Ver. 34. Verily I say un∣to you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. That generation, to wit, some of them, were to see these things fulfilled; and St. John, as is related, did out-live this destruction of the Jewish Nation; and so it is probable did many others. Christ's coming in Vengeance upon them, we may see, was to be surprizing like Light∣ning. And v. 42, saith he; Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. And v. 44. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man cometh. And v. 48. But and if that evil Servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of: And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypo∣crites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In this unexpect∣ed manner are Men, especially the Wicked, like to be surprised whensoever the Lord shall come to visit the Inhabitants of the Earth in an extraordinary manner with some Judgment for their Wicked∣ness. And more places we may see to this purpose. Matth. 25.13. saith our Saviour, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour, wherein the Son of man cometh: And to this purpose in seve∣ral other places. And saith St. Paul, 1 Thess. 5.2, 3. For your selves know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden de∣struction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. And saith our Lord by St. John, Rev. 3.3. to the Church in Sardis. Remember therefore how thou hast received,

and heard, and hold fast, and repent: If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. In this surprising manner, like a Thief in the Night, doth our Lord threaten to take such as do not repent and mind the works of righteousness, when he comes to visit the Inha∣bitants of the World with his Judgments. And by these, and such places we may see, that God's Judgments and Plagues, that he brings upon Men for their great wickedness, will strangely surprize them in a vain security, when they think not of such, but fansie that they are out of Harm's way, and safe enough. And this will make such Judgments the more dreadful and terrible, when they light upon Men in such an unguarded manner and so unprepared for them. This will make every blow to fall heavy, and to wound deep, when we have lifted up no hand towards Heaven to ward it off, by our Prayers and Supplications to Almighty God to have mercy upon us, and in Judgment to remember Mercy, and not to shut up his bowels of compassion towards us. Such dreadful Surprizes are like to con∣found Men's understandings, and to damp and quell all their Spirits and Courage, and to make them like blind and distracted Men, that have no power to use the common prudence and strength that God hath endowed them withal. Surprisals do betray the succours that Reason offereth, and make Men's hearts to fail them, and re∣coil back upon them, and turn all into confusion and disorder with∣out and within too. These fill Men's minds full of horror and amaze∣ment, and make their Faces to gather blackness, and set their Limbs a tottering and quaking. And this farther shews how dreadful and astonishing these Judgments of God will be, when they surprize Men in this manner, when they are careless and secure, and do not pre∣pare themselves against them, by clearing their hands of all wicked∣ness, and by calling upon God for pardon, and mercy, and help.

Secondly, We may see, as for matter of Fact, that God hath often sent great and dreadful Judgments upon the Inhabitants of the World for their great Sin and Wickedness, when they have been ripe for Judg∣ment. We may see that God hath often brought the days of Ven∣geance upon them, when they have in a manner totally revolted from him, and become rebellious against the Light. And we may see that the Wicked and Unrighteous have been surprized with such Judgments when they thought not of them, or believed them not, and have been swept away with the Beesom of Destruction, when they expected it not. For the great wickedness thereof did God de∣stroy

the old World, and swept them away with a prodigious Flood of Water. Gen. 6.5— And God saw that the wickedness of Man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made Man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth— And Gen. 7.21. And all flesh died, that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattel, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man. This heavy judgment did God send upon them for their Wickedness, when they were so wholly given up to it; and made this total riddance of all Mankind, but Noah and his Family. And with this Deluge of Water were they all sur∣prized, when they expected it not, as our Lord sheweth, Matt. 24.37— But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. In this unexpected manner were they all wrapt up in destruction before they were well sensible of it. In a prodigious manner with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven, did God destroy the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah — for the grievous Sin and Wickedness of them. Gen. 28.20. And the Lord said because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous. And Gen. 19.13. For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And v. 24, 25. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the in∣habitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

In this astonishing manner did God destroy these Cities for their e∣gregious Wickedness, and consume them with the Fire of his Wrath: And the very Ground where these Cities stood is turned into that Lake which is called the Dead-Sea, or the Sea of the Plain. And in this terrible Destruction were all these Sinners surprized, and thought not of it, till the Flame was all about them, and had seized upon them. Luke 17.28, 29. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded: But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from hea∣ven, and destroyed them all. Here our Lord doth shew how they were surprized with this Fire from Heaven when they thought not of such a thing, but were busie in pursuing their Sins and worldly Concerns.

For their wickedness did God send sundry Judgments and Plagues upon the Egyptians, as we may see in the Book of Exodus: And at the last in a surprising manner overwhelmed them in the Red Sea. Exod. 14.23. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the Red Sea, even all Pharaoh's Horses and his Chariots, and his Horsemen. And v. 27. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the Sea, and the Sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the Sea. This surprising destruction swallowed them up at the last. For the great wicked∣ness and high provocations of the Inhabitants of the Land of Ca∣naan did God bring a heavy Judgment upon them, to destroy and root them out of their own Land by the Children of Israel. God delivered the Kingdoms of Sihon and Og to Moses, and he Destroy∣ed the Inhabitants thereof: Numb. 21. And Joshua destroyed 31 Kings on the other side Jordan; Joshua 6—. And we may see that this heavy judgment of the Sword came upon them to their utter ruin, for their great wickedness and abominations. Gen. 15.16 saith God to Abraham concerning his Posterity; But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full; Hereby intimating, that when their Iniquity was full ripe for Judgment, they were to but cut off for it. And saith Moses, Deut. 18.12. For all that do these things, are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. It is clear that they were driven out and destroyed for their great wickedness and abominable practices. And we may see that God's own People the Jews were often scour∣ged by other Nations, and sold into their hands for their own wick∣edness and for revolting from God. Judges 2.13, 14. And they forsook the Lord; and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers, that spoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their Enemis round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their Enemies. And we may read that God did often punish and afflict them with the neighbouring Nations for their wickedness towards him: With the Mesópotamians, and Moabites, and others, Judges 3. with the Canaanites, Judg. 4. with the Midianites and others, Judg. 6. with the Philistines and Ammonites, Judg. 10. With these and others did God often scourge them, and afterwards let the Assyrians and Chaldeans carry them away Captive out of their own Land, for their Rebellion towards God and backsliding from him; and one part of

them returned no more, and the other was kept in Captivity for the space of seventy Years, as we may see in the end of 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles. And, as our blessed Lord had told them, when they were fallen to great wickedness again, That except they re∣pented, they should perish as the Galileans did; so, for want of their repentance and amendment, did God send a most heavy Judgment upon them about 38 or 39 Years after our Saviour's Death, and the Romans did destroy and root them out of their own Land in the end. The Sword of the Enemy without, and Famine and Pesti∣lence and intestine Broils within, did make most miserable havock of them. The Famine was so sharp in Jerusalem, that they eat their own Children through extream hunger, as Moses long before had told them: And the slaughter of the Jews of all sorts that died first and last in the compass of a few Years, by Sword, Fa∣mine and Pestilence, was so great, that there perished above four∣teen hundred Thousand Persons, as it is reported. By these, and the like Examples, we may see that God hath often sent very sore and heavy Judgments and Calamities upon the Inhabitants of the World for their great Sin and Rebellion against him.

And now as for our selves, we can plead no exemption from such Judgments of God: We have no cause to believe, that our Age and our Nation should be free from the Scourges of Divine Provi∣dence, and the Lashes of God's Rod, when others have smarted so sorely under it, and been punished in this dreadful manner, if we commit Sin and Wickedness as they have done. When our sins grow clamorous towards Heaven, and ascend up like the Cry of Sodom, and call for Judgment upon us, we may well expect that God will hear the cry of them, and be moved to wrath, and come down in vengeance upon us. We are to know that our condition is the same with others; and that these menaces and threatnings of Judgments and Calamities to others, are to be such to us, when our sins and transgressions grow great, as theirs did, and wax ripe for punish∣ment: And these Judgments and Plagues that have fallen upon others, are to be Warnings to us, what we are to expect, if we become great transgressors like them, as the Apostle sheweth, 1 Cor. 10.5-11. Now all these things happened unto them for Examples: and they are written for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come. And the 2 Pet. 2.6. And if we do but seriously mind how black and dark our Land is grown with all kind of wickedness, and how little Light appears in it; how bold and daring Sin and Profaneness is

grown, and what high Affronts and Provocations are offered against Heaven; we may well conclude that the righteous God above will not always keep silence, but that his patience and forbearance will be tyred out, and that he will come in wrath to revenge himself, and to still such Clamors and hideous cries that will not let him rest; and to ease himself of his Adversaries, and to vindicate his Honour and Worship and Dread here among Men. We may see that the unprofitable Husbandmen were to be destroyed, and the Vineyard to be let out to such Husbandmen as should render the Fruits thereof; Mat. 21.41. And if we observe how little the blessed word of God is regarded, how some have not patience enough to hear it; and that others lay it but little to heart, and let it have but little influence upon their lives to lead them accordingly; we may justly fear that God will not suffer his blessed Word to be so slighted and contemned by us, but will remove our Candlestick, and his blessed Word and Light from us, and leave us to grope in the dark a while, that we may know the better how to value such a Mercy, when we have suffered a while for want of it. And if we do not repent, but proceed on in wickedness and add new sins to our old ones; if besides our former transgressions and pro∣vocations, we fall to that gross Idolatry which is in the Roman Church, which God declares he so much detests and abhors, we may well expect that the Beesom of Destruction will sweep us a∣way in the end; and that the Sword or some other Instrument of Divine Vengeance will cut us off at the last. And what Judg∣ments soever befall us, we are to know that the hand of God is therein, and that he suffers them to light upon us for our sin and wickedness. And that Men may be prepared against such dread∣ful Judgments of God, and not surprized with them; that they may repent, and provide for their escape and security at such a time, is Warning usually given; and so we see it is here.

II. Here we see that Warning was to be given in the Church and among his People, that this dreadful Day of the Lord was coming and nigh at hand to them. Blow ye the Trumpet in Zion, and sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain— for the Day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

Here the Prophet useth Metaphorical Expressions alluding to the Camp and Military Affairs, as I conceive, when he bids the Trumpet to be blown and an Alarm to be sounded. The Trumpet indeed was used among the Israelites for other purposes besides Martial

Affairs, viz. to assemble the Congregation for the worship of God, and for Consultations, &c. But here the Prophet having joined the Alarm with it, he seemeth to allude to Martial and Military Affairs, when the Trumpet is blown, and an Alarm is sounded at the sudden and unexpected approach of an Enemy, that they might put themselves into as good a posture of defence as is possible for the reception of them, that they might be able to stand valiantly against them, and not be overcome by such a sudden Assault, and be beaten and routed by them. And so here the Prophet shew∣eth, that as the Trumpet is to be blown and a loud Alarm to be founded at the unexpected coming of an Enemy; so was Procla∣mation to be made, and Warning to be given at the approach and coming of this dreadful Day of the Lord. And this was to be done in Zion, that is, in Jerusalem, the chief City of the Jews; for Zion was a part of this Renowned City; and in God's Holy Moun∣tain, that is, where the Sacred Temple of his Worship stood, or rather in the Land of Judea, where God's peculiar People dwelt, which seems here to me to be called God's Holy Mountain.

From hence I shall endeavour to shew how God doth usually give Warning to all, but especially to such as will hearken to his voice and take Warning, when such a Day of Judgment and Tribulation and Destruction is coming upon Men, that they may prepare for it, and for their own safety and security in it.

Such is the wonderful Love of God to Mankind, that he desires not the death of sinner, but is earnest with them to persuade them to repent and be saved. Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wick∣ed should turn from his way and live: Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? So unwilling is he that any should perish, and so earnestly and passionately as it were, does he desire that all should be saved. And as God is un∣willing that any should perish at other times; so is he also unwil∣ling that any should perish when he comes to sweep with the Beesom of Destruction, and brings some dreadful day of darkness upon Men, which he is forced to do by their great wickedness. If any sinner will repent and return from the error of his ways at the proclaiming and denouncing of such Judgments as God is determined to bring upon that place, (such is the love of God to Mankind) he shall have Warning, that he may repent and be saved,

and not be swallowed up with destruction, but that his Soul may be wrapt up in the bundle of Life. God does bear long with sin∣ners before he comes in wrath to avenge himself upon them, and gives them space to repent before he comes to cut them off. He deals with all Nations as he saith he did with mysterious Jezebel; Rev. 2.21. And I gave her space to repent of her Fornication, and she re∣pented not. And that Men may repent and turn at last to God, when he is coming in Judgment upon them, he does usually give Warning of his coming, and does send his Heralds before to declare and denounce his open War against them, that they may come to terms of Peace at the last, and accept of his Overtures of Mercy, before he draws his Sword and makes ready his Arrows against them; That his Proceedings may appear to be just, and equal, and merciful, to all the World; and that such as will, may then take Warning, and provide for their escape and Salvation. This I have in part shewed already, That God doth usually give Warning before he comes in Judgment and brings a dark and gloomy Day upon a Land and Nation. All those threatnings of such dread∣ful Days of the Lord by the Prophets, which I have mentioned, do prove this, that God doth usually give Warning before he strikes in wrath, and stretcheth out his direful Hand upon us. And this also we may see in many remarkable Instances, that the People and Servants of God have notice and warning at such a time, and such to whom Warning will do good, and usually all others. When God destroyed the old World with that dreadful Flood of Water, Noah had Warning hereof, and was instructed how to provide for his escape from this Judgment, by preparing an Ark for himself and his Family. Gen. 6.13, 14. And God said unto Noah, the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an Ark of Gopher Wood; Rooms shalt thou make in the Ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with Pitch. This warning and direction did God give Noah for his escape. And Warning was given of this dismal Day 120 Years before it came, as we may gather from Gen. 6.3. And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not always strive with Man, for that he also is Flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. These Years were to be al∣lowed him before he was to be cut off with the Waters of a Flood, as seems most probable. And in this time there is no question but Noah (and other good Men perhaps too) did preach Repentance to the old World, and warn them of this Judgment that was

coming upon them. And by his Preaching and making an Ark before them were they warned to repent and prepare for their escape that they might not perish. And as much as this we may gather from the sacred Scriptures. Noah was a preacher of Righteous∣ness, as St. Peter sheweth, 2 Pet. 2.5. And saith he of Christ, 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spi∣rits in Prison, which some time were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing. Christ by his Spirit in Noah, and other ways, did preach Repentance to them, and warn them, as we may conclude, when God's Long-suffering waited for their Conversion in the days of Noah. And saith the Apostle, Heb. 11.7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an Ark for the saving of his House, by the which he condemned the World—Noah had warning of this Destruction, and took warning and pre∣pared against it: And by his preaching and building an Ark were others warned of it; but being hardened in their wickedness, they believed it not, and did not prepare against it, but were still sur∣prized therein. When God was about to destroy Sodom, he sent his Angels to warn Lot of this dreadful Judgment of Fire from Hea∣ven, that he might provide for his escape, that he might not be consumed in it. Gen. 19.12, 13. And the men said unto Lot, hast thou here any besides? Son in law, and thy Sons and thy Daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the City, bring them out of this place. For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great be∣fore the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And v. 15. And when the morning arose, then the Angels hastened Lot, saying, arise, take thy Wife, and thy two Daughters, which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the City. Here we see that the Angels of God give Lot warning of this terrible Judgment that God was bringing upon them, that he might provide for his e∣scape, and not perish therein. And Lot seems to be sent as a preacher of Righteousness and Repentance among them before this heavy destruction came upon them; and it is probable that he let them know that their sinful deeds were like to bring the curse of God upon them. For he, as St. Peter saith, 2 Pet. 2.7. was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. And he warned his Sons in law of this Judgment; but they heeded not his warning, but looked upon it as vain and idle talk. Gen. 19.14. And Lot went out, and spake unto his Sons in law which married his Daugh∣ters, and said, up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will destroy

this City; but he seemed as one that mocked unto his Sons in law. We may see that the Servants of God and others had warning of this most dreadful Judgment upon Sodom—, that they might prepare against it; and righteous Lot, we see, took warning and provided for his escape: And if there had been any other Person in Sodom, that would have repented, and have turned from his wickedness to God, upon warning of this Judgment, I doubt not but that he should have had warning, that he might have been saved and preserved from this Judgment. But such are the ways of those that are hardened in their wickedness, and have sold themselves to work evil, that no warning of Judgment will work upon them, as we see it would not upon Lot's Sons in law. And saith Abraham in the Parable concerning the Rich Man's Brethren, Luke 16.31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, tho' one rose from the dead. And if the contemners of God's Word will not be persuaded to repent by one rising from the dead, and warning them of the fearful Judgments of God in another World, which he hath been an eye witness of; we may be sure that the temporal Judgments of this Life, though dreadful enough, will not be able to work upon them, but that they will be surprized still with them, after they have had fair warning, as Lot's Sons in law were. When God destroyed the Inhabitants of the Land of Ca∣naan, they seem to have had warning of it by the Armies of the Israelites approaching towards them, and abiding near them, and by that fear that God sent upon them. And we may see that Rahab the Harlot, that feared God, took warning hereat, and made preparation that she might escape this Judgment of God upon them. Joshua 2.9— And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the Land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the Inhabitants of the Land faint because of you; for we have heard how the Lord dryed up the water of the Red Sea, when ye came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two Kings of the Amorites. And upon her hiding of the Spies saith she, v. 12. Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kind∣ness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my Father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my Father, and my Mother, and my Brethren— And saith the Apostle, Heb. 11.31. By faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the Spies with peace. The Harlot Rahab shew∣eth, that they had warning of this Judgment of God upon them, and she took warning and escaped. When God was determined

to destroy the Ninevites, if they had not repented, he sends the Prophet Jonah to warn them that the Judgment of God was coming upon them, that they might repent and amend, and so prevent their ruin and destruction. Jonah 3.1— And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying; Arise go unto Nineveh that great City, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. And v. 4. And Jonah began to enter into the City a days journey, and he cryed, and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. This warning did God give them of their approaching ruin and destruction, that they might prepare against it, and by a general Repentance and Reformation prevent it. And here we may see that the Ninevites took warning and repented and turned from their evil ways, and so prevented this Judgment of God from coming upon them after it was denounced against them; Jonah 3.5—. And if the old World, and the Inhabitants of Sodom would have done so, there is no doubt but that they might have pre∣vented the heavy Judgments of God that befell them. God suffi∣ciently declared his proneness to Mercy in the matter of Sodom, when he told Abraham, Gen. 18.32. That if he found but ten righteous Men in Sodom, he would spare the whole City for their sakes. Again we may see that the Jews had warning of that Judgment and Destruction that came upon them after our Saviour's death, by the Ro∣mans. Our Saviour warned them of it when he was with them, Luk. 13.1— and told them, that they should perish as the Galileans had done, if they repented not. And in several places we may see that he warned his Disciples of it. Matth. 24-32— Now learn a Parable of the Fig-tree, when his branch is tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that Summer is nigh; so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, this ge∣neration shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. And the fiery Sword that hung over them some time before, and such signal Acts of Providence did warn them, that what our Saviour had foretold was coming upon them. And by these, and some Divine Admo∣nition which the Christians had, as some conceive, at the with∣drawing of the Roman Armies from Jerusalem, the Christians took warning, and fled all from thence beyond Jordan, and were pre∣served; and there were no Christians in Jerusalem when Titus came against it, and besieged it, as is reported. By these, and such Ex∣amples, we may see that God doth give notice and warning to his People and Servants, and such as will take warning, and usually

to all others, when he is bringing any Judgment and Destruction upon a place, that they may repent and provide for their Security at such a dreadful time. And righteous Men do take Warning and are preserved, using the Means that God ordereth for their preservation; and some do repent at such a time, and so avoid the Judgment that is coming upon them: But some will take no warning, but still proceed on in Wicked∣ness, and after all the Warning that is given them, will still, through their unbelief, be surprized with Destruction, before they are well sen∣sible that it is coming upon them.

And as for our selves, besides what I have said before, Archbishop Usher, that Reverend Prelate, hath long since told us what a dread∣ful Time is coming upon us; and the great preparations that are made for War, and the Noises of Guns that are heard, and the several Attempts that have been made, and other Occurrences, wherein there seems to me to be something of the Finger of God, do admonish and warn us, that Misery and Destruction are ready to come upon us, and call us all to a speedy and deep Repentance. And by all these let us be awaked out of our Carnal Security and Vain Confidence, that we may not be surprized like blind Fools, but may be wise betimes and provide for our own Preservation and Salvation, that we perish not. And

III. We have here the Duty which the Prophet exhorted them to, upon the coming of this Day of the Lord upon them, briefly in these Words; Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble. And this Duty he more largely insisteth on in this Chapter. And here we see that the Exhortation is general, and all are to be concerned and moved to fear and trembling at the coming of this Day.

From hence I shall endeavour to shew something of the Duty which we are to set upon, when such a dreadful Day of the Lord is apprehended to be coming and near at hand. And here the Pro∣phet layeth the Foundation of such a Duty, viz. to be moved to Fear and Trembling, and this will set us to Repentance and Amend∣ment, and to cry mightily to Almighty God for Pardon, and Mercy, and Help. This is one of the first Principles in Wisdom's School. Psal. 111.10. The fear of the Lord (saith the Psalmist) is the beginning of Wisdom. The fearing of God's great and dreadful Majesty, who is a Consuming Fire, Heb. 12.29. and the trembling at his terrible judgments and punishments that are threatned against

Sinners, is commonly the first thing that moveth them to break off their Sins and Wickedness, and to set upon a righteous Course of Life. When Men are stricken to the Heart with a sense of God's Wrath, then will they cry out with great earnestness like the Jailor, Acts 16.30. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And with such a sense are Men to be touched, when a dreadful Day of Judgment is apprehended to be coming upon us; and then they will be ready to do what they well can for their own preservation, that they may e∣scape God's fiery Indignation. And what we are further to do here∣upon at such a time, we are taught by the Prophet Joel, and other places of Scripture; And

First, We are, at the apprehension and approach of such a dreadful Day, to fast, and use some abstinence from our ordinary Food; and to re∣frain from such pleasures, and delights, and recreations, which may be lawful at any other time; and to withdraw our Hearts and Minds from too great an Intensness upon worldly Cares and earthly Con∣cerns. This is our Duty at other Times, but more especially when we are to attone and appease an incensed and angry God, and to turn away his Wrath from us; and such is our Work when a day of Ven∣geance is coming upon us. And this Duty of Fasting is here enjoined by the Prophet Joel. Joel 1.14. Sanctifie ye a fast; call a solemn as∣sembly; gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God — And Joel 2.12. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. This is here plainly prescribed and commanded by the Prophet, that a Fast should be sanctified and set apart upon this very Occasion of the coming of this dreadful Day of the Lord upon them; that they should curb and restrain them∣selves herein, and deny themselves something in the ordinary Refresh∣ment of their usual Food. And we may see that it hath been a com∣mon practice with Men to fast, and deny themselves the ordinary Refreshment of Eating and Drinking, when they would intercede with Almighty God to avert and turn away his Wrath, and procure his Favour; and that a good success hath oft attended it. When the Israelites would obtain Help of God against the Benjamites, by whom they had been twice beaten and a great number of them slain, they fasted, and after had good Success against them. Jud. 20.2••. When Ahab was threatned with evil from the Lord by the Prophet Elijah, he fasted and humbled himself before God, and obtained a procrastination of the Evil till after his days, 1 King. 21.27 —

When Haman had procured of King Ahasuerus to have the Jews de∣stroyed, they fasted, and mourned, and wept, seeking to prevent and avoid this destruction that was decreed against them; and after did obtain Favour and Help in this Matter. Esther. 4. And when the Ninevites were threatned with Destruction from God by the Prophet Jonah, they used very great fasting — Jonah 3.5— So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them— And by their Fasting and Repentance, &c. they obtained a Revocation of this Judgment after it was denounced against them by the Prophet, and it was not executed upon them. By these, and other Examples we may see that this hath been the usual practice of Men, when they would turn away some Judgment, and obtain Mercy at God's hand, to fast and use other austerities towards themselves, as to cover them∣selves with Sackcloth, and to lie down in Dust and Ashes, or to cover themselves with them, and to humble themselves greatly be∣fore Almighty God. And then are we to withdraw our minds from our pleasures, and delights, and recreations, as not suiting well with a time of Mourning and Fasting. And this the Prophet sheweth here. Joel 2.16. Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. And saith God by the Prophet Isaiah, com∣plaining of the Fasts of the Jews. Isa. 58.3. Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labours. And the In∣struments of Musick were not brought before King Darius, when he fasted for Daniel. Dan. 6.18. And then are Men also to with∣draw their Hearts and Minds a little from their Worldy Concerns and Earthly Matters, and not to be too much taken up with them. Luk. 21.34— And take heed to your selves (saith our Lord) lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares: For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. By these, and such places, we see that we are to fast, and to refrain from our pleasures and delights, and to take our Hearts off from too great an Intensness upon worldly Concerns and mundane Af∣fairs, when we apprehend a dreadful Day of the Lord to be coming upon us: And now especially doth it behove us so to do, and to fast frequently upon this account.

Secondly, When such a dreadful Day is drawing near, and at hand, we are to afflict our Minds as well as our Bodies, and to mourn, and weep, and bewail our own sinfulness and vileness, and our great

transgressions and provocations, which we have committed towards Almighty God. We are then to lay aside all high and proud thoughts and vain conceits of our selves, and to call all our sins and evil ways to mind, and to be deeply humbled for them: We are then to be truly sorrowful and grieved at our very hearts, that we have so un∣gratefully broken the sacred Commands of Almighty God, and have made so light of them: We are then to repent of our sins and for∣sake them, and to undo them as much as we can; and to clear our hands and our hearts of all filthiness and vileness, and to make sa∣tisfaction for all the Injuries and Wrongs that we have done to others. This we are to do at all times, but more especially when God comes down to Judge the Inhabitants of the Earth in such an eminent and remarkable manner, and to make a discrimination, and to put a dif∣ference between the Righteous and the Wicked: Then are we in a more especial manner to prepare for such a coming of Almighty God among us, and to purifie and make clean our selves for such a Lustra∣tion and Visit, and to take care that our Habitations and Doors may be cleansed from all sin and filthiness, and so distinguished from all the rest of the sinful World; that when the destroying Angel is sent forth, he may see it, and pass over our Dwellings, that we may escape the Lash of his Rod, and the Stroke of his Blow, when he comes to punish and destroy. And

1. We may see that this is enjoyned by several places in the sacred Word of God, that we are then to mourn and weep, and to repent and turn from our sins and evil ways, when a dreadful Day of the Lord is coming upon us; and that if we do so, we may then hope to find Mercy. And this the Prophet Joel here sheweth; Joel 2.12— Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rent your heart and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. This is the Course that we are to take at such a time, to mourn and weep, and to be heartily sorry for our misdoings, and to turn from them to God; and then we are like to attone and ap∣pease him, because he is gracious and prone to mercy. And saith God by the Prophet Isaiah 1.16. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well— And v. 19, 20. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And Isa.

55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. And as at other times, so also at the coming of his Judgments will he shew mercy when this Course is taken, and Men forsake their Sins and sinful Deeds and Ways. And God complaineth of the Jews by his Prophet, that they fasted for Strife and Wickedness; and tells them that the Fast that he had chosen, was to loose the bands of Wicked∣ness, and to undo their sinful Deeds. Isa. 58.4. Behold ye fast for strife, and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his Head as a bul-rush, and to spread sack∣cloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Here we see that an outward shew of Fasting, and Humiliation, and Sorrow, so long as Sin and Wickedness are lodged and remain in the Heart, and we turn not from our evil Ways, will not please God, nor appease him towards us, and turn away his wrath from us: But we see that the Fast that he hath chosen, and which will please him, is to undo all our wicked acts, and to repent of them, and utterly to forsake them, and to have no more to do with them; and to make satisfaction for the Injustice and Unrighteousness, and Injuries, which we have done to others. And saith the Prophet Jeremiah 4.1. If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me; and if thou wilt put away thine abomi∣nations out of my sight, Then shalt thou not remove. And v. 4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord, and take away the fore-skins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it; because of the evil of your doings. Their Abominations, their idolatrous and sinful Practices were to be put a∣way and laid aside, and they were to return to God in Sincerity and Truth; and then they were not to remove and be carried away Captive by their Enemies. And they were to Circumcise their Heart, and to take away all Superfluity of Naughtiness and Wickedness from thence, if they would have God's Fury to be averted and kept from breaking out upon them: And so are we to do when our Case and Condition is parallel with theirs. And v. 14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayst be saved: How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Jerusalem's Heart is to be washed

from wickedness, that she might be saved: And so are others to do, that at any time expect and desire to be saved and delivered. And those that forsake their Sins shall find Mercy, as the wise Man shew∣eth; Prov. 28.13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. There is no way to procure Mercy but this. And our Lord told the Jews, as I have shewed, That they should perish as the Galileans had done, if they did not repent of, and amend their sinful doings. Luke 13.3, 5. And this is the Direction that S. James gives to procure the Favour of God, and to obtain his Help and Mercy; To be affli∣cted, and to mourn for our Sins, and to purifie our Hands and Hearts from all things that are sinful and evil. Jam. 4.8— Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purifie your hearts, ye double-minded: Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. And this Course are we then especially to take, when a dreadful Day of Judgment is coming upon us, and we would turn away the Wrath of God from us: Then are we to weep and mourn, and afflict our selves; to call our sins and evil doings to mind, and to be truly humbled for them, and to repent of them, and to be grieved and sore vexed that we have committed them; That we have been so foolish and unwise as to slight Wisdom's Voice, and to err and wander so far from the paths of Life and Happiness: And that we have been so un∣grateful and unthankful to Almighty God our great Creator, as to transgress the just and righteous Laws that he hath set before us, and not to hearken to the Voice of his Word: Then are we to grow quite out of love with our sins, and to loath and abhor them, and to shut our Hands and Hearts clear of them, and to resolve firm∣ly to have no more to do with them: Then we are to wish with all our Heart and Soul that we had never committed them, and to unravel and undo them again as much as we can, by making Resti∣tution of all that we have unjustly taken or gotten, and satisfaction for all the Injuries and Wrongs that we have done; and to repair and make good again all the Breaches that we have any ways made among Mortals and the rest of Mankind by our Sins and Trans∣gressions, either in their Souls, Bodies, Goods, or good Name, so far as it is possible for us to do.

2. We may see that this also hath been the practice of Men, when they would turn away God's anger, and obtain his favour

and mercy, To mourn and weep and humble themselves before God, and to repent of their sins and to turn from them. When Ahab heard the Evil that Elijah was sent to denounce against him and his House, he humbled himself greatly before God, and did thereby obtain so much favour and mercy from God, as to have it deferred and prolonged till after his days. 1 Kings 12.19 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? (saith God to the Pro∣phet) because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but in his Son's days will I bring the evil upon his House: So taking was his Humiliation with God. When the Children of Israel were distressed by the Philistines and Ammonites, they hum∣bled themselves before God, and confessed and turned from their sins and evil ways; and he had pity upon them, and sent them deliverance. Judges 10.15, 16. And the Children of Israel said un∣to the Lord, we have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange Gods from among them, and served the Lord; and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. And afterward did he send them deliverance, as we may see in the next Chapter. And we may see that the Ninevites turned from their sinful and evil ways, and the wickedness that they had been guilty of, when they sought to turn away God's Judgment from them, which the Prophet Jonah had denounced against them; and that for this reason espe∣cially, God repented and did not bring that destruction upon them, which he had threatned against them. Jonah 3.8— But let man and beast be covered with Sackcloth (saith the King) and cry mightily unto God; yea let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said, that he would do unto them, and he did it not. The repenting and turning from the evil of their ways, was the great reason that moved God to repent and turn from the evil that he intended to bring upon them. And these Examples are to instruct us, what we are to do in such a case; That we are then likewise to mourn and weep, and to be truly humbled and sorrowful for all our sins and transgressions of God's most righteous Laws and Commandments; and to repent and for∣sake our sins and iniquities, and to undo them as much as we can, by making restitution and satisfaction for all the evils and wrongs that we have done to others; and firmly to resolve, that,

through God's blessed help and assistance, we will no more com∣mit the like, but walk in his fear and in obedience to his sacred Commandments.

Thirdly, We are at such a time to set more earnestly upon the works of Righteousness, and Piety, and Mercy. We are indeed at other times, but then especially when we apprehend a dread∣ful Day of the Lord to be coming upon us, not only to cease to do Evil, but to learn to do Well, and to set more vigoriously upon a righteous and holy Life, carefully observing all the Commands of God; and are to be then more zealous and abounding in the works of Piety, and Charity, and Mercy. We are then to be more frequent and fervent at our Devotions and Services to Al∣mighty God; we are then to be more watchful over our selves, that we transgress not in any particular, and more strictly to ob∣serve all the Rules of Justice; And we are then to be more li∣beral and open-handed to the Needy and Necessitous, and more ready and forward to forgive all others that have injured and wronged us, that we may have the greater hope to find Mercy at God's hand at such a time. We are at such a time to live like those, that believe that they shall shortly die and be brought to Judgment, because we are at such a time to expect to be judged by Almighty God, and to be dealt with according to our works and deserts. That a careful setting upon a righteous and pious course of life in every respect, is our duty at such a time when a dreadful Day is apprehended to be near, will appear,

1. By several places of Scripture, where it is prescribed upon the like occasions, or shewed to be so. This the Prophet Isaiah prescribes to the Jews, that they might not be devoured by the Sword. Isa. 1.17. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. And v. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the Sword— And that such works of Charity and Mercy are to be shewed at such a time, we may see by what God saith by the Prophet Isaiah concerning the Fast that he had chosen. Isa. 58.6— Is not this the Fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness— Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh? Then shall

thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. This course is to be taken when we keep a Fast to the Lord and would procure his favour; then are we in an especial manner to shew our selves merciful and kind to our poor and needy Brethren, and not to hide our selves from them, and to grow hard-hearted towards them. And v. 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfie the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day. Such a lightsom time is the merciful Man like to find; and has good grounds to hope that he shall find some comfort when the dark and gloomy Day shall come. And this is the Counsel of the Prophet Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar, when he told him, that this Judgment should come upon him; That he should be driven from Men, and have his dwelling with the Beasts of the Field, Dan. 4.27. Wherefore, O King, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. This Counsel doth the Prophet give him to avert the Judgment as much as might be, and to prolong his own Tranquillity and Happiness; viz. To set upon a righteous course of Life, and to shew himself merciful and kind to the Poor. And this is the direction of the Prophet Zephaniah, which he giveth for a preparation against the day of the Lord's Anger. Zeph. 2.3. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgments; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. And our blessed Saviour in Matth. 24. where he forewarns his Di∣sciples of that judgment and destruction that was to come upon the Jews, tells them that those should be blessed and happy, that should then be found imployed in their Master's service, and in the works of Righteousness. Matth. 24.45— Who then is a faithful and wise Servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that Servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. The Servant that is well imployed in his Master's Charge, shall be blessed when his Lord cometh: But the wicked Servant is then to be cut off, and to have his portion with the Hypocrites, as it there follows. And saith St. Peter, 1 Pet. 4.7— But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves; for Charity shall cover the multitude

of sins. This Advice doth he give upon the apprehension of the end of all things being at hand, that is, the Day of the Lord being near at hand; That upon this consideration they were to be more sober, and temperate, and diligent in their Prayers and Services to Almighty God; and above all to have fervent Charity and Love among themselves, because this would cover a multitude of Sins, and qualifie them most and make them fit for Mercy at such a time. By these, and such places, we may see, that it is our duty to set earnestly upon the works of Righteousness, when we apprehend a dreadful Day of the Lord to be drawing near, because such a course is then prescribed up∣on such occasions: That we are then to grow more Temperate and Holy, to be more frequent and fervent in our Devotions and Services to Almighty God; and are then more strictly to mind all the Rules of Justice and Uprightness; and are then to be more liberal and bountiful to our poor and needy Brethren; and prone and forward to forgive all the injuries and wrongs that have been done to us by any others. This is highly requisite, that we should at such a time be full of mercy and kindness to others, because we are then in an extraordinary manner seeking for mercy and pardon at God's hand; and we can have no ground to hope to find mercy at his hand, if we are cruel and hard hearted, and will shew none our selves to others. Matth. 6.14, 15. saith our Lord; For, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

2. We may see, that the Righteous shall never be forsaken, and that it is Righteousness that doth deliver Men at all times of diffi∣culty and danger; and this doth farther shew, that it is our duty and our wisdom too to set earnestly upon all the works of righteous∣ness, that we may be delivered at such a time of danger, when a dreadful Day is apprehended to be coming upon us. This we may see by several places of Scripture, that Righteousness will avail much at such a time, and that the Righteous may then expect to be delivered. Remember, I pray thee (saith Eliphaz to Job 4.7.) who ever perished being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Hereby shewing that it was very observable how they were deli∣vered, and not cut off like the wicked. And saith the Psalmist, Psal. 37.25. I have been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken. And v. 27 — Depart from evil, and do

good, and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his Saints; they are preserved for ever. And Solomon sheweth in several places, that Righteousness will deliver the Righ∣teous from death, when the riches of the Rich will not profit them. Prov. 10.2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righte∣ousness delivereth from death. And Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death. And Prov. 11.6. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness. By these, and such like places, doth the Wise Man shew, that the Righteous shall be delivered in the time of anguish and distress upon the account of his righteousness. And God doth shew by the Prophet Ezekiel, that Men shall deliver themselves by their righteousness, when a day of wrath and destruction is coming upon Men. Ezek. 14.13— And saith the Prophet Isaiah, 33.15— He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high, his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. So securely is such a Righte∣ous Man like to live, and to be set out of the reach of danger; and in the fiery day of Vengeance he is like to be safe and se∣cure. And saith our Lord, Matth. 5.7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. And in the gloomy Day, and in time of danger, there is no question but that they shall find Mercy. By these, and such places, we may see, That righteous Men shall be delivered at such times of need and danger, and in such Days of vengeance, upon the account of their righteousness; and this farther shews it to be our duty and our wisdom at such a time to set more earnestly upon a pious and righteous course of Life; and especially then to abound more in the works of Charity and Mer∣cy, when we are in a more extraordinary way and manner to sue for mercy at God's hand.

3. We may see that righteous Men have been delivered when God hath brought a dark and dreadful Day upon Men; and that they have been saved and delivered for their Righteousness sake, when others have been destroyed, because they were not Righteous, but Wicked: And this will farther shew that it is our Duty, and will be a great Encouragement to us, to set then earnestly upon all the works of Righteousness at the apprehension of a dreadful Day coming upon

us, that we may then escape and find Mercy. This God shews to be the Reason why Noah was to be saved from perishing with the Inha∣bitants of the Old World, because he was righteous before God. Gen. 7.1. And the Lord said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. This was the Reason why he was to be saved by the Ark, when the rest of the World were to be destroyed by a Flood of Waters, because God saw him to be righteous. When God destroyed Sodom, all the righteous Men were to be preserved; and if there had been fifty Righteous, yea, if there had been but ten righteous Men therein, they and the whole City too had been spared for their Righteousness sake. Gen. 18.23—. And we may see that righteous Lot was de∣livered at that time; and that he was delivered because he was a just and righteous Man, S. Peter sheweth, 2 Pet. 2.6— And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an over∣throw, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly: And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. Here we may see that Lot was delivered, because he was a just and righteous Man; and that pious and godly Men from this Example, and that of Noah, are to be encouraged that God will deliver them from Temp∣tations, and Trials, and Dangers: But that the Unjust must expect to be reserved to the Day of Judgment to be punished for their Un∣righteousness. When the Israelites were to be consumed and to have their Carkases fall in the Wilderness, and not to come into the Land of Canaan, because they murmured and sinned against God, Joshua and Caleb were then delivered from this Sentence, because they were righteous, and wholly followed God. Num 14.20— and Num. 32.10— And the Lord's anger was kindled the same time (saith Moses) and he sware, saying; Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upwards, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me; save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the Lord. By the Works of Righteousness did the Harlot Rahab escape Destruction, and pe∣rished not, when Jericho was taken and destroyed, when she con∣cealed the Spies and sent them away in peace, because she believed them to be the Servants of God. By faith (saith the Apostle

Heb. 11:31) the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. And saith S. James 2.25. Likewise also, was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? By Works was she justified, and by her works of Piety and Mercy was she saved from this Destruction, and perished not with the Inhabitants of Jeri∣cho. By these and such Examples we may see, that righteous Men have been delivered in the Days of Vengeance for their Righteous∣ness sake, when others have perished; and this may serve as a farther Argument to shew, that it then behoves us especially to set earnestly upon the works of Righteousness whensoever we apprehend such a terrible Day of the Lord to be coming upon us. And what it is that is Good, and God requires, the Prophet sheweth; Micah 6.8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? These are the things that are Good, and which God requires of us at all times, but especially at such a time; That we should be just and upright in all our dealings with others, and do as we would be done by; and rather wrong our selves, than over-reach and de∣ceive another: That we should be so far from grudging at charita∣ble Works like the Miser, that we should love them, and take delight in all acts of Mercy and Goodness, and chearfully communicate to all the Needs and Necessities of others, and be joyful and glad when we can relieve and succour them in their Miseries and Wants: That we should be prone and forward to forgive all others that have done any Harm or Hurt to us, and contentedly to pass by all the Injuries and Wrongs that have been done to us by others, without seeking any Revenge, and with Good to overcome all the Evil and Malice that is offered to us by any. That we should walk humbly before God, in a deep Sense of our own Unworthiness and Vileness, and of God's great Goodness and Mercy to us, and the continual Dependance that we have upon him, and of his dreadful and glorious Majesty. These are the things which God requires of us; and such works of Righteousness, and Mercy, and Kindness, are we especially to set upon, when a dark Day is apprehended to be near at hand. And then are we to be more frequent and zealous at all our Services and Devotions to Almighty God.

But Fourthly, Then are we also more particularly to cry mightily to Almighty God upon this very account of his Day of Wrath being coming upon us: Then are we to make our earnest addresses to Al∣mighty

God in this very Respect, and to make Supplications to him, that he would have mercy upon us, and deal with us according to his great Love and Goodness, and not according to our Sins and Ini∣quities: That for his own Name sake, and for his dear Son Christ Jesus sake, he would be pleased to avert and turn away his Judgments and Wrath from us, if it may consist with his Divine Will and Plea∣sure; and if not, that we may be covered and preserved in the Day of Wrath, and sheltered under the Wings of his good Providence, and find Mercy and Salvation in that day. And

1. That we are to cry and make great Supplications to Almighty God, and to seek to attone him, and turn away his Wrath from us at such a time by earnest Prayers, we may see by several places of Scrip∣ture. Our own Nature and Reason will dictate this to us, and so do the sacred Scriptures. This the Prophet Joel prescribes here. 1.14. Sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders, and all the In∣habitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. And Joel 2.17. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them; wherefore should they say among the people where is their God? The Prophet here doth give command to cry and pray to God upon this very account; and doth here give direction in what form and manner the Priests were to address themselves to God, wherein the People also were to join; viz. To intreat Almighty God to spare them, who were his peculiar People, and not to suffer them to be made a Reproach by the Heathen, and to be domineer'd over by them, and to have them to ask others in scorn and deri∣sion, where their God and Saviour was, in whom they trusted. And this divine Direction of the Prophet seems to me to be no less ad∣apted and fitted for us at this day, than it was for the Jews in the Prophet Joel's time. And this was David's Resolution, to have Re∣course to God, and to call upon him in all Distress and Danger. 2 Sam. 22.4. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies. And Psal. 55.16. As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice. And Psal. 86.7. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; for thou wilt answer me. This is the Psalmist's Resolution to make his earnest addresses to Almighty God, and hereby he hoped for Mercy and Help in the needful time of Trouble and Distress.

And this is God's Command by the Psalmist, that we should call upon him at such a time; and if we do it as we ought, he hath pro∣mised that he will hear us and deliver us. Psal. 50.15. And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glo∣rifie me. We are humbly to sue for mercy at such a time, before we are to expect it; and after we have received it, not to forget to return Almighty God his due laud and praise for the same. And Solomon in his prayer in 1 Kings 8. doth shew that it is our Duty in all Distresses to make Supplications to God in an extraordinary manner, when he there requesteth that he would hear such prayers and supplications that are made to him by his people in their affli∣ctions and distresses; and doth shew that they are like to be heard and relieved when they seek and cry to God with all their Hearts. And saith God by his Prophet Jeremiah, 29.12— Then shall ye call upon me, and ye. shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity— And it is our blessed Lord's Command to his Di∣sciples, when he foretold them of that Judgment and Destruction that was coming upon the Jewish Nation, to be constant and fervent at their prayers to Almighty God, that they might obtain Mercy then and be saved, and not perish with the Wicked Luke 21.36. Watch ye therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. By Watchfulness and Constancy and Earnestness at Prayer to Almighty God, are we to prepare our selves, that we may be accounted worthy of Mercy, and to escape the Judgments of God, and to stand before the Son of God, whensoever he shall come in an extraordinary and eminent manner to Judge and Pu∣nish the Inhabitants of the World for their great Wickedness. By these and such places we may see that it is our Duty, whensoe∣ver we apprehend a Day of the Lord's Wrath to be coming up∣on us, to cry mightily to Almighty God, and to make Supplica∣tions to him, for Pardon, and Mercy, and Help, and Protection, at such a Time, when a Day of Wrath and Revenge is coming upon Men.

2. We may see that this hath been the practice of several Per∣sons at such times of anguish and distress, to cry to Almighty God, and to supplicate his Divine Majesty for mercy and succour; and that they have often prevailed hereby; and this will farther

shew it to be our duty at such a time, and a perswasive to it, to call upon God in a more earnest and extraordinary manner, for the averting of such Judgments as we have just cause to believe do hang over us, and are ready to fall upon us; and for the pro∣curing of Mercy for our selves. When the Fire of the Lord con∣sumed the People, Moses prayed unto the Lord, and the Fire was stopt. Numb. 11.1— And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp. And the people cryed unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. When the Children of Israel were sold into the hand of the Mesopotamians for their sin and wickedness which they did in the sight of God, in forgetting him, and serving other Gods; in their misery they cryed to God, and he sent them a deliverer. Judes 3.9. And when the Children of Israel cryed unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the Children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the Son of Kenaz Caleb's younger Brother. In their distress did God hear them, notwithstanding their former backsliding, and had re∣spect to their Prayer; and this may be an encouragement to us sinners to do the like. When the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, when they were oppressed and afflicted by Eglon King of Moab, he heard their cry, and shewed them mercy, and deliver∣ed them out of his hand. Judg. 3.15. But when the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer Ehud the Son of Gera a Benjamite—. When the Children of Israel were sold into the hand of Jabin the Canaanite, for the evil which they did in the sight of the Lord, they cried unto the Lord in their distress, and he delivered them. Judg. 4.3. And the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord; for he had nine hundred Chariots of Iron, and twenty years he mightily oppressed the Children of Israel. And God did then deliver them out of his hand by Deborah and Barak, as we may there see afterward. And several other times did God deliver them, when they returned and sought him, and cried and made Supplications to him, notwitstanding they had often revolted from him. When King Abijah and Judah were beset on both sides with their Enemies the Israelites, they cried unto the Lord in their distress, and he heard their cry and delivered them. 2 Chron. 1.14— And when Judah looked back, behold the battel was before and behind; and they cried un∣to the Lord, and the Priests sounded with the Trumpets. Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that

God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. When Zerah the Ethiopian came out against Asa King of Judah with an Host of a thousand thousand, he cried unto the Lord for help and succour, and obtained help from him. 2 Chron. 14.11— And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on thee, and in thy Name we go against this multitude: O Lord thou art our God, let not Man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judal•• and the Ethiopians fled. When Jehoshaphat prayed unto the Lord for help against his Enemies the Moabites and Ammonites and they of Mount Seir, the Lord wrought a great deliverance for him and the Jews, and set their Enemies to destroy themselves, and left them nothing to do, but to gather the Spoil, and return God thanks for the great Salvation that he granted them. 2 Chron. 20.3— When Sennacherib King of Assyria sent to Hezekiah, and was coming against Jerusalem with his Army, Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed un∣to the Lord, and obtain'd help and succour from him against their Enemies, and God sent an Angel to destroy them. 2 Chron. 32.20— For this cause Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Isaiah the Son of Amoz, prayed and cried to Heaven. And the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the Mighty men of Valour, and the Leaders, and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria: so he returned with shame of face to his own Land. And when he was come into the House of his God, they that came forth of his own bowels, slew him there with the Sword. And the Angel of the Lord slew an hun∣dred fourscore and five thousand; as it is in 2 Kings 19.35. And this was the command of the King of Nineveh, when the Pro∣phet had proclaimed the Judgment of God against them, That they should cry mightily to God. Jonah 3.8. But let man and beast be covered with Sackcloth, and cry mightily to God—. And we see that they did obtain pardon and mercy. By these and many more Examples we may see how men have cried to Almighty God in their distress, and when they lay under the apprehensions of great dangers and miseries, and have obtained mercy and help from him: And these do farther teach us to do the like, and shew it to be our duty to supplicate his Divine Majesty and Goodness in an extraordinary manner, whensoever we apprehend a dreadful Day of Vengeance to be coming upon us.

But to qualifie us for such a calling upon Almighty God, and to make way for an access of our Prayers to him, we must first clear our hands and our hearts from all Sin and Wickedness, and set upon a Righteous and Holy Life, as I have shewed; otherwise we may expect that God will not hear our Prayers, when we cry to him in the day of Trouble. We must first make satisfaction to our Brother for all the injuries that we have done him, before we can offer any Sacrifice or Prayer to God to attone him and pro∣cure his favour and mercy. Matth. 5.23— Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the Altar (saith our Saviour) and there remembrest that thy Brother hath-ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy gift. This is the course that our blessed Lord hath ap∣pointed to be taken. And the Psalmist shews, that so long as our hearts are inclined to wickedness, the Lord will not hear us. Psal. 66.18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: And no more will he hear us, except we withdraw our hearts from it. And saith Job of the Hypocrite; Job 27.9. Will God hear his cry, when trouble cometh upon him? Hereby intimating to us, that there is no likelihood that God will then hear him. And saith Wisdom; Prov. 1.24—. Because I have called, and ye re∣fused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded: But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh: When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; for that they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the fear of the Lord—. And so may we expect to be dealt with, if we do not now hearken to Wisdom's voice, and follow her blessed Instructions, and amend and set upon a pious and holy Life. If we will now stop our Ears at her Charming, and cast the fear of God behind our backs, we may justly expect, that he will laugh at our Calamity, and mock when our fear cometh. And God declares to the Jews, that he would not hear their Prayers, be∣cause they were defiled and polluted with blood and wickedness, and had not cleansed themselves. Isa. 1.15. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash ye, make you clean—. This is to be done first, or else our Prayers are not like to be heard. And saith God to the Prophet Jeremiah,

11.10, 11. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other Gods, to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and tho' they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. And saith the Man that was born blind; John 9.31. We know that God heareth not sinners. By these and such places we may see, that there is an absolute necessity for Men to leave their Sins and become Righteous, before they are in any fit capacity to address themselves to Almighty God, and to pray to him for mercy and help in the needful time of trouble.

It is needful also at such a time that we place our trust and confidence in Almighty God, and do not make any Idols to our selves, that God may not say to us, as he did to the Jews, Judg. 10.13, 14. Ye have forsaken me, and served other gods, wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go, and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. It be∣hoves us to make no Idols nor false Gods to our selves, lest we have this return to our Prayers, when we cry to God in the need∣ful time of Trouble. And we are to make no Idol of our Wealth, nor to place our trust and confidence therein; we are are not to confide in, and to rely upon an Arm of Flesh, and make mortal Man our hope and confidence, and so to rob God of his Glory, in not making him, as we ought, the only Rock of our defence.

These things seem to be branches of our duty, and highly ne∣cessary for us to set upon and practise whensoever we apprehend a dark and dismal Day of Wrath and Vengeance to be coming upon us.

And now to draw to a Conclusion; Seeing we have no reason to expect that we should be exempted from the Judgments of God, if we do wickedly; but must look to be dealt with as others have been, if we are as sinful as they were; and are to look upon the threatnings of Judgments in the word of God, as Threatnings and Menaces against our selves, when our case is the same with theirs, against whom they were threatned: And seeing our Sins and Iniquities do appear to be very great, and we are now actu∣ally warned that the Judgments of God do now hang over our heads,

and are ready to come upon us, let us lay these things to heart, and mind the things that belong to our Peace, before it be too late: Let us not be like Solomon's Fool (Prov. 17.16.) that had a price in his hand to get Wisdom, but no heart to it: But let us make a good use of our time while we have it, while the long-suffering of God waiteth for our repentance and amend∣ment: Let the great Terror and dreadfulness of the Judgments of God awake us out of our careless and vain security, That we may take such a course for our Peace and Safety as is prescribed in the Word of God, while his great Goodness doth yet afford us some time for it; and let us speedily and seriously set our selves to the practice of these things that I have shewed to be enjoined by that sacred Word at such a time: Let us turn to God with Fast∣ing, and Weeping, and Mourning, and call to mind and repent of all the sinful deeds that we have done; and resolve through Divine help, never to commit such any more; and make satis∣faction for all the injuries and wrongs that we have done to o∣thers: Let us cease to do evil, and learn to do well, and set more strictly upon a righteous and pious course of Life, and take pleasure and delight in the works of Mercy and Goodness, and shew our selves merciful to others, when we are in a more extra∣ordinary manner seeking for Mercy at God's hand: Let us be constant and earnest at our Prayers to Almighty God for pardon and mercy, for help and succour in all our necessities and distresses; and that we may be accounted worthy to escape the things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of God whenso∣ever he shall come to punish the Inhabitants of the World for their great Sin and Iniquity: Let us seek the Lord while he may be found (as saith the Prophet Isaiah 55.6.) and call upon him while he is near, before he shuts up his Mercy in displeasure, and stops his Ears at our Cry: Let us put to our helping hand to keep off all publick Judgments from our Land and Nation, by the inno∣cency and uprightness of our Lives; by begging pardon for our own, and the transgressions of the whole Nation; and by our earnest Prayers for the Peace and Prosperity of our Church and Kingdom. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (saith the Psalmist, Psal. 122.6.) they shall prosper that love thee. And so let us pray for the peace and good of our Church and Nation, that they may not become a prey to our Enemies and be totally swallowed up by them. If we could all-amend, and a general repentance were effected, our Peace and Happiness would then, I hope, be secure,

and we need not fear the evil Machinations of Men against us, nor any Judgment of God coming upon us: For we may see that the Ninevites obtained Mercy by Repentance after the Judgment was denounced against them. And the Prophet Joel here shew∣eth, that if the course were taken that he prescribeth, there was hope to obtain Mercy at God's hand; Joel 2.18. Then will the Lord be jealous for his Land and pity his People: And so we may conclude that he would deal with us, if we would take such a course. But so long as our Sins cry to Heaven against us, and we persist in them, we can have no security of Peace and Pro∣sperity. And therefore let us set earnestly upon a Righteous and Holy Life, and live like those that expect shortly to die and to be called to Judgment, that we may do what we can to prepare for our own safety and security against such a dreadful Day of Dark∣ness; and may endeavour to keep off all publick Judgments, that we may be instrumental in procuring a Blessing and not a Curse upon our Land and Nation.

Such as are not better instructed may exercise themselves in read∣ing these Chapters, and meditating upon them, and learning what good Instructions they can from them. Isaiah LVIII. Jeremiah IV. Joel II. Jonah III. Matthew X, and XXIV. Mark XIII. Luke XII, and XVII, and XXI. 2 Peter III. Revelation II, and III.

And in the Book of Common Prayer they may find a great deal of good Matter for their Prayers even against such a great Day of Judgment; to which they may add these two Prayers that follow.

For Repentance.

ALmighty God, and most merciful Father; we miserable Sinners do here humbly acknowledge before Thee, That we are unworthy of the least of all thy Mercies. We confess, O Lord, in the bitterness of our Souls, that we have grievously sinned against Thee; that all Orders of Men a∣mongst us, have transgressed thy Righteous Laws; that we have hitherto rendred both thy Mercies and thy Judgments ineffectual to our Amendment. It is of thy meer Mercy, O Lord, that we are not consumed; for which our Souls do magnifie and bless thy Name. O God, who hast hither∣to spar'd us, to the end, that thy Goodness might lead us to Repentance; let it be thy good pleasure, to give unto us all that Godly Sorrow, which worketh Repentance to Sal∣vation, not to be repented of; that thou mayest turn from thy heavy displeasure against us; and mayest rejoice over us to do us good, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord, and only Saviour. Amen.

For Peace and Ʋnity.

O Lord God, our only hope in time of need; Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from all those Dangers that threaten us; Give Peace in our days, O Lord, if it be thy will, and prevent the effusion of Christian blood in our Land; Reconcile all our Dissentions, and heal all our Breaches; Preserve that Holy Religion we profess, together with our Laws and Antient Government; Unite us all in un∣feigned and universal Charity one towards another, and in one and the same Holy Worship and Communion; That with one heart and one mouth we may glorifie thy Holy Name, and shew forth thy Praise from generation to gene∣ration: And this we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Beloved, in whom thou art well pleased; to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, now and evermore. Amen.

In these Papers I come as a Messenger of Peace among all my dear Country-men; and therefore I request that I may find a kind reception among them, and that they would seriously lay to heart what I have here written, that I may do them some good Service at this great juncture of time, for the Pre∣servation of their Lives and Souls when they are in so great Danger.

FINIS.