MEN, brethren and fa­thers, yea & whosoe­uer amongst you tru­ly feareth God, vnfai­nedly loueth his lawe, stedfastlye beleeueth his promises, and sin­cerely obeieth his wil to you, and to euery one of you, I say, are the words of trueth, and exhortation following directed: not of a hatefull heart I assure you against any, for I wish & would labour your good generally, and especially the saluation [Page 10]of your soules, as mine owne: nor yet of a minde curious in other mens causes, with the neglect of them that belong to my selfe, for I know it to bee displeasing before God, and vnprofitable to my selfe, but of an earnest de­sire in christian charitie, by al meanes lawful, and that according to my vttermost abilitie, to assay to doe good vnto others, as vnto mine owne soule, and to labour what I can, the set­ting forth of his glory, that hath created vs and placed vs in this worlde, for that speciall end and purpose, that so at the last also, after we haue a little glorified him here, we might thorough his mercie, and Christs merites, ob­taine the fruition of euerlasting life, and the immortall glorification of our bodies and soules, in that great and last day. Wherein, if either thorow the vncleanenes of my heart, or the pollution of my hands, or thorow any other weakenes or want in mee, or of mee, I shall misse of my purpose: or else thorow the carelesnesse, contempt, or any other corrupti­on besides, of those into whose hands this treatise shall come, these poore labors shal not sort these desired effects, I shall for mine own and their transgressions (which are lettes and hinderances to so worthie a worke) mourne [Page 11]in my soule in secret, to see or heare the hand of God come forth so heauilie against vs for our sinnes, and yet I shall againe comfort my selfe, as well as I can, not onely in this of hea­then men, that in great and hard matters to haue a will is sufficient, but especially in that heauenly speech of the holy apostle, that God (if there be first a willing & cheerefull mind) accepteth vs according to that wee haue, and not according to that we haue not: this being alwaies prouided also, that that good, whe­ther it bee of affection, or of action, that wee haue, we haue from him, who worketh in vs both the will and the deede, according to his own good pleasure, and therefore will accept it in vs, as his own good worke, notwithstan­ding our imperfections and defects cleauing thereto.

What a fearefull fire fell in the towne of Wooburne, in the Countie of Bedford, on Sa­turday, as they call it, the thirteenth of Sep­tember last past, sundrie of the people there felt, to their extreame losses, yea vtter vndoo­ing, diuers did behold to their great griefe, and many haue heard of, euen to the sorrow of their hearts. This was so much the more lamentable, not onely because it burnt vp sun­drie [Page 12]houses, & baies of building, to the num­ber as I take it, of some hundred and thirtie, one with another such as they were, of dwel­ling howses, and out houses, as barnes, stables, houels, and such like, but also because it con­sumed whatsoeuer store was laide vp in the same, as corne, hey, wood, ferne, and such o­ther like prouision, for man and for beast, for the backe and the bellie, to bake and to brew with, and for such other both necessarie vse, and profitable maintenance: yea (which may adde to & increase the pitifulnes of the spec­tacle, and the very matter of the narration it selfe) not only many things within the house, being almost vtterly spoyled, broken to pee­ces and consumed, as tables, stooles, bedsteds, wainscot, presses, glasse in the windowes, pewter, brasse, copper, leather, and such like, but euen of that which was caried into the streetes to saue it, if it might be, frō the force of the fire, as linnen, bedding, platters, dishes, kettles, much stolen away, and sundrie sortes of ware, of the traders of the towne, as frise, durance, sheewes, and such like, purloyned & imbeseled. By meanes whereof it commeth to passe, that the most of them are greatlie weakened, as in respect of that poore estate [Page 13]worldly, which before they enioyed, yea that diuers of them hauing their store and proui­sion consumed, and as it were eaten vp with the flame of the fire, hardly haue for thēselues, their wiues, children, and seruants, breade to slake hunger, drinke to coole thirst, wood to warme them with all, or houses to hide their heads in, I will not say conuenient (for that were a great mercie in this iudgement) but not such as ouer head, are able to keepe out the raine, snow, and other moysture that fal­leth frō heauen, or on the sides to beate backe the boysterous windes, and cold ayre, this in­deede being rather wrought, by the indiscre­tion or rage of some, that came in to succor and helpe their distresse, by bursting in peeces the tiles of the house, and breaking downe walles, windowes, glasse, and all (and yet no doubt of it, ment to doe their best indeuours, for ayde and reliefe) than by the violence or vehemencie of the fire.

Many I doubt not, are greatly egar, and greedie as it were, to heare of, and to vnder­stand the meane whereby this miserable fire, and fearefull flame was inkindled: which de­sire of theirs, as I cannot mislike, if it bee free from new fanglednes and curiositie, and haue [Page 14]this adioyned there withall, that they labour what they can, to make a good and profitable vse of the same: so will I to my vttermost a­bilitie, though not in all and euery particular, yet in truth and plainenes, assay to satisfie, and certifie them thereof. A simple old woman, as simple and seelie, as euer I knew almost, slow in speech, deafe in hearing, and which is worst of all, very dull of vnderstanding and sense (named for her age, olde Ioane) dwel­ling in a poore cottage, at the further ende of the towne, towards Brickhill, hauing shifted her bed strawe, and put new thereinto, laide the olde in the chimney of her saide house, supposing in deede, as she affirmeth, that there had bin no fire in the same. Afterwards go­ing abroad, about some businesses that she had to doe, though verilie they were but meane and small (as such poore folkes haue no great affayres) the cinders and sparkes that were in the same chimney, tooke hold of that straw, so carelesly cast thereinto, and inflamed, and by meanes thereof set on fire that thatched house, and in very short time tooke holde of others adioyning vnto it, that were thatched also, and so proceeded in fearefull both mea­sure and manner, from one to another, till it [Page 15]had made that lamentable desolation, that is yet to bee seene. And as this was the begin­ning of this wofull worke, so was it without al doubt very much furthered, by the absence of sundry the inhabitants of that towne, who being at that time far from home, and abroad in the fieldes about their worldly affayres, could neither so prouidently preuent the rage of that fire, nor so powerfullie put it out, as by all probabilitie they might haue done, had they been at the very beginning thereof. Besides this is most certaine, that the Lord rai­sed vp euen almost at that very instant, a great and mightie wind, to carrie it as it were from one house or place to another (the fire also it selfe, naturally gathering winde vnto it) (as to mee was tolde) was euen made thereby the more forcible and furious, whilst all things, that either they had for defence, or had got­ten in for prouision, were so far off from lesse­ning the furie of the fire, that they did rather increase the same. For besides, that the thatch of their barnes and out houses, was greatly dried with much and long parching heate and drouth going before, & so they were the more meete matter, for the flame to set vpon, besides this I say, their corne, their hay, their [Page 16]wood, their ferne, and other prouision laide thereinto, and being very drily inned, as they vse to saye, was fit foode for the fire to feede vpon, not onely for the increase of the ex­treame heate, and violent rage of the fire it selfe, but euen to the turning and burning of the matter it selfe into dust and powder. And not onely the sodaine, but the great puffes and blastes of the saide winde also, did carrie sparkes & flames from one house to another, yea (which is more strange) from the one side of the towne to the other: this being by the faithfull testimonie of sundry credible persons, not onely eare, but eye witnesses al­so, truely reported, that there was by the vio­lence and vehemency of the same winde ta­ken vp, from one of the houses so consumed, and standing not farre from the Church, a flake of thatch inflamed, as broad as it were a sheete, and caried quite and cleane ouer the Chauncell of the Church, the schoolehouse, and some other housing of the west side of the towne, and fell vpon some of the housing of the east side of the said towne, where also it burned some fifteene or sixteene baye of building as I take it. To all this we may adde, as meanes to increase this inkindled flame, [Page 17]the carefulnes of the people, come together out of the fieldes, and their carelesnes also. If any man thinke it strange, that such contraries should either be in one and the selfe same sub­iect, or further one and the selfe same action, let him weigh, that the care that they had, to carrie some of their goods out of their dwel­ling houses, into the streetes and other places, least the fire also should haue taken hold ther­of, made them carelesse to stop the passage of the fire, which driuen as I say, by the force of the wind, did not only passe speedily from one place to another, but made as it were a glade from the end of the town, on the back­side of it especially, euen to the Churche or temple yet standing there (thanks be to God) not much decayed or defaced, to the end the people might more diligently resorte and re­paire thereto, and more fruitfully profite by the heauenly exercises there performed, than ther haue done, or else God will proceed fur­ther, yea more fiercely against it, the towne and all. And which is not of least consequēce concerning this cause: Though the people of the countrey came in very louingly and readily, (many of them leauing their owne labours, and freeing their hired workemen [Page 18]from their taske, and paying them notwith­standing their daies wages) to helpe to extin­guish and quench the fire, and indeed though diuers of them wrought and toiled very sore and hard there about: yet some thorow want of experience, in such particular actions and causes, and other some for lacke of good gui­dance and directiō, (a special remedie doubt­lesse in such extreame and dangerous causes) tooke not the readiest and easiest way to stop or hinder the passage of this fearefull flame, but being as commonly people are, in other cases of greater quiet, and therefore no mar­uaile in this hurly burlie, of many mindes, what thorowe ignorance and strangenes of the sight, and want of experience in such vn­usuall actions, confounded in themselues, cried some one thing and some another, and indeede did some one thing and some ano­ther, all supposing they saide and did for the best, but indeed, though not of purpose (for I dare not so much as thinke that any caried such bad minds) increased rather the desola­tion and wast, than any manner of way lesse­ned the same.

In all this lamentable discourse or narrati­on, there are surely many points worthy the [Page 19]obseruation and marking: all and euerie one whereof directly tende to the manifestation of most excellent things in God himselfe, for example, his great power, his gracious pro­uidence, his perfect iustice, his heauenly wis­dome, and mercie more than fatherly, yea more than can be spoken or thought of: and to the declaration of many foule and feareful corruptions, that lie lurking in vs, and altoge­ther serue for our Christian admonition and instruction, as well for that which is past and present, as also for all time hereafter to come, specially if wee haue eies to see the wayes of God in his works, or hearts to tremble at his iudgements, or mindes that can bee affected with his fauours, or any grace and abilitie to make good vse either of the one, or of the o­ther. For tell me I pray you first, was not this a plaine proofe of his power, vpon so small beginnings to make so great a flame, and wa­sting fire? to execute his iudgement by so weake instruments and meanes? to raise vp the creatures for the further dispersing of the iudgement? to accomplish his owne purpose and counsell, in so short a season, and small a time? to strike such feare and amazednes into the mindes, not onely of weake women and [Page 20]little children, but of men (who seeme to haue more courage and wisdome) that their heads should not be able to deuise what were most profitable, nor their hands fit to execute anie thing to speake of in comparison? If any and euery one of these be euident declarations of his might and maiestie, what then are al these together, but strong instruments more effec­tually to perswade our hearts in his all-wor­king and almightie power? And dooth not this shew his wonderfull prouidence, that he did not onely beare the persons of all and e­uery one of them, as it were vpon the wings of his gracious goodnes, so as wee may by a manner of speech saye, and confesse it to the glory of his name, and the strengthening of our perswasion in trouble against time to come, that not one of them did so much as dash his foot against a stone, but spared much of that, that the fire had, as wee may say, laid handes on, and the flame no doubt, woulde haue consumed that, that it had fearefully ta­ken hold of, had not he restrained it, and kept it as it were in his fist? Doth not this argue hisiustice, in striking for sinne? he that know­eth Gods nature will easily giue glory to God in it, and confesse the truth. For we know by [Page 21]the trueth of the worde, and our experience and obseruation in the world, that he deligh­teth not in punishing the sonnes of men, and if their transgressions were not as it were ga­ble ropes to hale downe iudgements, surelie men should neuer taste of this, howsoeuer it might be alwayes in the diuine nature. Nay I will say more. May wee not as well in the maner of the iudgement, as in the iudgement it selfe, yea in the very things striken with his wrath, beholde the haude of God punishing the sinnes of men, in those members and mat­ters, they had most abused to licenciousnesse and euill. Yea to speake more plainely of this particular, was it not a token of wrath from aboue, by fire to consume their bread, meate, and strong drinke, that they had prepared a­gainst the faire, thereby to put them in mind how they haue offended, yea doe offend (not­withstanding this chastisement and correcti­on) in abusing these blessings to gourman­dise, and drunkennes? And doth not this ma­nifest his wisedome, that in that outwarde iudgement he hath scourged, as sundry pro­phane and carelesse men, so some also that in some measure, do vnfainedly feare his name, heartily loue his trueth, and carefully walke [Page 22]in obedience of his will? And why hath hee done it? Surely that in both sorts, they them­selues and al men might see, that if God, as in respect of outward punishment, spare not his owne people (who are as deare to him as the apple of his eye) he will much lesse in this, or that which is to come, winke at the sinnes of the wicked, (for if iudgement beginne at the house of God, as Saint Peter saith, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospell of God?) and that his seruants might vnder­stand, that therefore they are chastened of the Lord in this life, to the end that the drosse of their corruption being scoured from them, they shoulde not perishe with this wicked world. And as for his mercie, what can wee cast our eie vpon (I will not say, if wee looke vpon it with sanctified and inlightned minds from aboue, but euen in the light of reason or nature) and that in this very desolation it self? or thinke vpon with our mindes, in which we may not see the glory of it breake forth as the sunne in his greatest brightnes? For if the Prophet Ieremiah for himselfe and his peo­ple, did frankly confesse it, as he doth indeed, Lament. 3. that it was the Lords mercie that they were not consumed: And the faithfull [Page 23]in Isaiah, willingly acknowledge, that vnles the Lord of hosts had reserued some, though but few, they had beene as Sodom, and made like vnto Gomorrah? Haue not wee as good cause, with vnfained minds and mouths, also to speak and declare the same? More than the one halfe of the towne, by much, was neither touched by fire (howsoeuer it was threatned therewith) nor receiued any great losse: and yet I hope they thinke not themselues more righteous than the rest, sure I am they should not imagine any such thing, for euē amongst them that felt not the flame, I am sure there were as great transgressors, as they that tasted of it. And as for them vpon whom the losse did light, and indeede lieth very heauilie, a great part of their dwelling houses, I confesse was sore set vpon & assaulted, yea very much scorched with fire, but yet not destroyed: much also of their goods or housholde stuffe graciously spared, though greatly defaced & impaired. And which is a very rare & strange thing, specially in so exemplary a iudgment, none of them or theirs, in their bodies or per­sons, hurt with this fearful flame. Nay which is more: of all that confused multitude that was there for needful help and succour, some [Page 24]running one way and some another, some crying one thing, and some another, some doing this, and some that, and all as if it were a beast of many heads for the time, by reason they were without good guides or gouerne­ment, not one of them all I saye, for ought I heard, maymed or hurt. Surely, if a better eie had not watched ouer them than humane, and a more not onely mightie, but gracious hand vphelde them, than their owne, a thou­sand to one as wee say in our prouerbe, but that in climing of houses, beating downe of tiles, occupying of axes, casting of water, (all which and many the like are vsed in such fearefull extremities) euery one besides run­ning thicke and threefold in anothers necke, but that diuers had beene wounded, if not slaine. And yet to the end we might behold, euen as it were with our bodily eyes, as well as with the eies of our minde, Gods great and gracious goodnes, not one of so many did miscarrie, or was as we may say, scarse tou­ched at all, with any dangers either deadly or grieuous. What shall we say then? without all controuersie, he that cannot learne by that which is past, to feare and tremble before God in so fearefull a iudgement, must needes [Page 25]be deemed to haue at the least, a carelesse hart, if not benummed and senselesse. For shall the Lion roare, and not all the beastes of the for­rest feare? And he that cannot bee thankfull for the gracious reseruation, that God of his meere mercie hath made both of men, buil­dings, goods, &c. and that as well for other mens as for his owne, may iustly bee said to bee of an vnthankfull minde and mouth to Godwarde, and of an vncharitable heart to­wards his brethren. And whosoeuer cannot vse it to further him in faith vnfained, and sincere repentance, as in regard of the former part of his life mispent, and for carefulnesse & circumspection for that which is to come, let him doubt at the least if not despaire of his present and subsequent condition. For if God shall giue vs so liuely documentes as these are, and wee not receiue instruction thereby, or bee in some good measure bettered there­by, both for knowledge, beliefe, and obedi­ence, hee shall haue iust occasion to take vp that grieuous complaint against vs, which he hath done to men of like qualitie and dispo­sition, and to say, Hearken O heauens, & thou O earth, heare, for the Lord speaketh: I haue brought vp children, yea I haue exalted them, [Page 26]but falling away they haue rebelled against me. The oxe knoweth his owner, and the asse his Masters cribbe, but Israell knoweth not, my people consider not. Ah sinfull nation, ah peo­ple laden with iniquitie, a very wicked seede, corrupted children: they haue forsaken the Lorde, they haue contemptuously prouoked the holy one of Israell: wherefore should ye be smit­ten any more, sith you increase your falling a­way: the whole head is dangerouslie sicke, and the whole heart languisheth, from the sole of the foote to the toppe of the head, there is no soundnes, but wounds and swellings, and a sore that runneth continuallie, &c. which mise­rable mischiefes, and grieuous inconuenien­ces, that we may thorow Gods goodnes spee­dily auoide, as also by the same assuredly at­taine the contrary good thinges: it shall bee good for vs to marke, first the hand that stri­keth vs, lest otherwise not knowing that, we runne whither wee should not, and forsake that we ought to cleaue vnto. Secondly, the causes mouing such exemplary iudgement, because the ignorance thereof may make vs to lay it where wee should not, and to cleere them that wee ought to charge. And lastly, the endes that are aimed at in these chastise­ments, [Page 27]because as we are not afflicted with­out cause, so we are not chastised but to some good and holy purpose.

Hee that thus correcteth men, is euen the eternall God himselfe, as we may well see, not only by this generall sentence of the Prophet Amos, saying, Is there any euill in the citie that the Lord hath not done? chap. 3. meaning by the terme euill, the euill of punishment and affliction, and not the euill of sinne and trans­gression, because God cannot that way (hee is so absolutely good) be an actor at al: but al­so by the particular confession, that Iob the holy man of God maketh, when hee saith, e­uen of the greatest iudgements almost, that can fall out vpon men in this life: The Lorde hath giuen, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. And as Gods word doth almost euery where in plaine and audi­ble termes affirme the same, saying, The Lord doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him, both in heauen, and in earth, and in all deepe places: so rea­son grounded vpon religion confirmeth it likewise. For if this be not so, why doe we say we beleeue with our hearts, and confesse with our mouthes that God is almightie? Is it not because wee are certainly perswaded [Page 28]both by the will of GOD reuealed in his worde, and by his workes manifested in the world, that no such things as these, are or can bee performed, but by not onely his permis­sion and prouidence (which indeed reach not vnto the actions of God, otherwise than as he suffereth and foreseeth the same, but to his determinatiō, councell, foresight, or appoint­ment) but by his al-sufficient might and po­wer also, at all times, in all places, and in all thinges, ruling, yea ouerruling the same, ac­cording to the good pleasure of his owne will: which if it were not true, we should in our profession of it, haue been found falsi­fiers of trueth, and in our perswasions of it, deceiuers of our owne hearts. Neither doth this hinder it (howsoeuer in humane reason it may seeme so) that in the execution of his councels, he vseth means. For as we are sure, that with meanes, and without meanes, yea and against meanes too, hee can performe whatsoeuer he will, either as in regard of the grieuous punishment of the wicked, or as in respect of the mercifull deliuerance of his owne people (which we may plainly and par­ticularly see, in the passage of the Israelites thorow the red sea, that not only giuing thē [Page 29]way, but being as a wal for them on the right hand, and on the left, and seruing of or the drowning of the Egyptians therein) so hee both appoynteth and vseth the meanes, not for any impotencie, or weaknes in himselfe, for hee is the God of all might and power, communicating it in great measure to many, and yet hauing neuer a whit the lesse in him­selfe, and brideling that that hee hath giuen them, making their rage also to turne to his praise, but that he might the more effectually humble, who being grosse of nature, are hardly brought vnder, or made to stoope, but by such apparant and forcible meanes. And this may appeare, not onely then when he v­seth grosse and outward meanes (and yet the same powerfull also) because they better sort with our nature, & more liuely affect all our senses, but euen then when hee maketh the weakest, and the meanest able to effect most great and excellent matters. And therfore vn­les we be in sinne hardned as flints, these and such like things, cannot chuse, but pinch and pearce vs very farre. To apply all this to our particular, as purpose, so past, yea and if you will present visitation also: which howsoe­uer, as in regard of time it be past alreadie, yet [Page 30]are the monuments, & the very cinders ther­of so present before vs, that all our senses, sight, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting, may still, yea and I feare me will a long while bee satisfied therewith. Wherein though the Lord vsed the carelesnes and negligence of a sillie poore wretched woman, for the begin­ning of this punishment, as you haue heard alreadie; and though for the continuance, in­crease and carrying of it, yea scattering of it abroad, he raised vp a mightie wind, & other instruments and meanes aboue expressed, to serue his own turne with, for the declaration of his maiestie, and the chastisements of the sinnes of the people: yet still if wee haue any grace, we must stedfastly looke vpon him, & vnfeignedly cōfesse, that he as it were alone, hath wrought this great worke. And the knowledge and practise of this poynt dooth holy Iob teach vs, and that not onely in mat­ters of the like nature and euent, but in such plaine termes also, as wil admit or receiue no other construction. For howsoeuer he was not ignorant of, yea by the credible report of his escaped seruants, he knewe well enough, and was perswaded, that the Caldeans, Sabe­ans, Satan and al, had as it were conspired and [Page 31]consented, but yet euerie one, in and about the thinges wherein they were imployed, as for example, in driuing away his cattle, as it had beene a praye or spoyle obtained in iust warre, in the ouerthrowing of that house wherein his children were banquetting, and in the rest of the miseries and afflictions that God was pleased to exercise him withall, yet doth he from the hart, frankly and freely con­fesse and say, The Lord hath giuen, the Lorde hath taken away: And to his discomfortable and wicked wife affirme, Shall wee receiue good at the hand of God, and not receiue euill also? And indeed if we be not thorowly per­swaded of this in our hearts, as by the cleere light of the worde, so by the gracious wor­king of Gods blessed spirite in our seuerall soules, we shall with the blind and superstiti­ous of the world, irreligiously ascribe as they doe, the matters and occurences that fall out in this life, to fortune and secondary causes, which is nothing else in trueth, but to spoyle and robbe the diuine maiestie of his power, prouidence, wisedome, iustice, and whatso­euer therein is most excellent. And if we doe not with a sound mind and mouth, giue glo­ry to God therin, and confesse it to the praise [Page 32]of his name, surely it is impossible, either to minister soūd consolatiō to others that are distressed, a dutie that in charitie we are bound to performe towardes men, or with patience and comfort to vndergoe our owne calami­ties and miseries, a cause that we ought great­ly to care for, or quietly and confidently to expect a ioyfull issue of them and way to e­scape therefrom, a matter that we must pati­ently hope for, or else all will bee nought on our sides. For howe is it likely that a man should quietly indure the crosses and losses that fall vpon him, who knoweth not that they are inflicted, not onely by a superior, but by an absolute ouerruling power, and the same not vsurped, but most holie, lawfull, & iust? or howe can hee so much as thinke of a comfortable deliuerance, that is not well and thorowly perswaded of the almightie pow­er and prouidence of God, who if he worke it not for him, it can neuer be effected? And if hee cannot as a skilfull Phisitian, heale the maladies and sicknesses of his owne soule, and minister consolation to his owne conscience, how shall wee imagine him able to doe it to others? For as for mēs mischieuons minds (if our crosses and calamities come altogether [Page 33]from them) they cannot be satisfied, till wee bee ruinated and ouerthrowne: and Satans malice specially against Gods people, hath neither end nor measure, if it bee not restrained. This perswasion therefore, that we are vnder Gods almightie hand and power, in whatso­euer state or condition we be, being well set­led in our hearts, will vndoubtedly cause vs, that in the time of our prosperitie, wee shall not be puffed vp in pride aboue measure, and in the daies of our aduersitie, not to bee too much depressed, but euen for the time pre­sent patiently to beare, and for the time to come, with comfort to expect and waite for such a deliuery and issue out of all troubles, as the Lord shall see to be fit for the glory of his name, the benefit of his people, and our own euerlasting good. Whereas without this, we shal either with some of the wicked languish away in distrustfulnesse; murmuring, and all manner of impatiencie, or with other some fall to vngodly deuises and shiftes, imagining either to haue our necessities satisfied by cō ­sonage, fraud, force, theft, or some such like wicked way, or else that our griefes may and shall bee recouered by repayring to witches, sorcerers, coniurers, and sundry other such [Page 34]wicked persons, the practise wherof we may beholde to too many in our time ouertaken withall, and running ryot to that great and grieuous excesse of euill. Wherefore wee may well see and say, that it much standeth vs in hand indeed, yea and greatly importeth all and euery one of vs, to bee rightly and religi­ously perswaded, as of other grounds & prin­ciples of Christian religion, so of this one point particularly, and that not onely for the auoyding of iniquitie and sinne, in louing & liking, in seeking and striuing to them, whō for their grosse and grieuous transgressions, we ought to loath and abhorre, but euen for the faithfull accomplishment of many good duties in pietie towardes God, in charitie to­wards men, and in comfort and patience, as in respect of ourselues. For otherwise, how shall wee stedfastly trust in, or religiously call vpon him, whome wee beleeue not to bee al­mightie? or how can wee comfort our selues or other men, if there bee any power that is either equall with, or can ouerrule the same?

Nowe wee are to see what causes should moue the Lord, in such fearefull measure and manner, as many times he doth, to exercise & [Page 35]execute his iudgements. Of a truth it procee­deth not of himselfe, and his owne nature, as though hee tooke pleasure in punishing the sonnes of men. For the scripture telleth vs in many places, that hee is as it were of another disposition, namely, slow to wrath, & of great goodnes, and inclinable to much mercie, (for which purpose see Exod. 34. and Psalm. 86.) neither indeede delighteth hee to afflict his owne creatures, specially man the excellentest and chiefest of the rest. Some thing then frō elsewhere, must of necessitie draw him and driue him to doe it, or else it could neuer bee performed From our selues therefore surely, and our most grieuous transgressions, is the first, yea and as a man may say, indeede is the onely cause of all our miserie, of what kinde, sorte, or condition soeuer it bee, either out­warde in the bodie, or inwarde in the minde, temporall in this life, or euerlasting in that which is to come. Which because men are not easily perswaded of, nor willingly yeelde to (pride and conceitednes concerning some good things in themselues, taketh so strong hold of them, and possesseth them so mighti­ly) God in sūdry places of the holy scripture, doth not onely plainely describe the corrupti­on [Page 36]of mans nature, saying, The thoughts and imaginations of mans heart are onely euill, e­uery day from his youth vpwarde: and againe, There is none that doth good, no not one, they are al become corrupt & abominal le, &c. But also by his Prophet peremptorily telleth vs, that our sins are they that make a separatiō be­twixt the Lord and vs: and againe in another place, Thy destruction O Israell is of thy selfe. For the further cleering and confirmation of which point, we are to marke that God at the first made man, iust, holy, innocent, righte­ous, &c. but he not continuing in that excel­lent estate, corrupted himselfe and all his po­steritie, who as they were by creation in his loynes, so were they all standing with him in innocencie, had hee stoode, and falling toge­ther with him thorow transgression. So that nowe it is no more naturall for man, as man, that is to say, vitiated and corrupted as hee is, to breath or speake, than it is for all and euery one of them, euery way and euery day to sin. On the other side, God is a God, with whom there can dwell no manner of wickednes, yea whose eies can at no hand behold that which is euill, whether it bee in deuise, or desire, in thought, in word, or in deede. As soone ther­fore [Page 37]as man hath sinned any manner of waye, so soone hath hee plunged himselfe, as in re­gard of Gods absolute and exact iustice, into most grieuous and fearefull iudgements. And though God strike not presently therefore (as wee see many times, according to his nature inclinable to mercie, yea mercie it selfe, hee doth with much patiēce and lenitie forbeare) wee must not thinke as the wicked doe, that either he doth it not, because he cannot, (for what is it that hee cannot accomplish?) or be­cause hee careth not for the sins of our soules, for wee know that hee hateth sinnes, and sin­ners to, but rather to expresse the wonderfull ouerflowing mercie that is in him, waiting for mens conuersion if it may be, yea assaying to worke it by all good meanes possible, or else that forbearing them, and they not amen­ding, he way the more sharply and seuerely in his iustice punish thē for abusing of his good­nes, and turning his grace into wantonnes, as the Apostle saith. Which thing the world either not soundly knowing, or else not sin­cerely confessing the same to bee true, falleth into fearefull, dangerous, yea deadly extremi­ties: sometimes accusing God of iniustice, as as that either he striketh them without cause, [Page 38]or more than by reason of the offence com­mitted, they haue deserued: sometimes they post the cause of their punishment, from them selues to others, supposing that other mens sinnes rather than their owne, haue thus pro­uoked the Lord: and sometimes againe, they ascribe or attribute all to secondary causes, as to such a coniunction and influence, of such and such planets, to the negligence or reach­lesnes of such and such persons, to the strēgth and power of such and such windes and wa­ters, &c. And sometimes they doe prophane­ly charge and accuse their miserable mishap or fortune, as they call it, making her with the heathen a God, or goddesse: and sometimes they fling out into one corruption, and some­times to another. By meanes whereof, they as much as in them lyeth, rob God of his go­uernement, as though there were any thing that without him or against him did beare sway in the worlde, and spoile him of his iu­stice, as though that he, which indeede is the onely iust iudge of the worlde, could doe in­iustice or wrong, and forget his long forbea­ring hande: and so besides that they depriue him of his honour in thankfulnes, profite not therby to amendment, & make other things, [Page 39]namely creatures, God, & a creator as it were, yea sometimes such things as neuer were in the nature of things, but in mans imagination and conceite onely, and hinder themselues, & it may be others likewise, by their bad exam­ple also, from the sight and sense of sinne, yea from religious repentance, and godly sorrow for the same, whereby they might be led vn­to amendment of life, not to bee repented of, and plunge themselues into innumerable paines of bodie and soule here, and without speciall fauour and grace of forgiuenes from God (who onely forgiueth sinnes) into euer­lasting tormērs in the world to come. Wher­as Gods children are so far off from entering into these corrupted courses, that many times before iudgements, I will not say haue seazed vpon them, but euen before they haue beene threatned against them, haue yet in the reue­rend feare which they haue had in their harts of them, either humbled themselues, and as we may say, preuented the pouring foorth of Gods wrath vpon them: or else at the thun­dering out of the same, or the first stroake thereof laide vpon them, haue soundly and speedily cast downe themselues at the feete of Gods mercie, in faith vnfained, and sincere [Page 40]repentance, & so if not remoued the tempo­rary or outwarde punishment (and yet vpon their submission, God hath been pleased ma­ny times, graciously to graunt the same) haue notwithstanding found fauor from the Lord to vndergoe it for the present with patience and prayer, and sincerely to profite by it (yea indeed to ouercome it) to Christian mortifi­cation and holy obedience.

As for the ends, why God should strike vs, we must know and beleeue, that it is impossi­ble that they should be (whether wee respect them in themselues, or as they proceed from him that is onely good) of any other nature than hee is. For as all his affections and acti­ons are meerely and absolutely good, so must also all his purposes, and the ends that he ai­meth at be likewise, though alwaies happilie by reason of Satans malice and mans corrup­tion, they bring not forth this effect in man. To make this plaine by some particulars. His loue is absolutelie good, and no man that knoweth what either GOD or nature meaneth, can deny it: for if the loue of earth­ly creatures, as of parentes to children, hus­bandes to wiues, friendes to friends, &c. bee good and lawfull, then that which is in and [Page 41]from the diuine maiestie must much more be so, because it is more certaine, more holy, and indeed infinite, he hauing it also in himselfe, and of himselfe absolutely & perfectly good, whereas others haue it but by communicati­on, and that in measure, and in men much vi­tiated and corrupted thorow the taint of ori­ginall sinne. And yet this so excellently and absolutely good, he laboureth to manifest, as in the correction of all men generally, so par­ticularly of his owne people and children, ac­cording to which the spirite saith, in the A­postle to the Hebrewes. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lorde, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him, for whome the Lord loueth he chastiseth, and hee scourgeth e­uery sonne that he receiueth: And if we bee without correction whereof all are partakers, than are we bastards, and not sons and dauhg­ters. Wherefore sith in this and such like ac­tions, hee aimeth at the manifestation of his loue, and that is indeede the principall end of his chastisements, specially as in regard of his owne people, it cannot be but good. True it is that flesh and bloud seeth not this, nor thin­keth so. The reason is, because their eyes are blind, and their vnderstandings darke. But as [Page 42]it is not reason, because a blinde man behol­deth not the Sunne, to conclude, there is no Sunne: so is it absurd to say, because the wic­ked worldlings, neither feele nor feare these things, therefore they are not. For these are as all the rest of the things of God, specially as in respect of his purpose & end, spirituall, and therefore must bee spiritually discerned: but they are carnall, and sold vnder sinne. A­gaine, in as much as since the deprauation & corrupting of Gods image, wee are nothing els but both in bodie and soule tainted with all manner of euill: and sith that euen since our regeneration and new birth, wee carrie about with vs (so long as wee dwell in these houses of clay, and earthly tabernacles) the re­likes and remainders of sinne: and we know by the light of the word, euery where almost reuealing it, and by the stinging testimony of our owne heart (which euen telleth it vs eue­ry day that wee rise vp, and euery night that we lye down) that sinne displeaseth his bles­sed maiestie, and God hath appointed punish­ments and corrections, both outward & in­warde, as one speciall meane to represse the rage and power of euill in vs, whilest it scou­reth from vs the drosse of our corruption, [Page 43]and so mortifying in some measure sinne in vs, fashioneth vs the better and more effectu­ally vnto sanctification (for this wee may as­sure our selues of, that the decay of the one, is the increase of the other) we may euen there­by see, as if it were in a most cleere and liuely looking glasse, that he aimeth at in these cor­rections, which he hath sealed, not onely his owne glorie, but our good, both temporall and eternal, in this work of fatherly chastise­ment and affliction. And this sure cannot chuse but be good also, howsoeuer somtimes by reason of the thicke clowde of our owne corruption, interposed between Gods works and our reformed iudgement, wee cannot so sensibly see, or so plainly perceiue the same, as we would or should. Neither is this al, the bettering of vs in this life, but for as much as our good estate here, is in the purpose and councell of God, yet through his owne mer­cie and grace onely, infinitely as I may say, to be bettered in the life that is to come, and af­flictions doe not only frame vs to obedience in this world, but in some sort pledge vp vn­to vs the saluation of our soules in eternall blessednes, according to which the Apostle affirmeth: We are chastened of the Lorde in [Page 44]this world, that wee should not perish with the wicked in that which is to come. And againe the spirit in another place sayth: By many tri­bulations we must enter into the kingdome of God. Men by all this should be perswaded, of the holy purposes & blessed ends of Gods vi­sitation, and earnestly labour by these (sith God also himselfe is pleased by them, to aime at that end, and to effect that grace in vs) to be out of loue and liking with this present euill world, and all the vanities and delights of the same, vsing it and them no further, than as by it and them we may be furthered in more ex­cellent graces, and to hunger and thirst after that eternal felicitie, that is laid vp in the hea­uens for all those, that in faith, patience, pray­er, and other good works, looke for and long after his blessed appearing.

Thus we see what God mindeth to effect by striking vs: but whether these fruites fol­low in mē, let our own practise declare. We are so far off from taking these things as pled­ges of his loue, that the more he layeth vpon vs that way, the more we thinke he hateth vs. And the reason is, because we measure these matters, not by the line or elne of reason re­formed, or religious reason, but by our vnder­standing [Page 45]much corrupted & defaced, frō that integritie which it had in creation. And then how can we in that darkenes see light, seeing that hindereth vs frō beholding graces more cleere than these, that are to be seene in afflic­tions and corrections? And if wee cannot see in them his loue, till the thicke scales of our ignorāce be pulled frō the eies of our minds, and vnderstanding, howe shall wee perceiue that he assayeth our good therem, til the same also be remoued and taken away? For as we are hardly perswaded of this, that strokes te­stifie the fauor of him that soundly & round­ly layeth them vpon vs: so shall flesh & bloud neuer yeelde to this, that blowes better vs, till the hearte specially inlightned beleeue the same, and wee know either by experience in our selues, or by obseruation in others, that they haue not by nature, but by grace, gained that glorious issue. The like may wee say of pledging vp vnto vs the hope of heauen. For what man, if hee haue not more in him than man, will imagine that so harde a measure of afflictions and sorrowes, as lie not onely vp­on the backs, but are in the soules of men, yea godly men, should testifie vnto them such hea­uenly graces? wee rather say and see, that the [Page 46]father that beateth the child much and often, hardly mindeth to giue him the inheritance, and to make him Lord and heire of all. How­beit Gods word telleth vs, that it is far other­wise with Gods elect: for if wee suffer with Christ, wee shall raigne with him, and being made conformable vnto him in his afflicti­ons, wee shall also bee like him in glory, wee knowing that the momentany and light affli­ctions of this life, doe cause vnto vs, or bring with them a farre most excellent and eternall waight of glory. Nowe whether in these points it be better for vs, to beleeue God and his holy worde, or to trust our owne reason, and humane iudgement, I had almost said, let all the world iudge, but let the godly especial­ly speake their mindes, and deliuer their sen­tence according to truth and right.

Whatsoeuer hitherto hath beene deliue­red, concerneth especially, either the narrati­on it selfe, and the thing done as we say, or els some profitable pointes arising therefrom, or appertaining thereto. All which no doubt of it, are profitable, if they bee laide to heart, to build vs vp in knowledge and iudgement. But there is another thing besides, that as in all causes generally, so particularly in this, wee [Page 47]must carefully labour to attaine to: and that is conscience of the things that wee know, & care to profite by them, to the bettering of vs in this life before God and man, and in our owne hearts also, that so in the comfortable feeling of it, we may haue assurance of hope and heart, that we shall not be confounded in that which is to come. And to this we can­not come or bee brought, but by making spe­ciall vse of and particular applying vnto our owne soules, the points of instruction, or the seuerall and sundrie actions that God doth for, or amongst the sonnes of men. With­out which indeed, as in the publike ministe­rie, all paines taken is but labour lost, and as it were wordes spoken in the aire, as the exam­ples of former ages, and the experience of our owne times, doe but too sufficiently shewe: so in al priuate doctrines or documents, whe­ther they be deliuered by the audible voice of man, or propounded vnto vs by the workes of God, in his mercie towards his owne peo­ple, or in his iudgements towardes the wic­ked, will bee at the most, but as a wonder of nine daies, as we say in the Prouerbe, and like vnto water spilt vpon the ground. True it is, and I am sure euery good man will confesse [Page 48]it, that neither the one nor the other, can in­deed, either do vs good in this life, or further vs vnto eternall saluation (to make vs with­out excuse and defence before God, and in our selues, I denye not, but some power they haue) otherwise than as they are sanctified, by the almightie working of the blessed spirite. And therefore, when, or where, or howsoe­uer God dealeth with vs, we should presently and vnfainedly humble our selues in prayer, and call and craue for grace to profit thereby. Howbeit though that I meane the gracious worke of Gods spirit in our hearts, be a prin­cipall meane of our spirituall profiting, yet neither is it the only, neither indeed doth it fol low thereupon, that the others aboue recited, should be reiected or refused. For euen as in our naturall life, the first and chiefe cause of all is God himselfe, who as he giueth it vs, so vpholdeth it and maintaineth it, according to his good wil, that being here true that the A­postle saith, In him we liue, we moue, & haue our being: and yet no man so vnwise as to re­fuse meate, drinke, cloth, sleepe, and other ne­cessary helps and aides that way, for that were to tempt God, and to liue (if some one or o­ther could doe it) rather a miraculous than a [Page 49]naturall life, so in our spirituall life, though God by his holy spirite worke all in all, in the hearts of them that he hath marked out vnto eternall blessednes, yet no man that feareth God, or careth for his owne saluation, neg­lecteth, much lesse despiseth the worde, sa­craments, prayer, admonitions, exhortations, rebukes, publike, priuate, &c. but more care­fully frequenteth, and more religiously vseth the same, and laboureth more to treasure thē vp in his heart for goodnes, than hee doth all or any of the outward things appertaining to the body or naturall man. And euen so is it in this case, of applying to our purpose, and ma­king vse in our soules of the waies and works of God, generall or particular, open or secret. To that therefore wee come, as indeed vnto the life and soule of the other thinges before going, and therein direct our speech, as first to the whole land generally, who vpon euery such particular occasion should make speciall profite, as well because all the seuerall mem­bers in a kingdome, or in a Church, make but one politicall or ecclesiasticall bodie, and therefore if one suffer, all should suffer, and if one reioyce, all should do likewise, as also be­cause some in Gods purpose and iudgement [Page 50]are striken, that all or many others, at the least might amende, because all haue sinued and gone astraye, and stand in neede of the grace of God. And this is that surely that our Saui­our meaneth, when in the Gospell hee saith, were those Galileans, whose bloud Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, greater sinners than all the other? I tell you nay, but except ye amend your liues, ye shall all likewise pe­rish: so secondly to the particular persons, and places touched & afflicted with this pre­sent and searefull iudgement, who if others, then they much more, shoulde vnfainedly stoope downe, and hartily and hastily also humble themselues, vnder the hand that hath striken them, by how much not only in their own knowledge and conscience, their sinnes are greater than other mens, but also because the punishment was present in their eies, fell vpon their bodies, goodes, and houses, and shoulde (which whether it doth yea or no I know not, but if it do not, I pray God it may) more effectually therefore pearce and enter into their soules and spirites, for all time, pre­sent, and to come. What a mightie hande of God hath gone forth against the whole land, by manifold and fearefull fires in the seuerall [Page 51]quarters and corners of it? which whosoe­uer will but seriously thinke vpon them that are past, & recall to memorie those that how­soeuer men forget them, are yet fresh, and as it were bleeding in the harts and eies of them that feare God, hee caunot chuse but see and confesse strange and wonderfull iudgements. In some particulars behold the rest: the bur­ning of Beckles, the wasting of Nantwich, the cōsuming of Marleborough in the west, and which though it come in the last place is not the least iudgement, the destroying of Stratforde vpon Auon twise in one yeare, with that great and grieuous punishment. Nay let vs proceede further, London the bla­zing beacon to the whole lande, and the mo­ther citie of all the kingdome, hath bin made thorowe the iustice of God against it for sin, a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath to others, not onely while diuers priuate mens houses, goodes and possessions haue beene defaced thereby, but while the steeple of their cathe­drall Church (a place that many imagined for the deuotion and holines of it could not haue been touched with any such iudgement) was not onely inflamed and consumed it selfe, but ministred matter of feare also, and that not [Page 52]without good cause & respect, that it would haue fired the whole citie it selfe. Sundrie other sortes of iudgements hath God exerci­sed that famous place, and the whole lande withall, as with that infectiue and destroying sickenesse the plague or pestilence, that noy­some disease of the small pocks, measels, &c. great penurie and scarsitie of victuals, and by meanes thereof and together with the same, a generall dearth of all thinges, belonging ei­ther to the pleasures or the profits of this pre­sent life: to which also adde the threatning of the sworde for a fearefull inuasion, and the feare of domesticall stirres to disturbe our long and happie peace, with infinit others, ac­cording to the innumerable multitude of sins and transgressious multiplied against his ma­iestie, the very sting whereof standeth vp in our soules to accuse vs euery night when we lye downe, and euery day when wee rise vp. And yet who hath, I will not saye soundly profited by these things, for vnfained humi­liation before God, but thought seriously vp­on them for the bettering of vs, or for any o­ther good respect before men in the worlde. Certainely whosoeuer will looke into these things with a single eye, I doe not thinke the [Page 53]contrary, but hee shall clearely perceiue, that whatsoeuer iniquitie was in any particular person, state, or degree amongst vs, or what­soeuer disorder was either in church or com­mon wealth, it resteth notwithstanding this hand of iustice and iudgement gone foorth a­gainst vs still vnreformed: as though wee thought that God in heauen did not either beholde our sinnes, or did strike vs without cause, or as though there were no ende why hee did punish vs. And though it bee true in­deede, that in the midst of these iudgements, he hath remembred mercie, and hath not let his wrath lie hard vpon vs, lest we also might reach out our hands to iniquitie, but hath gi­uen vs great abundance of manifold fauours, turning our sickenes into health, our penurie into plentie, our dread of danger and distresse into all manner of holy ioy, and ouer and be­sides hath bestowed vpon vs the blessed light of his holy worde both in the publike mini­sterie & priuate exercises of it, the very know ledge and light of it breaking foorth as the flowings of the sea, if wee could so haue ac­cepted of it: and all this hath beene done to this end, that we might haue beene led by the lines of loue, and cordes of men, to haue wal­ked [Page 54]more vprightly and carefully with the Lord; who is the God of our life, and of our health, and of our peace and all: yet haue we misled by the malice of Satā, and thorow the corruption of our owne hearts, and deceiued by the pleasures of sinne, which indure but for a while, lift vp our heeles and our handes against him, and hardned our hearts and our faces against all his waies, in all his workes, either of mercie or of iudgement, for he that was filthie, is filthie still, and all the abomina­tions of the land (vnder the burden whereof also the very earth it selfe groaneth, and ther­fore men should much more mourne, if they were not senseles and graceles) are so farre off from being lessened and diminished, that they daily increase and get head amongst vs and o­uer vs, which whosoeuer wil but in vpright­nes of heart and iudgement, in the particulars consider of, cannot but giue glory vnto God, and herein acknowledge and confesse the trueth. As for the pride of the lande, it is in­creased, not onely by the excesse and abuse of our commodities at home, but by bringing in of forraine wares, and olde and newe fond deuises, which in the finenes and in the vari­etie and vanitie of them, do ouer and besides [Page 55]wast and weare the wealth of our own coun­trey, our golde, siluer, tinne, lead, and other things of worth and durablenes, being trans­ported for such trumperie. Gluttonie and drunkennesse, I thinke, did neuer so much a­bound, no not when England had the name for great hospitalitie and housekeeping, there being come now in the steed of it, not onelie amongst the poore, but amongst the rich, no­ble and all, either no housekeeping at all, or the same so pinching and miserable, as not onely the poore being readie to starue in our streetes, crie out of it, but euen the very ma­niall seruants, many times doe very bitterlie, and that not without good cause, complaine of the same also.

Touching the extortion, oppression, bri­berie, vsurie and other iniquities that euery where amongst high and low do daylie pre­uaile, what shall we say, the very stones in the streete, and the beastes in the fielde, and other dumbe and insensible creatures, though men should hold their tongues, doe in their kinde, seriouslie crie out against it and saye, euen as the Prophet did in his dayes, Iustice is turned into gall and wormewood, and the poore are bought and solde for siluer, and the needy for [Page 56]shooes: whoredome and filthie life, in al sorts and degrees of men, both openly and secret­ly, did neuer so much ouer flow and increase as at this day. The ciuill Magistrate saith, ei­ther he hath no law to punish it, or correcteth it at the most with a simple whipping: and as for those that haue the ecclesiasticall censures in their hands, they surely haue no will to do it, but vse their authoritie rather to picke mens purses, than to instruct their conscien­ces, and to conuert men vnto God. Yea, I wish with al my heart, that euen the very mi­nisters themselues, to whom for ought I see, there is no other thing left to represse euil by, than crying out against iniquity, were not in this as in other matters of as great conse­quence tongue-tied and mute, or else as the prophet saith in another place, that they were light and wicked persons, and had polluted the sanctuarie, and wrested the lawe. To re­hearse all transgressions in the seuerall sortes and particularities of them, would be too lōg and tedious, take one therefore, and the same as the most common, so the most grieuous, that by it we may iudge also of the rest: the prophanation of the Sabbath is the sin that I meane. Where is the man, woman, or child, [Page 57]that hath care and conscience publikely to sanctifie it, either by reuerent and religious preparing of themselues to come to publike assemblies as they should, or to repayre thi­ther duetifullie as they ought, or to carrie themselues there as beseemeth such heauen­ly exercises of prayer, preaching, &c. What househoulder, man or woman, what childe, what seruant hath any regard priuately to spend it well in meditation and conference of things publikely taught them, in singing of psalmes, in prayer, in thinking seriously vpon the creatures, in visiting the sicke, in dooing the workes of charitie and christian loue? Or rather who prophaneth it not in publike, and in priuate, by themselues and in company and in euery place almost: some by thinking it to be a day of bodily rest only, and there­fore giue themselues and theirs ouer to sleepe more and longer then, than on other dayes besides: other some making no more ac­count of the holy assemblies of the church, and religious exercises therein, than of pro­phane and common meetings, nor so much many times, and receiuing the word with no more reuerence & attention than a prophane tayle, other some sitting idle at their doores, [Page 58]gaping and gazing, suffering, yea some times commaunding their seruants and children to abuse it, by dicing, daunsing, carding, stoole­ball playing, and other vnlawfull and wicked recreations: others also poasting ouer their worldly affayres, as matters of accountes, re­payring to Iustices for execution of law, visi­ting and intertaining their friendes, and such other worldly things, to that daye, with a thousand such like abominations, fearefully committed and performed vpon that daye, that of all others should bee best spent. For these may not wee saye, as the Prophet spea­keth in cases of meaner importance: Shall not the land tremble for this, and euery one mourne that dwelleth therein? Or as another Prophet speaketh against the people that de­scended frō Iaakob, for their pride, contempt of Gods word; and other iniquities, Aram before, and the Philistines behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth, and yet for all this his wrath is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still: and good reason, for the people turneth not vnto him that striketh them iustly for their sinnes, nei­ther doe they seeke the Lord of hostes: there­fore will the Lord cut off from Israel, head [Page 59]and tayle, branch and bodie in one day. The auncient and the honorable man hee is the head, and the Prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tayle, with many such other things as fol­low in that ninth chapter of Isatah, which I would desire the godly reader, with care to looke vpon, and in conscience to make vse of. For who knoweth whether this bee yet, the day of Gods grace offered, and the accep­table time if it be receiued? Or who can tell whether this bee not a foretelling and a fore­running signe also, that the land may (and that or euer it be long, for ought we know) bee consumed with fire from the West, by the Turke, Pope, Spaniard, & other instruments of Gods wrath to punish a sinfull and rebelli­ous nation: All which would bee glad, not only for the inlarging of their territories and kingdomes, but euen of hatred more than cruell, and bloodie against vs to whet their teeth vpon our bodies and bones, and to bath their swords in our blood: or else who can or dare say, that this may not be an assured testi­monie, that the Lord Iesus shall shortly come in the cloudes, in a melting and consuming fire going before him, and destroying all things, with great power and glory to iudge [Page 60]the quick and the dead? Sin not at the height it is at, doth in full prouoke the one, & with earnestnes calleth for our aduersaries to come out against vs in troopes and armies, and on the other side all signes (if I be not deceiued) that should goe before that great and terrible daye of the Lorde bee accomplished already. Sith things then are so vncertaine, that wee knowe not when nor where, nor how the Lord will come vpon vs, and yet wee cannot but feare that hee is nigh, euen at the doore, why should wee deferre with the wicked, e­uen therein, or thereby, causing the Lordes wrath to breake forth against vs to our vtter confusion: or rather considering that all these things must bee dissolued, why doe wee not make this vse of it, to learne what manner of people wee should bee in holy conuersation and godly life, looking for, & hastning vnto the comming of that day of the Lord, by the which the very heauens being on fire, shall be dissolued, and the elements shall melt with heate? But who (I wil not say practiseth these things, for the number of such persons is al­most as rare in the world, as a blacke swanne amongst foules) thinketh vpon these things seriously? Surely, surely, the most part busie [Page 61]their mindes and their mouthes also farre o­therwise: for some giue themselues ouer to filthie and foolish speech, which not onely bringeth no grace or godly edification to the hearer, but rather corrupteth good maners. Other some though they fall not so fouly, yet are ouertaken in their discourses of plea­sure, of profit, hauking, hunting, merchan­dise, purchasing landes, &c. which though in themselues they be not euill, yet because they continually put better matter out of place, they are become the sin of their soules. And if it so fall out, that now and then, they or some of them stumble vpon good things, be it either in word or deede, by the motion of their owne minde, or occasion from others, it is certainely but as a flashe lightening, no man knoweth whence it commeth, nor whi­ther it goeth, and euen vanisheth away, as if it were in the first appearing of it. And there­fore surely thorow their sins of ignorance, negligence, carelesnes, contēpt & prophane­nes, it is likely that vengeance shall breake forth from the Lord in a grieuous both mea­sure and manner, & fearefully consume both bough and branch, roote and bodie, trunke stocke, and all in a day.

And if this bee the state and condition of the generalitie, as indeede it is, what shall be­come of the particulars, the whole bodie consisting of them as it were of seueral parts, but that they also must remaine vnder the same iudgement? To you therefore that now are vnder this hand & hammer of Gods hea­uie indignation is it that I write and speake. Can you deny, but that euen many dayes and yeares alreadie passed, you haue long agoe pulled this and a more grieuous iudgement by much, downe vpon you from almightie God? If you should, the heauens would blush at you, and the earth would beare witnes a­gainst you, and testifie vnto your faces, the fil­thines of your words and workes. Mee thin­keth it should bee farre better for you to giue glorie to God, and vnfeinedly confesse that it is his singular fauour to haue spared you so long, and that it is his more then common mercy, that ye were not al consumed. What hath been threatned against you out of Gods word, you cannot be ignorant of. What pu­nishments haue light vpō you, by the plague, the small pockes, and now this last fearefull fire, you cannot but feele. What? Hath God stricken you without a cause? Be it far from [Page 63]you, either to speake it or thinke it, for that were to condemne the most iust iudge of the world for your owne clearing, yea and to go against the stinging testimonie which euery day when you rise vp, and euery night when you lye downe, telleth you the cleane contra­ry. But if you should proceede to that height, are not other mē that haue watched ouer you, & preached & spoken vnto you in the name of the Lord, able to cōuince you of falsehood to your faces, and to throw the dounge of your iniquity vpon your countenances? Giue them therefore leaue to declare the truth to you, and labour to beare with patience, and to profit by the word of exhortation, sith it is directed to you for your good, and vnfeined humiliation also: for they knowe you, and your offences far better than you your selues. Perhaps you will thinke this speech strange, but deceiue not your owne hearts, I beseech you, for if you will weigh, that naturallie we are blinde to discerne sinne, and after they see it, yet many times they are partiall in their owne waies, and euen bleare vp their vnder­standing, and harden their hearts, and againe that they are more quicke and better sighted, to discerne other mens transgressions than [Page 64]their owne: as also that God reuealeth not the sinnes of the people vnto his faithful ser­uants the Prophets by the halfes, I think you would, or at the least I am sure you should be of another mind. To reckon vp all the par­ticulars were harde and impossible, for who can vnderstande his faultes? And yet not to lay downe some, were to faile in the iustifify­ing of the charge, which were vniust, and to let you alone in your iniquities, which shuld be vncharitable. This therefore I say, that a­mongst the infinite and innumerable sinnes of your soules, there are some particulars that haue beene and are most odious before God, and most apparant in the view of the world. Amongst which I reckon in the first place a fearefull contempt of godlines in the most of you, and a great and grieuous carelesnesse thereof euen in the best. How often and long hath God spoken vnto you, by the publike ministerie of his worde, in the holy exercises of prayer, preaching, administration and par­ticipation of his blessed sacraments? If you could haue seene your happines in that be­halfe, both for the length of them, & the gra­ces of the men that God vsed as meanes to publish his trueth vnto you, your fauors both [Page 65]waies not farre inferior to any congregation of the land, and in these respects indeede go­ing before many it had beene well: but how little you haue profited by them, nay howe carelesly you haue heard them, & how cold­ly you haue frequented them, your grosse ig­norance in the grounds of Christian religion sheweth the first, fewe or none of you being able to render a reason thereof, to them that shall aske you, & your sleeping in the church, talking one with another, and turning of your bookes there, and vsing of your owne priuate deuotions or prayers in the time of publike preaching & prayer, a grieuous trans­gression no doubt proueth the second: and your dayly and continuall absence therfrom, and specially vpon the Lordes day then lying in your beds, haunting of alehouses, riding and going abroad for your worldly affaires of pleasure and profite manifesteth the third. And how weary you are when you are there let this testifie: none preuent the time of pub­like assemblies, and some come in the midst of your exercises, to the great disturbance of the same, and others that are there: and that some againe before the sermons are finished, other some after the prayers made, and be­fore [Page 66]the singing of the Psalme, and the vsuall blessing to bee pronounced departe thence, wherof you as well as they that tarrie should be partakers, posting also out of the Church, as it were frō a play or may game, as though you supposed, that no more reuerence should be shewed there than in other places, or that some parte of diuine seruice belonged vnto you and not other some, whereas in trueth you ought to be alike partakers of the whole. And how should wee looke for any goodnes where this that is the seede of sinne, and the nurse of all abominations swayeth so much? Surely when men haue once cast Gods lawe behind their backes, and haue it not in deede in a high and reuerēd regard, what can there bee to restraine them from euill? or to direct them in good? Nay what shall not then bee right and lawfull, though indeede it bee ne­uer so corrupt and vile. From this therfore, as from a streame and fountaine of filthinesse, haue flowed all your othes, particular trans­gressions, as first for example your swearing and cursing: by the first blaspheming of Gods name, and haling down wrath and vengeāce from the Lord vpon your selues, your wiues, children, familie, friends, yea all the goodes [Page 67]and cattle that you haue and possesse, for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine, and sure wee are that the plague of God shal not depart from the house of the swearer: as also wee may perceiue by the signe of the flying booke mentioned Za­char. 5. in which were contained curses a­gainst euery one that sweareth, who also should be cut off as wel on this side, as on that: yea that this iudgement should enter into, and remaine in the midst of such swerers houses, and should consume the same with the tim­ber thereof, and stones thereof. And by the second not onely testifying the malice and madnes of your owne harts, against men and other creatures of GOD, vpon which you powre out the poyson of your mindes and mouthes, but drawing iniquitie with the cordes of vanitie, and sinne as it were with cart ropes, that so that might bee fulfilled in you, that in the book of Psalmes is spoken of the notorious wicked, As hee loued cursing, so shall it come vnto him, and as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him: and as hee clothed himselfe with cursing like a ray­ment, so shall it come into his bowels like water, and like oyle into his bones. And by [Page 68]both of them defiling the aire aboue you, and polluting the earth beneath you, with the creatures thereupon, yea by your bad exam­ples, infecting and corrupting your wiues, children, seruants, and all that haue any con­uersation or acquaintance with you, who ha­uing nothing to learne from you but that which is euill, will in the pronenesse of their owne nature to naughtinesse, easily treade in your bad steps, and much more easily resem­ble you in corruption, than other men in goodnes, by how much you doe more nigh­ly and straightly by many waies touch them than others. And as for your owne idlenes, and the bad bringing vp of your youth and children, both sonnes and daughters, it is pi­tifull to beholde, and I cannot without great griefe of heart, thinke or speake of it: what a shame before men, nay indeede what sinne is it before God, to see amongst you day labou­rers and men of manuall occupations (who according to Gods ordinance, and his iust pu­nishment vpon them for sinne, shuld eat their bread in the sweate of their browes, and get it as wee say with their fingers endes) haunt and frequent alehouses, spending there not onely houres, but dayes, and in that time be­sides [Page 69]the neglect of their callings, by which they should maintaine themselues and theirs, wasting that also which they haue gotten, & shuld be as the reward of their honest labors, so the necessary and needfull reliefe of their wiues, children, and other at home, where they should rather spend it in deede, to the in­crease of mutuall comforte amongst them­selues, than vpon the sonnes of Beliall, and wicked and lewd persons in those houses of vnthriftines, yea some of them of dishonesty? Now for your youth, is it not lamentable to see boies and girles, of tenne, twelue, yea a fourteene yeares of age, and many vnder these yeares also, to swarme in your streetes, and to runne vp and downe daily in mire and dirt, both wearing out their shooes, and spoy­ling their apparell, and that without laying their hands to any honest labours to get some thing towards their maintenance and reliefe? Yea and some of them I feare me that follow not this bad trade, worse occupied by much, in pilfering, breaking of hedges, learning to lie, sweare, and make no concsience of anie sinne. And as for those few that you seeme to put to learning, if you consider the places whither they goe, the persons to whome (I [Page 70]neede nor particularize this, for you knowe what I meane) and the small profite they take thereby, it were almost as small a transgressi­on before God and men, to let them liue idly with the rest, as to traine them vp in sorte as they are. God hath graciously prouided far better for you, if you coulde either see it or haue care and conscience to vse it well. As for your selues, you haue long agoe done what you could to put religion from you, by offering not onely manifold vnkindnesses to the persons that offered it vnto you, but con­tempt to the trueth it selfe, and yet though it be full sore against your willes, it is by hono­rable, and others, and those that loue you, and care for you more than your selues, vphelde still. And now what goe you about, namely to banish learning from you and yours? Per­haps you will think it a hard charge, but sure­ly it appeareth not onely by this, that you suf­fer your schoolehouse, the place appointed for the good bringing vp of your youth, to goe to foule decay, but haue no regarde at all in a manner that they might attaine to some good measure of knowledge in humane lear­ning, what will bee the issue consider: in a word. Contempt of the worde carieth with [Page 71]it alwaies all maner of impietie: and lacke of knowledge, breedeth all barbarousnes: and then what can you look for, but euen to haue that fulfilled in you, that the scripture spea­keth of a rebellious and stifnecked people, E­phraim shall eate vp Manasseh, and Manasseh Ephraim, and so you to become a sauage and wilde people deuoid of pietie, charitie, religi­on, righteousnesse, loue, &c. and filled with all manner of vngodlines and sinne, to which as seemeth to me by your crooked paths, you haue made more than post haste already. And though God by many crosses and losses laide vpon you and yours, labor to stay you there­from, and particularly hath plagued almost al of you, with great and grieuous pouertie, (more I am sure than many of you will bee knowne of) so that (some few of you excep­ted) you liue for the most part by shifting, if not vnhonest deuises and trades: yet you will not see the hand that striketh you with beg­gerie as it were, and contempt for your idle­nes and carelesnes, and so turne vnto him, but shifting it from your selues vnto others, vn­iustly laye the fault vpon those that in manie respects haue been but too bountifull and be­neficial vnto you and yours. And yet I would [Page 72]euen from the bottome of my heart, if GOD saw it so good, that your iniquitie and sinne had staied here, and had not proceeded fur­ther. But surely it is farre otherwise with you: for as the godly thorow the light of God his truth, and the powerful working of his bles­sed spirite, are mightilie caried from faith to faith, & frō one good work to an other, so are you in Satans malice against you, and the strength of your owne corruption violently harried from one transgression to another e­uill, that so that may be true in you, that the Apostle speaketh. The wicked must waxe worse and worse, and filling vp the measure of their transgressions, bee at the last ouer­whelmed with his most fearefull and iust iudgements. What shall I say of your exces­siue drinking, abusing therein and therewith that and many other his good creatures, gi­uen you sometimes for necessitie especially, and some times for delight also, I confesse? yea, is it not written in many of your faces and foreheads, so that hee that regardeth but the rednes of your eyes, the heate of your countenances, the swelling of your vaines, and sundry such other outward signes of in­temperancie, might with small a doe poynte [Page 73]and painte out, what manner of men you are, and as if it were with great capitall letters written in your foreheads, so as hee that run­neth may reade the same, see and behold bou­ling and quaffing written therein? And yet herein is this your sinne amongst others, be­come exceedingly sinfull, that many of you leaue your owne houses, and go vp & down to other places for strong drinke and compa­ny, and not contented therewith, you delight to drawe others from townes and places a­broad and rounde about you, to be partakers with you of the selfe same iniquitie, and that not onely vpon your market and fayre daies, and times of resort, but euen vpon other daies of the weeke, yea vpon the Lords day it selfe, wherein you are so farre off from withstan­ding euill, that not one of you yet for ought I knowe, hath been found either to represse this foule vice of quaffing and drunkennes in your selues, or to shut your doores against them that fall into riot and excesse that way. Adde vnto these, the adulteries, whoredomes and fearefull filthinesses that haue heretofore, and daylie doe fall out amongst you, and then you shall see also, whether God haue cause­leslie stricken you, with this and other iudge­ments: [Page 74]or whether you haue not indeede good cause for the same, vnfeinedly and speedily to humble your selues least other­wise the wrath begun, proceede and breake forth, to an vtter wasting of you and yours. For your secret sinnes that way, I will say no­thing, but leaue them to God to whome they are best knowne, and to your owne hearts, which should bee touched with a godly sor­row for them, and for your other iniquities likewise. Consider a little I pray you of your open transgressions, and waigh them for a­mendment of life. Diuers of your daughters and maidseruants, haue beene in former time and of late, shamefully defiled. Your sonnes and other of your families, haue been the au­thors and the actors of this grieuous villanie, wherein also sundry of them haue growne to this shamelesnesse in their sinne, that they haue gone with out stretched necks, and bra­sen foreheads, as though they had done none iniquitie at all. Your towne by this mernes too much impouerished alreadie, hath beene charged with the keeping of a bastardlye broode, beside other foule inconueniences that haue followed & flowen from this grie­uous transgression. To reckon vp the rest [Page 75]of your iniquities would bee to too tedious, by these labour to learne, to loth, and to leaue them, and all the other whatsoeuer, & sound­ly and speedily to turne vnto the Lorde, and no doubt but you shall find fauor, for yet with the Lord there is mercie, that he may bee fea­red. Otherwise, know and assure your selues, that if thorowe the pleasures of sinne which indure but for a while, your hearts shall bee hardened, and you either put the euill day farre from you, or do not with speede turne vnto God, in a holy conuersation and amend­ment of life, you and yours shall both feele the hande of God pursuing you in this life, and eternally perish in that which is to come. Good and bad are this day propounded vnto you, and the way of life and death set before your eyes, Looke well to it, and beware that the Lord haue not iust occasion thorow your carelesesse and contempt of his trueth, to say, Thy destructon, O Israell, is of thy selfe, I knowe that the waies and the workes of a mans life, are not in his owne hands or pow­er, but that it is God that worketh in vs, both the will and the deed according to his own good pleasure. Notwithstanding, sith [...] hath beene so gracious to offer, let not [...] [Page 76] [...] least otherwise [...] harde against [...] we shall [...]. And that which i [...] the Angle­ [...]es of [...] in [...]me particular hand, [...] to you [...] doe in the largenes of my [...] speake and wish vnto the whole land, whose peace and prosperitie I will pray for & to my utter most (God assisting me) procure al the daies of my life.