[Page] REFORMATION AND DESOLATION: OR, A Sermon tending to the Discovery of the Symptomes of a People to whom God will by no meanes be reconciled.

Preached to the Honourable House of Com­mons at their late solemne Fast, Decemb. 22. 1641.

By Stephen Marshall B. D. Minister of Finching­field in ESSEX.

Published by order of that House.

Zeph. 2. 1, 2. Gather your selves together, yea gather together O Nation not desired, before the decree bring forth.

LONDON, Printed for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brasen Serpent in Pauls Church­yard, 1642.

To the Honourable House of Com­mons, now assembled in Parliament.

IT pleased this Honourable Assembly to re­quire my service in preaching at the late solemne and religious afflicting your soules before the Lord, to which not only my duty but experience of your former acceptance of my endeavours, made me yeeld a ready obedience. But although I knew your goodnesse would beare with that weaknesse which would be discovered in speaking to so grave and judicious an auditory; yet could I not ex­pect to receive so large a testimony, not only of your accepta­tion, but thanks, as I and my Colleague have done, much lesse that you should so expresly send to have them published; because now what blame shall be cast upon my insufficiency in handling and prosecuting such a subject, must in some sort reflect upon your selves. For my selfe I answer all ob­jections against my sending them abroad, with this, that they are yours, and it is fit for me to yeeld unto your dis­posing of them.

For the maine lesson handled, the Lord grant that our seeking him while he may be found, may prevent us from being a further proofe of it to other Nations, and succeeding generations.

And to this end, the same Lord guide and blesse unto [Page] us, and reward into your owne bosomes, and your posterities, all the many, long, and unwearied labours which you have undergone, and still continue in for the glory of his name, the reformation of his Church, the honour of his Majesty, the peace and prosperity of the whole Realme. This is so generally desired and sought for at Gods hands, that I hope the God who heareth prayers, will not leave the happinesse imperfect, which he seemes to have prepared by your meanes, nor deprive us of the good which you are working. To his wisedome, protection, mercy, and grace, he leaves you, who is your daily Remembrancer at the Throne of Grace.

STEPHEN MARSHALL.

A SERMON PREACHED at the late Fast, before the COMMONS House of PARLIAMENT.

2 KINGS 23. 26. Read also Vers. 25.

And like unto him (that is King Iosiah) there was no King before him hat turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soule, and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses; neither afterwards arose any like unto him.

Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manas­seh had provoked him withall.

Introdu­ction. THis King Iosiah (Right Honourable and beloved) may most truly bee counted, not onely one of the Wor­thies of the world, but also one of the worlds wonders: There is hardly a­ny thing recorded of him but what is wonderfull, his very birth was wonderfull, he being prophesied of by name about three hundred and fifty yeares before hee was borne: And 1 King. 1 [...] [Page 2] Introdu­ction. therein fore-promised to doe those great thinges which he effected against Idolaters, and the reliques of Ido­latry. And it was as wonderfull to thinke in what a des­perate condition, and time of the Church he was borne, in the darkest midnight of apostasie, when the ten Tribes were carried away captive, and Iudah and Benjamin onely lest, and they (as farre as the eye of man could see) wholly and generally fallen from the Lord their God to all manner of Idols and Idolatries; when the very Temple of God was made a denne of Idols; nay, 2 Chr 33. his Altar the onely Altar of Israel destroied, to make roome for Altars erected to Idols: When the true Church had hardly any visible being upon the face of the earth; yea I am perswaded that in the darkest times of Antichristianity; the true Church of Christ was never more invisible, then it was about that time when Iosiah was borne. And it was another wonder, that in such a strong faction as Idolatry then had, that any could pos­sibly so prevaile in the Court as to give such education to the young Prince: Nor is it lesse wonderfull that by that time he was but sixteeen years old, hee stood out a perfect godly man, undertaking the cause of God, and the reformation of Religion, and that with such a perfect 2 Chro. 34. 3. heart to make the most compleat and absolute reformati­on of the Church that ever was wrought by any mortall man since God had a Church on earth. But the successe of his labours seems to me the most wonderfull of all the rest, whether you looke upon the successe it had with the people, or the successe it had with God.

The successe with the people was this, that although at Iosiahs first appearing as a right Orient, and illustrious Starre in a darke night there was hardly any visible wor­ship [Page 3] or worshipper to bee found; yet hee carried all be­fore him like a torrent, and walked like a man of fire, (as his name signifies the fire of the Lord) and brought the whole Nation so about, that there was scarce ever such a Covenant made as hee procured, and that not by a pre­vailing party, but the universality of his Kingdome joined with him in it, and continued in it, and held close to it all the time that Iosiah lived in the world. 2 Chr. 2 4 31. 32. 33 This was the successe that hee found among the people.

But now the successe that all this found with God is yet more wonderfull, and this my Text will tell you of, viz. That not withstanding such a rare man was thus wonderfully stirred up, thus miraculously carried on with such a perfect heart, with such an unanimous consent of his people, to set upon the worke of reforming Religion; and did it so as never mortall man did the like before, nor any arose afterward like unto him; yet notwithstanding all this the Lord turned not away from the fiercenesse of his great wrath, &c.

The scope of the Text and parts of it. And so now you see my Text is a description of the al­together hopelesse and helplesse condition of the Church of the Jewes, though there was a Physitian risen up who had found out the most pretious balme that ever was, and faithfully applyied it, yet the hurt of Gods people could receive no cure, but they must die for it.

And this may be reduced to these two heads.

First, you have their miserable and forlorne estate in these words. (Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath which was kindlcd, against Iudah.)

Secondly, you have the cause of all this, what it was [Page 4] that made God irreconciliably and inexorably set against them in these words: Because of all the provocations where­with Manasses had provoked him; though hee were dead betweene thirty and forty yeares before Iosiah ended his dayes, yet his provocations were the cause that God would never bee reconciled to his people, though hee was reconciled to Manasses person before hee dyed. I purpose not any exact or large handling of this Text, nor is it possible to bee done in one Sermon: I shall one­ly cull out such things as are most intended by the holy Ghost, and most sutable to the occasion of our mee­ting.

Observa­tion from the con­nexion. And first, let us in a few words consider it in relation to the former Verse, and secondly, as it lyes in it selfe. As it stands in relation to the former description made of Iosiah, and the high praises which God there bestowes upon him, I thence observe, That when God raises up any excellent instruments to appear in his cause, they are most graciously accepted with him, though their endeavours should come to nothing: There shall be glory and honour, and immortality, and eternall life to themselves, though there be indignation, and wrath, tribulation, anguish and woe, upon the people whom they would willingly doe good unto. This you see plainly in this Text, Ioshiah sets up a building which was instantly throwne downe sticke and stone, yet never man received better wages and greater reward than hee did. God hath raised up many instruments to doe him service who have had admirable successe in their way. Moses brought Gods people out of the bondage of Egypt, carried them through a deso­late, Deut. 29. 5. Josh. 23. 4. 5. wastefull, howling wildernesse, and that miracu­lously for forty yeares together: Ioshua gave them the [Page 5] possession of the promised land, and left them in it in peace. David subdued all their enemies about them, un­till they were all put under the soles of their feet, leaving King. 53. 4 them neither adversary nor evill occurrent. Solomon built Gods Temple, and established the Church in the pu­rity of Gods Worship and Ordinances, and the Com­mon-wealth with admirable peace and prosperity; yet, not any of these more magnified by the Lord than Iosiah, whose work came to nothing. This is my first observation; and it hath these two branches; first it im­plies that the endevours of rare Instruments may come to In two branches. nothing, that men may bee stirred up with admirable spirits to attempt great things for God, and yet their work miscarry.

Secondly, that though their work come to nothing, yet themselves shall be highly magnified with the Lord.

I could easily give abundant testimonies and in­stances 1. Branch, The en­deavouts of rare in­struments may come to no­thing. of such whom God hath raised up with extra­ordinary spirits; men that wee might think had been fit to carry the world before them who have effected little or nothing: Elias for one, a man (as it were) made of fire, who at one time called a Parliament of the King, and all the Heads of Israel together, convinced them of their halting between God and Baal, and wrought so at 2. King. 18 19. the present, that all the people cryed out the Lord is God, and seemed to have their hearts brought back again to the Lord their God; and likewise that eight hundred Idolatrous Priests and false Prophets were put to the sword; yet the very next day, he was faine to run away to save his life, undertaking a journey of forty dayes to keepe himselfe from the fury of Iezabel. Ieremy was another rare man, one of the most zealous Instruments [Page 6] that ever God employed; insomuch that he said of him­selfe that he was a man of contention to all the earth, and Jer. 15. 10. Gods word was in him like fire in his bones which hee could not keep in; yet this man in his almost forty years Jer. 20. 9. preaching, could neither prevaile with King nor Prin­ces, Prophets. Priests, nor people, all grew worse and worse, and himselfe in the end was carried away by a re­bellions company into that accursed land of Egypt, and there died.

And it hath beene often observed, that the Lord hath seene it fit for reasons best knowne to himselfe, to let a­bundance See to this purpose, Matth. 23. 34. 37. Act. 7. 52. Heb 11. 37. 38. of the Worthies whom he hath employed even (so far as men could judge) to perish in the worke he hath set them about.

Second Branch. Yet them­selves highly magnified and re­warded by God. But secondly, what ever their successe hath beene a­mongst men, they have been never a whit lesse regarded, or rewarded by the Lord; for this the Scripture is plaine, Esay 49. 5. There the Prophet in Christs name, and in his owne name, and in the name of all Gods instru­ments, concludes, That though they spend their strength for nought, and in vaine; yet surely their worke is with the Lord, and though the people be not gathered yet they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and their God will bee their strength. And Paul saith, 2 Cor. 2. 15. We are a sweet sa­vour to God in them that perish, as well as in them that are saved.

And there is plaine reason for it, because sincere endea­vours to doe Gods service is our whole worke, but the successe of these endeavours is Gods worke. Now the Lord hath tied himselfe in his covenant to reward every man according to his owne worke, and not according to the worke of another: God never required at the hands [Page 7] of any Minister to save soules; or at the hand of any Magistrate to preserve a Nation, of any husbandman to produce a crop out of the ground, &c. this belongs on­ly to himselfe; he only requires at their hands to be his servants, to obey his will; wherein if they be faithfull, they shall not misse of their reward. God compares Esay 49. 2. 3. 1. Thes. 2. 7 Kings and Princes, and other of his servants, to nursing fathers, and nursing mothers: Now you that are persons of quality, if you put forth a childe to nurse, and can have perfect information that the nurse loves, attends, suckles your childe, and performes all the duties belonging to a nursing mother; this nurse, I say, is by you esteemed and rewarded, whether the childe live or die: yea it may be the more when the childe dies, because you see her afflicted in losing your childe which she would gladly have enjoyed.

Applicati­on to the Parlia­ment. I doe but name this, you are wise to apply it to your selves, you (Right honourable and beloved) are em­ployed in great services, God hath raised you up to attempt glorious things for his name, for the purging of his house, and the establishing of this great people in the peace of the Gospel: how farre God will use any of you, I cannot tell; and how farre this unworthy Nation will acknowledge your indefatigable paines, I cannot tell; as yet you have the prayers and blessings of all sorts of people, high and low, rich and poore, that wish well to Sion. But however goe on, yee Wor­thies of the Lord, with sincere hearts to doe what God requires at your hands; and whether this Nation be gathered or not, you shall be glorious in the eyes of God, and the Lord will be your strength. Iosiah you see had the greatest commendation of all others, notwith­standing [Page 8] the Lord turned not from his fierce wrath: and this is all I have to say from the connexion of the words, that God magnified Iosiah, though his work came to nothing.

Now let us consider them in themselves, where I shall not need before so grave and intelligent Assem­bly, to waste the time in analysing or giving the gram­maticall interpretation of so plaine and easie a Text, I shall only take up three doctrinall observations (which you will see to lie clearly in the words) and handle them as the Lord shall please to enable me, and the time permit; whereof the first is:

Doct. 1. That Gods wrath is a most fearfull and dreadfull thing when it is once throughly kindled:

Doct. 2. The second and maine doctrine is, That the sins of a Church and people may come to that height, and Gods wrath may be kindled to that heat, notwithstanding their reformation, God will inexorably goe on to a desola­tion. Notwithstanding all that Iosiah did, the Lord turned not from his fierce wrath.

Doct. 3. The third is, this being done for Manassehs provo­cations, I observe, That the sins of one generation may be the ground and cause of the destruction and ruine of the succeeding generation. The abominations that Manasses committed and commanded in his time, were the cause why God was unappeasably bent to the destructi­on of the generation that lived after him.

First Do­ctrine from the Text, that the wrath of God is exceeding fierce. I begin with the first, That the wrath of God, when it is greatly kindled, is extreame fierce, or it is a most dread­full thing to bee under Gods wrath when it is once kindled. Mark how the words here are eg'd, how wonderfully emphaticall, how dreadfully expressed. [Page 9] God turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled. David saith, if his Psal. 2. wrath be kindled but a little, blessed are they that trust in him, implying their misery that be under it; but when there is the fiercenesse of his great wrath, they are miserable indeed who are under that.

Explain it. In clearing of this, I shall first briefly discusse two or three questions, and then endeavour (as the Lord shall help me) to set it home to you in an application.

Quest. 1. What the wrath of God is. What the wrath of God is? what is the wrath of God, of which the Scripture speaks so often, and such dread­full things?

Answ. In men we use to say, that anger or wrath is pertur­batio concitati animi, the perturbation of a troubled spirit; but in God it is tranquilla constitutio justi sup­plicii, a calme and quiet appointment of just punish­ment. Plainly, wrath or anger in God is never attri­buted to him, in regard of any troublesome passion, or affection; but only in respect of the effect. I say, that wrath or anger is attributed to God, not secundùm per­turbationis affectum, but secundùm ultionis effectum. In a word then, Gods wrath is nothing but his revenging justice; which justice of God, as it simply burnes against sinne, the Scripture calls his anger: when it doth more fiercely excandescere, or sparkle out, it is called his wrath: the same justice, when it pronounceth sentence, is called his judgement; when it is brought into execution, it is called his vengeance: so that wrath, anger, judgement, and vengeance in God are all one: Gods wrath is his revenging justice, and when I say, his wrath (when greatly kindled) is exceeding fierce, I meane it is a dreadfull, horrid, and fearefull thing to fall [Page 10] under the dint of Gods revenging justice.

The fierce­nesse of Gods wrath How may the fiercenesse of Gods wrath appeare?

I answer briefly, it is impossible for any tongue to set it forth. Moses tells us, no man knowes the power of Quest. 2. Answ. Psal. 9 [...]. 11 The fierce­nesse of it illustrated from di­vers com­parisons. Gods wrath: God is not easily provoked, hee is slow to wrath: his wrath is as a great Bell long raising, but when it is once up, makes such a dreadfull sound, as no tongue can expresse. Many a poore soule feeles a great deale of it, whole Nations have laine under it; but never was any creature able to say what the power of Gods fierce wrath is. But if you will give your re­verent attention one quarter of an houre, I shall (God willing) out of the holy Scriptures open something, which may in some degree make you conceive, how fearfull the wrath of God is, when it is once kindled. And doe not think that I shall speak of what concerns strangers, and not your selves; for I greatly feare, that before we part it will be too evident, that this fierce wrath is kindled against some of our owne soules who are here present. Indeed your calling and meeting this day for humiliation, fasting, and prayer seemes to tell all the world, that you beleeve that Gods wrath is kindled; and therefore being kindled, it is fit you should know what kinde of flame it is.

First, Consider by what dreadfull comparisons the holy Ghost useth to set out the fiercenesse of Gods wrath. As the roaring [...] a Lyon: the Lyon hath roared, Amos 3. 4. who will not tremble? the Lord hath uttered his voice, who will not fear? To a terrible earth-quake, that makes Psal. 18. 7. 8. the foundation of the hills to quake and tremble. But most usually it is set out by devouring fire, the most terrible of all the creatures which Gods hand hath [Page 11] made▪ and mark what kind of fire it is: Sometimes it is compared to a shower of fire; God raines downe upon the wicked fire and brimstone and horrible tempest: rain­ing downe of snares, and fire, and brimstone, is a horri­ble Psal. [...]. 11. tempest indeed. If any mortall man had stood with Abraham, and seene the Lord raining downe flakes of Gen. 1 [...]. 24. fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrha, hee would have thought it an horrible tempest. Yea it is com­pared to a lake or river of fire, Esai. 30. ult. The breath of the Lord (speaking of Tophet) like a river of fire and brimstone kindles it. Imagine the anger of the Lord thus set out, as if from Gods nostrils, and out of his mouth should come huge lakes or floods of fire and brim­stone, streaming out upon the people with whom hee is angry: What dreadfull things are these? Yet fur­ther, Gods wrath is set out to bee such a fire as is alto­gether irresistible; so that the poore creatures on whom it falls, cannot possibly stand before it: and therefore usually when God is said to arise in wrath and fury, the people, that bee the vessels of this wrath, are said to bee wax, and straw, and stubble, dry leaves, and rotten hedges; and what are these to stand before huge stormes and floods, lakes of fire and brimstone?

And as it is irresistible, so it is intolerable; which is usually set out by weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

And lastly, Such a fire, when once throughly kind­led, can never be quenched. There bee two expressions (among many others) in the Scripture, which bee very dreadfull, to this purpose: The one is Deuter. 32. 26. Where the Lord saith, that a fire is kindled in his anger; and mark what a fire it is, it shall burne to the lowest hell, [Page 12] and shall consume the earth with her encrease, and set on fire the foundations of the Mountaines. Such a fire as when once kindled burnes up Mountaines, earth, and world, and all, and never rests till it abide in hell, where there is no bottome, and there it burnes for ever. The other is in Nahum [...]. where Gods fury and fierce anger is compared to fire which throwes down rocks, licks up the sea, burnes up the forrests, melis and burnes the earth and world, and all that dwells therein. Certainly, that must needs be a dreadfull and horrid thing which the Spirit of God thus describes.

2 By the ef­fects of it. Secondly, Consider some of the effects of Gods wrath, and then you will conceive in some measure what it is. The throwing of many millions of Angels out of hea­ven into the lowest hell, was nothing but the effect of Gods wrath. The opening the flood-gate of all sin and misery upon all mankind, was nothing but an effect of Gods wrath. The deluge that over-whelmed all the world, all the plagues of Egypt, burning of Sodom, the earths opening and swallowing up Korah and his com­pany, all the famine, pestilence, blood, that ever the world lay under, are but so many effects of Gods wrath. Nay, the dreadfull appearance at the last day, when the Potentates and Princes of the world will bee humble Suiters to the hills and mountaines to fall on them, will bee nothing but an effect of the Lords comming in wrath, to render vengeance to his enemies. Yea, to be thrown to all eternity into the pit of hell, into utter darknesse, into the fire that never is quenched, and a­mong wormes that shall never cease gnawing, all these are nothing but to be under the wrath of God. But above all these, and if ten thousand more could bee named, [Page 13] that one effect of it, in the Lords powring out his viall of his revenging justice upon the body and soule of our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, is most able to in forme us, how great and fierce the wrath of God is: that when he had but one Son who was his fellow (as the Pro­phet saith, Awake sword, and smite the man that is my fel­low;) Zach. 13. 7. yet this revenging justice being powred out upon him, made him (who in his person was no other than God himself, yet in his humane nature) when this Cup was put into his hand, yea the very first taste of it, made him sweat drops of blood trickling down to the ground, in a Luk, 22. 41 cold winters night; and when he had drunk it off, it made him cry out in the anguish of his soule, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? These effects may helpe us to conceive what a dreadfull thing it is to wre­stle with the wrath of God.

3. From the cause of its But thirdly, Were I able to open the thing it selfe, and let you see it in the causes, you would instantly con­clude, that it is beyond all apprehension. Conceive it thus, The revenging justice of God is Gods opposing him­selfe against the creature; When God takes his crea­ture into his hand, and by his almighty power upholds the being of it, that it may feele what the Lord Jeho­vah can doe upon it, and against it. This no living crea­ture can conceive. When God hath only hid him­selfe from his dearest friends, this very hiding of him­selfe hath been so dreadfull, that it hath made them goe roaring all the day long, dryed up their moisture, neade their lives uncomfortable, and a burden to themselves, turned all other comforts into gall and worm-wood. Now if onely an Eclipse of his loving countenance bee thus intolerable, what is it for God to fall upon a crea­ture [Page 14] as his enimy? When a poore worme must not on­ly stand under the weight of a huge rock falling upon it, but of an almighty God. You that have large thoughts may now easily conceive what a fearefull thing the wrath of God is.

Quest 3. Who are the ob­jects of this wrath of God. The third Question is; Against whom is this wrath of God thus kindled?

Answ. I Answer; First, Gods wrath may be kindled mildly, and gently against his owne deare children, when they walke not faithfully in his Covenant, when they lay aside their filiall obedience, when they give occasion to his enimies to blaspheme his Name: though hee Deut. 4. 21. 2 Sam. 11. 27. Psa. 89, 3 [...]. will not suffer all his indignation to arise, yet his fa­therly displeasure may bee kindled against them. And even this fatherly wrath, this gentle wrath, (if it bee not a contradiction to call it so) these small drops of his displeasure, are more unsupportable to them than all the miseries of the world: Yea, they could more willingly submit to the torments in hell (provided that Gods countenance did but shine upon them) than to undergoe that which this wrath of God sometimes distills upon them: And yet all this while wee may tru­ly say of them, they are children under wrath, but not the children of wrath; not the people of his wrath, not the vessels of his wrath.

But if you will know, Secondly, What are the peo­ple against whom God hath indignation for ever; the Scripture tells it you in this expression ordinarily, they are the children of Belial; so they are usually called in the Old Testament; that is, such as will not beare Gods yoke; master-lesse children, yoke-lesse children: And in the New Testament, they are called children of Col. 3. 6. [Page 15] disobedience; as the Apostle, For which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience.

Now who these children of Belial, and of disobedience are, I must a little explaine to you, and then the Ap­plication will bee easie. I say therefore that these chil­dren that will not carry the yoke, are, First, all unbelee­vers. I doe not meane Negative unbeleevers, that is, those that doe not beleeve in Christ, because they never heard of him; but Positive unbeleevers, who have had the glorious light of the Gospel shining to them, to whom the Lord Iesus hath been freely offered, as a Savi­our to deliver them from wrath to come; and yet they refuse to come in, and to accept of him, as hee offers, himselfe in his Gospel; because they doe not like to take him upon such hard termes: you may be sure the wrath of God rests upon these men. Turne but to Iohn 3. ult. Hee that beleeves in Christ shall be saved, hee that be­leeves not is a damned man: and how? the wrath of God abides on him. Mark that expression, abides on him: The wrath of God takes up, as it were, his habitation in an unbeleever. So that what Gods grace sometimes said of Solomons Temple, Here will I dwell for I have a delight in it: So the wrath of God seemes to say of an unbe­leever, Here I will dwell, here I will abide for ever.

Secondly, The children of disobedience and sonnes of Belial, are such, whose lives and conversations are contrary to the rules of the Gospel; who as they will not take Christ to be their portion by faith, so they will not take Christs word in the Gospel to be their guide; but they will live indeed without all yoke, doing what is good in their owne eyes; these are the sonnes of Be­lial. You may see a notable description of them in the prophesie of Zacharie, ch. 7. v. 8. where the wilfull dis­obedience, [Page 16] obstinate stubbornesse and intractablenesse is expressed by divers similitudes, all tending to the same purpose. They refuse to hearken, stop their eares, as not wil­ling to hear Gods counsel, they pull'd away the shoulder, as an Oxe or Bullock that shrinks back from the yoak, or as one that should carry a burthen, pulls away his shoul­der, when he should take it, and lets it fall: so these deale with the easie yoak, and the light burthen of Gods com­mandements. Yea, they make their hearts as an Adamant Stone; there is in them a stiffe and wilfull resolution to sin, whereby their hearts are as intractable to any good­nesse, as the hardest sort of stones, Flints, or Diamonds are to be wrought by the toole into any fashion we de­sire: when you have said all you can against their wan­tonnesse, uncleannesse, prophanness, pride, covetousness, &c. you prevaile no more than when an hammer strikes upon an anvile: Their hearts can easily reject all yee cannot beat a splinter off from them: then immediate­ly it followes in the next verse, Therefore there came a great wrath from the Lord of Hostes. These are the sons of Belial, these are the vessels of Gods wrath.

Applic [...]. To praise God for delive­rance from it. Now to apply this to our selves, it might first teach all who are reconciled to God by Christ, what infinite cause they have every day of their life, to blesse that grace of God, which hath not appointed them unto wrath, but by the blood of his own sonne, hath deli­vered them from wrath to come, and provided for them everlasting glory and happinesse.

2 Not to covie the prosperity of such as are under it. Secondly, it may likewise teach all that feare God never to envie the prosperous estate of any child of Belial, though waters of a full cup be wrung out for them, though they swim in wealth and honour, and pomp in this world, and have all their hearts can de­sire, [Page 17] and in the meane time account it their glory that they carry not the Lords yoak, never envie their lot; If any here knew of half a score good fellowes set at a ban­quet of wine, furnished with all the helps of mirth and jollity, if hee knew withall, that the shot to be payd for it, must be every mans heart blood, he would be loath to be one of the pack with them. I confesse it is hard not to be troubled at the prosperity of wicked men: even David and Ieremy found it a hard thing not to envie Psal. 73. 3. Ier 12. 1. their prosperity. But stay till the shot be payd, enquire how able they will be to undergoe the wrath of God, enter into the Sanctuary, understand their end, and thy envie will bee at an end, but these I intended not to insist upon.

3 To help forward our repen­tance. There is one only proper use for the present occasi­on and that is this; you are met this day together to Fast and Pary and mourne before the Lord; and (as I touched before) hereby you acknowledge that the wrath of God is kindled, and that your selves are called to take a course to turn away Gods wrath: and I verily believe this is the very end you aymed at, in calling us the unworthy Ministers of Christ to your help this day, that wee might bee assistant to you in whatever might turn away the wrath of God from you. Now two things were at large pressed upon you in the morning, as well befitting the work of this day. The one was to rent, and break, and teare every one of your hearts in the sense of your sins, kindly and throughly to humble you in the sight of God. The other was to provoke you to a strong resolution to leave the waies of sin in time to come.

In which two things, humiliation and Reformation, stands the very life of unfained repentance, and the spirituall part of a Religious Fast; without which all our ab­stinence [Page 18] and sackcloth, and bodily exercises in watch­ing, hearing, &c. are meere abominations in the sight of God. I rejoyce that you had these things set so home in the morning, some of my work being thereby spared. But the bringing this lesson home, if God set In humili­ation for sin, which hath kind­led it. it on to your hearts, may help to fasten the counsell given you in the morning, as a nayle in a sure place. I shall endeavour to further your humiliation and re­formation from the meditation of the fearfulnesse and dreadfulnesse of the wrath of God.

I must therefore entreat you all, (Honourable and beloved) since you have vouchsafed to call for the la­bour of a poor man to help you, let mee be as free with you, as if you were so many meane people: my duty this day is to doe that which Ieremy did: God calls him in Ier. 13 1 [...] a mourning time, and saith, goe to the King and Queen, and say come yee down, sit in the dust, humble your selves: So I say to you, comedown, forget that any of you are Earles or Lords, Knights, or Gentlemen, lay for a while these thoughts aside; and give mee leave to ask you two or three Questions, and be so faithfull to your own soules as to think how you can answer them be­fore the Lord. Are yee not children of Belial? (that is the very thing which you must answer in your own bosome) that is, are there not amongst you such as refuse to carry the yoak of Christ? who will not take Christ to be your Saviour as he offers himselfe to you in his Gospel? you will have him upon other termes than to make him your King, Prophet, and Priest; you would have him to deliver you from hell, but hee shall not bee your Lord, so, as for you to resigne up your selves to him, as a dutifull wife resignes up her selfe to her husband. And for your conversations, you will doe [Page 19] what is good in your own sight; if you have a minde to sweare you will sweare, you will lie, bee uncleane, dissemble, these things please you well and you will doe them. Now hear what I say, what thy outward quality or condition is I know not: but this I know, persons of your quality do not use much to be scared; men are affraid to speak any thing that may make you tremble: but you must be scared, or we shall doe no good to you. You are now called to have your hearts rent, I have that to say, might rent the very cawle of your heart, even this, oh thou miserable and wretched worme! great is the wrath of God that is kindled against thee. This terrible Lyon roares against thee, a dreadfull fire is kindled, a horrible tempest is ready to fall upon thy head, showers and floods of fire and brimstone are even ready to be powred out upon thee: how art thou able to live with everlasting burnings? how wilt thou dwell with devouring fire? Thou that art crushed before a moth, how can thy heart endure, or thy hands be strong in the day that God shall deale with thee? Thou that dar'st not think of lying one day upon a wrack, that canst not endure for two or three dayes to be wrung with the cholick, that art not able to beare the thoughts of lying under the tearing of a Quartane Ague from Michaelmas to Easter; how wilt thou bee able to stand under the fall of such a huge rock as the wrath of the Almighty God? which every moment is ready to break downe upon thee. How wilt thou doe when these rivers of fire and brimstone shall be powred out upon thee? and thou no more able to stand be­fore them, than a few dry leaves are able to resist the huge breaking in of many waters? Oh beloved, would you with due care apply these things to your own hearts, and present them to your souls as things present, [Page 20] how would they bring down the most stubborn spirit! how would they help to break the hardest of your hearts before the Lord!

How this may bee done. But there are two things which keep most people frombeing affected with them. The first is, These things are looked upon as things a farre off: Now it is a rule in Opticks, That things farre off, though they be marvellous great, yet seeme very little: a Starre that is bigger than all the earth, seemes no bigger than a candle being many miles distant from us. So while men look at the wrath of God, as they did at the Prophets Vision, The Vision that he sees is for many dayes to come, and he prophesies of Ezek. 12. 27. the times that are farre off: And put the evill day from them: All these threatnings are but light matters. Se­condly, it fares with most men in this point, as with some men that have shrewish wives; though their businesse lie within doors, yet they have no heart to be there for feare of chiding: So though it be the most necessa­ry work to think of these things; yet because their unquiet consciences upon the least serious meditation, are ready to gnaw and teare them, and make them sleep uncomfortably, they labour to drive off the thought of this thing as farre as they can, and will not think of Gods wrath due to sinne, from yeers end to yeeres end. Whereas if men would bring it in rempraesentem, and keep their eyes open to behold it, as a thing which una­voydably will come upon them, how admirably would it work upon mens hearts!

To this end, let me tell you a story which I have of­ten read to this purpose. It is reported of a certaine Christian King of Hungary, who being on a time mar­vellous sad and heavie, his brother that was a resolute Courtier would needs know what he ailed; Oh brother, [Page 21] (saith he,) I have been a great sinner against God, and I know not how I shall appeare before him, when he comes to judgment: These are (said his brother) melan­choly thoughts, and makes a toy of them, as Gallants use to doe: The King replyes nothing for the present; but the custome of that Countrey was, that if the Exe­cutioner of justice came and sounded a Trumpet before any mans doore, the man was presently to be led to ex­ecution: the King in the dead time of the night sends his Deaths-man, and causeth him to sound his Trumpet before his brothers doore, who hearing and seeing the messenger of death, springs in pale and trembling into his brothers presence, and beseeches the King to let him know wherein hee had offended. O Brother, replyes the King, thou hast loved me, and never offended me, and is the sight of my Executioner so dreadfull to thee; and shall not I, so great a sinner, feare to be brought to judgment before Jesus Christ? If we would thus sup­pose with Hierom, that we heard this Trumpet sounding, Arise ye dead, and come to judgment, it would work to the purpose. O set yóur selves therefore in Gods pre­sence, and behold the Lord shaking his lap, (as Nehe­miah when hee shook his lap, and said, so God shake Neh. 5. 1 [...]. out everyman from his house:) Thus will I shake in­to eternall destruction all the children of Belial, and then evidence be brought in against thee, (how great soever thou art amongst men) that thou hast a huge pile of sin heaped up against God, and still hast gone on to adde drunkennesse to thirst, opposing God, his wayes, and his cause, refusing grace offered freely not willing to be at peace with God, while thou hast any meanes to fight against him: when all these things shallbe laid open before thee, and (as thy iust reward) [Page 22] God strike theea full blow, and sinke thee to the bot­tome of hell, where thou shalt wish that thou hadst been a toad, or (as one in desperation sometimes wished) that thou mightst live there a thousand yeers, so thou mightst have any hope in the end, that the wrath of God might cease towards thee. Would not these things then work upon thee? Couldst thou then passe such a day as this, without trembling? Couldst thou be before the Lord, and not have thy heart rent and torn? Be perswaded therefore once more to bring it home to thy own soule, and say, as he said of his green fig, this grew in Carthage yesterday: This wrath, this sea of misery may break in upon me the next mo­ment: I am yet joviall and merry, but Gods venge­ance with woollen feet follows me close at the back, Rarò ante­cedentem scelestum descruit pede poena claudo, Horace. and will overtake me; if I cannot mourn at the hea­ring of wrath, I must burn at the feeling of it. The good Lord melt our hearts with the feare of these things, lest we be swallowed up in them.

And then for the second part, for your Reformation, would the Lord make this day, a day of Reformation to 2 For Re­formation. this honourable Assembly, what glorious things would be done by you! Now what more effectuall motive, what Furies whip would more restraine from the practise Meditati­on of wrath how it may promote it. Esay 33. 14. of sin, or more drive to seek a shelter under the wing of Christ, and to get into the safe condition of the servants of God, than the beholding of this devouring fire, these everlasting burnings, which sinfull men will never be able to abide? I know such is the depravation of mans nature, that if there were any possibility of avoiding Gods wrath without leaving their sinnes, many men would resolve with that wicked Cardinall not to leave their part in Paris, for their part in Paradise: [Page 23] And with that noble man (which Luther speaks of) who professed, that if this life of going from whore­house to whore-house might last ever, hee would not envie any mans going to heaven. But this will not last; There is great wrath prepared for the workers of ini­quity. And therefore my humble request is, that if any of you finde your hearts unwilling to submit to that godly counsell, given you in the morning, of turning to God, doe but think what your sinnes, which you prize so much, will cost you. They say the Pope hath a book called Taxa camerae Apostolicae, wherein men may know the rate of any sinne; upon what termes a man may keep a whore, be a Sodomite, or murder his Father, &c. But here is a rate-book, where any of you may know what a beloved sinne will cost you; not a farthing token lesse, than to lie under the devouring fire of Gods wrath to all eternity. Porters will try their burthens up­on their shoulders before they engage themselves to carry it, doe thou so. It is reported of Master Bil­ney when he thought he should be burnt, he would put his finger into the candle to see how he could endure burning, doe thou often so; goe often alone and say, here is a sinne marvellous pleasant, such a sinne gaines me thus much every yeere, but there is wrath to come: And therefore as Elihu said to Iob, Because there is Iob 36. 18. wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroak; a great ransome cannot deliver thee, hee will not esteeme thy riches, no not gold, nor all the forces of strength. 4. To the Parlia­ment, o make it their great care to pa­cific it. Fourthly and lastly, there is one use peculiar to you that be our Noble Senators, the Lords and Commons ga­thered in Parliament: wee know your care is for our good, but this I humbly propound to you, you will [Page 24] never doe us good, if Gods wrath bee not taken away from us: were you so many Gamaliels, so many Hemans, so many Solomons, so many Angels gathered together, and all of one heart to study Englands good; you can doe England no good, if Gods wrath, which is kindled against it, be not pacified. And therefore let your great study bee both to finde out what hath kind­led Gods wrath against us, and what may remove it from us: of which I shall bee able to give you further knowledge in the next and maine lesson to which now I passe, viz.

Doct. 2: In refor­mation God may goe on to desolation That the sins of apeople may come to that passe, and Gods wrath may bee kindled to that heigth, that notwithstand­ing their reformation, God will goe on to a desolation. In handling whereof I shall (the Lord helping mee) discusse these three things. First, I shall open the thing in Thesi, clear the conclusion, and see if I can make you understand it. Secondly, enquire in hypothesi, whether it concerne us or not; whether our Nation, Church, or State, may bee thought to be in any danger of it. And thirdly, I shall endeavour to make some uses which may bee fitting for such an Assembly as this is.

For clearing the conclusion, I shall endeavour these three things. First, I will demonstrate the truth of it. Secondly, I will enquire whether the signes of it may be known, and how farre they may be known: Whether the Lord hath left any foot-steps or rules for us to pro­gnosticate by, and so to judge when a people is come to that passe: And if so, then, Thirdly, what those tokens are: And I shall endeavour to speak plainly and freely of them all.

[Page 25] God may go on to desolation. For the truth of it, were there no other Instance to be found in any other story, but this in my Text, it were sufficient to prove that such a thing may bee. That which hath been already, may bee so againe. Iosiah, Proved by Scripture. 2 Chro. 34. we see, wrought such a Reformation, that the whole King­dome did, all his dayes, follow the Lord; and notwith stand­ing all this, God turned not from his fierce wrath; but went on to destroy them. The Lord threatens else-where that he would doe it, Zeph. 2. 1, 2. Gather your selves together before the decree bring forth, before the day passe as the chaffe, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you: As if he should have said, The decree is not yet come forth; but if once it bring forth, it will be too late for you to seek for mercy. There be other examples (though not so full as this) sufficient to prove this truth: As Nine­veh for one: The Lord sent the Prophet Ionah to preach repentance or destruction to them; and you know it is said, The King laid aside his Crown, and called them all to repentance; and repent they did; and God saw their works, and for a while forbore that City; and Ionah 3. yet the judgement of most Interpreters is, that within fourty years after, the City was destroyed, even in the same age wherein the Reformation was made.

That Instance of the Iewes is most remarkable, in our Saviour Christs time: Iohn Baptist came before him, and turned the hearts of the parents to the children, and the chil­dren to the parents; made ready a people prepared for the Lord; there went out to him Ierusalem and all Iudea, and all the region about Iordan, and were baptized of him, con­fessing their sins. And Christ had so many followers, that the Scribes and Pharisees said, all the world went after him; that is, the body of their Nation. And the A­postles converted so many, that they said to Paul, that Act. 21 2 [...]. [Page 26] there were many myriads, many ten thousands of Iewes Notwith­standing Reformati­on. that beleeve, who are all zealous▪ yet notwithstanding, in that very age, wherein the Gospel wrought thus effectually among them, the wrath of God came upon that Nation to the utmost, and scattered them over all the world.

It is likewise recorded of the Romane Empire, which for a matter of sixe or seven hundred yeares had been a dreadfull enemy to the Kingdome of the Lord; first a­gainst the Church of the [...]ewes, and afterwards against the Christians (while it was unconverted; in Constan­tines time the Empire turned to Christianity, and in the very first age of the Empires Christianity, came the destru­ction and dissolution of it. So that there is a truth in it, that Gods wrath may be so far kindled, that he will ac­cept of no attonement, but will inexorably proceed to desolation.

That this may be known. The second Question is, Whether this may be known; whether we may possibly find out any direction, where­by to iudge of Gods purpose of thus comming against a people. Answ. And for that, I confesse, a great ma­ny men, especially such as are not willing to have any dangerous truth preached to them, doe thinke that all preaching and study, in such points as these, is of no more certainty, than the iudgement of judiciall Astro­logy: Tell them of wrath to come, or desolation of Churches, or destruction of Common-wealths; they look on such as shall tell them of these things, as upon a company of ignorant people, who will be of their Au­thors faith; or esteem them as proud men, who would be thought to have more acquaintance with Gods secrets than their neighbours, and therefore they must adven­ture upon such high points; or at best, conceive them to be sullen, discontented, melancholick people, who look on [Page 27] every thing with black spectacles; but in the meane time themselves will never be perswaded, that any can give them rules of directions to judge in this kind: But you are wise: and if you please to take two or three places of Scripture into your serious thoughts, you will conclude quickly▪ that this is a point may be known: The one is Ierem. 8. 7. where the Lord blames the stu­pidity of the people, that whereas the Stork in the hea­vens knowes her appointed times; and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the times of their comming; but his people would not know the judgements of the Lord: arguing them to bee more filly and simply than the ve­ry birds and fowles, who could observe what seasons were fit or unfit for their staying or removing in such or such a Countrey; and Gods people remained ignorant of the seasons of Gods approaching judgements. Ano­ther place you shall find Hos. 7. 9. where the Lord saith of Ephraim, that is, the ten Tribs, gray haires are scatte­red here and there upon him, yet hee knowes it not: The meaning, plainly, is this; That as gray hairs are remem­brances, and plain tokens of declining old age comming upon men; so there were symptomes and tokens of E­phraims ruine comming upon him, and yet he would take no notice of it. Our blessed Saviour also in Mat. 16. v. 1, 2, 3. tells his hearers, that they could make Alma­nacks for weather, and discerne the face of the skie, and yet could not discerne the signes of the times, (implying that Prognostications might also bee made, if men would study the right way) whereby they might know what God intends to doe with a people. So then, there is one step gained, that something may be known of Gods approaching judgements.

[Page 28] And how far it may be known. But that I may not deliver any thing but what you shall have a sull suffrage for, I adde in the next place, and confesse, that because all seasons are in Gods hands, and all people under his absolute prerogative; so that, if hee pleaseth, hee may destroy a Nation for one sinne; and againe, if hee pleaseth, hee can exer­cise so much mercy, that no sinnes of a people can set any bounds or limits thereunto; nothing but his owne holy will setting limits to his patience, long-suffe­ring and mercy; and because also God doth alwayes beare such a tender regard to his owne children, that where-ever they live, hee doth often for their sakes (as it were) reverse his sentence of desolation. In re­gard of these things and some others which might bee Psa. 106 23 suggested, I thinke I may say, no mortall man can possibly determine when the precise time of this or that Nations utter ruine is certainly come. What Christ said of the day of Judgement, may fitly bee applyed here, the very day and houre of the last Judge­ment no man knowes, but only the Father, and the Sonne, to whom it is revealed from the Father, and that also since his Resurrection; but yet there bee signes whereby wee may know the approaching of that Mat. 24. 36 day: So wee may say of this, though wee cannot know the very time of a Nations desolation; yet wee may know when the ruine of it comes neere at hand. And what learned men say of them, who have studied for the Philosophers stone, though they could never finde out the Elixar; yet in their search after it they have found out many excellent things, ad­mirably usefull for mankinde: so in this search if wee cannot determine that such a Nation will in­fallibly [Page 29] bee ruined, yet wee may certainly finde such things as thereby to learne what to feare, what to expect, what to pray against, what to strive after, &c. And so consequently the handling of this question may bee exceedingly usefull to such an Assembly, as I am now called to speak to in the name of God.

This then is a second step that wee may know such things as may make us feare desolation, and consequent­ly labour to prevent it, or prepare for it.

And how it may be known. Thirdly, the maine question is to enquire what are the Tokens, the gray haires, the flourishing of the Al­mond tree, whereby wee may guesse at mans going to his long home.

I answer, Politicians, and some Divines will tell you of the fatall period of Kingdoms, that they have their youth, their strength, and after a time their declination; and shew by abundance of experience, that States sel­dome continue above five or six hundred years without some fatall change: But we must goe by a surer rule than this. It is not length of time, which makes God weary of shewing mercy; but, what Solomon saith of Prov. 28. Kings, for the transgressions of a land many are the Princes thereof: so for the transgressions of a land, and the transgressions only, many are the ruines thereof. Now there is one rule which God hath alwayes pro­ceeded by in the dissolution of Churches and Kingdoms ever since the beginning of the world, and that is this. That whensoever the sins of any Church, Nation, City, Fulnesse of sin the evi­dence of it. Family, or Person (you may take it as large or as narrow as you will) are come to a full measure, then God in­fallibly brings ruine upon them. This is the rule which [Page 30] I shall make plaine to you: God hath set severall ves­sels to limit the sinnes of all Nations, beyond which they shall not goe; as once God said to the waves of the Sea, hitherto thou shalt goe, but here▪ thy proud waves shall be staied: so God hath said of the sinnes of Nations, Families, Persons: thus farre I will for­beare thee, but farther thy wickednesse shall not ex­ceed; then comes thy end. Take foure or five cleare evidences for it in the Scripture. First that speech of God to Abraham: I will give thy posterity all this land, but not yet, because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet Gen. 15. 16. full: though they were Amorites, God would beare with them, till their iniquities were come to the full, and then he would spare them no longer. Another is Za­chary 5. verse 6. The prophet in a vision saw an Ephah, a thing like a bushell, and moreover the Lord told him, this is the resemblance of the Ephah, throughout all the earth: as if God should have said, this is not only pro­per to this people, but this rule I go by throughout the whole world: and what was that? the Ephah is brought out, and into the Ephah is cast a Woman; this woman sate and filled the Ephah: then one brings a talent of lead for a cover to it, and that stops the mouth of it, and shuts the woman in; then come two women with the wind in their wings, and they take up the Ephah and carry it between heaven and earth, and place it in the land of Shinar or Babylon, there to build it an house, and to set it upon its own base. Now what is the meaning of all this? there is one word in the vision, which is a key to open this lock, viz. this is wickednesse: the meaning whereof is, That the Lord had brought the Jewes from the captivity of Babylon, where they had [Page 31] beene seventy yeeres: as soone as they came home; though they turned not to idolatry, yet they proved stark naught. God sets them their Ephah, puts their iniquity into a vessell, and doth (as it were) say, Goe on, till yee have filled the Ephah; but as soone as that is full, I will clap a talent of lead in the mouth of it, I will take a course yee shall sinne no longer in this land, but will scatter you into Mesopotamia, into the land of Shinar, and there be as wicked as yee will. So you see when the measure is full, then ven­geance comes.

Take another instance, in the first of Iames verse 15. When lust hath conceived, it brings forth sinne; and sinne when it is finished, brings forth death; which is of the same interpretation with the former, and shewes us sins progresse in the rising, reigning, and ruine. First a man hath lust, a wicked corrupt heart that hee brings into the world; every man▪ comes into the world with a heart full of lust, now this lust brings forth iniquity; God leaves people to goe on in wickednesse, if they be not such as he means to save; and when their sinne is perfected, it brings forth death; when it comes to the full fourty weeks, and hath gone the full time, then comes destruction. Take yet two instances more, both in the fourteenth of the Revelation verse 14, &c. in the Parables of the vintage, and of the harvest; when they were ripe, then ruine comes. Till then God useth to beare with people: smaller judgements often come before sinne is ripe, and are removed againe; but when once the measure is full, then God saith, as in Nahum chap. 1. verse 6. He will make an utier end, affliction shall not rise up the second time; hee will [Page 32] so doe it at once, that they shall not need to feare a second.

Why God defers till sin be full. Now if by the way you desire to know why God de­fers so long, and rather cuts not off wicked men sooner. I answer, it should suffice us, that it is his will to do it; but further he doth it, partly that they may be for exer­cise to his people to purge and humble them, as Ashur was his rod to whip his people, before the rod was Esay 10. burnt. And partly to declare his long-suffering, and patience, thereby to leave them without excuse if they prove incorrigible. Thirdly, this is for salvation Rom. 2. 4, 5. to some, who in the meane time are to be gathered in: and this I take it, the Apostle meanes, 2 Pet. 3. 9. when he saith, the Lord defers his comming to judgement, because the Nation of the Jews is first to be gathered in. So that as the Angel staid till Lot was plucked out of Sodom: so God hath some brands to snatch out of the fire, for whose sakes he defers the execution of ven­geance against them, whose sins call for it. For these causes, and it may be others not known to us, but secret to himselfe, doth God deferre the full execution of his wrath till sinne be ripe.

How the fulnesse of a Peoples sin may be known. But how may wee judge when the sins of a people grow to the full? I answer (and but briefly, because I would not be burthensome to an attentive auditory; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak in the best;) to finde out sinnes fulnesse foure things must come into consideration. First, what kindes of sinnes they What sins are deso­lating sins. are which are land-destroying sinnes. Secondly, the quantity of these sinnes. Thirdly, the aggravation of them. Fourthly, which is the upshot of all, the incor­rigiblenesse of them.

[Page 33] Idolatry. First, the kinds of them, I meane thus, there was never any Church or Nation without sinne, but all sinnes are not Church-wasting sinnes, nor Land­destroying sins; but there are sins which are called abominations, such as make a land spue out the inha­bitants: Levit. 18. 28 Deut. 9 5. such as make God drive them out: And they are some against the first Table, some against the second Table. Against the first Table, first, the sin of Idolatry. Evermore as Idols come in, God Ezek 8. Ezek. 43. 8. Hos. 13. goes out: When there was an Image of jealousie set up, God goes farre from his Sanctuary. God likes no such neighbours. When Ephraim offended in Baal, he dies for it: when the meane man bowes himself, and the great man humbles himselfe to stockes and stones, God will spare them no longer. When the Esay 2. 9. glory due to Jehovah, is communicated to dumbe Idols, this God will bear at no peoples hand. And the reason is plaine, this is as the marriage bed to God, this provokes his jealousie, which is his rage, then he will accept of no ransome: This therefore is the abomination that makes all desolation.

Prophanesse and contempt of Gods Or­dinances, day, [...]. Secondly, the sins of prophaning, contemning, scorning and persecuting of Gods holy things, his holy day, his holy servants. I joyne all these sinnes toge­ther, because they come all from the same roote, that is, malignancy against God: God himselfe is prophaned, sleighted, contemned in all these. Thou hast despised my holy things, and prophaned my Sabbaths, therefore thou hast caused thy day to draw Ezek. 22. 4. 8. neere. God therefore would make Moab as Sodom, Zeph. 28. 9. 10. and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, be­cause they reviled his people; but there is one proofe may serve in stead of an hundred. [Page 34] 2 Chron. 36. The Lord did a long time beare with them, but when once they came to that passe they polluted his House, despised his Word, mooked his messengers, misused his Prophets, his wrath grew hot against them till there was no remedy. God could thē beare them no longer, but utterly would destroy them. And it is our Country-man, Venerable Bedes observation, that when the old Britains grew to that height of sinne, as to cast odium in religio­nis professores, tanquam in adversaries, God present­ly sent in the Saxons; who destroyed them all.

Sins destru­ctive to hu­mane society. There are also some sinnes against the second Table which greatly helpe to fill the measure of a peoples iniquity: As first, such sinnes as are de­structive to humane society, cruelty, bloud, oppres­sion, deceit, these were the sinnes which brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly. These are the sins which the King of Nineveh saw would Gen. 6. 11. Jon. 3. 8. Ezek. 22. 3. 4. 6. 9. 12. Hos 12 7. Hos. 4. 2. Sensuall lusts of drunken­nesse and un­cleannesse. ruine him and his Kingdome.

Secondly, the sensuall lusts of drunkennesse and whoredome; I joine these sinnes together, be­cause they are usually joined in Scripture, and sel­dome severed in mens practice: And you shall cleerly in the search of the Scripture finde them to be among the abominations which helpe to fill up the measure of a peoples sin, and prepares them for judgement. I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel (saith God, speaking of the sinnes which Hos. 6. 10. made God hew them downe) there is the whore­dome of Ephraim; whoredome and wine, and new mine take away their heart: This was one of the things that made God have controversie with the Hos. 4. 2. 11. land to make it mourne, and to take them all a­way. [Page 35] I have not time to prosecute these things, you shall easily finde that these are gray haires in a­ny Nation where ever they are found

Secondly, the quantity of these sinnes is very Esay 28. 1. 3. ver. 7. 8. The generali­ty of these sins. Gen. 6. 12. considerable, when they are universall, no Nation ever was without them, but when once they come to spread as a Gangrene over the whole body, then the measure quickly growes full: When all flesh had corrupted their wayes, then the flood came rushing in: When from the crowne of the head, to the sole of the foot, the whole body was full of Esay 1. 5, 6. wounds, and bruses, and putrified sores, then it was to no purpose for God to strike them any more with any hope of healing.

You shall finde in the 24. of Ezekiel, [...] notable description of Jerusalems condition when Nebu­chadnezzar Vers. 1, 2, 3, 4. came to destroy them, the Prophet compares the City to a great pot, whereinto all the choice peeces were put to bee boiled, the thigh and the shoulder, and all the choice bones, but they were all rotten flesh whose scumme would not boile out, meaning, that the Princes and Rulers, Prophets and Priests and People were all over­spread with abominable wickednesses. So in the 22. of Ezekiel, all states are brought in, the Pro­phets Vers. 15. &c. devouring soules, the Priests violating the Law, prophaning holy things, Princes and Rulers oppressing, the people robbing, &c. then God powres out his indignation, and consumes them with the fire of his wrath.

But this must be understood with this caution, Yet to be un­derstood with a caution. that when I say all, it is not to be understood, as if God would spare a people untill the whole multi­tude grew wicked, and none remaining on his side: [Page 36] God had seven thousand in Israel who were faith­full to him in the worst time of Ahabs apostacy; but the meaning is, when the number of such as abstain from these abominations, is so small, that they are not considerable, to God they are alwaies conside­rable, but not alwaies considerable as to the turning away of judgement, or to the preventing of ruine. Ten righteous men would have been considerable in Sodom for the sparing of it, when five would not. So the sum is, that when these abominations are generally spread, and very few in comparison abstaining from them, a people growes ripe apace for destruction.

The aggrava­tion of these sins. 3. The third thing considerable, is the aggrava­tion of these sinnes, and therein I shall only give this one briefe rule, that in all places and Countries, houses, families, or persons, the more mercy, light and meanes these sinnes are committed against, the sooner is the vessel of their iniquity come to the full. Amos 3. 2. You onely have I knowne of all the Nations of the world, and therefore I will visite you for all your iniquities, Ezek. 9. God begins at his sanctua­ry, Dan. 9. 12. This is the very argument of the whole Chapter of the second of Ieremy. See also Mic. 1. 5. and with the antient men, who had stood longest before him. And Daniel makes this the reason why God brought a greater evill upon them than upon any other Nation, because no other Nation had enjoyed the like meanes to keep them from sinne, or to bring them to repentance. And in the 22. of Esay. The valley of vision had the greatest bur­then of wrath of all others; that is, the people of Israel, to whom God had sent all his Prophets from time to time. And there is great reason why sinnes against light and covenants, mercies and [Page 37] Conscience should be most provoking; It is thus even amongst all ingenuous men, he that eateth my bread, (saith David, hath lift up his heele against mee, if it had been a stranger, I could have borne it: Is Psal. 41 9. 2. Sam. 16. 17. this thy kindnesse to thy friend, could unnaturall Absolon say to Hushai? This then is a plaine case, that the more mercies a people sinne against, the greater is their sin, and the sooner comes their judgement.

Incorrigible­nesse of these sins, when they are too strong for 4. The last thing considerable to finde out the fulnesse of sinne, is the Incorrigiblenesse of it, and if the Lord grant that we can quit our selves of this, we shall yet doe well: by this Incorrigiblenesse, I meane, when the sinnes of a people are growne so great, that they are too strong for the mounds and bankes which God hath set to keep them in com­passe. Now God hath set Foure Boundaries for sinne, and when sin is growne too strong for all these, you may conclude that (reserving or ex­cepting what God may doe in his absolute prero­gative) if he goe by his wonted rules, that Nation is going to her long home.

First, God hath set Conscience and shame to be Conscience and shame. boundaries among all people, to keep sin in com­passe: Conscience to make them stand in awe of God: shame to make them stand in feare of men: These two God hath set up (as his Officers and heraulds) in all mens hearts; and when once men Prov. 2. 14. Es. 3 9. can run into sin, as the horse into the battell, rejoycing to doe evill, proclaiming their sins as Sodom, not being ashamed and past all feeling, there is one bank broken downe, one Boundary plucked up.

Secondly, another bank that God hath set, is [Page 38] the example, and conversation, and prayers of his owne people, whom he scatters here and there amongst men, and great is the power and force of their presence to keep sinne in compasse, partly by the For prayers examples & counsells of the godly. Majestie of the Image of God, shining in them, part­ly by their holy examples, partly by their wise and seasonable counsells, admonitions, reprehensions partly by their prayers, whereby they bring downe re­straining Iob 22. ult. and constraining grace: Now when these are either taken away from a place by death or dri­ven Esay. 57. 1. Gen. 19. away by persecution, as Lot out of Sodom; or li­ving amongst them, God takes off their edge to 18. Gen. 33. Ier. 14 11. pray no longer, as Abraham for Sodom, or Ieremy for the Iewes: There is a second Boundary pulled up.

For Magi­strates and Ministers, which comes to passe either, The third is, that of Magistrates and Ministers, whom God hath invested with his owne authori­tie, and put upon them some beames of his owne Majestie and Image, put his sword into their hands, and armes them with power to keep sin in, and beat it downe; The Magistrate having the sword of Iustice, and thereby being made custos utri­usque tabulae; and Ministers having the sword of the Spirit, these two are strong Rampires, and Banks, they are the [...], to hinder sinnes course, they are Physitians to the hurts of Gods people, and when once the sins of a Land grow too strong for these, farewell all, you will soone heare the daies of their visitation are at hand. And this is done in three Cases.

When they take part with it. First, when Magistrates and Ministers take sinnes part, and in stead of joyning with God a­gainst sin, they joyne with sin against God: as if the dogges should joyne with the wolves a­gainst [Page 39] the sheep, and the Shepheards.

Thus it was in Ieremies time, he found the peo­ple harder than a rock to be wrought upon, but he said, Surely these are poore and foolish, who know not the way of the Lord I will get me to the great men, and Ier. 4. 5. I will speake to them, for they have knowne the way of the Lord, and the judgement of their God; but were they such, or did they so? marke what follows, these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bands, in stead of maintaining Gods yoke, and strengthening Gods hands, they broke them a pieces: and what followes, therefore a Ly­on Hos. 9. 7, out of the forrest shall slay them, an even­ing Wolfe shall spoile them, a Leopard shall watch over the cities, every one that goes out shall bee torne in pieces. Thus it was likewise in Hoseaes time, when the Prophet was a foole, and the spirituall man was mad when the Princes would be drunke with bot­tles of wine, &c. Thus it was in Ezekiels time (as Ezek. 22. 15. &c. was before touched) immediately before their de­solation.

Ordare not oppose it. Secondly, when Magistrates or Ministers are da­stardly, when they are affraid of sin and sinners, and dare not appeare for God, when such men have God, Conscience, their office, the lawes, all on their side, and yet dare not appeare against Idolatry, pro­phanenesse, violence, sensuality, as it showes the men to be of a base spirit, so it argues the sins of that place to be of great strength, even fit for judg­ment. Thus it was in the 22. of Ezekiel, verse. 30. when all such were growne corrupt, I sought for a mā among them, that is some Phinehas to stand in the gap, to make up the hedge, some zealous Ministers [Page 40] to stand up and mediate with God for them, and testifie in their ministery against them, but I found none, and therefore I powred out my indignation upon them. See also Ier. 5. 1. Or doing their duty cannot yet prevaile against it.

Thirdly, in case any Magistrates or Ministers doe appeare on Gods part, as Iosiah, Ieremiah, and others did in these forlorne times, yet they prove too weake stakes, they are able to doe no­thing; the inundation of wickednesse beares them downe, and runs over their heads: In a word, when some Magistrates take part with sinne, others afraid of it, and the remainder, who are faithfull can pre­vaile nothing, this Rampire is likewise over­throwne.

And for the judgements of God. 4. There is but one more, which when it is likewise cast downe, destruction is at the very doore, and that is, Gods lesser judgements: God sometimes keepes petty-sessions, to prevent great Assizes, inferior executions, to prevent utter deso­lations, which when they prevaile not, it is a cer­taine token of extreame wrath. Sometimes God afflicts neighbour Nations, destroying their Cities, that the rest might receive Instruction, and their dwelling not be cut off: As Judges will hang up Zeph. 3. 6 7. a thiefe upon a Gibbet, to keepe others from the gallowes. I have overthrown some of you (saith God) as Sodom, I have smitten you with blasting and mil­dew, I have sent among you the pestilence, yet yee have Ames 4. not turned to me, why should ye be smitten any more? You shall see this notably expressed in the 24. of E­zekiel. Where God compares Ierusalem to a pot, and all the Inhabitants to flesh boyling in the pot, but all the boyling would not ferch out their scum, [Page 41] no threatnings, no visitations, no inferiour Judge­ments could prevaile with them, but still their scumme, their blood, their filthinesse and lewd­nesse abode in them; marke then in the 13. v. what doome God gives of them, because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, I have tryed all means to doe thee good, and thou wilt not bee reformed, thou shalt never be purged from thy filthines any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee, I the Lord have spoken it, and I will doe it. And that example in the sixth of Ieremy, is most remarkable, where God useth such a parable as this, the bellowes are V. 29, 30. burnt, the lead is melted in the fire, the founder workes in vaine, for the wicked are not taken away, repro­bate silver shau men call them, for the Lord hath re­jected them. God here compares himselfe to a Silver-smith, who takes a piece of oare, and tryes all his art to divide betwixt the drosse and the me­tall, but cannot doe it, and at last throwes it away with indignation, saith it is base stuffe, on which hee will never bestow any more labour. So God seems to say, my Ministers have spent their lungs, dryed up their throats, all my other judgements have been tryed, but the wicked are not taken away, they are all base drosse, I will bestow no more paines upon them.

And now you understand what the gray hairs of a State or people are, and when a people are ripe for destruction, when the time is come that God will passe them no more, you shall not need to enquire by what meanes he will doe it, he hath all in his owne hands, he hath famine, and pestilence, and sword, & wilde beasts, and fire, and earthquakes, & if none of [Page 42] all these doe it, hee hath flies, and lice, and grashop­pers, & rats, and mice enough to destroy the strong­est Kingdome in the world in a moment; if hee but whistle, hisse, or call for them.

What kind of Reformation may meet with desolati­on. Objection. It is true may some say, if people goe on in their wickednesse, and prove Incorrigible, no marvaile though God proceed thus against them: but that it should be the case of a people, who set upon Reformation, this is strange: And how wil this stand with the doctrine preached in the forenoon, that whē a natiō repents, God wil repent, &c?

Answer. In such an assembly as this, a short Ier. 18. 7. 8. answere (if true) will satisfie. First, God never promised that the sincere Reformation of a few should prevent the judgement of a multitude: if Gods time of Execution be come, Noah, Daniel and Iob shall deliver neither son, nor daughter, who are not turned home to God. Secondly, I an­swere, Ezek 4. that though the Nation joyned in the Re­formation, it was not in sincerity, if it had been sound, the doctrine in the morning would have carried it away, and I must have had another In­terpretation of my Text. It is true, Iosiah carried it by his authoritie, but the peoples hearts were not right. And Ieremy saith no lesse, when I removed Ier. 3. 20. Samaria out of my sight, her treacherous sister Iudah turned not to mee. Yes might the people say, wee did turne to thee under good King Iosiah, but it was but fainedly (saith the Prophet) and it appeares to be so, for as soone as ever Iosiah was dead, they made a universall Apostacie from the Lord, and so their Reformation was but like that of the Na­tion of the Iews in Christs time, which our Lord Matt. 22. 43. 44, 45. [Page 43] compares to the uncleane spirit, going out for a while, and returning againe with seven Devils worse then himselfe. As if England by the help of this noble Parliament, who lay the cause of God to heart, should joine in a reformation, though against the haire, it would come to nothing in the end. And so I have in some measure cleered this do­ctrine in Thesi, how far the approaching ruine of a Nation may be knowne, and what the signes of it are. The second followes, and that is;

Whether this may be thought to bee our own case. Whether this concerne us. And what answer would you have me give you? I could willingly answer in this, as Daniel did Nebuchadnezzar, when he was to interpret a dreame to the King, which in the true exposition foretold Nebuchad­nezzars Dan. 4 19. fall: It is said Daniel stood still for an hour, and his thoughts troubled him, and in the end speakes out, My Lord, the dreame be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation of it to thine enemies. So say I, Oh let the parallell of this be some other people: Oh that it might not fit England, but doth it fit it? Right honourable and beloved, your great wisdomes, your diligent inspection, your ample intelligence, your faithfulnesse and sincerity makes you better able to judge, then my meannesse can attaine unto, who am none of the wisest observers of the time; but I must speake, and what I speake, I shall speake freely and humbly, I would I could speake sorrowfully: I know I speake to wise men, who can well judge what I say.

It is hoped that we are not yet in that condition. First, I hope verily we are not yet come to that passe that God should say of us, I will passe by England no more; blessed bee God, wee have a [Page 44] gracious King, many Noble Peeres, many excel­lent Commons, who have already done great things for God; I need not repeat them, all the Kingdome knowes them to their comfort. Yea, and blessed be God, the same gracious Soveraigne And why. and Honourable Assembly of Parliament doe yet enquire what is further to be done, what wrath is kindled, and how it may bee quenched, and have called the whole Kingdome, to afflict them­selves before God, that his great wrath might bee turned away from us. And as yet wee have a sprinkling of Phinehazzes, worthy Magistrates, who in their severall Countries and Counties dare appeare in Gods cause against sinne, and the bold­est sinners. And wee have also a good sprinkling of faithfull Ministers, who stand on the Watch towre, and blow the Trumpet, and give the people warning. And for ever blessed be the Lord (which is not the least pledge of our hopes, for the lengthning out of our tranquility) we have many ten thousand Saints in England, who not onely abstaine from the abo­mination of the times, but mourne for them, and give God no rest night nor day, untill hee bow the heavens and come downe, and set up for himselfe a glorious Throne amongst us: And unto these God hath made many promises of sparing the land for their sakes, and that their posterities after them shall be blessed.

Yet feared that we are very neare it. But as I hope this, so the Lord will bee a wit­nesse with me, that I feare whether all these persons, and their graces doe beare a just proportion to the meanes and mercies, which God hath given to Eng­land; or to that huge Inundation of finne, wherewith [Page 45] England is over-run at this day. And here; had I a tongue to speake, and you and I hearts and eyes to powre out teares and sorrow, wee might make this place a Bochim a place of weepers. For, what because all these sinnes are found a­mongst us. kinde of these sins doe not overflow us? You will say at first, not Idolatry; but I tell you, neither were the Germanes carried away with Idolatry, when their desolations broke in upon them; nor the Iewes, before their last destruction. The mea­sure of our Iniquity may possibly be full, though this sin come not in; but God knowes, and you know that we have not onely abundance of Idola­trous Papists, who are proud, insolent and daring, but abundance of Popish Idolatrous spirits, super­stitiously addicted, willing to embrace any thing that goes that way, onely they will not have it goe under the name of Popery. And for the other sinnes of contempt of Gods holy Ordinances, his day, his servants, and all his wayes, oppression, cruelty, defrauding of brethren, the sensuall sinnes of uncleannesse, especially that of drunkennesse; Goe but to the places of greatest resorts, Market-Townes, populous Cities, and Fayres, &c. and your hearts would tremble to thinke, how our Land is overspread with these: Oh Beloved, the And that in great mea­sure, which prevailes generality of the people of England, is extreamly wicked, and which argues our case to bee most mi­serable, it seemes to beare downe, and to break over all our Bankes, multitudes sinning with a whores forehead, proclaiming their sinnes as Sodom: And the vox populi is; that many of the Nobles, Magi­strates, over Magi­strates. Knights and Gentlemen, and persons of great Quality are arrand Traytors and Rebells a­gainst [Page 46] God, taking part with wicked men, and wicked causes against the Truth, Patrons of Ale­houses and disorders, checking inferiour Officers, who discover any zeal for God against an ill cause: That in many of their families (not to mention Re­ligion) there is not so much as a face of Civility: Many others of them, who seem to wish well, dare not draw out the sword which God hath given them, and some few others borne downe in their places with the torrent of wickednesse. And as for our Ministers, how many sad complaints and petitions hath this Honourable Assembly received Ministers. against many hundreds of them? multitudes of them rotten and unsound in their doctrine, and so vitious and corrupt in their lives, that they fulfill that which Archbishop Abbot said in his Lectures upon Ionah, professing that his heart bled within him, to thinke of the miserable condition of the precious soules of many people who had such Mi­nisters, as Iohannes Aventinuus speakes of, who (if they were not in the Ministery) would not bee thought fit hog-heards to keepe swine. Besides thousands of others, who (God knowes) want ei­ther will or skill to doe the Lords worke faithful­ly. And the residue who have endeavoured to give the people warnning, and to teach them the good way of the Lord, have been a long time both downe and opposed as the troublers of our Israel. Sure I am, what ever our Ministers are, or doe, the sins of the land are too strong for them, and our people remaine unsubdued to Jesus Christ.

And the very judgements. Yea which is yet worse, the very judgements of God have wrought little upon us, all the long and [Page 47] heavy pressures of the Neighbour Churches, his rods upon our selves, terrible and wasting pestilences and famine, his blasting all our enterprises, his scaring us with rumors of warres and bloud prevaile nothing; wee still grow worse and worse: Indeed if any sin grow out of fashion, (as cloathes doe) then wee leave it, otherwise wee goe on boldly and impu­dently, let God threaten or doe what he will. And all these evils are aggravated by being com­mitted and mercies of God. against greater meanes and mercies, than a­ny nation under Heaven enjoyes this day besides our selves.

And which is yet sadder, (oh that I were mistakē upon condition I were tyed to a recantation) our dealing this last year is more injurious against God, than heretofore. The Lord hath gathered such an Assembly of Noble Peeres and Commons, who have done such great things, that many of us began to hope our Pilgrimage through this wildernesse had beene almost ended, and that England would now turne to the Lord, and become a people zealous of And God be­gins to ap­peare against us. good workes: But verily so far as I can understand, the body of the Nation makes little other use of all the mercies of this last yeare, but to abuse all the liberties procured both for Church and Com­mon and wherein. wealth, to greater and bolder sinning against God: and now also, which yet speakes more sad­ly, the Lord God beginnes to appeare against us, not onely in permitting many unexpected blocks and rubbs, huge trees cast in the way of our Worthies that they cannot march on in their strength, and so the much expected Reformation stickes long in the birth; but God hath dra wne out, and fourbished [Page 48] the sword, and made it begin to drinke blood in the Neighbour Nation, which when it once be­gins to drinke, seldome is put up againe, till it bee drunke with blood: this God hath suffered to bee drawne out upon our deare brethren in Ireland, up­on our owne flesh and blood, and that by a Nation, by whom (though they may seeme contemptible to some, as being barbarous, unarmed, &c. yet) wee may feare that God will plague us, because wee have not laboured to bring them to the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Mene tekel. The Lord grant that being put into the ballance we be not found too light.

Application to our selves. What shall wee doe then? First beleeve it, not that England shall be ruined; I say not so: but be­leeve that great is the wrath of God which is kind­led against us, that wee stand upon ill termes be­fore First, to be­leeve that we are in danger, him; that though he may save us by his Pre­rogative, yet if hee proceed with us at common Law, according to his usuall rule with other Na­tions, wee are in great danger to be utterly lost. I presse this the rather, because we are a secure nation, not willing to beleeve any thing that may disturbe our ease. One Zedekiah who will preach pleasing 1 King 22. Which we are loth to doe. things, shall bee beleeved more then twenty Mi­caiahs: such as tell us wee are the most flourishing Church in the world, the strongest people by Sea and Land, all other Nations court us, and have their owne hands full, the Irish be onely disconten­ted, weake men, and will soone be quieted: such I say shall be beleeved more then an hundred Iere­mies, who would put us in feare. It is reported that Honorius the Emperour lying at his pleasure at Ra­venna, [Page 49] when newes was brought him that Rome was taken and spoyled, hee thought they had meant a fighting Cock which he called Rome: so when we are told of danger, wee slight all that is spoken, & believe nothing in that kind: But the Lord grant that this security of ours bee not a Calme be­fore an earthquake: When they say peace, peace, then sudden de­struction 1 Thes. 5. 3. Prov. 22. 3. comes upon them. But let us believe and tremble: the Wise man never hides himself till he sees the evill comming; and Ion. 3. 5. the first step to Ninevehs peace was their believing that God was comming against them.

But till we doe it our danger en­creases: But you will say that is the way to discourage men, & you do not well to discourage thē in whose hand & courage our welfare lyes. Oh beloved, let me not be so interpreted; were this objection fit in other cases? suppose one should come and truly tell us the enemy were landed, the Sea were broke in, the House or City, were on fire, were it fit to object, oh say not so, you will discourage men? Discourage or not discourage, if this be not told, how shall the enemy be driven back, the And wee shal never use the rightmeans for sa [...]. 2 Kings 22. breach of waters stopped, or the fire quenched? But neither need this discourage, but rather furnish us with matter of humiliation & action. Iosiah sate down and wept, when he un­derstood Gods wrath was kindled, & fell to reformation. Ezra rent his garment and plucked off his haire, and fell to his work, & so let us do: Let us believe that Gods displeasure is against us, that we may feare before this Great God, and labour to get his wrath turned quite away; & that is the second Use.

2 Let us all labour in the right way to turn this wrath of Vse. To pre­vent it, First by mourning for it. Num. 12 14 Amos 3. v 9 &c. God from us, & that, First, by mourning under it; God looks we should be ashamed when he spits in our face, and takes it wonderfull unkindly, if we tremble not when this Lion roares. Consider seriously of that place, Esay 22. There you shal see an enemy was comming against Ierusalem & God was much displeased, because they took not the right way for their safe­ty, and so ill that he said that iniquity should never be purged from thē till they dyed, & yet see what they did, they scoured [Page 50] up their armour, they gathered the waters, that the enemy might have no benefit by them, they repaired the breaches in the wals, made a deep ditch for greater fortification: what hurt was there in all this? Oh but they begun at the wrong end: the Lord called thē to weeping and mourning, and to baldnes, and to girding with sackcloth, to tremble before him because of his wrath, and this they regarded not, and therefore God would never pardon it. Till therfore we mourn because of Gods dis­pleasure, all other meanes of welfare will faile of that com­fortable effect which we desire. I know the world makes a scorn of this, you are one of the mourners, but let our soules be numbred among those mourners; God will restore comfort to these mourners: and no man knowes the power which these poore mourners have to turne away Gods wrath.

By p [...]o­nall [...]for­mation. Secondly, and as we must mourn for this fulnesse of our sinnes, so every one must help to empty the vessel, as we have helped to fill it: the fuller our vessel is with sin, the neerer our ruine is, & if we could knock out the bottom of the vessel, or by any meanes empty it, Gods wrath would passe away with our sins: oh help to empty it, your Atheisme, your prophane­nesse, your opposing of good men, & good causes, your adul­teries, lies, &c. get them out by all meanes; all Gods threat­nings speak to us, as the waves of the Sea seemed to speak to the Mariners in the first of Ionah. Ionah had told them that the tempest came for him, and till he was cast over the sea would never be quiet, yet they rowed hard to carry Ionah to land, but the waves seemed to tell them, cast Ionah over board, or we wil fetch you over-board. Out therfore with your lusts, God hath no other quarrell against us, he doth not afflict us willingly, he saith to us as Ioab said to the wise woman of Abel, 2. Sam, 20. 20. farre be it from me to swallow up or destroy a City in Israel deliver only Sheba the Son of Bichri, or throw his head over the wall, and I am gone. Do thou so, finde out all thy beloved sins, say to thy darling lust, as Iunius Brutus said to his son, thou villain, shal I nourish thee to destroy the Common-wealth? & stabs [Page 51] him: shal I walk in these wayes, to be the ruine of the Church and Common-wealth? the Lord rather strike me dead with a Thunderbolt. Let us therefore every one, begin to sweep before our own door, and we know not how soon the whole street may be made cleane.

What the Parlia­ment should do for our safety. Thirdly and lastly (right Honourable & Beloved) you are to be our Physitians, and repairers of our breaches; the horns of Gods wrath begin to push at us, you are the Carpenters that must cut off these horns: I therefore make this humble fuit to you, that (as you have besought his Matie to call a day of Fasting and Prayer throughout England, and we hope we shall have many more, till the fierce wrath of God be turned away) so in all your thoughts to do England, Scotland & Ire­land good, you would set down this, that the turning away of Godswrath is of greatest consequence: if you let God go on to be angry, do what you can we shal lose all at home and a­broad. Thus did Iosiah, when once he understood out of the Following Iosiahs ex­ample. Book of God, that the Lords wrath was kindled, he presently sends to Hulda the Prophetesse, to enquire what was to be done that they might quench it, esteeming all other busines unseasonable and fruitless, while that fire was burning. And here I shall only in a few words commend to you the exam­ple and practice of this brave King, whom this Text so mag­nifies. 1. He mourns, and cals all the people to mourn with 1. In mour­ning, be­cause of Gods wrath. 2 Kin. 2 [...]. 11, &c. 2 Rooting out idola­try, &c. 3 Inexecu­tion of Gods ven­geance upon his enemies. him: and that through Gods mercy you have done. 2. He goes out in that way, whereof you heard more in the fore­noon, & breaking down all the Images and relicks of Idolatry: the Lord set it close to your hearts, that you may leave no­thing which is contrary to Gods pure worship. 3. He exe­cuted the justice and vengeance of God upon the Instruments of the kingdoms ruine, the idolatrous Priests, digging the very bones of some of them out of their graves: the same Lord direct you, that in your great wisedomes you may be as the Angels of God, to discern what is to be done with them who have been the troublers of our peace, & the greatest kindlers of Gods [Page 52] wrath against us: spare whom ye may spare with Gods good will; but remember, it is foolish pity that destroyes a City let not the men escape, whom God appoints out to punishment. 4. He resolves to reform Religion, and the worship God, and to set it up, and maintain it according to the word: and 1 Kin. 20. 42 4. Insetting up and maintain­ing Gods true Reli­gion and Worship. 2 Kin 23. 1, 2, &c. to that end he cals together the Priests, and Prophets, the El­ders of Iudah and Ierusalem, & with them enters into a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, &c. O that the Lord would put it into the heart of you all to do the same; you know what you have bin often peti­tioned for, the God of all wisdom direct you in due time to pro­ceed in this cause, and if in your wisdomes you shall find it fitting that a grave Synod of Divines should be called, to inform your consciences what is to be done, I beseech you fol­low the direction of Gods word in it. Fifthly, And then fo [...] the manner. Hee did all according to Gods law, he con­sulted not with flesh and blood, enquired not into terms o [...] Exactly, according to the Word. policy, how far the state would bear it, or how far the people would concur without grumbling: but did according to [...] which God had appointed in his word. And lastly, he did it with zeal and fervency, he laid not out his strength in his own cause, & then use diversions and diminutions in Gods cause but there was his strength laid out, where he knew Gods iealousie lay. The Lord make you such Iosiahs, such zealous men what Anakims or Gyants would you prove; you might (with Briareus the Gyant with 100 hands, of whom the Poets feign And that with all their strength. take thunder-bolts out of the hand of God, and so save you selvs, your families, and the Nation. Go on, ye Worthies of t [...] Lord, and thus deliver us. If there be any healing, any delive­rance, you shall be our Saviours; if there be none, you may Encou­ragement thereunto. Obad. 21. Esay 58. 8. with Iosiah get the iudgment respited for your life time: le [...] the worst come, the glory of the Lord shall not only be yo [...] reward, but your rereward, your safety: you shall deliver yo [...] soules, and your children after you shall be blessed. Do th [...] and the Lord God be with you.

FINIS.

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