SOlomon tells us, Prov. 19. v. 22. That the desire of a man is his kindness, and that a poor man is bet­ter then a lyer. A poor man that hath a reall and [Page 2] cordial desire, to express his love & to shew kindness to another, but hath not power in his hand so to do, is better then a rich man that doth per­form according to the power that is in his hand, somwhat that is beneficial to another, but it is not from an inward affection and desire; the actings of his hand are not from the inlarged de­sires and affections of his heart, such a one is a lyer. Give me leave to accomodate this to my self, I am one of the poor men of Anathoth, that have but little in mine hand, two Mites or so to cast into the Treasury; but have an enlarged heart and a lively desire to contribute to the Promoting of the Good and Welfare of all: Why should not this be reckoned to me as my kindness and my self and actings in this way be accepted of you and others of my antient and dear Friends, to whom I apply my self now in this Epistolary way, according to what I have, and not accor­ding to what I have not: I do not now present you with a curious and finely composed Sermon, nor with an elaborate Treatise, the World is full of such; Oh! that there were better use made of them, more and better fruit springing up from them then appears at this day; but this is a La­mentation, and well may it be for a Lamentati­on that there is price upon price put into the hand of Fools, and they have no heart unto them; and we may reckon upon it, that the ma­ny precious Sermons and Treatises which are a­broad will come up in judgement against the men of this Generation and condemn them, for [Page 3] that such blessed light hath been, as by Preach­ing, so by Books and Sermons Preached and pub­lished, being conveyed into the world, and espe­cially into this Land and Nation; and the com­munity of people love darknesse rather then light; for my own part, I have been a poore Pro­phet of Anathoth, a Preacher of the Gospel, partly in the Country, partly in and about the City of London, between Forty and Fifty years; most of my time even to above Forty years, I have spent in and about London, continuing in the City all the time of the great PLAGUE, Anno 1625. and from that time, having obtained help from God, I have continued my relation and the exercise of my Ministery ever since in one place, till an Act of Parliament put a stop: endeavour­ing by plain and profitable Preaching, by quiet and peaceable living, to shew and set forth the glorious Gospel of the Great God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose Death and Resurrection, death and darkness and Mortality, which the first Adam by sin had let into the World, and opened a doore unto, is swallowed up in Victory, and Life, and Immortality is brought to Light, and is performing glorious Tryumphs, in and by the Lord Jesus. I have reduced the Main of my Preaching to the Apostle Pauls Dichotomy, Re­pentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ; yet not baulking other Doctriner that are superstructory and necessary to be built on these Foundations, as in particular obedience to Kings and Magistrates, and that for Consci­ence-sake; [Page 4] persuading and provoking people to pray for Kings and all in Authority under him, that we may live under them a peaceable and quiet life in all Godliness and honesty: So that I bless the living God, I have no regret in my Conscience, for having first or last driven in a way of Preaching or Praying any, either Treason­able or Disloyal designs; nor am I Conscious to my self, that any thing hath been performed by me to the imbassing of the Spirits of his Majesties Subjects or debauching them, or drawing them from their Duty and Allegience, knowing how my Commission runs, and what of the Counsel of the most high God is held forth in, Prov. 24. 21. Rom. 13. v. 1. 2. Titus 2. v. 1. 1 Pet. 2. v. 17. But Knowing withal, that it concerneth Magi­strates and Rulers, that they Rule in the Fear of God as King David acknowledged they ought to do, 2 Sam. v. 23. And that they be not a terrrur to good works, but to evil works. Rom. 13. That they set themselves to punish evill doers, and to be for the praise of them that do well: and truly it is sad, when such as are be trusted with Magistratical Po­wer shew more severity against such as are Ju­diciously Consciencious, and out of a Judici­ous and well-informed Conscience are a little crossing the Magistratical Impositions and Injun­ctions, then against men of Grosest Immoralities, openly Flagitious, Profligate, and Naught; and run to all excess of Wickedness. It were to be wished, that in all Kingdoms and Common-wealths, Drunkards, and Swearers, and Whor­mongers, [Page 5] and Sabboath-breakers, and unjust Dealers, with all other of that black and ragged Regiment, which is headed by the Devil the Prince of Darkness, might feel the sharpest of the Magistrates Severity; while Sober, Judicious, and Consciencious Christians, partake of the benigne influencies of Magistratical Power and Gover­ments, and sit quietly under their own Vines and Fig-trees, and drink the Waters of their own Cy­stern: They the mean while setting themselves to studdy their Duty, and in Faithfulnesse to per­form it.

There are the Duties of particular relations, wherein and in the due management whereof, the Beauty and the Power of Godliness doth very much discover it self, as in the Relation between the Husband and the Wife, between the Parents and their Children, between the Master and the Servant, between the Pastor and the People; so are there between the Magistrate and the Subject: The well answering of which will conduce very much unto the more comfortable enjoyment both of one and other; and as it is much to be wished, that Kings and Magistrates may have the Honour and Obedience performed to them which is their due; So it is likewise much to le desired, that the Subjects under their Govern­ment, may have the Ease, Freedome, and Re­freshment which is justly to be expected by them. I live in the comfortable Hope, and joyfull Ex­pectation of a Time, wherein the Church and People of God, shall have a more Free and Com­fortable Enjoyment of themselves, then ever [Page 6] yet; not Oppressions, Persecutions, Oppositions, hard Usages as all along, almost ever since the fall of Adam: Surely the Godly shall not alway be under Hatches and Harrows, and Wicked and Prophane Men, that neither Fear God, nor Re­verence Men; Ruffle and Rant it, and poure out Scorn and Derision upon others that are as good as they, yea, it may be farr their betters in world­ly respects, but be sure their betters in Grace and Godlyness, such shall not always behave themselves in such a manner: Surely the wicked shall not alwayes lift up their Horn on high, and push at the Godly with side and shoulder, but the Lord will (and we have his Faithfull Word and Promise for it) lift up the Horn of his People, keep the Feet of his Saints, when the Wicked shall be silent in Darkness, he will exalt the Horn of his Annointed, whether Godly Kings or Godly People, 1 Sam. chap. 2. Kings have in a civil way their anointing with material Oyle which the Subjects partake not with them in, and in that respect they are pecu­liarly the anointed Ones; but such as are really Religious and Godly have a spiritual annoint­ing, the Scripture speaks much of it, 2 Cor. c. 1. 1 Joh. 2. ad fine, You have an unction faith the A­postle from the holy One, which unction, as it is a teaching unction, and conduces much to the ac­complishing of the Saints as they are Prophets, as there the Apostle expresses, for faith he, You have an unction from the holy One, and ye know all things, v. 20. And again, v. 27. The annointing Teachers, so [Page 7] is it a priviledging unction, and conduces very much to the promoting of their Spiritual and Corporal Ease and Freedom from sore Burthens and Oppressions, and accomplishes them for the Kingly Dignity (understand it in the Mystery, not in the Letter) which the Lord Jesus hath by his blood purchased for them, and hath raised them up unto us. Rev. 1. v. 6. He hath loved us, and washed us in his own blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God our Father: This ease and free­dome from what is Oppressive, whether Impri­sonment, Impoverishment, Banishment, Scorns, Reproaches, Persecution, &c. The Annoint­ing promotes according to what the holy Prophet speaks, Isa. 10. v. 27. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the annointing. This apprehension and oppinion concerning a more flourishing State of the Church and Saints then ever the World yet saw, such as wherein there shall be Righteousness and Peace, and wherein the Lyon shall lye down with the Lamb, and none shall hurt in all the holy Mountain of God; but Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation, Zions King appearing in his Beauty, the Bride the Lambs Wife in her bravery clad in clean Linnen pure and white, which is the Righteousness of the Saints, Revel. 19. Zions solemnities perform­ed in a most perfect and compleat manner, the glorious Lord being to his Saints and people, as a place of broad Rivers where no Gallie with [Page 8] Oars shall pass, no Funeral solemnities perform­ed, yea no sicknes seazing upon them; for the Inhabitants shall say, I am not sick, the People that are therein shall be forgiven their iniquity; all or most of which expressions you find in Is. 33. This apprehension, I say the Scripture seems strongly to favour as that in the 37. Psalm, which is a Psalm of providence, penned on purpose to quiet, and calm, to support & sweeten the spirits of the Godly under all the Persecutions, Oppo­sitions and hard Usages which they are subject to meet withall; and by means whereof, they are too apt to fall into Frees and Under-discompo­sures, to be put out of possession of their Souls by Impatience; it is said there, that the meek shall inherit the Earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace; and as I take it, our Saviour referrs to the Scripture alleadged before in Ma­thew 5. where among other Beatitudes, he pro­nounces a blessedness upon the Meek, such as car­ry Patiently, Calmely, and Quietly, and with a composed spirit, under all the Hardships the [...] are put to undergoe by the Men of the Earth, that these meek ones shall inherit the earth: And by the way let me tell you, that this meekness and calmness of Spirit, is that which intitles to most pretious Promises and Priviledges, as a meek and quiet Spirit either in men or Women, is a thing very pleasing with God & he values it as a thing of great price, 1 Pet. 3. So is it also very beneficial and profitable to us, they that are beautified with it God will beautifie with Salvation, Psalm 149, [Page 9] when God ariseth to Judgment, he hath always a special respect to the meek of the Earth, Psal. 76. The meek of the earth that set themselves to seek and shew forth, and be expressive of meek­ness, of all others are the likeliest to be hid in the day of the Lords anger, Zepha. 2. v 3. Moses was the meekest man in all the earth, as it is testified of him in Numbers 12. and when Aaron and Miriam spake against him, and dealt in a querulous man­ner with him concerning the Ethiopian woman, he was quiet and meek, and carryed as one that heard not, and as one in whose mouth were no reproofs, as David speaks of himself, Psal. 38. v. 13, 14. But doth the Lord suffer this to pass with­out checks and controule? no I'le warrant you, God will plead the Cause of his meek ones; God speaks quick and short, and to speak with a holy Reverence cutted to Aaron and Miriam, calls them out sharply, reproves them, and saith un­to them, How, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses: this meekness of Spirit my dear friends, I have seriously considered of, and weighed with my self▪

First, In reference to my self.

Nextly, In reference to others, both Godly Ministers and professours too, for I must tell you, as I principally study God, Christ, the Myste­ries of Godliness and my self; So do I study men and observe what spirits and carriages they are of, both preachers and professours, persons of se­veral perswasions, and where I finde them to be of Meek, Humble, Lowly Spirits and Carriages; [Page 10] notwithstanding the circumstantial differences between them, I can, I do Cordially own and imbrace one & another, but where either of them discover an elated spirit and bear up above their brethren, and keep at a distance from them upon the account of greater gifts and parts; and be­cause their names are blowne up, and they swim upon a full sea of popularity, when others of their brethren, that it may be have as much soundness of Judgment, as much Grace as they, love Christ as much as they, are as Cordial to the cause of Godliness as they, are yet upon the ac­count of meaner parts and not being in that e­steem, have little or no respect from them; (I am abundantly satisfied in my self, that there is sufficient cause thus to animadvert, if any be of­fended, so let them:) For such, I wish they would study better, what it is to be of a true Gospel spirit, which they may learn from their Lord and Master the great Apostle and high Priest of their holy profession, who is [...], who is [...], who is [...], the good shepherd, the great shepherd, the chief shepherd, who was meek and lowly, and requires of them that are his under shepherds and all his Disciples, that they learn of him who was the Lord of all, yet because a servant to all. The example also of Paul who does take special knowledge of his Masters meekness, and is strongly argumentative from it as in the 2^d. of the Corinthians chap. 10. v. 1. where he presses from the meekness and gentle­ness of Christ; his example I say contributes [Page 11] much to such a purpose; who though he was not behinde the chiefest Apostles, yet acknowledges himself not worthy to be called an Apostle, and though he knew his gifts and parts, that he spake with tongues more then they all, and had labour­ed more then they all; yet professes himself to be less then the least of all the Saints, a very no­thing, and in his Doctrine teacheth, that there should not be a minding of high things, but a condescending to men of low degree; and I must profess for my own part, till I see more of this meekness of spirit in Preachers and Profes­sours, I cannot think that ever we shall see the performance of these things, which we professe to live in the joyfull expectation of; surely we must all be better spirited, of a more Humble, Hea­venly, Spiritual, Self-denying frame of Spirit before all be well with us. I am expressing as be­fore my comfortable confidence concerning a better condition that the Church and Saints shall be brought into, before the final consum­mation the Prophet Isaiah 60. gives ground for, such a hope to be built upon, it is a pretious scripture, and I think it referrs to the state of the Church in this world; Officers shall be peace, ex­actors, righteousness, and very much to that pur­pose, the whole chapter is full of marrow and fat­ness, it drops like the dropping of a honey comb, the 21. and 22. Chapters of the Revelations also speak at a very high rate and tell us of new Jeru­salem, comming down from heaven as a bride made ready for her husband; Of a City that [Page 12] shall be of a glorious constitution, and that all things shall be made new, and very much to this purpose, which I conceive doth as the other passages before mentioned, referr to a state in this life; I cannot but mention the second of Pe­ter. chap. 3. We according to his promise look for a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness and scripture which▪ I have cause to remember with a most thankfull acknowledg­ment of a mercifull providence ordered out to my self. When I had preached over the whole Chapter to that Verse, and had ingaged to the verse and preached one Sermon upon it, and had a more numerous multitude of Auditors, Mini­sters and others then ordinary, upon the account of the Argument, which the Text led me unto: After I had preached that Sermon, which was at seven of the clock in the morning of the Lords-Day, according to my ordinary course that very day there was some disturbance in the City, and it is known what was performed by them, and what after proceeding there was on the part of the Powers then in being; ingaged I then was to the prosecution of the Text the next Lords day: it was apprehended that it was no way safe for me to proceed in the discourse, but that it was my wisest course, either wholy to wave it, or at least to intermitt the prosecution of it for a time. I disputed the matter within my self, commended my cause to God in a way of Prayer, and there­upon I judged thus; that if I should baulke my Text which I had handled in part, and was falln [Page 13] upon in course, having preached upon the whole foregoing part of the Chapter; I should do great disservice to my Lord and Master, and cast the whole Congregation under disappointment, which would expect to hear what I had further to say upon the point, and it would turn to my prejudice so to do. I brake, by the help of grace, the force of the temptation, proceeded in my course, gave some tollerable satisfaction to my Auditors, had some good approbation of my La­bour, and all was well, very well, I had peace, the people profit; but this by way of digression.

For the apprehension and opinion concerning a more glorious State of the Church here on earth, I own it and conceive, that the Scriptures alleadged with multitudes more, give abundant ground for it: For the opinion concerning the Thousand Years, and the personal reign of Christ, I know it hath great patronage from lear­ned and godly men: Others are of a different ap­prehension and judg it to be more proper to in­terpret the fore alleadged Scriptures of a glori­ous estate in the world to come, In the heaven of glory I mean. Whatever the difference between them be, and however the interpretation pro­ceeds, I wish there may be no litigant spirit a­mong the learned and godly concerning it, knowing that it is Melius dubitare de occultis quàm li­tigare de incertis, as was the speech of Austin of old, and whatever our expectations be, whether of a more glorious estate here on earth, or of a per­fect estate of glory in heaven, let you and me set [Page 14] our hearts to make the best preparation we can for the appearance of our God and the Lord Je­sus Christ, and that we may appear with some suteableness to the future productions of former predictions; for may we not think there will be occasion to say with respect to the performan ce of these things which are purposed concerning the Church of God in a way of mercy and grace▪ and to cry out as Balaam did with respect unto dreadfull productions in a way of judgment and severity, as in Numbers 22, 23. alas! who shall live when God doth this? and what will it avail us to see new Jerusalem coming down from hea­ven as a bride in her beauty and bravery, and our selves found in a state of deformity, and beg­gery, in rotten raggs; to have New Jerusalems L [...]ght and Glory breaking out, and have neither eye to see it, nor shoulders to bear up under the weight of it; to have all things made new, and nothing of newness of heart: to have the mar­riage of the Lamb kept, and we no wedding gar­ments to be found on us.

There is a letter lately come forth to publick view bearing the Earl of Marleboroughs name, which I had an account of by a manuscript, I hear it is now in Print, whether with any variations and amplification I cannot say, what I heard I judged, Primo auditu, to be Verbum, Scriptum, viro nobili dignum; he therein asserting, pleading the reallity, substantiality of Religion and Godli­ness, which many, too many at this day most impudently, insolently, audaciously, in suam [Page 15] perniciem give judgment upon as a meer fancy and humane device, as if that Athistical spirit had a stamp of truth upon it; Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor, fear and fancy have given the first being to God and Religion, and so they sleight it, disgust it, decry it, making nothing of it.

O! Monsters of men, in quibus ne mica sanae men­tis, ne granum salis, men of corrupt minds repro­bate concerning the faith as Paul speaks, is it not my friends a time for God to work when men make void his Law, Psalm. 119. and not onely his Law, his Institutions and appointments, but himself and his very being too: Is it not time for God to appear and awake to Judgment? after a long time of silence and his seeming to be a sleep, to vindicate and plead his Name, his Cause, his World, his Worships, as now he hath begun to do; no wonder that at this day he answer us out of the Whirl-winde (as he did his servant Job, who had made a little too bold with God) that now he hath drawn his Sword, and bent his Bow, put his Arrows upon the string and let them fly on e­very side, and what would we have him to do? tell me my friends, for I would be willing to know, what entertainment this Letter of the Earls finds, how it takes on one side or other, especially on the part of the Grandees & Gentry, what judgment they make of it, and whether it be a Ludibrium or a Documentum, a matter of scorn or a Scholiast by which they are willing to be animadverted upon both as to their persons and manners, whe­ther they slight it and set light by it as stramineu [...] [Page 16] quid stercorcum quid, the issue of a fanatick friend­like brain, or to be solid and judicious, of a profi­table improvment, and such as hath a tendencie to move and provoke men to consider more seri­ously of Religion and the things of Eternity, and so the Letter turn to a good account: This I de­sire to know, He tell you upon what occasion, I was told a very few days ago by a sober person, that there are many and many of such a Spirit, so debauched as that if any thing, whether Ser­mon, Treatise or ought else comes out in Print that discovers a friendliness to Religion and the ways of Holiness, and gives a check though with much prudence and gentleness to the lusts of men and their sinfull exorbitances and exuberancies, any thing that casts a friendly aspect upon the matters of God and Christ, especially if it bears the name of such as are counted Fanaticks, though otherwise Learned, Sober, Peaceable men that are devoted to the fearing of God and honouring of the King; and are as Cordially and Conscientiously set to promote subjection to Ma­gistrates higher or lower, and against whom no thing in the world can be objected but this, that they are not conforming, they either rise up in strongest opposition to it and explode it, or dis­parage it and lay it by as not worthy to be med­led with, but rather buried with scorn and con­tempt in silence, adjudging it to perpetual dark­ness never to see the light: Such a spirit of pro­phaness the Earl in his letter according to my ap­prehension and interpretation of it, seems to be [Page 17] either fore apprehensive of, or actually discover­ing; if he were not, I know that both he and we all have cause to reckon upon and be in expecta­tion of it; that men of such a spirit of propha­ness should come, both St. Peter (2 Epistle of Peter 2.) and St. Jude in his Epistle by a propheti­cal spirit and by divine inspirment foretold, that in the last days should come Scoffers and Mockers walking after their own Lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming, such and so spirited from hell and the devil, that they neither regard God, his Precepts, Promises, or threatnings, nor his judical actings and proceedings, when his hand is lifted up, they will not see nor minde it; the works of the Lord, and the opperation of his hands they will not have regard unto, so is it pro­phesied and so is it, and must it be fulfilled ne­cessarily, and that because it is so foretold and prophesied, and I may say upon this occasion as our Saviour speaks, Woe unto the world because of of­fences; it is neceessary that offences come, but woe be to them by whom they come; so it is necessary that prophesies be fulfilled, but woe be to them by whom such kind of prophesies are fulfilled; for as much as while they not thinking of it fulfill what is foretold in a prophetical way, they run quite cross to what is held forth in a preceptive way, & so run themselves upon eternal ruine; as to such whoever, wherever they be, I shall take the boldness to say to them, are you absolute and in­dependent, being not at all depending upon God, hath he nothing to do with you? have you [Page 18] nothing to do with him? will you say as they said in Jeremiahs time, Jeremiah the second, We are Lords we will not come to thee, or as Pharoah, Who is the Lord that we should obey him? are you at a point whether you be saved or damned, whether you go to heaven or hell, or do you count these things meer fancies that have no reality in them? is it nothing to you at once to loose God and Christ, your souls, and that to all eternity? Is it nothing to you, & of no signification with you to be for ever shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, and to be tumbled into Hell, with the guilt of all your iniquities upon your Consciences, when your iniquities shall be upon your bones, as Ezekiel phraseth it, and while others shall be Timber for the Building, you shall be fuell for the burning and be sweltering for ever under the unsuppor­table weight of Gods wrath, and endure the gnawing of the worm that shall never dye, and the furius flames of a fire that shall never be quen­ched; in a word, how will your hearts indure, and your hands be strong; as Ezekiel expresses himself: When the Lord Jesus shall appear with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, as the Judge before whom you must be summoned and cited to appear, and have the judgment of eternal Condemnation passe upon you, by him who came at first cloathed with garments of Sal­vation, with a Golden Scepter of Grace in his hand, holding forth a pardon, a Free-pardon to all, that all might have the benefit of it, that would take hold of it. Are you resolved within your selves, that neither God, nor Christ, nor Spirit, nor Angels, nor Mi­nisters, [Page 19] nor Scripture Promises, nor Scripture Threatnings, nor life, nor death, nor things pre­sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other Creature; none of which will se­parate the Saints from God in Christ Jesus, and from his love, shall separate you from your lusts, and the Devill; but you will live and die, and damn with them; If it be thus with you, and that this is the Spirit you doe, and are resolved to walk in, and that you scorn to be checked and controlled by any man whatsoever: neither by word or writing, you will doe what is good in your own eyes, be it never so evill in the eyes of God or man: Then let me propound to your consideration, or rather to the consideration of others (for if you be so spirited, as I have already exprest, there is little hope that you will consi­der) what the Lord by the Prophet speakes, Isa. 28. v. 14. and so forward: Heare the word of the Lord ye scornfull men, because ye have said, we have made a Covenant with Death and Hell; are we at an agreement, when the overflowing scourge shall passe tho­row it shall not come to us; for we have made lyes our refuge, and under falshood we have hid our selves: therefore judgement also will I lay to the line and righ­teousnesse to the plummet, and the haile shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the water shall overthrow the hi­ding place. And your Covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth, it shall take you, for morning by morning [Page 20] shall it passover, by day and by night it shall be a vexa­tion onely to understand the report. For the bed is shor­ter then that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower then that he can wrap himself in it, for the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon, that he may doe his work, his strange work and bring to passe his act, his strange act: Now therefore be not yee mockers, least your bands be made stronge, for I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a Consumption determined upon the whole earth. And is this matter for you to scorn at? Let me further tell you, that please your selves in a scornfull spirit, and in the out-going of it, that delight your selves in your scorning and will not turn at Gods reproof, by his Word, and by his judgements; by both which he loudly cals, but ye refuse to answer; he stretches out his hand, but you will not regard, but set at naught all his counsels, and will none of his reproofs; He also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare cometh, Prov. 1. 24. and so forward, and know as the Lord speaks by his Prophet Ezekiel chap. 7. These things have a reality in them, and are not as an eccho the sounding againe of the moun­taines.

While I am declaiming against such a Genera­tion of men, as is before mentioned; I see cause to be under such a sad seizure as was holy Da­vid, who gives us this account of himself, Psalm 55. Psalm. 119. Fearfulness and trembling did come upon him, that horrour had taken hold of him and overwhelmed him, and wherefore all [Page 21] this? what was it that troubled him: he tells us, it was because of the wicked that had forsaken Gods Law. By the way, observe what a con­trary spirit most men, yea men professing Godli­ness, are possessed with, (and acted by,) that can see and hear the abominable impieties com­mitted in the Land, and not be moved at all, and is it not almost grown quite out of fashion to lay to heart other mens sins and high horrid provo­cations, they think its well if they take any no­tice of their own; but this is it I drive at; It may well raise up wonder and astonishment, to con­sider, that any such persons should be found in this Nation, after such a time of Gospel Light and Grace, and plentifull means of Salvation, which one might think would have levened the land all over, and Sainted the whole Kingdom; and as after such means, so under such dispensa­tions as at this day are ordered out, that should bear so high, and drive so desperately, so furi­ously, as many do in City and Country carring as if they would dare God to his face, make a challenge to him, and as its said in Job. 15. 20. They stretch out their hands against God, and strengthen themselves against the Almighty, they run upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers, such are men of high dare­ing spirits. I should think it would do well for them to take up a little, and when they are in their fullest career, to make a stop and pause somewhat of consideration and moderation would not do amiss; nor would I ever wish a [Page 22] man to provoke the Lord, unless he first be sure of this, that he is stronger then he, for so the Apostle Paul argues, 1 Cor. 10. 22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie? are we stronger then he? I would wish such kinde of persons to consider o [...] Pharoachs case, and Gods expostulation with him▪ Exod 9. 17. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my peo­ple,—I will smite thee and thy people with pesti­lence, &c. If any shall reply and say, but wha [...] occasion is there thus to speak? I answer, it well known, & observed what cruel actings there are at this day on the part of under-officer against their fellow subjects, such as perhaps hi [...] Majesty and the Parliament would not so well like of; as being supra statutum, and that to a high degree.

But what is the day and dispensations of it that w [...] speak of?

I answer, It is not the day of Judgment, the Doctrine whereof is the terrour of the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. Concerning which, I have often thought, that arming our selves with that and other weapons of our spiritual Warfare, which are not Carnal but Mighty through God, we may be bold to encounter and graple with the proudest and stoutest of the sons of men upon the earth: This Terrour of the Lord, is that which where it comes in the power of it upon a defiled Conscience, will make a man to be a Magor Missa bib, (i. e.) a terrour to himself, as Jeremiah speak Chap. . This day of Judgment we all ought to be perswaded of, and to be in a daily expecta­tion [Page 23] of, and preparation for; But though this present day be not (the day of Judgment,) yet it is a day of Judgment? and many Preludiums there are both in Scripture and in the course of Providence which we may look upon, as antici­pations of that Great and Terrible day. We have somthing signified to such a purpose in Psal. 50. 3, 4, 5. verses. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devoure before him, and it shall be very tempestious round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judg his people. Gather my Saints together un­to me: those that have made a Covenant with me, by Sacrifice. Where the Lord calls upon the sons of men from one end of the earth to the other, and makes a general citation of them to gather them­selves together, he himself being upon a solemn appearance with devouring fire. As for the pre­sent day I call it a day of Judgment, the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jeru­salem, Esai. 31. 9. hath kindled his fire, and is heating his Furnace in—England and London; its good for us to strike while the Iron is hot, we may be guided so to strike, as that our Iron may be turned into Gold, and by means of this firy furnace well improved, many rusty Vessels may come forth as Vessels for the finer, and fitted for the masters use.

We have these latter years had an account of many terrible Apparitions and Prodigies, and other stupendious acts of providence which have caused much amazment and amuzment for the [Page 24] present; But the impression of them are almost quite worn out, the remembrance of them is past and gone, and we are yet to seek as to a genuine interpretation of them. There is Mistery Christ, Mistery Gospel, Mistery Zion, Mistery Godliness, Mistery Sin, Mistery Babylon, so is th Mistery Providence; that God that hath his way in the Sanctuary, hath his way in the Sea, and his paths in the great Deeps, and his footsteps are not known, Psalm 77. the scriptures have their [...], that is, things hard to be under­stood; so hath the book of Providence; there are Misterious Texts in it, the holy Prophet found it so, Psalm 73. It was, dolor in Oculis, in the study of which, his eyes were made to water his head and heart to ake again.

And perceiving how apt he was to run upon dangerous mistakes, he calls himself a Behemoth, a foul beast and acknowledging his Ignorance and folly, recovers himself and sees it to be his best course to draw neer to God, and so he did, and found the benefit and comfort of it to his dying day. The sword of Warr hath lately been drawn and hath done great Execution, much Protestant blood hath been shed, when it will be quiet and fall a sleep again, after its awakening who can tell? The terrible sword of Pestilence is also now awakened, and it is acting its part according to the Commission granted unto it; how high this may rise, how farr it may reach, how long it may continue, and what may succeed and come af­ter it, who can tell? These things are laid up in [Page 25] store with God and sealed among his Treasures to whom Vengance and Recompences belong, who will make the feet of his Enemies slide in due time, for the day of their Calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste, t. 32. v. 34, 35. As touching the Pestilential Contagion now amongst us, it hath a very formidable aspect, and begins to open its mouth wide and to devoure on every side; many are possessed with fear and trembling, to think what will become of them, and are ready to cry out with Balaam, Wo and alas, who shall live when God doth this? and well may sinners in Zion be a­fraid and fearfullness surprize the hypocrite in heart, Esai. 33. And such as are of guilty con­sciences as not being able to dwell with devour­ing fire and with everlasting burnings. Its a be­coming thing for such to let fall their spirits, to come down from their grandeur, to turn in upon their own hearts and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, who though fu­ry be not in him, yet if any will set himself a­gainst him, he will be sure to finde that God is more then his match, and will be as a devouring flame to a bush of dry thorns and stubble, and will in a moment burn them up; Its their wisest course to make peace with God and take hold of his strength, and they shall make peace with him as the Prophet speaks, Esai. 27. 4, 5. Its not for any to turn Quiritants and Plaintiffs against God, who is sufficiently able to shew cause for what he doth, and give a reason of all his actings [Page 26] though he be not bound to do it. Nor is it fit to say unto him (what doest thou,) its proper for us all to put our mouths in the dust; and now that his hand is lifted up to see it, submitt to it and learn righteousness by it, knowing that they that will not see it shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people, Esai. 26.

And that they that will not fear with a fear of duty, shall fear with a fear of punishment in a judicial way, and if men will deal proudly against God, he will be found to be above them, yea in the very things wherein they do deal proudly a­gainst him. Its holy Counsel and never more proper for men to take then at this day, which Jeremiah gives us in the 3. of his Lamentations 40, &c. Wherefore doth the living man complain; a man for the punishment of his sin every word hath its weight, and is emphatically argumen­tative; Its man and not God, and shall man com­plain against God, its a living man and that speaks Gods patience and forbearance; he might have struck him dead and sent him to hell, but he lives, and is it fitting that he should complain, and not rather magnifie Gods patience and good­ness, and say its of the Lords mercies that we are not utterly consumed. Its a man for the punish­ment of his sin, that which he suffers under and complains of, is of his own procuring, he eats the bread of his own bakeing, drinks the drink of his own brewing, reaps the harvest of his own seed; nay, nay, it is not for the living man to com­plain, but as the counsel is there given to search [Page 27] and try his ways and turn to the Lord his God▪ to be humbly inquiring into the Reason, into the very Reason why God is fallen out with England and London, that have been good friends so long? Why he hath taken his Rod into his hand and gives us such heavy blows, that he fetches blood from us and strikes us dead? And indeed let this be our business at this day, to know and find out the Proper Reason of this present Plague. To find out the causes of a Disease we count hath a great tendency to the Cure, but who and where is the wise man that may understand this? and who is it to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it for what the Land is Plagued and in a way to perish, and to become as a wilderness that none passeth through, they are Jeremiah's words, Jer. 9. verse 12.

If such a course be not taken and vigerously prosecuted without partiality, and an ingenuous acknowledgment made, that to all other our sins we have added these or these till we find out the Jonah that makes the seas tempestuous, the Achan that troubles the [...]and, the Sheba son of Biory which makes the disturbance and so must be be­headed, and his head cast over the wall. Till this be done it will not be well with us, but we may even call for the mourning women as it fol­lows in that place, To take up a wailing and to make bitter Lamentation, for death is come into our windows and is entred into our palaces to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. I hear that diverse [Page 28] of our Preachers have been performing somthing to such a purpose, improving the Scriptures, and giving account from them what particular sins have formerly provoked God to send the Plague upon a people, this is somthing to the purpose: But what if there be some or other abomination committed in the Land, which lyes heavy on it, and the cry of it is heard in the eares of the Lord of Hostes, that till it be found ou [...] the mouth of it stopt and it self removed; some or other sin which the Scripture doth not so clearly and in terms make mention of; for I suppose it may be so, that sins may be committed that have scarce ever been heard of before, as God somtimes bringeth to light strange punishments, and armes himself with weapons of his Indignation, which he hath not formerly made use of, as we have it in Job 31. v. 3. Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? So there may be uncooth unheard of sins. Now this I drive till this or that particular evil be found out, Confessed, Repented, and Reformed, till the proper vein be opened, and the singer laid upon the very sore; we may pine away and pe­rish in our iniquity, and the Land become deso­late without Inhabitant. Nathan said unto Da­vid thou art the man, David said of himself I am the man, this is my sin, I have mad [...] some obser­vation in my daily Course of reading Scriptures, of that passage in Eze. 15. 8. I will make the land de­solate, because they have committed a trespass, and the like you find in chap. 20. v. 27. Now had they [Page 29] committed but one trespass, yea they had multi­plied their trespasses; But we may understand it, either as if all their trespasses were run into one, or there was a Master a Monster trespass one or o­ther trespass of such notoriety that God would not pardon, but take vengance and do execution with furious rebukes. Whatever the cause is, a cause there is why the Plague is broken out a­mong us and begins to rage and beat down on e­very side; And to be sure in the general, Sin is the cause, but happy we if we had an interpreter, one of a thousand to declare unto us our unrighteous­ness, and the unrighteousness in special, which te­stifies and pleads against us and hath procured this sore Judgment of the Pestilence, which is as a sword sharpened and furbished, and for ought we know is sharpened and furbished to make a sore slaughter. And should we then make mirth? what if it contemn our Rod, our Srength, our Riches, Honour and Beauty of our Ornaments, as it did of old; the Rod, the Strength, and Beautiful Ornaments of Israel, and of Judah, when it pro­ved the Sword of the great men which were slain; the sword entring into their privy Chambers, & the point of it set against their gates, that their hearts might be faint, & their ruines be multipli­ed with terror of Princes and people. Ye find that thus it was threatned and done to Jerusalem, and Judah, Ezek. 21. 8, 9. And as it is further ex­prest, Ezek 7. 8, 9. 10. Now will I shortly poure out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and▪ [Page 30] will recomponce thee for all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pitty: I will recompence thee according to thy ways, and thine abo­minations that are in the midst of thee, and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth. Behold the day, behold the day is come, the morning is gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded. With revenging re-compenses God cometh upon the Back of them, yea, to their faces he tells them, he would not spare nor have pity; Utinam non sic Nobiscum, but behold the day is come, behold it is come, the Rod is gone forth, the Rod is Blossomed, Pride is Budded, Violence is risen up into a Rod of Wickedness, and Wickedness is risen up into a Rod of Judgment and Destruction. And let us know and be assured, that he whose life is in his Iniquity, Cujus vivere est peccare so our Translators express, Ezekel 7. verse 13. That he shall not strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life. And for such as make iniquity the iniquity of their hearts, (that is) set their hearts upon their iniquity, they shall find that when the iniquity of their heels shall compass them about which is the Psalmists phrase in the 49 Psalm; their wick­edness wil prove bitter, yea bitterer then gall and wormwood, it will reach to the heart and make them cry out as in Jer. 4. v. 18, 19. My bowels, my bowels I am pained at the very heart. Insuch a day as this is, which is a day of sharp Rebuke from God, as it hath been of latter times a day of sharp Rebuke from Majestrates and men in Authority to some of us: Its fit for us all to humble our selves and reckon upon it that God cals to Mourning [Page 31] and Weeping; Jeremiahs Commission impowered him to say to the King and the Queen: Jerem. 13. Humble your selves sit down in the dust; And I know no reason to the contrary, but if Kings and Queens, Princes and Nobles, and Grandees of the World sin as others doe, they should humble themselves, Repent and Abase themselves before God as others ought to do and some do: If ever they will finde that mercy with God, which o­thers in the way of Repentance hope to finde. God and godliness are no respecters of persons, there is not one way for Kings, and another way for Subjects; one way for Princes and Nobles, and another way for Pezants and Plebeiants; one for Rich, and another for Poor to be saved in. The same truths are to be believed, the same, yea the severest duties are indespensable, requi­red, and to be performed and practised by one and other: If any man, yea any man be he who be will, will be Christs Disciple, he must deny himself take up his Crosse and follow him: Religion is too no­ble and generous a thing to stoop to any mans humour in the World. He that will not be saved upon Gods terms, may and shall go without Gods Salvation; God will abate nothing of his price, nor be beholding to any man to come to heaven, he that likes not the terms upon which heaven & salvation is propounded may let it alone, if one will not deal for it others will. As to a due com­portment with present times and providences be­sides what I have already said; I say further, that it is for every man to study the Plague of his own [Page 32] heart, the sore of his own soul, they are scripture expressions, 1 King. 8. 2 Chron. 6.

We are to reckon the Lord calls to weeping and mourning, and to sigh and cry for all the abomi­nations that have been committed in the Land; to smite with the hand and stamp with the foot and say as Ezekiel expresseth it. Alas! alas! to do as the Ninivites did, when Jonah had delivered his message, judgment was but in denounciation as to them, its in actual execution upon us; they believed God and proclaimed a Fast, put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them; the King himself arose from his throne and laid his Robe from him and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes, and he caused it to be proclaimed and published by the decree of the King and his Nobles; That neither Man, nor Beast, Herd, nor Flock should taste any thing, nor feed, nor drink water, but that Man and Beast should be covered with sackcloath, and cry migh­tily unto God, and turn every one from the evil of his ways, and from the violence that is in their hands, and all this upon a probability, nay a possibility, a paradven­ture, a who knows, who can tell whether God will not Return, and Repent and Turn from his fierce anger that we perish not. A most eminently exemplary [...]at [...]ern and president worthy the imitation of all [...] Cities and Countries in England and the [...]ole World; Now fye upon it and shame to us all, that we should be so shy, so proud and I know not what, as not to follow such examples better: But the men of Ninivie shall rise up in Judgment a­gainst the men of this Generation and condemn it, for [Page 33] they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and at his once preaching; I know not that ever he preached a second time, God had much a doe to bring him to that once. We have had preaching up­on preaching, precept upon precept, line upon line, and all our preaching little avails, and many of those that have been upon this work are silenced, secluded, and set aside, and in the rome of them there are others come up, of some of which setting aside their Conformity; I know, and others know better then I, that there is lit­tle or nothing to commend them; they have got­ten their Benefices and spiritual promotions double treble, quadruble and very jolly they are as men now of a higher elevation, I grudge none of them their Preferments, I am sure I do not, onely I wish they would be better, do better, walk more worthy of the Magistrates bounty and the rich provision that is made for them. As for my self, I have been a Minister and Preacher to­wards Fifty Years, and this I say, that being now deprived, together with the liberty of my Mini­stry, which is more to me then all the world be­side; of my Salery of Forty pounds Per Annum which was the top of my preferment, though I have not been without offers of better maintain­ance, which for Conscience sake I have refused. I have been as well pleased with the courteous re­spects that I have met withall as I have passed a­long in the streets, as I could have been with the best preferments that could have been cast upon me in England. And if I could in the way of my [Page 34] Ministry serve my God, my King my Country without check and controule for the few days that I have to live in the world, I care not if I went clad in Canvas, and laboured all the week long for my bread, onely reserving time for my study, faring hard, enduring much, for I hope I can say to me, to live is Christ, and if so, I am sure then to dye will be Gain. I have said somwhat already as to a suitablenesse of carriage and deportment in such a day of Ca­lamity; this I say moreover to you my Friends or Others, If the Lord should spare you, as I hope he will many of you, for the Judge of all the World will do Right, and I am not without hope that he will, reserving to himself his absolute so­verainty as its fit he should shewing some proof of it, will make a difference between them that fear him and them that fear him not. Be ye that shall escape as the Doves of the Valeys, every one of you mourning for his iniquity. If any of you should say to me, do you charge us with iniquities and put us upon mourning for them; I would say plain­ly to you and ten thousands more, not excepting my self; grant it that we are not Iniqui, yet we have Iniquitates Nostras, that is, though we be not wicked, yet we may have, nay we have our wickedness: Grant that you are not proud in the abstract, as the expression is in the 50. of Je­remiah and the 31. verse concerning Babylon, Be­hold I am against thee, oh thou most proud, in the He­br [...]w, [...] pro [...], Superbia pro vir Su­perbiae, a man of pride as the Septugint reads it, [...], if you be not covetousness in the abstract, [Page 35] not so covetous as to be denominated by it; yet there may be much of it found in you and so of all other sins, of all which we have too too much in us: The Prince of this World came and found nothing in Christ, but alas he comes and finds much in us for his purpose to advantage his de­signes against us, upon which account we have and shall have cause to go mourning to our graves. Happy we, that we have an Advocate, a merciful High Priestin Heaven, at the Fathers right hand who pittieth us, and appears before God on purpose that he might plead for us, and procure acceptance for our persons and services, which in themselve, are worthy of Abdication, Rejection, and Reprobation with greatest scorn. Mourne we then for our own Iniquities, and the Iniquities of others, and for the bitter Fruits and Effects and Productions of them; and while we take comfort in this that we have Premitius Spiri­tus, yet keep we humble in this respect, that they are but Primitiae, but the first fruits of the Spirit, and that there are Reliquiae Carnis, foul silthy de­forming and defiling reliques of the flesh and that to so great a Proportion. Mourn we I say, but not as men without hope, concerning our Souls and the following Eternity; yea bear up comfortably in respect of the Body and our Ob­noxiousnesse to the Present PLAGUE, which by divine appointment hath invaded us, and is now Ʋndi qua que pessundans: Consider in whose hand it is to order and direct. I would wish you seriously to confider and weigh well the con­dition [Page 36] and qualifications propounded in the 91. Psalm, and what account you can give of them, and of your selves concerning them: are you such as make the most high your habitation, dwel­ling in his secret place, are you such as set your hearts to know his name? Have you set your in­tirest and most intensive love upon him, place your trust and confidence in him; have you said of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortresse, my God in whom will I trust: know then that you are a secured people, the promisory part of the Psalm smiles upon you, speaks most comfortably to you, presents you with Milk and Butter, with Oyle and Honey, with Marrow and Fatnesse, as in a lordly dish; and fear you not that a Hammer and a Naile will be your second Service. Promi­ses that are made there, are great and precious, rich and plenteous; they are promises that are not made in vain, but must and shall be perfor­med. But how? In the very Letter of them, why not? But to all that are godly and answer the qua­lifications; I say, and query thus: First, did you ever hear of any man that did actually bear upon them; and that did imbark himself in them, ac­commodate them, put them in suit, and plead them, and confidently without hesitancy and fluctuating of Spirit believe them; Did you ever know any man doe this and dye of the Plague? But you will ask me, may it not be so? I answer, I dare not say, but so it may be▪ The question was agitated Forty years ago, and by some held in the Negative, that godly persons acting a particular [Page 37] Faith upon a particular Promise cannot; I am not altogether of their perswasion: I question whether the Promises there made, that the Plague shall not come nigh the dwellings of such will give so clear ground and footing for such a fulnesse of Belief and Confidence; all temporal Promises have their limitations and exceptions, and God reserves a liberty to chasten his chil­drens delinquencies, to try and exercise their graces, and he will be known to be of absolute Sovereignty. As I said before, be will doe that that shall be for his people bests, his promises one and another shal be performed, one way or other, either in the letter or by equivalency: This I would say to you, and my self on this occasion: Let us doe our utmost endeavour, that we may be, and be found persons so spirited and quali­fied, as the Psalmist expresses, and let God doe with us what he will, we need not be solicitous, but possesse our soules in sweetest peace and secu­rity; and if the Plagne should come and seize upon us, the property of it shall be altered, and as other sickness shal be usefull to bring us home to our own Country and to our Fathers house, where we shall be as well as heart can wish; where we shall never know sin nor sicknesse, Plague nor Po­verty, nor Persecution; and the time is at hand when death its self and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire, Revel. 20. Its a high expression▪ I pray you mind it. I would have added one word to the point, I touched before in a Cautionary way.

Let them that hold the question, Whether a god­ly [Page 38] man in the actual exercise of his Faith, and Faith upon such promises, as we spake of before, may dye of the Plague, yea, or no? In the Negative; Look to it, least intheir own persons, & their own dying that kind of death, they prove not the affirmative.

For you and me Brethren, let us be true to God and godlinesse, and be bold to trust him with all your concernments. Let our hearts be fixed trusting in the Lord, and then fear nothing, neither Plague, nor Famine, nor Sword, nor wrath of men; this wrath shall praise him, and the remainder thereof shall he restrain. Its a time wherein many are grown worse and worse, ac­cording to Revel. 22. Let him that is filthy be filthy still; which is spoken, Non optando imperando, ap­probando, sed prophetando, & judicialiter pronunci­ando▪

Let us grow better and better, the same Text re­quires▪ That they that are holy be boly still; and to be sure that is spoken imperando approbando: Let us watch and keep our garments close to us, and clean about us, manifesting and making out that difference, which our God by his calling hath made between us and others, by a difference of disposition and conversation: Let us look to it that Christ be in us, the principle of spiritual life, and be assured he will be in us the hope of eternal glory: Let us not rest in a form of godlinesse, but presse after the power of it: You know the Scrip­ture insists much upon Power, there is the power of Christ, the power of the Spirit, the power of the Gospel, the power of the Resurrection, the [Page 39] power of the Kingdome, the power of Godliness, the power of an endlesse life, the power of the world to come; all this should make us minde Power. On take heed of a powerlesse profession, a powerlesse godliness; rest not satisfied with a mere effigies, a dead image, such as many carnal professors, set up to themselves and fall down to worship▪ Statues which themselves becoms like unto; having eyes but they see not, eares but hear not, &c. Poor souls who seed upon ashes, a deceived heart turns them aside, they compasse God with lyes, and run away with a lye in their right hand; let us look to this that we have a Union with Christ our Mystical head, and be carefull to hold that head, Colossians [...] 19. Study the Mystery of that expression and reduce it to daily practice; think it not enough to be in a good way, but be good in the way. It is not, Blessed are they that are in an undefiled way, but blessed are the undefiled in the way, Psal▪ 119. [...]. 1. We may be in a true and Gospel Worship, and not be right and true in that Worship. What then, when the way of the Lord shall be found strength to the upright, destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity, Prov. 10 v. 29. Yea though in the way, yea the rather, the sooner; the very way will throw them out, it will tire and foun­der them, while the upright shall Mutare vires, youths shall faint, young men shall fall, but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint, Esaiah 40. Hosea 14. and the last [Page 40] verse speaks to the same purpose. The ways of the Lord are right, the just shall walk in them, trans­gressors shall fallin them. Be ye very studious of learning the truth as it is and lies in Jesus; let it appear that you are good proficients in that learning, by your putting off the Old man. The Apostle Ephes. 4. useth a metaphor taken from a Garment, such is the Old Man, a Rotten, Rag­ged, Motheaten, Corrupt, Musty, Greasie Gar­ment, its all filthiness and corruption; nay let me tell you, the Plague is in it, verily it is, Oh then off with it and throw it upon some hedge or into some ditch, and put on the New Man that will make you comely and trim in the eyes of God, Angels and men: Its the new creature in Christ that is the availing thing, Circumcision, Uncircumcision, outward Baptismes, Know­ledge, Gifts, Parts, Priviledges, all these and all other externals without the New Creature will avail nothing, signifies nothing with God; therefore be ye carefull of this, and that you answer the New Creature with a New Carriage and suitableness of Conversation, escaping the polutions of the world, not onely by the know­ledge of the Lord and Saviour as Hypocrites may do, and afterwards come to be entangled again and overcome, and so their latter end prove worse then their beginning, as its expressed in the second of Peter, but let it be through the righteousness of God, and by the means of the great and precious promises, and by a participa­tion of the Divine Nature, that your escapes from [Page 41] the polutions of the world and the contammina­tion thereof is brought about, and then all will prove well at last. But while I perswade you to put on the New Man, and to be in a sanctified state; I must needs mind you of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ in his Merrit and Righteousness by Faith for free Justification, and then you will have the change of Rayment, spoken of in the 3. of Zechariah and the 4. verse; And so putting on Christ, keeping him on never putting him off again, walk up and down in him, rise up and lie down in him, and to vary the metaphor, as the Scripture doth, feed upon him daily, for he is as cloathing, so meat and drink to us; Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you, if you do, you have eternal life, you have it already, its begun; and so indeed it must be begun in this world, for it is the same eternal life that the Saints live here and in heaven▪ the same for nature and kind, though there are dif­ferences in degrees; they that begin not their eternal life here, shall never go to heaven to be­gin it there; ye must have heaven come down from God out of heaven here in grace and holi­ness, or else you shall never come into heaven af­ter you go out of this World. Wicked men and unbelievers begin their hell here in the sinfull part of it, and hereafter they shall have their hell compleated, in the suffering and tormenting part of it; so on the other hand, godly persons begins their heaven here in the gracious part of it▪ and then the glorious part is superadded here­after, [Page 42] and it is but the parting with a little breath, and the sending out that, its but the knocking down of a weak mud wall, and the impeni­tent sinner (oh miserable he) will have his hell compleated: The godly believer (oh blessed he) will have his heaven compleated and both one and other be in a standing condition, such as shall never know nor admitt of changes to all e­ternity; there is no such [...] between heaven and earth, but that there may be an en­tercourse and converse now; but there is a vast gulf between heaven and hell, Luke 16. and whereas I speak of eternal life begun here, I say it is by the means of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which must be un­derstood spiritually, and spiritually performed, not in the Letter but in the Mystery: We must not here, Terrenum concipere, its the spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing: I am of this belief and perswasion, that if a man that was pre­sent at the Crucifying the Lord of Life had gotten a piece of his holy flesh and eaten it, and catcht some of his blood and drunk it down, it would have profited him nothing, as to his Souls condition and the concernments thereof, but that by the way. I have been and am perswad­ing to look to the main, to minde and make after real and substantial godliness, and to be cordial to it, I presse it still; deal not complementally with it and in the way of Courtship; make it your main business and not as a [...] a mat­ter by the by, and be sure that it be commander [Page 43] in chief, and so it must and will be, or it will be nothing, its of too noble and generous a nature to be an underling to any man or to any mans lusts in the world, be he who he will; and while I urge and press godliness I would have old god­liness considered of and owned; I mean Abels godliness, and Enocks godliness, and Abrahams godliness, which was as good godliness as ever was in the world; let us think it no scorn to be com­manded by their examples to write after their coppy. Let us not be sloathfull but followers of the holy Patriarchs, that by Faith and Patience inherit the promises; Concordet vita mea cum Pa­triarchis maneat in Eternum anima mea Compatriar­chis, only look diligently with all possible care to this, that we be not mistaken about godliness, for its a much mistaken thing in the world, and the mistakes about it, though very common, yet are they of most dangerous consequence, and will be found so to be ere it be long, let you and I walk before God as Enock and Abraham did, in the hu­mility and integrity of our hearts, and keep close to him while others study sinfull and unwarran­table latitudes and walke at a losse: Be we care­full that whatever the times be, we never be the worse for them, nor they the worse for us, that it may not be said of us, as of Judah of old, Hosea 11. verse 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ru­leth with God, and is faithfull with the Saints. This is the way to bring a blessing upon us, and let times and providences be what they will, it shall [Page 44] go well with us, if greater storms and tempests a­rise upon us then ever yet our eyes beheld in re­spect of mans actings, we shall have a weather­shoare, a shelter, a hiding place, a refuge, a cham­ber of retirement, let Gods appearances be ne­ver so formidable and dreadfull: God will be the hope of his people, and Godlinesse and a good conscience will befriend them to purpose, and make them sing like birds of Paradice, when o­thers shall houle and lament for the misery that will come upon them, being cast under a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indig­nation that shall devoure the adversary. And to the honour of godliness be it spoken, the beau­ty and benefit of it is never more seen and found then in times of publick Calamity and days of Vengeance; Consider what our Saviour speaks in Luke 21. 25. And there shall be signes in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars, and upon the earth distresse of Nations, with perplexity, the Sea and the Waves roaring, Mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; For the powers of heaven shall be shaken, &c. When these things begin to come to passe, what then? then, even then look you up and lift up your heads, for your Redemption draws nigh. The acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of Vengeance of our God are joyned together, Esai. 61. When Vengeance comes upon the Wicked, then is God in suo bene placito, then is he in his ful­lest complacency The Psalmist tells us, Psalm 58 The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance, [Page 45] Esa. 66. 5. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my names sake, said, let the Lord be glorified: but for what I marvel, what for hating their Bre­thren and casting them out? O bona causa; But what follows, he shall appear for your joy and they shall be ashamed, my servants saith the Lord shall eat and ye shall be hungry, my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty, my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed, my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall houle for vexation of spirit chap. 65. verse 13. When was it that those Caelicolae, the much people in hea­ven voiced out their Hallelujahs, and the sour and twenty Elders consorted with them and said, Amen Hallelujah; but when the smoak of Babylon and her Torments ascended for ever and ever, and upon the beholding of which, the Kings and Merchants of the earth; Cry out, alasse! alasse! that Great City Babylon that mighty City, for in one hour is thy judgment come. It is as I hinted to you before a day of Judgment and terrible appearance of God a­mongst us in the way of Pestilence, and what would we have God to do, would we have him always to be silent and sit still in heaven, as one that takes no Cognisance of what is done on earth, and not sensible in the least of all the pro­vocations wherewith he hath been provoked to his face from day to day; such apprehensions and athiestical conceits have possessed the minds of others of old, Ezek. 8 verse 12. for they say, the Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth; [Page 46] The like we have in Psalm 94. verse 6. 7. They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thy herritage, Yet they say, the Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Would ye have the Mighty and most holy Jehovah so to un▪God himself (with Reverence be it spoken) and so to carry as if he had cast off the Government of the World, and regarded not which end went for­ward, or as if he were now grown old and im­potent disabled for mannaging affairs as former­ly, or such a God as Elijah, in way of holy Sar­casm and Scoffingly propounds Baal to be 1 King. 18. v. 27. Cry aloud for he is a God either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a Journey, or peradven­ture he sleepeth and must be awaked; surely there is no gracious spirit in the World can endure, that the most blessed God should be under such reproach and scorn, but rather that he should awake up, and shew himself in a way of vindication of his own name and glory, which is better then all the Angels and men in the world. The Church of old hath made lively discovery of an excellent spirit to such a purpose, Psalm 94. verse 1. O Lord God to whom Vengeance belongs, O God to whom ven­geance belongs, shew thy self. Esai. 60. verse 1, 2. Ob that thou wouldest rent the heavens, that thou wouldest c [...]me down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boyle, and wherefore all this? mark what follows, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy pre­sence. And let God alone to plead his own cause, [Page 47] be sure he will look to his name and glory▪ mark what he speaks by the prophet, Psalm 50. v. 21. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence: thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. So likewise the Prophet Isaiah chap. 4 [...]. ver. 13, 14. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousie like a man of War: he shall cry, yea, roar, he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace, I have been still, and re­frained myself: Now will I cry like a travelling wo­man, I will destroy and devour at once. So that a man shall say, verily there is a reward for the righ­teous, he that seeth cause so to say, shall see a like cause to say, as verily, there is a reward for the wicked, even as verily as there is a God that judgeth the Earth, Psalm 58. 11. We have somwhat of Justification hereof at this day, among our selves the sword of Pestilence (as I said before,) is wa­kened, and the terrible God is causing his ter­rour to manifest it self: the great men of the earth do reckon it to their honour to appear very for­midable and dreadfull, and to raise up and cause their terrour to be known in their Dominions, and to those that are under their Government. We finde in Ezekiel chap. 32. That five or six times in few verses, it is thus expressed, Such and such caused their terrour in the Land of the living, but at last themselves were brought to the pit, and slain with the Sword, uncircumcised as they were, and while they had their swords under their heads they had their ini­quities upon their bones, verse 27. and then this ac­count [Page 48] is given of them, the terrible God who sometimes manifests himself terrible to Kings and Princes and Nations, he comes in speaking thus, verse 32. I have caused my terrour, as if he had said, they have taken their times and turns to shew themselves terrible, and I will take my time with them and make it appear, that I can cause as much terrour as any of them. God can carry and act as men do, excepting their sinfull actings; as in the 18. Psalm, With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy self mercifull, with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright, with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure, with the meek thou wilt shew thy self meek, with the humble thou wilt shew thy self humble; But with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward, and with the terrible thou wilt shew thy self terrible. The Lord carries at this day as if he had seen and heard somthing; I referr to that expression in Zechariah chap. 9. v. 8. when the Lord speaks by the Prophet thus, I will encamp about my house, &c. for now have I seen with mine eyes. Surely God hath seen somwhat that is not very gratefull to him, for it is now more then the burthen of the word of the Lord; no, Its the burden of the wrath and judgment of the Lord, not in the denunciation of it, but in the executi­on of it: I have signified in part already, what is the proper work for us all in such a day, and I am now turnd upon the same point again; And what if it be as of old, according to what the Prophet Esaiah speaks▪ Precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. You my dear Friends and others with you will not be [Page 49] offended, and as for others be they who they will that are curious, captious, and critical, if any such should come to the view hereof. If they be not pleased I passe not nor shall I be displeased; I am at a point, I'le trouble them as little as I can, and it may be never more in this kind: If you and the rest to whom this is intended, accept and reap any benefit by what I have performed for your sake in a paraenetical and perswasory way, it is enough for me, I have my ayme. Our com­mon work besides other is to pray, but for what? That God would remove his heavy stroake, true; but with all, that he would sanctifie it, and do us much good by it, knowing that Covenant afflicti­on and Judgments sanctified, are better much better then common mercies: Pray that God would purge away our Drosse, and take away our Tinn, what there is of drosse in point of Do­ctrine, Discipline and Worship, and Morals; and in our own hearts, that he would purge all this away: Pray that the Plaister may lye on till in some measure it hath eaten out proud excrescen­ces: Fruit of Judgments is better then freedom from them. There are it seems some hopes at the present, while I am Writing, that the strength of the storm is over; that there will be a great a­batement this week, and so for the future: And its said, that our busie Astrologers, who I wish do not make too bold with God encourage this hope. I would say as Jeremiah speaks concerning the vessels of the Temple, when Hananiah the son of Azur the Prophet which was in Gibeon, spake [Page 50] unto him in the house of the Lord, in the presence of all 'the people saying; I have broken the yoak of the King of Babylon, and in two fall years will I bring again to this place all the vessels of the Lords house that Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon &c. Jere­miah said to Hananiah in the presence of the Priests and in the presence of all the people, even the Prophet Jeremiah said, Amen, the Lord do so, the Lord perform the word which thou hast prophesied, Jer. 27. So would I say upon such suggestions concer­ning an abatement & Cessation of the judgment upon us, even so Amen, the Lord perform this word. But see well to it, how, and upon what termes we and the Plague part, it may prove max­ima Dei ira the greatest wrath of God, for God not to be angry, that is, not to make manifest his anger. God punisheth most severely when he re­fuseth to punish, as in Hosea 4. I will not punish your Daughters when they commit Whordom, Medicus cum definit curare desperat, its an argument that the Physician hath little or no hope of the Pati­ent when he gives over the Cure, it may prove the greatest Judgment to have a Judgment re­moved; and let us be wise and take our Saviours counsel given to the diseased man, John 5. Sin no more least a worse thing come unto thee, Judgment and punishments of the second or third edition, or of a second or third prola [...]ion, may prove sea­ven times more pressingly burthensome; pray we then that God and we may be friends before we and his Judgments part, by occasion of the sad [Page 51] stroak under which we lye. There is a monthly Fast appointed by His Majesties Authority, and it is well that such a course is taken, in order to the removal of the Judgment which is now in­cumbent upon us. Fasting and Praying is a pro­per expedient for such a purpose of Gods ap­pointing, and therefore it should be of mans, be­cause of Gods; but let us take heed that our fast­ing be such as God requires, not a fasting for Strife and Debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Is it such a Fast saith the Lord, that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul, is it to bow down his head as a Bulrush, wilt thou call this a fast, an acceptable day to the Lord. Let there be a put­ting our selves in a due posture and know that it well becomes us to appear before God, with earth upon our heads, with ropes about our necks, with sackcloath upon our Loyns, and so to lie in the dust before him. And for the publick Preachers in whose hands is the management of the work, I would beseech them to look to two or three things; First, that they would cry aloud and not spare; that they would lift up their Voices like Trumpets and shew the 'Inhabitants of England their transgressions, and wherein they have ex­ceeded; that they would drive impartially, spar­ing none; that they would lift up a Standard a­gainst that Athiesme which threatneth to invade the Nation as a Flood; That they would not give stones instead of bread; that they would not fall upon that falacie in Logick, to put Non cau­sam pro causa, touching the Pestilence; That [Page 52] they would not be like the Prophets of Old, who saw vaine and foolish things for the people, not discovering their Iniquity to turn away their Captivity, but seeking for them false burthens, and causes of Banishment and of Destruction and of desolation as the Prophet speaks, Lam. 2. v. 14. But that they would make it their main design to promote the power of Godliness and a real Re­formation, according to the word of God and example of the best reformed Churches, and that Primitive Discipline, which as the Common Prayer Book expresses, it were much to be wished that it were Restored, might come in Power. The Long Parliament were driving something to that pur­pose, but could not bring about their design. Oh that now Magistrates and Ministers would unani­mously set themselves, to see if they can perform better then they did, So as that the people of the Nation may be brought to worship God Ʋnohu­mero, with one shoulder, then shall we not need to be forced by Acts of Parliament to come to Church▪ Those whom they call Phanaticks, will then flee as Doves to their windows, flock as sheep to their foulds, come by shoals (that to be sure) you will not be able to keep them out. The Apostle tells us, that the great God calls upon all men every where to Repent; Oh that that might be our work, and that we might second our Humiliation with a re­al Reformation, that we may put away the Ini­quity of our hearts and hands, that we may spit out the sweet morsels which we have rowl'd so long under our tongue, and held so fast between [Page 53] our teeth, that we would each of us study our own iniquity and quit it; and let the Preachers themselves look to it, that they be lively exam­ples thereof, then may we Fast and Pray with hope and confidence, that God will hear and an­swer, and appeare for our help. And would not those who are lookt upon as Fanaticks, would not they comply with others in this cause. There are of them that though they have not felt the Lashing of the Scorpions, have not had the sower­est looks, the severest frowns, and sharpest re­bukes, yet have had none of the friendliest as­pects; yet even those are free in their spirits to comply with the Cause of Humiliation; and I hope that the people of the Nation will not think that they have wished evil to them, or desired the woful day. Jeremiah was forbidden to pray for the people of his time, and he was somtimes in deep and dreadfull imprecations against them, whether out of passion and perturbation of spirit by means of deep provocations from them, or prompeed thereunto by divine instinct, I dispute not, but these can & do deprecate with others the present Judgments; and can say with Samuel, God forbid that we should sin in ceasing to pray for you. We are and count it our duty to be deeply sensible as of Gods dishonour, so of the Nations present Calamity and Sufferings.

We are fellow Country-men, we are fellow Subjects, in the Nations Peace, we have had Peace; but may we not question, whether other of our brethren desire or care for our Prayers, but [Page 54] hope to do the work themselves without our help; even so say we, So there be but found a Moses to stand in the Gap, an Aaron with his Censer in his hand to stand between the living and the dead it matters not, so there be a man to turn away the wrath of God, let him be who he will we will rejoyce.

My dear Friends I purposed a shorter come off then thus, not to draw out a Line to this length, but so it proves and I make proof of your patience; and if your patience be not quite spent, I will add some few words more, and we will close up all. I told you before of the Earl of Marleboroughs letter, I have yet further to signifie to you, that I lately met with another paper bearing Mr. Richard Baxters name, a large sheet woven by him not to be a winding sheet for mens bodyes, but rather a spiritual winding sheet for their souls, to wind them into God and into heaven, if you will you may reckon it to be a Penitential sheet, woven and wrought to winde poor souls into Faith and Repentance, and so to Glory: Since that sheet I have met with other papers of his, which referr partly to the Godly, partly to the wicked, to one and other principally, with respect unto this Con­tagious Pestilence; in all which he expresses much of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush: Good man of a Piously publick spirit, wishing well to all, hurt to none if he could help it, would have none to Perish but all to come to Repen­tance and so to Glory, having it seems a strong confidence (as well he may) be the numbers ne­ver so great, of Persons that get the Possession of [Page 55] the Kingdome before himself, he shall not be pre­judiced in the least, as to his own interest therein; and I must ingeniously confesse thus much to you, that those sweet and savory Papers of his, which like so many Boxes of Precious Ointment broken open, have filled the City and Country with such an Odoriferous and Fragrant smell, as hath much refresht the nostrills of many, gave me the occa­sion to appear in this way, and with him to pro­secute the same design of promoting some bene­fit, refreshment, and comfort, especially to Per­sons Visited with the Pestilence; yet withal hav­ing an eye to others that they might be prepared for it, and corroborated against the fears of it, rolling themselves upon God in the way of a ho­ly confidence; and this is that which with your patience I would apply my self unto: First of all, I would perswade you, and all my Christian Bre­thren and Friends, not to be over-fearful of the Plague; it is good to have an awe upon our spi­rits, and a trembling frame of heart in the Pre­sence of our Father, when the Rod is in his hand, and he exercising his severity upon those that are in his great Family; but be not too much of a dispondent spirit, as too many are who fear and fly: I shall not now dispute the case concerning removing into the Country, how farr it may be lawfull, how farr not; who may be allowed to provide for their safety that way who not; others have performed that, and for my part I have fa­vourable and friendly thoughts concerning such as do, onely I would have them to consider, that [Page 56] there is no flying from God; so David, Psal. 139. verse 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Whither shall I go from thy spi­rit, or whether shall I fly from thy presence; if I ascend up into Heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behòld thou art there; if I take the wings of the morning, & dwell in the uttermost parts in the Sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me; if I say, surely the darkness shall cover me: even the night shall be light about me. We are further to know that these Arrows of Pestilence are guided by a divine hand, and are not sent out at a venture at random as the Syrians were and Jehus, which were directed to Ahabs brest, and Jehorams back; they are levelled in wisdome and judgment, accor­ding to the Counsel of God, he smites whom he pleases, he spares whom he pleases, and both the Numerus numerans and the Numeras numeratus are with him; It is good therefore to rolle our selves upon God, and to trust him with our lives, and souls, and all our concernments, not fearing the fear of wicked men, but sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts, & making him our fear. As touch­ing the Plague, it is in it self and in the nature of it a formidable disease, as might be manifested in sundry respects, as I said, but it is ordered by a divine hand, you may be infected with it, it may be not; if it be so you may recover, its not ne­cessary you should dy, it proves not mortal to all; its thought by many of the learned, that King Hezekiah was sick of that Disease, and yet he re­covered and lived many years after, and we have proof of it at this very day, by means used; di­vers [Page 57] are kept from the Grave and raised up again▪ [...] whom God is pleased to make use of as instruments in his hand to such a purpose▪ though they be but few▪ blessed of God be our worthy Doctor Oaks, who is eminently active; [...] the hazard of himself and Family, for the good and benefit of such as are sei­zed with the Disease, having a freenesse of spi­rit, [...]o apply himself as much to the Poor, as to those of a higher rank; and blessed be God not without successe, as is well known to many of us at this day: but grant it that the Disease prove Mor [...]l, and we should fall by the hand of it; if all be well between God and our own souls, if we be a pardoned people, justified by the blood of th [...] everlasting covenant, it shall be well with us to all eternity; and what if you go to heaven in a storm the Mariner thinks not the worse of the hav [...]n because a tempest hurled him into it; heaven will be never the worse nor lesse accepta­ble to us, not we the lesse welcome to it, though we come thither by the means of the Plague: As for such whose Families are now Visited, whe­ther Rich or Poor, Young, or Old, One or O­ther; I would in more special manner make my Application to them. Worthy Mr. Baxter hath prevented me and performed worthily, and he hath given ou [...] wholsome Advice and Directions, Methodizing matters that do more especially concern persons in that condition; I would second him in a more General way, and what I shall now in the closing up of my Letter offer out, [Page 58] with respect unto Visited Families and Persons; I could heartily wish that it might be abstracted from the rest of my Letter, and transmitted to the said Families and Persons; and why might not some well affected persons that have a larger Portion of the World then others of their neigh­bours, be at so much cost to procure, together with Mr. Baxters Papers, that which now I second them with, and transmit them unto such Fami­lies and Persons. I have observed, that our Mountebanks can issue out their Papers, and scatter them up and down, that there may be a general cognizance taken of such and such Sove­raign▪ Antidotes and Medicaments, as may be be­neficial to persons, to whom such Medicaments are most proper, and may prove most beneficial and this which now I have to express, is the ex­tract which I wish might be made; I would com­mission such a paper to say, Peace be unto this House, and be sure if the Son or Daughter of Peace be there, the Peace shall rest upon it, notwithstanding the Plague be in it; and whether it come as a tryal or as a pu­nishment, I would advise them to bid it welcome, accept it, kisse the Rod, and the hand that holds it, drink the cup, which though it may be bitter, yet may prove wholsome and not poisonous in the least; hear the Rod, and who hath appointed it, quarrel not with it, but fall under it, study you to please God in what you do or suffer, and that God may please you in what he orders out, and all will be well. I would aske you concern­ing your Souls, and Spiritual Conditions; have [Page 59] you not minded God hitherto, nor acquainted yourselves with him, and the Mysteries of his Will, things that concern your Eternal Peace, have you not yet believed, repented; set to it now, and make it your businesse, you may have but a little time to spend in the world, improve it to as good purpose as you can, let not a minute run out to waste; the nearer you are to your journeys end, make the more haste that your work may not be to do, when you have no time left to do it in; knowing that there is no Believ­ing, Repenting, self-Humbling, and making peace with God▪ No, such Work in the Grave whither you are going, be deeply humbled for your neglect of Hearing, Reading, Praying, and other Duties of Godlinesse, and now cry mighti­ly, urge God with his Attributes, and plead thus; Lord thou art stiled a Father of Lights, and wilt thou not send light into my dark soul; thou art the God of all Grace, and shall I dye in a grace­lesse condition; thou gavest Christ, and that of thine own free accord, when there was no move­ing of thee in the least to such a purpose, and he hath shed his blood pacified thy wrath, satisfied thy justice, brought in everlasting righteousness, and is now at the right hand to make Intercession for poor sinners and shall I that now cry for him, fly to him, be never the better for him, not one drop of his blood to purge my conscience; onely by the way let me Animadvert upon that which is the common apprehension and expression of men, that one drop of Christs Blood was suffici­ent [Page 60] to save a world; for my part I am not clear in that it must be heart blood, life blood that must be shed by him to make an Attonment; but to direct your proceed in the way of your Plea, Lord thou hast given me a natural life and breath, and wilt thou not give me spiritual life and breath; I have the natural senses of hearing, see­ing, tasting, feeling, and so forth; and Lord shall I be wholy a stranger to spiritual senses, these things am not I able to perform in my own behalf, by my own power; Oh put forth thine, make me such as thou wouldst have me to be, and I shall be such; it is said of Abraham, thou foundst him faithfull, and of David, thou foundst him a man after thine own heart, thou wouldst never have found them so, if thou hadst not made them so, make me such and thou shalt find me such; thy grace is as sufficient to pardon, and sanctifie and renew me, as ever it was for any poor sinner in the World; If I dye, and damne, and perish, there is no profit in my blood, the dead praise thee not, the damned will not nor can; If I perish I shall never love thee and ho­nour thee; If thou wilt save me, I shall be a last­ing Monument of freest love and richest Grace and Mercy. Oh then Magnifie thy Mercy upon me, and let me not be Fuel for the burning, but Timber for the building; yet let me further drive and deal with you, and use my uttermost to fa­sten my nails in you; you are humane creatures, oh see that you be new creatures, you are a part of the first Creation that is wofully degenerated [Page 61] and defaced, see that you be a part of the second Creation which is performed in Christ Jesus, in whom all Gods acts of Grace are performed; you have natural understandings, pray that God would give you spiritual understandings; David fetched an argument from this consideration, that Gods hand had made him, fashioned him, and urged in the strength thereof: Oh give me un­derstanding that I may keep thy Testimonies, Psal. 119. You have bodies, but do you not consider that you have souls that are infinitely more to be va­lued then your bodyes, the losse whereof, the whole world will not countervail; you live a natural life, but do not you know that there is a spiritual life which is infinitely better, look to live that life; you eat and drink daily for the bo­dy, there is a spiritual meat and drink provided, which your souls have as much need of, as your bodyes have of the Perishing food, oh make out after that; You are carefull to cloath your bo­dies, and shall your fouls be naked; You prize and study to keep and maintain your outward liberty, spiritual liberty is far better, and will you please your selves in spiritual bondage to sin and the Devil, oh make out after this spiritual liberty, knowing that if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed; You are carefull to maintain your bodily health, and is it good that you should have sick souls; let me aske you, will you love darknesse rather then light, sick­nesse rather then health, bondage rather then liberty, death rather then life, your disease bet­ter [Page 62] then your Cure, your Plague better then your plaister, will you chose rather to be in the hand of a wounding, killing Devil, then in the hand of a healing, recovering, curing Christ; will you choose rather to be damned and go to Hell, then to be eternally saved and put into the possession of eternal Mansion above; you are subject to a bodily Plague which may seize you, and it may be hath, know you not there is a worse Plague, the Plague of the heart, you must dye how soon you know not; oh look after an interest in Christ which is the best interest, look for Faith and free Justification, Repentance and Renovation, seconded with Real and Universal Reformation; get the blood of Christ which is the blood of sprinkling upon your Consciences, which will purge away your Guilt, bring in Peace, and kill the Worm, which if not killed, will killingly gnaw on you to all Eternity; I say again, you must dye once, take heed of dying twice; there is a second death and that is the most formidable, you must dy, but look to this, that death do not kill you, do you kill sin, and you will kill death too; you must dye, but let it be your seeing of death as it is said of Simeon, Luke 2. Let not death see you with a Mortifferous killing sight; you must dye, let it be but a tast­ing of death as the Scripture phraseth it, let it not devouringly feed on you as it shall upon some, Psalm 49. Once more you must dye, I beseech you for Gods sake, for dear Jesus sake, for your souls sake, let this be your greatest care, oh that [Page 63] it may be mine as well as yours, see to it that you live before you dye, that you live the life of Grace, before you dye the death of Nature, and then it matters not when, where, how, by what Disease you dye; you shall not dye to dye, but dye to live again, and live to dye no more, but live in the un-interrupted Vision and intermina­ble fruition of him who is the King Eternal, Im­mortal, Invisible, the onely wise God, the Re­surrection and the Life, the I am, the infinite Be­ing, the All in All. Oh my Friends, let Master Bakters Counsel and this of mine seconding his, let it be acceptable to you and be not so cruel to your own souls as to neglect such a God, such a Christ, such a Gospel, such a Govenant, and such an Inheritance as is laid up in store for the Saints in Light; who but fools would live with­out God, without Christ, without Faith and Fear, and forgo him and his Christ to all Eterni­ty, and be eternally miserable with Devils and Damned souls. After you are dead you must have the searchers to view your bodies, be you who you will; be you searchers to your selves and your own Souls, and see to it that there be no spiritual Feaver Spots, or Plague Spots upon you; If any spots, look to it that they be no other then the spots of Gods Children; and if you have spots, look to it that you be not spots, such as Jude speaks of; And if the Marks of the Lord Jesus be upon your souls, and not the Mark of the Beast and Dragon, whatever Marks and Spots may be found on your Bodies, they may prove [Page 64] M [...]rk [...] of death, but shall never prove the Marks of Hell and Damnation. For my part while I am continued o [...] this side the Grave, and in Pray­ing work, my earnest Prayer for you all shall be; that though you may be judged according to men in the Flesh, yet you may live according to God in the Spirit; and that though your out­ward▪ Man perish, that your inward Man may be renewed daily; that though there be a destroying of the outward Man, your Souls may be saved in the day of out Lord Jesus.

I have now promised to pray for you, and it is my daily work; but be sure you pray for your selves, and make use of Christs name in your prayers, onely take heed of resting in a meet Forme as commonly men do, that have learned to say, for Jesus Christs sake▪ do thus and thus; when as (poor souls) in the mean time, they know nothing of Christ, never closed with him in a believing way, never knew any need of him, never had any sense of the burthens of fin pres­sing heavily on their souls, and so made to cry out after that ease and rest, which he is so willing to afford to poor, burthened and heavy laded souls, Mat▪ 11. [...]8. Such poor ignorant ones, Christ may say to them, upon what account do you make use of my name, what hath passed be­tween you and me? you and I are yet to begin our acquaintance together, you know not me, nor I you, what have you then to do to take my name into your lips? This then is that which I would perswade and presse you to, acquaint your [Page 65] selves with Christ and be at peace, as was the counsel given to Job, chap. 22. The Father is angry, and there is no coming at him but by the the son, Oh kisse the son least he be angry, as is advi­sed, Psal. 2. Kisse him with a kisse of Faith, a kiss of Love, a kiss of [...]eal and Cordial Subjection. Oh do in a spiritual way, as the poor woman the sinner did in a bodily way, but with her heart too, Luke 7. Get to the feet of Christ and pray, that if you may not have the kisses of his mouth, you may have the kisses of his feet, hang fast about him, and touch him with a touch of faith. Ma­ry Magdalen was bid not to touch him, and Christ gave the reason, For (saith he) I am not aseended. She doted too much upon his bodily presence, but now he is ascended, touch him and spare not: get you an interest in Christs person, and then use his name and improve it to the utmost, you have his warrant for it, John. 16▪ 24. and you may be bold upon it, and this in­couragement you have, That what you aske in his name, the Father will give it. It is, as a pretious, so a prevailing name: The case may so stand with a people, or person, that though Noah, Daniel, and Job; though Moses and Samuel who were Gods Favourites, very potent, and prevalent with him, yet could not Gods heart be toward such a peo­ple or person, nor should they prevail, Jeremiah 15. 1. Ezek 14. 14. And it did appear in Sauls case, on whose behalf Samuel did very passionate­ly intercede but could not prevail, 1 Sam. 16. 1. But it was never said by God, nor never shall; [Page 66] though Jesus my Son should stand up and plead in the behalf of such or such a sinner, he should not prevail with me.

This Paper of mine, either in the whole com­plex, or in the extract, which principally I have wished to you may come, and knock at your doores, and may finde them shut upon you, and you shut up within them, that Friends cannot come to you; If it come, take it in, entertain it friendly; what know you, but Christ who stands at the doore and knocks, may come along with it? Oh, let him be entertained into your Houses, into your Hearts; you will have cause to blesse God to eternity, that ever such a guest came under your Roofes▪ And so that your hora [...]ovissima, prove but hora salutifera saluifica, your last hour may prove an hour of salvation: I wish you no more, no better. And now, my Brethren, I had down, but, that one onely thing more is to be done. If this paper should be publisht, as haply it may (but if so, it shall be your act, as much as, if not more then mine: It will be per­haps animadverted upon, and Objected against. I would therefore willingly animadvert upon it my self, and anticipate, prevent what Objections may be made against it.

It may be said first, That for all my time past, I have been quiet, and appeared little in a way of Printing; How comes it to passe that now I appeare?

I Answer, Its true, I have appeared little, very ittle in this way; two or three things have passed [Page 67] in my Name and under my Hand, poore incon­siderable things; yet found good acceptance and incouragement, for such minutula: They take up little room, and are had on easie terms, lesse then Twelve pence, I think, will buy them all.

Why may I not appear, when the occasion is so pressing, the Arguments so material, and mo­mentous? The Lion hath roared, who will not tremble? The Lord hath spoken, who can Pro­phesie? Besides let my maine designe I drive plead for me, which is, Non ad captundam sed ad exprimendam benevolentiam promovendam fidem & resipiscentiam; not to catch at mans respect and e­steem, others know how little I deserve it; and I know it as well as they. My Reverend Brethren can give me my price, and so can I of myself: its low by agreement on all hands; onely I have this to say for my self, I am of a self-discourag­ing Spirit and disposition; and cannot put forth my self amongst my betters, as some can; I think I have been a little disadvantaged upon that ac­counts but it matters not: And if I be a foole in thus expressing my self; I say, as Paul, Beare with me a little in my folly: and indeed, bear with me. It may be further said, that I prefix a Title, which the following discourse Answers not▪ till toward the last: other matters are agitated first, and that that suites the Title, comes up in the rear? To that I say, tis true, but most of the mat­ters held forth, refer to the present sad Provi­dence, and have a tendency, to promote a due improving, and a happy removing of the Plague; [Page 68] Besides, the Title Page signifies that there are sundry other things held forth, besides a Check given to the Plague. One thing more, in Nature (as we say in Schooles) that which is Primum in intentione, is Ʋltimum in executione; that which is first in intention and purpose prove last in execu­tion and performance; why not so here? Again, it may be, you seem to discover a male-conten­ted spirit, with respect to the present Times and administrations? To that, I say, I am better known, then to be ill affected to Magistratical Go­vernment; I have all along pleaded and pressed submission to Kings and Magistrates, and such as are in Authority over us, and that for Consci­ence sake: onely wish that the greatest severity might not proceed against such as desiring to act according to a judicious and well informed Con­science, cannot, and that meerly out of tender­nesse, come up in all circumstantials to answer magistratical impositions▪ I meddle not at all with the Laws and Statutes, but touch with gen­tlenesse upon the executive part, and those who are betrusted therewith; who possibly may not act from that culmnesse and composednesse of Spirit, and with that gentlenesse and tendernes that were to be wished; especially toward such as would be glad with all their hearts to come up to the most full and compleat subjection that is required, and have otherwise learned Christ, then to allow themselves, in any turbulency or Seditiousnesse of Spirit, any immoriterousnesse, and refractorinesse contrary to the word of God, [Page 69] and inconsistent with a good conscience▪ [...]f it be said, that I take upon me to deal with persons in the publick Ministry, and others also, and to ad­vise and counsel them; and am I not too busily medling this way, too much assuming? I say, I have been a publick Preacher as well as they, and I could give account what approbation I have found from such as have been of highest rank in their way, and of their perswasion, but I forbear. And though I am farr, very farr short of their Parts and Abilities, yet I may compare with them for years, being now an aged man, and why may I not be permitted to suggest somwhat to them in a way of Counsel and Advise. Job would not despise the Counsel of a Servant; If it be said I plead the cause of meeknesse, and earnestly presse it, but discover a sharp and tart Spirit, &c. I say, that meeknesse and sharpnesse as the occa­sion may be are not, [...], but may very well consist together: Moses and Paul were Eminent and most Exemplary for their Meekness, but yet could be hot and quick, and did as the Cause re­quired, shew themselves men of mettle, full of zeal. And who would not be zealous, very zeal­ous, when Athiesme and Prophaness do so Impe­tuously break in upon us as a Flood? When there is so much dishonour done to God, such indig­nities offered to Christ and his Grace, such a spi­rit of Malignity and desperate Opposition, made and manifested against the power of Godlinesse. Once more it may be said, I appear too friendly to Fanaticks; I say, there are, that are so called, [Page 70] that are not so indeed: I would the definition of such a one, were genuinly and properly draw up and given out according to truth, and let them wear the Coat, that it best fits; Let me ever be a Cordial friend to such as fear God, honour the King, minde real godlinesse, and study to ex­presse the power of it, walk circumspectly; labour to keep Faith and a good Conscience, and their Garments of holy Profession, close about them, clean upon them, not being spotted by the world▪ that make it their daily care, to walk with God as Enoch and Abraham did, to approve themselves to Christ, to keep clear of sin, and closs to the ways of holiness; making it their design when o­thers shall be found to shame and dishonour, they may be found to praise and glory, in the appear­ing and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ; and such as these the world will hate, Maligne, Per­secute, and judge the scum off-scouring of men, so Paul and his companions were accounted, 1 Cor. 4. 13. We are made the [...], the Pur­ganienta, the Excrementa, as Erasmus renders the Word. Thus I say the World will count them, and it cannot do no otherwise, blinde, besotted World as it is. But it matters not, God will love them, Christ will own them and honour them, their Consciences will befriend them, and if God love, it matters not who hate; if Christ be for us, it matters not who be against us; if the Scriptures be on our side, it matters not who rise up in opposition; if Conscience be a friend, we need not passe, though the World be our enemy, [Page 71] and all the devils of hell too, as to be sure they will. They are in the saddest condition, that have God, and Christ, and Conscience, and Scriptures against them. I have often thought and said, it were better for a man to have an Ar­my of Ten Thousand men in Battel array against him, then to have one Text of Scripture against him, and so might I say of a Saints Prayer. My Brethren and Friends I have Done, tis a poor Do, such as it is accept; I told you in the beginning, [...]he desire of a man is his kindness; If I have done anything tending to the glory of my dearest God, my Sweetest and most Pretious Jesus, any thing that may conduce to the promoting any benefit to your Souls or any other, its enough: Now to him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his Glory, with exceeding Joy to the onely wise God our Saviour; be Glory, and Majesty, Dominion, and Power, now and ever,

Amen.