SO contrary is the mournful Ap­pearance of this day, to those Triumphs and rejoycings where­with our Primitive Predecessors were wont to celebrate the Memories of their Martyrs, that either the Spirit of Chri­stianity seems very much decayed in Us, [Page 2] or something must be thought to have been defective in that Saint, whose death we thus Lament, instead of mag­nifying his Conflicts, and glorying in his Victory.

Indeed had we only to commemorate the Merits of the Martyr, the Innocence and Piety wherein he lived, and the Constancy and Magnanimity with which he died, these funeral Obsequies would be very unbecoming the Solemnity of out Remembrance: and we might e­steem it a Crime to let our Hymns and our Praises fall any thing short of the most celebrated Festivals of the Saints of old; when both the Excellence of the Cause, and the Resolution of the Person, and the Barbarity of his Suffe­rings, so far exceeded the most of theirs.

And this Perhaps the Generations to come may think themselves obliged to do: But alass! the return of this day brings with it another, and sadder Re­membrance [Page 3] to us; and when our Tongues would speak the Glories of this Martyr, our Consciences confound us with horror to consider, that we our selves were his Persecutors.

Had the death he suffered been the Sin of some other hand, had an Infidel Nation risen up against him, or had the Chance of War cut him off in our own, we might have regretted the loss of so Royal a defender, but should soon have turned our Sorrow into Joy, and have giving him a name Superiour to the chief­est of those Hero's that Fabulous Anti­quity can boast of. But that we who were obliged by all the ties of God and man to obey him, should destroy that life, for which we ought not to have re­fused any Hazard of our own; that we who were certainly his Subjects, and who pretend to be Christians too, should violate all the rights of Majesty; tram­ple under foot all the Commands of that Gospel, by which we are called; [Page 4] and imbrue our hands in Royal and In­nocent Bloud, after so barbarous a man­ner, that no Antiquity can afford a Par­rallel; This raises those Clouds that ob­scure so bright a day; and instead of ap­pearing at his Monument with Songs of Eucharist for his Victory, calls us here, between the Porch and the Altar, to confess our own sins.

Spare thy People, O Lord, and give not thine Heritage to reproach; that the Heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the People, Where is their God?

And here, would to God the Sinceri­ty of our Repentance might in some de­gree, answer the heinousness of our sin. That out Piety this day, might as effectu­ally contribute to the appeasing, as the Violence committed on it has too fatally concurred to the kindling Gods anger a­gainst Us. That as our Church, so far from being involved in the Guilt, that she partook in all his Sufferings, has ne­vertheless [Page 5] provided, by an annual return of this day, to remember that sin, which neither We, nor our Posterity, shall ever be able sufficiently to lament; so may We as sincerely observe, as she has piously established the Fast; and speak at least our detestation of the Sin, if we cannot attone the greatness of the Guilt.

It is not necessary that I should enter on any curious Enquiry into the Occasion of this Prophecy, to apply it to our pre­sent assembling at this time: that which may be seen of it at the first View is sufficient to approve my choice, That the Jews by their sins had provoked God's Anger against them, and had already felt in great measure his Punishments too. The Famine consumed them; the drought burnt up their Ground; the remainder of their increase the Worm and the Ca­terpillar consumed. In a word, they were brought down to the very Brink of De­struction, and had only remaining this solemn manner of repentance, to ap­pease [Page 6] his Anger, and to prevent their ruin.

I hope there is no one so little sensible of those Evils, our own Nation has labour­ed under, that I need enter on a Remem­brance so fresh and so ungrateful. The Wounds are scarce yet closed, which our own hands have given us; and the repose we even now enjoy, seems rather an Interval lent us by Heaven to see if we will yet repent, than any firm and established Peace. Our fears have a­gain been awaked at new Attempts, and we have had but too just Cause to ap­prehend, if not Joel's Famine of Bread; yet what is infinitely worse, Amos's Famine of the Word among us: let us therefore as we have transcribed the Example of these Jews, both in our Sins and in our Pu­nishments, so take now the advice of the Prophet, as spoken to our selves; it may be yet to redress and to secure all.

Blow the Trumpet in Sion: sanctifie a Fast, &c.

[Page 7] Our Text naturally resolves its self into these three heads of discourse, and every one so proper to our present Con­sideration, that I shall not be able to pass by any.

First: the Nature of that Fast, which the Prophet here proposes to be observed by us; Blow the Trumpet in Sion: call a so­lemn Assembly.

Secondly: the manner how we ought to prepare for it; Sanctifie the Fast.

Thirdly: The Method of celebrating of it; Let the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, Weep between the Porcb and the Altar, and let them say, Spare thy People, O Lord.

I begin with the first of these;

I. The Nature of that Fast, which the Prophet here proposes to be observed by us; Blow the Trumpet in Sion: call a so­lemn Assembly.

[Page 8] So exactly correspondent is the Esta­blishment of this Holy day to the Pre­scription of our Text, that it might al­most be imagined, that our Church had taken not only the Authority of the Pro­phet to establish the Fast, but even the particulars of his advice for her direction how to do it.

If first we consider the Original of this Fast; Ours, as well as His, is established by Publick Authority. The Trumpet has sounded from Zion, Num. 10. 2. and the Voice of it is gone out into all the Corners of our Isra­el. 'Tis our Obedience to this call that draws us from our Closets to the Con­gregation, and makes our mourning now as publick and solemn, as both our own Piety, and the sad occasion, would otherwise have rendred it great and sin­cere.

Secondly, for the Extent of it, Ours, as [Page 9] well as His, is Universal: no Quality, no Sex no age exempt: Not the Bridegoom ex­cepted in the days of his Feasting; nor the Bride to accomplish the Week of her rejoycing.Gen. 29. 2 [...] From the Elders of our Tribes, to the least Child in our Houses, all are called to this Fast, and 'tis to be hoped that every one will be as ready to obey their Call, as our Governours have been carefull to proclaim it to us.

Lastly; for the Uniformity and Solemnity of this Fast, we have our form too pre­scribed wherein to keep it; And though our Offering be more large, and exten­ded to those particulars, which our sins have occasioned, yet is the Summ of all the very same, which the Holy Prophet commanded the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, to weep between the Porch and the Altar; and say, Spare thy People, O Lord, and give not thine Heritage to reproach; that the Hea­then should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the People, Where is their God?

[Page 10] Such is the Parallel of this day, with the Pattern of that Fast which the Pro­phet Joel prescribed in our Text; and sure nothing could have been more ap­plicable to the Circumstances of our own.

First, for the Authority of its Establishment; What could have been imagined more proper to appease the anger of Heaven for Faults committed by an usurped and pretended Power, than so solemn a Re­pentance prescribed by the lawful and true one? Long had the Trumpet been blown to War and to Rebellion; the Church become militant; and our Pul­pits, instead of setting forth the Gospel of Peace, spoke nothing but Wars, and Sedi­tions, and Tumults to the People. It became us certainly at last to sound it to some other blast; and remember, that God had appointed the Priests a more proper use of the Trumpet,Num. 10. 3, 7. to assemble the Congregation to serve the Lord, [Page 11] than always to give the Alarum to the Bat­tle to destroy their Enemies.v. 9. This pub­lick Testimony of Sorrow, was the on­ly Act that could have been opposed to the Iniquity of those Ordinances, that so many years involved us in ruin and Con­fusion. And our Courts of Justice, in which such numbers of Loyal and Inno­cent Persons have heretofore been con­demned, though they can never make us a Satisfaction equal to their Crimes, yet seem at least in the Establishment of this day, to speak their Repentance for it: and by the Authority they have given to this publick Sorrow, would appear not only to beg it of Us, but even to intreat us to intercede with Heaven too for their for­giveness.

Secondly, for the universality of this Fast; what less could have been done, than when all the Nation were involved in the Guilt, to join them all in the Repen­tance for it? I shall not need to say, that [Page 12] they were our pretended Representatives at least that were the Authors of this Mur­der, and that they did it too in the name of the People of England. And however so no­torious was the Violence, that not only the open Royalist, but even many of their own Faction, secretly regretted the Villany they committed; yet still, so many consented to it; of the rest, so ma­ny did nothing, or at least not so much as they might, and ought to have opposed it; and even those who most attempted to prevent it, yet by their sins and their Impieties, fought so much more power­fully against their Soveraign, than all their Arms could do to promote his Cause, that even They may too much be charged as the Authors of our Misery; and so all of us seem to have conspired to have made the Crime of this day, in the utmost Pro­priety of the Phrase, a National Sin.

Lastly; for the Form prescribed, where­in to speak forth our Sorrow and to im­plore [Page 13] our pardon; as it was the Piety of our Governours, that with one Voice, as well as one heart, we should all join in this great Rogation; so may it appear too no improper manner for the Solem­nity of this day above all others, that the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord, should by the Uniformity of a set and well composed Liturgie, at one for the Rude­ness and irreverence, I wish I could not say for the rash and almost blasphemous Offerings of those uncommissioned Teachers; who by the unpremeditated Nonsense of their Prayers, no less profaned the Honour of God, than by the Pulpit Wildfire of their Sermons, they ruined both the Peace of his Church, and the Majesty of his Anointed.

And now when such has been the Pi­ety of our Governours, to establish the Fast, and our own engagements are so great to join in the Observation; 'twill be time for us next to consider, how we are to do it; that as they have Blown the [Page 14] Trumpet in Zion, so may we provide to sanctifie the Fast.

This therefore brings me to the Second part of this discourse,

II. The manner how we ought to prepare for it; Sanctifie the Congregation, &c.

The Word in the Original, which our Text twice renders to Sanctifie, Jos. 3. 5. 7, 13 &c. in its own Nature seems to signifie no more than to Prepare: And in that great Passage of Exod. XIX.Exod. 19. When God com­mands Moses to sanctifie the People against the third day, that he intended to come down among them upon Mount Sinai, v. 10. V. 10. we find by the Execution of his Commission, that it implied only a so­lemn declaration that they should be rea­dy to meet the Lord, V. 14, 15. v. 14, 15. And Mo­ses, went down from the Mount, and sanctified the People, and said, Be ready against the third day.

And the same no doubt was the de­sign [Page 15] of the Prophet Joel in this place, where addressing himself, as is plain, to the Elders of the Jews, to them to whom the Authority belonged, to Blow the Trumpet in Zion: call a solemn Assembly, i. e. to ap­point the Fast, that they should Sanctifie the Congregation. His meaning must be, that they should command the People to be ready against the day of the Solemni­ty to lay aside all other business, Levit. 23. 28, 30. and attend the Service of the Lord in the Congrega­tion.

But though this therefore be the lite­ral import of this phrase; and perhaps all that was required of them to whom the Prophet spoke, the rulers and Gover­nours of the People; yet both the design of this Warning, and the particular ex­plication of the Expression, almost al­ways understood of that special sort of Preparation,Exod. 29. v. 33, 36, 37, &c. which consisted in cleansing and purifying themselves, call upon us, not only to be ready to assemble our selves on the day of the Fast, but so to prepare our [Page 16] selves too, that we may be fit for the Cele­bration.

It was the great care of God Almigh­ty under the Law, that upon all such solemn Assembling as this; the People should be Sanctified before they came to the Congregation, and then at least be free from any present guilt, when they met to implore the Forgiveness of their past sins.

Hence we find what strict charges they had to purifie themselves, Num. 11. 18. to wash or to change their Clothes, Exod. 19. 14, 15. to abstain even from law­ful pleasures in which there might only seem to be a Pollution; Genes. 35. 2. and when this was done,Num. 19. what care the Priests took to sanctifie the Congregation, i. e. to reconcile the People, by their solemn forms of Expiation to God.

And sure our care to prepare our selves ought to be no less, because we are now no longer under the pedagogy of these Ceremonies. Ver. 13. And if the Pro­phet Joel here requires it, even of the Jews themselves, that they should, though [Page 17] not omit the other, yet rather be careful to make that preparation of a spiritual Holiness, which these shadows typified; we certainly much more must resolve at this time to lay aside every accursed thing, and rent our hearts and not our gar­ments, and turn unto the Lord our God.

So that here then it will be our busi­ness diligently to reflect, how we are prepared this day to sanctifie the Fast.

Have we seriously repented of those sins that once provoked the Justice of Heaven to appear, as on this day, to our Confusion; and which, if our Piety does nothing to prevent it, will again re­turn to our greater desolation?

Is there any one amongst us, that by the malignity of his Nature, the despe­rateness of his Fortunes, or a misguided Zeal, has been actually concern'd in this great guilt, or otherwise partaken in the crime of it, by assisting, or encouraging, or even approving the doing it? Is there any one now present, who though un­concern'd [Page 18] in that black Parricide, is yet involved in any of those Principles that led to it? Has assisted, approved, or en­couraged those new Rebels, the Proge­ny of the same Old Cause, that have a­gain so lately endeavour'd to crown the Son with the like glory their ancestours did the Father? Let me beseech them either to sanctifie the fast with us, or not to joyn in the Celebration: Let them here sacrifice this day all such villainous thoughts, these practices, and these prin­ciples: Let them offer up all those inte­rests and resentments, that ever have, or ever may involve them in so great Im­piety. And having thus washed their cloths, by a Repentance for what is past, Let them to compleat the Sanctification, here engage themselves for the time to come, actually to joyn in the contrary duties of Loyalty and Obedience to their King; resolving evermore to disown all such Men and such Principles, as shall ever hereafter endeavour to engage [Page 19] them in the like detestable Conspira­cies.

Without this all our Fasting and hu­miliation will stand us in little stead; our Assemblies, Isai. 1. 13. even this solemn meeting will be so far from appeasing, that it will kin­dle God's anger to a yet higher degree against us. In vain shall we cry every man to his God, Jon. 1. 5. whilest such Jonases are imbarked in the same Cause with us. But let us cast out the man for whose sake all these Evils are come upon us; Let us ex­amine ours souls that no accursed thing may remain in them;Jos. 7. 13. then shall the Storms of our Civil Confusions cease, when we have sacrificed these Enemies to Heaven and our own Peace: Religion and Loyalty shall revive amongst us; our Country shall again flourish as a City that is at Unity within it self; Psal. 122. 3. 7. Peace shall be within our Walls, and Righteousness within our Palaces; 4. Then shall the Tribes go up, the Tribes of the Lord, and shall worship in his House with a holy [and united] Worship. [Page 20] The Throne of Judgement shall be establi­shed;v. 5. even the Throne of the House of Da­vid for Ever and Ever.

Thus shall we render this great Solem­nity truly such a Fast as the Lord hath cho­sen; Our weeping and our mourning shall come up before him as the Incense, acceptable in his sight: he will receive our Confessions with Favour, and mer­cy, and answer our requests with Peace and security.

I shall say no more to the Second parti­cular, The Preparation with which we ought to sanctify the Fast: Our last Busi­ness now to be considered, is,

III. Being thus prepared, How we ought to keep the Fast.

And for this it is certainly impossible to pursue any better method, than that form of Confession the Prophet Joel has here proposed to the Jews; viz. To im­plore the favour and mercies of Hea­ven.

[Page 21] 1. For the forgiveness of this great sin: Spare thy People, O Lord.

2. That our miseries may never be turned by the Application of wicked men; either,

1. To the Scandal of God's People: And give not thine Heritage to reproach: Or,

2. To the ruin of our Church or State: That the Heathen should rule over them: Or,

3. Finally, To the Reproach of God's Providence: Wherefore should they say a­mong the People, Where is their God?

1. We must implore the Favours and mercy of Heaven for the forgiveness of this great sin: Spare thy people, O Lord.

And here we are arrived at the proper [Page 22] business of this day; to implore the par­don of a crime which my soul trembles to remember, and which I should doubt had exceeded the power of any Repen­tance to expiate, had not the Apostles left us an Example, by exhorting the Jews to labour for a forgiveness even of their crucifying the Lord of Glory.

For indeed, What flouds of tears can ever be sufficient to wash off the stain of so much Innocent and Royal Blood, as our late civil confusions have brought upon us? Is it possible for our sorrow ever to equal those Violences and Oppressi­ons, those Ruines and Devastations, the Murders, the Sacrileges, those Sins which our Eyes have seen, and which it may be our Hands have acted? How shall I recount the most flourishing of States brought to Desolation? A Church, the Envy and Hatred of Hell, the De­light of its Friends, and Terrour of its Enemies; So pure and orthodox its Ca­nons and Confession, so learned the Pens, [Page 23] so exemplary the Lives of its Professors, and when the fiery tryal came on, so firm and constant their Sufferings, that the most Primitive Christians could not have desired any thing more conformable to their own Piety; persecuted, profaned, thrown down by Enthusiastick Zeal, and a thorough Reformation: In a word, a King, so Primitive too, that He seem'd to have revived some Constantine, or The­odosius, or Marcian again among us; so just and brave, that he was worthy to have ruled, though he had not been born to Empire: Cut off by the villainy of his own Subjects; a Martyr to his Reli­gion, a Sacrifice to his Country, and the Everlasting reproach as well as guilt of both.

This is but a light description of that sin, which we are here assembled to commemorate and to lament; and I must beg leave to add yet more; For however it will easily be imagined that all this wickedness could not be accomplished [Page 24] but through innumerable Crimes, which neither can any tongue express, nor any thoughts conceive, yet such unusual Vil­lainies then acted us; which Antiquity never knew, nor will Posterity believe; that we might well be esteemed to fail in that duty which this Fast requires, should we not make some more solemn and particular remembrance of them.

Through what treachery did our A­nointed first fall into their nets? When those perfidious men, to whose trust he had committed his Sacred Person, con­trary to all the Laws of Nature and Nations as themselves, whilst not yet Vil­lains enough to commit so black a trea­chery, confess'd contrary to all the senti­ments of Honour, and dictates of Reli­gion, sold him into the hands of his E­nemies, who even then design'd his de­struction? With a supplication indeed for his security, but such as a Popish Inquisi­tor uses when he delivers the poor He­retick to the secular power, intreats for a [Page 25] life, which he both desires may not, and which he infallibly knows shall not be granted.

And accordingly, How soon did all things conspire to his destruction? When the violence of the Faction broke off those Treaties that had almost restored us to our peace: The lower House, that had usurped the power of the Govern­ment it self before, now becomes its self reformed; And to accomplish a Villainy, which an ordinary Malignant's conscience was not thought proof enough to go through with, only a few confiding men were to be trusted with so despe­rate a design; A Court of Justice was erected, and Majesty arraigned to an­swer for treason committed against his own Rebels.

How shall I recount the wickedness of their process? A tryal only to make the condemnation the more grievous for being the more solemn and publick. In which their King was not allowed [Page 26] that liberty of defence which every or­dinary Subject claims as his right, and which they themselves enjoyed, for this notorious, this undeniable Conspiracy: Nay in which their President durst plain­ly tell his Sacred Majesty, That he was now in a Court where reason was not to be heard.

With what Noise and Insults was all the action carried on? When the cla­mours of the people for Justice first, and then for Execution, was the only voice that was heard in our Streets: And as if with our Loyalty all sence both of Religion and Humanity had been lost too, Some spit in his Royal Face as he past by; Others press'd upon Him with the smoak of their Tabaco, for which they knew he had a particular aversion, and even threw their Pipes in his way: The least expression of Reverence to Him, was punished with all the Vio­lence a populer fury could execute; And One, who, more compassionate than [Page 27] the rest, only wish'd him well, was kill'd upon the place for his unseasona­ble piety.

When at last the fatal Sentence was pronounced; How hardly were they brought to allow him any Assistance to prepare him for his death? His prayers continually disturbed by the Rudeness of those Guards that intruded upon his most secret retirements: His last thoughts diverted with Propositions to save his Life, which they knew neither Honour nor Conscience would permit him to re­ceive. What Shouts, what Acclamati­ons, when the cruel stroke was given that finished the Tragedy? How greedi­ly did they thirst after his Blood, when some plunged their hands into his wound; Others dipt their staves in it. The very block on which he rested his Sacred Head cut in pieces, that every one might satisfie his cruelty with some memorial of their villainy; and even the very boards and Earth Stain'd with his [Page 28] blood, distributed as a mark whereby to triumph over his fall.

And here one would have expected a conclusion of their guilt, and that they should at least have desisted to pursue him now he was dead, and no longer in a condition to oppose their designs. But alas! their malice extended beyond his Execution; and as they had condemned him for a Malefactour; so they resolved he should not even in his burial be ho­noured as a King. How small was the expence they prescribed for his Inter­ment: with what Privacy was it trans­acted; and He who had been the most Zealous defender of the rights and Cere­monies of the Church in his life, not al­lowed the least usage of them at his Fu­neral now he was dead.

And here then, let our own Consci­ences speak; or if we fear they may be too partial, let the Censures of the World tell us; Was there ever Villainy like un­to this guilt with which it pleased God [Page 29] to punish the sins of his People? Let us search the Records of Antiquity, Let us ask of the Generations that are past, and Let us ask from one end of the Hea­ven even to the other, if ever any thing was committed amongst them that can parallel this impiety. That a Christian Kingdom should break through all those bonds of duty and obedience, which the more righteous Heathens have reveren­ced as Sacred and Inviolable. That so many Oaths, and Vows, repeated with that Frequency, taken with that Solem­nity, should all be insufficient to preserve our Fidelity. That Religion and Refor­mation, two things, than which none can be more excellent in themselves, nor are any more easily and more dangerously abused, should be able to cheat us into Wickedness, which the barbarous Scythi­ans never heard of, and which when it was told them they were scandalized at the report. Lastly, that not only the Honour of God should be pretended for [Page 30] the Motive, but even his Assistance be desi­red, and even affirm'd to have been re­ceived in the execution of all this great sin. This is that circumstance which raises our crime to the highest pitch of guilt, and makes us even afraid to look up to Heaven for the pardon of this sin, whose assistance we have so often, and so im­pudently implored to the commission of it.

Yet since it has pleased God to draw us at last out of the blindness our fury had involved us in, let us take this bles­sing for our Earnest, that he has not yet totally forsaken us, but as He has delive­red us from the Evil, so if even now we return unto him, He will free us from the guilt too of our Sins. Only let our Repentance be as sincere, as our Crimes have been provoking;Joel 2. 14. Who can tell but he may yet repent, return, and leave a blessing be­hind him?

But it is not only this pardon, which we are this day to implore at his Hands: [Page 31] Our Text carries us on to yet other Petiti­ons; that being justified before God, we may also prepare the way to take off the reproach of Man, and clear our selves in the sight of both together. This brings me to the second part of the Holy Prophet's prayer, Give not thine Heritage to reproach.

2. That this great Sin may never turn, by the Application of wicked Men, to the Scandal and Reproach of us or our Religion.

How necessary this part of the Petiti­on is to us, I could wish the publick de­clarations of the whole World did not too loudly speak. The Monuments are still extant rhat shew us, how we were be­come a Scandal and a Proverb to all the Nations round about us. Nay that no­thing might be wanting to illustrate the Horrour of this Villainy, it scandalized even our own selves too; and those very Factions, that brought their King to his [Page 32] ruin, by the secret Orders of Heaven, themselves lamented his fall, and con­fessed the Impiety. How loudly did his praises now sound from those Pulpits, that had bid defiance to Him and his Party heretofore? The Covenant its self was taught to change its Voice, and from a Band of Rebellion to destroy the Government, was shewn to be a League of Loyalty to pre­serve the King.

Scandalous no doubt was the sin, and that villainy detestable indeed to all good Men, which thus forcibly stagger'd the Consciences of these Separatists, by Nature formed, by Principle bred up to Faction, and now by above eight years practice, one might have thought suffici­ently instructed in Rebellion, not to startle at a guilt they had themselves so Zealously pursued. And how shall We escape the common reproach, who have been so unhappily united in a Country and Society, that has produced such Mon­sters? Blessed be God who has left us a [Page 33] Mark of distinction to prevent so great a Slander: And amidst all our regret for the fatal Villainy of this day, we cannot but joy and glory in this, that not any of our Church was involved in this guilt, or ever possibly can be in the like.

Let the Actions of our Predecessors speak our Innocence for what is past. Their sufferings are as known, as the Vio­lence of their Enemies has been notori­ous. Their Loyal writings, in the midst of a prosperous Rebellion, still shew us, not only the Righteousness of their Cause, but even their readiness to assert it in de­fiance of danger. And our own assem­bling at this time, to detest the Princi­ples, no less than to bewail the Practi­ces, of those Conspiratours, declares that we are not at all degenerate, but still maintain the same Opposition to that Faction, who under the Cloak of Refor­mation, have scandalized the very name of Protestant, and by a sad Experience taught us, that Kings may be proscribed [Page 34] in other places besides Rome, and that a Fanatick has as strong an Arm to lift up a­gainst a Prince's life, as the stoutest Jesuit or Jacobin can boast of.

Let our Principles be examined; Let the most accurate Inquisition pass upon our writings; Let the Solemnity of our Piety for the death of our late Soveraign, and the firmness, we have again had op­portunity too much to shew, of our Zeal and Loyalty to our present King: And if all this be not sufficient, Let the malice of those Men who acted this Vil­lainy, that in those days involved the Church in the ruin of its▪ Defender, and hath again endeavoured once more to put down Her that they might come the more advantageously to strike at Him; Let these shew that we have no part nor Inheritance with them: Only that as the Royal Martyr of this day, not only com­manded his Son with his last breath to forgive them, but Himself prayed for their conversion; so will we never cease [Page 35] as faithfully to execute his Will, as that Son has done it; and with the same Piety that he has pardoned the Fact, beseech God to bring them to Repentance too for it.

These are our Prayers, such our af­fections towards them; May the God of Heaven answer our Requests, and give us at last both the Satisfaction and the Se­curity of beholding their Conversion. But if the greatness of Their sins prevent the Effect we so much desire of our pre­sent Offerings, we must then beg leave to go on with Our Text, to another address to secure our selves; The third particu­lar now to be spoken to, And give not thine Heritage to reproach, that the Heathen should rule over Them.

3. That our own sins at least, may never bring us to the like ruin, either of our Church or State; nor Evermore per­mit these men, as they have heretofore done, to prevail against us.

[Page 36] And this too is a Petition no less pro­per to our present Circumstances, than the preceding requests have been but too applicable to the memory of our past E­vils. Our sins, which called down that last Vengeance upon us, are still as hai­nous and universal to provoke a new one. Our Divisions are yet greater; and and that fertile Brood of Factions, which that unnatural War produced, and which no Country or Antiquity ever heard of before, still continue more fatally, and more dangerously to distract us.

We have again seen the Government divided against it self: The People have been blown up into a new Ferment; The Bishops and Councellours have again been Resolved to be Popishly affected; Nay, the very Militia has been once more at­tempted, and they were no doubt Con­fiding men too into whose hands it should have again been put. And when all this would not do, New designs have been [Page 37] laid to seize that Government by Violence, they could not gain by Petition. How was his Sacred Majesty almost caught in their traps? The destruction so well laid, that it had been impossible to have escaped it; and Providence was forced to act al­most a Miracle to prevent it.

And now when our danger has again so nigh overtaken us, certainly He must be very unsensible of the former Evils, that can think Himself unconcerned at such a time as this, to pray against the Future. Let the Miseries that we suffer­ed, and the sins that were committed in those days, when the Heathen, i. e. these Enemies to our Church and State, ruled over us, be remembred: Was there Ever Sorrow like unto our Sorrow, Lam. 1. 12. wherewith the Lord afflicted us in those days of his fierce Anger? I have before given you some general Prospect of our Calamities at this time, and your own Knowledge will save me the regret of repeating to you any more.Lam. 1. 1. How did our Cities become Solitary, [Page 38] that were full of people? Our Country, Once great among the Nations, How did she be­come Tributary, even to her own Vassals? Our King, the Anointed of the Lord, fell by their hand; Our Princes were led into Captivity; Our Churches, the Places of our Assemblies, were profaned; Lam. 2. 6. The solemn Feasts and days, were forgotten in our Zion, and God in the Indignation of his anger, despised both the King and the Priest.

And all this we have had but too great cause to fear, may again return up­on us. Yet since it has pleased the Al­mighty to stop the Vengeance, and com­mand the destroying Angel to suspend the Blow, if not to sheath his Sword, and give us still longer respite to repent, and secure our selves; Let the Conside­ration of this danger provoke us not to neglect the Opportunity. Let our Re­pentance at this time be so sincere, that it may not only obtain our pardon for Past Offences, but prevail with Heaven to prevent our Impending dangers. Let [Page 39] us no more give our Enemies this advan­tage against us,Exod. 33. 15. to force the Almighty to withdraw his presence from amongst us, and leave us again to engage them upon equal Terms: But let our lives and our prayers both join in the Request, to save and to defend us, Spare thy People, O Lord, and give not thine Heritage to reproach; that the Heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the People, Where is there God?

This is the last Consideration, which the Method of our Text now calls us to conclude with.

4. That neither the miseries we have suffered, nor the dangers and confusions we yet labour under, may by the Cen­sures of wicked men ever turn to the reproach of God's Providence, any more than of our own Church or Cause. Where­fore should they say among the People, Where is their God?

It is not to be doubted but that this [Page 40] sarcastick Exprobration was that reproach, which Joel had before pray'd that God would not suffer his Heritage to be exposed to.Deut. 28. He had promised in his Law to supply them with plenty of Food, and to bless their Victuals with Increase: That their houses should be full of all manner of store; Psal. 65. 13. their Fields also should stand so thick with Corn, that they should laugh and sing. Well there­fore might they fear the reproach of the Hea­then, when instead of this plenty, they should be forced to go and seek for necessary nourishment of them, whom they excluded from these promises; who no doubt would be forward enough to make a By-word of them, and insult o­ver their pretences, as if their God either could not, or would not relieve them. Is this the People that hath the Lord for their God? Joel. 1. 16. 7. Behold, Is not the meat cut off before their Eyes? Their Vine laid waste? and the Bran­ches of their figtree made white? Their seed is rotten under their clods, 17. their Garners are made desolate, the Barns broken down, because the [Page 41] corn is withered. Joel 1. 18. How do the beasts groan be­cause they have no pasture? for the rivers of Wa­ter are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. Where is now their God to pity them? And where is the Lord to be jealous for his Inheri­tance?

This was their Reproach, the Scandal of themselves, and their Religion, which the Prophet so much feared, and so earnestly exhorted them to pray a­gainst: and would to God we our selves this day had not too great cause to fear the like. Witness, O ye pious and excellent Souls, what scornings and revi­ling to your selves and your Religion did ye then bear, when being forced from that plenty and tranquility you once en­joyed; you become scattered abroad a­mong the Heathenand underwent their reproaches, more grievous and sensible than all the other miseries and calami­ties of your cruel exile!

But what need I look back to the [Page 42] times that are past when our own con­tinue to afford us so plain an Appli­cation. How far both our late calami­ties, and our present destractions have given occasion to the Enemy to triumph in our misfortunes, as if they were not only the mark of our own sins, but even an argument of the common illness of our Cause too, this alone may be sufficient to shew, that the Romanists not only hope from them, to see this Ferment one day settle among us into down right Po­pery again; but even at this day make this the great, and indeed it must be con­fessed the strongest, prejudice against the Reformation, that since we have thrown off our Obedience to that Church, we have run so many and different ways of Errour, and are yet at such distance from one another, as plainly shew there is no truth nor certainty to be found for us, but only in our return to them again.

I shall not here enquire into the Goodness of the Consequence, [Page 43] but must needs say I could wish, there were not too much Truth and scandal in the Premises: And who can tell whether, since any lesser Judgements have been ineffectual to reclaim us, God may not at last punish us with this Blindness, and whilst we refuse to submit to the easie and lawful power of his Church and his Anointed, bring us once more under the intolerable Yoke of that usurped autho­rity, from whose Slavery both our Coun­try and our Consciences are now so hap­pily asserted.

This I am sure we have too much de­served, and may therefore justly have but too great Cause to fear. Only my hope is, that whatever our own demerits are, yet the Innocence of our Church shall still provoke God's providence to defend her: And that our deliverance, as at this time, from our Enemies, shall always disappoint such fatal expectations, and convince them, [Page 44] that though we have sinned, yet are we his People; That he chastises us as Children, not punishes us as his Enemies; and is still our God, though angry and provoked.

How great is the demonstration of his mercy and loving-kindness, that we even now continue a Church and Peo­ple, as at this day? What Miracles did he work to turn again the Captivity of our Zion, Psal. 126. 1. and deliver both us and our King from those Usurpers that so long had tri­umphed over both? Has not the Al­mighty shewn himself in our defence, who but so lately has delivered us both from Popish and Fanatick Conspiracies? Let them ask where is their God, that have not known by what singular and unex­spected means these designs were both Discover'd and Disappointed? And though it pleases God still to leave these men like the Canaanites in the Land, to try, and to prove us, and which indeed but too much fulfil their character of being scour­ges [Page 45] to our sides, Jos. 23. 13. and thornes in our Eyes: Yet has he set bounds to their designs, which they have not been able to pass, and which we trust they never shall exceed, to ruine and destroy us.

Yet since both our peace and security are still in such danger through their rage and their devices; Let us endeavour not less by our Piety than our Policies, to countermine them. Let us engage the Assistance of Heaven by the excel­lency of our Lives, as well as the ju­stice of our Cause, to oppose their at­tempts: Let us exceed them as much in the Sincerity of our Righteousness, as they have done all others in the outward Pretences and Hypocrisie of theirs. Let us keep this day the fast which the Lord hath chosen; to break the bonds of wicked­ness; to have pity on the distressed; and to execute judgement and justice in the gates. Joel. 2. 12. Let us turn unto the Lord our God with all our hearts, with weeping, and with fasting, and with mourning; and let us rent our hearts, [Page 46] and not our garments, and let us say,

Spare thy People, O Lord, and give not thine Heritage to reproach; that the Heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Then will the Lord be jealous for his Peo­ple, Joel. 2. 18. and awake for his Inheritance:Isa. 1. 26, 27. He will restore us our Judges as at the first, and our Councellours as at the beginning. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness: They shall be ashamed and con­founded that seek her destruction: but for his Church and his Anointed, they shall be preserved for evermore.

Which God of his Infinite mercy grant, for his dear Son Jesus Christ's Sake. Amen.