1. Gods people in the time of danger and di­stresse must take notice of Gods correct­ing hand.

THe Lords voyce cryeth against the City,Mica. 6.9. and the man of wisdom shall see thy name, hear the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it?Amos 3.6.

Who gave Jacob for a spoil,Isa. 42.24. and Israel to the Robbers? did not I the Lord?

I forme the light and create darkenesse,Isa. 45.7. I make peace and create evil, I the Lord do all these things.

I kill and make alive,Deut. 32.39. I wound and I heal.

Examples of Gods people who have ac­knowledge the same.

Joseph said unto his brethren,Gen. 45.8. It was not you that sent me hither, but God.

And Hanna said,1 Sam. 2.6, 7. The Lord killeth & ma­keth alive, he bringeth downe to the grave and raiseth up, the Lord maketh poore and [Page]maketh rich, he bringeth low and lifteth up.

And Eli said, It is the Lord,1 Sam. 3.18. let him doe what it seemeth him good.

And David said concerning Shimei,2 Sam. 16.10. He curseth even because the Lord hath bidden him curse David.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth,Psal. 39.9. be­cause thou didst it.

2. Gods people in the time of danger and di­stresse must acknowledge that their own sins have been a procuring cause of it.

And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore came these things upon me?Jer. 13.22. For the multi­tude of thine iniquities are thy skirts disco­vered, and thy heeles made bare.

Man suffereth for his sinne.Lam. 3.3 [...]

Hast not thou procured this unto thy self,Jer. 2.17. because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God?

Thy wayes and thine inventions have procured thee those things.Jer. 4.18.

Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword,2 Sam. 12.9. and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, now therefore the sword shall never de­part from thy house.Vers. 10.

And it came to passe,2 Chro. 12.2. that in the fift year of Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, (because they had transgressed against the Lord.)

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you,1 Cor. 11.30. and many sleep.

[Page] Examples of Gods people who have ac­knowledged the same.

Josephs brethren said one to another,Gen. 42.21 We have verily sinned against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear him, and therefore is this trouble come upon us.

And she said unto Eliah,1 Kings 17.18. Art thou come to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?

The wayes of Sion lament,Lam. 1.4, 5. for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions.

They provoked him with their Counsell,Psal. 106.43. and were brought low for their iniquitie.

My life is spent with griefe,Ps. 31.10. and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity.

There is no soundnesse in my flesh be­cause of thine anger;Psal. 38.3. neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne.

3 Gods people in the time of danger and distresse must fear and tremble before the Lord.

Shall a Trumpet be blowne in the City, and the people not be afraid?Amos 3.6.

Fear ye not me,Isa. 5.22. Jer. 2.12. saith the Lord?

Be astonished at this O ye heavens, and be horribly afraid.

Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts in your hearts,Isa. 8.23. let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

[Page]Fear him that can cast both soule and bo­dy into hell.Mat. 10.28.

At his wrath the earth shall tremble.Isa. 10.10 Pro. 28.14

Blessed is the man that feareth alway.

Examples of Gods people who have thus feared.

Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and was afraid.Gen. 3.10.

And Jacob was greatly afraid & distressed.Gen. 32.6. Deu. 9 29.

And Moses said unto the people, I was sore a [...]raid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you.

And when the Messengers came,1 Sam. 4.13. lo Eli sate upon a seate by the wayes side watching, for his heart trembled for the Arke of God.

Samuel called unto the Lord,1 Sam. 12.18. and the Lord sent Thunder and raine that day, and all the people feared the Lord and Samuel.

And David was afraid of the Lord that day.

And he could not go before the Arke to enquire of God,2 Sam. 6 9 1 Chron. 21.30. for he was afraid because of the sword of the Angell of the Lord.

And Nehemiah said, they all made us afraid,Neh. 6.9. saying, Their hands shall be weakned.

And Job said (concerning the Lord) I am troubled at his presence,Job 23.15. when I consider I am afraid of him.

And David said, My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, & I am afraid of thy judgements.Psal. 119.120. 2 Chron. 29.2.

And when a great multitude came against Jehoshaphat to battell, Jehoshaphat feared.

[Page]And when Baruch read the roll in the ears of the princes,Jer. 36.15. they were afraid both one and other.

And when Habakkuk heard that the Lord was displeased,Hab. 3.16. he said, My belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottennesse entred into my by bones, and I trembled in my selfe.

And when the disciples saw him walking on the Sea they said,Mat. 14.26 It is a spirit, and cried out for fear.

4. Gods people in the time of danger and distresse must humble themselves before the Lord.

Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God.1 Pet. 5.6.

Who fed thee in the wildernes with man­na which thy fathers knew not,Deu. 8.16. that he might humble thee and prove thee.

The loftie looks of man shall be humbled,Isa. 2.11. and the haughtinesse of man shall be bowed downe.

Say unto the king & queen,Jer. 13.18. Humble your selves, sit down, for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

Examples of Gods people who have thus hum­bled themselves.

When the Lord told Abraham that he would destroy Sodome,Gene. 18.27. he said. Behold I have taken upon me now to speake unto the Lord that am but dust and Ashes.Gen. 32.9, 10.

And when Jacob was in danger of his [Page]brother Esau, coming against him to destroy him, he humbled himselfe before the Lord, saying, I am not worthy of the least of al thy mercies, and of all thy truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant.

And when the people of God fled before the men of Ai, Joshua rent his clothes,Jos. 7.6. and fell to the earth upon his face before the arke of the Lord untill the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, & put dust upon their heads.

And when Shemaiah the prophet came to king Rehoboam and told him,2 Chron. 12.6. that because he had forsaken the Lord, therefore the Lord had left him in the hands of Shishak, he and the princes of Israel humbled themselves, and said, The Lord is righteous.

And when Hezekiah through the lifting up of his heart,2 Chron. 32.25, 26. had brought wrath upon him­self, and upon Judah and Jerusalem:

Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And when Manasseh was in affliction he humbled himselfe.2 Chron. 33.12.

And when Ezra heard that the Jews had done according to the abomination of the Canaanites,Ezra 9.3, 4 he rent his garment and pluckt the hair off his head and beard, and sat down astonished, and there assembled unto him e­very one that trembled at the word of the God of Israel.

[Page]And when Mordecai perceived that wic­ked Haman had obtained power of the king to kill and destroy all the Jewes,Hest. 4.1. he rent his cloathes, and put on sackcloath with Ashes.

And Job said,Job 42.56. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eye seeth thee, therefore I abhorre my self, and repent in dust and ashes.

And David saith,Psa. 35.13 when his enemies were sicke, he cloathed himselfe with sackcloth.

And the Church of God in the book of the Lamentations saith,Lam. 3.19 20. I remembring my af­f [...]iction, and my misery, the wormewood and the gall, my soul hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

5. Gods people in the time of danger and distresse must poure out a prayer before the Lord.

Is any afflicted? let him pray.

Call upon me in the day of trouble.Jam. 5.13. Psal. 50.15 Psal. 62.8. Jer. 29.12.

And poure out your hearts before him.

Then (namely in captivity) shall ye call upon me, and go and pray unto me.

And the Lord said to Jeremy in the dun­geon,Jer. 33.3. Call upon me and I will answer thee.

So likewise saith the Lord Zech. 13▪9. concerning his people, I will bring them through the fire, and will refine them as sil­ver is refined, and try them as gold is tried, and then they shall call upon my name and I will hear them.

[Page] Examples of Gods people who have prayed in time of danger and distresse.

When the Lord had threatned Abimelech with death because of Sarah Abrahams wife,Gen. 20.7.17. Abraham prayed unto God.

And when Jacob heard that his brother Esau was coming against him,Gen. 32.9. he prayed un­to God, saying, Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him.

And Moses said unto the people, Because the Lord had said he would destroy you,Deut. 9.25 26. I prayed therefore unto the Lord.

And when the children of Israel fled be­fore the men of Ai, Joshua said,Jos. 7.7, 8. Alas, O Lord God, what shall I say, when Israel turn­eth their backs before their enemies?

And when the prophet Esay came unto Hezekiah, and said unto him,2 Kings 20.1, 2. Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live, he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.

And when Hanna was in bitternesse of soule she prayed.1 Sam. 1.10. 2 Chron. 32.19, 20.

And when the servants of Senacherib threatned the people and spake against the God of Jerusalem, it is said, that for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Esay the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven.

And when the Arabians and Ammonites,Neh. 4.7, 9 [Page]and the Ashdodites conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem, then saith Nehemiah We made our prayers unto our God.

And David saith,2 Sam. 22.7. In my distresse I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God.

And Jonas prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly.Jona. 2.1.

And when Peter was in prison,Act. 12.5. prayer was made without ceasing of the Church, unto God for him.

And when our Saviours soule was ex­ceeding sorrowfull unto death,Mar. 14.34.35. he fell on the ground and prayed.

6. Gods people in the time of danger and distresse must joyne with their prayers, fasting, wee­ping and mourning.

Sanctifie ye a Fast, call a solemne Assem­bly,Joel 1.14. gather the Elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord.

Thus saith the Lord,Joel. 2.12. Turne ye even unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,verse 15. sanctifie a fast, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts, let the bride­groom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet, let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weepe betweene the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, & give not thy heritage [Page]to reproach, wherefore should they say a­mong the people, Where is their God?

O daughter of my people gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thy self in ashes,Jer. 6.26. make thee mourning as for an onely son, most bit­ter lamentations, for the spoiler shal sudden­ly come upon us.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider ye and call for the mourning women,Jer. 9.17.18. that they may come, and let them make hast and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run downe with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.

In that day shall there be a great mourn­ing in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hada­drimmon in the valley of Megiddon,Zech. 12.21.12. and the land shall mourne every family apart.

And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning,Isa. 22.12. and to baldnesse, and to girding with sackcloth.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep,Jam. 4.9. let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy into heavinesse.

Examples of Gods people who have thus fasted wept and mourned.

When the children of Benjamin had twice prevailed against the children of Is­rael and slaine fourty thousand of them;Judg. 20.21.25.

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people went up and came unto the house of God, and wept,verse 26. and sat there before the [Page]Lord, and fasted that day untill even.

And when the children of Israel in the dayes of Samuel were in great distresse be­cause of the Philistines,1 Sam. 7.6 according to the ad­vice of Samuel they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned against the Lord.

And when the Lord strake the childe that Uriahs wise bare unto David,1 Sam. 21.75. and it was ve­ry sicke;

David therefore besought God for the childe,16. and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth.

And when there came a great company against Jehoshaphat to battell,2 Chro. 20 1, 3. he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

And when Nehemiah heard that his bre­thren in Jerusalem were in great affliction and reproach,Neh. 1.3, 4. and the wall of Jerusalem broken downe, and the gates thereof burnt with fire, he sat down and wept, and mourn­ed certaine dayes, and fasted, and prayed be­fore the God of heaven.

And when Haman had prevailed with the king to destroy the Jews in every province,Est. 4.3. whithersoever the kings commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jewes, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

[Page]And when word came to the King of Nineveh that within fourty dayes his City should be destroyed,Jon. 3.7, 8 he caused it to be pro­claimed and published through Niniveh, Let neither man nor beast, heard nor flock taste any thing, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God.

Gods people in the time of danger and distresse must turn from their evil wayes.

Now therefore go to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,Jer. 18.11. and speak to them, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Behold I frame evill against you, and devise a device against you, return ye now every one from his evill way, and make your wayes and your doings good.

Turne ye from your evill waies,2 Kings 17.13. and keep my Commandments and my Statutes.

Turne ye, turne ye from your evil wayes,Eze. 33.11 for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Let them turne every one from his evill way,Jona. 3.8. and from the violence that is in their hands.

And if Gods people do use these meanes, God hath graciously promised to preserve them from danger feared, and from distresse felt.

If I shut up heaven that there be no raine,2 Chro. 7.13. or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a Pestilence among my people:

If my people which are called by my14 [Page]name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turne from their wicked wayes, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heale their land.

Because thine heart was tender,2 Chr. 34.27. and thou didst humble thy selfe before God, when thou heardst his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thy self before me, and didst rent thy cloathes, and weep before me, I have heard thee also, saith the Lord.

Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me?1 Kin. 21.29. because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evill in his dayes.

And call upon me in the day of trouble,Ps. 50.15. I will de­liver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me.

Then shall ye call upon me,Ier. 29.12. and go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered:Ioel 2.32. for in mount Zion and in Ierusalem shall be deliver­ance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

If ye will fear the Lord,1 Sam. 12.14. and serve him and obey his voice, and not Rebell against the Command­ments of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the King that raigneth over you continue following the Lord.

And if ye turne againe unto the Lord,2 Chr. 30.6 your bre­thren and your children shall finde compassion be­fore them that lead them Captive, so that they shall come again unto this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull, and will not turne away his face from you, if ye returne unto him.

At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation,Ier. 18.7.8 and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

[Page]If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes,Ezc. 18.21 and do that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Examples of Gods gracious performance of these promises to them that have performed these duties.

Jacob performing these duties was delivered from his brother Esan, Gen. 33.4.

The children of Israel performing these duties, after they had lost fourty thousand men in two over­throwes, prevailed the third time against their enemies, Iudg. 20.43.

Ioshua performing these duties, after that he had fled before the men of Ai, prevailed against them, and destroyed the City, Is. 7.26.

The children of Israel in Samuels time perform­ing these duties,1 Sam. 7.10. after that the Philistines had slaine thirty thousand of them, they discomfited the Phi­listines, and they were smitten before Israel.

King Rehoboam and the princes performing these duties, after that Shishak king of Egypt had taken the fenced cities that pertained to Juda, the Lord said, They have humbled themselves, therefore I wil not destroy them, 2 Chro. 12.7.

King Jehoshaphat performing these duties,2 Chro. 20, 23. after that he heard there was a great multitude comming against him, was wonderfully delivered from them, the Lord making them to destroy one another.

King Hezekiah performing these duties, after that the king of Assyria was come against him with a multitude, and many reproachfull speeches, was wonderfully delivered from them, the Angel of the Lord in one night destroying an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them, 2 King. 19.35.

King Asa performing these duties, after that Ze­rah the Ethiopian was come against him with an hoste of a thousand thousand, and three hundred charets, got the victory over them, the Lord smiting [Page]them before him, 2 Chronicles 14.12.

Ezra and Nehemiah performing these duties when they were in great danger of their enemies, were by Gods speciall providence preserved from them, so that they could not hinder the worke, God bringing all the enemies counsell to n [...]ught, Nehe. 4.15.

Mordecai, Esther and the rest of the Jewes per­forming these duties, after that Haman had obtained authority from the King to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jewes, they were delivered from them: For saith the text, In the day that the enemies of the Iewes hoped to have power over them, it turned contrary, for the Iewes had power over them that hated them, Est. 9.1.

King Manasseh performing these duties when he was in Babylon bound in fetters, the Lord brought him againe to Ierusalem into his Kingdome, 2 Chron. 33.11 13.

The King of Nineveh and his people perfor­ming these duties, after that Ionah had cried and said, Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shal be destroyed, they were delivered: for, saith the Text, God saw their workes, that they turned from their evill way, and God repented of the evill that he had said he would do unto them, and he did it not, Iona. 3.4, 10.

The Church of God performing this duty in the behalfe of Peter, when he was in pris [...]n, obtained a miraculous deliverance for him, Act. 12.