GOD blessed for evermore, who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will, and giveth no account of any of his matters, having lately taken from our heads our Chief Ruler, under whose shadow we said we shall live, (the Instrument of his Hand, whereby he hath wrought great things in and for these Nations) calls out aloud upon us to consider it, and to lay it to heart, (other­wise we may be sure there is evil to come) and to prepare to meet our God, even because he hath done this unto us. We judg it our duty also to call upon all that fear the Lord in this Land, to labour that they may be found of him with us, in ways of unfeined Humiliation and Reformation, if it may be a lengthening of our tranquillity: For, when the people turneth not to him that smiteth them, neither do seek the Lord of Hoasts, what can be expected but that he should set up Adversaries, and joyn their enemies together, who shall devour them with open mouth? And in order to an universal Abasement and Amendment of our selves, we think it most seasonable and needfull to stir up our selves and all [Page 2]under our care and charge seriously to consider, That when Gods judgments of a publick and general concernment are abroad in a nation or among a people, such a people ought to take special notice of Gods judgments: Those that will not see when his hand is lifted up, he will make them both see and feel too, before he hath done with them. It was EPHRAIM'S folly, not to know when gray hairs, (signs of a decaying and declining condition) were here and there upon him; And it is one of the highest points of wis­dom in the world to hear the audible and awful voice of the Rod, and him who hath appointed it. They ought also then to search out why the Lord contendeth with them, to con­fess, lay to heart, and humble themselves solemnly for their sins, procuring such judgments; To pray and seek Gods face earnestly; To reform themselves and their ways thoroughly and sincerely; This is the work whereunto the Lord at this day calleth us. And oh that our LORD, when he cometh to take a view of us, might (through the help of his blessed Spirit) find us so doing!

Consider we also that God hath taken away, & threat­ned to take away Chief Rulers and Governours, and him that holdeth the Scepter; both, for the Sins of the Cheif Rulers themselves: as, for not believing fully in God, for not Sanctifying God before the People, and other miscarria­ges: and for the Sins of the people under their Rule and Government; as, their relying and trusting to their own wisdom, way, and Arme of flesh, rather then on the Lord; their forgetting and forsaking God; their despising his word and warnings; their mocking and misusing his messengers; their persisting and proceeding on still to do wickedly, even in despight of all Gods mercyes, and judgements; their griev­ing the Spirits of their Rulers, by their discontents, mur­murings and strivings, and the like: And for the sins of the Prophets and Ministers, their unfaithfulness, not [Page 3] discovering the peoples iniquities for preventing their captivity and calamity; but seeing vain and foolish things for them, and for the sins of former Rulers, their Idolatry, Blood guiltiness, Profaneness, these may bring on judgements and ruin, notwithstanding the zeale and sincere endeavours of their Successors for a reformation. How should the thoughts of these things pierce our hearts, together with the sence of this severe stroak, wherewith the Lord hath at once smit­ten, not onely these three Nations, but all the professors of the Protestant Religion.

Let us also consider further, that God having honoured a people with great Privilidges, Deliverances and Salvati­ons, doth sometimes after all the good that he hath done them, again do them hurt, judge and destroy them; and that especially, for their ingratitude towards God, notwith­standing all his great goodness, when they render not again according to the benefit done unto them; for their turning away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turning their back upon him, his Worship and Ordinances; for their Ʋnbelief, Idolatry, Ʋncleanness, height of Impiety, and pro­faneness; for their Sorcery, Blood, Oppression, and violence, dishonest gain, and theft, profanation of the Sabboth, pollution of Gods Ordinances, violation of his Covenant, Cursing, Swearing, and for swearing; for their Murmuring against God and his Vice-gerents when afflictions press them; for their Barrenness under the means of grace, and contempt of the messengers thereof; for their hatred to Reformation, and Enmity against Christ and his Kingdom; and for their incorrigibleness and impenitency in all these, notwithstand­ing all his smitings; Now shall not the Lord visit for these things? and shall not his Soul be avenged on those that wal­low in the guilt and filth of them? And are there not with us, even with us, such Sins as these to be found against the Lord our God? Are there not gross Heresies and horrid [Page 4] Blasphemies in the midst of us? much Superstition and Ido­latry, Ignorance, and Blindness, not onely of the Papists, but of the generality of Protestants also? deadness and un­profitableness under the most lively and powerful means; neglect, contempt, reproach and prophanation of all the Ordinances of the Gospel, and instituted worship of the Lord Iesus. VVhat abuse of the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord our God, not onely by customary and rash Oaths and imprecations (which are usually interwoven with the language of the Natives,) but also by formal giving and ta­king of oaths even in Courts and places of judicature, and by sleight and heartless discourses of Divine things; most men vain-gloriously aiming more therein to express their own guifts, then to attain or exercize grace, or to mini­ster and communicate it unto others? VVhat despising, un­dermining, and opposing the work, call, office, and per­sons of Gospel-Ministers? VVhat profaning the Lords-day, not onely like beasts in wayes of pleasure, but like Devils spending that day in sin against the Lord, which should be spent in nigher communion with him? Ʋ Ʋhat un­thankfulness for mercies enjoyed? Ʋ Ʋhat fighting against God after mercies, under mercies, yea with our very mer­cies? Ʋ Ʋhat loathing and making light of all that which we have and do receive, because of the absence of some particulars which we desire? And hath not Blood here reached blood? under the guilt whereof these Lands may yet justly be made to mourn; the blood of the Innocent shed by Enemies, and even the blood of the nocent shed by our selves, in an undue manner, without that grief and tenderness of Spirit vvhich became the followers of the Lamb the Lord Iesus. Ʋ Ʋhat panting hath there been amongst us after the dust of the earth, as if all would not suffice for every man to take an handful? Ʋ Ʋhat labouring to load our selves with thick clay? Ʋ Ʋhat covetous and greedy heaping [Page 5]up wordly Riches? without regard to be rich in good works, rich in faith, poor in spirit? what seeking rather after a seem­ing then a real greatness; rather to be great in the sight of men, then in the sight of the Lord? what resolving to get earth, though with the loss of Heaven? what oppressing the poor Inhabitant, to ease and gratify the rich, in the ap­portioning and applotting the publique burthens and tax­es? what depriving the poorer sort of the price and pur­chase of his blood and labour, by hard and circumvent­ing bargains & insnaring agreements? and yet that daugh­ter of the horse Leach still crying, give, give.

VVhat divisions and breaches have there been amongst Brethren? and how many sinfull consequencies of those divisions? whispering, slandering, backbiting, reviling, and an anger which teares perpetually, (whereof God com­plaineth by the Prophet AMOS.) VVhat sinful complian­ces even of subordinate Magistrates, Justices of the Peace, Officers of the Army, Ministers of the Gospel, and others, with the unfruitful works of darkness? not onely omitting the due Execution of the good Laws concerning Reformati­on: but too much patronizing wicked men in their evil ways for carnal ends; by which means also that great work of our Generation, in subduing the Irish Papists to the scepter of JESUS CHRIST, and removing from them the occasions of sin, in their usage of many barba­rous and brutish customs, hath been in all places obstru­cted; and in most, totally neglected. How little have god­liness and honesty been regarded by many Magistrates, as if to see to these were not included in their Commission? How little have many Ministers attended the catechizing the ignorant, visiting the sick, rebuking the profane, instructing from house to house, the due exercize of discipline, and right administration of Sacraments? whereby not onely the popish and profane have been more alienated than e­ver, [Page 6]from the truths and ways of God: but ignorance, he­resie, heathenism and atheism increased; and through long fasting from the Institutions of Christ, many have lost their stomachs; and some, that very life which appeared formerly to act in them; and others unworthily parta­king thereof, have been hardened and nuzled up in their evil ways, and sealed up under wrath and condemnation? How have Family duties in most places been neglected, even to provoke the LORD to pour out his wrath upon them, as upon the heathens that call not on his name? VVhat infidelity and distrustfulness have prevailed in many spirits, in re­lation to our late Supream Magistrate, as if the Author of our mercies did not continue, & his cause the same, if that eminent instrument were removed? Though we have so many precious promises, so many strengthening experi­ences, as stays & props to our hope, even under the great­est shakings, and many soverain Cordials to prevent faint­ing; God not having left himself without many witnesses to his mercie, even to this day of trouble and treading down, which otherwise would have been indeed a day of grief, and of desperate sorrow. And how great hath been the Ingratitude and murmuring peevishness of others, as if our mercies were not mercies, because themselves were not the pipes of conveyance; or because those waters came not so plentifully into their Cisterns as unto others?

These and such like sins as these, seem stampt (as it were) on the face of this judgment, and are to be especially eyed in the frown thereof. And are they Christians, are they men, who are without the sense of these things? Have we like sheep, wandered from our Shepheard, and from one another in this our sun-shine? It is just for our God to send such a storm to drive us together, and into his fold. Have we played with the candle that burned so brightly among us, consuming himself to guide and refresh these Nations, [Page 7]or have we puffed at it? it is just for God to put it out.

And doth not the LORD now call from heaven unto us, as sometimes he did to backsliding ISRAEL, Gather your selves together, yea gather your selves, search and sift your selves, O Nation not desired, before the decree bring forth, (which seems now to hasten to the birth) before the day pass as the chaf, before all your light, and joy, and peace and plenty be blown away by the blast of the Lords displea­sure; before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lords anger come upon you? And we can not forbear, but call upon all the Lords people in this Land, as MOSES sometimes did to the Israelites, Ʋ Ʋho is on the Lords side among you? Consecrate your selves to day unto the Lord, even every man by punishing and witnessing a­gainst sin in his son, and in his brother; and especially by doing execution upon it in himself; That he may bestow a blessing upon us this day. Let us with one heart and mouth say, To us belongeth confusion of face, to our Princes, to our fathers, and to our children; because we have sinned a­gainst the Lord; Let us bewail and repent of our former doings, which were not good: not onely by sorrowing for them, (for there is sorrow enough even in hell;) not one­ly by wishing them undone, (for so far even Iudas went;) but by true repentance from dead works, turning again to the Lord to serve the living God. Let all the Magistrates of the Land, let all the Gospel-Ministers, let all the Officers and Souldiers, let both great and small renew their Covenant, and engage their souls, and give the hand unto the Lord, and unto Vs, who do stretch forth ours unto you, saying, Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal us, he hath smitten and he will bind us up.

And for our further help both in returning to him, and gaining some comfortable evidence that he doth accept us, and will heal us, It is ordered, That Thursday the four­teenth [Page 8]day of October next, be kept as an Holy day of Fasting and Prayer unto the Lord, That thereon we may afflict our souls before him, and lament, not so much the fall of our Crown and chief ornament, as our sins that caused it: That the eyes of all our Tribes, as of one man, may be toward the Lord, to beg mercy for his poor Church here on earth, scattered over the face of the whole world: That the Rightousness thereof may go forth as brightness, and the Salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth: and particu­larly, for that part thereof w^ch his own Right-hand hath plan­ted in these Nations, That he would extend peace unto it, like a River, and glory like a flowing stream; and to that end, That he would make his face to shine upon his Servant, whom the good hand of his providence hath now set over us; that as he hath called him to this great and weighty work, so he would carry him through it all his dayes in the everlasting Armes of his power and goodness, to the glory of his own name, and the joy of these Nations; that so, he may prove the Minister of God indeed to us for good, for all manner of good, natural, moral, civil, Spiritual; That he would bless his HIGHNESS Councils in these three Nations, and cloath them with a spirit sutable to their stations: and all other inferior Magistrates; That the mountains may drop down new wine, and the hills flow with milk; that the mountains may bring forth peace unto the people, and the little hills by rightousness; That he would bless his HIGHNESS Forces both at home and abroad, by land and sea; with the continuance of a spirit of love and faithfulness, and with good success in all their lawful un­dertakings; That he would establish and strengthen his confederacies with other Nations, so far as may tend to the propagating the Gospel, and to the preservation and prosperity of the poor Protestants in other Countreys; That he would set up burning and shining lights in all the [Page 9]dark corners of this land, and bless the labours of those whom he hath already set and made faithful to the bring­ing in and building up of many souls, through the fellow­ship of the gospel, in an everlasting fellowship with the Father, & the Son, by the communion of the holy Ghost.

And it is further Ordered, That the Sherifs of the seve­ral Counties in this Nation, do forthwith (after receipt hereof) distribute the said Declarations to all and every the Ministers within their respective Balywicks, to the intent that seasonable and publick notice may be given unto the People by the Ministers in every their respective Parishes and Congregations, upon the Lords-day preceding the said fourteenth day of October. And the said Ministers are also to read this Declaration unto the People, at their being assembled upon the said Fast-day, appointed to be celebrated. For the better observation whereof, the servile works of mens ordinary Callings are to be for­born upon that day.

And all Sherifs, Mayors, Governors of Garrisons, Iu­stices of the Peace, Constables, and other Officers Civil and Military, are to take care that the said day be solemnly kept and observed.