THIS Psalm is a History, or rather a Penitential Confession of the Rebel­lions and Provocations of the Chil­dren of Israel, from the day of their Departure out of Egypt, thro' all their Travels and long Sojourning in the Wilderness. In the Text the Psalmist in the Name of the People of his own Generation, confesses their Interest and share in these Sins of their Fathers and An­cestors.

We have Sinned with our Fathers: The Critics render it by Sicut and aeque; as expres­sing the Similitude of one unto the other, or [Page 4]the Aggravation of the one from the other: We have done as our Fathers did before us, with equal Perversness and Rebellion. We have, added to the Stock of Hereditary Guilt, and fill'd up the Measure of their Iniquity. Not only have sinned in their loins, being the Children and Posterity of wicked Ancestors; but we have been our selves a disobedient, Impenitent, and sometimes Idolatrous People, after the Similitude of their Transgressions. We have sinned like them, by whose Example, Sins and Sufferings we should have taken War­ning.

THIS seems to be the Meaning of the Confession in the Text, and so they Aggravate on their own Iniquities in deep Humiliation, by calling to Remembrance the Sins of their An­cestors.

NOR barely is it the Sins of their Immedi­ate Progenitors which they here confess, but they look back unto the first Times of their being a free and Distinct People, as you may see at large thro' the Psalm.

MOREOVER, I would observe the Repe­tition of the Confession; which is doubled and trebled, to express the mighty Sense they had of the Greatness of their own Guilt: We have sin­ned with our Fathers, we have committed Iniquity, we have done wickedly. The same thing is repea­ted [Page 5] over and over in other words: Yet here is no Tautologie or vain Repetition: But out of the Abundance of the heart the Mouth pours out its Confessions: the more to express the Reality and Certainty of the thing, and the Shame and Sorrow felt on that account: the more to affect themselves with the thing, and to aggravate it upon themselves.

THE Doctrine I would offer is this.

THAT it becomes the Professing People of GOD in their Humiliations and Confessions of their own Sins, and the Sins of their own Time and Generation, to remember mention and bewail also the Sins of their FATHERS and AN­CESTORS, even in Times long since past.

THAT we should mourn for our own Per­sonal Guilts in the first place, you will easily Acknowledge: these should ever lye nearest to and heaviest upon our Hearts. Jer. 8.6. I hear­kened and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repented him of HIS Wickedness, saying, What have I done?

BUT we must mourn for the Sins of Others together with our own. Sin ought to grieve us wherever we see it: Psal. 119.158. I be­held Transgressors and was grieved.

[Page 6] IN particular, We should be Affected with and afflicted for the Sins of the Time, the Peo­ple and Places wherein our Lot is cast: Ezek. 9.4. Go thro' the midst of the City, and set a Mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

BUT it may be the Instance in the Text has been less tho't of, than These which I have nam'd: scil. That we should bring into our Humiliations and Confessions, as the Sins of our People that now live, so the Sins of the Generations before us; even their Sins who are long since dead, and were so before we were born.

I will lay before you, 1. The Demand of GOD from us to this purpose, and then 2. Consider a little the Reasons of it.

I. IT is the Will of GOD that we should re­member and mourn for the Sins of those that are gone before us, and who may have been long since dead, in our penitential and solemn Confessions. GOD prescribes This unto Israel by the hand of Moses, in the After-Confessions of Future Ge­nerations, and in particular in the Captivities which their Sins would bring upon them: Levit. 26.39, 40. You shall pine away in your Iniquities in the Land of your Enemies, and in the [Page 7]Iniquity of your Fathers shall ye pine away: If then they shall confess their Iniquity and the Iniquities of their Fathers,—then will I remember my Cove­nant. Now in Obedience to this Direction and Command of GOD, the Faithful and Penitent in Israel did thus on every Solemn Occasion: whereof the Psalm before us is a copious In­stance. More especially, toward and after the Babylonish Captivity (to which some refer the Psalm) this was the Burthen in the Church's Confessions. So Jeremiah, Ezra and Nehemiah made their Confession in their Day. Jer. 3.25. We lie down in our Shame, and our Confusion covers us, for we have sinned against the LORD our GOD, we and our FATHERS from our Youth. Lam. 5.7. Our Fathers have sinned and are not, and we have born their Iniquities. Ezra 9.7. Since the days of our Fathers have we been in great Trespass unto this day. Nehem. 1.6, 7. Both I and my Fathers house have sinned: We have dealt very corruptly before thee. More especially in the Ninth Chapter we have a large Account of a Day of Prayer solemnized by Nehemiah and the Remnant of Judah, the very Design of which Solemn Day is thus declared, v. 2. The seed of Israel—stood and confessed their Sins, and the Iniquities of their FATHERS. They were in­deed then smarting for borh together, and could not well separate them v. 16. But they [Page 8]even our Fathers dealt proudly, and hardned their Necks, and hearkened not to thy Commandments, &c. v. 34. Neither have our Kings, our Princes, our Priests, nor our Fathers kept thy Law.

THUS the Practice is Establish'd in Scrip­ture, by Precept and by Example. We find the holy Men of GOD, under the Inspiration of the HOLY GHOST, and the special Influ­ence of his Grace, bringing the Sins of their Ancestors and of the Generations before them, into their Confessions before GOD; as well in their private as in their more public Humilia­tions.

And now,

II. I will Enquire into the Reasons of this Duty. It may seem liable to two Objections, which I wou'd premise two Words to Obviate.

• 1. As if it imply'd want of Reverence to our Ancestors,
• 2. Irreverence toward GOD.

1. IT implies no want of Reverence to our An­cestors: Nor is it to be charged with the Spi­rit of graceless Ham, who was condemned for not covering his Fathers Nakedness. We cannot uncover the Shame of our Fathers before GOD, to whose Eye all things are naked and open. Or if we remember them with Abasement be­fore GOD, as well as prostrate our selves in the Dust, it is before our FATHER in Heaven, that His Name and Holiness may be glorified: [Page 9]Whose Honour should be infinitly dearer to us than the Name of all Earthly Parents: And like Levi we must be ready to say unto Father and Mother in His Cause, I have not seen them; Neither may we Acknowledge our Brethren, nor know our own Children. Deut. 33.9.

On the other hand,

2. IT is far from implying any Irreverence to­ward GOD, as if He punish'd us for our Father's Sins. Far be it from us to take up the foolish and prophane Proverb which was sometimes used by the wicked Israelites: Ezek. 18.2. The Fa­thers have eaten the sour Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are set on Edge. No: What I am arguing for is just the Reverse of this Blasphemy. For they make an Objection of it against the Justice of Providence, we on the contrary confess its Righteousness herein: They make a fleer and jest of it as an Absurdity, we in solemn manner Adore the Soverain GOD in his Dispensation, and Abase our selves before Him In profound Humiliation: They reflect upon the Divine Government, we justify His Administration, and own there is no Hardship done us: for that we know that we shall never be punished for our Fathers Sins if we do not walk in their Steps; and then too only in Temporal Calami­ties (not in the Eternal State) wherein GOD will at last have punish'd us less when our own Iniquities have deserved.

[Page 10] HAVING premis'd these two things for the guarding and stating the Truth before us, I shall now offer two or three more direct Rea­sons, Why we should confess the Iniquity of our FATHERS together with our Own in our Solemn Humiliations.

1. TO repair the more if it were possible the Dishonour done unto the Name of GOD and His holy Law. For all the Reparation which we can make being only in the Explicit Humilia­tions of our Souls on that Account, we do ren­der the greater Glory to the Name of GOD while in our Confessions we do look back to the Sins of our Ancestors, as well as Recollect our Own. I am sure among Men it wou'd be Accounted a very worthy Action, if our Parents had done any Injury to a Nei'bour, if We af­ter their Death should do what we can, and what appears just to us to do them right: And doubtless the Great GOD will accept such an Act of Piety and Duty from us toward Himself.

SHOULD it be our Grief that our Fathers sinned against GOD, and should we not say so before Him? What better Reverence can we show unto our Father in Heaven? while we go backward like the blushing Sons of Noah, drawing a Covering over our earthly Parents Na­kedness. Which tho' we wont look upon, yet [Page 11]we know with Concern that it lies Exposed. To whom do we publish it? to GOD! and why? but that HE may be Glorified! Where then is the Trespass on Filial Piety by this Act of Devotion and Worship? or did it bear har­der on the Names of the Deceas'd, yet what were these to the Honour of the ETERNAL GOD?

IN confessing the Sins of our Fathers we Adore the GOD of our Fathers; and in Effect we do but give Him the Glory of that Relation: Our Fathers GOD and we will Exalt thee: son we do as truly Exalt GOD in our Penitent Confessions, as in our Thankful Praises. Ezra 10.10, 11. Ye have transgressed—Now there­fore make Confession unto the LORD GOD of your Fathers. Can we remember Him as our Fa­thers GOD in our Confessions, and never bring our Fathers Sins into our Confessions? Where then is his Honour, and where is his Fear, as the Lord GOD of our Fathers?

2. IT becomes us to Confess the Sins of our Fathers with our Own, to show our Impar­tiality in the hatred of Sin: that we grieve and mourn for it because it is Sin, Contrary to GOD and abhorred by Him, without any Respect of Persons. For Sin is the same in it self, and the same in the Sight of GOD, whoever be the Sinner; and therefore it is equally to be re­sented [Page 12]by us, as against GOD. Psal. 139. ult. Am I not grieved with them that rise up against thee? This is a sincere and upright Detestation of Sin, as such.

SOME can freely eno' fault Sin in those that are not related to them; but O how they cover and palliate it when it falls out in their own House? This brings the most declared Zeal against Sin under a just Suspicion in any One; while it turns to another for a Testimony of their Impartial Regard to the Honour of GOD, when they are not brib'd by their Re­lation unto any to justify them in Sin.

3. IT is but just for a wicked Posterity to joyn the Sins of their Ancestors with their own in their Confessions, because they are actually Partakers with them in their Iniquity. Indeed this is too much the Course of this World in the several Generations of it, Posterity learn and retain the Vices of their Ancestors. As one Generation corrupt themselves it is a pretty sure way to make the Next worse. A People are hardly bro't to reform the Errors of their Predecessors, which they are Educated in, and suck in with their Mothers Milk. So Israels Apostacy grew on the succeeding Generations after the Death of Joshua, and again after the Reigns of David and Solomon. Judg. 2.10, 19. There arose another Generation which knew not the [Page 13]LORD; but the next after them returned and corrupted themselves more than their-Fathers. The Prophet supposes it to be sometimes the happy Case of particular Persons, that the Son seeth all his Fathers Sins which he hath done, and consi­dereth and doeth not the like. Ezek. 18.14. And GOD forbid that this should not be often Ex­emplified; and to GOD be the Praise whene­ver it is so. But the Contrary is usually the Case of a Degenerate People. Posterity inherit their Fathers Manners, and are fix'd in evil Customs by the Practice and Example of An­cestors, and sometimes may receive their Errors with Reverence.

NOW if the People of our Age retain the Evils of the last, and carry Impiety to a grea­ter Length than it was before our time, have we not made our Fathers Sins our own with a witness? Truly, as our Saviour said to the Jews in His Time. Luk. 11.48. Ye bear wit­ness that ye allow the Deeds of your Fathers. That is, They did by the Prophets then, as their Fa­thers had done long before; They were Impe­nitent and Obstinate in Sin as their Fathers had been under the Ministry of former Prophets; they were of the same persecuting Spirit that their Fathers had been of: So their Fathers Sin was Theirs and both to be confessed in the same Breath.

[Page 14] IT was the folly of the Pharisees, and their Hypocrisy that they cou'd confess their Fathers persecution of the Prophets and not discern their own. It may be the Error may seem less if we confess our own faults, and not our Ancestors. But that our Confessions may be perfect we must Omit neither. As the Martyr Stephen made Confession for the Jewish Rulers, since they wou'd not do it for themselves: Act. 7.51. You stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the HOLY GHOST; As your Fathers did so do ye: Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the Coming of that JUST ONE, of whom ye have been now the Be­trayers and Murderers.

4. TO Confess the Sins of our Fathers with our own may be of special Influence to keep us from them, or to Convince us of them, and put us the more zealously upon the Reforming and Amend­ing them, that the Wrath of GOD may be turned away from us.

1. TO keep us from them: that if we are not fallen into their Sins we may not: for what more Effectual way is there for the Preven­tion of Sin than a sincere penitential Confe­ssion of it; which binds the Soul not to do it 2. Chron. 30. And be not ye like your Fathers and like your Brethren, which trespassed against [Page 15]the LORD GOD of your Fathers,—Now be not ye stiff-necked as your Fathers were.

2. OR surely it must the more Convince us of and humble us for our own Sins, if we have sin­ned after the Similitude of the Sins of our Fa­thers which we confess. It must leave us Self-judged and condemned. Our own Lips do then fall upon us, and our own Tongue rises in Judgment. The Guilt of a People is greatly Aggravated, and the Offence to GOD rises exceedingly, when the Sins of Ancestors are retained. A People may not be ready to Ap­prehend this; but GOD will have them Con­vinced of it. Jer. 16.10, 11. What is our Ini­quity? or what is our Sin that we have commit­ted against the LORD our GOD? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your Fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD,—and ye have done worse than your Fathers. If this will not convince a People what can! Mal. 3.7. Even from the days of your Fathers ye have gone away from mine Ordinances—. Antiquity, Usage and long Cus­tom is so far from Extenuating the Apostacy, that it aggravates it. Mat. 23.32. Fill ye up the Measure of your Fathers.

3. IF we are Convinced of and Humbled for the Sins of our Fathers found among our selves, we shall reform and forsake them as well as confess 'em. So Hezekiah gathered the Priests [Page 16]and Levites together, and said unto them; Our Fathers have trespassed, and done that which was Evil in the Sight of the LORD,— Now it is in my heart to make a Covenant with the LORD GOD of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn from us. 2 Chron. 29.6, 10.

4. And lastly. GOD will turn away his Wrath from and mercifully pardon such a People, as peni­tently confess and reform their own and their Fa­thers Sins.

ON the one hand it is most Certain, that a Peoples persisting impenitently in their Fa­thers Sins does heap up Guilt, and treasure up Wrath, from Generation to Generation, and at last brings down fearful Destructions on them. Isa. 65.7. Your Iniquities and the Ini­quities of your Fathers together,— which have blasphemed me—: therefore will I measure their former Work into their Bosom. Very pathetical are the Expostulations to this purpose: Jer. 44.7, 9. Wherefore commit ye this great Evil against your own Souls, to cut off from you man and wo­man, child and suckling out of Judah, to leave you none to remain—? Have ye forgotten the wick­edness of your Fathers—? they are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law. And again, Ezek. 20.30, 36. Are ye polluted after the manner of your Fa­thers? Surely—with fury poured out—will I plead with you—.

[Page 17] BUT now the Entail of Wrath is as certain­ly cut off, if a people repent of and reform the Sins of their Fathers, and do not relapse into them, nor have any like Provocations of their own. Josiah wou'd have saved Judah from Ruine, after all their Apostacies and Impeni­tence, if his People would have done and been like Him: He rent his Clothes when he heard the Words of the Book of the Law,—for great is the Wrath of the LORD that is kin­dled against us, said he, because our Fathers have not hearkned to the Words of this Book: Where­upon he sent and gathered unto him all the Elders of Judah and of Jerusalem, and went up with them in a Solemn Assembly into the House of the LORD, and there caused to be read in their hearing all the Words of the Book of the Covenant: And the King there and then publicly Covenanted before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his Com­mandments, and his Testimonies, and his Statutes, with all their heart and all their Soul,— and all the People stood to the Covenant. i.e. Declar'd their Consent to it and bound themselves to keep it; which had they indeed stood to, Jeru­salem's Destruction wou'd not have come on so soon after. See 2 King. 22. & 23. Chapters.

THESE are some of the Great Reasons why a People in confessing their own Iniquity, [Page 18]should confess also the Sins of their FA­THERS. I will Conclude with a few pro­per Inferences from the Premises.

USE 1. Hence I infer, That in our Con­duct and Actions we should always consider that we act for POSTERITY. The Influence of our Principles and Practices reaches to them. Therefore we should by no means limit our Tho'ts meerly to our selves and our own Times, when we are regulating our own Be­haviour. If we of this Age are wicked, we hurt not only the present, but Ages to come. Not only those who are now Alive and see our ill Example, but those too who are not yet born may be much prejudiced by our ill Conduct. And on the other hand, If we are Vertuous and Religious, we serve not only our own Generation, but those that come af­ter us, it may be to many Generations. For this Reason and on this View let us desire so to live that Posterity may not be the worse for us, but the better. That they may not be Miserable thro' our fault and come to curse us, but that our Memory may be dear and precious, Venerable and blessed to them. That our Childrens Children may not be Asha­med of us, and remember us only in their Confessions and Abasements; but also some times in their Acknowledgments to the Glory of [Page 19]GOD with Reverence and Esteem. Psal. 22.4, 5. Our Fathers trusted in Thee, they trusted and Thou didst deliver them; they cried unto thee and were delivered, they trusted in thee and were not Confounded.

2. IF we ought to confess the Sins of our Fathers, then pious Fathers should bewail the Sins and degeneracy of their Children, and be afflicted and abased before GOD in the prospect and fear thereof. This is a very natural Grief to Holy Hearts, and alas too commonly is there Oc­casion given for it. The fear of this gives a very painful Concern to Them that bear us, and if they live to see it it brings down their grey Hairs with Sorrow to the Grave. Like old Eli they sit trembling for the Ark of GOD in the hands of their Ungodly Off-spring. Tremble they do for their Sons, to think what will be­come of them; but much more for the Name and Honour of GOD that suffers by them, and which is more to them than the Lives of their Children. So faithful Moses took a sor­rowful Leave of Israel, on the knowledge of their past Sins, and foresight of those to come: He even confess'd and bewail'd 'em before those were born that did commit 'em: Deut. 31.27, 28, 29. For I know thy Rebellion and thy stiff neck: Behold while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been Rebellious against the [Page 20]LORD; and how much more after my Death? Gather unto me all the Elders of your Tribes, and your Officers, that I may speak these Words in your Ears, and call Heaven and Earth to Record against them. For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt your selves, and turn aside from the Way which I have commanded you; and Evil will befal you in the latter days, becouse ye will do Evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to Anger—.

3. IF we shou'd confess their Sins who are gone before us, then whatever has been Amiss in our Fathers we should reform. I have no Accu­sation to bring against the FATHERS of my Country, whose Memory is Blessed with us; and with Whom we may not compare our Selves, being risen up a sinful Generation in their place; A more mixt People, and acting more on worldly Views, Maxims and Customs. Yet They were far from pretending to Perfection, They were [...]en subject to Passions and Errors. And while we Venerate their Devotion, and ought to Imitate their Vertues, we should take care not to be misled by their Example in any thing Amiss in them; receiving it by Tra­dition from them.

IF in the Begining of the Country, in any Places they founded their Churches on too nar­row a Bottom, and in too much Independency [Page 21]one upon another, their Posterity have done well to Enlarge the Foundation, and those are to be pitied who will charge this with Aposta­cy. For certainly we have at last too many Unbaptised Persons among us, and it is a Grief to have the LORD's Table so neglected, as it is among us at this day.

IF there be any Customs in our Churches derived from our Ancestors, whereby those Terms are Imposed in order to the Admission of Persons to the LORD's Table, which CHRIST hath not imposed in the New Testament, such Impositions ought to be laid aside. For they are justly to be Condemned, especially in US, because we do complain of Impositions in other Communions, and our Fathers sled from the same.

IF there ever was a Custom among us, where­by Communion in our Churches was made a TEST for the Enjoyment of Civil Priveledges in the State; the Natural Rights of Men and the Legal Rights of English Men, without re­spect to one Church State and Communion or another, consistent with the public Peace and Safety of the GOVERNMENT; we have done well long since to Abolish any such corrupt and persecuting Maxims: Which it is a Mischief to any free People and a Scandal to any Com­munion of Christians to retain.

[Page 22] IF there were of old among our Fathers any Laws Enacted, or at any time any Judg­ments given and Executions done according to those Laws, which have carried too much the Spirit and Face of Cruelty and Persecution; we ought to be Humbled greatly for any such Er­rors of our Fathers, and confess it to have been sinful in them. And blessed be GOD for the more Catholic Spirit of Charity that now distinguishes us.

IF there ever was among our Fathers any Grounds for that gross Accusation which has been made by some against them; but I am ready to believe was a Slander and Calumny unjustly cast upon their Memory, because I have heard the same Accusation made most unjustly in some particular Cases against our Judges now alive; If (I say) there has been open Partiality in doing Justice and Judgment, out of respect of Persons, because of our own Communion or way of Worship; GOD forbid that the least of this Leven or Tincture should be found among us.

OR if any of our Fathers have even dealt too proudly in Censuring and Judging others that differ'd from them in Modes of Worship; let us their Posterity the rather be clothed with Humility, Meekness and Charity, preserving Truth and Holiness with the laudable Zeal of our Predecessors.

[Page 23] Finally, IF we and our Fathers before us have been guilty of Negligence in Gospelizing the Heathen as we might have done; or if the Fund for that Service might have been more faithfully and wisely Applied than it sometimes had been; (which also has been often said to our Dishonour) I am sure that Those concern­ed in that Affair, as well as all of Us in our several Stations, should be quickned to consi­der, what the Honour of GOD and Compassion to Souls calls for at our Hands.

I might add, If any of our Fathers may have sometimes seem'd too Strict in Judging others for lawful Liberties; I hope it will find an easy pardon with Them that look on the Licence taken by many in our own Times. Some few did so in their day, but They Insti­tuted them better both by Precept and Example; and to their Praise be it spoken—We never receiv'd the Immoral Practices of the Present Gene­ration from Them: They never learnt us to be profane, disobedient to Parents, dishonest in our dealings, unclean, false, selfish, covetous and worldly. Which leads me to say,

4. IF we should be ready to confess the sins of our Fathers, then whatsoever was Good and Worthy in Them should be also remembred, [...], prais'd and Imitated by us. Our Reve­rence to GOD and Man commands this of us, [Page 24]and it is one Instance of our Obedience to the first Commandment with Promise, Honour thy Father and thy Mother. If there be any Vertue, if there be any Praise, think of these.

OUR Fathers had their Infirmities no doubt, but they had their Vertue and Integrity. They were a Company of brave and honest Men. Not many Wise men after the flesh, not any of the Mighty and Noble were among them; but neither were they any of the base and vile of the Nation for outward Estate or Character. They were for the Body of them Serious and Godly Christians; Men rich in Faith and Heirs of a better World. For that better Country they left their pleasant Native Land, and in remov­ing into a Wilderness mostly for Religion's sake, they declar'd plainly that they fought it.

THEY came over on a most worthy De­sign, on the Noblest Motives, and with the best Intentions. Pare and Undefiled RELIGION was their proposed End, and their Support in their Undertaking. Their first Care was to plant Churches rather than Towns, and Schools and Colledges as soon as they saw Towns In­crease, to leave a learned MINISTRY and Religion in the Power of it to their Posterity. Government and good Order was as much their Care as Liberty of Conscience; not using Liberty [Page 25]for an Occasion to the flesh, but standing fast in that wherewith CHRIST hath made us free.

THEY have jest us their Testimony for the purity of GOD's Worship according to the In­stitution of Scripture, without the Additions of men; and against Will worship and Super­stition Formality and Hypocrisy. They have Instituted us in the strict Observation of the Sabbath, which has been the Honour of these Churches, and as it decays is our real Apostacy from vital Religion. They have commended to us strict Family Government, and the good Education of our Children, which was our own Happiness under their wise and faithful Care. They taught us by Word and Life what the. Grace of GOd, which brings us Salvation teacheth; to deny Ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and to live Soberly, Righteously and Godly in this present Evil World: to honour all Men, to love the Brotherhood, to fear GOD, and to honour the King. They have left us the noble Example of a Public Spirit, to love our Country, to act for Posterity, and seek the Good of After-Gene­rations.

SUCH a sort of Men were the Founders and Fathers of our Country: Men of whom the World was not worthy, tho' they were plain men, but not wanting in Wisdom and Learning, Prudence, Integrity and true Devotion, I should [Page 26]have said too what a Stock of Prayers they laid in for us, which have bro't down many Ble­ssings on us already, and we hope will many more on the Generations yet to come.

[NOR may I omit to mention, with how much Humanity and a truly Christian Zeal they had at heart and labour'd for the Civilizing, the Instruction and Conversion of the Natives. The Names of Eliot and Mahew are made Im­mortal with us on this Account, and their Rest is Glorious. They did the part of Apostles and Evangelists with a truly primitive Spirit. The Government treated the barbarous people with many Courtesies and Obligations. Un­known Labours were used and pains taken with them to Acquaint them with the Ways of GOD. The Bible with vast pains and dili­gence was Translated into the Indian Tongue and printed for their Use, and distributed among them. They were preach'd to, they were argued with and Entreated. An Indian Colledge was built, some of their Children with much difficulty put to School, and one or two have been bro't up at the Colledge, but died there.

WHAT tho' the Success has not answered the pious hope Intention and Prayers of our Fathers? their Piety is never the less Con­spicuous, and their Reward is with GOD tho [Page 27]the Salvages be not gather'd. What tho' they might have taken wiser Methods, some may think; They did what appear'd to them best, and what cost 'em more Expence and fatigue it may be, than the other proposed Methods would have done. And what tho' there were Neglects too of some Parts, and even some of our own Plantations were setled in too heathen­ish a manner: Never the less if much of the Spirit and Presence of GOD had not been with our Fathers, they had never done half the Great and Good things they did.]

THIS is but a small piece of Justice to their Memory, and to excite our Emulation.

5. And lastly, IF we should consider the faults of our Ancestors to confess them, then how much more ought we to bewail our own Sins, and the Sins of our own Day.

1. OUR own Personal Transgressions and Guilts. Without these the Sins of others gone before us would not hurt us much. The Soul that Sins shall die: The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father, if he considereth and doeth not the like. Ezek. 18.14.

LAY thy hand then upon thy heart, and smite there for thy own Abominations. For these GOD will judge thee in the last Day. And this it is that He looks for to day from thee, that thou feel the plague of thy own heart, [Page 28]and so spread forth thy hands toward his house. For what hast thou to do to confess the Sins of others, who art not Affected with thy own? Thou Hypocrite, pull first the Beam out of thine own Eye. Repent thee of thy own Wickedness, and say, What have I done? When I speak of Sinners, am I not the Chief? But what is my own Repentance this day before the LORD? Am I humbled for and bewailing my own Sins? have I reformed these yet? do I keep my self from mine own Iniquity? Psal. 51.2, 3. Wash ME thro'ly from MINE Iniquity, and cleanse ME from My Sin; for I acknowledge My Transgressions, and My Sin is ever before me.

2. LET us lay to heart the Sins of our Day and Time. Whether those of our Land, or of our Nation.

1. THE Sins of our Land. We are sadly on the decay as to serious Piety and vital Reli­gion. We have lost our first love, life and zeal. Our FATHERS where are they? their Spirit of Devotion! their Sobriety and Tem­perance! their Godliness and Honesty! Sensuali­ty, worldliness and Pride are grown up in the place of these; profaness, lukewarmness and Hypocrisy; Selfishness and Unrighteousness. Our Fathers would be ready to disown us on these Accounts, and we ought to think how they will rise up in Judgment against us and [Page 29]condemn us. Let us consider from whence we have fallen and repent.

OUR Work to day is to bewail the present de­generacy and corruption of our People. Isa. 58.1. Shew my People THEIR Transgression, and the House of Jacob their Sins. Let us therefore bring our Peace-Offerings, as repenting Judah did, and make Confession to the LORD GOD of our Fathers▪ 2 Chron. 30.22.

2. LET us lay to heart the Sins of our Nation, the place of our FATHERS Sepulchers. And here a dismal Scene opens of such Iniquity, as I hope is not yet known among us; how soon soever it may threaten us if not reformed there. For be­sides Formality in Religion, Sensuality, profaness, injustice, worldliness, pride, covetousness, &c. whereof we have our share; there are yet grea­ter Abominations glaring there; Such as Atheism and Infidelity, and open Contempt of all that is most Sacred, not only expressed in Dissolveness of life, but also in public Conversation & in Writings.

THE Venerable Name of Religion and of the CHURCH is made a Sham-pretence for the worst of Villanies: for all Uncharitableness and unnatural Oppression of the pious and peaceable, for slanders lies and falshoods, for Divisions hatred and Animosities, for Bribery and Perjury, for Dis­loyalty and Perfidy, for Tumults, Mutinies and Rebellions, for all Ingratitude to GOD & Treason against the KING and our Country.

[Page 30] THE perilous Times are come, wherein Men are Lovers only of their own Selves, sacrificing the Public to their own private Gains and Am­bition, without natural Affection, Truce-breakers, false Accusers, Incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are Good; Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of GOD, having a form of Godliness, and multitudes not that nei­ther. From such turn away, says the Holy Apostle: And I pray GOD to purge the Court, Nobility and Magistracy of this plague and leprosy; and not the Court only, but also the Church and the Clergy, the Universities and Accademies, as well as the Camp and Fleet; that the Spirit of Par­ties and Factions may not increase unto more Ungodliness, and to all Barbarities.

Ah Calamitous Day! whereinto we are fallen, and into which the Sins of an Infatuated Age has bro't us. Hear this, Ye old Men, and give ear all Ye Inhabitants of the Land! hath this been in your days? or even in the days of your Fathers? They are a Nation void of Counsel, neither is there any Understanding in them! as if their Rock had sold 'em, and the LORD had shut them up. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they wou'd consider their latter End! that at least when their Judge cometh there may be some Faith and Charity found in the Land.

AND doubtless there is some among Profes­sors of every Denomination. But O how want­ing [Page 31]among every party of men. However I am very glad that I can do our United Brethren in Great Britain, and this Country too the Honour and the Justice as to say, That in this time of public Treacheries, Perjuries, Rebellion & Treason, not a dog can wag his tongue to charge us with Disloyalty, Undutifulness or Disrespect to Govern­ment, or want of Zeal and Fidelity to the PRO­TESTANT SUCCESSION, the peaceful Reign of the KING, & the true Interests of the Nation as to their Civil and Religious Rights.

Indeed it is an Amazing thing, and one wou'd think Incredible, that any Protestant or Mem­ber of the Church of England should be in the late Rebellions against his present MAJESTY, to set up a popish Pretender whom they have so often and justly Abjured. It is as the right Reve­rend the Bishops say Excellently in their late pious and loyal Declaration, ‘so vile and dete­stable a thing as may justly make 'em Odi­ous to GOD and man. And at the same time to pretend a zeal for the Church of England is such an Imposition on the common Sense of Mankind, that nothing even in Popery it self can be more Absurd: And nothing but an Infatuation from GOD, justly infli­cted for our Sins can suffer it to pass upon the Nation.’

‘Wherefore, in the Name of GOD, those most Reverend Persons do call upon the Na­tion, [Page 32]in the first place to humble themselves before GOD for the Great and crying Sins of the Nation; for that Spirit of Infidelity and Libertinism; of Unthankfulness for the Mercies of the Gospel; of Formality and Hypocrisy, of Strife and Envy, of Hatred and Animosity, which are so rife in it, and generally the Forerunners of the Destru­ction of any People.’

Blessed be GOD for this Seasonable and True Testimony of these FATHERS in the Church. They have here said what the Body of the Dissenting Ministers have long tho't and said often Weeping, but in vain. The Atheistical and Immoral part of the Nation are the Source of its Miseries and Dangers. GOD heal its Sins and Breaches. GOD make the Bishops of the Church its Healers. And GOD grant that we may see the things of our Peace before that they be hid from our Eyes.

I pray GOD that the Day may come when We may no longer hate to be reformed, and that the KING may live to be the Glorious Instru­ment in the Hand of GOD of our Reformation in every Respect. So may HE be blessed, and His Throne Established before the LORD for Ever.