WHen the Punishment of Sc [...]urging was used up­on a Criminal in Israel, it was the O [...]der and Usage, that while the Executioner was [...]aying on his Thi [...]teen (and therein Forty save one) Blowes, with an Instrument, every st [...]ok [...] whereof gave Three Lashes to the Delinqu [...]nt, there were still pre­sent [Page 4] Three Judges, whereof, while one did Number the Blowes, and another kept crying out, Smite him! a Third Read Three Scriptures, during the Time of the Scou [...]ging: and the Scourging Ended with the Reading of them: The first Scripture, was That in Deut. 28.58. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law, that be written in this Book that thou mayst Fear this Glorious and Fearful Name, THE LORD THY GOD; then the Lord will make thy Plagues wonderful. The second Scripture was That in Deut. 29 9. Keep therefore the words of this Covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in alll that ye do. The last Scripture was That in Psal. 78 38. But He, being full of Comp [...]ssion, forgave their Iniquity, and destroy'd them n [...]t. [...]his was done, partly for the Admoniti [...]n, part­ly for the Consolation of the Chastised Criminal.

Christians, We are all sensible, That the Scourges of Heaven, have long been Employ'd upon us, for our Crimes against the Holy and Just and Good Laws of the Lord our God: Alas, our Plagues have been wonderful! We have been sorely Lashed, with one Blow after another, [Page 5] for our Delinquencies. Who is there to Number the Blowes? Yea, The Anger of God, is not for all this Turned away, but His Hand stretched out still! It is but proper, while we are thus under our Pu­nishment, for us, to have a Text of the Sa­cred Oracles, agreeable unto our present State, Read unto us. Behold, an Agreea­ble Text, now singled out, for our Enter­tainment; & I do the rather single it out because the next Week, a General HU­MILIATION is to be attended among us; for which, I cannot easily do a more Useful Thing, than to give you a Praepa­rative; while I am speaking unto th [...] Christians of many Churches, here come together, in One Great Assembly.

In our Context, we find the People of God, beginning to Forsake the Law of the Lord: They many wayes Tra [...]sgressed a­gainst Him. Sad Calamity overtook them, for this their Iniquity, and Apostasy; But God bl [...]ssed the Preaching of His Prophet Shemaj [...]h unto them, under this Calamity to produce a Notable Humiliaiion in them. The Clauses now before us, re­present a blessed Effect of that Hu [...]iliati­on; a gracious Promise of s [...]me De [...]ive­rance [Page 6] from Destruction, was, by that Pro­phet of the Lord, when they Humbled themselves, brought from the Lord unto them.

The Truth which Lies plainly before us, is, That when a Sinful People Humble themselves before the Almighty God, it is an Hopeful and an Happy Symptom, that He will not utterly Destroy such a People.

Now, The CASE, which this Encou­raging Truth, does at this Time Encou­rage us, to speak unto, is,

After what manner is the Self-Humilia­tion of a Pe [...]ple that w [...]uld Es [...]ape a Sore Destruction, to be Expressed and Excited?

Which to speak yet more pertinently and profitably, is to say.

After what manner are we our selves, O our Dear People, to Humble our selves before the Lord?

Give your Attention.

I Wh [...]n we [...] Confess our [Page 7] Sins, and much more, when we vigo­rously Reform our Sins, we Then do to good purpose Humble our selves, before the God, against whom we have Sinned. More distinctly;

First, A Paenitent Confession of Sin, is that Self Humiliation which our God ex­pects from such a people as our selves. Thus, in Luk. 18.13, 14. He that said, God be merciful to me a Sinner, is, He that Humbleth himself. Thus, Lev. 26.40, 41. They that Confess their iniquity, and the I­ni [...]uity of their Fathers, have their Uncir­cumcised Hearts Humbled in their doing so.

Accordingly, First, In our Humiliations, we ought seriously to Confess ou [...] Provoca­tions to the Most Holy God, and the Ini­quities that we have done, before Him who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniqui­ties. But, what a sad Catalogue of Provo­cations, have we to b [...]ing forth before the Lord.

When we Humble our selves,

I. Let us Humbly Confess, That th [...] People of t [...]is Land, in a g [...]owing [...] from that R [...]ligio [...]s Dispositi [...]n that Signaliz [...]d the fi [...]st [...]l [...]nting [...] Co­lonies, [Page 8] have with multiplied Rebellion [...] against the Almighty, Sinned exceeding­ly.

II. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Spirit of this World, hath brought an Epi­demical Death, upon the Spirit, and Pow­er of Godliness.

III. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, here Enjoy'd, with much Plenty as well as Purity, hath not been Thankfully and Fruitfully Entertained by those that have been Blessed with the Joyful Sound.

IV. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Covenant of Grace Recognized in our Churches, hath been by multitudes not submitted unto; and of them that have submitted unto it, multitudes have not walked according to the Sacred Obligati­ons thereof.

V. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Unreasonable Vices of Rash and Vain Swearing, with Hellish Cursing in the Mouths of many, have rendred them Guilty Sinners.

VI. Let us Humbly Confess, That a Flood of Excessive Drinking, hath begun to Dr [...]wn much of Christianity, yea, and of [Page 9] Civility it self, in many places among us.

VII. Let us Humbly Confess, That some English, by Selling of Strong Drink unto the Indians, have not only prejudiced a­mong them, the Successes of the Word of Life, but also been the Faulty & Bloody Occasions of Death unto them.

VIII. Let us Humbly Confess, That a Vanity of Appar [...]el, hath been affected by many persons, whohave been so vain, as to Glory in their Shame.

IX. Let us Humbly Confess, That wicked Sorceries have been practised in the Land; and yet in the Troubles from the Devils, thereby brought in among us, those Errors on both Hands were com­mitted, which, Who can understand?

X. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Dayes of Sacred Rest among us, have been disturbed with so many Profanati­on. [...]ha [...] we may not wonder if we See no Rest.

XI. Let us Humbly Confess, That the woful Decay of good Family Discipline, hath opened the Flood Gates, for Innu­merable, and almost Irremediable Woes, to break in upon us.

XII. Let us Humbly Confess, That Ma­gistrates, [Page 10] Ministers, and others that have served the Publick, have been but great Sufferers by their Services, and m [...]t with Unrighteous Discouragements.

XIII. Let us Humbly Confess, That the Pyracies, which, 'tis to be feared, some who belong to these, have perpetrated in other parts of the World, are Scandals, that call for much Lamentation.

XIV. Let us Humbly Confess, That we have in former years used Unjustifia­ble Ha [...]dships, upon some that have Con­scientiously Dissented from our perswasi­ons in Religion.

XV. Let us Humbly Confess, That we have treated one another, very Ill, in the Various Temptations, Contentions, and Rev [...]luti [...]ns, which have been upon us.

XVI Let us Humbly Confess, That the Sins of the most Filthy Uncleanness, have horribly Defiled the Land.

XVII Let us Humbly Confess, That the Joy of Harvest, hath been filled with Foll [...], and Lewdness, and Forgotten the Glad Service of God, w [...]om we should have Served in the Abundance of all things.

XVIII Let us Humbly Confess, That much Fraud hath been used in the Deal­ings [Page 11] of many, and the Spirit of Oppression hath made a Cry.

XIX. Let us Humbly Confess, That Falsehood and Slander hath been common­ly carrying of Darts through the Land and the Wounded have been many!

XX. And, Let us Humbly Confess,, That the Successive and Amazing Judg­ments of God upon us, for our thus Tres­passing, have not Reclamed us, but we have prodigiously Gone on still in our Tres­passes.

In our Humiliations, Let these things be Reflected on; and with our most Hum­ble Reflections, Let us do like them, in 1 Sam. 7.6. Gather together, and Draw water, and pour it out, [in a Showre of Tears] before the Lord, and Fast on that Day, and say, we have Sinned against the Lord.

But that this our Confession of our Provo­cations, may be Penitent, we must, Secondly, Incorporate thereinto, a Confession of what we have Deserved by these Provoking Evils. Particularly.

We have seen many Troubles: but on our Day of Humi [...]iation, concerning all our Troubles, Let us Humbly make that [Page 12] Confession, in Ezra 9.13. Thou, our God, h [...]st punished us, less than our Iniquities De­serve.

Have we lost many Thousands of Pounds, by the Disast [...]rs of the Sea? Let us Humbly Confess, our Sins have Deserv­ed, tha [...] instead of making one Good Voyage, we should have been stript of all the Little that is left unto us.

Hath one bad Harvest after another, di­minished our Ordinary Food? Let us Hum­bly Confess, our Sins have Deserved, that the Earth which hath been thereby Defi­led, should have yielded us n [...]thing at all.

Have Bloody, Popish, and Pagan Ene­mies, made very dreadful Impressions up­on us, and Captived and Butchered mul­titudes of our Beloved Neighbours? Let us Humbly Confess, our Sins have Deserved, that we should be all of us, altogether giv­en up, unto the will of our Enemies, to Serve our Enemies in the want of all things, and have our Lives continually hanging in Doubt, under their furious Tyrannies.

Have we been Broken sore in the place of Dragons, and Covered with the Shadow of Death? Say Humbly before the Lord, with them, in Lam. 3.39. Why should a [Page 13] man Complain, for the punishment of his Sin?

And yet, we have had Comforts, to mi­tigate and moderate, our Troubles: In the midst of wrath, God ha's Remembred Mer­cy. Now concerning all our Comforts, on our Day of Humiliation, Let us Hum­bly make that Confession, in Lam. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercies, that we are not Consumed.

Have we not the Tidings of Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Preac [...]'d unto us, to sweeten the Bread of Adversity, and the Water of Affl [...]ction, which the Lord hath given us? Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that this Coun­trey ha's the Bread of Life, and the Wa­ters of Life, yet con [...]inued unto it, and that it is not become a Region of the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Are our Poor, though greatly Increased and Afflicted, yet more Comfortably pro­vided for, than in many other parts of the World? Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that we are not all Scat­tered, and fami [...]hed, and peri [...]hed in our Poverty.

Do we see less of the Distress of Nati­ons, and Perplexity, [...] the Sea, and the [Page 14] waves thereof Roaring; than they do in a great part of Europe [...]. Let us Humbly Confess, 'Tis of the Lords Mercies, that all the Things, which the fainting Hearts of men any where do fear, coming on the Earth, are not come upon our selves.

Why do not our Adversaries use the Advantages which they have to Con­found us, but are themselves in such Con­fusion, that we Endure not an Hundredth part of the Disturbance from them, which they might give unto us? Humbly say before the Lord, with him, in Gen. 32.10. We are not worthy of the least of all these Mercies!

This, This would be the Language of a True Humiliation.

But a Second Admoni [...]ion, must be added unto This. What Signifies Confession, without Reformation? Tis all but Hy­pocrisy, all but Impiety. We are told in Prov. 28.13. Tis he that Confesseth & For­saketh, who shall have Mercy.

The Ancients, would well call the Con­fession of Sin, The Vomit of the Soul. But now, if we return, and proceed, unto the Commission of the Sins, which we have by our Confession, as it were Vomited up; what [Page 15] are we, but the Dogs that Return unto their Vomit? When Sins are Sincerely Confes­sed, the Repenting Sinners, will say, as in Hos. 14.8. What have we any more to do with them?

Come then; We have now and then, that which we call, A Day of Humiliation. But, Sirs, A Day of Reformation; Oh! when shall we see such a Day? When shall it once be! Behold, an Essential Piece of work, to be attended, when, A Day of Humiliation, arrives unto us▪ Let every one of us, Earnestly Enqui [...] with our selves, What is there, that I a [...] now to Re­form in my own Heart and Life, and in the Family which I belong unto? and importu­nately implore, the Help of the Spirit of Grace, to pursue such a Reformation. But then, [...]et all that Sustain any Publick Office, whether Civil, or Sacred, further carry on the Enqui [...]y: What shall we do to Reform any spreading Evils in the Publick? [...] the Pastors of the Churches, in their severa [...] Charges, Labour Watchfully to prevent all growth of Sin in their Vicinities; and the Churches joyn with their Pastors, in Sharpening their Discipline against Offen­ces that may arise, and in preserving the [Page 16] Liberty, and Purity, which they have heretofore been clothed withal.

And Let Justices, Grand Jury men, Con­stables, Tything men, have their mutual Con­sultations, to procure the Executions of Good Laws, and Remember the Oath of God upon them.

Were such an Humiliation once obtain­ed, Then would our God say, I see, they have Humbled themselves, I will not utterly Destroy them! The Land of Canaan, is as much as to say, in English, The Land of the Humbled. Oh! if we were uni­versally thus Humbled, our Land would soon be a Canaan, for the Rest, the Peace, the Plenty, which would be therein vouchsafed unto us.

II. The Exercises of a Sacred Fast have a particular and peculiar Character of Humiliation in them, and we are to Humble our selves with Fasting before the Lord. Thus the Psalmist of old manifes­ted his Humiliation, in Psal. 35.13 I Hum­bled my Soul, with Fasting.

There is that Call Now, and Often [perhaps not often enough!] heard, thro' the Province, in Joel 1.14. Sanctify [Page 17] a Fast, Call a Solemn Assembly, Gather [...] Elders; and all the Inhabitants of the Land, into the House of your God, and Cry unto the Lord. And I perswade my self, that we generally concur in the General Princi­ple, hitherto Espoused, by the Church of God, in every Generation, That a Reli­gious Fast, is a Needful Duty, (pro Temporibus et Causis, as Tertullian long since well stated it,) on Just and Great Occasions for it. That Merry Sect, who Explode Fasting, as a thing not Agreeable to our Gospel Times, appear not among us. We know, that Fasting hath, in all Ages, been esteem'd, a Duty incumbent on the People of God. We find such Fasting used in Elder Times, [Judg. 20.26. and 1 Sam 7.6.] Both more publickly, [2 Chron. 20.30. and Eze. 8 21] And more privately; [2 Sam. 12.16 & Neh. 1.4.] What tho these things were in the Dayes of the Old-Testament? I hope, the Old Testament is not become [...], with any of us. But in the New-Testament also, we have a Praedicti [...]n, of our Fasting, [M [...]h. 9.15.] Yea, and a Praescripti [...]n for it, [M [...]th. 6 16] For d [...]ing it more publickly, we have [...] War­rant, [Page 18] [Act. 14.23.] and more privately too. [1 Cor. 7.5.] Yea, we are told, that there are certain Blessings, which cannot now be obtained, but in such a way. [Mar. 9.29.] And I am sure of one thing more; when the Apostles, and the Believers in the Primitive Times, were most Filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ, then it was that they were most in Fast­ing before the Lord!

Now, if our Fast, be such a Fast as the Lord hath chosen, we shall therein Humble our selves, most acceptably, most profita­bly, most efficaciously. And because, the Right Performance of this Duty, is a thing of great Consequence in Christianity; 'tis what is frequently required, and much Weal or W [...] will follow upon the manage­ment of it; I will set before you, the Rules of that Sacred Fast, wherein we are to Humble our Souls.

Having first, Pr [...]pared our selves for our Fast, as one would for an Extraordi­nary Sabbath, we have these things to do.

First; There is the Internal Humiliati [...]n of our Fast; The Duties of Praying, R [...]penting and Believing, are the Soul of that Fast wherein we are to Humble [Page 19] our Souls; and we are to Labour in those Duties. The Duties of a Fast, are those, in 2 Chron. 7.14. My People s [...]ll then Humble themselves, and Pray, and Seek my Face, and Turn from their wicked wayes. For men to think, that they Serve God, by a Fast wherein they do nothing but Fast from Corporal Sustenance, and they draw not near to God in Devotions all the Day long, 'tis a piece of Ignorance; yea, more than one Commandment of God is broken, by this piece of Ignorance.

When we Celebrate a Fast, we are in more than ordinary Prayers, [...]o Ac­knowledge our own Sinfulness, and the Greatness and Justice of God, in Chasti­sing our Sinfulness; and we are to Sup­plicate those Favours of Heaven, which our Sins, our Wants, and our Fears, make Necessary for us. The Thing which we have to do, on a Fast, is what the Pray­ing Daniel did; in Dan. 9.3. I set my Face unto the Lord God, to seek by Prayer, and Supplications, with Fasting. And ha­ing thus Quoted, the Ninth Chapter of Daniel, I may Remark, That there are Th [...]ee N [...]nths, which admirably well describe t [...]e Task of a Fast unto us; the [Page 20] Ninth Chapter of Ezra, the Ninth Chap­ter of Nehemiah, and the Ninth Chapte [...] of Daniel. When the Fast comes, Re­member, Christians, to consult those Thre [...] Chapters, with Lively Meditations there upon. A Day of Fast, is to be a Day of Prayer. As in Act. 13.3. so elsewhere, Fasting and Praying, are what God has joyn­ed, and here, Man may not separate them. Would you hear, what you have to Do, when a Fast is to be kept? The words of an Order for a Fast, once ran so, in Jon. 3.8. Cry mightily unto God. Prayer, 'tis That, whereof the Jewes in one of their Ancient Adagies, tell us, Nulla est pulchrior virtus hac ipsa; There is no vertue like it. It is beyond all Oblations. But Repenting and Believing as well as Praying, must signalize our Fast. Reconci­liation with God, is the End of a Fast; without Repenting and Believing, this Re­conciliation is not applied unto us.

A Fast, is but a Form, an Hungry and Empty Form, if we do not therein hear­tily Repent of our Miscarriages. Thus we are advised, in Isa. 58.6, 7, 8. Is not this the Fast, that I have chosen? To Loose the B [...]nds of Wickedness. On a Fast, Let [Page 21] us be those Ephraimites, who shall bemoan themselves; Thou hast Chastised me, O Lord, and I was Chastised, Turn thou me, and I shall be Turned! On a Fast, Let us take those Directions, in the midst of our La­mentations, Let us Search and Try our ways, and Turn again unto the Lord. A Fasting Day must be a Soul grieving Day, and a Sin killing Day, or 'tis nothing. Our Fasts are to Slay our Lusts; those are the Beasts, which are then to be slaughtered. Indeed, when ever a Fast recurrs, we [...]hould go the whole Work of Conversion over again! Our Fast will notably be, Ci­ [...]us virtutis, if we do so.

Again; The Satisfaction and In [...]ercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, must on a Fast be Repaired unto; and we must Be­ [...]ieve in it for our Atonement. It was the Rite appointed for a Fast, in Lev. 16.27 [...] The Blood of the Sin Offering, must be▪ [...]rought in, to make Atonement; On that Day all the Priest make Atonement for you, to cause you, that you may be clean from all [...]ur Sins before the Lord. Our Lord Jesus [...]hrist is our Priest; What He hath done [...] our Atonement, must be this Day, [...]ith a strong Faith Laid hold upon. A [Page 22] Fast is a Day of Expiation; but we know it is only the Lord Jesus Christ, that hath by His Unknown Sufferings (as the Greek Church at this Day expresses it) made Expiation for our Sins. Hence on a Fast, we must Renew the Dependance of our Souls, on the Obedience which our Lord Jesus Christ, our Surety, hath yielded un­to God for us. Our Sin has procured the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ; In a Fast, our Faith is to Feed upon it. A Fasting Day, is with Faith, a F [...]eding Day. In our Fasts, we are to Imitate the Acti­on of the Molossians, who seeking the Kings Good will unto them, took the Son of the King into their Arms, and pre­senting themselves thus before him, said, Syr, For the sake of this your Son, we hope, you'l be favourable to us. Thus, Let us present our selves before the Eternal King of Heaven, on our Fast, with His Only Begotten, His Dearly Beloved Son, in the Arms of our Faith, and plead, Oh! for the Sake of this thy Son, do Good unto us. But then,

Secondly; There is the External Hu­miliation of our Fast; when we Humble our selves in a Fast, we are to Abstain [Page 23] from all our Secular Pleasures and Af­fayrs, that we may the better go tho­rough our Duties. Like Silly Children, we know not when to Feed, and when to Forbear Feeding. But our Good God, in His Word ha's taught us! We are Taught, that we must sometimes have a Day for Fasting, which must be a Day of Restraint upon us; and this Restraint must Extend unto the Dimensions of a Sabbath. Of a Fast, it is prescribed, in Lev. 23.32. It shall be unto you, a Sabbath of Rest, and ye shall Afflict your Souls; from Evening un­to Evening shall ye Celebrate your Sabbath. The Design of the Abstinence thus to be used on a Fast, is, not only that we may be more free for the several Spiritual Employments, which are then incumbent on us, (our Lord, like a wise Falconer, will by keeping of us a little Sharp, fit us for the Highest Flights in our Prayers!) but also to Show, and Speak, the Humilia­tion of our Souls in those Employments. Tis a Ceremony of Gods Appointment, a Symbolical Ceremony, which God Himself hath appointed, and a part of Worship, whereby we are to Signify, That we own our selves utterly unworthy of all those Bl [...]s­sings, [Page 24] which we now Deny unto our selves, and therefore of all other Blessings whatsoe­ever. And the First Sin of man, which Lay in Eating, is to be considered, as ve­ry particularly herein referred unto.

Now, First, A Fast is to be kept with an Abstinence from the Pleasures of this Life. Our usual Diet must on a Fast be Abstained from. It was there­fore said, in Esth. 4.16. Fast, and neither Eat nor Drink. The very Term of a Fast, implies thus much; and it hath been of old said, They that will not so Fast with the Children of God, must Eat and Drink of the Furious Wrath of God, with the Wicked There are indeed Ca­ses of Necessity, wherein our merciful God call [...] for, Mercy rather than Sacrifice; and in those Cases, doubtless the Abstinence may be somewhat Abated and Relaxed. Some cannot Encounter a severe and a total Abstinence, it would utterly Disable them, for the Service of the Day: the Severity may then be mitigated. Yet ou [...] Abstinence must be such as to pro­duce our Affliction. Of a Fast, it is said▪ in Isa. 58.5. It is a Day for a man t [...] Afflict his Soul; and it is said, in Lev. [Page 25] 23.29. Whatsoever Soul it be, that shall not be Afflicted in that same Day, he shall be cut off from among his people. We may not Eat or Drink so much, nor may we Eat or Drink so well, on such a Day, as at a­nother Time. In the Fast of a Daniel, we have this Abstinence observed, ch. 10.3. I ate no pleasant Bread, neither came Flesh nor Wine, into my mouth, neither did I anoint my self at all: And in Tertullians Time, they had their Xerophagiae, a Dry sort of Repast, for such as found that a Rigid Fast, was too hard for them. But by consequence, all other Delights of the Senses, are then also to be avoided. If you read, Joel 2.16. and 1 Cor. 7.5. You'l find a particul [...]r prohibition of this Im­portance. Hence likewise, our Sleep is then to be Ret [...]enched. If we are in­clinable to Sleep so long on a Fast, as we do on another Day, we are to Awaken our selves, with such a Call from God, as that, What meanest thou, O S [...]eeper, A­rise, and Ca [...] upon thy God! And it is not improper here to be noted, That our Alms are to be one Concomitant of our Fasts. It was said, in Isa. 58 7. Is [...] this the Fast that I have Chosen? Is it [...] [Page 26] to deal thy Bread to the Hungry? When we come to seek Mercy of God, we should, in Thankfulness for our Hope to find what we seek, show Mercy to men. In our Fasting, we Deny to our selves our u­sual Nourishments; and we should then Bestow on others at least as much as we Deny to our selves, in Token of our Sense, That we are more Undeserving of the Divine Bounty, than any that we know in our Neighbourhood. Our Alms are to go up with our Prayers, as a Memorial, (we Remember who's did so!) before God. But there is yet one thing more to be added; Fine Cloathes must in a Fast, be Abstained from. If there were no Scripture for this, why might not meer Nature teach it unto us, as well as unto the Ninivites? But we have Scripture for it, in Exod 33.4. The people mourned, and no man did put on him his Ornaments. I have see [...] a Fault in this place, and My Neighbours, 'Tis utterly a Fault among you; That on a Fast, many people, will come to the Worship of God, in as Gay Cloaths, as if they were going to a Feast. Methinks, I hear, the Holy An­gels of God thus uttering their Indigna­tion [Page 27] against such Offenders; What? will those vain people, never have any sign of an Abased, and an Afflicted Soul up [...]n them? Truly, to be arrayed in Gorgeous Appar­rel on a Fast, is very offensive unto God. Rags are fitter than Robes, for the Children of men therein to appear as Malefactors before God the Judge of all. They that come to the Assembly, in a splendid, and flanting Attire, on such a Day, do but Affront the God, whom they profess to Humble themselves before. Would you Speed in a Fast? Then be able to say, if not with him, in Psal 35.13. My Cloath­ing was Sackcloth, when I Humbled my Soul with Fasting, yet, My Cloathing is Sober, Modest, Proper, and very Humble!

And, Secondly, A Fast, is to be kept with an Abstinence, from the Affayrs of this Life. The Works of our particular Vocations are to be laid aside, when a Fast is Indicted; and All Servile Labour on the said Day is Inhibited. A Fast, is to be kept with the strictness of a Sabbath. It is Enjoined in Lev. 23.28, 30, 32. Ye shall do not work in that same Day, for it is a Day of Atonement. Whatsoever Soul it be, that doth any work in that same Day, the same [Page 28] Soul will I destroy from among his people. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of Rest; from Evening to Evening shall ye Celebrate it. When the Services of the Congregation are over, we are not presently at Liberty to do what we will: Those persons do but help to Debauch the Land, who take such a Liberty. The Edicts of Heaven run so, in Joel 2.14. Sanctify a Fast. The whole Day of the Fast is to be Sanctified, or, set apart, for Communion wi [...]h God: When we keep a Day, we must keep it un­to the Lord. The Expectation of our God, is intimated unto us, in Isa 58.13. Turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath, (take no long Journeys on it) from doing thy pleasure on my Holy Day: Honour him, not doing thine own wayes, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. In­deed, the Weekly Sabbath lays a claim to all the things here spoken of; neverthe­less, I suspect that a Fasting Sabbath is here more peculiarly intended. A Fast, is no less than twice in one verse, Lev. 23.32. called a Sabbath: and why may not that be the Sabbath more especially meant throughout the whole fifty eighth Chapter of Isaiah? An Expression twice used in [Page 29] the verse newly quoted, namely, Doing thy pleasure, and Finding thy own pleasure, on the Sabbath, occurs in the third verse, In the Day of your Fast, you find pleasure; which finding of pleasure is opposed unto the Affliction, both of Spirit and of Body, wherein we are to Judge our selves on such a Solemnity. Because we do not Fast, with a due conformity, to the Edicts of Heaven, therefore as of old, Pompey Siezed the Jewish Temple, on their Fast-Day, and Sosius on their Fast-Day took the City, so we in this Land, have on, o [...] near our Fast-Dayes often felt such Rebukes of Heaven, that it has become the just Astonishment of many that have wisely ob­served it, and it should be the Humiliation of us all. But now, conform to this Ex­pectation of Heaven, on your Fast: Then shalt thou Delight thy self in the Lord, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

III. That our Humiliation may be Qui [...]kene [...], Let us Humbly, Awfully and Mou [...]n [...]lly, Consider the most Hum­bling Circumstances, which the Migh­ty Hand of God, hath brought us into. I [...] was the Counsel, in 1 Pet. 5.6. Humb [...]e [Page 30] pour selves under the Mighty Hand of God. Wicked and Hurtful men, have been cal­led, The Hand of God: [see Psal. 17.14.] It may be, Nero, a Mighty man Raised by God, for the Vexation of mankind, may be more particularly designed, in that passage, The Mighty Hand of God. And by a French Nero, have we also been so vexed, that we have cause to Humble our selves under what we have Endured from that Mighty Hand. But indeed, there is the Mighty Hand of God, in all Afflictive Dispensations of His Providence; and now, O Let us Humble our selves, by Considering, how much the Dispensations of His Mighty Hand have Humbled us.

The Circumstances of Affliction are H [...]m­bling Circumstances. It was said of the Afflicted, in Psal. 107.39. They are brought Low through Affliction. It was said by the Afflicted, is Psal 39 8. We are bro [...]ght very L [...]w. An Afflicted people may say, as the Afflicted Paul said, My God Hum­bles me. Afflictions keep under our Aspi­ring Spirits, and make us feel and own our own wretchedness. But Oh! what Afflictions has this poor people, been Hum­bled withal!

[Page 31]It was a Prophecy concerning, The Daughter of Zion, in Isa. 3.26. She being Desolate, shall sit upon the Ground. When Zion was Desolate, by the Roman Conquest, (unto which this Prophecy might Ex­tend) there were Coins made in Comme­moration of that Conquest, and on those Coins there was a Remarkable Exposition of this Prophecy. On the Reverse of those Medals, which are to be seen unto this Day, there is, A Silent Woman sitting upon the Ground, and leaning against a Palm-tree, with this Inscription IUDAEA CAPTA. Nor was any Conquered City or Coun­trey, before this of Judaea, ever thus drawn upon Medals, as, A Woman sitting upon the Ground. Alas, If poor New-England, were to be shown upon her old Coin, we might show her Leaning against her Thunder­struck Pine tree, Desolate, s [...]tting upon the Ground. Ah! New England! Upon how many Accounts, mayst thou say with her, in Ruth 1 13. The Hand of the Lord is gone out against me!

An Excellent Minister, who dyed a­mong us, a Young Man, Considerably more than Twenty years ago, [It was Mr. John Eliot, the younger,] when he [Page] lay on his Death-bed, and was Drawing his Presagious Breath, had these Memorable Expressions. ‘My Lord Jesus Christ, hath been a Great while, preparing a Mansion, which is now ready for me. He will quickly take me, as He did John, by the Right Hand, and present me unto the Father, who has Loved me, with an Ever­lasting Love. As for New England, I believe, that God will not Unchurch it; but He will make a Poor and Afflicted People in it Boston, and the Massachuset Colony, is Coming Down, Coming Down, Coming Down a pace! Expect sad and sore Afflictions; but Oh! Get an Interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you may Live on That, all the World over.’ So spoke an Eminent Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he was just Entring into the Joy of His Lord. Now this Praediction, we have seen very terribly Accomplished; It has been Strangely and Sadly Accomplished, ever since the Time that it was uttered: And in almost all our Concerns, our Story ha [...]h been that in Judg. 2.15. Whither soever they went out, the Hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and they we [...]e greatly Distressed.

[Page 33]We have been Humbled, with an Annual Blast upon our Daily Bread, until at last, the very Staff of the Countrey ha's been broken for Two years together, and an horrible Cry, for Bread, Bread, hath been heard in our Streets.

We have been Humbled, with such Los­ses by Sea & Land, that Strangers afar off, take notice of it, Concluding, Surely Al­mighty God is in ill Terms with that Country?

We have been Humbled by the Angels of Death shooting the Arrows of Death, with direful Repetitions of Mortality, in the midst of us!

We have been Humbled by a Barbarous Adversary once and again let loose to Wolve it upon us, and an unequal Contest with such as are not a People, but a Foolish Nation.

We have been Humbled by all Adversity vexing us, in our Going out, & our Com­ing in, and in the Constant Miscarriages of our most Likely Expeditions.

We have been Humbled by the Wrath of the Lord of Hosts Darkning our Land, when Evil Angels broke in among us, to do those Amazing Things, of which no Former A­ges give a parallel.

[Page 34]We have been Humbled, by the Ireful, and the Direful Rebukes of Heaven, upon all our Precious and Pleasant Things: But above all, by Spiritual Plagues whereto we are abandoned. The Plagues of a Blind Mind, and an Hard Heart, and an Asto­nishing Unfruitfulness under all the Means of Grace; and a Stupid Insensibility of the Causes for which, & the Manners in which, the Almighty God is Contending with us, have Siezed upon us. Some of our Seers have a mist before their Eyes; Some of our Churches fall asleep till they are stript of their Garments; under the Sharpest Chastisements of Heaven, we grow worse and worse, with such a Swift Apostasy, that if we Degenerate the Next Ten Years, as the most Impartial observers do say, that we have done the Last, God be Merciful unto us! What a Swift Destruction are we like­ly to be overwhelmed withal?

Now there is a Loud Voice, in all these things; the Voice of them is, Be Humbled, O New-England; Humble thy self, Lest a fiercer Anger of the Lord yet come upon thee! Oh! Let not that be written on our Doors, in Jer 44.10. They are not Humbled unto this Day! Sirs, We [Page 35] are every Day Coming down most wonder­fully; But let us then Fall down most Humbly, in the Consideration thereof, and let our Lamentation be That, in Lam. 3.19, 20. Remembring my Afflictio [...] [...]nd my Misery; my Soul has them still in Remem­brance, and is Humbled in me!

IV. What will our Humiliation Signify, if it carry us not unto our Lord Iesus Christ? Wherefore, when we Humble our selves, Let us Humbly Rely on our Lord Iesus Christ alone, for our Acceptance with God. So are we Di [...]ected, in Jam. 4.10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord: That is to say, With an Eye to the Lord Jesus Christ, in all you do.

That the Humiliations of men, are of no Account, with God, while the Lord Iesus Christ is not therein referred un­ [...]o, the poor Jewish Nation have given to [...]s, a doleful Experiment: related in a Book Translated by one Paul Isaiah, a [...]ew, by that among other motives, con­verted unto the Faith of our Blessed Ie­ [...]us. After many former Humiliations, [...]hat the End of their Captivity might be Revealed unto them, they did in the year [Page 36] 1502. make a Publick Repentance, thro' all their Habitations, all over the face of the whole World, and both old and young, men, women and children, spent almost a year together in such marvellous Devo­tions as were never heard of in the world before. But all signified nothing; why? Because they do as the Prophet Isaiah foretold that they would; they still Reject our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom alone it is, that any of our Humi­liations have Acceptance with the God of Heaven. The Great God has promi­sed, That He will be favourable unto that Nation, in Lev. 26 41. When their Uncircumcised Hearts be Humbled, and they then Accept the punishment of their Iniquity. The Sacrif [...]ce, upon whom the punishment of our Iniquity does fall, [Isa. 53.6. and 2 Cor. 5.21.] is that of the M [...]ssiah; and the Messiah the [...]efore is by that Name intended. When the Jewes come to leave off their Thoughts and Hopes, of any o­ther Sacrifice, or their Dreams of making Satisfacti [...]n by bearing the punishment of their own Iniquity, but Accept the Messiah, as the only Help of their Souls against all the Guilt of their Sins; THEN [Page 37] God will Remember His Covenant. O That they would at Last, and at Least come to such Thoughts, as were in the fa­mous Rabbi Samuel Marochianus, who up­on that Prophecy of Amos, where the Lord threatens to punish Israel for Sel­ling the Righteous for Silver, has these Memorable words; The Prophet A­mos, Expresly declares the Wickedness, for which we are in our Captivity: It manifestly appears to me, that we are justly punished, for that Sin of Selling the Righteous. A thousand years and more, are spent, in all which Time our condition among the Gentiles is not minded, nor have we any Hopes of mending it. O My God, I am afraid, I am afraid, Lest the IESVS, whom the Christians Worship, should be the Righteous One, whom we have Sold for Silver! In the mean time, Let us that own our selves Christians, now prove our selves to be so, by our Humbling our selves before God, but Looking for the Success of it, only from and thro' our Lord Iesus Christ, our only Mediator. Let the Humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ, be our Meditation, and our Consola­tion. Of Him 'tis said, in P [...]l. 2.8. He [Page 38] Humbled Himself. And let it provoke our Humiliation, when we meditate on what our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, when God Laid no Him the Iniquity of us all. But when we have Humbled our selves never so much, Let us count that we have cause to be Humbled over again, for the defects of our own Humiliation. As he of old said, Lava meas Lachrymas Domine; Lord, My very Tears want washing! So let us be sen­sible, There is enough in our best Humiliati­ons, to call for more Humiliations. Fly then to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Prayers were alwayes perfect, and whose Fasts were ever Faultless, and whose Blood be­ing Sprinkled upon our Humiliations, is that, which alone, can render such D [...] ­fective Things Acceptable unto the Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Put all into the Hands of the Great Angel of the Covenant: His Incense perfuming of them, they will Ascend before God, with glorious Effects following thereupon. Among some of the America [...]s, 'tis reported, they have a strange Usage, when they are Humbling themselves before their Gods, to bring their Sheep into their Assemblies, that by the Bleats and Cries of their Sheep [Page 39] they may move th [...] compassion of their Gods. We are better taught than so! when we are Humbling our selves, we are to bring before our God, that Lamb of God, which takes away the Sins of the world. Syrs, There was a Sacrifice for the Congre­gation, which was on a Day of Humiliation of old Commemorated. Our Lord Ie­sus Christ, is to be on our Day of Humi­liation, Look'd unto, as the Sacrifice for our whole Congregation. Our Faith is to Argue it, That God has had more Honour from the Sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ, than if all our whole Congregation, were destroy'd for ever. Our Faith is to Re­solve it, That whatever Salvation is vouch­safed unto all our whole Congregation, the Sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ shall have the Honour and the Merit of it all, ascribed thereunto. Now, who can tell, how far one Humble Soul, may prevail, that shall put in Suit, the Sacrifice for the Congregation? The Faith of one Moses, of one Samuel, yea, of one Amos, one poor, obscure, honest Husbandman, On [...] how far, may it go, to obtain this An­swer, from the Great God, They have Humbled themselves, I will not destroy [Page 40] them, but grant them some Deliverance!

¶ AND, I suppose, there happens to be at this very Time, in this Assembly, an Example, full of Encouragement unto those Humiliations, which have been thus called for.

In our Sol [...]mn Humiliations before the Lord, we have with a very particular Fervency besought His Mercy for our poor Captives, that were become the Prey of the Terrible; Yea, we have done it, with some Assurance, that the Glorious Hearer of Prayer, would Vouchsafe of His Mercy to some of those Miserables.

Now, I think I see, among you, at this Hour, Three Persons, namely, Two Women, and one Youth, who have just now, Received a Deliverance from a Cap­tivity in the Hands of horrid Indians, with some very Singular Ci [...]cumstances; And therefore, Let it not seem an Un­suitable or Unseasonable Digression, i [...] I Conclude, this Discourse, with making this unexpected occurrence, to be Subser­vient unto the main Intention thereof.