SOLOMON'S PRESCRIPTION For the Removal of the PESTILENCE OR The Discovery of the PLAGUE of our Hearts in order to the Healing of that in our Flesh By M. M. LAMENT 3. 39 40 41. Wherefore doth a living man complain A man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens PSAL. 106. 29 30. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions and the Plague brake in upon them Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment and so the Plague was stayed LONDON Printed in the Year M. DC LXV The Preface to the Reader Reader I Had more Objections in my own thoughts to the sending forth this Paper and can fore-think more faults like to be found with it when sent forth then I shall now stand to tell thee of or make any answer for But because amongst all those Objections I met not with this That it was impossible it should do anie good I thought the rest answerable and because amongst all its faults thou canst not trulie find this That it was not intended for anie good I perswade my self all the rest are pardonable What the design of it is if thou art in haste the Title will tell thee if thou art at leasure and think'st it worth thy while thou may'st find it in the Book it self so either way I might be excused from saying ought of it here But somewhat for thy satisfaction know when I considered the sore Judgment wherewith we have been visited which so evidentlie declares Wrath to be gone forth from the Lord against us I thought it might be an Essay verie acceptablè to God and profitable to our selves to do the best I could to make the voyce of the Rod Articulate that in the print of its lashes not onlie Gods Wrath but the sin he scourgeth us for and the duty he would drive us to might be found in legible Characters that even he that runs may read them When I lookt on Affliction as a Medicine for a distempered Nation I thought it was exceeding necessarie in order to its kindlie working with us to tell the nature import and use of it and to give directions how it ought to be received And though I acknowledge my self the meanest of Ten thousand for so great a Work yet when I saw or heard of nothing so particular and distinct as I thought the matter required humblie depending upon and imploring Divine assistance I made this attempt wherein whil'st I have guided my self by the Physitians own Rules and an impartial consideration of the nature of the Patient I hope I have made no material I am sure no wilful mistakes This then was my great desire and hope to be by this undertaking a worker together with Gods Providence for some good to the Nation And surely no man hath cause to be angry with this intention or with any thing that flows sincerelie from it Had anie man though the meanest among the People in the time when Nineveh was threatned with destruction given in a Catalogue of those sins they were guiltie of the removal of which could onlie prevent their Ruine I am perswaded his endeavours would have been grateful to the Prince his Nobles and the People though he had spoke to them all with more plainness and boldness than I have done And I dare confidentlie expect the same if our Fasting and Prayers be not onlie for fashion-sake but in as good earnest as theirs Two great miscarriages moreover I was prone to fear the most would be guiltie of which I have especiallie consulted against The first of being swallowed up so much with a sense of their Suffering as to be indispose for all profitable Reflections and therefore fain would I turn mens eyes and thoughts from off this to the sin that brought it and have them onlie to consider the former so much as to inform themselves more clearlie of the evil of the latter Oh what Out-cryes we may hear up and down what doleful times these are So manie Thousands dead this Week so manie another The Plague got to this Town and then to that All Trading as well as Persons dead and gone But were People formerly thus affected whilst we were bringing this upon our selves Did they cry out then Oh how manie Thousand Oaths are sworn in a Week And how manie Lyes told How manie Thousands Drunk and how manie commit Lewdness Had we had Weeklie Bills of such Sins brought in they would far have exceeded the largest Sums that ever yet the Mortalitie made But alas these with the most were light matters Not half so manie groans and tears for these nor anie such complaints of them nor did the consideration of them make anie sensible alteration amongst us Now this I would fain obtain to have those dayes thought as much worse than these and those actions as much worse than these sufferings as the Disease is worse than Physick and a Childs disobedience to his Parents worse than his being Whip't And he that should weep out of pitie to the Child when he sees it lash't and yet could be content to hear him revile and abuse his father I should think to be a person of more Fondness than Discretion and for him to be more concerned for the Childs Smart than the Parents Honor argues him to have no true love for either And here by the way let me give a Caution viz. That no man bewray so much follie as to argue That because in mercie God may abate and remove his heavy Judgments before manie or perhaps any of these sins I have mentioned are put away from amongst us and because we may have our former health and plentie restor'd whilst there is no such Reformation of disorders as I have exhorted to that therefore our Sufferings were not intended to chastise us for those sins nor to bring us to this Reformation If thou be an Atheist or Infidel that makest this Argument who believest not there is a God or that he concerns not himself with our Affairs but that all things come by Nature or Chance or I know not what I shall then leave thee to receive satisfaction if nothing sooner will give it there where all such as thou by the feeling of Divine Vengeance are at once convinc't what the sin is which hath deserved it and that there is a God who inflicts it but if thou be a Christian then I would wish thee well to examine the nature of the thing that I mean which thou thinkest God hath not punish't us for because it is yet continued and upon the issue of that examination pass thy judgment It 's much to be feared thou wilt see Drunkards and hear Swearers after the Plague may be ceas't and wilt thou think therefore that these and the like Wickednesses did not provoke God to afflict us But rather stay if thou art in doubt till the
nature is fitted for and which we are commanded to make of them The greatest of these Calamities to those that remain are but like the sounding of a Trumpet the giving an Alarm the shooting off a Warning-piece the hanging forth of a white Flag and all speak to this purpose That though the Sins of a Nation have been exceeding great and provoking whereby the Anger of the most holy God is justly kindled against them which he sends these his Judgments to testifie that yet he is willing to put up all former affronts that have been offered if now at length they will become a reformed People and with detestation of their sins turn from them unto God and his holy Ways but if not that his anger shall not be turned away but his hand stretched out still till he hath made a full end of them and will follow them with judgment after judgment till they are cast into the lowest hell So that you see plainly the Rod hath a voice and is a kind of Sermon but comes nearer to the sense and will force an observance more than meer words could do We could chuse whether we would read a Bible or good Book or regard a Minister or godly Neighbour giving us this very Lesson as plainly but in a more gentle manner We could stop our ears or turn our backs or harden our hearts against all the most awakening startling Truths We could make a pish of the most dreadful threatnings in the Book of God denounc't against those very sins we committed we could laugh at our Teachers and Reprovers and scorn at the offers of their love for our recovery And when we were sunk into such a deplorable estate wanting nothing of falling head-long into Hell but the withdrawing of that miraculous patience which kept us out every moment then in infinite mercy did our God who like a wise Physitian suits his potions to the nature of the disease and temper of his Patients make bare his Arm and reveal himself and his pleasure to us in a way most likely to affect us if we who yet survive be not obstinately bent upon our own destruction Let us not then murmur or repine for if our disease be grown to such an height that without stronger medicines it would be our death Is it not all the reason in the world that we should submit to those prescriptions which are proportion'd to it Whoever thou art that sufferest thou hast reason to be content for it s thy own doing thou mightst have hearkned in time to the plain Word of God and so have escap't this severer discipline Thou who wast wilfully deaf to the still voice Is it not of thy self that a Message is delivered to thee in such terrible thundrings If thou hadst not clos'd thy eyes against the gentle light they had never been so forcibly held open by the hand of God to see those things which are as clear as the Noon-days Sun If the Word of God had sunk into thy soul thou hadst not thus felt his arrows in thy flesh nor been taught thus with briars and thorns like them Judg. 8. 16. God delights not in the smarting and roaring of his creatures but yet he that hath bidden Parents by the rod of correction to drive out the folly that is bound up in the heart of a Child so he loves the sons of men that he will not spare his rod when it may and if it be not mens own fault will conduce to their advantage When there is no way but either the gangren'd member or the life must go who would not lose that to save this Still then here is mercy Afflictions beside the frightful noise have a clear sense and meaning beside the heat that scorcheth they have an informing light God might in a moment have snatch't thee from Earth to Hell and there have convinc't thee in such a manner as leaves no room for thy Reformation when as now he hath taken away thy Neighbour and but threatned thee with death and afforded thee some breathing-time for thy preparation and for the prevention of the endless death Thou who art reading these lines mightest have been the first at whom God had level d his arrows thou mightest have been snatch't out of the World suddenly without any other warning than the Word had given thee as it may have hapned to others But since it hath not thus befaln thee whatever thou maist feel or fear further thou canst not but acknowledge God treats thee very graciously Whilst thou art on this side Hell thou maist learn much by the severest Dispensations and though this seem a cutting piercing way of teaching yet is it as I said before best suited to thy dulness and senslessness and most likely to prevail with thee as not needing so much the pains of a particular Application to thy self which thou wouldst not be brought to in the hearing of the most searching Sermons 'T was but forgetting them and there was an end of all but now God speaks words which may be felt that shall stick longer by thee and upon which he will keep thy most serious thoughts whether thou wilt or no. It did require indeed deep and frequent consideration to convince thy self of thy lost undone estate by reason of sin whilst thou wast swimming in plenty and prosperity and couldst bid thy soul take its ease Alas what was it to hear of the wrath of God a never-dying worm an unquenchable fire whilst men felt all well with themselves and lookt upon those very sins as essential to their happiness which the Word represented as their misery They were not then likely to think very ill of them whilst they perceiv'd no hurt they did them but now when God shall manifest his hatred and consequently the evil of sin by demonstrations reaching to the very bone he that groans under these loads may very readily infer that surely sin is an exceeding great evil which pulls down such Judgments from a compassionate God which yet at the highest are but forerunners of infinitely worse to follow even everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord without timely Repentance And when thou hast so far made advantage of thy afflictions as thence to inform thy self of the evil of sin in general and of thy particular sin to know that sin is a Plague and to know what is the Plague of thy own heart then thou art in a very fair way towards deliverance and healing And this is made evident to us by the words of Solomon which we propounded at the beginning which I intend not particularly to insist on but to make them the foundation of a more general and laxe Discourse The Import of them seems to be this That any man under any Calamity whatever that should be sensible of the Sin that procured it and betake himself to God by Prayer and true Repentance for him the wise man Prays that he may have audience and Mercy For such a
For if all I say use this who is it must pacifie Gods wrath by their Reformation But if thou for thy part wilt practise what I have here cursorily directed thou knowest not but others may do so also and so if every one would set to this Work thy Cavil would be wholly silenc'd and answer'd But again thou wouldest grant it to some purpose for the whole body of the people to joyn in hearty humiliation and amendment of their wayes and know that as to the greatest benefit that would accrue to a Nation by such a general repentance thou shalt procure it to thy self by this personal performance of thy Duty that is either the Affliction it self shall be kept or taken off thee or laid on in so much mercy that thou thy self shalt either here or in another World bless God for the the same And I hope this advantage is not inconsiderable when on the other hand thou remembrest how certainly thy impenitence will cause thy everlasting as well as temporal ruine And take notice from the Text That God will render to every particular man according to his wayes but this I have before said something to Oh that now there were in us all such resolutions unfeignedly to search our hearts and reform our lives and with our whole souls turn to the Lord our God from whom we have revolted What blessed Effects should we find of this wise and dutiful demeanour Oh that I knew how to perswade poor souls to this course before their deadly enemy who now doth all he can to harden and stupifie them shall be fully seiz'd of them past all possibility of a delivery then scorning at all our endeavours and challenging us to do our best for the rescue of such undone souls who must be tormented by him by whom they would be ruled But if thou art so far perswaded of the reasonablenesse of this duty I have been pressing upon thee that thou art desirous to know thy Self and Sins wouldest gladly find out that thou mightest expel the plague of thy own heart that I may do something farther to help thee in thy Self-examination I shall briefly endeavour to discover what those sins in our Nation are for which especially we are now plagued by the visible hand of God And the Lord awaken us all seriously to lay to heart and remove them far from us that so God having accomplish't his own designs upon us may lay by his Rod and shew us his wonted favour And let me beseech thee Reader to accompany me with thy Conscience and let thy eye still be turned off from the Book upon thy self and if thou seest thy own actions described cry out Guilty guilty I am the man and so proceed in thy duty as I have before directed and shall not again repeat except on the By. In the prosecution of this design I shall say something 1. Of those notorious crying sins which are to be found amongst us of which I shall need to say the lesse because they are so visible upon us and so readily acknowledged to be what they are and because so many Books are written to shame and suppress them 2. I shall proceed to lay open some such abuses and corruptions amongst us which are not only sinful in themselves but also in part secret causes of the former which yet perhaps may not be apparent to nor acknowledged as such by all And once again let me desire every Reader to place himself as at the Bar of God and so to passe a true judgment upon himself and not to quarrel with the Physitian instead of falling out with the disease nor be more averse from hearing the discoveries of the plague of his own heart than he would be to hear his Physitian tell the Symptoms of the Plague to convince him he was struck with it whil'st all this was but in order to his recovery Whoever thou art that are guilty 't is thou hast wounded thy self I would willingly shew thee thy Sores that they might in time be healed if thy resolution not to have search't into them make them uncurable though I may never have thy thanks for the offer of my help yet I know whom thou wilt accuse as the cause of thy destruction which I would fain have prevented and shall do what I may in order thereto 1. In the Front of those Abominations under the Effects whereof we groan we may well place Adultery Fornication and Lasciviousness whether we consider the provoking Nature or the Commonness hereof amongst us This is a sin we often find attended with exemplary punishments in Scripture for this together with their Idolatry we read of a Plague inflicted upon the Israelites Numb 25. whereof dyed 24000. For Davids commission of this but once it was threatned to him That the Sword should never depart from his house 2 Sam. 12. 10. And in the New Testament especially how frequent are the prohibitions and how severe the threatnings denounc'd against it Whoremongers and Adulterers in a peculiar manner God will judge And for these things sake especially we are told comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience How strict is our Saviours Exposition of the Seventh Commandment making a lustful glance the breach of it And upon the mention of that immediately follows the threatning of the whole body being cast into Hell without the cutting off the right hand and plucking out the right eye the subduing the dearest lusts and renouncing the sweetest sins Matth. 5. 28 29 30. With what repetitions of the same do we find it mentioned where it 's spoken against inculcated again and again to take the deeper impression And when the lusts of the flesh are named usually this is reckoned for the greater part of them in various expressions signifying much what the same thing Coloss 3. 5. Mortifie therefore c. Fornication Uncleanness Inordinate Affection Evil Concupiscence Eph. 5. 3 4. Gal. 5. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness This sin we find much aggravated by the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 13 14. to the end as that which in a particular manner defiles a man and renders him indisposed for the in-dwellings of the Holy Spirit This loathsom wickedness doth especially soften and brutifie men and sinks them from God into the sensitive life and stupifies the higher parts of the Soul and renders them unqualified for a converse with that God who commands all that will approach him To be Holy as he is Holy And this is a sinne which upon many accounts breeds as much confusion and disorder in the world as it does in particular mens Souls It must needs therefore incense the most High God to see his creatures endued with reason for the governance of themselves to whom he hath prescribed Rules for their walking to degenerate into such effeminate impotence as to be hurried away by their own lusts to such bestial uncleanness But alas
the weighty Truths and Matters of Religion Reader Art thou an Honourer of Christ and a Lover of Mankind Why tell me then is it not a most lamentable thing to consider That almost all the World yea almost all the Christian and Reformed Christian World is drowned in wickedness and that there is so little Savoury Salt in it so few that study and labour to make the Gospel obtain amongst men in the life and power of it How do the most seek their own things how few the things of Jesus Christ Oh that men were once throughly perswaded that his things were theirs Some are too busie about Puppet-plays the petty trifles of the World which yet to those who are swallowed upin them seem weighty and important to mind much what becomes of mens immortal souls Let the poor Curate that must live by it see to such low affairs Others have so much to do to keep up their own Parties Opinions and Customs That Christ may look to his Gospel himself for them except as it lies in the way to the things they account most their Concern But all you the Ministers of Christ if indeed you take his Work it self for your Honour Pleasure and Wages though many of you may want those encouragements which are so requisite and desirable for your success yet be awakened to do all the service you can to your Lord and Master Let us not stand accusing any for the removal of our opportunities whilest we have so many before us if we had the hearts and skill to use them How glad would the Primitive Christians or our Protestant Martyrs have been of those Priviledges we enjoy though they might earnestly have desired more What Sirs are there no poor souls near you that cry aloud for your help to save them from the burning lake to rescue them out of the jaws of Death and snares of the Devil by whom they are led captive at his will These these are they upon whom especially you ought to employ all your skill and pains and from him that died for them you shall have your reward I know the Godly also call for strengthning direction comfort and quickning but surely your principal much less your only work is not with them the miserable creatures that are just at the Graves mouth and yet know not what they came into the World for require speedie and seasonable help Oh how many Thousands may now be out of your reach whom you once might have spoken to but did not Who hinders you from going to such and discoursing to them the matters that concern their everlasting Peace Cannot you watch opportunities when they can best have while to hear you and are most likelie to regard you You that live amongst your former people cannot you go to their Houses and take all occasion of converse with them and be inculcating on them the great Truths and Duties of the Gospel If you never formerly took this course of private dealing with your people set upon it now and you know not but it may be more effectual than all your former labours were Some that have tried have had good success However you will have comfort in doing your dutie Oh go often as you have time amongst you poor Neighbours and see in what a state their souls are and be not so uncharitable and hard-hearted as to see them dropping into Hell and yet do nothing to prevent it Though 't is amongst Strangers you are cast yet acquaint your selves with them and do them all the good you can as knowing every man 's your Neighbour that needs your help Put then upon reading good Books and take account of them and learn what their knowledge in Religion is and accordingly instruct and advise them But far be it from me to presume to give Directions for the Work others have done it fully and you know it well enough if you would but set to it with all your might oh follow then the example of Paul who went about from house to house night and day warning and beseething every one with tears What do you think this is not preaching the Gospel Do you think that 's only whilst you stand on a high place in the midst of an Assemby Did not Christ preach the Gospel to a Woman alone and Philip to the Eunuch In some respects 't is evident personal discourse hath much the advantage of publick Preaching and why may we not expect Gods blessing hereupon as well as on the other Now Sirs we have an happy opportunity of discovering what pure love to the Gospel will do with us without any hopes of a Temporal Reward What moved you to Preach to your people before I know you will not joyn with the Quakers in accusing your selves and say it was for your Tythes What then was it a desire to save the Souls of your people Why I hope their Salvation is as precious in your eyes now as then and do not they as much need your assistance Why then do not you continue it Say not the people will not bear it for many will Try them once again and where any are obstinate let your love and courtesie do its utmost to overcome them Oh let us but work out own hearts into lively affectionate apprehensions of the great concernments of Souls and study more what God is and why he made us what the Death of Christ imports what it is for a Soul to be saved or damned for ever and we shall scarce be able to refrain speaking to all we can light upon but we shall rather ask every man we meet whether he hath yet done his best to make sure his everlasting happiness whether hee 's yet got from under the wrath of God and out of danger of Hell These things will be ready to burst from us in the very streets or open Congregations Oh had we but that zeal and those affections which these matters deserve and will very well warrant what work might we make in the world yet keeping in all due bounds of sobriety and prudence Though perhaps we might be counted mad-men for our pains as Christ himself and the Apostle Paul were But remember then I would have you spend your zeal upon the things that are worth it proportion it to the weight of the truths you insist on I would not have you take this pains to make men of your opinion in controverted matters Beware of that designing a party will spoil all your work Labour you to make them Members of Christ what need you care then what particular Church they are members of or wherein they differ from you in matters that concern not their Salvation Do the best you can to heal all breaches make none widen none Let men censure us as long as they will for Schismatical and Turbulent and if all our professions to the contrary may not be heard yet let our practises witness to God to the world and to our own Consciences that we
against it and the man in whose hands 't is found shall surelie dye Then cast it away if thou love thy life thy everlasting life But what art thou one of those sensless brutish blockish souls that a man had almost as good spend his breath upon a stone wall as talk to thee Art thou nothing moved with all thou readest or nearest but takest all for words of course which thou forgettest as soon as the noise is out of thy ears Dost thou now lay aside the Book and go about thy wonted business as if thou hadst not been reading for Life or Death But a kind of Story that no way concerns thee Wilt thou now rise up and go to thy worldly cares thy Company or vain Discourse instead of getting alone to God with humble acknowledgments of thy sin and earnest cryes for mercy If thou wast infected with the Plague and had st been reading what Medicines thou should'st use would'st thou lay by the Book and never mind more as if thou hadst done enough to read them without taking care to apply them And wilt thou now be guilty of a madness as much greater than this as sin and Hell are worse than the Plague and Death Art thou resolved though Christ himself should kneel to thee and beseech thee as he doth by me to search they heart and review thy wayes and detest thy sins that he might save thee that yet thou wouldest not grant his desire nor ever put thy self to so much Labour as Conversion will cost thee If thou be such a stupid `resolved sinner that wilt remain in thy old wayes come on it what will yea and believest all shall be well enough with thee for all that what can I say to thee more God be Judge between thee and me Thou art destroyed not because thou couldest have no help nor because it was not offered thee but because thou didst wilfully resuse it But poor Creature my heart even akes for thee and loth I am to leave thee in this wretched dull distracted temper wherein if Death that is now so busie abroad should find thee thou art undone for ever Oh that yet I could speak something that would make thee feel and fear Tell me then thou who art now so bold and resolute so sottish and careless Dost thou not think thou shalt dye Why what wilt thou do then Think on it and think again I befeech thee Is it not great odds but the Contagion may shortly reach thee What course wilt thou then take when thou shalt see the Tokens of God upon thee Which way wilt thou look or what wilt thou do for help Then go to the sins thou hast loved so dearly and see what comfort they will afford Now call for a Cup or a Whore Never be daunted man Shall one of thy courage quail that couldst have mockt at the Threatnings of the Almighty God! What so boon and jolly but now and now down i th' mouth Here 's a sudden change indeed Where are thy Companions All fled Where are thy darling pleasures All forsaken thee What will thy Bags and Bills and Bonds do thee no good Why shouldest thou be dejected Thou art a man of Worship perhaps a Lord or a Knight or Gentleman go chear thy self review thy good Purchases think of thy high Titles and rich Revenues Go Gallants get to your Galss Powder and Curle Paint and Spot Deck and Adorn you as you were wont ' What do you take no pleasure to view your Pale faces Do your hearts sink within you like a stone Why how now poor creature what hath the world left thee The world thou didst so dearly love that Heaven was but a trifle to it What hast thou misplac't thy heart on a treacherous Friend that fails thee in thy greatest need Must thou now all in silence and sadness groan forth thy wretched Soul into another world Now now wretch what hath thy sin and carelessness brought thee to Now where is thy life of mirth and sport What wilt thou do now when thy own comforts have left thee and God loaths thee and casts out thy Death-bed howlings with disdain What dost begin to call upon him now Dost think a few good words shall serve thy turn Read Jer. 2. 28. Go get thee to thy own gods see whether they can help and deliver thee Say not I would drive thee to despair no I would fain prevent it and so may'st thou if thou wilt but hearken in time and that time 's just now for Death is even at thy back and perhaps will take thee up as soon as the Book 's laid down But perhaps thou art one that think'st thy self safe and that this nothing belongs to thee because thou may'st be recovered from the sickness or got out of the reach of it or it may be so abated that thou dost not fear it and therefore thou art ready foolishly to cry with Agag The bitterness of death is past but oh be convinc't of thy lamentable sottishness for thou mayst yet be hew'n in pieces for all that Read Amos 9. 12 3 4. And tell me whether God will not find thee out Thou art run away from the City perhaps but not from thy sin and therefore thou carriest the Plague along with thee which sooner or later will break out But though escape the Plague art thou then secure If thou canst but out-live this Mortality dost thou think all is well then All danger over No hold there Sinner God hath not done with thee so believe it the worst is yet to come Alas man Death Judgment and Hell are behind still I but coming they are apace and overtake thee at last they will even all of them if thou look not about thee in time Patch and piece up thy mouldring Carkass as long as thou canst and shift thee hither and thither from this disease or that but after all be assured Thou shalt dye And after Death hath done its work upon thee and the Judgment past and Sentence executed if thou then find all well with thee boast and spare not but till then be silent But if yet thou art fully bent to keep thy sin let me beg thee to think a little what is that Hell thou art leaping into Oh think what the wrath the flaming unquenchable wrath of God is Dost thou make a pish at it 'T is because thou art an Infidel or hast lost thy wits I know thou canst not awhile to think of it now thou hast pleasanter things to take up thy thoughts than death and Hell and therefore thou laughest and singest and merrily throwest away thy hours as if no hurt was near thee whilest thou standest tottering on the very brink of the bottomless Pit And all this while how many Devils whom thou seest not stand some gaping to receive thee and some labouring to make thee sure and till thee on And multitudes of Deaths are waiting for a Commission any one of them to thrust thee in
and then farwell all hope for ever Oh spend but one hour or half an hour in a day in the sober thoughts of Eternity and go on in sin if thou canst Good Reader let me entreat thee to this course but if thou cryest Thou hast somewhat else to do Know thou shalt shortly have nothing else to do but to feel that which now thou wilt not be brought to think of that thou mightest avoid it and then say If thou hadst not good counsel given thee once if thou hadst had the wit and the grace to take it One moments experience shall at length convince thee more than all thy hearing or reading would Thou countest Plague Famine and Sword Earthquakes Thunder and Lightning terrible things oh then what 's Hell the very dregs the Ocean of that furie of which these are but small drops There it is that God will make the verie power of his hottest intolerable wrath to appear and in those rivers of brimstone those scorching flames of his anger must thou lie down for ever oh for ever ever man think but awhile how long is that Might but the undone Souls return to describe this place of torments to their old companions what a Language should we hear Might but Dives himself have been sent to his jovial Brethren that little thought where their departed Brother was nor what they themselves were hastning to in what a passionate manner would he have beg'd them off from sin that led to all that endless Woe How would he have disturbed them in the midst of their merriments and feastings and even have made their hearts to quake and their hair stand an end with his terrible expressions But Reader if thou art one who wilt be frightned from Hell by no descriptions but of those that have seen it thy feeling is like to prevent thy fear What say'st thou then after all Art thou yet resolved to prepare for Death and prevent Damnation or not If thou art happie man thou that ever thou wast born but if thou art not I can stay to say no more but even take thy course and when thou seelest the event then say Whether sound Repentance and an holy life had not been a cheap and easie a gainful and happy way to have prevented everlasting misery But the good Lord have mercie upon thee and work these convictions with power upon thy soul whilst they may do thee any good I shall finish all with a word or two to all those that trulie love and fear the Lord Oh Sirs You that have known God and are interessed in his favor and are well acquainted at the Throne of his Grace to which you have oft in time of trouble and need made your recourse and thence have received seasonable comfort and supply All you to whom Prayer is no strange work Now arise and betake your selves to God with all seriousness and speed Cast your selves down before him bewailing your own sins and the sins of the Land and lie in the gap to stop the farther proceedings of his wrath that he may not root us up from being a people nor yet so far give us off that we should continue to be a wicked and rebellious People for then Destruction from the Lord will certainly be our Portion Strive with him to remove his Rod but above all to work those ends whereto it is appointed I have endeavoured to shew you and your selves are sensible of it what sins we are suffering for Oh pray that everie abominable thing may be cast forth from amongst us and those blessed works accomplish't which would make us in the eye of God and man a people glorious and happy Beg earnestly that the Gospel may be advanc't Holiness encouraged Wickedness supprest and punish't our Divisions healed that from the Prince upon the Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghill there may be an effectual Reformation of all we have done amiss that we may yet find favour in the sight of God and enjoy his residence and gracious presence amongst us that he may delight in us and rejoyce over us to do us good Both alone and in Companies as you have opportunitie besiege Heaven with your humble and affectionate prayers God will not be deaf to your cry he knows your voice which comes from your very Soul he will not reject the Petitions you present with pure hands your prayers are his delight all you that are his humble upright ones 'T is you must now prevail or we are undone Though you may be a people hated derided and undervalued by those amongst whom you live yet must your intercessions be accepted on their behalf through our great intercessor or else they are like to perish 'T is you that must run with your Censers and stand betwixt the Living and the Dead that so the Plague may be stayed It is the incense and perfume of your prayers that through Christ must appease an angrie God and clear an infected Air. It is not the Lip service of the profane sinner or the formal Hypocrite that will do us anie good let his prayers be by heart or by rote within-within-book or without that makes no great matter but if he be one whose heart is far from God and whose life is a provocation to him who still goes on in his sin let him be never so devout in the Church or on his knees and roar and weep with never so much passion and noise the howling of a Dog is as acceptable to God as such hypocritical devotion Shall the tongue that was just now Cursing and Swearing come presentlie and fall a praying and think to be accepted Doth God delight to hear his Name taken in vain as these sensless sinners do in their solemnest services No no but it is the fervent prayer of you who are indeed Righteous that 's like to be effectual and prevailing You have the spirit of supplication interceding within you assisting you with unutterable sighs and groans whether with a Form or without makes not the difference and you have a powerful Advocate enforcing your Requests wherefore to God betake your selves lie at his feet Plead with him for Rulers and People his Church and Ministers your Friends and Enemies City and Countrey your Towns and Familie and for your own Souls Follow him day and night and give him no rest till he shall hear in Heaven and have mercy and establish his Zion a praise both amongst us and in the whole Earth And be exhorted also now to lay about you all you can 〈…〉 and convincing of the poor creatures that are near you 〈…〉 may not find their Souls unready If you be in places where 〈…〉 on is or is dailie sear'd improve such a time with ignorant and 〈◊〉 ones manie may be willing to hear you now who would have 〈…〉 at serious Discourse a few dayes since When they begin to 〈…〉 Death as a real thing and not far off the fears of it will a little cure 〈◊〉 of
their distractions and they 'l no longer take Heaven and Hell for jesâ—ing matters This is not a time Sirs to be ashamed of Religion now if ever Holiness will be in request and boldlie shew it self Afford your Neighbours then all the helps you can for their precious souls Go to their Houses and lend them good Books and discourse of those matters that you may easily perceive do most concern Dying men And let that be your direction for the future in this work which I would never have you cease whil'st your selves and those about you are mortal men whose Eternity either of happiness or woe depends upon their well or ill improvement of this uncertain moment And Lastlie All you Holie Souls be encouraged chearfullie and confidentlie to receive the Sentence of Death within your selves Let your spirits revive within you when you shall see the Waggons that come to fetch you to your Joseph even your Lord who is gone before to prepare a place for you Let those that have lived estranged from God careless of his Service mad of the World and running after their pleasures let them be dejected at the News ef Dying the sad News that they must leave all their Treasures and their Joyes and be carried into a state they thought not of nor prepared for there to be reckoned with for their worldlie loose and jollie Life and to bear the effects of their follie for ever But all you to whom Sin hath been a burden and Religion your work and pleasure whose hearts have been taken up with Gods dealings with mankind and deeplie affected with his mysterious Love in Christ who have taken it for the business of your Lives to work out your salvation In a word who have chosen God for your portion and lov'd him more than all things here below and closed with Christ as your onlie Saviour to deliver you both from Sin and Hell and have taken the Holie Spirit for your Sanctifier and Guide not allowing your selves in known sin but labouring in all things to approve your selves to God Now lift up your heads and comfort your hearts when you see the day of Death approach Let not Carnal ones see you dismay'd for this will make them suspect Religion to be a fancie so much doth it contradict your Profession and disgrace both it and you 〈…〉 kind of Death by which you may be sent for hence be 〈…〉 ground of your trouble and fear Why should not God 〈…〉 Death for you as well as all other things And let it be of 〈…〉 it will you have very great reason quietly to submit to it Let 〈…〉 welcome and there is nothing in a Plague that can hurt you 〈…〉 daunt you Be very sensible of Gods hand now stretcht out 〈◊〉 us and so far manifest a reverence and awe and with a reliance â—n him use all due means for self-preservation But for your selves dread not a Plague nor any thing it can do upon you it can but kill your Bodies and help your Souls out of their prisons and is there any hurt in that Let the Spots when you see them be regarded by you as no other then Tokens of your Fathers love which he hath sent to shew he is mindful of you and hath now sent to fetch you nearer to himself What though it be a rough Messenger as Jaylours use to be yet the Message may well make you entertain him with smiles If it came to lead you forth to Execution indeed you might well tremble though not so much for its self as the errand it came on Oh the stark madnesse of those blind and miserable ones that are afraid of a Plague and not of Hell that run away from the Sicknesse and run on in Sin But talk not you of loathsome Sores Why Sirs do they go any deeper than your flesh Let those that have made their Carcasses their care be troubled for this Why what have you any thing more for your bodies to do Any service for which you shall need them And need you care how the old clothes are rent and torn so long as you shall never wear nor need them more Part willingly with your rags you have clothes a making which shall soon silence your complaints Swell and break and stink flesh if thou wilt I shall not be troubled with thee long When thou prosperest most then I was at the worst thou hast been so much my enemy that I cannot but rejoyce in thy ruines If my tongue must needs complain and my sight and smell be offended with my self all this shall not reach my heart What care I for thy Sores and Pains so long as my Souls in health Go make hast and get thee to thy Grave and there turn to Rottenness and Filth I pity thee not nor will ever sympathize with thee more Nor yet complain of the Suddennesse of this Death Leave this to them that would serve God when they had nothing else to do that put off all to a Lord have Mercie upon me and a few good Prayers at their last gasp But what Death can be sudden to you who are not unprepared for Death but have made it the businesse of your lives to fit your selves for it Nor let this be your trouble that your Friends forsake you and are all afraid to come nigh you Why what would you have them do they cannot rebuke your Disease or delay your Death or doing any thing for you in the world you are going to nor do you need they should Councel I hope you have given them in time of Health and therefore it may the lesse trouble you that you cannot speak to them now To take a solemn leave of them is a poor formality to trouble the thoughts of a dying man Whatever help they could afford you 'l quicklie be past all need of it or them Bear the want of their companie or assistance a day or two and you will never desire or want it more Wherefore chear up your Spirits and be not cast down but to the Rock of Ages betake your selves who never fail'd you nor anie that placed their confidence in him hee 's a present help in time of trouble hee 'l come in to you when your doors are shut up hee 'l stand by your beds-side when no other friend dare Now Sirs what 's your God your Saviour worth A God to support you when the world fails you A Saviour to relieve you when you leave the world Now is not an holy life comfortable to your review Do you now repent of the cost and pains you have been at or the sufferings you have under-gone for God Was it not worth while to be laught and wondered at for your holie diligence which laid in store for such a day as this and brings you support when the hearts of others sink for fear Now Sirs you are come to the end of your Pilgrimage the long-long-lookt for day is come Sin and Satan the world and the