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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40374	Scotland's present duty, or, A call to the nobility, gentry, ministry and commonalty of this land to be duely affected with, and vigorously to act for, our common concern in Caledonia, as a mean to enlarge Christ's kingdom, to benefit our selves, and do good to all Protestant churches.	Philo-Caledon.; Foyer, Archibald.; Ridpath, George, d. 1726.; Fletcher, Andrew, 1655-1716.	1700 (1700)	Wing F2048; ESTC R13808	23,400	30

Persons objected against ever come over to the Government with us since we will not go to God with them It may be some will tell us The Jews would not sing a Song of Zion when desired by the Babylonians but they required it to sport at He●e Men are at least morally Serious and Sincere and smart under the Common Calamity The Jews would not incorporat with the Samaritans but these Objectors were willing enough to have dealings with these same Samaritans and some did Trafsique and bestir themselves not a little to engage these to ●oyn in the Company 's Stock with whom they have since refused to humble themselves upon the account of the Company s and Nations loss 4. Some pretend the King and Court would have been offended had the Commission appointed a Fast and therefore it was delaved I answer 1. It seems these who so pretend would have prudently de●ayed to pray at Darius's Command since it was but for a while and positive Duties bind not ad semper 2. They are highly injurious to His Majesty who make so undutiful and false a Suggestion For 1. The King required our Prayers for himself when engaged in foreign War 2. He hath testi●ied Regret for our Loss and to say we may not express our Grief before God ●or what the King Declares himself sory without offending His Majesty is to talk at a very insolent rate 3. Wherein hath the King shewed any dis-like against us By the West-India Proclamations say they But 1. How know they that these Proclamations were emitted by His Majesty's positive Command 2. Do these Proclamations discharge us to carry on the Design of Caledonia by no means Since then all agree that without reflecting on these Proclamations we may continue our Trade May we not also pray to God for its Help 3. Would Darius have been ofsended at any for crying to God for Daniel when he was drawn by his Courtiers to sign that severe Decree against him since he himself was much greived for it all Night Then sure our King will not be Angry with us for seeking to God since we have the greatest reason to believe that the King bears us fatherly Afsection and that these Proclamations were not the effect of his Inclination 5. Some will tell us there is a Ferment in the Nation and we must not Fast till that be allayed But doth not the present Necessity and our Brethrens distress call for it as a present and necessary Duty Hath it not been sadly and shamefully delayed Doth not this delay encrease the Ferment which is not like to be removed without Fasting and Prayer And if all shall be lost wh●t Peace can we have in these Delays and refusals And how must it amaze our Brethren abroad and discourage others from ever engaging in the like Services that we would not Compassionat their dolorou Condition If it be found that a Foreign Interest and Man-pleasing and Pensions prevail against this Duty more than all other Objections To this indeed I cannot answer essectually for Silver and Gold have I none unless we could be perswaded to take the Lord's Word for an esfectual Answer only deal couragiously and the Lord shall be with the Good 3. I add by way of Advice in the third place be harmonious i● your actings for Caledonia if some draw one way and some another the whole Design will pull into pieces Act deliberatly and with real● ove to your Countrey and then the means to accomplish your End will not be hard to find out But if under shaddow of the Publick Men pu●sue privat and base ends all must fall into ruine 4. Let every one of us mind the Duties of our Station and not stand accusing this or that Mistake Error or Miscarriage in others as the Cause of this Distress lest all be found to have had a hand in drawing it on Let Ministers mind their special Work of praying and wrestling for Caledonia and sending it Gospel Supplies and let Nobility and Gentry do what is proper sor them in their Civil Stations and not standing Idle blaming one another 5. Let all Care be taken to amend former Errors and pa●ticularly to transport ●or the future good Men so far as is possible with Ministers to take Care of their Manners and of their Souls and let these be Active and Prudent Men of Authority as well as serious and Godly Pastors Next to our obtaining t●e favour of God This is the most likely way to be blessed of the Lord and come into respect instead of being turned into an Astonishment and Reproach throw the World Now by Good Men I do not mean of such or such a Denomination amongst us For tho I am as much in my Judgment for a Nationally Covenanted work of Reformation as any yet truely I love a Good Man who differs from me in Speculations before him who is Impious be his Principles what they will Yea the better a Man's Principles be if the Man be Bad he is the worse Man And sure if due pains were taken with a single eye to the prosperity of the Colony good Men might be had We all know what services Angus s Regiment did at Dunkel and none denyed them to be at that time the best Regiment in Britain perhaps in the World for Religion and Sobriety I know they were not all Saints but had we such a Company to go to Caledonia I should not question but God would be with them A praying People are very likely to be a successsul People 7. I come in the last place to press all to be concerned and to act vigorously for Caledonia in Prayer and by all other lawful Methods You are not to expect Rheto●ical Flourishes from such a blu●t Pen as mine I will not say Ornari ●es ipsa negat contenta doceri for not only is the Subject capable of Embellishment but the Unconcernedness of many requires Excitement by the most moving Discourses that they may have a just view of and be suitably affected with this excellent Design But this must be the work of others whose Accomplishments and Zeal are equal It is enough for me who can attain no more plainly to point out a few of these Things that may invigorat and stir up the Nation to a due Sense of their present Duty And 1. To get our Coasts enlarged by Praver as Jabesh did is to attain to Honour in a more eminent degree than hitherto Let Saracens and Turks the Monarchies of old or the Spaniards of late and other modern Ravages of the Earth enlarge their Conquests by Blood and Treachery by Pillaging and Devastation their Names shall be Infamous for ever but for us to get a Rehoboth by Prayer and fervent Supplica●ion to Heaven will be an Evidence of the Favour Good-will and Kindness of the Possessor of Heaven and Earth to us Let us then be stirred up to plead fervently for a Blessing to this great Work from Heaven's King 2. Go on

forget the Promises of Increa●e and Prosperity that are made to Zion in the Old and New Testament and which shall doubtless be accomplished in the Latter-days We cannot mistake in expecting the down fall of Antichrist the ruine of the Turkish Empire the National Conversion of the Jewes and the fulness of the Nations and what a Glorious time will it be when all these things shall be fulfilled then Holiness shall abound and be the Motto engraven on our smallest Enjoyments War shall Cease throw all the Earth Kings shall no more contend about Clods of Clay but shall be employed in bringing their Glory to the New Jerusalem and they shall be indeed nursing Fathers to a Church I hope these days are not far off tho' some have too boldly pretended to know the Times and Seasons which the Father hath put in his own Power and keept up from us that we may pray the more Ardently yet he who hath promised to come will come and will not tarry Christians therefore are not only called to keep up Communion with God as to their own Souls but they ought with great Vigour to mind the case of Zion And it is certain That one Reason why many have ground to complain of their Souls Leanness is because the Churches Condition is not more minded by them and their present Case at home makes them forget the Afflictions of Joseph in the persecuted and oppressed Chu●ches abro●d Nor are they duely melted to think of the Blindness of the Jews the Mahometan Delusions and the Heathenish Idolatry It is not said that we pray no more to have the Mountains removed which stand in the Gospels way Is not God the hearer of Prayer And how many precious returns might we have at the Throne of Grace if we were Jacob-like wrestling the break of the Day How did Daniel Fast and Pray when the time drew near of the long looked for Liberty The Promise put Life into his Prayers and the assurance of being heard made him the more Fervent O that God would pour out a Spirit of Prayer on the Reformed Churches that they may set a part Days of Humiliation and crying unto God both for themselves and for the Jews who were once a peculiar Treasure but are now called Lo-ammi that they may be Conve●ted to the Messiah and for the poor Pagans that the ends of the Earth may see the Salvation of God There is a Restlesness amongst us about wordly Concerns to compass Sea and Land to get some wordly Pelf but we are not Earnest and Keen to Trade for Religion and to acquaint poor perishing Souls with their need of Christ. How will the Memory of worthy Mr. Eliot the Apostle of the Western-Indians be fragrant to all the Godly who was so Instrumental in bringing the poor Idolaters in America to Know and to Adore the Supreme Majesty and what a Stain will the Slackness of others when fair Opportunities have been ossered them be upon their Names Yea shall Papists signalize their Zeal in Training and sending out Men for this Service or rather for drawing deluded Creatures blind-fold from one Error to another and Protestant Churches do nothing for bringing them into the light of Truth and way of Salvation I verily think if there were many pleading with God we should yet see the Waters of the Sanctuary begin to swell and overcome all Opposition Neither High nor Low should confine their Prayers to themselves and their own Families The greatest in degree and the meanest Believer should cry unto the Lord to pity the dark Places of the Earth but especially Ministers should be the Lord's Remembrancers and plead fervently That the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ and that Heraulds of Peace may be sent into Satan's Camp to bring over poor Souls led Captive at his Will 2dly If it please the Lord to grant us a Settlement in Caledonia it would be an excellent Mean to spread Christ's Kingdom Which may be evinvinced from these Considerations 1. A new Colony of professing Christians might be planted there who would own God to be the God of that Land and so become a Covenanted People and would proclaim the News of Christ and set up his Worship 2. It 's hopeful that Colony should be among the best in all the World were once a Pious praying People sent thither For 1st Our Doctrine is most agreeable to the Scriptures 2. Our Worship most Pure 3. Our Government most Adapted to advance the True ends of Government in Christ's House beyond what Prelacy or Independency can pretend to 4. Our Disciplin if Rightly Managed the most effectual to bear down Sin and encourage Piety Now all these Meeting together in the hands of Zealous Ministers in a New Colony must render Zion in that place Beautiful as the Morning clear as the Sun fair as the Moon and Terrible as an Army with Banners 3. It might be expected that there the many faults which have spoiled our Civil Policy here should be avoided which would exceedingly tend to the keeping out of many Evils that ●ine Justice and destroy Love amo●gst us 4. It would be a Place to which many Nations would resort for Trade and so have occasion to behold the comely order of Gods House It was frequent Converse with the Jews that gave occasion to the Nations to know Israels God and so proved a Mean to gain many Proselites How much more may we expect this from Caledonia since Christians will not keepup such distance from the Heathen as the Jews did 5. We may justly expect that this Colony shall not be confined to Darien but shall spread to more Places and so the Lords In erest daily gain Ground when a People please God their Co●ds 〈◊〉 be lengthned as well as their Stakes strengthned 6. This might p●ove a 〈◊〉 Mean to Convert even Papists But 7. Especially ●o g●in ●ouls ●o Christ among the poor He●thens I know Conversion is God's Work but he works ordinarily by Means and there is great appearance that this People would become Docile and p●iable to the Gospel of Christ. For 1. They are naturally a Kind well conditioned and tractable People and have many good Moral Virtues among them 2. The great Aversion they have to the bloody Spaniards would induce them to love our ●eople and our Religion the more 3. Our People would ●e favourable ●o them and instead of Enslaving or otherwise wronging ●hem would seek their Good and endeavour to Civilize them and acquaint them with many useful Trades to render their Lives more Comfortab●e 4 They will instruct and train their Children in God's way and when they see our Care of their Young they will trust us the more and love us the better 5. Some of themselves may in time be in case to ins●ruct their own Friends in the way of God and teach them to Read and let them see in their own Language how it hath been

foretold That the whole Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea 6. The many Prayers put up for them will not want their Effect And 7. It will encourage them when they find that none are treated the wor●e but the more freindly for becoming Ch●istian All these put together give ground to think that we might look for much good to be done to these poor People who are at present without God and without Hope in the World 8. This would excite greater Flames of Devotion in our Brethrens Spirits there when they should behold the Gentiles turning unto the Lord and renuncing their Idols their Vanities and Lies 9. This will draw over many good People to that Place from this Land which is not able to sustain its Inhabitants for want of Industry and good Policy in providing Sustenance and work for the Poor and where many are crushed by racked Rents and other Oppressions that keep many Godly People very low and marrs the Exercises of their Grace and Christian Duties They would go to their Brethren abroad to enjoy the Gospel with better outward Accommodations 10. This Co●ony would prove a Bulwa●k against Antichrist ●nd a secure retreat to many distressed Protestan●s of other Churches a Mea● to Check the Spanish Barbarity and curb the Popish Interest But 3ly This great Enterprise is now alas sadly born down and seems for the present to be almost crushed For 1. Our People who went thither first are scattered some are in Bondage among c●uel Enemies many of them dead throw Want and Distress with vast Loss and Expenses and Labour which cannot but be greatly afflicting to us 2. We have another sad Calamity in the loss of a Ship with Provisions in Darien and the scattering of the Second Company except a very few which may put the Third Company sent out to very great Ha●dship and Uncertainty in their Resolutions 3. The West India Proclamations against us have disheartned our Friends and strengthned the hands of our Ill-wishers both upon a Religious and Civil account especially those of Jamaica who have shewed much Unfriendliness and Hatred I think it is a needless Debate whether our own Mis-managements at Home and Abroad have been the Cause of our Disaster and Distress or those Proclamations I think it is very evident that Both have concurred toward it and that neither of the two morally speaking could have done it alone tho' where the Effects of such strange and unexpected Proclamations might have terminated were the Management never so exact is what I confess few can tell But it is evident that both these are of the Lord and that we ought to consider them as Reproofs for and Punishments our Sins and that by these Proclamations which in some Places have been renewed again in September last we are brought under a most heavy and discouraging Blow since none must relieve our People more than if they were abominable Pirates tho they acted under the Protection and according to the Terms of an Act of Parliament and have not Forfeited it And so long as these continue in Force what can we expect but the total over-throw of our Colony since Scotland can never be able to furnish them Supplies till they get Sustentation of there own especially in such years of Scarcity as we have felt of late wherein many at home wanted Bread 4. As the Pope and his followers were mightily alarmed with this intended Colony so they now no less rejoice at its present Distress and how much Power our deadly Enemies have is evident and that they will employ it as far as they get Permission and and vent their Rage and Hatred against the Reformation as much as they can I doubt not but if Ame●ica were out of the Papists Possession their Pomp and Tyrrany would cease and therefore they are greatly afraid lest Protestant Colonies get footing there It may be that before the ruin of A●tichrist their Golden Mines shall no more uphold their accursed Dig●ity and persecuting P●ide I● the mean time how greatly do our Adversaries prevail especially when 5. We are but little Encouraged by our resormed Brethren at home and it would seem the States of H●lland do all they can to crush us and some of our Brethren in England envy us the freedom of Trade which could not but prove many ways to the Advantage of that Nation tho it may be some privat Men might g●in less than they do now But truely it is strange and sad that any ●eformed Pro●estant should for Selfish and By-ends prove our Enemies 6. Our King the happy Instrument of our Glorious Deliverance seems to be Mis-informed concerning us whether by Dutch or English or both I cannot say But it appears very plain that His Majesty does not throwly know our Circumstances and is not so ready for our Relief as our C●se requires This is the most sad of all that hath yet b●fallen us Lord turn our hearts to Thee and our Kings heart toward Us save Lord and let the King hear Us when we call 7. We are not ONE amongst our selves ●n this Affair some have nothing of a publick Spirit where their own private gain is not immediatly concerned others basely give it out that the King is against us and bears ill will to our Colony for which they deserve to be signally punished Others to serve a Foreign interest and to divide and betray the Nation have invented false Stories and fomented Jealo●sies as if all this zeal for Caledonia had some ill design under it against the Government which no sensible Man can give a Name unto And which is plainly contrary to the very nature of the thing Those wicked but weak and silly surmises had discouraged many and I was I confess my self somewhat in●luenced by them I hope well meaning Peoples Eyes begin to be opened and to see the falseness of many wicked insinuations and lying Stories that have been spre●d which have discouraged and Dis●racted some at home and cannot but prove a disheartning damp to those who are gone abroad when they hear how little their Case is suitably minded by u● And do not such mischievous practises give occ●sion to our Neighbours t● say that we are false Scots Betrayers of our Countrey and Ruiners one of another What can be done to repair our ●osses if those who are honestly Zealous ●or Caledonia both Ministers and People be traduced as Enemies to the Gove●nment tho we have all pos●ble assurance of the Governments Protection and Act in an u●questionable legal way Who could have thought that any would have been so aspersed for owning the just Rights of a free People Tell it not in Gath publish it not in Askelon that any who call themselves Members of a reformed Church and Nation should so stand in the way of their own Mercy both Religious and Civil or that a National and Christian design should have met with such Opposition amongst us The

we not fervently plead that the Ruine may not fall under our Hands 11. How can we expect but that we ●hall be Contemned and I●sulted by the Nations about us in our privat Negotiating and Tra●ique yea almost made ashamed to own our selves for Scots Men and our great Attempt that hath made so much Noise in the World shall become every where the publick Jest Is their any Man of Sense but mu● be af●ected at these fore Evils which we have just cause to fear as the Consequents of our giving up Caledonia 5. Let us then consider a little theseSins which we ought to look upon as the procuring Causes of the said Stroke we have already metwith and which may prove yet more Afflicting if Mercy prevent not We ought to deal Impartially and not spare our Sins when God's hand is upon us we are called to search them out narrowly and to hide none from the Lord. 1. This Nation hath never yet been duely humbled and exercised with Sorrow and Mourning for the Sins of the Land which have been of a deep Dye we have been still mincing our Iniquity for fear of offending of some late Actors without minding how God is offended with us We have not to this day made a full and free Confession of our National Sins amongst which our Covenant-breaking seems to me to cry loudest and stare us in the Face for whatever may be said of the Politick and sinister Ends of some in contriving and carrying on the Covenant of their mingling and thrusting some things into it to serve a Turn of its being Calculated for these Times and Circumstances and so in its Complex form not so proper for the present State of things of its being a League with other two Nations who have thrown it off as such and the like Yet it cannot be denyed that in the Main it was as well as the National Covenant that went before it throw the Land a most serious and awful Engagement of the Nation to Christianity and Godliness with uplifted hands to the most High God and the highest and most solemn piece of Reformation that ever this Church and Kingdom attained unto and performed by the bulk of the People with the greatest Moral Seriousness And how can our resiling from and shameful Breach of these awful Vows but draw upon us dreadful Guilt and Iniquity not to be forgotten till it be bitterly Mourned for How much Innocent Blood hath been shed what horrid Aversion to Purity and Holiness and fearful Blackslidings have been found amongst us in which our Kings our Priests and People have been deeply involved and yet to mention these things renders a Man suspected of Schism But how can we Thrive till we be more explicite and full in Confessing and bitterly bewailing these and all our National Sins before the Lord. 2. We are guilty of black Ingratitude to God for the late happy Revolution for the Singularity as well as the Greatness of that Deliverance when we were upon the Brink of being swallowed up nor did we improve it as we ought to have done 3. Gospel Ordinances and publick Worship are more dispised amongst us than any where All People in the World do attend more reverently upon their several ways of Worship than we do upon ours Heathans and Jews Mahometans and Papists Hereticks and Schismaticks are at much more pains in their erronious Courses than the professing People in Scotland are generaly upon the Service of the living and true God Any Triffle meer Laziness Prejudice Contempt Hatred keep many of our great Ones from Gospel Ordinances How then can God prosper us in our Undertakings 4. Gross Injustice and Oppression Envy Malice Back-biting Self-seeking narrowness of Spirit Worldly-mindedness Lying and Treachery Uncharitableness and want of Brotherly Love are our Epedemick Distempers How then shall we think to be Blessed in our Designs especially since all these Sins are aggravated in us by their being against Light daily Warnings 5. We did not seek the Lord and plead for his Favour in a due manner in the beginning of this great Enterprise with serious Resolutions to reform our Hearts and Lives Time was when the People of God upon such a weighty occasion and when the Nation was setting about so important a Work would have been fervent in putting up their Suites to Heaven and had remarkable Returns of Prayer It was very comfortable to see what impression and frame some Reverend Ministers of the Commission were under in Summer last when Mr. Sheild was engaged in this Service with what Affection Warmness and Weight they observed how our Forefathers would have embraced and improven so signal an Opportunity of Spreading the Gospel of bringing Honour to God and to the Church of Scotland and doing Good to Souls if it had been in their offer And what an edge was upon the Spirits of all in their Meeting at Glasgow and the solemn Day of Prayer held there upon the account of our dear Brethren and that Interest And it is no less discouraging to observe how far that Zeal and Fervour that then appeared is now abated that we have not hitherto set apart a Day of Humiliation upon account of this sad Distress and of Prayer for these who were sent out with so publick and solemn a Blessing from this Church that we are now turn'd so slack and remiss and that we began no sooner is more formidable and threatning than all the Opposition of the Devil the Pope the Spaniard or any other Enemy and ought to be heartily bewailed by us with admiration of the Goodness and Patience of God that we are not yet worse smitten for our ill-deservings 6. Our vain pride and Confidence at the beginning of this Affair our Carnal Expectations from it our trusting not in God but in an Arm of Flesh If we had succeeded without Rubs in our way we had burnt Incense to our own Drag we had waxed fat and kicked against the Lord and forgotten that the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness and Riches thereof and forgotten what weak silly Creatures we are without him 7. There may be many Sins both of Omission and Commission to be confessed and mourned for in the management of our Expeditions both with respect to persons imploied and Methods followed which I cannot undertake to condescend upon but these ought to be searched out acknowledged and amended Tho ill Men may have outward success for a time vet the Favour of God cannot be towards them Th● Six Hundred Danites sent to take in L●ish did succeed yet their Posterity went first into Captivity of all Israel In a business of this nature Men should be more considered according to their worth and real usefulness than the Moyen of their Friends and such as they depend upon recommending them 8. Great care should have been taken to set up a strict discipline over those who were sent to punish Vice and set up Morality and good Order amongst them And

sent thither I must say if we forget our Caledonians we must be cruel like the Ostriches in the Wilderness 10. There are privat Christians wrestling with the Lord for this Interest and their Cry to all but especially to Ministers is Dear Country-men and Pastors lend us the ●elp of your Prayers in this weighty Concern that we may all joyntly together go into the Throne of Grace and give our God no rest till he appear for Caledonia and make her Walls Sal●ation and her Gates Praise Satan surely and his followers of the Romish Interest hate your Prayers but all the lovers o● our Lord and his Kingdom will heartily joyn in them both in a private and in a publick National way and we are perswaded that Our Lord will not ●o far d●sert his Servants as to suffer you upon so pressing an Occasion and after so earnest beseechings to be so far by assed by s●nistrous Insinuatious or any Considerations whatsoever as to remain unconcerned in your Masters Glory His Churches Honour and your Countreys Interest I shall but add one word unto such as may be suspected of bad Designs touch'd under their Zeal for Caledonia I would beseech them not to have too harsh Thoughts of simple Honest People who by the Surmises of designing Persons may be influenced to suspect them Some of these suspected have shewed no great Friendship to Godliness and therefore it is no great wonder that bad Impressions of them do the more easily take I would intreat such to evidence the more signally to the World by sincere and upright Actings that their true Motive next ●o a Christian regard to the Glory of God is a generous Concern for their Countrey And I must add That if any have indirect Views or sinful Designs God will testify his Displeasure against them The Pit they may be thinking to dig for others under specious Pretexts may be filled with their own Carcases and tho he is no honest Man who shall refuse to assist and concur with them in that which is Just and Good yet if they turn aside to perverse Ways all honest Men will relinquish them and they shall be Contemned in the Earth But I hope all our Mistakes and Jealousies shall be removed and that we shall all cordially agree to carry on Caledonia's Interest with Ha●mony Love and Zeal which the Lord of his infinit Mercy grant I rest Your Faithful Monitor Philo-Caledonius Postscript WHilst the foregoing Discourse is under the Press it hath pleased the Holy and Just God to visit this City of Edinburgh with a most Formidable Desolating Fire whereby he speaks unto us Terrible Things in Righteousness and seems amongst our many other Transgre●ions particularly to point at our Remisness and Neglect of the Duties of Humiliation and Fasting and that notwithstanding the Pressing Calls we have had thereto and the Applications likeways that have been made for the same yet the Duties have been hitherto 't is feared both Shamefully and Sinfully Baulked Causes of Fasting are heaped upon us by Burnings at New-Edinburgh and Burnings in Old-Edinburgh one Judgment on the back of another which seems to say That it is more than high time to lay aside our Mistakes and Jealousies and Carnal Politicks and take Shame to our selves and redeem former Neglects by doubling our Diligence in called for Duties lest the Lord be provoked to consume us by yet more Astonishing and Confounding Blows And 't is hoped the Venerable Assembly to whom this Dreadful Conflagration as Trysting with their first Meeting and Day of Prayer hath a very Special Language will make a Grave Remark upon it and a Wise Improvement of it by paying the Debt they owe to God and the Nation in Exciting the whole Kingdom to Repentance and Amendment First Upon the Account of the said Rebuke given to the Land in their Noble and Christian Undertaking Abroad And then Upon Account of the other Moving and Afflicting Providences we Groan under at Home FINIS

resolutely in this Affair for the Lord hath much encouraged you in the way of his Providence to proceed You have lawful Authority on your side King and Parliament have given you Commission and are bound to Protect you as we hope they will against all Opposers You have the Generality of the Nation and all true hearted Scots Men to stand by you none can oppose you wi●hout being Enemies to the Good of their native Countrey Whatever they may pretend they serve a foreign Interest You have been born up under many Difficulties and Discouragements already The Lord wonderfully directed and preserved the first Adventurers and brought them safe to their desired Port few of them all things considered dying by the way They came into a Commodious place abounding in many Advantages and were asfectionatly welcomed by a Kind Harmless and Obliging People In all which we see how favourably the Lord treated us and made plain paths before us And it deserves a grave Remark That whatever Distress hath since come upon our Country-men yet the Lord hath hitherto kept possession for us the Place hath never been totally abandoned tho others would gladly have seised it for themselves And as our just Right cannot be taken away and the place is so impregnable that if we were but willing we may keep it against all the World so the Lord now invites us back and hath kept it for us by hindering any of our Enemies to settle there It may likewise be encouraging that however distant we are in some things from one another yet this Interest seems to be the Center wherein we will all agree and if followed closely may prove a blessed Mean to remove different Sentiments and unite us to God and to one another in the way of Unity and Love 3. All our Chastisements in this Matter are such that we are the more to be excited by them and not to ●e cast down or turn faint in our Duty It is the Lord who is trying us to cause us trust in himself the Living God more than in all Human Wisdom Power or Wealth and drive us near to himself by Humiliation and Reformation by searching and trying our ways that we may turn again unto the Lord. The Removal of the two worthy Ministers was grievous but their Names shall be precious to posterity when others who withstand this design shall leave no good savour their Death 〈◊〉 the Company more then many days Preachings could have done God was kind to them in taking them away before they saw the sad Disaster that befel which would have crushed them The Proclamations seem'd to awaken us to cry to God the less encouragement we had from Men but alas this fervour ●oon relented turned aside unto a wrong course The news of the Colonys Dissipation did grieve but not overwhelm those most nearly concerned Activity hath appeared in speedy supply and application to proper means Greater for remedy Now when all our Troubles and Difficulties have not hitherto totally defeated us Let us not despond but come with penitent sorrow for our Povocations and cry unto God for his Help and Assistance who can make crooked things straight and the Mountains a plain before his People who knows but that yet he may cause us to sing that Song Psal 66. from Ver. 8 to the close 4. Let us be quickened to 〈◊〉 duty from this consideration that the Lord frequently makes way for his extraordinary Kindnesses by some Humbling Dispensations Israel must encamp between Migdol and Baalzephon while the Sea is before them and a bitter Enemy behind them yet this Difpensation must precede the final Overthrow of the Adversary and furnish Matter to the first triumphant Song we have upon Record in Scripture And indeed none should despair of Events who are found in the Lords way when we see Israel meeting with such Obstacles many Years before their Deliverance was compleated and their Divinely Authorized Colonies fixed What have our Troubles been in comparison of what some have met with and overcome in doing great things for their Religion and Countrey were not our first Reformers surrounded with other sort of Dissiculties which they Mastered by Ardent Prayers and Restless Endeavours Did we pray more and Believe more we might yet expect Success notwithstanding standing all that hath befallen us For 5. If we would reflect what Promises God hath made to his People under their Troubles we would not st●d onl● looking to Human Prob●bilities and forget the Encouraging Com●nds and Promises of God 'T is from these Faith gets Strength and puts Vigor into the Soul as the Trumpet excites a Martial Spirit For God not only Displays his Goodness in making the Promises and his Fait●fulness in bringing them about but also his Power Shines in the Way of his A●ting Apply then by Faith the Promises made to the Church and to a Distre●ed People and God will not cast you off 6. The Necessity of the Nation requires you should go on with Vigor The Poor are many and their Straits increase Now if ever we be relieved Trade and Labour must be one great Mean of it and nothing can be done to purpose in this without a Colony Abroad and Manufactures at Home otherwise we shall be still Exporting Money for what we want and Earning none 7. The Deplorable Case of the poor-Pagans Souls cry aloud to us to come over and help them I wish this Motive had prevailed more with us at first and that we had sent them more Effectual Spiritual Relief But let us now mind their Conversion by our Prayers and Endeavours that they may be our Brethren in Christ this would tend to the Honour of our Church and our Peace in the Day of the Lord and the Blessing of these who are ready to perish should come upon us Neither ought it to be forgotten that these poor People by their Kindness to us have exposed themselves to ●e outmost Resentments of the Cruel Spaniards who if they be left Naked and destitute of our Defence will with the greatest Keenness essay to Butche● and exti●pate them 8. It is seldom that ever a Nation and Church hath had such an Opportunity for doing Good put in their hands or been called to so great a Wo●k To God we must be accountable how we imp●ove it And if we do not actively now bestir our selves and fervently apply to him withou● whose Help we can do nothing with what Confidence can we ever go unto him in National Straits again 9. Let us remember the Condition of these who were last sent from us and what need we have to pray that they be not discouraged and quite sunk under perplexing doubts when they find a deserted place in stead of their Friends and prepared accommodations The thoughts of what am●zement must possess them and difficulties they will be under ought to m●ke our Hearts bleed with Sympathy for them Are not our Friends and Countrey-men Gentlemen of Note and Ministers