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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93348	Great Britains misery; with the causes and cure. Described first, as it is from the justice of God the authour, who is now in controversie with the inhabitants of the land for sin: especially for eight capitall crimes, all which are aggravated by sundry circumstances. Secondly, the injustice and malice of the instruments of this misery, Satan and his agents: their main aime, and particular ends, moving them therunto. Vindicating, plainly and fully, (by way of answer to severall objections) the lawfulnesse and necessity of raising arms by the Parliament, and kingdom; for the defence of the King, kingdom, religion, laws, and known rights of the subject: against that viperous generation of papists, atheists, delinquents, and licentious men, who have at once invaded all. ... / By G.S. Gent. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1643 (1643)	Wing S4037; Thomason E250_4; ESTC R212534	90,980	68

cruell beasts Bulls Bears Wolves Dogs Kine of Bashan c. And the Prophet Amos tells them That the Lordhath sworn by his Ames 2. 4. holinesse that he will take them away with hooks and their posterity with 〈◊〉 as such devouring beasts and fishes are taken that bite and devour one another The stronger devour the weaker and greater eat up the lesser So the Prophet J●remiah complained That among the people there were wicked appressing Jer. 5 26. men who set traps to catch men Deceit was in their houses by it they became great and were waxen rich Therefore the Lord will be avenged on such Vers 28. 29. a nation as this Fifthly Murther This is another crying sin And this is committed either The fifth sin Murder by shedding innocent blood or by withholding judgement from the shedders of blood The blood that is shed cryeth loud against both these and ascends into the ears of God It is a sin against nature forbidden long before the Law was given by Moses and it was punished in the first age of the world The Gen. 9. 5. 6. voice of Abels blood cryed upto God from the earth It is expresly commanded Gen 4 11. That the blood shedder shal be delivered to the hands of the avenger of blood the reason is given in Verse 10. That the guilt of innocnet blood lie not upon Deut. 19. 12. the Land If blood lie upon a nation it leaves a stain that cannot be put out except Judgement be executed The guilt of blood may die long upon a nation till men seem to forget it but the Lord will not let it escape punishment If the Magistrates of the Nation do not punish it God will punish the Magistrate and the Nation too Saul slew divers of the Gibeonites causlesly contrary to Josh 9. 15. the Covenant and Oath which Joshua and the Princes of Israel made with them And long after in the dayes of David God sent a famine in the Land 〈◊〉 Sam. 21. 1. three yeers for that sin Till David executed Justice upon the sons of Saul the Gibeonites were but slaves to Saul and all Israel Yet see Gods Justice Sauls sons though of the Royall blood they must die for it God is no respecter of persons Where Judgement is not duely executed by man God will do it with his own hand some other way on whomsoever are guilty Now if Great Britain be guilty of such blood as surely it is then no marvell that God hath whet his glittering sword against us and made his arrows drunk with Deut. 32 41. blood to avenge the bloods of the innocnet and to destroy the withholders of Justice for he will avenge the blood of his servants and render vengeance Verse 43. 2 Kings 24. 4. to his adversaries The Lord sent the Caldecs Syrians Moabites and the children of Ammon against Jehoiakim to avenge the blood that Manasseh had shed in his dayes Though God be patient yet he is just God in Scripture is Psal 9 12. said to make inquisition after blood we see he did for the blood of Naboth which Ahab by Jezebel had shed and made the Dogs to lick the blood of Ahab ● Kings 21. 19. 2 Kings 9. 7. in the same place where they had licked the blood of Naboth and of Jezebelt by the wall of Jezreel and cut off the bloody house of Ahab by the bloody sword of Justice Sixthly Drunkennesse This sin is of a double provocation First it provokes The sixth sin is Drunkennesse Isa 5. 22. 1 Cor. 6. 10. God to wrath as it is a transgression of his law and is by the Apostle excluded from the kingdom of heaven Secondly it provokes men to the breach of every Commandment of God either to the act or guilt of all grosse sins as Murther Whoredom Stealing Lying and Swearing a sin under which the Land mourneth it takes a way the heart from God and inclines it to all wickednesse Wo is the portion of them that follow after strong drink Hos 4. 11. Prov. 23. 29. Isa 5. 11. Verse 22. Joel 15. Deu 29. 19. 20 and to them that are strong to drink strong drink The Prophet Joel awakes the drousie Drunkards and bids them weep and howl But the Drunkard is of all men most fearlesle till the Judgement be upon his head The Drunkard blesseth himself in his sin and sayes he shall have peace though he adde Drunkennesse to thirst Therefore the Lord will not spare us but his Wrath and Jealousie doth sinoak against us at this day God commanded that the father Deut 2● 20. of a Drunkard should bring his son to the Elders and stone him to death The whole nation of the Jews for this sin was carried into captivity and the Prophet Isa 5. 13 14. Neh. 1. 10. speaking of the destruction of Nineve saith While they were drinking as Drunkards they shall be d●●oured as stubble fully dry Belsbazzars kingdom Dan. 5. ● Kings 20. 16 was given from him while he was Drinking and Carousing before a thousand of his Lords Benhadad and thirty two other kings his consederates were all put to flight while they were drinking drunk in their Pavilions Seventhly Whoredom This is a very grievous and an unnaturall sin for The seventh sin is Whoredom 1 Cor. 6. 18. Heb. 13. 4. by it a man sinneth against his own body In all other sins of the second Table a man sins against another but by this a man sins against himself and others too This is a double sin not actually committed but by two as Zimri and Cozby The whoremonger destroyeth two bodies and two souls at once Whoredom Prov. 6. 32. is of two sorts Adultery and Fornication Both are hatefull to God and God hath excluded both from him in heaven and excludeth himself from them upon the earth by separating his servants from them as the Prophet witnesseth O faith he that I had a lodging place in the wildernesse that I might leave Jer. 9 2. my people and go from them for they be all adulterers c. God is far from them as a protectour he will come neer to them in judgement as he threatneth by Mat. 3. 5. the Prophet Josephus saith There is no greater filthinesse then the unlawfull mixture of our bodies The adulterer and the adulteresse were both to be put to Deut 22 22. death by Gods command but this sin reigns by custome and is practised by authority in England as was described by Seneca What woman saith he so Sentc benif l. 3. c. 16. miserable or loathsome that will content herself with one pair of adulterers they are carried to one friend and they dine with another for every day they have one and count the keeping of one Lemman good Wedlock We read that the least punishment that the Egyptians inflicted upon adulterers was to cut off the nose of the woman and the privy parts

GREAT BRITAINS MISERY WITH The Causes and Cure DESCRIBED First as it is from the Justice of God the Authour who is now in controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land for Sin Especially for Eight capitall Crimes all which are aggravated by sundry Circumstances Secondly the Injustice and Malice of the Instruments of this Misery Satan and his Agents Their main aime and particular ends moving them thereunto Vindicating Plainly and Fully By way of Answer to severall Objections The Lawfulnesse and Necessity of Raising Arms by the Parliament and Kingdom For the Defence of the King Kingdom Religion Laws and Known Rights of the Subject Against that Viperous generation of Papists Atheists Delinquents and Licentious men who have at once invaded all Showing The means how to appease Gods flaming wrath and suppresse these insolent disturbers of Britains Peace and destroyers of three late flourishing Kingdoms Also motives to use the Means and Incouragement to beleeve confidently and hope patiently for a seasonable deliverance from our present calamities with severall Reasons or Grounds of assured successe and glorious Sun-shine of Peace and Truth Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardned our hearts c. Ier. 30. 17. I will restore health unto thee I will heal thy wounds saith the Lord c. Pro. 25 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his throne shall be established c By G. S. Gent. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford LONDON Printed for Laurence Chapman and are to be sold at his Shop in Holborn at Chancery Lane end 1643. hands of the builders Thus it is now in the building of Gods Temple Reformation of Religion and of Laws For my self I freely offer my self a labourer to help forward the building willing to bear some burden to the work my will is good my ability is small but I know God will accept a willing minde and expects no more in performance then he hath given strength If with an honest heart I bring but an handfull of Goats hair to the building of Gods Talernacle or with the poor widow cast in my mite into Gods Treasury it shall be accepted with God Upon which assurance I have brought some rough materials not fit to face the Work as those Pieces wrought by men of art and skill but may serve to strengthen the fabrick in some places where they best fit My end is Gods glory my endeavour to satisfie thee if it be possible to undeceive the ignorant who are seduced and to establish the doubtfull that every one to his power may help forward Gods work and cure their own misery Thy misery thou feelest if thou have either estate or sence The Causes are laid down in the following Discourse and that truely without envy or flattery as also the Cure is prescribed which if thou read and read all thy little labour in reading shall sufficiently satisfie my much more labour in writing for it is done for thee It is my Duty to admonish my Brother and will be my Brothers greater Iev 19. 17. Jam. 5. 20. Misery if he refuse admonition My warrant is from Gods Word and Gods Word is also thy precept to hear and avoid sin It is true and I confesse it I am one of the weakest and most unworthy of all Gods Labourers but I am bound to do what I am able Now God requires it of all who expect any inheritance with Gods people My resolution is like that of Esther in the like case If I perish I perish I speak but truth and that for God the King Est 4. 16. his kingdoms and posterities and for the persecuted people and church of God which I am sure is no Treason but Dutie I do it with upright Conscience to God and Loyaltie to the King and if I perish in Gods Work I shall be freed from perishing I passe not for the judgement of mans Day God is the righteous Judge of me and of him who judgeth me If thou accept my endeavour and through Gods blessing it be any advantage to thee lend us thy Prayers who shall ever pray for thee and give the glory to God Thine G. S. Great Britains Misery WITH The Causes and Cure IF it be misery to lie under the afflicting hand of the Almighty God when his Wrath is kindled against a people to consume and to destroy Then is Great Britain miserable now lying under that revenging hand miserably afflicted by a seditious cruell and unnaturall War under which the whole land bleedeth and the inhabitants are daily cut off and consumed Which misery although all men see and feel yet few of all are truely sensible of their misery and that is the greatest of miseries It is true the inhabitants of England and Ireland see the bloody distractions of the Kingdoms and seel the P●sse of their Estates Liberty and Trading Their persons injured their moneys exhausted houses Plundered Towns Corn and Barns burnt Their goods and Cattell taken from them by violence Their friends kinred neighbours and servants slain by the sword c. But this is not all The misery of Great Britain is more as will clearly appear when we consider the causes of it the ends aimed at and neglect of the remedy to cure it He that knows not his Disease seeks not for Cure And Diseases are best known by their Causes being knowne and removed the Cure is not difficult The efficient and first cause of all misery is God And the want of serious God onely is the cause of all misery and due confideration of this That Gods hand is in every affliction augments the Misery and hinders the Cure This very thing is complained of by the Prophet The people saith he turneth not to him that smiteth them nor do they seek the Isa 9 13. Lord of bests But such stupidity hath possessed the most of the inhabitants of Great Britain in this their miserable calamity that although they feel the stroke they consider not whence it cometh nor why it is either as it is from God or as it is from men We see the rod that 〈…〉 not the hand that holds it we 〈◊〉 a● the sma●● as a 〈…〉 and like C●i● complain of the punishment But we seek not God ●hat us We complain of secondary causes and cry out of other mens faults but no man saith of himself What have I done Jer. 8. 6. Some complain of the diversity of opinions in matters of Religion the many Sects and Schisines not suppressed but rather allowed to the great disturbance of the nation overthrow of Order and Government and cause of all these evils and distractions in the Kingdoms Some cond●mn the city of London and say The tumultuous multitudes that daily flockt to Westminster with importunate requests were the cause of all they made the King leave London and flee to York and to get first a guard for the safety of his person a●t●r an army to defend

for the great affaires of the kingdome and besides them we know none nor can acknowledge any other being of Soveraigne and highest power The King only above them in person and Prerogative to call them together as the necessity of the kingdome requires of which they are conservers for the kingdome is not wholly the Kings but the people have See Senec. in Clem. l. 1. c. 19. a propriety The King indeed is the head to defend and preserve the people so it is his to preserve the peace of it but not to destroy it The covenants and conditions made betweene the Kings of England and the people at Kings are bound to keep their covenants with their subjects See Fren. Accad c. 55. of L●●o See Dr. Will. in com 5. and Bish Andrewes ●●de●n their Coronation are as it were annexed to the Crowne and the King in conscience bound to observe and keepe for the peoples good and Parliaments bound in conscience and justice to defend on the peoples behalfe as the people are bound to obey the King for his authority so the King is bound to make good his covenants to the people which he cannot nor may violate without dishonour to God and manifest injury to his people having taken oath to performe and maintaine the same And those rights so reserved to the people they may and ought by the authority of Parliament to defend being assaulted against all opposition I say the people are bound to defend their Lawes Religion lives estates and liberties by the authority of Parliament not that any private man or men may make resistance against the authority of a King private men are bound to obey or suffer the penalty of the Law although the Laws be corrupt and wrested to injustice Thus did many Worthies in this kingdome Many Worthies of this kingdom while they were but private men suffered all penalty of tke Law and against Law both under the government of King James and our now Soveraigne King Charles When oppressed by Loanes Monopolics Ship-money Knighthood-mony and abundance of such unjust taxations though they refused the taxes being contrary to Law and destructive to Parliaments yet they submitted to the censure of Law though the Law was then by a fuger the Judges and handlers of the Law corrupted pronouncing unjust sentences upon which came sinings imprisonments dismembring banishment c. Yet for all this we did not nor might make any resistance all we did was but to make our humble complaints by petitions and humble supplications to his Majesty and especially our prayers to God for redresse that we might be eased of our burdens under which we groaned and some perished taking it as a just scourge from the hand of God for our sins to suffer our Kings to be ruled by a Malignant counsell to oppresse and afflict their loyall people it was one of the judgenents that God threatned against Jerusalem I will give Job 34. 30. children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them the people shall be Esa 3. 4 5. vers 12. oppressed every one by another and women should have rule over them and againe I gave thee a King in mine anger and tooke him away in my wrath an oppressing or ungodly King is the wrath of God upon a Nation otherwise Hos 13. 11. there should be saith reverend Calvine no more said of a King then of a common robber that violently taketh away thy goods and an adulterer See Calv. instit l. 4. c 20. Sect. 25. that defileth thy bed of a murderer that seeketh to kill thee but as he beares the image of God and is the hand of God to afflict though else worthy of no honour he must be had in estimation and honoured and not to be resisted by private men But God hath appointed his times and meanes when and how such unnaturall and oppressing Kings shall be curbed though he use them for a time God appoints times means to deliver his Church to afflict his people he will raise up meanes to afflict them and avenge himselfe upon them for their injustice and deliver his people from their tyranny it is in Gods power to make private men of publike authority and arme them by his owne authority to execute publike justice as he stirred up Moses to deliver his people from the cruelty of Pharaoh by strong hand so Othniel Exod 3. 7. Judg. 3 8 9. Calebs brother to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of Cusban-risbatbim and by Deborah and Barak he delivered them out of the hands of Jabin King of Canaan And he stirred up Gideon for a deliverer of his people who Judg 46. 24. by inspiration first brake downe the Altars cut downe the Groves and spoyled all the idolatry of the idolaters and then gathered a mighty army and Judg 16. 27. Iudg. 7. 37. vers 25. God gave his enemies into his hands by a sinall army of three hundred men and so from time to time when for their sinnes God had afflicted them he stirred them up deliverers armed by his owne authority against Kings the greatest in power saith Calvin subdued the lesser and gave deliverance to his people And by such meanes and in such cases it is lawfull to take up armes against the tyranny of Kings Such deliverers God hath stirred up unto us in England at this day Who This Parliament called by the speciall providence of God can deny but this Parliament was called by the special hand providence of God assisted by the authority of the King by order of his Writs issued forth into all counties to bring them together his Majesties good correspondency with them in the beginning till incensed by Malignant counsell and established by his Majesties own act and is now as we have said before of Soveraigne authority his Majesty having by his Regall act stamped upon them his owne image his great Councell and supreame Court of justice accounted so by all Kings of this kingdome confirmed by the oldest Lawes iterated from generation to generation What their authority is how ancient and of what power is described fully by the zealous and learned Author of that treatise intituled the Soveraigne power of Parliaments and Kingdomes divine Calvin saith of Parliaments that they ought to withstand the outraging licentiousnesse of Kings Nay saith he I affirme that if they winke at Parliaments are bound to withstand the outrage of Kings Calvin in Instit l 4. c. 20. Sect. 32. Kings wilfully raging over and treading downe the poore commonalty their dissembling is not without breach of saith because they deceitfully betray the liberty of the people whereof they know themselves to be appointed protectors by the ordinance of God Then I say if Parliaments are protectors of the peoples liberties much more ought they to protect their Religion and to defend it with the hazard of their dearest blouds against all opposers I remember a story

is absolute without condition except they will confesse and say plainely what we have before alleadged namely that this Act as all these Acts of grace so much boasted of was passed onely to deceive the people and therefore no Act because no Act was meant But this cannot annull the Act it is but like the plea that the Argians made when they had falsified the truce with Cleomenes King of Macedon which they made for seven dayes And the third night after the Argians when the Macedonians were secure fell upon them and said the truce was but for the dayes the nights were not mentioned We know divers such equivocations and Jesuiticall cavils were transported from Spaine by Bristoll and so brought to the Court to counterfeit truth as the Bristoll stone doth the Diamond But now they have a new devise to deceive the people by Proclamation under great shew of justice and tender care of the Subject it is no better then the Foxes Sermon when he meanes to devoure we must obey frothy Proclamations and disobey solid and law full Orders of Parliament we must count By Proclamaron we are ●abid to obey any Vote of parliament the parliament ●●disallowed at Westminster as no parliament but a Oxford where it may beawed it that he accepted the Parliament a Parliament or no Parliament as the Proclamation shall conclude if it remove to Oxford a Parliament if it remaine at Westminster no Parliament at Oxford it may be forced but at Westminster it will be free Therefore while it is at Westminster it is but a pretended Parliament though by the Kings owne Act confirmed during the pleasure of both Houses and necessity of the kingdom yet now we must beleeve that they are traytors and raised an Army to take away the Kings life and to murder the Queene We must beleeve their glosse not the text what they say not what 's true wise men may easily see the snare and passe by We see our misery and the causes of it the cure followes but before we meddle with the cure take notice of an errour in men seeking cure from things that Error in the cure of misery cannot help and that increaseth our misery we have in all our afflictions looked too much to the hand of men as the causes and so for cure and we have trusted to the arme of fiesh to the creature and to outward meanes and consider not that they are vaine all things under the Sun saith Salomon are vanity and vanity of vanities not able to keepe themselves from misery much lesse can they helpe us or cure our misery When God hath as formerly afflicted us with pestelince we have attributed it to outward causes corruptayre ill diet c. and sought cure by medicines or fly from infected places to escape it When God sent great droughts or extraordinary raine which hath smit the fruits of the earth we have beene ready to ascribe it to the conjunctions of Planets and to naturall causes and from thence have expected remedy When we have had rumours of any forraine enemy by invasion we have trusted to our seas and shipping and our great preparations by Land When we were afflicted by oppressions taxations and crrruption in justice we ascribe the cause to the discontinuance of Parliaments and seeke to Parliaments for cure thus we have looked to the arme of flesh in all In our great and long afflictions under cruell task-masters and heavy burdens laid upon us we cryed undo the Parliament to ease and helpe us but we were not thankfull to God that miraculously gave us a Parliament nor sought unto God by prayer to blesse our Parliament to us and make our Parliament a meanes to cure us but we sought unto the Parliament earnestly by We look upon Parliaments as gods not as Gods means to deliver us Petitions from every part of the kingdome as if they were our gods and because they cannot helpe us as we desire we murmure against God and against them as the stubborne rebellious Israelites did against Moses and Aaron in the Wildernesse because they enjoyed not presently what they looked for they wish they had died in Egypt rather then to be brought into the Wildernesse to be a prey to the enemies c. So we because we have not present cure of our misery we wish we had no Parliament we complaine that our burdens are greater and our misery much more increased and better with us when we were in our former bondage this was the Israelites sinne and is ours for this sinne their carcasses fell in the Wildernesse for forty yeares and they never see the good land of promise And for this sinne many of us have fallen and more will surely fall except we repent and shall never see the day of our deliverance nor cure of our misery because our hearts have not beene prepared 2 Chron. 20. 33. 2 Chro. 12. 14. to seeke God We have sought to our Parliament and vanity was there because we would not see God in it we have sought to our King and vanity was there too we have sought to our Armies trusted in the strength of our men and horse and glorious preparations as if that could cure all and vanity is writ in the face of all these things We looked to Holland to befriend All the helpe looked for from any creature is vanity Eccles 1. 14. us and upon our Brethren the Scots to come to our helpe And behold vanity is found in all our hopes All creatures are vanity we prove the words of the Preacher true in all for all is vanity and vexation of spirit When God for the sin of his people Israel sent unexpected terrible thunder and lightning amongst them they cried to Samuel to pray for them Samuel bids them not to turn aside to 1 Sam 12. 21. follow after vaine things which saith he cannot profit nor deliver for they are vaine all are like Jobs friends miserable comforters as a stasse of reed on which Job 16. 2. 2 King 28. 21. if a man leane it will breake and pierce his hand all these things will fersake us leave us in our misery they shall wander every one to his quarter none shall Esa 41. 15. Psal 60. 11. Psal 62. 9. Psal 31. 6. save thee vaine is the helpe of man faith holy David and why because men of lov degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie Therefore saith he I have hated them that trust in lying vanities but I will trust in the Lord God is our refuge and our strength a very present helpe in time of trouble The righteous Psal 40. 1. Psal 34. 17. cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their trouble God will helpe the righteous when they cry unto him He and he onely gives ability to Parliaments turnes the hearts of Kings prospereth Armies and stirreth up friends to helpe God is the true helper all

that he hath increased their misery when lesser judgements would not humble them he brought greater till they were destroyed take a view Gods dealing with his people An example of Gods dealing with his own chosen people the Iewes Levit. 26. 17. Israel see first what he threatned to Israel and observe his justice in inflicting all that he had threatned because they repented not he threatned to bring upon them diseases sicknesse terrours c. if yet they would not hearken and repent he threatens to punish them seven times more breake their pride their power make the heaven Iron and the earth brasse if yet this would not serve but that they would still walke contrary to God he saith he would walk contrary to them and bring seven times greater plagues upon them according to their sinnes if that would not bring them to repentance and reformation Verse 21. he would bring the sword and avenge the quarrell of his Covenant Verse 25. send Pestilence and deliver them into the hands of their enemies make them eate the flesh of their sonnes and of their daughters destroy all their false worship and my soule shall abhorre you he threatneth to make their Cities Verse 33. waste and bring their Sanctuaries to desolation and scatter them among all the heathen Now aske but the sad stories of Jerusalem Iudeth and all Israel if all that Lam. 1. 4. Psal 137. Sec Iosep in war Iewes l 2. cb 13. was threatned came not upon them to the uttermost and all for their unbeleese and Impenitencie witnesse the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah the mournefull weeping Elegies by the Rivers of Babylon see Iosephus sad story of their misery when by seditious warre they robbed and spoyled all their Countrey and tooke away their goods under colour of justice and they that had not to satisfie their covetous desires were abused and imprisoned and the wicked seditious malignants within the City of Ierusalem set fire of the City burnt and destroyed their Magazines consumed men and meanes to support themselves against the enemie fill their streetes and the temple War Jew 1. 6. c. 1. c. 15. with dead bodies and no man reverencing the living nor burying the dead one sort of the living was desperately wicked the other driven to be wretchedly carelesse through dispaire Then extreame famine brake in upon them that men and women reeled like them that are drunke by extreame faintnesse and were glad if they could War Iewes l. 7. c. 7. 8. get the worst of excrements to eate and accounted mouldy hay and the lether of their targets good food yea women eate their owne children and were at last destroyed by their enemies their temple burnt with fire and their Cities defaced and layde desolate to this day and nothing left but a spectacle of pittie and an example to all others to take heed of Impenitencie and unbeleefe The threatnings denounced against them doe all belong to us our sinnes at this day are the same that theirs was we have had as many warnings as ever All the threatnings to the Iewes and the examples of Gods wrath upon them belong to us Luk. 13. 3. Rom. 11. 21. they had our mercies have beene no lesse then theirs and Gods hand hath been long streatcht out against us by easier judgements from time to time and may we not assuredly expect to be destroyed as they are thinke not that they were greater sinners I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish if God have cast off his owne people will he spare us they were the naturall branches we as the Apostle teacheth but the wild Olive grasted in What could God have done more for a people then he hath done for us what could he have done to his vineyard that he hath not done for England he hath fenced it about planted it with the choycest Vine built a tower in the midst of it Esay 5. 2. 4. and made a wine Presse therein c. He hath dressed digged and dugged it as he did the figge tree and waited many yeeres for fruite that fruite of repentance and reformation but England miserable England is yet fruitlesse What can England expect but that fearefull and last sentence Cut it down● Luk. 13. 7. Esay 9. 14. God is now striking at the roote and will surely cut off branch and roote in one day Consider it ye people men and Brethren of England Scotland and Ireland you that are called by Gods Name you that are Protestants you that have Gods people must repent seek God or the Kingdome must perish Lam. 3. 29. knowne the wayes of God have given your names to be Christs and are in covenant with your God repeut turne from your evill wayes renew your Covenant of God prostrate your selves in all humilitie before God throw your faces in the dust and cry mightily to God who is mercifull and ready to forgive your iniquities transgressions and sinnes God yet hath spared you an oportunity he yet stands at the doore and knockes our day is not yet ended our sunne is not quite set there is still a moments time in our hand blesse Rev. 3. 20. God for that mercy and make present use of it let not God depart from you Wrestle with him like Jacob strive with him like Moses and speedily repent with Nenevie Nenevie had forty dayes given her we have had more than forty yeeres and are not sure of one day more than this present day yet there is Iona. 3. ● hope in Israel if we will repent God is able to prevent we have his owne promise from his owne mouth in answere to the prayer of Solomon if my people which are called by my Name shall humble their selves and pray and seeke my face and turne from their evill wayes then will I heare in heaven and will forgive 2 Chro 7. 14. their sin and beale their land here is the promise and the condition doe you but your parts and God will assuredly performe his promise to the full and will establish your peace and truth in despight of warre and falshood in whose hands or hearts soever they be cherished God will purge the land from Popery and Annabaptisme with all erronious sects and establish his Church in doctrine and Discipline according to his owne heart let me say to you as Iehosaphat once said to the people of Iudea and Ierusalem beleeve the Lord you God and beleeve his Word and Prophets and so shall 2 Chro. 20. 10. you prosper You ministers people of the most high God throw your selves before the God of heaven and make your supplications to him as Hezekiah 2 King 19. 14. did when Rabsheca blasphemed cry to him as Eliah did to shew himself let our enemies curse we will blesse let them blaspheme we will pray let 1 King 18. 37. them mumble Pater Noster and Ave Maryes numbring

the land Ashur keepes about the Sea shoare hoping well that he should partake of the liberty Neuters in the quarrells of God as well as they that fought for it if they could prevaile but will not stirre a foote from his place to helpe them But Meroz a City adjoyning considered the enemie was mighty and he could not goe to assist but with eminent danger they thought many of them must loose their lives in the battle and besides if they were not able to overcome they should fare the worse for their medling therefore Meroz resolves to sit still a Newter he would neither be with nor against none shall know his minde he can excuse himselfe well enough to his brethren if they prevaile if Iabin prevaile hee 'l finde the more favour but it seemes the cowardly basenesse of all these discouraged the worke insomuch that Barack doubted of his strength and would not goe Iudg. 4. 8. Iudg 5. 15. against Sisera except Deborah the Prophetesse would venture her selfe to goe with him and this caused great thoughts of heart among all the rest and much searchings what they were best to doe but God that needs no helpe of man holds up their courage and did his owne worke to the greater glory God needs no helpe of man yet he requires mans obedience of his power for it is all one with God to save with few as with many this was Asas confidence therefore when there came an Army against him of a thousand thousand he cryed to God Helpe us O Lord our God for we rest in thee and in thy Name we goe against this multitude the same Ionathan sayd to 2 Chro. 14. 11. his Armour bearer who beleeved it and was incouraged and with his eyes 1 Sam. 14. 6. 15 presently see it made good for they two alone put the whole Host of the Philistimes to flight and indeede God seldome delivers his servants by much strength of men but when great preparations have beene made he doth the worke by a few as he did by Gideons Army of three hundred yet God takes God takes notice who are forward in his cause and who not and accordingly rewards them Iudg. 5. 23. Num. 16. 3● Meroz quite destroyed as Corah and his company The people are bound to assist the Parliament Iudg. 6. 35. Iudg. 7. 5. 3. Iudg. 7. 24. Iudg. 20. 11. 18. notice who is for him and who not and accordingly rewards them therefore he cursed Meroz with a bitter and irrevokeable curse because they came not out to the help of the Lord to shew their willingnesse to fight the Lords battels against the mighty it seemes their curse was much like that of Corah Dathan and Abiram when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and all that appertained to them not leaving so much as one to tell who hurt them onely their fearefull example is left upon divine record for terrour to all Cowards and Newters in the cause of God as commendations of Zebulon and Nepthal● for incouragement of his people to all ages for hence take notice that when God stirres up a deliverer to a people the people are bound to assist them and to obey their commands in assembling themselves in their just defence against their enemies thus they did at Gideons command in greater number than needed by above nine and twenty thousand So when some of the Tribes of Benjamin had committed horrible wickednesse and the rest of that Tribe would not suffer them to be proceeded in justice against all the other Tribes gather together as one man before God to battle against Benjamin and when the warre was ended inquirie was made whether any were wanting that appeared not at the assembly and it was found that the men of Iabish Gilead were not there therefore Iudg 4. 8. 21. they all agreed to send twelve thousand men to destroy them of Iabish Gilead Great Britaine hath beene for their sinnes against God long afflicted under great oppressions and cruelty and at this day more then ever we all cryed under the weight of our burdens long agoe but not to God yet God hath stirred up deliverers to us and we that is a great number reject them English neuters neglect God and the means of deliverance and cherish them they should destroy and have disserted God therefore our misery is increased and we justly given up to sordid stupidity selfe-afflictors defenders of them that afflict and destroy us oppressing Monopolizers Patentees Papists and seditious robbers neglecting God and our deliverers appointed by him opposing the meanes of deliverance as if we were ambitious to leave our children and posterities in established slavery bond-slaves to mercilesse men for ever The sonnes of Anack that hinder our felicity and act our misery which we ought to destroy we cherish and defend O fearefull condition The emblem of ruine and procurter of their own destruction let Meroz and Iabish-Gilliad be their ensample as in action so in punishment and as Seneca saith Let Histories tell their infamy and register them to be hated to posterities ●●●ca in 〈◊〉 lib. 1. cap. 〈◊〉 as those who had better never been borne then to be born for a publick misery Most wretched cruell and detestable men not worthy to live and sure it is that insolent cruelties beget everlasting hatred and therefore bring continuall and gauling terrour in conscience which hastens an evill death and therefore an ancient said well that an old Tyrant is seldome seene their actions call for destruction and it hastneth as their blasphe●●ie murther rapine treasons c. Char. wisd are increased to fill up the measure of their iniquitie and then he that cloathed himselfe with cursing cursing shall enter into his bowels like water and like Oyl● I● 109. 18. into his bones then the sword that the wicked have drawne to slay such as be of upright conversation shall enter into their owne heart and their bow shall be broken Psal 37. 14 15. 〈◊〉 wo things doe hinder deliverance ●●e these places Eze 33. 11. Jer. 51. 13. Math. 23. 32. Gen. 15. 16. Two things doe hinder Britaines deliverance and a while continue our misery First the want of Repentance in Gods people the afflicted Secondly the filling up the measure of iniquitie of the wicked and impenitent the afflictors if Gods people would hasten to perfect the one as fast as the Cavaliers hasten to fill up the other Britaines deliverance would be speedy Although no man can know the minde of God and what he is about to doe nor what change he will shortly make in the world for his wayes are hidden and his footestepts be not knowne yet we can beleeve so much as he We cannot know when God will deliver us yet we know he will deliver us Acts 1. 7. reveales to us either by his Word or by his Workes of Providence we cannot know when he will