proof of the Point 3. To bring all home to our selves in an effectual Application 1. For the first of these Consideration in general It is a deliberate serious Act of the practical part of mans Vnderstanding Explication whereby he reflects and museth upon both his own Actions and Gods Dispensations and by comparing the one with the other in the Court of Conscience and according to the Rule of Gods holy Will revealed in his Word he draws up Conclusions against himself and secretly takes up good Resolutions to justifie God and to repent and reform himself 2. As for the Subject matter of it it may be considered either more generally or more specially More generally the subject matter of our Consideration should be the visible causes and consequences of things the evident Outgoings of God in the world and the present Operations of his hands and that both more privately as to our selves as well as more publickly as to the Church and State where we live all things indeed that happen either to our selves or others that we are any way related unto whether casually and accidentally so far as we can see or by an apparent hand of Providence More specially in the day of adversity the time here specified in my Text the Subject matter of our Consideration should be these five things following 1. The Affliction it self the Evil Disaster or Visitation whatever it be that is befalne us 2. The Author and the Dispenser of it 3. The Ground or the procuring and Meritorious Cause of it 4. The End or the minde and meaning of God therein 5. The good way and means that we are to use that so it may be removed from us or at least we may have it sanctified to us I content my self with the bare naming of these things here in the Explication because I intend to inlarge my self to the full upon them in the Application 3. Now the two Circumstances of most convenient Time and Plâ—ce follow And 1. For Place though it be indifferent in respect of God whether it be in the field with Isaac or in the house with Daniel at home or abroad walking or sitting yet I conceive that a solitary and a Place set apart for pious purposes is the most proper and fit for this Exercise And such in particular are our own private Walks and Closets to which our Saviour himself directs us Matth. 6.6 Or else the publick House of Gods Worship which (f) Heb. 10.24 25. St. Paul would have us frequent for this purpose according to the example of King David Psal 27.4 And then 2. For Time the Lords Day in particular is the most proper time in the Week and ordinarily calls upon us as well as those Solemn Days of Fasting and Humiliation do in extraordinary manner put us in minde of this duty But though it must be chiefly intended on those Holy-dayes yet it must not be neglected on other days but some time convenient must be set apart for this good work every day As for the hour or precise space of time in the day each mans own Experience must instruct him and his Occasions direct him whether to take the golden hour of the Morning when he is most fresh free from distraction and fittest for Meditation And thus (g) Gen. 28.16 Jacob did Or the still hour of the Evening when he hath ended his labours which was (h) Gen. 24.63 Isaacs time Or the middest of the day which was (i) Acts 10.9 St. Peters Or else any other part of the day if not all three which as it appears were holy Davids and devout Daniels (k) Psal 55.19 Dan. 6.10 hours of devotion I mention here these two Circumstances of Time and Place because I know them to be very usefull and necessary helps and furtherances for all such as desire to perform this duty to purpose I mean so as to reap benefit and comfort by it For to say nothing of the natural aversness and indisposition of our own hearts to this good work nor yet of Satans subtil suggestions and secret opposition whereby he strives to keep us back or at least interrupt and take us off from it such and so great are most mens hinderances and distractions so many are the Obstructions and Obstacles that they meet with partly through multiplicity of business their worldly employments at home and abroad partly through the mutability of their mindes and dispositions with the instability of their affections and roving Fancies that unless some convenient Times and Places be set a part for the exercise of it it is very likely to be performed but sleightly and superficially unconstantly and unprofitably nay perhaps not at all by them There is as the (l) Eccl. 3.1 Wise man tells us an appointed Time for every thing else and shall then so weighty so concerning a Duty as this have no share in it which yet might justly challenge our attendance upon it at all times And as for some certain and set place 't is likewise as necessary because we shall finde the least and fewest Impediments there where we are most accustomed to draw neer to God either in Reading Prayer or Meditation Our (m) John 18.1 2. with Luk. 22.39 40. Saviour himself I am sure took this course and also used his Disciples to it and then well may we follow his and their example as an excellent means to make us both more carefull and constant in the performance of holy duties 1. I say carefull as to the manner sanctè magìs quà m scitè as he †Seneca says well in regard we have now placed our selves in the presence of God and are come to converse and make our addresses immediately to Him who is The searcher of the heart 2. Constant as to the Matter the revolution of time being a certain Remembrancer of the duty the wilful the negligent or excusatory omission whereof when the prefixed time is come is that which occasions the great unfitness and indisposition that many complain of And so I have done with the Explication Confirmation the Confirmation now follows and the Reasons of the Point are three Reas 1 1. Because To lay things seriously to heart and religiously to consider in the day of Adversity is the most proper Answer and Eccho to Gods correcting angry hand and that spiritual improvement which He expects that we should make of His chastising us The Lords voyce cryeth unto the City says the (n) Micah 6.9 Prophet and the man of Wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Whence we may gather that as God speaks to men by his Word even so He seems to call out and cry to them by the Voyce of his Rod And the principal end in the first place is to make them listen stand still and consider what is his minde and meaning thereby It is observable in that excellent Prayer of King Solomons at the
doth not not Consider Yea hence it is that though life and death good and evil as (d) Deut. 30.15 Moses speaks are set before us and put to our choice yet the generality of people in the world live as persons not at all concerned whether there be a God or no an Heaven or an Hell eternal Joyes or everlasting Torments So that a serious consideration is very good and necessary for us even at all times but the most proper season for it as Solomon tells us is the time of affliction In the time of Adversity Consider Whence the point of Doctrin that offers it self to our Consideration is this Doct. That when Gods Judgements are in the Earth and the sad tokens of his displeasure appear against a Person or a Nation then it 's a proper season for them seriously to lay things to heart and wisely to consider The guise and custom of all Atheistical Epicures and graceless Worldlings is quite contrary who when any crosses disasters or losses are in judgement inflicted upon them do not retire into their Closets and there enter into a serious meditation of the matter communing with their own hearts and considering who it is that smites them and for what but either with Cursing Oaths and Execrations they break forth into repining and murmuring against Gods dispensations towards them which many times end in Despair or else they run to the Tavern or Alehouse that so in the jovial company of good fellows they may drown the sense of all sorrow and care and thwart and non-plus if it be possible the end and design of God in punishing them His good end certainly was to humble them and reclaim them from their iniquities but they listen not to the voyce of his Rod but in laetitiam luxum prosiliunt resolve to take their full swinge in voluptuousness saying (e) Wisd 1.6 7 8 9. Let us eat and drink and enjoy the good things of this life let us Crown our selves with Rose-buds and leave tokens of our mirth and jollity in every place This is the common deportment and practice of the ungodly in time of adversity And this they are either betrayed into by their own deceitful vile carnal hearts or else they are byassed by the great and general custom of the world or else they are prompted to it by Satan who knows full well that a due and serious Consideration would take them from him and make them quickly renounce and abhor all wicked wayes And therefore it is that he doth still with all his might and subtilty strive to divert and disswade them from it as a most childish sad and dumpish melancholy course which probably may endanger their health but can otherwise do them no good Whereby it appears that the more necessary any Duty is the more opposite Satan and our false carnal hearts are thereunto For there is not a more advantagious usefull and profitable nor a more excellent heavenly and acceptable Duty as I shall shew more fully hereafter for a good Christian to be exercised in at all times and upon all occasions in all estates and conditions especially in the day of adversity than this of a serious Consideration And therefore it is that Almighty God commends it unto us so much in Scripture as a singular means to help and direct us how to steer our courses aright as Deut. 32.29 Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Psal 4.4 Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own hearts and be still Prov. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established and Hag. 1.5 7. Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes In which remarkable place the Adverb Now and Conjunction Therefore plainly point out the Time and Occasion when and wherefore God required them to practise this duty of Consideration The Children of Israel being brought home to Jerusalem again out of their long Captivity in Babylon were exceeding backward and negligent in their carrying on the work and building of the House of the Lord. Forward enough it seems they were to erect and prepare sumptuous buildings and neat habitations for themselves the Prophet calls them cieled Houses v. 4. but the house of the Lord they let that lye waste pretending forsooth v. 2. that it was not a fit time yet to doe it This was their Crime Now the Judgment which God inflicted upon them for it was that of Famine as v. 6 9 10 11. Ye looked for much and lo it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it and why saith the Lord of Hosts because of mine House that is waste and ye run every man to his own house Therefore the Heaven over you is stayed from dew and the Earth is stayed from her fruit And I called for a drought upon the Land and upon the Mountains and upon the Corn and upon the new Wine and upon the Oyl and upon that which the ground bringeth forth and upon Men and upon Cattel and upon all the labour of the hands Surely a deplorable sad and most miserable state and condition And what is now the duty that God the great Physician of Souls puts them upon here by the Prophet and that both in order to a speedy and thorow Reformation of themselves as well as for the happy procuring of his loving kindness and gracious reconciliation towards them Why it is nothing but this Consider your wayes A duty which the Prophet Haggai seems to look back upon as an Instar omnium and therefore it is observable that he presseth no other duty upon them in the whole Prophecy Neither doth he content himself to deliver his Message authoritativè with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. thus saith the Lord of Hosts as here in this Chapter but again afterwards to inforce the same he earnestly prayes and intreats them to fall upon the speedy performance of it as Chap. 2. v. 15. to 20. Which frequent inculcation of the Precept serves to teach us two things by the way 1. The strange stupidity of the People in that they were no more affected with those manifest marks and tokens of Gods indignation no though he had snatched their very Meat out of their mouths And then 2. The great necessity of the Duty in times of distress So that when Gods Judgments are in the Earth and the sad tokens of his displeasure appear against a Person or Nation then its a proper season for them seriously to lay things to heart and wisely to consider In the prosecution of this Point I do intend to proceed in this method Method 1. By way of Explication to acquaint you with the Nature of the Duty in general as also the Subject matter thereof touching withall a little upon the two great Circumstances of most convenient Time and Place 2. By way of Confirmation to subjoyn some Reasons for the
spirit for men to grow secure in sin and not learn righteousness when as Gods judgements are in the earth and his hand of Vengeance is stretched forth not with a scourge of Cords but Scorpions to punish and plague them for their iniquities This is a sign of desperate wickedness and the principal cause I verily believe why the judgments of God in this present fore Visitation are * Septemb. 6. 1665. still so long and severely executed upon us and his wrath seems daily still to wax hotter and hotter against us The Lord God of heaven be graciously pleased to touch our hard hearts and make us sadly reflect upon it Remember I pray you that terrible Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel concerning Jerusalem which both in respect of the cause and effects of Gods indignation seems too too applicable at this time to this populous City of London The cause of Gods anger you will find was that which we must now needs confess our selves to be guilty of viz. The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah which was grown exceeding great the City being full of perversness and practical Atheisme For they stuck not to say the Lord hath forsaken the Earth tush God seeth not Chap. 9.9 And for the Effects London and Jerusalem England and Israel may shake hands as v. 10. Quapropter etiam ego c. Therefore as for me also saith the Lord Mine eyes shall not spare neither will I have pity but I will recompense their way upon their head And you will find He did it much in the same manner that He doth even now amongst us For the Six Executioners v. 2. that He sent forth with slaughtering weapons in their hands they had a strict charge and Commission given them v. 5 6. to goe after the Man Cloathed in Linnen with the Writers Inkhorn by his side and kill and destroy all before them Let not your eye spare sayes he neither have ye pity but slay utterly old and young both Maids and little Children and women and save none but onely those that your Forerunner hath marked in their Foreheads And those were but a small remnant that did seriously lay things to heart and sigh and mourn for all the abominations that were done among them v. 4. Think I beseech you upon this sad Vision and I hope it may be an effectual means to to rouze and awake you all out of your sinfull carnal security and for the future make you Consider consider I mean how the Case stands betwixt God and your own Souls consider your latter end and the things that concern your eternal peace lest they be hid from your eyes And then again Branch 2. as it serves to reprove and condemn carnal security on the one hand So on the other to rebuke and correct that undue and dangerous affection of overmuch fearfulness and despondency which too too many of both Sexes but women especially are by nature inclinable to 'T is true indeed our utmost Wisdom and Discretion and all possible care is necessary both for the preventing and for the avoyding of danger But I know nothing more unseasonable nor many times of more dangerous consequence than a desponding Principle of Fear and apprehensive imagination The effects whereof as we all find by frequent experience and observation strangely sometimes prove destructive and deadly to those which otherwise were placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of all probable reach of danger Now if you inquire what may be the Cause and what also the Cure of this unhappy Infirmity I answer briefly The Cause may be either 1. Causes of fearfulness A Natural inclination to Fearfulness Or else 2. Want of Faith and Resolution because people are not animo praesenti they do not carry their lives in their hands that so they might be ready and willing to lay down the same and chearfully resign them up when God shal please Or else 3. A consciousness to themselves of their unfitness and unpreparedness at present to dye and to appear before God in Heaven Or else 4. A dreadfull apprehension of the great pain and terror of death and that perhaps as to the Manner and kind of death as well as the Matter their corporal dissolution Or lastly 5. A frightfull foresight and self-condemning Meditation upon that which ensues after Death Judgement to come the (h) Act. 24 25. reasoning and discoursing whereof by St. Paul made Felix tremble Some or all these things before mentioned are I conceive the causes of this Passion in People Remedies against it And now for the perfect and certain Cure and remedy thereof I know nothing in the whole world comparable to the due exercise of this great Duty of Consideration As 1. That there is nothing comes to pass without the permission and knowledge of God nothing indeed befals us by chance but the most casual and accidental contingences events and consequences howsoever we may think or judge of them are over-ruled and steered and guided in a determinate manner by His Providence which is the great Weight and Plumbet as it were that sets and keeps all the Wheels a going whether bigger or lesser in the vast Clock the whole Fabrick of Nature Insomuch that nothing is done without it not so much as a (i) Mat. 10.29 30. sparrow falls on the ground no nor an hair from any of our heads without it Now this one thought and consideration naturally prompts us all to submission and self-resignation and also affords us matter of comfort and consolation First it prompts us all to submission forasmuch as He is the great Creator and Governour of all things the ever blessed and only Potentate our Lord Paramount and absolute Sovereign whose we are by the right of Creation Redemption and Preservation too And therefore if it be but civil and reasonable as we say to give men leave to do what they will with their own We may well be content to allow the same Priviledge to The Almighty and rest well satisfied with his good Will and Pleasure in all things Who knows far better what is good for us than we our selves Thus did David 2 Sam. 12.18 20. and likewise old Eli 1 Sam. 3. Where when he heard what terrible things were decreed against his house and posterity enough to make both the ears of every one that should hear them to tingle vers 11. He neither repined nor murmured against it but only said like a meek good Man Jehovah est c. 〈◊〉 is the Lord let Him do what seemeth him good vers 18. And thus lastly did our Saviour who though as Man He could not but wish and pray that (k) Mat. 26.39 42. Luk. 22.42 the bitter cup of his approaching Death and Passion might pass from him Yet Non mea sed fiat voluntas tua says He not my will but thy blessed will be done And then secondly it also affords us matter of comfort and consolation and that in
aforetime were written for our learning and that these things are our examples to the end that we should not tempt and provoke God as others have done by the commission of these gross sins to infflict this most dreadful Judgment upon us But yet forasmuch as Gods anger hath been of late and still is stretched out against us this way in an extraordinary severe manner We may therefore be sure that it is for some or other of the aforesaid iniquities which we of this sinful Nation in general and this populous City in particular epidemically my meaning is for the major part stand guilty of that this unpaâ—â—llel'd and sore Visitation is laid upon us To expiate which Oh that there were such truly ingenuous tender and honest hearts in every one of us that in our Confessions and Deprecations we might deal as faithfully and impartially betwixt God and our own Souls as the sacred Penmen of Scriture have done in declaring the sins and provocations of Gods people and His severe punishments and Judgments upon them for the same For r 1 Cor. 10.11 all those things happened unto theâ— for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come The Authors opinion why this sore judgement is now laid upon us If any of you expect and desire that I should here now declare my Opinion for which of the forementioned sins I conceive it is that this sore Judgment is laid upon us though I know such desires are commonly made out of design that people may know how to affect and fancy the Preacher yet I shall not scruple very briefly and plainly to give you my judgment viz. That I do not think that it is for ends or that one Sin in particular but rather for them all As it 's true with St. James That s Jam. 3.2 in many things we offend all so here it may also as truly be said that in all these things I mean the forenamed Capital Crimes we offend too too many For which of the six can we instance in of which there are not many amongst us that must needs confess themselves guilty Give me leave to make some short reflections upon them severally and then I shall leave you all to judge Now in this disquisition I shall observe a retrograde Motion beginning with that which I ended with when I named them before that so the first may be last and the last may be first 1. In the first place then for the foul Sin of Fornication and uncleanness may not Almighty God bring the same charge against many very many of this City and Nation that He sometimes brought against the inhabitants of Jerusalem and many of the Jews t Jer. 5 7 8 â— When I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses they were as fed Horses in the morning every one neighed after his Neighbours wife And what then follows Now how shall I pardon thee for this Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this And then 2. Secondly for that provoking and unpardonable Sin of Idolatry You must know it is twofold either visible and external in reference to the Body or else spiritual and internal in reference to the Soul Now though I hope and believe that there are few or none amongst us so notoriously wicked as to be guilty of the former I mean to contrive and make to themselves graven Images and then fall down and worship them as Gods unless it be some of the most wretched and grossest sort of Papists yet I doubt there are too too many amongst us guilty of the latter spiritual and internal Idolatry For you must note 1. That that is every mans God or Idol which his heart is most of all set upon Now if it be not the only true God but wrong objects he is ipso facto guilty of Idolatry Thus the sottish Winebibber and gluttonous Epicure may be justly called Idolaters because they * Phil. 3.19 make their belly their God but †Isai 5.12 they regard not the works of the Lord neither consider the operations of his hands Thus also the wretched Worldling and covetous Mammonist who x Job 31.24 maketh gold his hope and trusteth in the multitude of his riches is a plain Idolater as the Apostle y Col. 3.5 calls him because he makes an Idol of his wealth And thus lastly He that trusteth in man more than in God is a meer Idolater and accursed before God because he z Jer. 17.5 maketh flesh his arm and his heart departeth from the Lord. And then 2. To think amiss and otherwise of God than He is represented unto us in his holy Word this again is Idolatry * Quia sculptile constatile reor dogmata esse perversa quae ab his quibus facta sunt adorantur Hier. Because a perverse and wicked opinion of God is no less then a graven Image says St. Jerome And therefore both he and St. Augustine agree that Usque hodie in Templo Dei c. i. e. even to this very day there are many amongst us that set up Idols in the Church of God when men in their hearts minds conceive and feign and new erroneous and unworthy opinions especially concerning the Persons of the blessed Trinity Now whether many amongst us may not be thought guilty of this kind of Idolatry is easie to imagine And then let such know that they cannot clear nor acquit themselves from having a hand in pulling down this present heavy Judgement upon us 3. Thirdly For slighting and contemning the Ordinances of Christ and particularly the Neglect or at least profanation of and abusing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Never was Generation of men professing Christianity in any Age or part of the world more guilty of this than those that still are and of late years have been the greatest Pretenders to extraordinary Zeal and Devotion strictness and Reformation amongst us And hence it is that when Times and Dayes are solemnly appointed for the celebration of that Sacrament though serious warnings and earnest Exhortations are used by us the Ministers of Jesus Christ to perswade and prepare people for a worthy a comfortable and a frequent participation of the sacred Elements there exhibited viz. the blessed Body and Blood of Christ yet you shall finde few or none of that Faction and party affording their presence As if they had never read nor heard of or at least were resolved not to believe nor regard those words of our Saviour b Joh. 6 53 54 55. Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day
censorious Fancies of others who being byassed by their affections and inclinations their novel and corrupt Principles and Perswasions their self-love and interest are ready hypocritically and subtilly to justifie themselves but politickly and maliciously to cast all the Odium they can upon others And hence it is that you hear some mutter and murmure that it is for the Sins of the Court especially that this fore Judgement is layd upon us Others whisper that the fault is chiefly in the Bishops and Clergy who have neither the Way nor Faculty themselves to please the generality of the people by their Preaching and Divine Service nor yet will permit others whom they could fancy to exercise their Gifts in their Churches and Pulpits And a third sort cry out that it is because they are persecuted as they pretend and are not suffered as in the late Olivarian dayes to enjoy their beloved Liberty of Conscience as they call it I shall not tread in the steps of these Persons or Parties and with them positively and peremptorily conclude and determine that this or that particular thing these or those Persons are the provoking and meritorious Causes of our unparallel'd Visitation but to prevent all mistakes and errours in so nearly concerning an Inquiry and Discovery I shall steer my course by the Compass only of Gods holy Word and make that alone my Conduct and Pilot untill we be past these most dangerous shelves and quick sands In Scripture then where the sacred Pen-men are never found to balk either themselves or others but quite contâ—ary to the humour of many in these our dayes that think so highly and well of themselves are alwayes wont faithfully to record and reveal yea even aggravate rather than conceal and extenuate the grossest Errours and Câ—â—â—â— of those whether Princes Prophets Priests or People that have provoked the Almighty to wrath studying it seems most of all to give due honour and glory to Gods holy Name howsoever they took shame to themselves In Scripture I say I find even Kings and Princes themselves arraigned at the Barre of Gods Justice as well as their Subjects and sometimes the blame layd upon the one and sometimes upon the other for h Acts 10.34 He is no respecter of Persons for provoking the Lord by some special sins to inflict this sore Judgement upon his People And yet neither of them pleading Non-guilty to the Accusation and Charge drawn up against them by the Holy Ghost but confessing their Crimes and humbling themselves in dust and ashes that by Prayer and Fasting they might obtain pardon The special Sins mentioned in Scripture Sins of Princes that have occasioned the Plague whereby Kings and Princes have provoked God to pour out the Vials of his wrath in this manner they are only two to my best remembrance Pride and Blasphemy First Pride of heart which was Davids Offence as 2 Sam. 24. with 1 Chron. 21.1 where you will finde that through Vain glory and Satans instigation his heart was lifted up to number Israel but God was displeased with this thing says the Text v. 7. and therefore He smote Israel with a violent Plague which in three dayes destroyed threescore and ten thousand It is likewise the judgement of St. Jerom Cyril and Theodoret as A Lapide notes that to prevent if not chastise this same dangerous Principle of Pride in King Hezekiah which probably he might be inclinable to and guilty of upon the conceit and consideration of that miraculous happy deliverance of Jerusalem from the force and fury of the King of Assyria when for his sake and upon his effectual Prayers and Tears there were near upon two hundred thousand of the Enemies Army * Isa 37.14 to v. 36. destroyed in one night their judgement is that as sometime a k 2 Cor. 12.7 Thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan was sent to St. Paul to buffet him lest he should have been exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations even so the Lord was pleased to visit King Hezekiah personally with this very Sickness Isai 38.1 21. And yet all it seems scarely enough for afterwards 〈◊〉 â—nd it got vent though its true upon another occasion anâ— as he pretended out of civility and courtesie to strangers rather than any ostentation in himself as Chap. 39.1 2 4. Secondly Blasphemy and this was the black and provoking Sin of the aforesaid King of Assyria Senacherib I mean and his compliant foul-mouthed Servant and eloquent Orator General Rabshâ—keh whose breath so forcibly blew up the coals of Gods anger that it presently made his jealousie burn like fire and consume so many thousands of their Men in one night These are the two only special Sins as I remember mentioned in Scripture whereby Kings and Princes have provoked God to pour out the vials of his wrath in this manner But sure I am that we of this Nation have not the least ground or occasion to suspect or imagine that our Dread Sovereign should be guilty of either of them Who hath purchased the Name and Reputation abroad in the world and also approved Himself here at home to be both a very wise and most rarely accomplished Person as to his natural Parts and Endowments and also as to his spiritual Gifts and Inclinations a truly religious meek and most gracious merciful Prince in short a good man as well as a great Monarch And therefore we may very well acquit and exonerate Him from all guilt as to these great and capital Sins and so by consequence from the foul Censure of being eminently accessory to the sore Visitation that we now labour under Sins of people that have caused the Plague The special and particular Sins mentioned in Scripture whereby common People I mean the mixt Multitude and Body Politick of a Nation have provoked God to pour out the vials of his wrath in this manner upon them are diverse I shall first name them and set them in order before your eyes by referring you to those plain and express portions of Scripture where I find them recorded and then afterwards bring home our Discourse in a brief application unto our selves They are six in number â— Wilful disobedience and a general Apostacy from the true God and his holy Laws and Commandements This is clear from Deu. 28.15 20 21. It shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voyce of the Lord thy God to do all his Commandements and his Statutes c. that then the Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest â—hine hand unto for to do until thou be destroyed and perish quickly the Lord shall make the Pestilence cleave unto thee untill He have consumed thee So Levit. 26.21 22. c. If ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins c. And if ye will not be reformed by
heathen Orator long since observed * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isocr That what 's out of season out of fashion seldom meets with peoples good liking and approbation but on the contrary z Eccl. 3.11 Solomon tells us that God hath made every thing beautifull in it's time Such therefore is the Duty enjoyned here in this text that very strongly commends it to us 2. There is nothing more excellent and commendable as to the work and duty it self Consideration Mot. 2. it is the searcher of the heart the Manure of the Soul the fosterer of zeal the remedy against security the improvement of Christianity the ladder of heaven and the key of Paradise Consideration it is as watering to Plants as blowing to the Fire as Oyl to stiffe joynts as Physick to the sick It urgeth to repentance quickeneth to Prayer confirmeth Faith kindleth Love encourageth in well-doing and refresheth with heavenly consolations 3. There is nothing more well-pleasing and acceptable to God Enoch for this was rewarded with a †Gen. 5.24 glorious translation Mot. 3. And indeed for what end hath God given us the great things of his Law committed to us his sacred Oracles caused the Scriptures to be written for our learning sent his Prophets to declare his good will and pleasure to us yea sent forth his Son to reveal his thoughts which are thoughts of mercy love peace to us-ward Certainly not that all these things should be slighted by us but pondered upon in our hearts and well improved by a due and serious Consideration And the more we do so the more without doubt we shall please him this being the best way to honour him and to express our thankfulness to him for them 4. There is nothing more necessary Mot. 4. nothing more advantagious and profitable to our own souls as was shew'd you before in the * Page 3 4. Introduction Wherefore to conclude would'st thou be blessed in all thy Enterprizes and Concernments with the blessings of God would'st thou have thy understanding enlightened with the knowledge of God thine affections inflamed with the love of God thine heart established with the Promises of God thy solitariness cheared up with the fellowship of God thy afflictions sweetned and mitigated with the comforts of God and all thy thoughts words and actions regulated by the Commands of God then let thy daily practice be to Pray and Consider For in the day of adversity there is nothing then more proper and seasonable nothing then more excellent commendable nothing then more well-pleasing and acceptable nothing then no nor indeed at any time else more advantagious necessary and profitable Consider therefore then especially and well and wisely weigh with thy self 1. The evil disaster or visitation it self whatsoever it be that is befalne thee 2. The Dispenser and Author of it 3. The ground or the procuring and meritorious cause of it 4. The End or the mind and meaning of God therein and 5. The good way and means that is to be used that so it may be removed from thee or else may be sanctisted to thee To which five particulars give me leave here to adde in the close of all one Object more which you may do well to exercise your Consideration upon Consider the Poor the afflicted members of Jesus Christ Whose wants and whose number are very much increased since this sad time of Visitation and whose condition you may easily imagine must needs be so exceeding helpless and deplorable since all trading and employments are almost quite dead and gone that there never was more reason for the Rich to consider the Poor And for your incouragement know b Prov. 19.17 That he that hath pity upon the Poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Neither shall it go without a Blessing in this world as an Overplus for c Psal 41.1 2. Blessed is the man that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble Yea the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth I and for a further encouragement still I pass my word and promise to you beforehand That what you shal give shal not go out of the Parish but shal be expended and bestowed upon our own Poor for so I am sure the Receiver General appointed by his Majesty the candid and untainted Right Reverend Bishop of this Diocess will be well-pleased that * Octob. 4. 1665. henceforth it should be disposed of FINIS