King of Jerusalem and Hiram King of Tirus but that it seems was forgotten and the Tyrians became Treacherous and Cruel for which the Lord did wonderfully chastise them by Nebuchadnezzar who after a fourteen years Siege made Tyrus Desolate Tyrus was a famous City built upon a Rock in an Island in the midst of the Sea her Merchants were Princes her Houses were Pallaces but no strength of any Place or People by Nature or Art or both can secure against those sharp Arrows which God hath ordained for those that inhumanely Persecute their Brethren 5. Those that have Bowels of compassion should mourn upon the prospect they have of the miseries which will follow a National Oppression and Persecution of the Truth Our Lord wept and lamented over Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem that Killest the Prophets and Stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not behold your House is left to you desolate Mat. 23. 37 38. Luk. 19. 41. It eminently appears that our Lords Love was great to Jerusalem in that after he arose from the Dead when he charged the Apostles to Preach Repentance and Remission of sins to all Nations he gave them particular Direction to begin at Jerusalem Luk. 24. 47. that that very place that had drawn upon it self the guilt of his precious Blood might have the first offer of Salvation by its Merits The Prophet Isaiah tells us that his Bowels should sound like a Harp for Moab and his inward part for Kirharesh chap. 16. 11. this Kirharesh was Heliopolis the City of the Sun where the Sun was the Idol of Worship but Moab is not blamed barely for her Superstition and Idolatry there is Persecution laid to her charge v. 4. Moab reproached the People of God in their Captive state as Outcasts and would give them no Protection quite forgetting that the Jews were a-kin to Moab thence the Prophet foreseeing that the Golden Vial of Wrath would be poured forth upon Moab within three or four years v. 14. crys out that his Bowels should sound like a Harp for Moab i. e. their Miseries would be such as should touch the Bowels of all that ever heard of it Use 1. Exam. The Church of England professes at this day before God Angels and Men to bewail her Sins to take shame and turn to the Lord our God that he may have mercy upon us and Heal our Land Now if we must Mourn for Englands Sins 't is fit that we should know them sometimes the Sin of a Nation is so Open notorious and visible that it may be found without secret search as the Prophet speaks Jer. 2. 34. but it is not always thus for we read there was once Herem Anathema an Accursed Thing hidden inter Supellectilia among the Stuff Joshua 7. 11. Joshua that famous Servant of the Lord was owned by miracles and crowned with Success and Victory till he came before the City of Ai where Israel fled before their Enemies whereupon the Hearts of all the people melted and became as Water ver 5. and Joshua rent his cloaths and fell to the earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord until the Even-Tide he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads and Joshua said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Iordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Iordan O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies ver 7 8. And the Lord said Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my Covenant which I commanded them for they have even taken of the Accursed thing and have also stolen and dissembled also they have put it even among their own Stuff ver 10 11. It cannot be thought but that the Tribes of Israel were stained with those Pollutions which commonly accompany so great an Host such as Lying Swearing Intemperance Vncleanness and the like and yet the wrath of the Lord kindled among them at this time for a hidden wickedness which few or none took notice of the Accursed Thing which provoked the anger of the Lord was hidden among the Stuff The Sins of England are many and great at this day the Lord be merciful unto us and to our whole Land Pride Drunkenness Whoredom Swearing and Prophaneness of every kind reign every where Conformist and Nonconformist have great reason to lye in the Dust together because of these Abominations But besides all these Sins 't is possible there may be some Achan some Accursed thing amongst us which hath not been taken notice of The children are come to the Birth and there is no strength to bring forth more mens hands are upon their Loins than upon their Swords we are filled with the Alarms of War and no one knows how long Let none take that ill which is done in Integrity I must search among the Stuff for the Accursed thing which is a work so hazardous and unacceptable that I could not subdue my self to the undertaking but by the sence of my duty to God and my Country The Stuff which I suspect and must search into concerns our Ecclesiastical Affairs and I will see by the help of God whether the Accursed thing be not hid under the covering of Decency and Order Penal Laws Laws for Vniformity Subscriptions Declarations Liturgies Articles Laws for Ceremonies and Forms of Prayer 'T is as clear as the Sun that for near thirty years now last past sixteen hundred Ministers of the Gospel of Christ if not more have suffered very hard things upon the account of Conscience by reason of great Fines long Imprisonments some of those who were wont to break the Spiritual Bread have died for want of their natural Bread both the Shepherds and the Flocks have been starv'd in their several kinds Many Thousands of the Families of the Protestant Dissenters have been sorely distressed by Penal Laws upon the account of Religion And if the sufferings of our Brethren were written at large as the sufferings of the Saints at other times have been Mr. Fox his book of Martyrs would be but an Enchiridion in comparison of it If any shall say that the Nonconformists and Protestant Dissenters have been buffeted for their faults in all this time and that the Church of England is Innocent that it was her duty and became her Wisdom though it was not so agreeable to the sweetness of her nature and meekness of her disposition yet it became her Wisdom as the chast and tender spouse of Christ to lay aside the Scepter and the Dove and to take into her hand the bloody Club of Cain to Martyr the Dissenters into conformity To this I reply Let 's have a fair hearing before we be Judged The Oppression and Persecution of the truth is a
please to heal the disease which is in our bowels and in the bowels of England Scotland and Ireland There is something peculiar in the Judgments which have been armed against us of this Generation here in England There was in our Metropolis of London such a consuming Pestilence as our Fathers never saw there they died by thousands where now they walk by thousands there was such a devouring Fire as our Fathers never saw a Fire which had not learnt to distinguish between sacred and prophane between the Bible and the Comedy between places of common Exchange and more Divine Commerce And for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 5. 25. Our condition at this day is somewhat prodigious we are and have been for almost two years under the Influence of two Suns Alas for the Miseries and Desolations of Ireland there is the sound of the Trumpet the Alarms of War there is the devouring Sword there are Garments rouled in Blood Alas for disconsolate and desolate Ireland her Towns are Burnt her Houses are Spoiled her Virgins Ravished all places filled with Confusion and Slaughter Ireland is now an Aceldema a Field of Blood But Glory Glory to him that sits on the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever the Virgin Daughter of Scotland begins to awake and arise out of the Dust to sit and sing as in the days of her Youth as in the days when she came up out of the Land of Egypt Hos 2. 15. Now is fulfilled that which was spoken by Isaias the Prophet saying The Land of Zebulun and the Land of Nephthalim by the way of the Sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles the people which sate in darkness saw great light and to them which sate in the Region and Shadow of death light is sprung up Mat. 4. 14 15 16. This is no new thing in the course of Divine Providence that those who were first in Trouble should be Relieved first There are two ways which I shall propose wherein we ought to shew forth our Bowels of Mercy for these Kingdoms 1. By our personal Reformation we Protestant Dissenters are more especially obliged to cast away every Idol of Gold and Silver to the Moles and to the Bats Isa 2. 20. 'T is said among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for us and indeed the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Psal 126. 3 4. He hath broken the Horn of the wicked the Teeth of the ungodly he hath loosed our Bands taken the Burthen from our Shoulders and set our Feet in a large place The Lord hath turned again our Captivity and it is as the Streams in the South which wonderfully revives and comforts those that have born the heat of the day We have often heard that if there had been but four or five more holy Persons in Sodom Sodom had been spared and not destroyed by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven Gen. 18 32. Methinks I hear England Scotland and Ireland crying to us with a loud voice If ye Love us and have any Compassion for us then turn unto the Lord unfeignedly live like so many Nazarites keep your Covenants pay your Vows and perfume your Houses with the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise Dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus shall it be written down by the Angels which attend our solemn Assemblies that this Man and that Woman were Born amongst us this day Amen Amen Psal 87. 6. Secondly By Importunate and Fervent Prayer both for Church and State First That God would Anoint the Eyes of England with Eye-salve that she may see into those things which concern her peace Revel 3. 18. Let 's chuse rather to fall a Sacrifice for England s Prosperity than sow Pillows under her Elbows Ezek. 13. 18. lest she sleep the sleep of Death and become the scorn of Nations Lord enlighten England that she may see her sins and acknowledge them He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. The word is Pesha Piaculum his greater sin for we can readily enough confess our lesser sins but 't is our greater sin we are apt to cover deny excuse or lessen 'T is Death to reflect upon Herodias England hath touched the Lords Anointed and oppressed the Followers of the Lamb. She must not content her self to bewail on these days of Solemn Fasting and Prayer her Debaucheries though they are abominable but she must add to her Litany which she hath hitherto forgotten From all the sore Judgments of the Sword Famine and Pestilence which are wont to follow the Oppression and Persecution of the Truth Good Lord deliver us Lord open the Eyes of England to look into her Laws and see if there be none that are written in Blood Lord open the Eyes of England to look into her Courts of Judicature and see if Justice and Judgment have not been turn'd into Gall and Wormwood To look into her Armies and see if there be no Achans and Sons of Belial there To look into her Cathedrals and see whether that Pompous Worship be according to Gospel Rule To look into her Parochial Constitutions and see whether Wolves and Dumb Dogs are not set to watch over the Flocks and whether there be any thing of the Godly Discipline of the Primitive Church restored which was much wished for when our Fathers first cast off the Iron Yoke of Popery Secondly we should earnestly pray that the Lord would please by the Effusion and Conviction of his Spirit to work a National Repentance among us that as we have seen a change in the State we may be so happy as to see a change of Heart and Life Wo be to us if England be the door which turneth upon his hinges Prov. 26. 14. Lord God give us a National Repentance like to that of Nineveh Jonah 3. 5 10. So the People of Nineveh believed God and Proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them and God saw their works that they turned from their evil ways and God Repented of the evil that he said he would do unto them and he did it not Ninevehs Repentance was quick upon the first Sermon and Warning ver 4. at the motion of a Stranger it was general King Princes Nobles High and Low Rich and Poor all in Sackcloth nay the very Beasts the Herds the Flocks were mourners too it was serious and unfeigned they cryed mightily unto God ver 8. and Reformed their Lives it was upon a Peradventure ver 9. like to that in Joel 2. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and Repent and leave a Blessing behind him even a meat Offering and a Drink Offering unto the Lord your God Such a Repentance as this would help us as it did them when they were within fourty Days of Destruction God forbid that the Men
of Nineveh should rise up in Judgment against us of England Matth. 12. 41. 1. Let us cry to the Lord on the behalf of the Court that old Sins may not be found in our new Court that the blemishes of King Charles the Second and King James the Second may not be the stains of our King William the third and Queen Mary the second That the Scepter in the Hand of our King may be a Scepter of Rightousness that our Queen may be all Glorious within that our Princes may be Israel the Princes of God that the meat of their Tables the sitting of their Servants the attendance of their Ministers their Apparel and their Cup-bearers may for the Beauty of Holiness become the wonder of the world and the Joy of Angels 1. Kings 10. 5. 2. Let 's cry unto the Lord on the behalf of the Church the Church of England that the Godly worship and Discipline of the Primitive Church may be restored that she may be cleansed refined and Adorned with meekness that no Italian scent may be discerned in her worship That no Leprous spot be seen upon her Children Amos 5. 12. That all her Priests may be cloathed with Righteousness and all her Angels become Angels of Incense that she may at length burn all her bloody Rods and be deeply humbled for Josephs Bloody Coat Gen. 37. 32. That so the Blessings of those that have been ready to Perish may come upon her and she may look as though she came down for Heaven as a Bride adorned for her Husband Rev. 21. 2. 3. Let us cry unto the Lord on the behalf of our Cities that there may such a stream of Righteousness rund down their streets as may Carry away all false weights and measures Amos 5. 24. That there may be as much care to Spiritualize Trade as to Enlarge it that our Citizens may be wise Merchants selling all to buy the goodly Pearl of Greatest price Matth. 13. 45. 46. That our Cities might by their Virtue Justice and Holiness acquire to themselves the new name in the Prophet Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48. 35. 4. Let 's cry to the Lord on the behalf of the Camp that our Officers and Soldiers may lay aside all Weapons of unrighteousness and do violence to no man that they may not fight under the Banner of the Prince of Darkness nor carry the mark of the Beast in their Foreheads nor in their Hands that they may put on the whole Armour of God and take to themselves the golden Shield of Faith with the Sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 16 17. Triumphing victoriously over all the legions of Antichrist 5. Let 's cry to the Lord for the Country that he would awaken the secure and quicken every man to set his hand to the right plow without looking back Luke 9. 62. to dress his own Vine and Fig-tree that this whole Land may become the Garden of the Lord that there may be no more plowing with an Ox and an Ass or sowing our Fields with divers seeds or wearing Garments of woollen and Linnen or mingling a prophane life with profession of Godliness Deut. 22. 10 11. 6. Let 's cry to the Lord on the behalf of the Papists that he would please to call them out of Babylon Revel 18. 4. That they no longer worship the golden Calves of Dan and Bethel that they may Renounce all subjection to the Man of Sin and heartily submit to the holy Laws of the Son of God who is wont to receive into the vineyard of his favour all those whatever they have been that come to him at the eleventh hour of the day 7. Let 's cry unto the Lord on the behalf of the Protestant Dissenters that for one tear their Brethren drop for their own Sins or the Sins of Zion they may drop ten nay an hundred for one That they may be Exceeding humble under the Honour they have been called to in carrying the Cross of Christ and in giving Testimony to the oppressed Truth of the Gospel That they may be gentle and quiet under all the Scorn and Indignation of the Ishmaelites That they may constantly carry their enemies in the Arms of their Prayers before the Lord Desiring him to forgive and bless them that their profession may be Crown'd with perseverance that their Sackcloth may be kept clean and unsullied that they may at length arive safely in that holy Land where love hath the the Throne and reigns for ever there can be no greater happiness desired than to stand eternally before the Throne and before the Lamb with white robes and with palms in our Hands Rev. 7. 9. Thirdly having earnestly desired the Lord to give England Repentance Let us with an equal fervour Implore his pardoning Grace let us all say with the Psalmist God be merciful to our Sin for it is Great Psal 25. 11. The grace of God teaches those that are in Covenant with him to draw Arguments for mercy as well from the greatness of their Sin as from the greatness of their misery knowing that where Sin abounds Grace delights to abound much more Rom. 5. 20. But then because God is merciful to us who are Sinful we must not continue to be Sinful because he is merciful Englands Sin is great God be merciful and forgive it when we deal with men we urge the smalness of an offence as a motive to Forgiveness but when we have to do with God 't is otherwise God be merciful to our Sin for it is great Englands Sin is great it is exceeding Sinful Light hath shined among us but we love Darkness Christ doth not Reign his Government is refused 'T is often said in the Pulpits and in the Prints that the Church of England is the best Church in the world O what a horrid thing is it then if the People of England be the worst Livers and the greatest Persecutors of their Brethren in the world Whither must we go to find out greater Swearing Drinking Whoreing under a brow of Brass than in these Kingdoms Where such prodigious Pride strange Apparel general Prophaneness Unthankfulness for the Gospel unfruitfulness under it and which is to be Lamented with Tears of Blood an unaccountable scoffing at all serious Holiness as is to be found among our selves O let 's joyn most heartily in our humble Supplications now and at all times that these Kingdoms may be washed all over in the Blood of the Covenant that the destroying Angel may not break in upon us which is the next thing to be spoken unto Fourthly We should wrestle with the Lord that he would please to Remove our Judgments and prevent our Desolations Jer. 17. 16. I desire not the woful day the Lord God knows but if we turn not from our Idols the woful day will come I beseech you let 's arise and stand in the Gap by Faith and Prayer and Holiness had not Moses the Servant of the Lord stood in the Breach