presence of the Lord and the glory of his Majesty and for ever to be cast into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone in those easeless endless remediless torments where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 25. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Isa 66. 24. And they shall go forth and look upon the carkases of those that transgress'd against me for their worm shall not die neither shall their sire be quench'd and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh 1. Vain Swearing when men so commonly swear that they cannot ordinarily discourse but they must swear nay it is the fashion to swear and if a man cannot swear he is not fit company for some Gentlemen Oh poor miserable man is it thy common practice delight to blaspheme and take the great and dreadful name of God in vain Oh what wilt thou do when thou shalt appear before him at the last Day as thou certainly must surely thou wilt tremble desire mountains and rocks to fall upon thee to hide thee from him that sitteth upon the throne and from the Lamb Revel 6. 16. See those Scriptures that prohibit vain Swearing James 5. 12. But above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Mat. 5. from the 33 to the 38 verses Surely such words are nothing but the speakings of the Devil in thee 2 Sort of swearing is for-swearing thy self when thou art call'd before a Magistrate this is a great sin that brings judgments upon the Nation for oaths the Land mourns How many poor creatures are hired to for-swear themselves and how many do it to pleasure great men and others wickedly for-swear themselves for to get their Neighbours goods and to defraud their neighbour of his right Levit. 6. 3 4 5. chap. 5. 1. Jere. 23. 10. For the land is full of Adulterers for because of swearing the land mourneth the pleasant places of the wilderness are driedup and their course is evil and their force is not right Hose 4. 1 2. Hear ye the word of the Lord ye children of Israel tel for the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledg of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood Chap. 10. vers 4. They have spoken words swearing falsly in making a covenant Zach. 5. 3 4. Mal. 3. 5. And I will come near to you in judgment and will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against the false Swearers Doubtless this is a very great sin that brings judgment upon the nations families and persons 3. That wicked sin of Cursing parents cursing their children servants some children curse their parents servants curse their Masters Nay I have heard wicked men curse themselves their cattel Oh how common is it for men to bid the pox take them Foolish ignorant persons they cry out with pain and anguish several of them yeild up the ghost and if they do not repent go quick down to hell they that curse themselves and their cattel at last bring a curse upon all they have Math. 15. 4 For God commanded saying honour thy Father and Mother and he that curseth Father or Mother let him die the death Rom. 3. 14 15 16 Whose mouth is full of cursing destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace have they not known vers the 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes Jame 3. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing my brethren these things ought not so to be Several other places of Scripture I might produce but these may suffice Oh what mad blindness is this that rational men and those that have lived under the sound of the Gospel so long shou'd be so ignorant and wicked as to desire the plagues of God to be poured upon them and theirs Oh that my head was water and my eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep night and day for the sins and sorrows of poor distressed sin-sinking England 7. Sin is Adultery and had I time and a heart I might be very large to enumerate the multitude of transgressions of this nature surely this sin is grown so common that it is open before the Sun and men plead for it and very much extrenuate it Nay I question whether some are not so notoriously wicked to urge Scripture for their abominable uncleanness Know O thou prophane Atheist the Scriptures give thee no liberty but will judg thee for thy sins at the last and great day of account when you shall certainly give an account for all your actions done in the body and how will you answer the taking your neighbours wife from him it may be thou wilt instance David's adultery but consider if thou wilt commit David's sin then thou must expect David's punishment which was very severe See Psal the 32 from the 1 to the 6 vers vers the 3 When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long vers the 4 For day night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer vers the 5. I acknowledg my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal 51. from 1 to the 13. vers Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out all my transgressions vers the 2. wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me vers the 4. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest vers 5. Behold I am shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me vers the 7. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoice vers the 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities vers 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me vers 11. Cast me not out of thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me vers 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit See what misery this sin of Adultery brought upon King David that made him cry out in the bitterness of his soul and allmost
A Warning Piece TO ENGLAND OR THE WRATH of GOD Revealed against SINNERS His Judgments being already entered upon the NATION By S. T. G. A Lover of Peace and Truth Psal 40. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my Heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy Salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation London Printed for D. Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultry 1676. THE PREFACE Christian Reader AS far as the Author knows his own heart the main end of righting this small Treatise is that God may have all the glory and this Sin sinking Nation may have some benefit and so undoubtedly they will if they hearken to Gods Counsel to repent and turn from their evil ways to the Lord with their whole heart the consideration of the present confused state of this poor Nation caused me seriously to mind the next way how they might be brought into a better condition and I know no other way that God hath shewed us but by humbling our sâ—lves before the Lord to escape destruction and ruin For God will not always bear but then the Anger of the Lord will break forth in fury if a people do not amend their ways and doings which are not good God hath been earnestly calling unto us and lifting up his voice and by his Word and Dispensations perswading us to return unto him He hath tryed all sorts and all ways both Mercies and Judgments Surely it is very sad that the hand of the Lord hath been so greatly lifted up and that England should be so blind as not to take notice of his displeasure in afflicting us with Sword Pestilence and Fire and threatning Famine but gratiously holding his hand like a tender-hearted Father unwilling to destroy us except by our persisting in Sin we as it were force him utterly to consume us from the face of the Earth I humbly beseech you seriously to read and ponder what is said in this little Book And let not Satan perswade you to throw off those wholsom Exhortations and Instructions contained therein So with my earnest prayers at the Throne of Grace for Rulers and Ruled that the God of all Grace and Mercy would enable us to see the filthy nature of every Sin to repent of all our false ways as David saith in in the 119. Psal Through thy Precepts I get Understanding therefore I hate every false way I remain thine in all truth and righteousness S. T. A Warning piece to England or the wrath of God revealed against Sinners his judgment being already entred upon the Nation IT is very certain out of the Scriptures of truth that sin brings the judgment of the great God upon Nations Families and Persons Sin crys aloud for Vengeance Wrath and Desolation upon wicked and ungodly men Oh! let every one seriously consider the dreadful effects of sin it destroyed the old world Gen. 6. 5 6 7. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of his heart was only Evil continually Vers the 6. And it repented the Lord that he made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart Vers the 7. And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth both man and beast and the creeping thing and the fouls of the air for it repenteth me that I have made man Likewise those five Citys in the plain were destroyed by fire Gen. 18. 20. And the Lord said because the cry of Sodom is great and because their Sin is very grievous Chap. the 19. 24 25. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven he overthrew those Citys and all the plains and all the inhabitants of the Citys and that which grew upon the ground Consider what desolations and depopulations sin did bring upon Gods beloved People as you may read Lament 1. 2 3 4 5 7 8. verses She weepeth sore in the night and her tears are on her cheeks among all her Lovers she hath none to comfort her all her friends have dealt treacherously with her they are become her enemies Judah is gon into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude she dweleth among the Heathen and she findeth no rest all her persecutors overtook her between the straits the ways of Sion do mourn because none come to her solemn feasts All her Gates are desolate her priests sigh her virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness Her adversaries are the chief and her enemies prosper for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions her children are gone into captivity before the enemy and from the Daughter of Sion all her Beauty is departed her Princes are become like Harts that find no Pasture and they are gon without strength before the pursuer Jerusalem remembred in the days of affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old when her People fell into the hand of the enemy and none did help her the Adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Jerusalem hath grievously sined therefore she is removed all that honoured her despise her because they have seen her Nakedness yea she sighed and turned backward her filthyness is in her skirts she remembreth not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter Chapt. the 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6. verses and 3 4 5. Chapters of the book of the Lamenta as in the 5. Chapt. 16 vers The Crown is fallen from the head and wo to us that we have sined I might multiply Scriptures to shew the displeasure of God against Transgressors and after those many premonitions when they would not be forwarned God cast them off making them a by-word to all the Nations round about Oh England hear and tremble for the fiery anger of the Lord will burn like an Oven and none shall be able to quench it see Malachi 4. 1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea and all they that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch Qu. What sins bring National judgments Ans 1. Slighting and rejecting the Law and the Prophets and especially Jesus Christ in the time of the Gospel 2. The sins of Rulers 3. Idolatry 4. Adultery 5. Pride 6. Swearing and Cursing 7. Murder 8. Drunkenness and excess 1. Sin Slighting the Law and the Prophets which God complains of in the 1. of Es 2 3 4. vers I have nourished and brought up a People but they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel hath not known me Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that have
corrupted themselves So the judgments are threatned in the ensuing verses and God makes very great complaints of them in several of the Prophets as Jer. and Ezek. c. and they proceeded to reject Jesus Christ in the Gospel and this is a very great sin and brings desolation upon all those to whom it is sent and they reject it Heb. 2. 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation and when Israel slighted Jesus Christ and his words they were left to the hardnes of their hearts and the blindness of their minds That hearing they shall hear and not understand and seeing they shall see and not perceive and then God wholly left them and sent his Ministers to the Gentiles Lo we turn to the Gentiles saith the Apostle 2. Sin Is the sins of Rulers as David numbring the People Sometimes God plagues the people for the Rulers sake 2. Sam. 24. 11 12. The word of God came to Gad the Seer saying go and say unto David thus saith the Lord I offer thee three things choose thee one of them that I may do it unto thee vers the 13. So Gad came to David and told him and said shall seven years of Famin come untothee in thy Land or wilt thou flee three Months before thy enemies while they pursue thee or that there be three days pestilence in thy Land vers the 15. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from morning even to the time appointed and there dyed of the people from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men Now God plagues a people for the sins of the Rulers especially when the people follow the sinful examples of Rulers Oh my people they that lead thee cause thee to err as Jeroboam the Son of Nebat which made Israel to sin which was a great brand of infamy recorded to after ages so Ahab that sold himself to do wickedness and Manasseth and all those wicked Kings that provoked the Lord 2 King 21. from the 9. to the 14 vers to bring desolation upon the people Oh then let Rulers be wise and serve the Lord with fear Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way if once his wrath be kindled but alittle blessed are they that put their trust in him Psal 2. 10 11 12. Let all therefore consider both Rulers and Ruled in this Nation that if God spared not the old world nor those citys in the plain that were destroyed by fire nor his beloved people Israel when they sined against him how then can England escape when they follow the same way of sining nothing can be expected but desolation God can quickly hiss for his three executioners which are the sword pestilence and Famin. 3. Sin Is Idolatry which strikes at the very Being of God how full of wrath was God against Israel for their Idolatry 3. Iudg. 7 8. and the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgat the Lord their God and served Baalim and the Groves therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim King of Mesopotamia Deut. 13. 2 5 6 7 8 9 10. with diverse other places which I shall not mention because it will make it larger than I intend this Warning-piece But certainly Idolatry is a land-destroying sin which above all sins will draw down the wrath of God upon a Nation to root it out and utterly to destroy it for he is jealous of his name and his glory will he not give to another not his praise to graven Images 4. Sin Is Pride Here I might write a large volumn but to omit several particulars in relation to this sin I shall speak of that which is more obvious to the sence as first Pride in apparel Can the oldest man remember such excess of apparel especially in this great City yet notwithstanding the eminent hand of the great God hath been so lately upon them that most part of this City was consumed into ashes that the inhabitants are but poor to what they have been heretofore yet what a fair outside do they make when the Nation is sinking Oh what horrible folly is this it is like one that Paints his pots and trims up his shop and suddainly it is shutup Secondly pride in their houses in their furniture and how costly is it with very much excess so that the superfluities in clothing and dyet and furniture would refresh the bowels of the poor which are some of them ready to perish for want of bread few seriously consider the great distresses and wants of the poor some that heretofore could have administred to the necessities of others are forced to beg their bread consider what God saith in the 2. of Isaiah from the 10. to the 18. vers Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and the glory of his Majesly The lofty looks shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day for the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud lofty every one that is lifted up he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan upon all the high Mountains that are lifted up upon every tower and upon every fenced wall and upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all the pleasant pictures vers the 17. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down the haughtiness of man shall be laid low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Chapt. the 3 from the 16. to the end Moreover the Lord saith because the Daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they go and making a tinkling with their feet vers the 17. The Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the Daughters of Sion In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet and their cauls and their round tires like the Moon c. vers 26. And her gates shall lament and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground The 5. Sin is Swearing and Forswearing likewise Cursing which are Sins of a very high nature very much displeasing to the great God and provoke him to bring swift judgment upon the Nation especially that wicked divelish Oath of the Dam'es that desire God to damn their souls whereas God and Jesus Christ would have them to be saved See the 1 of Timoth. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledg of the truth Dost thou desire God to damn thee oh poor miserable Sinner that my heart could bleed for thee that art so ignorant dost thou consider what it is to be damn'd to be damn'd is to be separated from the
brought him to the grave For his radical moisture was turned into the drought of the summer Surely sin brings death both a natural spiritual and eternal The wages of sin is death Rom. 7. 23. without true unfeigned repentance and turning from it as David did But how many perplexities of heart had he and how many chastisements were inflicted upon him driven from his kingdom he that came out off his own bowels rose up against him the hearts of the people were alienated from him 2 Sam. 15. from the 13. to the 18. vers 23 30. And so you see his great distress by reason of those sins of Murder and Adultery and in his flight he was so despised that Shimei one of his Subjects cursed him and threw stones at him chapt 16. from the 5 vers to the 9. O the confusion and distress that sin brings upon a people how foolish are the Sons and Daughters of men to delight in that which will utterly destroy them both soul and body and hate those things that would preserve them in peace and prosperity that is they hate Christ and his ways and people Prov. 8. 35 36. For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. vers 36. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death Very well may wicked men be call'd in the Scriptures mad men and fools because they destroy themselves and esteem of things of no value more than those things that are exceeding pretious to be most highly valued in the superlative degree So God complains of the people of Israel in the 5 of Jer. 8 9. They were as fed horses in the morning every one neighed after his neighbours wife shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Several other Scriptures I might produce which declare the wrath of God against a sinful people that will not be perswaded to break off their sins by repentance O consider how many rules thou breakest by committing this sin of Adultery and Fornication 1 The 7. Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery 2 the 10 Com. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's wife 3. The rule of Equity that Royal rule Do as thou wouldst be don by Would you be contented that another should take your wife and defile her why then will you be so injurious to your neighbour as to covet that which is none of yours contrary to the rule of God's holy word Jer. 5. 9 10 11. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt treacherously against me saith the Lord they have belied the Lord and said it is not he neither shall evil come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famin vers 13. And the Prophets shall become wind and the word is not in them thus shall it be don unto them vers 14. Wherâ—fore thus saith the Lord of hosts because ye speak this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devour them vers 15. Loe I will bring a Nation upon you from far O house of Israel saith the Lord it is a mighty Nation it is an ancient Nation whose language thou knowest not neither understandest what they say vers 21. Hear now this O foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not ears and hear not vers 22. Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet cannot they pass over it and so to the end of the chap. vers 28. They are waxen fat they shine yea they overpass the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause of the fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the needy do they not judge vers 29. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged of such a Nation as this vers 30. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land vers 31. The Prophets prophecy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof And thus you see how sin provokes the Lord to destroy Nations Families and Persons Thou that art so injurious to take away thy Neighbours wife God doth many times take away all that such wicked persons have and they are brought to a morsel of bread For a whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman a narrow pit Prov. 23. 27 28 29. She lyeth allso in wait as for a prey and increaseth transgressours among men Who hath wo who hath sorrow who hath contention who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes Surely Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge even in this life without true repentance and assuredly in the life to come It is very sad to see the impudence of the femal sex How many of them have harlots behaviour yea Professours and those that would be thought sober women yet go naked-neck'd from shoulder to shoulder and their brests seen which parts should be covered in modesty and that because it is the fashion and their Relations go so this is their foolish excuse that when they come among them they shall be contemned by them no matter for it is but by the wantons and Hectours of this age Drunkards count such as will be drunk with them honest men and Good-fellows but they are never the honester for their esteem Away then with the nakedness and cover your brests and shoulders for shame or else what ever shew of modesty thou makest it will be esteemed by sober persons vain and foolish And seeing thou givest way to uncover thy nakedness and so allurest wicked men thou mayst be overcome at last by lewd men to commit the sin of uncleanness O avoid all appearance of evil for Christians are to be adorned with modesty to use sobriety in all their actions O poor vile sinner thou that excusest thy self by being a great man or woman in this world and therefore thou must not be controuled what art thou but a lump of clay a heap of sinful dust and ashes That is but a greater aggravation of thy condemnation for the more mercies thou hast received from God the greater is thy Punishment if thou abusest these good mercies of God as riches honour that thou receivest from his bountiful hand more than others and because it is more exemplary and prevalent to draw others therefore it is accompanied with more aggravations in regard thou receivest more kindness from God than others and so takest God's weapons to fight against him How canst thou escape great condemnation that sinnest against so much light and so much love Oh foolish and
Wives and their Daughters many sad effects doth this sin of drunkenness produce it fits men to do all manner of evil and unfits them for any thing that is good either for Soul or body Now I shall shew you the Scriptures wherein the great God prohibits this beastly Sin to see that if by any means you may be prevailed upon to leave this silthy dirty abominable Sin See Es 5. 11. Wo to them that rise up early in the morning and follow strong-drink that continue till night till wine inflame them vers 22. Wo to them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong-drink vers 23 24. Chap. 56. 12. Mica 2. 11. Nah. 1. 10. For while they be folded together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry Joel the 5. Awake ye Drunkards weep and howl all ye Drinkers of Wine 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with Man-kind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Revellers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Es 19 14 Luk. 21. 34 35. Rom. 13. 13. Let us work honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envy There are several other places I might mention but these may suffice if God would be pleased to set any one of them with power upon the heart of a Poor Sinner Now I shall speak a few words to all those that in a great measure are the causes of the growth and increase of these evils and they are Magistrates Ministers and Parents and Masters of Families There are some Magistrates that are so far from punishing these Enormities that they are Presidents and ringleaders of all these vices as Swearing Whoring and Drunkenness nay they are like those spoken of by the Prophet Jer. 3. 12. Oh my Prophet they that lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy Paths vers 13 14. Surely they are most fit to be Magistrates according to the Scripture that fear God and hate Covetousness and every evil way Oh saith the meaner sort that would have Fig-leaves to cover their Nakedness use to such a Magistrate or Minister do such things and they are learned if it were so sinful they would not do it such kind of Magistrates and Ministers cause them to Sin extenuate and are great examples to encourage to evil Oh what a sad thing is this that men are not content only to go to Hell themselves but draw others after them therefore their condemnation will be the greatest at the great day of accompt 2 Ministers those that call themselves Ministers of the Gospel Oh what wickedness are they arrived unto that some of them reel in the Streets and make nothing of swearing cursing and uncleanness do not you think that Gods Soul will be avenged on such as you are who are like Jereboams Priests the vilest of the People you that pretend to be leaders of others should be such bad examples as to lead the people towards Hell what will your accompt be when both Ministers and Magistrates shall appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ what can you say here am I one of those have lead to Hell surely your condemnation will be very great that will not only answer for your own Sins but for others whom you have by evil examples drawn to Sin how can you bear the weight of this great burthen of Judgments that will certainly fall upon you if you repent not and turn to the Lord speedily here I might be very large but I shall forbear at this time hoping that some may be awakened which is the main end of this small discourse 3. To Parents and Masters of Families who are very bad presidents to their Wives Children Servants who are so far from instructing them in the ways of God according to gods injunction in the holy Scriptures that they are the Ring-leaders of them to all manner of evil Oh sinful Parents and Masters that should with all your might instruct your Children and Servants how will you how can you escape great condemnation when you shall be called to a strict accompt for leading your Children and Servants to great destruction how sad will it be with you when your Children and Servants shall curse you and say we might have escaped these flames had our Masters and Parents instrâ—cted us and had they not been wicked examples to us but now wo and alas we are tormented with the Devil and his Angels in everlasting burnings Now let me give you a few instâ—uctions to poor Sin-sinking England I beseech you hearken to the counsels of Gods holy word when he threatned destruction upon the People of Isarel Joel 2. from the 1. to the 22. vers Blow the Trumpet in Zion and sound an alarum in my holy mountain let all the Inhabitants tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand a day of darkness and gloominesâ— a day of clouds and thick darkness as the Morning spread upon the mountains a great People and a strong there hath not been ever the like neither shall be any more after iâ— even to the years of many Generations vers the 3. A fire devoureth before them and behind them a flame burneth the land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a dâ—solate Wilderness yea nothing shall escape them and so forward to the 12. vers but consider in the 12 13 14. verses you have that blessed counsel given to them as the only means to escape this dreadful judgment where you have very much of the bowels of Gods compassion expressed like a tender hearted Father unwilling to strike if it may be avoided Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even unto me with all your heart and with Fasting and with Weeping and with Mourning vers the 13. And rent your hearts and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil vers the 14. Who knoweth if he will return and leave a blessing behind him even a meat offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God and so you may read unto the end of the Chapter These latter verses have in them contained the forcible arguments to press on and enforce the exhortation surely there is no other way for England to escape total ruin but by following the blessed advice very wholesom counsel of repenting and turning to the Lord with your whole hearts and who is able to give us counsel that may do us good but God whose counsel shall we adhere unto that may be effectual but his but if we obstinately persist in the rebellions against the great God of heaven he will surely plague us seven times more for our Sins and so may root us
out from being a people now the Cup of trembleing by our neighbour nations who knows but we may drink the dregs and bottoms of the Cup that such a stubborn impudent brazen-fac'd rebellious People as have sined against so much light and love we know that ingratitude is counted one of the worst evils as your Latin Phrase is Si dixeris ingratum est omne malum There is no true Christian desires the evil day but doth pray earnestly to your Lord for the aversion of his judgments from the Nation and however they are lightly esteemed amongst men and called Phanaticks yet they are the pillers of the Earth and the best friends to the King and Kingdom allthough they are slighted and persecuted for cleaving close to Gods word which they dare not nor will not swarve from what ever they suffer and knowing the terror of the Lord we do perswade men to turn from their evil ways to the Lord that so they may not bring ruin upon themselves and others surely it will be a very terrible day upon all those that persecute the people of God and I pray you what do you persecute them for I conceive you do not understand what is written against those that sit at ease and eat the fat and drink the sweet and think they do well if they can procure the Ministers of the gospel and Christians to be put in Prison But all you that are of that spirit to worry the pretious harmless Lambs of Jesus Christ I would not be in your cases for ten thousand worlds mark what our Lord Jesus saith to such Mat. 18. 6. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which beleive in me it were better a mil-stone were hanged about his neck that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Mar. 9. 42. Luk. 17. 1 2. And thus I conclude with my earnest prayers to the God of all grace and mercy beseeching him rather to glorify his mercy in the reformation of this poor sinful Island then his Justice in the confusion and desolation of it now as I was concluding I was looking for that place of Scripture In Jer. Where the Prophet saith Lord thou knowest I do not desire the evilday These Scriptures were presented unto my view Jer. 18. from the 9. to the 12. vers And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it vers the 10. If it do evil in my sight and obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit them vers the 11. Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye every one from the evil of his way and make your ways and your doings good Chap. 13. 18 19. Say unto the King and to the Queen humble your selves sit down for your Principalities shall come down even the Crown of your glory vers the 19. to the end of that Chapter The Citys of the South shall be shut up Judah shall be carryed away Captive all of it shall be wholly carryed away Captive Thus you see the denuntiation of Gods threatnings of terrible judgments against a rebellious People that walketh in a way that is not good after their own thoughts Oh therefore I humbly beseech you hear and fear and turn to the Lord with your whole hearts 9. Sin That is a Land destroying Sin is Sabbath breaking which is first a breach of the 4th Commandment Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy This is the law that was given in thundering and lightning Exod. 19. 16. And it came to pass the third day in the Morning that there were thundrings and lightnings so that all the people that were in the Camp trembled One reason may be why the Law was given in that terrible manner that the people might fear to break that righteous Law for that God which shewed himself terrible in the giving of the Law can also shew himself as terrible on them that violate this righteous Law which appoints a time for his worship in pouring down his wrath and indignation upon Nations that break this righteous and just Law so that if there be a God to worship as doubtless there is and certainly there is a time that he hath set apart which ought to be kept holy then wo be to all those that dare adventure to prophain his holy day as in this well govern'd City and in the Suburbs thereof is Coster-Mongers and others selling their fruit on that holy day and other things on that day Friends it is not altogether so much the matter done which maketh the breach of the Sabbath as any thing done which ought not to be done picking of sticks was but a small business and yet see how God was displeased see that he destroyed those that did it nothing but works of necessity and mercy Nehem. 10. 13. And if the people of the Land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day we will not buy it we will not buy of them on the Sabbath or on the holy day Chapt. 13. from the 15. to the 23. Where good Nehemiah testifyed against them that sould victualls vers the 17. Then I contended with the Nobles and said to them what evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day vers the 18. Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us upon this City yet ye bring more wrath by prophaning the Sabbath See the Zeal of a good Governor he contended against evil and encouraged them in that which was good which is the duty of all Magistrates but è contra with us in England there be some Magistrates that discourage vertue and encourage vice what a sad thing is this those Magistrates that do so are not appointed nor set up Exod. 16. 23. Chapt. 31. 15. Six days may work be done but in the 7th is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord whosoever doth any work on the Sabbath he shall surely be put to death so in the 14. vers Chapt. 35. 2. Levit. 23. 2. Num. 15. 32 34. vers the 35. And the Lord said unto Moses the man shall be surely put to death and the Congregation shall stone him with stones and vers 36. And they stoned him with stones and he dyed as the Lord commanded Moses Deut. 5. 12 13 14. John 20. 19. Es 56. 2. 6. And thus you see the Scriptures Enjoyning us to keep the Lords day and the denuntiation of threatnings against those that break this holy day although the day be altered from all the Scriptures you may safely conclude that there is a time set a part by God for his worship and service and if the least breach were punished with death what shall be the violation of the whole day