IT may seeme strange to some of you to heare such a text read. The Preface. What, is love so soone turned into wrath? The last time I was called to speak unto you upon a Lords day, the first words of the text were God is love; 1 Joh 4.8.9. pure love, goodnesse, and sweetnesse, all love as it were, made up of love. Now the text beginnes with the wrath of God, heavy wrath, dreadfull, astonishing wrath; enough to break in pieces the hardest heart to heare it but so much as mention'd. Its the wrath of God; Its wrath from heaven, its revealed wrath, 'tis mani­fested, and declared in open sight. This is a great [Page 2]change indeed may some one say to passe from the sweetest Love to the most terrible and dismall wrath. But the Lord himselfe hath changed the text, and it is he that hath given it, by that which he hath wrought in the midst of you, and done in the face of the whole Towne. Can you look back upon that late sad and astonishing Providence, of which as many as heare, their eares tingle at it, their hearts shake and tremble at it: can you, I say, look upon this strange & wonderfull Providence, and not see this written in Broad and Capitall letters, and even laid before you in what is come to passe. That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse, and unrighte­ousnesse of men.

Be not prejudiced, my Brethren, doe not mis­take me: I am not come to grate upon your soares, neither to make wider your yet bleeding wounds: God foribd; no, I pitty and pray for those among you, that are yet weake and infirme, beseeching the Lord to heale them, and restore them, that they may live to testify their thankfulnesse, and Repentance. My work is, as a poor unworthy Embassadour, and servāt of the Lord, to help you to understand what the meaning of the Lord is; for certainly so great a thing could not be in vaine. The Lords voice crieth unto the citie, saith the Pro­phet Micah. 6.95 And the man of wisdome shall see thy Name: heare ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. There is a voice gone out to you of this place, and it is the Lords voice, his Name is written up­on what was done but the other week, this name [Page 3]of his is wrirten with faire and legible characters, that he which runnes may read: this voice of his, it doth not whisper, it doth not mutter, no, it cries, it speakes aloud, it will be your wisdome to heare this voice. Every rod hath a voice in it, the mea­nest and most petty afflictions speak something from God. Great and mighty strokes, eminent and remarkable Judgments from heaven, they have a loud voice, and if such be not heard, they bring speedy ruine.

Let not any among you say, the Preacher is come to vent himselfe, and his own Passions, and we expected some thundering sermon after this: No, no, I am not come to that purpose, but in all humility and seriousnesse to beseech you to consi­der what the mind of the Lord is, and I have beg'd from the Lord (as well as I could) wisedome and direction to know what I should speak: be not such enemies to your selves, and to that good the Lord intends you this day, as to say when you come home, we have heard a sermō of Judgment, and that is all; we expected some such thing. Do not so ill requite the Lord and his word, but har­ken to the counsels of his word, and be obedient to the same.

The scope of the Apostle in this Epistle, The Cohe­rence. is to set downe the true way of mens Justification, and sal­vation; which he affirmes to be by the pure grace of God, and not by the works of men. This way, or modell of God in saving men, the materi­all principle from whence both their Justification and Salvation must arise, viz imputed righteous­nesse, [Page 4]he calls the righteousnesse of God in the verse before the text, which is so called, because the righteousnesse by which men are saved is a righteousnesse of Gods finding out, and of his own bestowing, and not any such thing as men have ei­ther framed, and devised themselves; or were able to work out by any thing that they could doe. This righteousnesse, he saies, is revealed in the Gospell: it is the Gospell that chalkes out this mo­dell, and plat-forme of righteousnesse and life, and by this way must men be justified and saved, and not by their owne workes: this is the maine propo­sition which he layes down in the 17 verse. In the text we have the first proof, or argument to make that assertion good, & the argument stands thus.

The workes of all men in the world, whether Jewes or Gentiles, ever since the fall of Adam, they are wicked, ungodly, unrighteous workes, there­fore they cannot be saved by them: the argument is very cleare, and strong here. All men deserve wrath, the utmost wrath, displeasure, and venge­ance of God by thei [...] owne workes, therefore they cannot deserve his love, favour, or good will: they are so far from deserving his love, that they de­serve the quite contrary. This is the coherence.

For explication of the words,

The wrath of God] By wrath, we are to under­stand wrath in the Root, and in the Fruit; in the cause, The open­ing of the Text. and in the effect. God is highly displeased with men by reason of sin, he loathes their wayes and abhorres their practises, he beares a bitter, and a deadly hatred against all the wickednesse which [Page 5]men commit; and he hath an inward quarrell, (if we may so speak) a secret grudge in his heart a­gainst men themselves for the same: this is wrath in the root, or cause. And then againe he inflicts plagues and punishments, the most dreadfull cur­ses, and fearfull judgments on men by reason of sin; all which are visible and signall tokens of his displeasure, and manifest proofs, that he cannot endure them, nor any of their wayes: this is wrath in the fruit, or effect.

Is revealed from heaven.

There may be a twofold sense of this. [...]. Simpliciter significat Pau lus, manifesti­us esse quam ut quisquam inficiari po­ssit, Dominum è caelo in om­nes ac singu­los homines indignari Beza.

1. The sense may be, it is revealed clearly and manifestly, as much as if it were by a voice from heaven. The Lord God Almighty, the blessed and most holy God, he proclaimes it from heaven, and cries aloud in the eares of all the world, that he is deeply offended with all the ungodlinesse, and un­righteousnesse which men cōmit, that he will cer­tainly call them to an account, and punish them for it. In Psalm: 14: 2. it is said The Lord looked from HEAVEN upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God; now here it is said, his wrath is revealed from hea­ven. God is no idle spectator, he doth not care­lessly behold the actions of men, as if so be they might doe what they listed, and he not discerne, or not be moved at it: no, he looks down from heaven upon the children of men. Jehovah from the heavens looked down upon the sons of Adam; so one reads it: He looks with a watchfull obser­vant eye; his eye is intent and fixt upon all the sons [Page 6]of Adam, upon the whole raceof mankind, and for what is all this curious search made? it is to see if there were any that did understand and seek God: But was he well pleased when he found it other­wise? no surely, finding all to be corrupt, that they were all gone aside, that they were all together becōe filthy, that there was none that did good no not one, that they were workers of iniquity. v. 1.3.4. he gives out the sentence, he pronoūceth it from heaven, he proclaimes it in the eares of all the world, that he is highly offended, and his wrath is gone out a­gainst men by reason of these things. Psalm: 4.2. O ye sons of men how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? how long will ye run mad on sin, and be so desperately adventerous in the waies in which you walk? But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe. verse 3: Take it for granted, that JEHOVAH, that is, the Highest Lord, the Majesty of heaven and earth, he is provoked, and incensed by all these waies, and it is the godly man that he lookes after: know ye, Jehovah hath marvelously seperated a gratious saint to him; so Ainsworth. It is the pious, devout, holy soul that Jehovah regards, and he hath marvelously seperated him, or selected in wondrous sort, segregavit, Graecum, & Latinum, mi­rificavit, quod verbum non est alienum a proposito ubi bi de opilio­ne ad regiam dignitatem e­vecto agitur; ne (que) a, Gram­matica, cùm verba, quae mirabile facere & separare Hebraice sig­nificant, fimi­lia sint, atque idcirco suas fignificatiōes facile con­fundere pos­sint ex regu­la Grammati­corum, & usn Hebraicae lin­guae. Muis in loc. he hath put him in another rank, set a mark of excellency upon him, he hath set him in opposition to the wicked ungodly men, and such as love vanity, whome he hath set on another file, whose names are written in his black book, and hath marked them out as the objects of his wrath. this is illustrated Psal. 11.4: 5: ver. [Page 7]The Lord is in his holy temple, The Lords throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eye-lids tries the children of men.

The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked, and him that loveth violence his soul hateth

Another sense may be, the wrath of God is re­vealed from heaven, that is, it is manifested by evi­dent, cleare, remarkable plagues, and Judgments from heaven. God hath discovered to all the world, that he is an utter enemy to all the sin, wicked­nesse, and ungodlinesse of men, because he hath punished in all generations wicked, and ungodly men with most fearfull plagues and judgments; he hath shewen signes, and tokens from heaven, so that all men have seene his hand. Pareus. A learned ex­positor understands this phrase from Heaven, as that which is opposed to the opinion of prophane men, who ascribe the punishments that are ever now and then lighting upon men, to chance, or second causes, the position of the starres, the ma­lignity of the elements, the mutability of the mat­ter: whereas the Apostle shewes clearly that this wrath descēds from heaven, and is even the scourge and whip of God, whereby he revengeth the impi­ety and injustice of the world.

Against all ungodlinesse, and unrighteousnesse of men: by ungodlinesse, we are to understand sinnes against the first Table, all contempt of God, of religion, of the worship of God, of the waies and ordinances of God, the wrong and injury that is done to God himself more immediately, or to any part of his worship. [...]. Phav.

By unrighteousnesse is mean't sins against the second Table, [...]. Gr. Scho l. in Rō 1. all oppression, injustice, riot, ex­cesse; and the like.

Against all ungodlinesse, and unrighteousnesse because there are severall sins comprehended un­der either head

Here also ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse is put for persons committing such things, the Abstract being put for the Concrete. Who hold the truth &c.

This is added as an aggravation of the sinne of men, that men sin against light and knowledge, and therefore doe more abundantly deserve that wrath which is reveal'd from heaven against them. The doctrine arising hence is this.

The Blessed, Doctrine and most holy God hath all along ma­nifested, and declared his utter hatred, abhorrence, and detestation of all ungodly, and unrighteous persons; and of all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse which they commit: and at sundry times hath confirm'd, and made good that displeasure of his by fearfull, and ter­rible Judgments inflicted on men in this world.

Or more briefly that you may all remember it. God is certainly angry with sin, and sinners, and doth oftentimes in this world shew his displeasure against them by remarkable Judgments.

In the prosecution of this we must shew

• 1. what this hatred, or wrath of God meaneth.
• 2. Prove in a scripture or two, that this wrath of God so opened, and unfolded hath been mani­fested to have been in God.
• 3. how, or by what wayes, and meanes it hath been manifested.
• 4. Give proof, that it hath been confirm'd by [Page 9]Judgments inflicted on men from time to time.
• 5. Why God takes this course to manifest his wrath by plagues, and judgments in this world.

1. What is this wrath of God?

It implyeth two things: the Holinesse of his will: the Justice of his will.

1. The Holinesse of his will: the will of God is absolutely, universally set against all sin, he dislikes it, he abhorres it, he hates it to the very death, it is that which goes against him, he cannot endure it, neither will he, it strikes at his own blessednesse, & therefore he must needs hate it. Omne im­pediens à be­atitudine debet odiri Aquin. Heb. 1.9. Thou hast loved righteousnesse, and hated iniquity. That, which a man hateth, he wisheth the death of. God hath taken up an irreconcileable, and eternall ha­tred against sin, it never stood with his holinesse to like it, neither ever will it. Nay; he is so holy he cannot but hate it. The wrath of God therefore is the displeasure, which he hath conceived in his heart against sin, the secret grudge, and quarrell which he beares to every man that is a sinner, and cannot but beare to him considered as such, and re­maining in that estate. [...]. Aristot. Wrath, as the Philosophers define it, is a desire of revenge for some seeming sleight, or disrespect shewen to a man. As a Prince when he is disgraced, reviled, reproched or any way struck at by one of his subjects, Sola parvi­pensio causat iram, & om­ne provocans iram est ali­quid sub ra­tione in­justi. Aquin. he is presently in­flamed, his blood is up, Ira est [...]. Eustratius re­ferent. Grot. & he resolves to right him­selfe, and to revenge the quarrell of his honour on such a man. But God hath no such passions, only so far we may say, the blessed God looks upon sin as a slight, as a disrespect shewen unto him, he looks upō [Page 10]and sinners as contemning his holy majesty, as scorning him, and setting him at nought, and this he hates, and cannot but hate.

2. The [...] Phavor. wrath of God implyes the justice of his will, the will of God hates sin, and it is resolved to punish sin, the will of God is carried with utter dis­like of sin, and it will be reveng'd for sin, it will in­flict punishment for sin. Wrath in our sense is a de­sire of revenge, when there is some evill inflicted proportionable to the wrong a man suffers, and this is properly called punishment. Est autem paena genera­li significatu malum passi­onis quod instigitur ob malum ac­tionis. Gro­tins de jure belli & pacis. Now there are no passions in God, as was said before, but thus we must conceive it; God resolves to lay a meet re­compence, a just reward upon men for sin; sin in its own nature, deserves the heaviest curses, and therefore these are measured out by the just, [...] jus Dei. and upright will of God, as the fittest recompence thereunto.

This is the judgment of God, that they which com­mit such things are Ad jus au­tem pertinet aptitudo quam Aristo­reles [...] id est dig­nitatem vo­cat. Michael Ephesius id quod secun­dum eam ae­quale dicitur interpreta­tur [...] quod convenit. Grotius de jure belli & pacis. worthy of death. Rom. 1.32. God will render to every man according to his workes. Chap. 2.6. This is another thing that must be un­derstood by the wrath of God, the distributive justice of God whereby he lay's actuall plagues, and punishments on men according to their deserts. Psalm. 2.5. Then shall he speak unto unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Here is wrath, and the fruit of wrath; the Lord is angry, and he makes it known that he is so; his an­ger is a vexing, troubling anger, it leaves not men at ease in their sinnes, but it quickly disquiets them.

2. The Second particular for the prosecuting of the doctrine, was to instance in a Scripture or two, whereby it apeares that there is such anger in God towards sin, and sinners; and to proove that there is such wrath indeed, which hath been manifested as hanging over men by reason of sin. One or two places will be enough for this. Ezra. 8.22. The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, but his power, and his wrath is against all them that for­sake him. Nahum. 1.2. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Prophet is here describing the nature of God, and he beginnes with jealousy.

Aquinas. 1ma: 2dae. Quaest. 28. Art. 4.Jealousy is an affection proceeding frō strength, and intensnes of love, and that which stirres it up is somewhat that would rob a man of the quiet, and sole enjoyment of what he desires. God loves himselfe and his own glory above all, and good reason for it, he being the highest and most su­preme good. Sin in its proper nature, and intenti­on goes about to rob him of what is nearest to him and therefore no wonder if he be jealous. This jealousy of his is manifested in the next wordes, The Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth, the Lord ta­keth vengeance. Cum ve­ro ait Domi­nus semper est in Heb: [...], ut in­telligant De­um verum, & omnipotentē sibi esse ira­tum, qui nul­lins potentiâ prohiberi, aut impediri po­ssit. Ribera. The name of Jehovah is thrice repeated in this one verse, this he doth to shew that it is the true, and living God, he that is omnipotent, whose power and wrath none can resist, that was fallen out with them, and become their enemie. And Ter autem ulciscens, sive ultor dicitur, quod asseve­rationem magnam ha­bet, maxi­mam (que) in di­cat, & certissi­mam ultio­nem: etenim Ternarius magnam vim habet ad amplifican­dum. Ribera. the name of vengeance is as oftē attributed [Page 12]to him, the Lord revengeth, revengeth, will take ven­geance, which shewes the terriblenesse of his wrath, and the certainty of it. There are also two other expressions that set forth the greatnesse, and cer­tainty of his wrath, he is furious, or as the Margin hath it that hath fury, which best suits with the Ori­ginall which hath it, Dominum irae vocat, ira & indignati­one praedi­tum q.d. non­nunquam os­tendit se esse iratum, quū infligit gra­ves poenas. Vatabl. the Lord of Anger, that is, one that is armed with wrath, and indignation against his enemies, & shewes himself to be angry by infli­cting grievous punishments on thē. Ego [...] non Simpli­citer accipio pro irâ sed pro efectu irae. Calv. in loc. This is intimated in the other expression, he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The word wrath is not againe repeated in the originall, but is taken from that which went before to make the sense compleat. He is the Lord of wrath, he hath plagues & punishmēts enough at his cōmand: these he reserves & keepes by him for a fit time, & then, be sure, he will execute them to the utmost. 3. The third Particular. By what wayes, and meanes hath this wrath of God been manifested to men?

Answ. These two waies.

1. By naturall light. 2. By the light of the word.

1. By the light of nature, or of conscience. There is such a power left in all mens hearts, (which is called conscience) that upon [...]. Sic Hie ocles in versum. sin commited, or good omitted summons men to the tribunall [Page 13]of the supreme Majesty, telling them, that they owe punishment to that soveraigne justice for the commission of the one, and the omission of the other. The Gentiles, who had nothing but the light of nature, had this court of [...]. appellat idem Hieroc. judicature erec­ted in them. Rom. 1. last. Who knowing the judg­ment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death &c. This was a principle rivetted, and seated in all their hearts, this they knew full well, they [...] vid. Bez. in textum. acknowlegd it as true, (though they were ignorant of, and denied many other truths) that they which committed such, and such sinnes were worthy of Gods wrath: for that is meant by Death, that bearing the name of death here, which is called wrath in the 18. verse. Hence it was that many of the Heathens spake of a [...] Plut. adv. Col. golden eye, a revengefull eye, an eye of justice that saw all, and would be revenged for all the wickednesse, that men committed.

This is farther set forth in that famous text; Rom 2.15. where the apostle speaking of the Gentiles, sayes, their conscience also bearing witnesse, and their thoughts the meane while accusing, or els ex­cusing one another. When they had sin'd their con­sciences accused them, and told them, this they ought not to have done, and there was one that saw and would take vengeance for this: the ^t mea­ning is not (so much as the letter of the word seems to import) as if so be the thoughts them­selves did grate one upon another, one thought al­lowing [Page 14]it self when it was good, and condemning it self when it was evill: but the plainer sense seems to be; that they had accusing thoughts when they did evill, and excusing thoughts when they did well; the man, or person acquitting, or accusing himselfe in his own thoughts according to the dif­ference of his actions, his own thoughts (which is no more then the exercise of conscience) justify­ing him when he did well, and condemning him when he did otherwise.

Most men, if not all, especially when they fall into some grosse sin, [...]. Plut. de his qui sero à nu­mine puniun­tur. they have this warning, or re­membrance from Conscience, thou hast sinned, & thou wilt be damned for this another day. Now God by this meanes discovers his hatred against sin, and his wrath hanging over the sinner. Con­science is Gods officer, it is his Herald to proclaime his wrath to men. If one Prince send his Herald at armes to another Prince, or a Generall of an Army sends his challenge by drum or trumpet, there is then open warre, and all men know it. God hath set up this light in men by which he pro­claimes open warre to them in case they sin against him. Wouldest thou know whether God be angry yea or no? look within, doest thou feel no gripes, or prickings there? doth not thy heart secretly [...] Idem. sink and fall after such a sin? Oh miserable man what have I done! certainly I have brought my [...]. Hiercel. self under the displeasure of the Almighty. If thy conscience be not stupid, or seared there are such secret remembrances as these are: [...] Idem. And this is one way by which God instructs the sons of men, [Page 15]what the nature of sin is, and what they must ex­pect, if so be they venture on it,

2. The second way whereby the wrath of God is manifested is, the light of the word. Now this is twofold,

• 1. The light of the Law.
• 2. The light of the Gospell.

1. It is manifested by the light of the Law, the Law threatning nothing but death, curses, plagues, and vengeance to all sin, and ungodlinesse whatsoever: Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them. Gal. 3.10. wouldst thou know whether the wrath of God hangs over men by reason of sin, doe but read the 28. Chap. of Deu­teron. There you shall find curse upon curse. In the 15. verse. it is said all these curses shall come up­on thee, and overtake thee. Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed in the field, cursed shall be thy basket, and cursed in thy store, v. 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, & rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to doe, untill thou be destroyed, and untill thou perish quickly, because of the wickednesse of thy doings, whereby thou hast for­saken me. The Law threatneth nothing but wrath: it worketh wrath. Rom. 4.15. It causes a sense of wrath, by threatning wrath to all the transgressors of it.

2. Is it otherwise in the gospell? no: the gospel, that reveals wrath too. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven. As much as if the Apostle should [Page 16]say: we the Apostles and Embassadours of God do bring this message from heaven, and publish it in our gospell to the world: that the wrath of God is due to men by reason of sin: all men by nature are under wrath already, they are children of wrath Eph. 2. and there is a day which is comming, when this wrath shall come upon them to the utmost, if they doe not believe, and repent.

Obj. Yea, but the gospell reveales Christ, sal­vation, pardon of sin?

An. True, this is the first intention of the gospell, Heb, 2.3. and the first offer which it makes: but if men neglect so great salvation, if they will not stoop to gospell tearms, and submit to what it com­mands, if they will not repent, and believe, then there is so much the more wrath, Mark 1.14.15. and the heavyer vengeance Heb. 10.28.29. He that despised Moses Law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath troden under foot the sonne of God.

Besides, the gospell teacheth, that God will judge the secrets of mens hearts. Rom. 2.16. In the day when God shall judge the hearts of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospell. Thy secret pride, covetousnesse, ambition, thy secret thefts, adulteries, thy secret scorning of the word and or­dinances; these must be all judged, the Gospell that hath said so much in effect. It is according to the Doctrine of the gospell, that there must a generall judgment passe on all a mans sinnes, and there­fore on the secrets of their hearts, his inward, and [Page 17]most secret sins. It is according to my gospell, saith the Apostle, that men must be judged: why, where had Paul said so? In that samous sermon of his: Acts: 17.30.31. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assu­rance unto all men, in that he hath raised him frō the Dead. Or else he saies according to his gospell, be­cause this was the tenor of the gospell, a part and portion of the gospell, one of the most ordinary and usuall Doctrines therein revealed, he, and the rest of the Apostles going up and down, and preaching the day of judgment unto men, bring­ing that as a maine argument why they should re­pent, and believe; because that there was a day a comming, when they must be called to a reckon­ing for all their sinnes. So likewise it is the gos­pell that saies 2. Thes. 1.7.8.9. The Lord Jesus shal be revealed from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, takeing vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospell of our Lord Je­sus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting des­truction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

4. 4. Part. The fourth thing for the prosecution of the Doctrine was, to make proof that this wrath of God towards sin, and sinners hath been confirmed, and made good by sundry judgments inflicted up­on sinners from time to time. Now here we need not stand long, the whole Book of God is full of [Page 18]cleare, and pregnant examples to this purpose. You all know the story of the old world: it is said ex­pressly, God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. 2. Peter. 2.5. You have all read, or heard the judgment that befell Sodom, and Gomor­rah: It is recorded with a speciall note, Gen. 19 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom, and Gomorrah brimstone, and fire from the Lord out of heaven. The name of the Lord is used twice here, to shew, that it was a speciall hand from heaven that brought this. Hebraismus est, pluit Do­minus a Do­mino de coe­lo, pro Do­minus pluit a se de coelo. Vatab. The Lord did this by himselfe, as it were: it was not a chance, or accident; (as some call the most fearfull judgments that ever have been ex­ecuted) it was not the ill Crasis, and disposition of second causes, no, it was an immediate hand from heaven, it was Jehovah that did it.

We might instance in the examples of Exod. 14. Pharaoh and his Host, which were drowned in the red sea in the examples of Numb. 16. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, of Isai 37. Senacherib, and diverse others.

From the old Testament we might passe to the New, and speak of the ends of Judas; Ananias, and Saphira; Herod. These things you all know, much also might be fetched from Histories sacred, & pro­phane to consirme this. Ecclesiasticall Histories are full of examples in this kind. M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath a speciall tract to shew the fearfull ends of severall of the most Eminent per­secutors of the Church, and people of God.

5. 5 Partic. The Last thing for the clearing of the Doc­trine is to shew the grounds, and reasons of this, why God takes this course many times in [Page 19]this world to inflict upon notorious sinners some remarkable judgments: might it not be thought sufficient, that there are eternall punishments re­served for them? The reasons therefore why God doth this are these.

1. Reason 1. He doth it to put a stop to the Atheisme that is in the world. The foole hath said in his heart there is no God. Psal. 14.1. The Atheist sayes, we may doe as we list, the Lord sees not, neither doth he consider; good, and evill are all one to him, and he regards it not: or as they which are described in Job. chap. 21. v. 14.15. They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies. what is the almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? Now, when men are come to this passe, he will make them acknowledge him, whether they will or no. The Lord is marvelous patient, and long-suffering, he knowes how to right himselfe, and to be even with the sinner in the end: but if men will breake all bounds, if they will deny the majesty above, if they will soff at his word, and make a mock of sin, if they will pluck up all religion by the very roots: he will not, he cannot any longer endure it, it stands him upon to keep up his authority in the world, he will be own'd, and acknowledged as God among his creatures. If nothing else will make the proud, & sturdy hearts of men to stoop, and yeeld to him, his Judgments shall Psal 46.10. Be still, and know that I am God. It is the voice of the Lord to the proud ones of the world. It seems they would not know that there was a God, or at [Page 20]least that the God of Israel was he, that was the true God; therefore was it that they were so mad against his people, v. 6. the Heathen raged: but, what is the next newes that we heare? He uttered his voice; the earth melted. As proud, and as stout as they are, no sooner doth He speak, but their spi­rits flag, & faint; those great, and mighty ones who feared none, and car'd for none, they became as dead men: he uttered his voice, or as some read it he gave his voice. Who is this He? look back upon the former verse, and you will quickly see, 'tis God that utters his voice. No sooner doth God speak a word, but their hearts faile them. Let him but shew himselfe, of whom they made a mock but a little before, and question'd whether there was any such one, and then they feare, and tremble; they shrinke, and dare not hold up their heads. And why doth the Lord doe all this? Why doth he drive them to such a stand? The end is set down at the 11. verse. He will be known as God, amongst the worst of men. Be still, and know that I am God, and then it followes, I will be exal­ted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. That wicked Pharaoh, one of the worst of mē, who blasphēed against heavē & said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel goe? I know not the Lord, neither wil I let Israel goe. Exod. 5.2. This bold, this proud wretch, after he had seene the hand of the Lord lifted up, and felt his plagues, he is forced to know who the Lord was, and to let Israel goe.

2. 2 Reason. The Lord doth this to render men in excu­sable [Page 21] Rom. 2.1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. Judgest, how is that? that judgest men worthy of death by sin: that was Gods verdict, and sentence touching sin­ners, and this all men knew by the light of nature, and had the same judgement and apprehention of it in themseves: as it is c. 1. v. 32 when as a man knowes by the light, and checks of his own conscience, that the wrath of God is due unto him by reason of sin, when he sees all the curses that are revealed in the Law, and the fearfull ven­geance denounced in the gospell against all unbe­lieving, and unrepenting sinners, this makes him greatly inexcusable: but when he shall see the judgments of God executed before his eyes, and many of the same ranck, and kind of sinners struck dead in the midst of their abominations, if yet he goe on in the same sins, this makes him beyond measure inexcusable. If a man should see an hun­dred theeves, or robbers hung up one after another at severall assises, and yet after this, this man him­selfe should play the theefe, who would pity that man if he came to the same end? he knowes thee. very to be an unwarrantable, & dangerous thing, the law if against it, and many have been punished for it from time to time before his eyes, this makes him inexcusable: so it is in this case: If God take other men in the midst of their sins, if he take them in the midst of their drinking, quaffing, and ca­rousing, as he did Belshazzar in the midst of his cups, or strike them with some secret, and sudden blow in the midst of their chambering and wan­tonesse, [Page 22]as he did the young man in the proverbs, who when he went to the harlots house, had a dart struck through his liver. Chap. 7.23. or by an immediate hand from heaven, and an Angell sent to that purpose, shall punish them in the midst of their pride, tyranny, and persecution, as he dealt with Herod. If after all this, when a man hath seen such cleare, and manifest Judgments from heaven, on the persons of others, he shall live in the same, or worse sins; if he shall continue a drunkard, an adulterer, a persecutor, and opposer of the saints, and of religion after all this, who can say this man is not justly punished? The word is plaine, and expresse against such, and such sinnes; the end and issue of them is there revealed, and the judgments of God have ratifyed it, and con­firmed it; this man is left without all excuse. Now God will have every mouth to be stopped; and all the world become guilty before God. Rom. 3.19.

3. Reas. 3. The Lord inflicts judgments upon some, that they might be for examples unto others. 2. Peter. 2.6. Turning the citties of sodom, and Gomor­rah into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, makeing them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly. Here is both the judgment, and the reason of it expressed. He turned them into ashes; and he condemned them with an overthrow: he had condemned their wickednesse before in his owne thoughs, and adjudg'd them worthy of some se­vere plague, [...] Phav. and that plague must be nothing lesse then a totall destruction, a totall overthrow; he would so destroy them as to make an utter end [Page 23]of them: for that is the meaning of the word. And why would he do so? it was to make thē an example; he set them up as an example, he had prepar'd thē for an example in his own thoughts before, he had fitted, and designed them for it; now this is the edition, and setting forth as it were, of what he had fram'd, and contriv'd before. Saint Peter had men­tioned two great editions of the wrath of God be­fore, one was in the Angels that fell: He cast them down to hell, v. 4. Here was wrath indeed. Ano­ther was in the old world. He brought in the floud upon a whole world. v. 5. here was the second great edition of his wrath, if I may so speak. And the third was in that of Sodom, and Gommorah, these he [...] constituit. [...]ez. pone [...]s Vulg. constituted, & framed for an [...]. Hesych. example; that is, for a signe, a token, a sure, a standing remembrance of what he meant to doe with others in the like kind: And therefore is it said, unto those that [...]. Ph. [...] Hes. after should live ungodly. If any had a mind after this to play the Atheists, to cast off all the thoughts of God, of religion, and to riot it in their lusts, as the Sodo­mites, they might here see as in a map, what their doome was like to bee. S. Paul reckons up a whole Catalogue of Judgments which befell the Israe­lites. 1. Cor. 10.11. It is said, now all these things hap­pened to them for ensamples. the meaning is not that those Judgments came by chance upon them for how could they then be intended as examples, as he saies they were. Neither doth he say divisim, and a part, that these things happened, and were examples, but he speaks conjunc [...]im, knit­ting them up both in one sentence, they happened [Page 24]as examples, or for examples, that is, those things which corrupt, and carnall hearts look upon as chances, and misfortunes, he in the course of his providence orders that they should come to passe, that they might be examples, therefore in the 6. verse it is said, these things were our ex­amples, or they were [...] made our examples, being ordained, and appointed of him so to be. Examples] that is patterns, [...]. Phav. samplers, and simili­tudes, of what he intended to doe in after times. These were some of the first draughts, and cop­pies of his judgments, that men might see, as he had begun, so he intended to goe on and there­fore they are said to be examples, written for in­struction, or admonition. Examples they were so in their primitive intendment: and they are written too, left upon record, that we might take warning by them on whom the ends of the world are come. The last age of this world is like to be the worst, and therefore is it said, in the last dayes perilous times shall come, for there shall be sinners of such and such a sort,. 2. Tim. 3.1. Now God hath pro­vided for this before hand, he hath given many noteable examples of his judgments in former a­ges, which men, if they were wise, would hide in their hearts, and keep ever by them; and that was his end in makeing such examples, that they might be for admonition: [...] Admonitio­nē: pretiosum vocabulum, [...]uo signifi­catur rectis monitis mens quasi prius emota suo loco restitui, vel antea fluctuans componi. Eez. in 1. Cor. 10 a pretious word (as one calls it) signifying the bringing of the mind back to it selfe againeby some wholesome rebuke or other, that was formerly out of its place; or els it signifi­eth the setling of the mind, that before was fluctu­ating, [Page 25]and wavering. All men are apt to think sleightly of sin, they look upon sin, as a harmlesse thing, that hath no venome, nor sting in it, they play and dally with it, as little children would do with a Snake. All this while the understanding is a sleep, the mind is out of its place, it judges not of things according to the nature of them. But when the Lord from heaven beginnes to shoot his arrowes, when they see men taken in the midst of their impieties, and punished with some grievous, and fearfull judgments, then the mind beginnes to be awakened, and a mans thoughts begin to recol­lect themselves, certainly sin is not such a trifle, it is not a toy, an empty notion, as the most of men doe make it. These are the warnigs of God to men: his judgments executed in the world, are as so many monūents, standing remembrances of his displeasure against sin. This is the last reason of the point.

The Application followes.

The first vse may be a word of Terror, & it is able to shake the heart of every unrepentant sinner un­der heaven. Is there such wrath in God as hath been opened? hath it been all along manifested and revealed? have his judgments confirmed it? this may strike a dampe, a terror on the heart of every wretched, unrepenting sinner in the world. Here thou mayest see what thy case is, and what thy doome will certainly bee: the wrath of the great God, the God of heaven, and earth is kindled a­gainst thee, it burneth, and waxes hot against thee, yea it will one day consume thee, and destroy thee: [Page 26]it will tumble theeodwn into endlesse, easelesse, & remedilesse torments. This were enough to shake the proudest Nimrods of the world, and to make the most stout hearted sinner tremble like an aspen leafe, would he but consider it. The case is plaine, and cleare: the judgment sure and certaine.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, its a plaine, a manifest thing, its written with a sun­beame, and there needs be no question of it, thine owne conscience, that araignes, accuses, and con­demnes thee: its the voice and cry of conscience, if thou lyest in such, and such abominations, thou must be damned, the word sayes it, the Law hath pronounced it a thousand times over and over, the gospell that ratifyes, and confirmes it, and the judgments of God executed in the world, they put it out of doubt.

Oh miserable man or woman, who ever thou bee, be thou young or old, rich or poore, be thy rank or condition whatsoever it be, that ly­est in thy secret thefts, adulteries, oaths, propha­nations of the sabbath, whose heart riseth at God, and his waies, that lovest thy ignorance, wordli­nesse, or what ever sin it bee, that I cannot name in which thou livest, and art resolved so to doe! Oh miserable, forlorne creature! The God of hea­ven and earth is set against thee, the God of hea­ven, & earth is resolved to plague & punish thee.

Art thou able to dwell with everlasting bur­nings, or to stand before a devouring fire? Art thou a fit match for the Almighty? canst thou grap­ple with thy maker? art thou strong enough to o­vercome [Page 27]his Almightynesse? What is become of all the mighty sinners in the world? what is be­come of the world of the ungodly? Were they not all swllowed up together, and devoured as in a moment? What is become of the wicked So­domites? Were they not consumed with fire and brim-stone? Nay, thats not all, they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire, Jude 5.7. they lye flaming in the fire of hell, and are scorched with the wrath of God there for ever. What is become of Cain, and Judas, and all the rabble of the ungodly? Hath not this wrath of the Lord lighted on them, and are they not for ever miserable this is thy doome & portion also, who continuest in thine abomina­tions. Tophet is ordained of old: yea, Isai. 30.33. for the King it is prepared, he hath made it deep, and large: the the pile thereof is fire, and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a streame of brimstone, doth kindle it. There is elbow roome enough in hell for all the drunkards, swearers, Atheists in the world. He hath made it deepe, and large, it will hold them all, there is no feare of it: this is the place prepared for thee. Be thou a great sinner, or little sinner, it mat­ters not, if so be thou be an unrepenting sinner, it may be thy sin is soe secret way of ū just gain, it may be it is wilfull ignorance, constant neglect of holy duties, be it what it will be, if thou be an unrepen­tant sinner, if thou keep thy sin in thy bosome, if thou hide it as a sweet morsell under thy tongue, the wrath of the Lord is gone out against thee. Oh how great, how dreadfull is that wrath? Jerem. 10. v. 10. The Lord is the true God, he is the liveing [Page 28]God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble: and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Revel. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. And the heaven departed as a scrole, when it is rolled together, & every mountain & Island were moved out of their places: And the Kings of the earth, and the great men, & the rich mē, & the chiefe captaines, & the mighty men, and every bond-man, and every free-man hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the moun­taines, And said to the mountaines, and rocks fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?

Thou mayest mock at the word now, and des­pise the messengers of the Lord, and make a light matter of sin, hell, wrath, and judgment, and e­very such thing. Yea but then shalt thou cry to the rocks, & mountaines to fall on thee, & to shel­ter thee from the wrath of the Lord, and the siercenesse of his anger. The wrath of the King is as the roaring of a Lyon, but what is the wrath of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? when the Al­mighty shall strech forth his owne hand against a poore rebellious creature, one that had wallowed in his filthinesse, and took his swinge in his base, and swinish lusts, and he shall set his owne almigh­tynesse on worke to make him miferable, Oh how great must that misery bee! Revelation 1.7. Behold He commeth, and every eye shall see him, all kin­dreds of the earth shal wail because of him. There is a mighty emphasis lies on it, it is he that com­meth, [Page 29]who is that? look back at the 5. verse, and you will see it is Jesus Christ, the faithfull witnesse, the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the Kings of the earth, unto whom glory, and dominion is due for ever and ever. Behold he commeth it is ushered in with a note of astonishment and a­mazement: it is not a poore despised Christ, it is not a carpenters sonne that now appeares, he com­meth not in that meane, low, & abject way as once he did; no, it is the glorious Lord Jesus, it is the the faithfull witnesse, one that hath received pub­lique testimony in heaven of his truth and faith­fullnesse in his fathers worke, it is he that was rai­sed up by the glory of the Father, whom he hath set at his owne right hand, Far above all principality and powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. 'Tis he commeth, he comes not in a poore meane and abject manner, no he com­meth with clouds, he shall come in the glory of his father, and all the holy Angells with him. Behold he commeth. Or else we may refer this to the follow­ing verse. v. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the be­ginning & the ending saith the Lord, which is, & which was, & which is to come; the Almighty. It is that Eternall, that Almighty one. Behold he come­eth. So in the Epistle of Jude v. 14. Behold the Lord commeth. Here we have a behold too. The Lord commeth with ten-thousands of his Saints. To see ten thousand Saints, and thousand thousandes of Angells comming to Judgment, Oh what a dreadfull sight would this bee! but it is the Lord [Page 30]that commeth in the front, and head of these, they are but his followers & attendants. The Lord] he whom thou hast hated, scorned, opposed all this while, it is the Lord that cōmeth whose cōmands thou hast made bold withall, and regarded no more then the dust under thy feet. The Lord commeth to execute vengeance v. 15. who said ex­pressely thou shouldst not be drunken, riotous, un­just, abuse his mercies and the like: this glorious mighty Lord, he himselfe commeth, he whom thou hast dishonoured, provoked, blasphemed so ma­ny yeares together, and yet he let thee alone, but now thou shalt pay for all, he comes to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are un­godly amongst them, he will spare none, high nor low, rich nor poore, all shall stand before the judgement seat. But is that all, it followes, he will convince them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed. Thou canst be tipsy in a corner, and commit filthinesse in secret, and re­serve some hidden close haunts of sin which are remote from the eyes of men, but thou shalt not carry it so, the Lord will convince all that are ungod­ly among them, as subtill, and as cunning an hy­pocrite as thou art, thou shalt be unmasked, the Lord will lay thee open before men, and Angells, thy basenesse, and underhand dealing, thy dodg­ing, and dawbing in matters of religion shall be brought to light at that day. Thou sayest as those mockers did, wher is the promise of his comming? What is this day of Judgment, hell, and wrath that ministers tell us so much off? Tush these are but [Page 31]Bug-beares to fright little children with; and Prea­chers are grown so proud now a daies as they will have all men come to their bowes, and have an awe, and reverence of them: but let us not be so weak to hearken to such tales. But what follow­eth? He will convince them of all their hard spee­ches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Alas! for thee poore man. It is not the minister thou speakest against, those thy wicked, thy accur­sed, thy hard speeches, they are against him. The Lord will not be mocked, neither will he suffer his creatures to laugh him to scorne. He will con­vince thee one day, that sin, hell, and wrath are not dreames, fancies, and idle tales, & when thou hast lyen some millions of yeares in those insuffe­rable torments, and hast eternity, for ever lying before thee to think what thou hast still to endure, then thou wilt see, whether sin be sin, yea, or no, whether the wrath of God be a rediculous thing yea or no. Oh feare and tremble at the thoughts of these things: that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake, and his joynts to tremble. This is the first use.

The second use, and all the use in the generall, that shall be made of the point in hand, Us [...] 2. is an ex­hortation to Repentance: Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodlinesse and unrigh­teousnesse of men? Oh Repent, Repent betimes, ere this wrath come upon you. I have lately ex­horted you to repentance, by the mercies of God, by his love and goodnesse, and the sweet provisi­on [Page 32]that he hath made, he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you. You need not say the work is too hard, it is a thing im­possible for us to repent. You have heard where your strength lies: I must now goe another way to worke, and exhort you to repentance by the Judgments of the Lord, the text which I am hand­ling calls for it, and the providences of the Lord, they call for it also. Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men, saith the Apostle: so must we do likewise. Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place, be thy rank, or condition whatsoever it bee, be thou in higher or meaner place, Repent, and that speedily before the indig­nation of the Lord come upon you to the utter­most. I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees, and Sadduces that came to his baptisme: it may bee looked upon as a kind of argument to presse the doctrine of repentance more closely on them, Math. 3.7. who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. I may say concerning you of this place, the wrath of God is already come, it hath already appeared, it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun, that all that passe by you cannot but take notice of it. Oh repent, repent, lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost: Luke 13:4.5 Suppose yee those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloam fell & slew them, thinke yee that they were sinners aboue all men that dwell in Jerusalem, I tell you nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all, [Page 33]or that they were little sinners, but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the businesse from themselves, as if so be they that were slaine, and made the immediate examples of Gods displeasure, were the onely sinners in Jerusa­lem: no, he tels them, their sins might be as great as any of the rest; and therefore he advises them to look about themselves, for unlesse they repen­ted, they likewise should perish. Do not thinke my bretheren, that the poore children that were crushed to death, the men and women that had their armes and legs broken, or disioynted, their bodyes sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney, or that there are no other sinners but thē amongst you. Nay I tell you all, except yee repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Vnlesse thou, ô man, or woman, who ever thou art, repent of thy drunkennesse, lying, covetuousnesse, of thy cold­nesse and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish, the word saies it, conscience tels thee so, the damned in Hell they feele it to be so.

Oh what a strange passe are men come unto! the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, and yet they will not believe. God hath testifyed it from heaven, that every drunkard, and swearer, and prophane person shall certainly be damned; and yet men will not believe. 1. Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous, &c. why, This is a plaine thing, an evident, a manifest thing, a man may say it is dark at noone day, if he will, but this is cleare and beyond all doubt it selfe. Know ye not that the un­righteous [Page 34]shall not inherit the Kingdome of God. The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any un­righteous soule, no uncleane thing shall ever enter there. No, if the holy, and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrigh­teous soul shalt never get there; and if the Saints and Angells stay in heaven, thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there. Oh think on this for the Lords sake. From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction, all the leaves in the Bible make against thee, all the Judgments that e­ver God hath executed are cleare and plaine be­fore thine eyes, and yet men will not believe! What will become of this Atheisticall generation? There is no man feares, there is no man considers his way. Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodlinesse & unrighteousnes doth bring his wrath upon them, & wil damne thē in the end, they wil not believe it, they will not lay it to heart. The word that threatneth wrath, the Judgmēts of God, they reveale & make known this wrath, the devils in hell they believe & tremble at it, & the damn'd, they feel it, & yet the stout heart­ed sonnes of men they care not for it. 1. Cor. 10.22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy, are we stron­ger then he? Do we incense, [...]. Pha. exasperate, and put the Lord himselfe to it to shew what he can do? are we content the Lord should doe his worst? doe we [...]. He­s [...]ch. equall and compare our selves with him? dare we justle, and contend with him for mastery? Oh fearefull! are you come to this point? let the Lord do his worst, we shall deale with him [Page 35]and his wrath well enough. Oh desperate forlorn man! It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Oh repent, repent. Heb. 10.1. It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr. Repent O England, repent, repent, so say I to you, O Witney, repent, repent, otherwise I feare some more dreadfull plagues will befall you. You that have ungodly neighbours, servants, or friends go to thē & ask them, what meane you to lie in your igno­rance, prophanenesse, neglect of God and holy things still? What do you love to be damned? and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soone as you dye? For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily, if you do not I feare some worse thing will come next. Certainely, my Brethren, the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy; (for so it should be called it was not a Comedy, no, no, it was a Tragedy, a dole­full Play, it had a dolefull end, a bloudy, a sad end. Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints, the fearfull heart-piercing cries, that saw the broken bones, the disioynted armes, the dead carcasses of so many children, will say it was a Tragedy indeed, a dolefull play) and the wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven, it is re­vealed from heaven against thee O Witny. If there be any mockers or scoffers in the congregatiō that are come to deride the word, I say if there be any such, though I hope better things of the most of you, yet if there be any secret scoffer in a corner, I shall say to him as Job did to his friends, when [Page 36]they had made light of his calamity, and said, it was just. Job. 11.3. Suffer me that I may speake, and after that I have spoken, mock on. You that make so light of the hand of God, & laugh at all his judgements, heare the message which the Lord sent, & if after that ye have a mind to mock, then mock ye on, take your fill of laughter, and it may be you may have your belly full of mocking ano­ther day.

Brethren, mistake me not, my aime is not to make you sad, (though it is fit, indeed, you should be humbled for your sins.) Alas, what pleasure can it be to the proor servants, and messengers of the Lord to make any one sad? No, no, it is your good, and happinesse, it is the welfare and happi­nesse of this place I aime at, and I hope by that time you have heard all I have to say, you will be convinced, that it is so indeed. Let me speak to you as the Apostle doth to his Corinthians. 2. Cor. 11.1. Would to God you could bare with me a little in my folly, and indeed beare with me. And then at the 20 verse. for ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devoure you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himselfe, if a man smite you on the face. Many, I feare, are apt to plead for their lusts and corruptions, for their games and sports, which have devoured them, and consumed them, and brought them low, and is there not as much reason they should beare with the word which comes in all plainnesse, and faithfulnesse to doe them good? Certainly my brethren the hand of [Page 37]the Lord is lifted up, the great and dreadfull God, the King of the whole earth hath shewen him­selfe in the midst of you. I could have hoped there would not be found a man in this place, that was come to that height of Atheisme, as to say, this not was the hand of God, this was not a judgement, it was only a chance, a mis-fortune, & such a thinge might fall out, the house was weak, the beam was not strong enough to support such a multitude. I could here cease speaking to such a man, and de­sire a corner to turne aside & weep in, & even pow­er out rivers of teares in his behalf. It was that w ^ch made the Prophet cry out in the like case. Isai. 26.11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see. How was the Lords hand lifted up? Do but read the former verses and you will find, in the 9. verse we heare of his judgements being abroad, and in the 10. verse, we heare of favour shewen to the wicked. Let favour be shewen to the wicked, yet will he not learne righteousnesse. The Lords hand was lifted up in a way of judgment, and in a way of mercy, it was his righteous judgment that some were cut off, and it was his mercy that others were spared, and yet when his hand was lifted up so Emenently, they would not see. The Lord hath shewen both his severity, and his goodnesse a­mongst you, severity to them that sufferred, and goodnesse to you that were preserved. Is it not the Lords goodnesse? or to returne to the Prophets expression, is it not a favour shewen to thee, that thou hast thy life giventhee, when others were [Page 38]crushed to death? is it not a favour that thou art safe and sound, when others had their limbes bro­ken, their bodies grievously bruised? Oh this was that which so moved the Prophet, or the church her selfe that is brought in speaking in that chapt. that she knew not well how to beare it. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see. It is a pathe­ticall speech, and it savours of somewhat a grie­ved and troubled spirit. Oh the hard-hearted­nesse, the pride and stoutnesse that is in men, not to see when the Lords hand is so lifted up. What is thy heart flint, and thy Bowels made of brasse? will not wrath from heaven, great wrath affect thee? Read what followes in the same verse. They will not see, but they shall see. Thou winkest with thine eyes now, but the Lord will open them at last, thou wilt not believe this is the wrath of God, thou wilt believe it to purpose another day, and it may be that day is not far off. That I may shew you the wretchednesse of this disposition, not to see and acknowledge the Lord in such great things, but to lay them upon chance, misfortune second causes, and the like. Consider, 1 This is a meer heathenish temper, the Heathens could not do worse then so, the Philistines they said if the matter fell not out so and so, as they had cast it, it was not the hand of the Lord that smote them, but it was a chance that happened. 1. Sam. 6.9. shall we make our selves Philistines? shall we compare our selves with the worst of the heathens? Nay, some of the heathens have acknowledged the Vide Lip­sium Physio­log. Stoic. l. 1. Dissert. undecimá et seq. Arrian. lib. 1. cap. 6. & 12 ^mo Jamblich. de vitâ Pythag. cap. 28. Stobaeum Eclog. Physic. lib. 1. cap. 3. [Page 39]Providence of God in such [...]. Hiero [...]l. in aur. carm. paulo post. [...]. matters, Nec Homerus hoc nescivit: qui de Graecis adflictis causam reddit. — [...]. Lips. diss. 16. [...]. Eurip. apud S [...]obaeum in Phys. they lookt upon evills befalling them as the just punishments of their sinnes, they have feared and trembled at the things that have come to passe, as ac­knowledging a Divine Power that was the cause of them. [...]. Hieroc. in Aur. Car.

The Circa reli­gi [...]n [...] talem accepim [...]. Tomtrua & sulgura pau­lo [...]n [...]rmius e [...]pavescchat Suct. in Au­gust [...]. Roman Emperours, yea those among them who have been most Ausus interdum non solum vultum attollere: sed etiam [...]. Refert. Casaub. de Caligula ex Dione. prophane & wicked, and at sometimes have contemned God, religion it selfe, and have lookt the judgments of God in the face, with pride, & scorne, at other times they have been surprized with a Panick feare. If they heard [Page 40]but Nam qui De os tanto­pere con­temneret, ad minima to­nitrna & ful­gura conni­vere, caput obvolvere, advero ma­jora prori­pere se estra­to, sub lect­u (que) condere solebat. Sue: Calig. thundering, & lightning, they would croutch under their bedds, and hide their heads, fearing that some plague from heaven was comming up­on them. The Historian reports of Caligula, that wicked Emperour, that he which did so much des­pise the Gods, upon the least crack of thunder, or flash of lightning was wont to wink, & to wrap up his head; and if the thunder, and lightening were a little greater then ordinary, he would get off the bed on which he lay, and hide himself un­der the bed. Yea, it was a Moris fnit cùm tonaret aut fulgeret, aut terra mo veret, con­tinuò pro mutua salute diis vota fun­dere Causab. ex Philostrato Cusus verba apponit Custome among some of the Heathens, when there was thunder, or lightening, or an earth-quake to pray to their Dietyes for on anothers safety and preservation. Nay, the very devills in hell believe, and tremble, the scripture saies it, and it is so: they have seen all the judgments that have been already execu­ted, they know them to be his judgments, and tremble at them. They know all the threatnings of the word to be true; and beleeve they shall be a-complished. They know that the day of judgment will come, they look for it, and tremble at the thoughts of it. What art thou worse then the wickedest heathen that ever was? then the black­est Fiend in hell? Oh wretched creature! Pluck off the vizard, shew what thou art. Do not defile, & abuse that pretious name of Christian: thou a Christian, and worse then a Heathen, worse then the very devills in hell?

2. Not to acknowledge God in such terrible astonishing things as these are, it is the flattest most down right Atheisme that ever was. It is to deny [Page 41]God himselfe, that there is such a Majesty as the Majesty of heaven and earth, it is to deny the word, it is to deny all his judgments, it is in effect to call all the great workes of God that ever he hath wrought in the world meer accidents, and chances: it is to make the floud a meer chance, it is to make the burning of Sodom, and Gomorah a meer chance, in a word it is to make every thing that is recorded in scripture as a punishment of sin and sinners meer casualities and chances. Oh mon­strous, abominable blasphemy! was there ever greater blasphemy then this? This is to deny God, to deny his word, to become a stark downright [...]. Hier. [...]. Tragieus quidam apud Lyps. Atheist. Doest thou believe there are any such things as judgments: certainly if there be this was one What is a judgment, but onely a punishment laid on men for sin, and that which makes it more remarkeably a judgment is, when men are taken in the midst of their sins. Now that stage-plaies, are sins, fearfull and abominable sins, both in them that act them, and them that behold them, we need not labour much to proove.

1. We might urge, where doth the word of God tolerate such Pas-times? the word sayes we should redeeme the time, be swift to speak, watch unto pray­er. If thou canst not afford one houre to heare a Sermon, to pray, to performe religious dueties in, Eph. 5.16. James 1.19. 1 Pet. 4.7. doth the word afford thee, three, foure houres, or whole nights to sit up at a play?

2. But this is least of all; stage-playes are ab­solutely against the word, the word forbids idle words, foolish words, jesting, it forbids unchast [Page 42]lookes, unchast apparrell, unchast gestures, every thing that might be an occasion of sin: the Scrip­ture saith, Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, Math. 5.28. hath committed adultery with her alrea­dy in his heart. Againe it sayes The light of the bo­dy is the eye, if thine eye be evill thy whole body is full of darknesse: Math. 6.22.23. stage-playes are stuff'd with scar­rilous, filthy, unbecomming speeches, passages, and gestures: they are the incentives, & occasions of all lust: stage-playes are the very acting of wicked­nesse, they are a teaching of men to be vile, and wicked. What are all your Comedies, but onely bringing the wanton lusts of men upon the stage? as if so be the hearts of men were not corrupt e­nough by nature, but they must needs see lewdnesse, and folly acted before their eyes, to provoke them to be wicked. Oh horrible! men are not content to be lascivious, unchast in their thoughts, desires, and inclinations when they are at home, but they would faigne see lust acted in the life of it, they would faigne see it displayed in its colours. Is not this abominable? Ezekiel. 23.14.15.16. When she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vir­milion, girded with girdles upon their loynes, excee­ding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them Princes to look to, after the manner of the Babyloni­ans of Chaldea the land of their nativity, & as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them in Caldea. Could dead pictures do so much, a few painted images on a wall? what then will living pictures do? The [Page 43]persons of men acting the part of some found and wanton lover, or in another habit representing the amorous looks, carriage, and deportment of some lewd and wanton Queane. They, when they saw the pictures in the wall Doted on them, and doth not the sight of lustfull amorous spectacles beget & stir up lust? doth it not bewitch and enchant the hearts of men? There are two sad See D Rey­nolds, over­throw of stage playes. p. 51. examples of this in Histories. Besides, do not men attire themselves in womans habits, and is not this a sin? Deuteron. 5.22. The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man, Prinus Hist­riom mastix. p. 392. & scy. neither shall a man put on a womans garment, for all that do so, are an abomination to the Lord thy God. Is there any thing more cleare, or more expresse? How fre­quent is this in stage playes? was it not so in the late play? was there not one that acted a womans part in womans garments? If we believe the word, these were not ordinary sins, no, they are unna­turall, abominable practises, the authors of them are abominable, they are Abōinabilis est apud Deum hoc est Deus abhorret ab his monstrjs. Johannes Wolphius. in Deut. monsters in Gods ac­count as a learned man explaines that text.

3. The hand of God hath remarkably ap­peared against the actors and frequenters of stage playes. Theatre of Gods judg­ments. There was a womā that went to the Theatre to see a play, and returned home possessed with an un­cleane spirit: who being rebuked in a conjuration, for daring to assault one of the faith, that professed Christ; answered, that he had done well, because he had found her upon his own ground. Here you have the devils own confession, he acknowledges stage playes to be sinnes, he had her upon his own ground, where [Page 44]he would have her, and therefore he claimes a right to do what he did. Many instances there are in this kind. He that hath a mind to satisfy him­selfe may read Mr Prin's Histrio-Mastix, where there are many Pages to this purpose. There is one instance so neere a kin to that of Witny, that it may not be omitted. Ʋpon the 13 of January, An­no 1583. being the Lords day, an infinite number of people, men, women, and children, resorted unto Paris garden to see Beare-baiting, playes & other pas-times and being all together mounted aloft upon their scaf­folds and galleries, and in the midst of all their jol­lity and pastime, all the whole building (not so much as one stick standing) fell down miraculous­ly to the ground with much terror and confusion in the fall of it; five men and two women were slaine out right, and above one hundred and fifty persons more sore wounded and bruised, whereof many dyed shortly after, some of them having their braines dashed out, some their heads all to quasht, some their leggs broken some their armes, some their backs, some one hurt some another: there being nothing heard there, but woefull screekes & cries, wch did even pieree the skies: children there bewailng the death and hurts of their parents, Parents of their children: wives of their Hus­bands, and Husbands of their Wives; so that every way from foure of the Clock in the afternoone till nine at night, especially over London bridge; many were carried in and led betwixt their friends, and so brought home to their houses with sorrowfull heavy hearts, like lame cripples.

4. Much more might be said to proove the a­bominablenesse [Page 45]of these playes, from the rise and originall of them, they being the inventions of the Heathens, devised and framed on purpose to ho­nour their Graeci om­nium su [...] ­rum [...]udo­rum [...]len­nita [...]um at (que) adeo [...] Gods withall, especially Bacchus their Drunken God, from whence stage players were called Bacchus his handy-crafts-men. Frō the maine ends lookt at in them, ai [...] Ath [...] ­nam [...]. Sed cum veri Dei notitiam a [...]serunt i­d [...] Bacchum festivitatis authorem dixerunt, haue scenicos ludos conse­crarunt: huic dramaticam poe [...]m & uni­versam [...] dicarunt, quā antiqui [...]mi ho [...]n [...]: cam ob ca [...]sam [...] appellarunt, s [...]enic [...] hi [...]i­enes ideo [...] se [...] per dicti. IIs;aa. Casaub. de Satvr. Grae. Po [...]s. & Rom. Saty [...]a. m E­quidem Comaediae smis non fere alius crat Gracis, quam latitia & hilaritus Cael Rhod. lib 6. at quae sequuntur, ne referam vetat pudor & [...]. sinfull mirth and jollity. From the ordinary concomitants, effects, and fruits of them. But these have been so largely handed by Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Prinne, and others, that it would be needlesse to repeat them. There hath been said enough already to prove stage playes to be sinfull. And if so, (that we may returne to that where we left) Is it not a judgment if a man be taken in the midst of his sinnes? When Nadab & Abihu were smitten by the Lord in the midst of their sinnes, was it not a judgment, a sore judg­ment? The story you have, Levit. 10.1.2. Oh cease to speake against the God of heaven any more in this sort. Certainly it was a judgment, and a manifest judgment, it was wrath from heaven, yea it was wrath from heaven against you in this place. Suffer me to give you this observation. All that were killed were the people of Witny; they were your children, your sonnes and your daughters that were slaine; Why should five of Witny be slaine outright, and not any one of o­ther places. This Cōedy was acted in other places, but it was in Witny only that it proved a Tragedy. O Witny, Witny, the Lord is angry with thee, and [Page 46]there are severall sins among you, that the Lord points out by this judgment.

1. There is the sin of Prophanenesse amongst you, how many are there in this place, that are gi­ven only to drinking, sporting, merriments, and pas-times? I have too sadly observed it in passing the streets, people will sit drinking in an Ale-house making themselves merry with a Fiddle, whereas they will not step over their threshold to heare a Sermon. Oh this is the very depth of prophane­nesse, when men care not for God, they care not for his word, they care not for his ordinances, they care not for the great things of salvation, but are still calling for their sports and merriments, they will be jovall and merry, that they will.

Heb. 12.16. Lest there be any prophane person as Esau, that is an unhallowed, and unsanctifyed per­son, one that still lyes in his naturall filth. [...] Why what is the Character of such a one? it is added, who for one morsell of meat sold his birthright. You of this place have had the Gospell amongst you, Christ and salvation is offered, heaven and happi­nesse stand waiting on men, few men care for this, few men bid Christ and salvation welcome: are not many apt to say, what need of all this preach­ing was it not better with us when we had lesse? Many think it much to afford one houre in a week to heare a Sermon, but they say, come let us eat, and drink, and make our selves merry, let us dance it, and card it, and be joviall whilst we may: and I would to God there may be none such found among you, that will sit up whole nights at [Page 47]Cards and Dice, that can sit day after day, many houres together in an Asehouse, that grudge a few minnutes to be spent in the service of God. Oh! desperate prophanenesse, abominable wicked­nesse! the God of heaven hath revenged this pro­phanenesse this day. Do but thinke with your selves, what the place was, where the hand of the Lord was seen: was it not in such a Kind of place, where such meetings use to bee: I speake not of that Particular house, but that it should be in an Inne, Taverne, or Ale-house, such a Kind of place to which the people of this place are so much adi­cted, which they haunt so much, & spend so much time in. Is there nothing to be learn't from this? Doth the Lord point out nothing of the sin of this place herein? The sinne of drunkennes is to rife & common amongst you? the drunkards are reeling in your streets, they are open and obvious, to the view of all, I my selfe have been too sad an eye­witnesse.

2. Another sin that may be feared to be a­mongst, you is the sin of uncleannesse. Is there no fornication, no adultery in secret corners? no such things as chambering and wantonesse to be found amongst you? Examine well what all your songs, & carolls are, which are so often sung at your dores, & in your houses? are there none of them base, filthy, obscene. It argues too too light and wanton a spirit, that so many scores, yea some hundreds should be at a lascivious play. Oh this is a fearful sin, the sin of uncleannesse, fornication, adultery, and those things that border on it. These [Page 48]sins bring astonishing judgments. Some sins of this nature were they that destroyed Sodom, and cau­sed fire to come down from heaven upon it. viz: the sin of uncleannesse, and unnaturall lusts. These things are too fowle to be named, these things are enough to make the sun in the firmament to blush and be ashamed, and the light of the day to hide and couer it selfe, in which there is mention made of such things.

3. A third sin, which is too visible and appa­rent, is, Neglect of the word and ordinances. Some of them that did attend upon the ordinances have turned their back upon them, and the generality amongst you doe apparently sleight them. For­merly what flockinge hath there been to ser­mons? how hath this place been filled every Al­ley, & corner crowded? No people so famous for readinesse, & diligence in hearing the word as the people of Witny: Ministers that have occasio­nally preached among you have observed it, your Name hath been famous amongst others. How thin are your Congregations grown upō the lords day? how small an handfull there are upon Lect­ure dayes, I am to sad a witnesse? Brethren, suf­fer me to speak my feares. I feare one of the great sins that bath pluct down this judgment, was the neglect of the Gospell. It was not long since, the last time that ever I preacht amongst you on the Lords day, in a full assembly, I beseeched you, I intreated you by all the arguments of love, gen­tlenesse, sweetnesse, that possibly I could to attend upon the word. I beseecht you by the love of [Page 51]God, by the mercies of the Lord, by the bowells of his goodnesse, that you would not sleight the word. The Text was from that of St. John, 1 Iohn: 4.8, 9. God is love, and the poynt from it was, that the Love of God monifested to the world in the dispensation of him­selfe by Jesus Christ, it was the most peerelesse, match­lesse, incomperable love, that ever was. Hence were you called upon in such exhortations as these in the Applciation.

Oh do not grieve such a Love! doe not sleight it! doe not abuse it! Oh unkind sinner! Oh hard-hearted sin­ner! worse then the blackest divell in hell! that canst be drunk, that canst sweare, that canst laugh at holi­nesse in the face of that very Love which is come to save thee, to pardon thee; that hath sent the only be­gotten sonne that thou might'st have life through him. Do not sin against this love, do not grieve it: suffer this love to attaine its ends, to accomplish its desires. The designe of love is to bring thee unto life, and it hath cost it deare to bring about that designe, the sonne of God must come downe from heaven to bring this to passe, and is that so small a matter? why should any of us be willing to stop this love in its wor­kings, to hinder it in its aimes and intentions: all the designe of this love is to bring us unto life, and is there any harme in that? Ah, my Brethren, is Death spi­rituall, Eternall death, such a sweet, such a pleasant thing, that we should be in love with it? Is wrath, the wrath of the Almighty, everlasting wrath a thing to be desired? that we should refuse to ac­cept of the offers of eternall love, when it comes to of­fer life and salvation. With many more Reasonings [Page 52]in this kind. After this you were exhorted to make use of the meanes of life and of salvation, in some such words as these. If you are willing to come to the Lord Jesus for life, you cannot be unwilling to attend upon those meanes, and that word, that holds forth Christ and salvation. Will any one say that that man prizes a pardon, that will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon it, nor to read it, when it is sent unto him? Oh my Brethren! the Gospell is the word of life, the word of peace, of pardon, and of salvation, can he be said to prize salvation and Christ, that will not come to that word which brings Christ, salvation, and all? Is that man willing in good earnest to be saved (how­ever all men say they are willing, God forbid els, but is he so in good earnest?) that will not step over his threshold to heare a Sermon, where this gospell is brought, & the meās of salvation tēdred? I beseech you suffer me to speake to you in the name of the Lord; I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ, I beseech you in the bowells of Jesus Christ, if you think this loue of God the greatest love that revealeth pardō, life, happi­nesse, salvation, do not think it much to wait upon the word that reveales it, and makes it manifest. Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing is the ordinary meanes to beget Faith, and so to bring to Christ, and to salvation. I beseech you do not sleight this Exhor­tation; if you do, I must tell you, (though I am loath so to do, yet I am constrained) this Sermon will rise up in judgment against you at the last day, and I must come in as a witnesse against you.

These were some of the arguments wher-with­all you were pressed; yet not-with-standing all [Page 53]these beseechings, and entreaties, to my griefe I observed it, scarce were there any, that did the more frequent the word preached, & hath not the Lord shewen his hand severely? whereas there are scarce many Scores that wil cōe to hear the word, there are some Hūdreds will go to see a wicked & an ungodly play. Certainly the Lord hath bin avē ­ged for this. Do but read that 10. of Lu. frō the be ginning & so on, at the 5. verse it is said, Into what­soever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. but what followes? in the 10 verse it is said, But into whatsoever citty ye enter, and they recieve you not, goe your waies out into the streets of the same, and say even the very dust of your citty which clea­veth on us, we do wipe off against you. And then there is a sad close in v. 12. But I say unto you that it shall be more tollerable for Tyre, and Sidon at the day of judgment, then for you.

4. Another provoking sin, is the sin of Athe­isme, and irreligion. Do but read what the Lord Jesus speakes to the Church of Pergamos. Rev. 2.14. I have a few things against thee, why? what is the matter? Thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam: and then againe at the 15. ve. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The doctrine of Balaam is expres­sed, He taught Balaack to cast a stumbling block be­fore the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto Idolls, and to commit fornication. The Doct­rine of the [...]. Epiphanius de Nicolao. Nicolaitans was much of the same na­ture, and I blush to tell you what it was, they did not onely hold a liberty of uncleannesse, but a ne­cessity [Page 54]of it. Now what was the quarrell which Christ had with this church? thou hast there them that hold such and such things: In thee, O Perga­mos, are found such monstrous, and abominable Doctrines, in thee are found such as maintaine thē, & will stand for them: with thee it is that they have their seat, and residence. Are there not to be found in thee, O Witny, corrupt, licentious, a­bominable Doctrines? hast thou not also them, that hold them, that contend for them with might & maine? Are there none amongst you that make a mock of sin, that make sin nothing, that hold there is no such thing as sin? Are there none a­mongst you, that deny the great fundamentall Doctrines, (which are the very hinges, pillars, and foundations of all religion) denying the re­surrection, the immortality of the soule, election and reprobation, Heaven and hell, that deny the damnation of any, and maintaine the salvation of all, that can take away the scriptures, the whole Bible, and religion it selfe all at once, are there none such as these are? These are sad provocati­ons, black and dismall provocations! I would feigne believe some poore soules are led a­side through weaknesse, and simplicity, and are beguiled through the subtility of that old serpent whose wiles they are ignorant of. The good Lord deliver them, that they perish not. Its a dangerous thing to stumble at the fundamentalls of religion, and godlinesse, although it be through weaknesse. But if there be any such who obsti­nately, and pertinatiously maintaine such Doct­rines, [Page 55]against cleare and convincing light former­ly shining on them, against the truth which some­times they owned and professed, they are in a sad and fearfull case. Read the Epistles of St. Peter, and Jude, and there you will see the ends of those men 2. Pet. 2.1. They bring upon themselves swift dest­ruction. v. 3. Their Judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. Ep. Iude, v. 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation. If a man out of despight make a mock of Preaching, sabbaths, ordinances, if there be any worse place in hell it is reserved for that man.

You see what the sinnes are which are found a­mongst you, I have now shewen you your wounds, my next work is to endeavour the healing of them, and indeed that was my maine intention, it was not a pleasure to me to search and lance your your soares, yet that was necessary to a cure.

The maine exhortation pressed on you, hath been an exhortation to repentance, to serious, to speedy repentance. And that which remaines, is to give more particular direction, what your carri­age and deportment ought to be under the pre­sent hand of God. There are these foure things you ought to set before you, and to have in your eye.

• 1. The work of Humiliation.
• 2. The work of Reconciliation.
• 3. The work of Reformation.
• 4. The work of Remembrance: (for so it may be called) laying it as a solemne charge up­on [Page 56]your selves to keep in remembrance this strange and wonderfull providence.

1. The first Duty to be set upon is the work of Humiliation. I do not meane you should set up­on it in your own strength, but take the strength of Christ with you, and the strength of the spirit with you, and then you may go on. You have sinned greatly, oh humble your selves greatly be­fore the Lord! Manasseth did so after his great sinnes, 2. Chron. 33.12. And when he was in af­fliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers. Every particular soule should humble himselfe for his particular sinnes, and say, Good Lord! what have my sinnes been, that such wrath should come up­on Witny in my dayes! Every family should mourne, and lament over the sinnes of that fami­ly: Husbands should mourne apart, and the Wives a part, children a part, and servants a part; every one mourning for his owne personall sinnes, and the family sinnes. In the 12. Zachar. 11. we read of a great mourning, a great mourning indeed, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. When was that? When that good King Iosiah was slaine. 2. Chron. 35.23.24.25. Oh that was a dreadfull, a terrible Judgment to have such a Prince taken from them! and this oc­casioned a great mourning, the text saies, all Iu­dah, and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah. All were turned mourners then, and there was no one but bare a part in these lamentations. Ieremiah the Prophet, he lamented for Iosiah, and the singing [Page 57]men, and the singing women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations unto this day. Their singing was turned into mourning, and their rejoycing into lamentation. You have had a great many singing men, and singing women in this place, such as would goe frō doore to doore singing their songs and carolls to make themselves and others mirth Oh! it were well if your singers were turned into mourners! if your harpers were turned into lamenters! if insteed of al your songs & carols, & dācings, you would now come and weep together, and say as Ieremiah doth. Lament. 3.1. How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger? How hath the Lord covered poore Witney with a cloud in his anger? and as it is in the 4. verse. He hath bent his bow like an enemy, he stood with his right hand as an adversary, he powred our his fury like fire. Complaine as the Church also doth in Lam. 3. with a little change in the expression. We are the people that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. v. 3. Surely against us is he turned, he turn­eth his hand all the day. v. 4. our flesh, & our skin hath he made old, he hath broken our bones. Thus I say cōe & weep together, every soule should weep, & eve­ry family should weep, & the whole Town should weep, and indeed it were well if God would put it into your hearts to keep a day of weeping, to set apart some solemne day, to fast and pray, and weep, and humble your selves before the Lord. Say unto the Lord as it is Lam. 1, 18. The Lord is righteous, for we have rebelled against his comman­dements: and as the Church bemoanes her selfe, [Page 58] Lam: 3.39, 40, 41, &c. Wherefore doth a living man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sins? let us search and try our wayes, and turne again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed, and rebelled, thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slaine, thou hast not pittied.

2. Aime at Reconciliation. The Lord is dis­pleased, he hath been highly provoked: oh labour to get his anger removed, and his wrath pacifyed! Run apace to the Lord Jesus, entreat him to stand betweene you, and his fathers wrath: go to, him speedily, go to him immediately, before far­ther wrath breake forth. It is not all our teares (though we could poure out whole rivers of thē) that can wash away one sin: no, no, in that day ('tis spoken immediately after the mention of that great mourning) there shall be a fountaine ope­ned for sin, Zach. 13.1. and for uncleannesle. Mourne you must, mourne greatly, mourne bitterly, yea, but it is the fountaine that must wash away sin, it must be the fountaine of the Lord Christs blood, that must wash away the fowle, and horrible sins of Witney. Come then, wash in this fountaine, wash, and you shall be cleane. In the 16 of Numbers we read of great wrath: no sooner had God executed that fearfull judgment upon Korah, and his rebellious compāy, but the people fell to murmering imme­diately. v. 41. But on the morrow, all the congre­gation of the children of Israel murmered against Moses, and against Aaron, saying, ye have killed the peo­ple [Page 59]of the Lord. Oh desperate, and adventrous sinners! that when they saw the judgment of God executed the very day before, yet they fell into the same sins, which they were guilty of, which had been so plagued. How angry is the Lord for this, v: 44, 45. And the Lord spake unto Moses say­ing, get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. But what doth Moses do in this case? v: 46. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the Alter, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. This represented the mediation of Jesus Christ, Isa. 53.12. who is said to make intercession for the transgressors. He is that Angell in the Revelation, that stands at the Alter, having a golden censer, and much incense given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of thee Saints. chapt. 8.3. Now Moses saies to Aaron, go quickly: or as it may be read, make to go with speed, that is, as the Chaldee, and Greeke translateth it, carry quickly, or in haste. [...] Make haste to the Lord Jesus, away to him every soule of you: all you that have not known what the worth of the Lord Jesus is till this houre, know now how to prize him, it is he that must pa­cify the wrath of God that is gone out against thee for thy prophanenesse, and thine uncleannesse, and thy neglect of the word, and thine Atheisme, Oh fall in love with the incomperably pretious Lord Jesus this day, as soon as ever thou commest home fall upon thy knees, & beg thou mayest have [Page 60]a Christ given to thee: the wrath of the Almigh­ty is gone out against thee, and will otherwise certainly consume thee. There is no dealing with a sin-revenging Majesty, but only in, & by a Me­diator. As for you that have interest in this preti­ons Name, O make use of it, present the righte­ousnesse, and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the father. It is he that must stand betweene the dead, and the living: some are cut off already, and the wrath of the Lord is not yet appeased. If you interpose not the Lord Jesus, you may expect more wrath, and more plagues. This I commend to you as the chiefe, and maine direction of all the rest: it is not all thy carelesnesse, and security, it is not all thy sleighting, and despising the judgments of God, that will be able to keep off the wrath of the Lord in the end. No, this will bring on thee so much the more wrath, and heavyer vengeance: Get into the Lord Jesus, hide your selves in the clefts of that rock till this indignation be over past. If ever Christ be worth having, now is the time. You that cared not for Christ when you were at ease, and when you lived in pleasure, my thinkes you should long after Christ, and be restlesse till you have gotten him now judgment is come up­on you. Oh, Brethren, if the Judgments of God in this world be so terrible, that they are enough to abash, and appale the stoutest sinners, how ter­rible, and how dreadfull will that last, and great day of judgment bee? If thou canst not stand before an angry God now without a Savi­our, without an advocate to plead thy cause, when [Page 61]he doth but manifest a little of his displeasure, and gives but a gentle touch of his finger, how wilt thou stand before him without a Saviour, and an advocate? when he shall come with millions of Saints and Angells, when the Bookes must be ope­ned, and every mans life ripped open, and it shall be said, There wast thou drunk in such a corner, there hadst thou thy wanton dalliances upon such a bed, at such a time didst thou revile at the Mi­nisters of God, and mock at his waies and the pro­fessors of them, so many yeares thou livedst in the world, and yet never didst study how thou might­est come to the knowledge of God, or the way to life and happinesse; when all this, and much more shall be said; and then the Lord shall not come to let in a veine of his wrath only; but he will pluck up all the sluces, & open all the floud-gates of his wrath, and vengeance, when that dismall place of torment shall be set before thee, where those un­quencheable flames are, where thou shalt heare the devills roaring, the damned yelling, and see all this prepared for thee, how wilt thou be able to hold up thy head at such a day? Make sure of Christ betimes. They were the last, and dying words of one, who in his life time was the Jewell, and Paragon of Religion, and piety in the coun­try where he lived. Make sure of Christ. He is bet­ter then all the gold and treasures in the world, better then the Rubies, or the Onyx stone. Thou art eternally happy if thou get him, and Eternally miserable if thou come short of him.

3. The next thing that is to be studied, and endeavoured after is Reformation. It is Reforma­tion that the Lord looketh after. Do you think that the Lord delighteth in the death of your children? that he taketh pleasure in the breaking, bruising of your bones? is it matter of joy to him to see the hurts, and heare the dolefull complaints of your wives, servants, and neere relations? No, no, God is love, as you have many times heard had not your sinnes put him upon it, there had not been so sad a spectacle found amongst you. Put away therefore that evill thing which is in the middest of you. When the children of Israel had fallen before their enemies, Achan who had taken the accursed thing, and been the occasion of the misery, and distresse that fell upon them, must be found out, and stoned: You have seene already some of the Achans that have troubled your peace, stone them now, and put them to death. You have heard it was the prophanenesse, the ūclean­nesse, the contempt of the Gospell, the Atheisme, and irreligion that is among you, that hath cau­sed all your trouble: put away these accursed things. And here let me speake more fully to you under these foure heads.

• 1. To the looser, and prophaner sort.
• 2. To them that formerly haue been profes­sors, but now are fallen off.
• 3. To them that do still feare the Lord, and hold on in his way.
• 4. To all the people of the place in gene­rall.

1 To the looser, & prophaner sort, the exhortation is, Oh put away all your drunkennesse, formication, uncleannesse, oathes, blasphemies; let him that was filthy be filthy no more; let him that stole steale no more: oh that you would think of lea­ving all these base, unworthy, desperately foolish wayes, and think of turning to the Lord with your whole heart, and your whole soul! You that have layen rotting, and stinking in your lusts ma­ny yeares together, thou that art an old gray­headed sinner, think at last of returning to the Lord. Ah poor creatures! what meane you? will you ruine the place you live in, and damne your own soules eternally? If men had but common humanity in them they would not continue in their grosse, and hideous abominations, that would pull downe wrath upon their wives and children, friends and neighbours, the towne and place in which they live. But this is a small matter in comparison; if they had but a tender regard of their own soules, if they made any account of their owne salvation, if they had but so much as a prin­ciple of selfe-love in them, they would cast away those sinnes, that will certainly damne them in the end. There is none of the sinnes which thoulo­vest so dearly and huggest them with so much ten­dernesse, and will not be brought to part with them upon any termes, (thou hadst rather part with thy life then with such a lust) there is none of these thy most beloved sinnnes, but it will cost thee the losse of everlasting life, it will cost thee the losse of God, It will cost thee the losse of the [Page 64]Kingdome of Heaven. The word speakes it out aloud. No fornicator, nor Idolater, nor adulterer, nor effeminate person, nor theefe, nor covetuous person, nor drunkard, nor reviler shall ever inherit the king­dome of God. 1. Cor: 6. Poor man, doest thou know what the Kingdome of God meaneth, from whence thou art for ever to be shut out? or doest thou know what that for ever is, which is the line and measure of thy torments? Sit downe, and pause a while, and think what eternity is: thy life is but a minnute, a dreame, a shaddow, it is gone before thou think of it: count over the houres of the day, and is the day so long a thing, it is but the run­ning of a few such, and then there is a period set to all thy pleasures. How quickly mayest thou on thy death-bed look over all thy life past, and ac­count it as a very little thing, as a meer point, and beginning only of that which is life? but canst thou look beyond eternity? canst thon conceive when everlastingnesse will have an end? all thy plea­sures are gone and passed, they are passed over as in a dreame, and now thou art in the midst of e­ternity before thou art aware. How fearfull then will these thoughts be: what must I be ever thus? Must I be tormented in these flames without end? Is there no hope, no possibilities of being other­wise then I am? After I have suffered so many millions of yeares; is there for ever still behind? Try a little in thine owne thoughts, and see where thou canst put bonds, and limits to that which is for ever. Try where thou canst put a stop, beyond which thou canst think of no more: is it better to [Page 65]be everlastingly happy, or everlastingly miserable after a score for two of yeares? Think of these things, I beseech you by all the calls, mercies, judgments of the Lord, by all the riches of his pa­tience, forbearance, long-suffering exercised to­wards you. Oh do not put off the thoughts of these things, Do not any more chuse abominable things which his soule hateth. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is neer. Let the wicked for sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him returne unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

2. To those that have forsaken their former profession, the exhortation to them is, O Returne, Returne to the good old way of God, returne to the ordinances, returne to the use and exercise of holy duetyes, to the use of prayer, confession of fin, and the like: if you do not, fearfull will your Judgment be. I hope some of them that are gone astray do belong to the Lord, but truly you must come back by weeping-crosse.

I could tell you sad storyes in this kind. I speak not by heare-say: I have knowen them that have smarted deeply for sleighting the ordinances, neg­lecting prayer, for low and undervaluing thoughts of Christ and his bloud. I could tell you of some, that living under such a temptation but for a week, or two, in that short time had lost all their former communion with God, and being delive­red from the snare accounted their recovery as a [Page 66]new conversiō. The experience of one in this kind was so eminent, that I thought I was bound to make it publick, that it might serve to stop, and restraine them which are so prone to apostacy in the present age, and I shall set it down, as neer as I can, in the same words and expressions, as I had it frō the persons own hand. Being not well establi­shed, I was soon drawn away in my hearte, secretly to decline frō that good old way which formerly I walk­ed in, I heard one upon justification, and Christs comming in the flesh, & upon that place, Christ in you the hope of glory, in such a manner as I never heard the like before, that I was struck with amaze­ment with the manner of his plansible speech. And having heard a good report of the man, and had some experience before that he was an able mā to minister comfort to them that were in distresse, I was exceed­ingly taken with what came from him. And in his poynt of Iustification, he did labour to beat off from repentance, and from confession of sin, or beg­ging of pardon for sin, and held it out, that these were a calling in question the faithfullnesse of God; for he shewed that all that the Saints had to do, was to be­leeve, and render prayse; and as he sayd, he spake his owne experience, that he had found more of God in one dayes walking in beleeving, then in many yeares in walking in that strict course of praying, and fast­ing, and keeping dayes of humiliation, and blamed those Ministers that did hold forth such doctrines. These things he backed on with such Arguments, that it did take much upon the affections of them that heard him. For I never heard him pray, but he would [Page 67]sometimes give thanks and that so sweetly, that it, did even ravish the soules of them that heard him and did much presse on to that duty.

Thus hearing him at severall times, by degrees I fell from the good old wayes I was trained up in by my parents, and especially that which God had taught me by faithfull Ministers, and soone was I poysoned with that Doctrine, which my corrupt nature did soone close with; to the great dishonour of the pretious Gos­pell, to the grieving of the good spirit of God, and the wounding of mine owne conscience, which was not soon healed. I began to try conclusions with God, and and walked as a loose libertine, and cast of the duty of prayer to God in private, and so quickly I lost my communion with God, and he withdraw himselfe from me, and left me for a time: and no sooner had God left me, but Satan came in with his delusions, and formed himself into an Angel of light, and carryed me up in­to a fooles Paradise, and lulled me asleep in security, and carryed me on in that condition for the space of an yeare and halfe before the Lord awakenened me. And no sooner had I left seeking of God in private, but the Lord left me to publique shame; for my heart, and strength was let out in an eager persuit of the world, and love of the creatures, and a fearfull sleight­ing of the Sabbath, which began to be a burthen to me, and I had an odious sleighting esteeme of the Minist­ers of God, and questioned their judgments in hold­ing forth the word to the people, and I was excee­dingly perplexed with vaine thoughts, and by degrees led into such thoughts as I aw ashamed to name, and by this the Lord awakened me, for I was exceedingly [Page 68]startled at it, and began to consider with my self, that I was out of Gods way, and therefore out of Gods pro­tection. Then I began to remember from whence I was fallen, but it was long ere I could do my first workes, but I was resolved to turne to my first husband, for then it was better with me then now. But I found it a hard pluck before I found my God a reconciled fa­ther, pardoning my sin of Apostacy, though I sought it with bitter teares for the space of halfe an yeare. And I thought to have kept it to my selfe, and none should have knowen my trouble, but the anguish of my spirit was so exceeding great, that I could not hide it from God or man, for I was afraid the Lord would have made me a publick example to all that knew me, and that I should have been quite distracted, and ran a­bout the streets like one of those that children run af­ter. But when I saw there was no remedy, I made my case knowen, and got all the helpes I could to seek God for me. When I made my approach to God I was beaten back by mine adversary, and by mine owne ac­cusing conscience, which was more to me then a thou­sand witnesses. And often those words were sound­ing in mine eares. Him that draweth back my soule abhorreth, and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven, and woe to you Scribes, and Pharises hypocrites, and that in the 6. of the Hebrews, them that have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, it is impossible to renew them by repentance, with many more places: and when I would have prayed in private, it was told me that God would not heare me, then I replyed that I hoped God [Page 69]would heare him that sate at his right hand, but it was replyed to me againe the Lord had said to him, (as he had to Jeremiah) pray not for this people, I was so lamentably tortured, I could not sleep, nor eat, nor take any contentment in any relation I had, and had not the Lord witheld me from that which the devill tempted me unto, I had surely ended my life. So low was this poore soule brought, and so deep was the distresse in which the Lord left it before it was recovered & indeed I cānot declare all, least this re­lation should seeme too tedious. But it pleased the Lordat last mercifuly to recover this poor distres­sed soule, though it were long first, (that I may use some of its own expressions) before the Lord did seale unto it its pardon, many a bitter day, and night it did undergoe: & to this very day it makes sad, & heavy complaints, & undergoes many a sharp conflict, but the Lord is pleased to sanctify these and former dispensations in fuch a way as that there are few Christians in which there is so much humility, mortifyednesse, such sweet breathings after God, such high prizings of his presence, and humble attendance on the ordinances, & frequent use of holy duetyes to be found.

So famous an instance as this is might serve to poyse, and ballance the loose and ficle spirits of such who begin to hang off from, & to be indiffe­rent unto the good waies of God. Beware of Apo­stacy. Apostacy is a fearfull sin, it is the high way to the sin against the Holy Ghost, that sin which shall never be pardoned in this world or in the world to come. Take heed how you medle with edge­tooles, [Page 70]as the proverbe is. Whoever falls on this stone it will grind him to powder. Who ever shall clash with the great Fundamentall Doctrines, the Doctrines about sin, whether there be any such thing yea or no, touching the resurrection, Hea­ven, hell, the last Judgment, he that shall play, and dally with these things, and take liberty to speak for them or against them, such wantonnesse as this is will proove his ruine in the end. Did you not once believe these things? were they not once Articles of your faith? how is it that you come to cast them off? Oh it is the most dangerous thing in the world for a man to be medling, and tam­pering with, and at last come to a flat downright denying of the great fundamentall truths of reli­gion, the things which sometimes he beleeved and professed the beleife off! this man is in a faire way to the unpardonable sin: I do not say this is that sin, but he that is come to this had need look to himself, he is in the way thereunto without abun­dance of mercy to recover him. Much have those to answer for, and fearfull is their Judgment like to be, who peremptorily, and obstinately main­taine such desperate opinions, that all men shall be saved alike, that sin is nothing, but only that men make it something by their own Melancholly fancies, and timerous apprehentions. [...] (re­pete ex supe­rioribis [...], Hie­rocl. This is the very Bane, and cut-throat of all religion, this is that which cuts the very sinewes of Godlinesse, this is that which undermines the worship of God in the world, and plucks it up by the very rootes. Take away the name, and notion of sin, make it [Page 71]nothing, who then will regard to worship, feare, obey the great God? who will care for any of his commands? Do you not think the Lord is Jealous for these things? Brethren, my heart will hardly serve me to speake of these things, its even rea­dy to dye, and sink within me. Good Lord! what wilt thou doe for thy great Name? how poor? how sleight? how contemptible a thing do men make of thee in the world? men begin to forget that they are thy creatures, and that thou hast made them! I could even here break forth into teares, and say Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a foun­taine of teares that I might weep day, and night for the dishonour, scorne, and contempt that iscast vpon the blessed God by these things.

It is time for the Angells of the Churches, the Mi­nisters, A briefe addition touching Atheisme. and Messengers of Jesus Christ to carry that peece of the everlasting Gospell, and to preach unto them that dwell on earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Revel. 14.6.7. saying with a loud voice: Feare God, and give glory to him, worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountaines of water. It was said in Athanasius his time, that the world was become an Arrian, and now it may be sayed that the world beginnes to turne Atheist. Some there are that darepro­fesse it. One upon that passage: The foole hath said in his heart, there is no God, was not afraid to utter such words, That foole spake the truth. Oh monster! eternity will be a thing long enough to torment thee, and make thee feele whether there be a God yea, or no. But it is not all thy blasphe­my [Page 72]can rid thee of thy folly. Canst thou produce the records of the world for six, or seaven thou­sand yeares agoe? canst thou confute the book of Genesis, and bring to light somewhat more ancient, and authentique then it? Canst thou tell who was Adams Father? and what the generati­ons of men were before him? rise up as high in thy thoughts as thou canst, wilt thou not at last come to some first man? was this man made yea, or no? who was it that made him? was it himself. then he was before himselfe, but was he made by some other? who was that? or was he from everlasting? why then doth he not continue to everlasting? will any thing destroy it selfe? Durst thou trust thine own sense? are there any such things as spirits? if not; why are there so many wretched creatures suffer for their familiar converse with them? if thou do believe that there are such things as evill spirits, who is it that keepes thē in order, & setts bounds to their mallice? But such mōsters who deny the Principles of their being should be rather hissed out of the world with abhorrence, thē disputed against.

As there are many that dare professe Atheisme, so there are many that durst live it. How pe­remtory and resolved are men in wayes of sin? how light a thing do they make of the word com­mands and threats of God, and of every thing thing that might keep them in awe, and retaine them in their obedience to their acknowledge­ment, and observance of the great God? Men be­gin to think they are above the word, above hell above damnation, and in effect above God. What a poor, and contemptible thing is religion grown [Page 73]in the world? Certainly, if religion be the keep­ing of an awe of God upon a mans spiritt, the reli­gation, and binding of the soule over to him, the constant observance of him, and strict conformity to his will, there is little of this religion to be found in the world.

In all these respects it becommeth the servants of the Lord to bestirre themselves, to contend zea­lously for God, for the cause of religiō, and not pa­tiently to suffer the name of God, his worship, re­ligion it selfe to dye, and be forgotten in the thoughts, & lives of men

3. To you that feare the Lord, and walk on in his wayes, the exhortation to you is, be more ho­ly, be more humble, be more heavenly minded, be more fruitfull in good workes: Zeph. 2, 3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgment, seek righteousnesse, seek meeknesse. Ye that are meek already, seek more meeknesse, ye that have wrought righteousnesse, be more righte­ous, and abound in all the fruits of righteousnesse.

The Lords eye is more especially set upon you, he observes in a more peculiar manner what your carriage will be, the Lord expecteth you should not onely mourne for your own sinnes, but for the sinnes of the place in which you live. Bre­thren, me thinkes there is not that growth a­mongst you which I could wish, I could be glad to see more life, more sweet breathings after God amongst you. Me thinkes you do not love God, and the Lord Jesus Christ enough, you discourse of him but seldome, and speak of him but coldly. Ignatius had his heart so inflamed [Page 74]with the love of Christ, that when he spake of him, he would say, My love was crucifyed. Some are so full of love to him, as that they are ravished when they think of him, they break out, and say, oh that excellent! that incomperable one how preti­ous is the Lord Jesus! how pretious is he! Men, and Angels are too little to love him, and admire him. For the Lords sake stirre up your selves, entertaine Christ better, and entertaine the Gospell better. When the Gentiles heard, that the Gospell was sent to them, and thatit appertained to them as well as to the Jewes, it is said, they were glad, and glori­fyed the word of the Lord. Acts. 13.48. Oh this was wellcome newes, joyfull tidings to them indeed! their hearts were even ravished, and transported with such blessed tidings as these, that Christ should become salvation to them, as well to the Jewes, for that was it which was made knowen to them in v. 47. They glorifyed the word, they magnifyed, and advanced the word. Oh this was the best word that ever they heard! an excellent, and a sweet word! I beseech you, my brethren, stirre up your selves, and provoke one another to love, and to good workes. It is a great fault in the professors of this place, that they maintaine such a distance, and strangenesse one towards another. The ancient Saints spake often one to another. Malachy: 3.16. The Primitive Saints in the Apostles times met of­ten, they prayed together, and conferred together. So it should be with you, you should be often visi­ting one another, and asking each other, Oh my Friend! what are your temptations? what are [Page 75]your comforts? what have the dealings of God been with your spirit since we mett last? is grace kept alive? or is it more dead? This is the way to be a thriving people. I would faine that you of this place should be patternes to all that are round about you for humility, for heavenly­mindednesse, for soundnesse in the faith, for ex­perience, for holinesse.

4. To all in generall, the Exhortation is, Labour to set up religion in this place, set it up in your hearts, set it up in your families, set it up, as much as may be, in the whole towne. Away now with all your sinfull sports, and merriments, away with all your cards, and dice, singing, dancing, and such like vanityes. Insteed of these things set up Cate­chizing, praying in the family morning, and eve­ning, and let one neighbour come to another, and say, come let us go to heaven together, and seek the Lord together. Jerem. 50, 4.5. In those dayes, and in that time saith the Lord, the children of Isra­el shall come, they, and the children of Judah toge­ther, going & weeping: they shall ge, & seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying, come, and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten. Oh what a blessed change would this bee, if young, and old, rich, and poor, husb­ands, and wives, parents, and children, masters, and servants would all joyne together; if they would come weeping together, and seek the Lord, if all the people in this place would set their faces towards Heaven, and toward Religion, and say, [Page 76]Come let us joyne our selves in a perpetuall Co­venant, we will strike in with the Lord this day, and we will never alter our choice more, it shall be a Covenant that shall never be forgotten. If you would all resolve this day, Come, we will goe to Zion with our faces thitherward. We will go where the word is preached, and where the ordinances are set up, and where the worship of God is cele­brated, oh we will neglect the word no more, & we will neglect the ordinances no longer. This is one of the last requests I have to leave with you, oh do not neglect the opertunityes of hearing the word, and comming to the Ordinances as you have done For the Lords sake, you that are masters of fami­lies come your selves, and bring your children, and servants along with you; you that have friends, bring your friends with you. Go weeping (as they did) and say, oh we have neglected the word, and neglected Christ, and neglected salvation, but we will neglect them no more. Let that prophecy be fulfilled of you which was spoken, Isai. 2.3. And many people shall goe, and say, Come ye, and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Load, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law, and the word of the Lord out of Jeru­salem. Redeeme an houre in the week day to heare the word, your callings will not prosper ever the worse.

4, The last thing I have to propound to you by way of direction, is the Duty of Remembrance. Forget not the Wonderous workes which the [Page 77]Lord hath wrought. When mercyes, or Judge­ments are new, and fresh, we are apt to speak of them, and to be affected with them, but a little time weares them out of our minds, and blots them quite out of our Remembrance. Oh take heed of this. Bind this sad Providence for a signe upon your hands, and let it be as Frontlets between your eyes. Set it down in your Almanacks, and keep a Register of the Day: oh this was the black, and dismall day of Gods visitation on poor Witny. It were good if you kept some solemne day every yeare as a remembrance of this sad, and heavy stroke. For as great mercyes require great, and and solemne praises, so do great judgments re­quire great, aed solemne humiliation. They speake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an Ordinance in Israel: and behold they are written in the Lamentations. 2. Chron. 35.25. It seemes they had a constant remembrance of that judgment (the losse of good Josiah) they speak of him to this day. It was a constant practise a­mongst them to remember that sad stroke: and they had a solemne Book of Lamentations ap­pointed to mourne for this judgment. Luke. 17.32. Remember Lots wife. We have not many such Remembers in all the Book of God upon so speci­all an occasion, (they may easily be all reckoned up) and therefore here is some speciall thing hint­ed to us. Here was a speciall monument of Gods judgment on a woman that was hankering after her old pleasures, she had been used to the de­lights, and contentments of Sodom, and she was [Page 78]loath to part with these: she lookt back to the So­dom of her former pleasures, and contentments, and whilst she is looking back she became a Pillar of salt. Oh remember this, (saith our Saviour) Remember Lots Wife. There is an accent put on this. You of this place have been hankering af­ter sports, and merriments, you have been migh­tily set on these things, and the Lord hath shewen his displeasure by an Eminent hand, and a strech­ed out arme. Oh remember this, remember the Tragicall story at the White Hart.

You have heard now at large what your duty is; in generall it is to fall upon the work of Repen­tance. You have likewise been directed particu­larly how to carry your selves in that work; and what the particular Duetyes are which are to be done by you, and what the Lord expects from each of you in your severall rankes, and places. That which remaines is only, in the close of all, to adde a motive, or two (to that which hath been already said) to presse that which is your duety on you.

1. If you do not repent, some worse thing will come upon you. It may be the Lord may send a Fire next to consume all your houses, it may be he may send the pestilence among you to devoure you, or if not that, a famine: the Lord hath wayes enough to punish unrepentant sinners. Read over that 26. of Leviticus, & there you will see what the Lord threatens in such a case, v. 23.24. If ye will not be reformed by these things, but will walk contrary unto me: then will I also walk contrary unto you, and [Page 79]will punish you yet seaven times for your sinnes. v. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me: then I will walk contrary un­to you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you sea­ven times for your sinnes. If you think to wax stout and stubborne against the Lord, he will be as stout against you, if you walk contrary to him he will doe so to you, and if one judgment will not do it, he will follow you with a second, & a third, and if you still harden your hearts against him, he will cōe against you in Fury, he will summon up all his wrath, and vengeance, and if he be able to break, and ruine you, to be sure he will do it. Oh it is a dreadfull word. v. 17. I will set my face against you, and that in the 28. verse. I, even I will chastise you. As much as if he should say, I the great God, I that made heaven, and earth, and can turne the foundation of it upsidedown whē I please, I will set my selfe against you, I will engage all my wisedōe, and all my power, I will put forth all my glory, and excellency to destroy you.

If temporall judgments will not prevaile, God hath eternall punishents in a readinesse for obsti­nate, and incorrigible sinners. Tophet is prepared, &c. Hell is in readinesse, eternall flames, ever­lasting burnings are prepared; and those that would not be tamed, and brought into order by the judgments of God in this world, will be still and calme enough when they are thrown there. Then thy pride and stoutnesse of heart against the Lord, thy stubbornnesse, and incorrigiblenesse will do thee little good. This hath God prepared, [Page 80] Ps. 7.11, 12, 13. God is angry with the wicked eve­ry day: if he turne not, he will whet his sword, he hath bent his bow, and made it ready; he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death. Are not the judgments of God in this world terrible e­nough? do they not strike deep enough? do men beare up themselves against the Almighty, and wax proud against him notwithstanding these? Oh! he hath yet a deadly instrument left behind, he can strike them into hell, and then they are struck to purpose. Art thou not afraid of the first death, (the worst as thou supposest of temporall evills) because that is but a short passage? But there is the second death, when thou shalt be ever dying, and yet never dye: thou shalt be alwayes in the pangs, and agonyes of death, and yet never past death it selfe. The judgments of God in this world they are but as the Alphabet, as the A.B.C. to that great, O quantum e­rit istud Con­sistorium, quod Majestate di­vina apparen­te, & to mil­libus Angelo­rum celebrabi­tur, & quanto majoris Ma­jestatis, tanto majoris terro­ris, & horror is erit impi is. Luth. and last judgment. It was Luthers expression. Oh how great (sayes he againe) shall that consistory be, When the Divine majesty shall appeare, and so many thousand Angels and by how much the greater the Majesty of that court shall be, so much greater will the dread, and horror be that will fall upon wicked men.

2. If you be a reformed people, the Lord will delight in this place, as much as ever he hath loa­thed it. The Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. No, Judgment is his strange work; had you not put him to it, he had never done that which he hath,

Returne now unto the Lord make a covenant [Page 81]with him this day to serve him with a per­fect heart, and a willing mind. Choose the Lord for your God, and give up your selves in Christ Jesus to him, to walk with him unto all well plea­sing, then will he rejoyce over you to do you good he will set himselfe to blesse you with his whole heart, and with his whole soule, Blessed shall you be in the towne, blessed in the field, blessed in your basket, and blessed in your store. Blessed when you rise up, and blessed when you lye down. All the peo­ple that passe by you shall say. Behold Witny, the Place which the Lord hath blessed. The Lord shal take away your reproach, and it shall no more be said, this is Witny, whom the the Lord hath pla­gued, but this is Witny whom the Lord hath lo­ved, whom the Lord delighteth in. Yea, the Lord himselfe shall Blesse you out of Lion. You shall have all the Gospell mercyes, knowledge shall increase, and the feare of the Lord abound amongst you: others shall bee provoked by your zeale, they shall come, and see the religion that is in Witny, and say: Behold the place that was eminent for sin, and judgment, is now become eminent for Holi­nesse, and mercy. And now I may say as Moses did, after he had thundered out all the curses, and sweetly laid forth all the blessings of the Lord up­on their obedience or disobedience to the Law, I have set life, and death before you this day. Oh chuse the way of life, and you are blessed, blessed shall you here, and blessed for evermore.