BEcause I have heard that we are like to have a Proclamati­on for a Publick Fast; or however, because I am certain we have great need to have one, at least for the use of those who desire to be found Mourners in secret for the Abominations that be done in the Land; I have thought fit, as an Act of Duty to God, and Charity to my Country, to publish this brief Admoni­tion concerning the present just Causes we have for it, and that manner of Performance of it, which must be observed if we expect any good effect thereof. I did formerly, upon occasion of the Fast, Jun. 5. 1689. publish a Paper Of Humiliation, of which one of the Scoffers of the latter Times, at a Coffee-House scoffingly said, He supposed that would do more Service than 20000 Men in Ireland. But how long did we afterwards see more than 20000 Men lie near the Enemy there, and do nothing at all! Not dare to attack them, [Page 2] though one would think encouraged enough with so great and easie Success then so lately in England! But of the Invisible Powers, which attend and interpose in the Affairs of Men, such bruitish Ani­mals have little Sense or Apprehension. And therefore it is not unlikely that this may meet with the like Entertainment: But I am perswaded that they shall proceed no further, and that their Impi­ety will very shortly meet with a due Correction, if not before by the Hand of Governors, by the Hand of Providence and the Sword of an Enemy in the midst of them.

And therefore, leaving them to their own severe Mistress, to pro­ceed, There are two great Causes to provoke us to an extraordinary Humiliation at this time. 1. The Fulness and Ripeness of Sin. 2. The near Approaches of a terrible Judgment. Concerning the former to say nothing of other Evidences of its Maturity, this one I think is sufficient, When it is become past Remedy by Humane Means, it must needs be ripe for the Judgments of God. And then certainly is it past all Humane Means, when it hath either so infected the Governors and Ministers that they will not, or is become so prevalent that they cannot or dare not correct it, or punish it as it ought. And this is plainly our Case. Rarely hath any Prince been more plain­ly admonished of a Special Duty, and of the dangerous Consequence of the Neglect of it than King William hath been, and in due Time: And as rarely any more plainly admonished of his Fault when committed, and of the Mischiefs thereby incurred, than he bath been again and again. Never was Parliament more plainly admonished of a foul Fault in the beginning of so great a Work, than our Convention was of that-in their Order for the Thanks­giving, (which hath proved a Root of Bitterness ever since) but so senseless in such matters is this Generation grown, that I doubt we have some Doctors, who do not understand it to this Day. Nor ever were Parliaments more provoked to their Duty by plain-deal­ing than ours have been again and again. Lastly, never were Bishops more honestly and plainly told of their Duty, nor more justly and homely reproved for their most shameful Neglect, than ours have been. But alas! here's the Root of all our Evil. Their Unfaithfulness to God, whose special Service was their proper bu­siness; Unfaithfulness to Kings, whom they have magnified above measure, and more slattered for their own Advantage, than faith­fully admonished for the Service of God, and been more forward to conspire with to subvert the Rights of their Country, than to [Page 3] admonish them of their Duty both to God and Man, to be Pro­tectors of the Right of the meanest Subject. Their Neglect of their Episcopal Authority for Reproof and Correction of the Scan­dalous Sins, especially of Great Men, against the Laws of God; and on the contrary, Abuse of it for punishment of Sober and Con­scientious People with the utmost Severity for any breach of their own Canons, or Laws made for their Advantage; hath been the greatest Inlet of all our Mischief, of the Bruitish and Carnal Sins of the Nation: And again, their earnest and endless pursuit of Preferments, and mis-imployment of what they get, hath been the great Incentive to those Animal Sins of Covetousness and Ambi­tion, which have betrayed the Nation, and been the immediate Means to bring the Judgments of God so near to us, as they are at this time. Nor is this all: But besides their Unprositableness in that great Place and Advantage, which they had to have done good in the Parliament, they have not only heretofore been the Principal Obstructors of many good things, which have been proposed and begun in the House of Commons, but have of late laid aside a Bill for the necessary Reformation of Manners, and preventing the approaching Judgments of God, which was drawn at the Request of some of them, without offering any other in the place of it. And besides, some of them have not only in private obstructed the good Effect of those faithful Admonitions, which have been given to the King, by misrepresenting the Person to him who sent them, as if the Truth and Weight of the Admonitions had not been the only thing to be regarded, whoever was the Instrument; but have at last even from the Pulpit, in the Face of the World, encouraged the King to Security in Neglect of that great Duty, which had been so earnestly pressed in those Admonitions for his own Good; and done it in such a manner, as never any of the false Prophets of old, (except only their Pretence of special re­velation or the great Enemy of Mankind could have done more subtily and plausibly: Which though of sad Consideration in other respects, yet may give the more hope of the Kings Case, that there is in it so much the less of Fault as there is more of Unhappiness, in that he hath been so unfaithfully dealt with by those about him. And if with this we take. into the Consideration the Bishops Excuse, why they did not offer the Bill in the House of Lords, viz. Lest a thing of that Nature should be ridicaled and contemned, and Religion with it. I suppose no serious Man but [Page 4] will acknowledge all this to be sufficient Evidence of the Prevalence and full Maturity of Sin and Wickedness in this Nation.

And now concerning the near Approaches of God's Judgments upon the Nation. Every Affliction or Calamity upon a Person or Nation is not presently to be reputed a Judgment or Punishment of Sin. Some may be for the Glory of God, and some for Ex­ercise of his Creatures. But when we see notorious and provo­king Sins followed with proportionable Calamities and Afflictions, then we may safely conclude them Judgments; especially when we see Afflictions after Afflictions, or Interchanges of Afflictions and Mercies, and the Afflictions more and more increasing, but the Provocations no whit abated, but either still increasing, or Men more and more hardned in them, and insensible of God's Judg­ments, that is a dangerous Sign that some terrible Judgment is not far off. But when in such Case a particular Calamity is as visible as a Cloud in the Air, and as likely to fall upon a Nation, as such a Cloud to break into a Storm, (as when you see Jerusalem encompassed with Armies) then the Approaches of that Judgment are very near. And whether this be not the Case of this Nation at this time, deserves our very serious Consideration speedily. Of the Ripeness and Maturity of the Sins of the Nation I have given suf­ficient Evidence before: It remains thereof only to consider what Prospect there is of any particular Calamity visible, which may pro­bably or possibly be approaching this Nation. And if we look back for most part of these Thirty Years last past, there has been a Storm in brewing, often ready to break out very terribly both upon these and some Neighbour Nations; but it hath pleased God that it hath as often blown over, and served only for so many Warnings. And it was within these three years that we were in very great Danger, we and our Neighbours too; and it pleased God to give us as great, and a very extraordinary Deliverance. But how little good Effect it hath had upon us, may be understood by what is said already; to which I will add only this, that as we prophaned our Thanksgiving for our Deliverance with a frothy Complement to the Instrument, so do we now make a sport and a Trade of the Approaches of God's Judgments; a matter that hath more of Sin and Provocation in it, than this Sensual Gene­ration is apprehensive of and a very ill Sign of a dangerous Con­dition. Certainly God, after so great a Manifestation of his Pro­vidence in our Deliverance, expected other and more substantial [Page 5] Returns than such a Formality; and when we notwithstanding neglected our Duty, he was graciously pleased the first year to correct our Neglect only with a Suspension of his Blessing; all things were at a stand with us, nothing prosper'd or succeeded: But when we still continued our Neglect, he proceeded one degree fur­ther, to a smarter Chastisement by a shameful Bafflle of our Fleet at Sea, through the Unfaithfulness or Fearfulness (so suitable a Punishment) of some employed in that Service; to say nothing of other Misfortunes elsewhere. And now we are come to the third year without any Amendment, and with a bolder and brisker At­tempt of a Powerful and Active Adversary, very early, and with good Success, in the View, in a manner, of the King himself; and perhaps not without some Error committed through Fearful­ness, if not Unfaithfulness in some of his Council of War. And if we well consider how Powerful, Active and Forward our Adversary is, how distracted our Allies are abroad, how divided we our selves are at home; how unfaithfully, or unwisely, or un­successfully our Affairs are managed both at home and abroad, we have reason to fear the Approaches of a very terrible Judg­ment very near. And if things be well examined, we may ap­prehend not only a Proportionable but a Suitable Judgment in all, Un­faithfulness, Fearfulness of God's Enemies, and adhering to Dila­tory wicked Councils, punished with like Unfaithfulness, Fearful­ness of our Enemies, and like Dilatory Counsels in those we em­ploy. And for the nearness of the Approaches of Judgments, at the very instant, while I am writing this, are we alarm'd with a terrible beginning of a Fire breaking out in the Royal Palace at Whitehal. Certainly, we have great Reason to believe that the Ac­complishment of Bishop Usher's Prediction is very near, and that we may soon be taught what Monsieur St. Jean's Thunder under Ground did import, by a sudden Resurrection and Eruption of the Plots, which the Unsaithfulness and Deceitfulness of some have so politickly buried, if not prevented by a very speedy Alteration of our Ordering of things so as may be both more for the Ho­nour and Service of God, that we may recover his Favour and Blessing, and better for the Security of the Nation, which his Fa­vour and Blessing alone can help and lead us to.

For the Recovery of which, (which is my next business) we must

1. First consider the Majesty of God, with whom we have to do, in respect of which the greatest Majesty upon Earth is Ten [Page 6] Thousand times less than the faintest Shadow we can behold, and the greatest Monarch but a Butterfly; nay, less than the meanest and most despicable Animal. He is a God of infinite Mercy indeed, but withal of absolute Justice and Holiness, and very terrible in his Judgments against obstinate and incorrigible Sinners.

2. We must next consider the sinful State and Condition of the Na­tion; the Universality of it, having overspread all Orders, our Kings, our Nobles, our Priests and our Prophets, and all Ranks and Degrees of our People. The Growth and long Continuance of it, and the Impudence and Obstinacy of it, out-facing all Humane Authority, and standing out without Remorse against the various repeated Di­vine Methods, both of Judgments and Mercies, to bring us to Repentance and Reformation: And the great Danger, it is now a­gain fallen into by reason of our unprofitableness upon so late and great a Mercy and Deliverance as our last was.

3. And when with such Considerations we are affected with such a sense of our Condition as is meet, and a sincere internal Con­trition, we must speedily apply our selves to give Glory to God, by serious and solemn External Actions of Humiliation; appointing of Days for the purpose, afflicting our Souls in strict Fasting and Mortification, confessing the Sins of the Nation, of our Kings, and our Priests, and our Prophets, and all sorts amongst us, plainly and truly with great Seriousness and sense of the Evil of them, and the Justice of all the Judgments we either feel or fear, with humble and earnest Supplications and Deprecations. But this, if it be done to purpose, had need be done in another manner than is usual in the Forms of the Church of England, and with more strictness in the Acts of Mortification than is usual amongst u.

When Publick Sins and manifest Judgments require Publick Hu­miliation, then to neglect it is a great Aggravation of the Sin and Provocation of Judgment: To appoint a Day, and not to ob­serve it with the greatest Seriousness, Solemnity and Strictness, is to lose our Labour, prophane a Sacred Duty, and add a greater Aggravation and Provocation.

4. But if all thus far be performed never so well and exactly, yet there remains one thing more, which if neglected, will certainly not only frustrate the Effect of all the rest, but convert it to the highest Aggravation and Provocation. And that is the Removal of the Accursed Thing, whatever it be, and Reformation of what is [Page 7] amiss, instantly, if it be such as may be done instantly. How­ever, to set about it, and do what may be done toward it; in­stantly, and then pursue it with great Resolution and Constancy till it be throughly accomplished; Banish all false Prophets, who have deceived us into Neglect and Procrastination of so important and necessary a Duty, and thereby brought us into so much Mis­chief and Danger; and make Examples of Notorious Scandalous Persons; and by doing all that can be for the present, declare both to God and Man a firm Resolution to go thorough with it, by the Blessing of God, whatever Difficulties occur in the way. No Difficulties or Dangers must stop or stay us: It is for our Life And there is no greater Danger than in the Neglect or Delay of so indispensable a Duty. We must remember in this case, as well as in many others, that Warning of our Saviour, He who will lose his Life, (or what else is most valuable) for my sake, shall save it: But he who will save it (thinks to secure it by neglect or transgression of his Duty or Respect to me) shall lose it, and certainly find him­self mightily mistaken in his Policy. Nor must we rest in an or­dinary Performance of this part of our Duty: For the Judgments which threaten both the King and the Nation at this time, if I mistake not, are very great, and require the Zeal of Phinehas to avert them, and pacifie the Wrath of God.

And here I must take notice of a matter, which deserves to be well consider'd, though I doubt few ever think of it, and that is of Giving Glory to God in respect of his former Judgments, and do­ing what is necessary for cleansing of the Nation from the Guilt and Pollution of the former Sins, of which it is not yet purged as it ought to be. We have these thirty years past rather politickly than religiously kept every year the 30th of January, as the Day of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First: But it ought to be con­sider'd, Whether ever we have taken care to give God the Glory of his Judgments in that very thing. It was an extraordinary thing for a King to have his Head cut off, at his own Door, by his own Subjects. But however, if we have had more regard to the Dead King than to the Living God, and to his Hand and Judgments in it, that will prove such a piece of Hypocrisie, as may concern the Church of England to look to it in time, lest God by his Judg­ments set it out to their Shame or Confusion. And for the late K. James, if we can satisfie our selves with our Acquests, and take no care to manifest to the World the Justice of our own Proceedings [Page 8] in the late Revolution, certainly we ought in Gratitude to God to have given him the Glory of his Justice as well as his Mercy in it, by publick Examination and Justice upon some of the notori­ous Criminals. And I doubt not but the Judgments of God will reach those Prophane Politicians, who have studiously smothered and covered such Works of Secrecy and Darkness, as ought for the Glory of God to have been set in the Light, as well as obstructed Justice upon more apparent Criminals. And besides, this is a thing that does so greatly concern the King in respect of his Duty to God, that as it is a shame to all his Bishops and Doctors and Chaplains about him, if they have been all so unskilful in their own Profession, or so unfaithful to him, as that none of them hath admonished him, and endeavoured to make him sensible of the Importance of it; so I doubt it will be imputed to the filling up of the measure.

But whatever be done by the Church and the State for the pre­venting of any Publick Judgment or Common Calamity, there is that which may be done by Private and particular Persons, which may both help towards that, and may procure Safety and Exempti­on to themselves out of it: Which I shall comprize in the follow­ing Particulars.

The First is, to try and examin their own ways, and turn to the Lord by Repentance and effectual Reformation of whatever is amiss, and be sure to cast out every Root of Bitterness; leave no matter for the Fire of God's Judgments to take hold of. If we will escape Eternal Judgments, we must beware of such deadly Sins as procure them. And if we desire to escape Temporal Punishments, we must be careful, and vigilant, and circumspect to avoid and cleanse our selves from every Sin. For every Sin shall receive a just Recom­pense of Reward, and the Sinner shall suffer Loss, though he him­self may be saved, so as by Fire. There is a Chastning of the Lord, by Weakness, and Sickness, and Death, even of those who shall not be condemned with the World; and for that purpose that they may not; which as we would avoid, we must carefully avoid all Sin; or, if we fall into any, be careful speedily to cleanse our selves from it; which is not to be done without Trouble. We must judge our selves, if we will not be judged of the Lord. We must afflict our Souls. For though it be the Blood of Christ and the Spirit of God only which can perfect our Cleansing, yet is there something to be done by us in the use of Means, and Co­operation [Page 9] with the Grace of God: As 1. Serious Consideration both of the Majesty, Holiness and Justice of God, and of the Evil of Sin. 2. Serious use of the Means of Humiliation, and of the Exter­nal Expressions of it for the more Solemn Acknowledgment of the Sin, and the Glory of God, in the sight of Men and Angels. 3. Re­solution and Actual Reformation, so as to abolish the Sin, as much as may be, by Restitution, Reparation, Satisfaction, and Practice of contrary Vertues. 4. Application to God by Supplication and Faith in our great Propitiation, with Acts of Mercy and Charity to others. Th [...] and such as these We must do through the Grace of God for our Cleansing.

The next is to take great care to be of the number of those whom the good Archbishop Usher hath told us, God will hide in the Hol­low of his Hand, and under the Shadow of his Wings: And to that end often peruse and ruminate upon that excellent Prophesie, and like excellent Description of Sanctification printed with it; and study, and strive, and pray earnestly, and above all things, to have that Holy Work wrought, and indelibly imprinted in their Hearts; and to give it growth by continual Exercise and Labour of Love for the Honour of God and Good of his Creatures, till that Noble Generous Christian Property, of exerting our Faculties for the Common Good, make us almost forget our selves, and carry us beyond all Private Respect: Which yet is no more than we see imprinted in the Nature of a poor Animal; a fearful Hen, which will fly at a Kite and a Mastiff for the safety of her Chickens, from which she would otherwise fly as fast to save her self. What Brutes are we, who will not out of our selves for the God of our Lives, and the Centre of our Happiness!

The third is, to look out into the World; behold and consider well the deplorable state and condition of this Nation; and indeed, of all the Reformed Churches, by reason of the full Growth of Sin a­mongst them, and the Terrible Judgments of God, which threat­en them, and seem so near approaching after so extraordinary a Mercy lately afforded them, and a Day of Salvation, which they seem to have neglected, without any Sense of the Duties, which such a Divine Favour and Opportunity required; that so they may become Mourners in secret, as well for the Indignities offered to God and our Saviour, and the Abuse of a most Holy and Excellent Religi­on, as for the Calamities, which we have great reason to fear are coming upon them, for Just Punishment of all that Wickedness, [Page 10] which no Means could prevail with them to reform; and may be the better fitted to perform their Part in a Publick Humilia­tion.

The Fourth and Last is to do what they can for the Reformation of others, and thereby for the averting or mitigating of the Judgments of God. The Zeal of one Phinehas turned away the Wrath of God from the Children of Israel, that he did not destroy them. And besides it was imputed to him for Righteousness; and he obtained thereby a Blessing upon himself and his Posterity, Numb [...] 11, 13. Psal. 106. 31. and many such, tho private Persons, [...] even of the Lower Ranks of Men, might do much Good to the Nation; and especially to themselves, and their own Families. This may, and must be done by these Means.

1. By well ordering their own Families, if they have any; and that 1. By Daily Prayers in their Families; for which purpose there are many good Books to be had, to help them who need. 2. By Religious Observance of the Lord's Day, taking care that all of their Family frequent and reverently attend to the Publick Worship of God, and employ the rest of the Day in Reading, and other Religious Employment. 3. By Instructing, Admo­nishing, Reproving, and Correcting such as may need or give oc­casion for it; and discharging from their Service and Employment such as are incorrigibe. Of which more presently.

2. By Admonishing and Reproving their Familiar Friends and Re­lations, and such at they converse with, as occasion may serve or require; Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour that thou bear not sin for him, Lev. 19. 17. and using their best Endeavours, that the obstinate, who will not be reformed by such means, may be punished and corrected by the Magistrates and Governors. Wherein if they may seem to lose their Labour through the Unrighteousness of those in Authority, yet their Labour will not be in vain in the Lord: And besides, if they be constant and unmoveable in the Work of the Lord, they will animate one another; and the Importunity of many will by degrees, by God's Blessing, prevail against the Un­righteousness of such Judges.

This is a Duty of greater Weight and Obligation than most Men are sensible of: And the Neglect of it hath given great Oc­casion to the Growth of Sin and Wickedness amongst us to that Maturity and Fulness it is come to, and to the present Unhappiness of the Nation: And therefore now under our Circumstances is it [Page 11] so much the more to be put in Execution with Zeal and Vigour against all (tho they be as thy Right Hand, or thy Right Eye) by whom the Offence cometh, they must not be spared; thine Eye shall not pity them, neither shalt thou spare them, neither shalt thou conceal them; so shalt thou put the Evil way from the midst of thee; however from thy self, and deliver thine own Soul, if it cannot longer be kept off from the Nation. But could such a Spi­rit of Zeal be raised, but in the Despised People, it would be no little Ground of Hope still. And why should it not? We see it in some Particulars upon occcasion; and may see it in more, if they be but rightly informed. There is not less reason for it against Debauchery than against Popery; it is not less injurious to our Religion, nor less dangerous to our Nation; nay, it is believed by many Men of Learning and Knowledge of Affairs, that it is one of the Bastard Brats of Popery, and the most pernicious of all, produced by their Councils, and faustred by their Agents, that they might unman us, and expose us to the Wrath of God, and the Fury of our Enemies. All therefore who have any Zeal or In­dignation against Popery, ought to turn it mightily against this. First, to resent the Abuse put upon them by the Midianites, and their own Folly and Madness so easily to be led into the Snare, as at the same time that they are so warm against the Papists, to be through want of Consideration, their very Instruments to promote their Designs for the Destruction of this Nation; and at the same time that they profess so much Zeal for the Protestant Religion, to offer greater Indignities to it, than any Adversary possibly can: And upon such Considerations bethinking themselves well, first de­liberately and resolutely with Indignatión and Zeal breaking through those Enchantments, and mending their own Manners; in the next place give their Zeal as full Vent against Debauchery as they would against Popery; and against all such infatuated and inchanted Tools of theirs, all debauched People, wherever they meet with them in their Debaucheries, as they would do against any Priests or Jesuites, who could never hurt us, were we not first weakned and exposed by our Sins and Wickedness. Consider how they would take it, if a Man to their Face should reproach their Father, or their Mother, their near Relation or intimate Friend, their great Benefactor, or their Master, Lord, or Prince, or de­clare himself ill affected to their Country; and know, that, if they have any thing of Manhood or Generosity in them, the In­dignities [Page 12] done to God, the Supreme Monarch of the World, and, the Father, Lord, and great Benefactor to us all, and to our most Holy and Excellent Religion, the only compleat means of all Happi­ness both here and hereafter, are Provocations Ten Thousand times greater and more reasonable to exert it to the utmost, and to treat all Prophane and wicked People accordingly; that so that Impudent Prophaneness and Leudness, which at present fills all places, should not dare henceforward to appear abroad, or in our Streets. This might, for ought I know, were it well considered and encouraged, save the Nation.

3. By a general (tho implicit) Reproof of the corrupt Man­ners of the Age, and a kind of bearing Witness against them, de­claring a Disallowance and Abhorrence of them, that is, by avoid­ing and abstaining from all Communication either with the scandalous Persons, or with the corrupt manners thereof.

That we should avoid all Conversation with Evil and Scandalous Persons there are divers considerable Reasons: Because 1. It may be a Temptation to us to corrupt our Manners in divers respects. 2. It may give Advantage to the Evil Powers, which reside and rule in them, to hurt us. For there is a secret Spiritual Im­pression of Good or Evil in Company, such as it is, which few Men observe, or are sensible of, 3. It may be scandalous to us, if it be intimate or familiar, which is a thing we ought carefully to avoid. 4. Our Holy Religion and Profession may be affronted by them in our Presence, of which we ought also to avoid all oc­casions. 5. We ought to express and manifest our Resentment and Indignation against their wicked and scandalous Actions and Practices, for the Honour of our Religion, and to shame them in­to Repentance and Reformation: But familiar Conversation with such is an implicit deserting of our Profession, disowning of Christ, and prostituting our Religion in an unworthy Compliance, and a means to make them secure in their Evil Courses. For these and the like Reasons we ought at all times to avoid them, unless when we have any hope or design of doing good to them, but more espe­cially under such Circumstances, lest we be Partakers in their Sin, or tainted by them; lest we be Partakers in their Punishment, and suffer with them; and that we may assert and vindicate the Ho­nour of our Religion, and shame them into Repentancc and Re­formation.

[Page 13] By this means may the meanest Person many times have op­portunity to give a tacit Reproof, and such as by the Blessing of God may prove very effectual, to the greatest. And every one ought to do it as they have occasion, without regard to their own worldly Interest or Benefit to be had by them, or to the Worldly Dignity of the Person, without respect of Persons. For to neglect it for Private Interest, is to prostitute Religion, and apply to the Devils Instruments, instead of dependance upon God for Supplies, (if we really need them) and his Blessing. And to do otherwise out of respect to any such Person, be his Degree what it will, is to prefer a wicked Creature before our Creator and Redeemer, to prefer external Temporal Honour, before re­al, intrinsick, and eternal, and to shew more respect to the Ene­mies of God, who dishonour him, and despise his Laws, than to God himself upon whom we depend. Both which, whatever Men think of them, are more wicked and prophane than I can here set out as they deserve, and are ready means to provoke God, whose Cause is thereby deserted, to desert them who do so, and leave them to have their part with such Company, with Insidels and Unbelievers. It is so in the meanest Christian, and therefore let those of higher degree look to it, how they will answer the Transgression of this Duty to God, when they are called to ac­count for it, which may be sooner than they expect. It is that which every one ought with great Care to observe, who desires to be found faithful to God, and to be preserved in the Common Calamity by his special Favour. The meanest Servants ought to avoid such Masters and Families; and if by mistake they fall into them, to manifest their Dissatisfaction, get leave to be gone; and if that cannot be had, to fly with Moses into the Wilderness, ra­ther than abide with such wicked Egyptians: Every Tradesman to despise their Custom, and every Artist, Mechanick and Labourer their Service or Employment, and all to avoid so much as to Sa­lute them, or shew them any respect, which would be to be Par­taker of their Evil Deeds: Be they who they will, who have so lit­tle Discretion, or Command of themselves, as to contemn and affront even the Laws, Government and Religion of the Nation, and all the sober People of it, they ought to be slighted and de­spised by the-very Footmen, Carmen, and all sorts of People; and if they offer to draw their Sword, or injure any, to be trod in the Dirt, as the Pests of the Nation, and Instruments of all our [Page 14] Unhappiness; only Magistrates, and Men in Authority, which is God's Ordinance, must not be affronted, but left to the Judg­ments of God, if those who have power over them will not re­gard it.

And for the Manners of the Age, besides those gross and scanda­lous sins, there are divers others, which must be avoided and re­formed, and cleansed, if we would endeavour to purpose to e­scape the Fire of God's Judgments. Such are 1. All secret Sins, secret and mean in their Commitment, and concealed from the View of Men. God will certainly find these out, and manifest his All-seeing Providence in the severe Punishment of them, if not prevented by a timely and thorough Repentance and Refor­mation. 2. Such as in their own Nature are not apparent and distinguishable enough to be corrected by Humane Laws, Cen­sure or Cognizance; which are many and various: As, A­buse of Aliments in indulgence to the Appetite, wherein a great part of the People of this plentiful Nation are guilty of Excess to their own Hurt, but especially those bruitish Epicures, who glory in their shame, and turning their Paunches into Dung­hils by a modish Foolish Term, of eating Well, would recommend a beastly ravenous Action: Ease and Luxury, Sports, and Idle and Un­profitable Employments, Loss of Time, and divers great Advantages, without Benefit to others, or to themselves: Abuse of the Talents of Estates and Wealth, which ought to be employed for the Honor and Service of God, and the Good of Men, to Vain-glory and Ostentation in Apparel, Buildings, Furniture, Attendants, and such like Pomps and Vanities, which the ancient Christians so­lemnly renounced at their Baptism, and as carefully avoided ever after; and, (which doubles the Sin) even to Emulations be­yond proportion, which draw many other Mischiefs after them, to themselves, their Families, and many other, by the means next to be mentioned: Covetousness, and Ambition, and insatiable Greediness and pursuit of things of the World, and the cursed Fruits thereof, Frauds, Cheats, Exactions, Extortions, Oppres­sions, Breach of Trust, Faction and Treacheries against King and Country, for Pensions from Foreign Princes, and Preferments at home. 3. Such as are covered, and palliated, and patronized by Modes, Fashions, Customs of the World, and pretence of Necessity for the management and promotion of Trade, where­of divers are mentioned already in general, and need not be re­peated.

[Page 15] These, though spread over this Nation, (to say nothing of other Protestant Countries) are most rife and notorious in this Great City, which give great Cause to fear some special Judgment upon it. And though I have always been a Friend to it, yet I think my self obliged to bear my Testimony against the Iniquity thereof in one notorious Part, and that is Abuse of Apprentices after great Sums of Mony received with them. I my self have had no less than four Sons, as soberly Educated and as well e­steemed as most, before they came to be Apprentices, and who behaved themselves afterward without any great Extravagancies, placed here to suitable Trades, with no little Pains and Charge, yet after all ruined and undone by the Iniquity and Wickedness of their Masters and their Partners. But I have seen the Judgments of God upon two of them already; and to him I have commit­ted my Cause with the other two. This I write upon my own sad Experience, and could say as much of my own Knowledge in the case of some others. Of which I have written heretofore in a Paper, Entituled, Relief of Apprentices, and mention it now as a Common Cause worthy of Consideration, amongst others, of the Magistrates for averting the Judgments of God from the City.

And while I write this of a Case wherein I my self have been so much concerned, I cannot but be sensible of the case of some others which I often see and hear of, and in Faithfulness to God and to the State, and Charity to the poor People, take notice of it upon this occasion: And that is the Pressing of Men, and send­ing them out of the Realm, to Sea, or beyond Sea, by Force and Violence against their Wills. I cannot find, or learn upon En­quiry, that there is any Law or Statute, since those made in the Reign of King Charles I. are expired, for the Pressing of Mariners and Sailers, much less of Land-Men, And if there be not, I am sure it is contrary to a Principal Fundamental Right of the People, whose Goods, much less their Persons or Liberty, cannot be touched but by Order of Law and their own Consent in Parlia­ment; and would frustrate the principal Design and Reason of the Habeas Corpus Act, and render it ridiculous and contemptible in Cases of greatest Exigence, and most needing its Relief. The Rights of the Poor, ought to be preserved inviolable, as well as of the Greatest: And they who can be content to see their own Rights violated in the meanest of their Countrimen, while their own Persons and Estates are untouched, do not deserve to have [Page 16] them preserved; and may expect that they or their Posterity may, by the just Judgment of God, be deprived of them. Nor can I see any Reason, why the Poor of the Land, who enjoy so little of it, should be frighted from their Employments, and for­ced from their Families, Friends, and the Trades and Labours to which they have been used, to hazard their Limbs and their Lives against their own Wills, to defend and maintain the Superfluities and Grandeur of the Rich? Or how the Death of such in the Ser­vice being forced against their Will, tho by Law, unless they first forfeit their Right by their own ill Behaviour, can be excused from Murder in the sight of God? Nor Lastly, How we can expect that either such should do any Great Service, or that the Blessing of God should be with us in the use of such unreasonable Means. If we enquire into the Methods of our Ancestors in such Case, we shall find them more just and reasonable, more prudent and honourable, and more prosperous and successful, when Men of Honour and Interest covenanted with the King to bring in their several Num­bers, raised them among their Tenants and Neighbours, and led them themselves; so that there was a mutual Love and Confi­dence between the Leaders and Soldiers. But this mode of Pressing, if I be not much mistaken, is a novel Invention, a base Project of the Authors of Ship-Mony, put on now, even while a Parlia­ment is in being, to the Prejudice of the King, as well as of the Nation, to furnish such Officers with prest involuntary Soldiers, who have little Interest of themselves to raise Volunteers, and whom few are willing to serve under. And since it is done while a Parliament is in being, which could have given Authority for it; it may justly be looked upon as no ordinary Abuse to the King himself, but as one of the Treacherous Policies of some Evil Per­sons to prejudice his Government and Cause; make his Govern­ment offensive and suspected by the People, and his Cause seem absurd, while his Authority is abused to violate the Rights of the People, which he came to preserve, and in a Fundamental Point, and contrary to his Coronation Oath; and thereby to justifie or excuse the Miscarriages of his Predecessor: For all this it plainly and directly tends to. It is true, there is a Necessity that Men must be had: But Necessity will not excuse Injustice to the Poor, with so great Violation of Common Right, and when without either it may be supplied. Let not such be excluded from the Ser­vice, who are able and willing to serve in their own Persons, and have Interest and Reputation to bring in Seamen and Soldier [Page 17] Let the Salaries, Pay and Profits of Great Officers, especially who sit at home, and are out of danger, be reduced to Moderation, and those who venture all, have a proportionable Encouragement, both by good Pay while in Service, and of Good Provision in case they be disabled, and we shall want no Men, nor need any Pres­sing: And let but good Discipline be exercised, as it ought to be, in respect of the Manners of Officers as well as of Soldiers and Sea­men, and we shall not want God's Blessing.

But to leave these things to the Consideration of the Parlia­ment and of the City, of the Evil Manners before mentioned, those which are Secret Sins, only by Secrecy in the Commitment, and as they are concealed from Men, but otherwise are well e­nough known to all to be Sins, though they have not so much of Scandal as those which are openly committed; yet may they have other Aggravations, which may equal that, and require no less Se­verity of judging our selves, if we would not be judged of God. As to the rest, which either in their own Nature are not so pal­pable, or easily discernible from what is Lawful; or by com­mon Opinion and Usage of the World are reputed Lawful and Harmless, nay commendable; and some perhaps excused and Pa­tronized in opposition to Popery, it is to be considered, 1. That some are condemned as wholly unlawful, not only by the Judg­ment and Practice of all the ancient Christians for many Ages, and comprehended in that ancient Solemn Renunciation required of all admitted into the Society of Christians by Baptism, viz. Of the Devil and his Works, the World and the Pomps, Glory and Vanity thereof, and the Flesh and its Lusts and Desires; but also by the express Doctrin of the Holy Scripture, both under such General Comprehensive Names, as the Flesh, Gal. 5. 17. Lusts of the Flesh, Gal. 5. 16: 2 Pet. 2. 18: 2 John 2. 16. The Old Man, Eph. 4. 24. The Natural Man, I Cor. 2. 14. Desires of the Flesh, Eph. 2. 3. Works of the Flesh, Gal. 5. 19. Provision for the Flesh, Rom. 13. 14. Mind­ing the Flesh, and the things of the Flesh, Rom. 8. 5, 6, 7: Gal. 6. 8. Walking after the Flesh, 2 Cor. 10. 2: 2 Pet. 2. 10. Minding earthly things, Phil. 3. 19: Col. 3. 2, 5: James 3. 15. Being of the World, John 15. 19: 17. 14, 16. Love of the World, 1 John 2. 15: 5. 19. Ja. 4. 4. Lusts of the World, Tit. 2. 12. Wisdom of the World, 1 Cor. 3. 19. The Course of the World, Eph. 2. 2. Conformity to the World, Rom. 12. 2. Inordinate Affection, and Evil Concupiscence, &c. with weighty Admonitions of their provoking the Wrath of God, and exclu­ding [Page 18] from the Kingdom of God, &c. and by more particular Cha­racters, Directions and Injunctions, as against Covetousness, which is again and again called Idolatry, and such as both brings down the Wrath of God, and excludes from Heaven (which should make People more cautious against it than usually they are) and divers Branches of it, as Defrauding, Exacting, Oppressing, &c. against Pride, Vain-glory, Boasting, Ostentation, Pride of Apparel, parti­cularly that of Women, (in whom it is more pardonable than in Men) prohibited in very express Terms by the two chief Apostles severally, 1 Tim. 2. 9. and 1 Pet. 3. 3. and yet so agreeably, as de­clares it to be a resolved Point and positive Injunction, which yet we see frustrated in our Times by some, just as the Pharisees did by the Law in our Saviours time; and against others, some of them noted before, but all too many to be here more particularly noted.

2. That there are others, which being Lawful, or more excu­sable at other times, are apt to be the less taken notice of, yet are not only unlawful and inexcusable at such a time as this, but greatly offensive and abominable to God, and highly provoking, as impious and Prophane, under such Circumstances, as may be perceived by the great Indignation expressed in the Prophet Isa. 22. 12. against such upon like occasion, as Iniquity, which should not be expiated till they should die for it. And indeed, as it is a terrible thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God; so there can hard­ly be a greater Provocation, than such Behaviour as dectares or Implies a Contempt or Neglect, Carelesness or Unconcernedness at the Approaches or Appearance of the Judgments of God a­gainst a Nation, by any particular Person. It is very like and the ready way to fix the Decree against such a Person to be certainly involved in it.

Now therefore to prevent, and avert the Judgments of God from themselves, and, as much as in them lieth, from the Nation; all who in order thereunto desire indeed to have no Fellowship with any such Evil Manners, Customs or Fashions, and to keep them­selves unspotted of the World, must apply themselves seriously to such further Means as these, viz.

1. To abstain and withdraw themselves, as much as their Cir­cumstances will permit, from all unnecessary Diversions, Business and Imployment in and about the Matters, and Conversation with the Men, of the World; and retiring, apply themselves to Prayer, Reading, Meditation and Watching; and frequent the Publick Wor­ship [Page 19] of God with all Reverence as often as Opportunity may be had.

2. To abstain from all Acquest of the things of the World in any unfitting manner or unreasonable measure, both which are very common; but be content with just, and honest, and rea­sonable Gains, according to the real Worth, not appearance of things, reasonable Rents as Times will bear, and moderate Fees, according to the real Merit of Labour, Skill, and Time, without occasioning more Expence than needs; and likewise, to pay to the full value of Commodities, and Desert of Labour, Skill and Time: nay, to abstain from all Pursuit of some, of Prefer­ments, not only after the greedy and ambitious manner, and by the indirect means, which are usual; but from all, considering more the Account, which must be given, and the Incumbrance, than the Profit and Honour; unless out of Charity to Men, and Love to our Country, to prevent the Intrusion of Evil Men for their own Advantage, and to the Disservice of King and Country; which is now so common as may justifie that which otherwise would be inexcusable. Out of which Case, for a Man to be well qualified and ready to serve his Country when he is called to it, is sufficient. And lastly, to abstain not only from Pursuit, but from Acceptance of others, of insignificant (as our later Reigns have made them) and burdensom Titles of Honour. Which Men of true Vertue and Wisdom will at no time seek; especially when by the Prodigality of Princes they are thrown, and by the Vices of Nobility trodden in the Dirt, and made rather Badges of Flattery, Servility, Treachery, Vanity and Degeneracy, than Ensigns of Vertue, and of Merit by noble and generous Service and Atchievements, the only substantial Grounds of Honour: And Men of Great Piety will not easily accept at such a time as this. Besides, I am perswaded never any Man was made better by them, nor many who were not made some way worse; and that the whole Nation at this time is much the worse, almost un­done, and in great Danger of Ruin and Confusion by some aspiring ambitious Persons, if they be not speedily taken down: But sure I am they are unsuitable for Times of Fasting and Humiliation, when they who have them, ought in a sort to depose and lay 'em a­side during such Circumstances. And since now a Publick Fast and Hu­miliation is appointed by the Queen to be observed Monthly, in most Devout and Solemn manner, it is but fit and necessary that the House [Page 20] of Lords be admonished of a Great Disrespect both to God and to the King upon the like occasion the last year; (though touched before in the Reflections upon the then late Action at Sea, where the unhappy state of our Clergy and Church was more fully dis­coursed, and therefore is spared here:) For I believe it may con­cern them not only to have more regard to the Eyes of Men that are upon them, for their own Honour and Reputation, but to the all-seeing Eye of Him, who hath said, Them who honour me, I will honour; but they who despise me shall be lightly esteemed, lest if through their Fault (amongst the rest) the Sun and the Moon be darkned, the Stars also fall from Heaven; and lest he again shake Heaven and Earth as he hath formerly done, or more se­verely.

3. To abstain from the Use of unnecessary things of the World, as, Pleasures, Vain Delights, Plays, Pomp, State, Grandeur and Finery, &c. which are at such a time part of that Iniquity, against which we see so much Divine Indignation expressed in the Pro­phet.

And here I must not, I ought not to forbear to take notice of that Undecent Attire of our Women upon their Heads, at any time unbefitting Women professing Godliness, but at such a time as this, when God by his Providence calls for Baldness and Sackcloth, and when they should put their Mouths in the Dust, to set up their Crests in that manner, cannot but be displeasing and abominable in the sight of God and the good Angels, as it is in the sight of many of his Faithful Servants upon Earth. And therefore I can­not but think it great Pity, that a Lady of sincere Piety and Ver­tue, as I hope and believe, should be betray'd, through the Un­skilfulness in Divine matters of those about her, or their Un­faithfulness to her, to prostitute Majesty to such a Compliance with a vain Generation, who should rather have given the Law to them, and maintaining her ground on the part of Virtue and Gravity, which is essential to Majesty, by the Authority of so great an Example have given a tacit Reproof and Correction to their Vanity, and taught them more consideration and regard to their own Country, than to do such Honour to a Foreign Enemy, as to glory in a voluntary imitating of their Example, even in Levity and Vanity, as if they would lick up their Spittle; an unlucky presage, that we shall at last be delivered, by the just Judgments of God, for Correction of our Error, to an involuntary Subjection [Page 21] to their Will and Power, whose vain Humours we are so apt to follow, if we speedily mend not our Manners.

Nor may I here pass by in silence another such unhappy Mis­carriage or two: As the Celebrating, or rather Profaning, of an Anniversary Solemnity, at a time which at once called for both se­rious Thansgiving to God, and serious Humiliation under his Mighty Hand, with a light and frothy Play; and sullying an il­lustrious Consultation about matters of great seriousness and impor­tance, when the Eyes of all the World were upon them, with un­christian excessive Drinking. These we may understand by what hath been said already, to be displeasing to God, and by the Dis­honor, which soon after befell them, who had first so dishonored themselves, viz that it was permitted as a just Judgment from him. And these, as they are greater faults in Divinity, than the generality of our Divines can believe; for they contract a Com­munication with the common Guilt both of the Nation at present, and of the preceding Kings and their Reigns, to say nothing of other Circumstances; so are they greater faults in Civil Prudence, than our ordinary Statesmen and Polititians are sensible of; for they tend greatly to weaken and abate a Mans Interest in the opi­nion and esteem of People, making them doubtful both of his Sin­cerity in Religion, and of his Prudence and Magnanimity, who will be prevailed on to be a Spectator or Actor in either. It is not Insolence or ill Will, but very Faithfulness and great good Will, which hath induced me to to write this: And such a disposition of Soul toward the Majesty of Heaven, and sense of things, as the present Circumstances require, will make them be well taken from what ever hand they come, with so much Integrity and Affection. And therefore now to return.

4. To abstain from the use even of the Necessary things of the World, as much as Nature and Decency will permit, and particularly from the Delights and Satiety of Natural Aliments; not only from the quality of Costly and Delicious Meats and Drinks, but from such a quantity of those which are plain and simple, as perhaps the Appetite might crave. This is the only way to avoid, that Intemperance, which is not easie to be discern'd by others, but is very common, and very much impairs the Health, and shortens the Lives of many people of this Nation, of all degrees, especial­ly of such as are not much imploy'd in hard Labour; is of great benefit for Health, and of great Advantage for such Retirements [Page 22] as I have mentioned; and is very proper and suitable for such oc­casions. And to this I might with like reason add and recommend an abridgment of Sleep, and use of Watching, which a spare Diet would render very easie, and conducing to Health.

5. In all Conversation with others, to be very serious and grave; and by much Affability, Sweetness, and good Admonitions, be al­ways endeavouring to do good to all; never speak of Religion to recommend themselves, nor forbear through Shame, or for fear of Disparagement by it, a common, base and most dangerous Fault; and be always ready to relieve and defend the Needy and Oppres­sed, and to right the Injured, as far as Means, Ability, or Interest will extend; only with this Caution, that it be done so as may not too much interrupt or disturb the Retirement before mentioned, and the proper Imployments thereof.

As this Method will redeem much Time for Retirements, so the retrenching so much Expence, may both countervail the time sub­stracted from Business; and help to supply what is imployed in Works of Charity; in all which, regard must be had to peoples different Circumstances. And they who shall seriously enter upon it, and with care, diligence and constancy, keep to it, I doubt not but will find Light in Obscurity, Comfort in Affliction, Confi­dence and Protection in Danger, great Serenity and Satisfaction in this Life, and Eternal Happiness in a better. Which, next to the Service of our great Lord, and the Preservation of the Nation, is the only Design of this Discourse.

And for the same purpose, I shall here subjoin the following ABSTRACTS, viz.