TO every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven: saith our Author the preacher at the 3 Chap. and first ver. of this his Booke stiled Ecclesiastes. And amongst other times, for other things, he tels us at the 4 ver. of that Chap. how that there are proper and pe­culiar times for Mirth and mourning; Joy and Grief; Sorrow and solace. There is a time, saith he, to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourne, and a time to Dance. And both these times for both these purposes, are apart exprest, and particularly applied in the words of my Text.

The time of Mirth and Musick, of gladnesse and rejoycing, is the time of Gods revealing his Mercies unto us, and bestowing his blessings favours, and benefits upon us; the Day of prosperity as it is here termed in the Text, wherein we are admonished and exhorted to be joyfull. In the Day of prosperity be joyfull.

The time of weeping and mourning, of lamentation and sorrow, is the time of Gods denouncing his Judgments against us, or executing them upon us, and afflicting us with Warres, Famine, Pestilence, or such like Calamities; the Day of Adver­sity as it is here also termed, wherein we are commanded to con­sider; In the Day of adversity consider. In the day of prosperity &c.

In the words there is no such great difficulty as that I should neede to trouble you with much variety of senses and exposi­tions: yet are they not so very facile and easie neither to every [Page 2]capacity as that they may fully be understood without, as well as with, this short paraphrase and explanation.

In the day of prosperity be joyfull] that is, enjoy thy portion of blessings with cheerfulnesse.

In the day of Adversity consider] that is, be well advised, fall not to impatient murmuring, or ungodly shifting, but stay thy selfe in expectation on God.

In the day of prosperity] when thy affaires be prosperous, thy successe (in just undertakings) happy: when it goes well with thee, thy King, and Country, be joyfull and merry. But in the day of Adversity] in the time of any private or common calamity consider, bethink thy selfe of the cause, and of the cure of that disaster. Consider wherefore it is inflicted, and how it may be removed.

Use prosperity and adversity to the ends appointed by God unto thee: and be thou a constant and conscionable observer of the Churches both Feasts and Fasts. [...], Rom. 12.15. Rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and weep with them that weep.

In the day of Prosperity send up joyfull acclamations to the high Court of heaven, in testimony of thy thankfulnesse for those free and undeserved favours and blessings which thou dost en­joy.

In the day of Adversity send up strong cryes, and present thy Supplications before the mercie-seat of Gods offended Majestie, in token of thy repentance and contrition. In the day of prosperity be joyfull, but in the day of adversity consider.

So that my Text, I may terme the Schoole of a religious de­portment. In it, that great Master of all Arts and Sciences, that learned Doctor in all Professions, Sol hominum Solomon, that Mirrour of Men, Wisdomes eldest sonne, reades all his Scholars a Lecture of Divine Morality, or Morall Divinity, (if I may so say) teaching and instructing them, what their manner of behavi­our must be at all times, and so what it must and ought to be at this present: how we ought to demeane and behave our selves now and alwayes.

[Page 3] In it we have

• Oppositio & mutatio temporum.
• Oppositio & mutatio tonorum.

• An opposition and change of Times.
• An opposition and change of Tunes.

And this latter fitted to the former, the tune to the time, the duty and ditty to the day.

Weeping, Mourning, Sighing, Sobbing, and the like sad ex­pressions of a sorrowfull spirit, are as unseasonable, and unseemly at a Feast, and on the day of prosperity, as unnecessary eating drink­ing, laughing, playing, dycing, dancing, and their like are at a Past, and in the day of adversity. And therefore our Author the Preacher, the wisest of men, King Solomon, where he tells us of different times, there also he tells us of the different tunes that we are to observe and keep in those times. As in my Text.

Where we have two severall and opposite dayes; The day of prosperity, and the day of adversity.

There also we have the severall and Apposite businesse of them both.

Joy of the former, Consideration of the latter. In the day of prosperity be joyfull, but in the day of adversity consider.

Which of these dayes, This day is, is easie (you will not deny) to determine. It is well knowne far and neare, that we of this Nation have nothing to doe this day, with the first day in the Text, the day of prosperity; these are not dayes and times where­in it goes well with us, our King, and Country, and therefore not dayes and times wherein to be so frollick, joyfull and merry. We, as if we had liv'd too long, have our-liv'd that day; and God he onely knowes, whether we shall ever see it againe be­fore we die. O if we had known, even we, at least in that our day, the things which belong'd unto our peace! but now, ah now, Quid nisi vota supersunt? what remains saving only prayers, that they be not hid from our eyes? As our Saviour said of Jerusalem, be­moning, and prophesying its destruction. Luk. 19.42.

This day, every day that now goes over our heads, is Hezekiahs [Page 4]day, such another day as that day. 2. Kings. 19.3. A day of trou­ble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the Children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. Such are the pangs of this Sin-sick-land, as of a woman in travaile, where the poore Infant is altogether unable to deliver it selfe, and the pained Mother to be delivered of it. Such another day as the Prophet Ezekiell sets forth with an Ecce at the 7 Chap. and 10. ver. of that his prophesy. Behold the day, behold, it is come, the morning is gone forth, the rod hath blosomed, pride hath budded, violence is risen up into a rod of wickednesse. Or such a day as the Prophet Zephaniah speaks of at the first Chap. of his prophesy, 15. and following verses, A day of wrath, a day of trouble and distresse, a day of wastuesse and desolation, a day of darknesse and gloominesse, a day of clouds and thick darknesse. A day of the Trumpet and Alarme &c. Wherein the Lord hath brought distresse upon us, that we walke like blind men, because we have sinned against the Lord, and our blood is poured out as dust, and our flesh as the dung &c. A day wherein we may take up the Prophet Jeremiahs wish, and cry out with him, Oh that our head were waters, and our eyes a foun­taine of teares, that we might weep day and night for the slaine of the daughter of our people. Jer. 9.1. and make use of his Lamen­tations as too sutable to our times, with some alterations, but more aggravations: Our JOSIAH, the breath of our Nostrils, the Anointed of the Lord, being taken in the pit of his owne sworn Subjects, who ought to have filled it up with their own Carcasses, (had they known any such to have been dug for him) rather then he should have fallen into it. But his Counsellours turned Conspiratours, and THEY, THEY took away his life, who for its preservation OUGHT both by the Laws of God and man to have Sacrific'd their own. Such a Viperous brood the Sun never before saw, neither did the Earth ever bear. Iugratitude sublimated, and Barbarity spun to the fi­nest thred of Cruelty, Lam. 4.20. that ever Mortallity was guilty of. The breath of our Nostrils, the Anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits, of whom we said, under his shadow we shall live.

[Page 5] Yes, and now Servants rule over us; nay more, our Servants; and yet more, our confessed and professed Servants at the same time that they rule over us: THEY, THEY rule over us, and there is none that doth deliver us out of their hands. Lam. 5.3. Such is our present condition, and worse, and worse indeed then I am able in words to expresse. Such a day is this day, and every day that we now adde unto our dayes: A dismall, dolefull day; a day of distresse, and of perplexity, and of treading down: the last day in the Text, the day of adversity, A day to consider in. In the day of adversity consider.

Consideration is never out of season, and yet never more in then now. We may, or we might have made use of it at other times for the prevention of Judgements threatned. Now at this time we may make use of it for the removall of Judgements inflicted: yea, we may at present make use of it for both purpo­ses, both for the prevention of those we fear, as the extirpation of Gods true Religion, the subversion of the English Monarchy, a fa­mine both of soul and body. In a word utter desolation, and destructi­on of these late famous and renowned Kingdomes. As also for the re­movall of those innumerable and insupportable evills which we feele by meanes of this horrid, unnaturall, and accursed Rebellion.

Now these Judgments of God, both present, and imminent, both these that we feel, and those that we fear, speak aloud, and tell us in plaine termes, that it is high time for us to be advis'd and Consider.

To Consider what may be the Cause, and what the Cure of the great and many distempers, that make us thus miserable as we are. And in the search of the severall kinds of causes we may finde, that the Efficient cause is God, the Materiall finne, the Finall repentance, as for the Formall we wave it.

They proceed from God, procur'd by sin, and inflicted to the end we should repent and amend.

And so this consideration affords us this point of instruction, this doctrinall conclusion, that

Gods indignation mov'd against sinne calls for our repentance.

In the second place, after we have considered the cause of these spreading evills, we are to bethink our selves of the cure, and the remedy we may finde upon easie enquiry to be Humili­ation; and Reformation.

[Page 6] Humiliation under the mighty hand of God, Reformation of our evill lives, and corrupt Conversations.

And from hence ariseth this observation, that

Humiliation and Reformation are the onely meanes to pacifie Gods indignation, and to remove our afflictions. Thus in this day of adversity are we to consider:

But before I proceed to treat of these Considerations; give me leave to interpose, and put in one by the way, 'tis this, and not altogether (I hope) unworthy of your observation:

That neither Prosperity, nor Adversity, are for perpetuity; No, not of any considerable permanency, duration, or continu­ance. They last both of them but a very little while, they are but for a day, the day of Prosperity, and the day of Ad­versity, or time short as a day, so short are they.

What would not man do should he alwayes prosper? And what would he doe if never? What an elated meteor would he grow, did prosperity alwayes besprinkle him with her sweetning dews? what a dejected clod of clay would he turne to, should she never smile upon him, but adversity continually frown in his face? 'tis no small abatement to the sweetnesse of prosperity, and bitternesse of adversity to Consider, they are but for a moment.

Was I to day happy, I might be miserable before to morrow! and indeed how happy were we but the other day, when all things were at peace and quiet to what we now are? or how happy are many of us yet to what we might have been, may be, yea shall be, if these times continue? Pax est omne bonum, saith Saint Austin: and if so, what can we expect from division and dissention? if peace be so soveraigne a blessing, what a crosse, or rather curse is War? especially such a War as this of ours, a most uncivill Civill Warre, the worst of all Wars. A most unnaturall Warre, a War betwixt the Head and the Members, a Warre of the Members against the Head, a Warre wherein, and whereby the Members have cut off their Head. Chams Curse, and Cains Mark be all the reward of the Authors; let this branded Cha­racter remaine upon them and their posterity for ever, Vagi & profugi in terris, Gen. 4.12. Fugitives and Vagabonds let them be in the earth. S. Bernard distinguisheth of Pacidices and Pacifices; [Page 7]such as in the Psalmists expression in words spake of peace, but in deed make ready to battel: Which speak friendly to their neighbors, but imagine mischief in their hearts, Psal. 28.3. and have we not many such fire-brands of contention in these Kingdomes? When Cataline had fired the City of Room with his Conspiracies, he had no better Comfort then this,

I will quench the fire I have kindled with a finall ruine; I will adde worse to evill, and leave the successe of my mischievous and ungracious actions to the extreamest adventures I and have we not some of his brood, who have fired 3. of the most peaceable Kingdomes in Christendome? Imò habemus tales Catulos Cati­linarios: We have but too many whelps of that litter, and you know where. Yet these wars, no more then this warfare of our life can last alwaies, dabit Deus his quoque finem, God in his good time will put a period to them, and there will (we may hope) ere long come a day of refreshing: for the Lord will not cast off for ever, Lam. 3.31. But though he cause grief, yet will be have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

Adversity no more then prosperity is everlasting; were either of them so, there would be no heaven or no hell hereafter; if both, there would be neither: but there is both, both a heaven and a hell, Mat. 25. at the latter end, and prosperity and adversity are here both but for a while, for a day or so and away; In the day of prosperity, and in the day of adversity.

And this Consideration, that Neither prosperity nor adver­sity, are for perpetuity, nor of any Considerable per­manency, duration or Continuance; that they are both but for a very little while, for a day, or time short as a day, may humble us, and may Comfort us.

Consider first, That Prosperity is but for a day, and be humbled. Consider secondly That Adversity is but for a day, and be comforted.

Why should prosperity which is but for a day make any one Proud, Lordly, and Stately? Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? saith Solomon. Who had more to boast of then any man, either before or since his time, as you may read Eccles. 2.9. wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for Riches certainly [Page 8]make themselves wings, they flee away as an Eagle towards heaven, Prov. 23.5. he that is this day, thy and my inferiour, may to Morrow or next day be our Superiour; for both he may rise and we may Fall; either will suffice to set him above us, and bring it to who would have thought this? the examples and in­stances of this nature are so many and ready at hand, that it is a businesse for me to make choice of them: only in the Lump, let me ask, have you not of late seen many and strange alterations in diverse antient and Noble Families, yea of Townes also and Cities? have you not seene Folly set in great Dignity, and the rich sit in low place, Servants upon Horses, and Princes walking as Ser­vants upon the Earth! Solomon observed it in his time, Ecclesi­astes 10.16. and 17. ver. and we may (if we please) much more in ours.

And how many brave and hopefull branches, have in some one Day been lopt off by preposterous, and bloudy hands, since the breaking forth of this intestine and detestable rebellion? Yea and how many more may possibly be destroyed by the undistinguishing bullet, and non-sparing sword, before this all-Devouring warre be ended, and a firme peace in these yet blee­ding Kingdomes setled? Oh I tremble to speak it! How have some amongst us in one day stopt their owne breath, and taken off his head who was ours? Like the foole in the Embleme, who being in a tree, sawed off the bow on the which he sate. And are not mens fortunes, and estates, in as much hazard and as little secu­rity, as their lives and Liberties? The Grounds, Houses, Lands, Leases, Livings, and the like, which now many of you call yours (if there be any such things as meum & tuum, as property left) they (you know) have had many a one, and many another which called them theirs; and may be soon again rent from you or your Posterity, by some concussion, change, or prodigall heirs. [Page 9] Yea how many mens estates and revenues, are at this present by force, and fraud detained from them, so that they reap little or no benefit by them? When Craesus glorying in his great riches, led Solon into his treasury, and shewed him all his wealth, think­ing thereby to extort not onely a bare applause and Commen­dation, but even wonder and admiration; the wise man slighted, what the fond King so much adored, and (if my memory fail me not) to this purpose replyed. He that hath better Iron, will soone be Master of all thy Gold. And it was not very long after, that this rich King proved his poore friends words true by wofull ex­perience, another King being a better Warriour, or more fortu­nate Souldier, taking from him all his treasure. And who will not subscribe this with a probatum est, that knows the proceedings of these times? Wherein not He that hath most right, but they that have most might carry the prize away. See Nebuchadnezar proudly walking and vanting in his stately and new erected palace, and in the height of his Pride puft up with Prosperity, de­manding, is not this great Babilon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome, by the Might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty? Dan. 4.30. And see him once within an houre ex­pelled thence, yea Driven from the society of men, and made a companion for beasts, and then tell me (if you know) what a Day may bring forth? Such strange alterations may one day pro­duce, that he who is this Day the highest in this worlds blandish­ments, may or ever the Sun salute the East againe, be as low, as low may be, in another worlds torments. Thou foole, this Night shall thy soule be required of thee, and then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Was, besides the exprobation, and objurgation, an unwelcome intimation, and prediction, of a most strange and sudden change; and must needs strike cold to his heart (you will say) who was at this with himselfe; Soule, thou hast much good laid up for many years, take thine ease, Eate, Drinke and be Merry, Luke 12.19.

O Consider then of this all ye that are troubled with the tym­pany of pride, through a little worldly Prosperity; all ye that are therefore proud because ye prosper in this world, and as some Translations read my Text, Ʋse well the time of Prosperity, and remember the time of Misfortune.

You know not what may happen before the night of your life come, some that have beene borne in a palace have died in a dungeon. Hear ye and give eare, be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken. Jer. 13.15. For the day of the Lord of Hoasts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low. Esay 2.12. Prosperity is but for a day, let this therefore even in the height of thy Prosperity humble thee.

Neither secondly is adversity for any more, for any longer then a Day, and this may comfort us in our miserie.

Heavinesse may indure for a night, but Joy commeth in the Mor­ning, Psal. 30.5. and a good Day may make amends for an ill night; I may after an ill fit be the better for it: Why then should I sit disconsolate under so short a vexation?

It is but a little shower, it will soone blow over; though it wet me a little, it cannot drowne me. Many a faire afternoone followes a foule morning. There is a certaine and continuall vicissitude, and interchange of day and night, of light and dark­nesse; and shall I in adversity despaire of ever being happy? It is good that a man should both hope and quietly waite for the Sal­vation of the Lord, Lam. 3.26. and shall I choose the evill, and refuse the good? not hope, not waite for the salvation of my God? The same that brings down high looks, will save the afflict­ed people, Psal. 18.27.

O carry then the Lords leasure, be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and put thou thy trust in the Lord, Psal. 27 last. Was I in the dust, or which is worse, on the Dunghill; there was no rea­son I should count my selfe a cast-away; some that have beene taken from thence have beene set among Princes, and made to in­herit the throne of glory, 1 Sam. 2.8. and if it be not my fortune here, it will be, if it be not my fault, hereafter. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more ex­ceeding and eternall weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is re­newed [Page 11]day by day: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are tem­porall, but the things which are not seen are eternall. Adversity is but for a day; let this therefore comfort thee in the depth of misery.

These things premised; we come now to handle the two maine things considerable in this day of adversity; namely, the cause, and the cure of the great and many distempers that make us thus miserable as we are.

And as for the cause, the efficient (I have shewed you) is God: the materiall, Sin: the finall, repentance: as for the for­mall, I told you, we would wave it for the present.

The evills which we feele proceed from God, procured by Sin, and inflicted to the end we should repent and amend. And so this consideration affords us this point of Instruction, That Gods indignation moved against sinne, calls for our Repentance.

In the second place, the cure, we have found upon enquiry to be Humiliation and Reformation.

And from hence ariseth this Observation, That

Humiliation and Reformation are the onely meanes to pa­cifie Gods indignation, and to remove our afflictions.

And these are the things which we are chiefly in this day of ad­versity to consider. Of which in their order, as briefly and plainly as possibly may be: and first of the first, the cause of the evils under which we now suffer. God, Sin, Repentance, God the efficient, sin the materiall, repentance the finall, they proceed from God, procur'd by sin, and inflicted to the end we should repent and amend.

Gods indignation moved against sinne, calls for our Repentance.

Micah 6.9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City, and the man of wisdome shall see thy name: Hear ye the rod and who hath appoint­ed it. As our sins cry to God for Judgments, so his Judgments cry to us for repentance. Thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jer. 18.11. behold, I frame evill a­gainst you, and devise a device against you, returne ye now every one frō his evill way, and make your wayes and your doings good. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions, so Iniquity shall not be your ruine, Ezek. 18.30.

[Page 12] What ever evills we suffer under, God is the author of them all, Lam. 3.37. Who is he that saith, and it commeth to passe when the Lord commandeth it not? out of the mouth of the most high pre­proceedeth not evill and good? yes doubtlesse, evill as well as good proceeds from God. But here we must distinguish of Malum poena, and Malum culpae, the former is from God, and the latter from Man. No evill of punishment but from him, nor any but for the evill of Sin. Sinne is the procurer of all our woe. Woe, woe unto us, but why? because we have finned, Lam. 5.16. Woe unto us that we have sinned; for this our heart is faint, for these things our eyes are dim, ver. 17. All would be well without us, were all well within us: From whence come warres and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Jam. 4.1. cast but these with Jonah over-board, and the sea of our world which now worketh, and is tempestuous, will forth with cease her raging, and be calme. Sinne with Acha [...] is it that troubles all, let us but take away this accursed thing from amongst us, and God will turne from the feircenesse of his anger, and returne in mercy to the many thousands of his people. The REBELLIONS are strengthned against us, yea, triumph over us, but how? by our multiplyed rebellions a­gainst our God; let us but make our peace with him, and he will soone make them to be at peace with us. When a mans wayes please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, Prov. 16.7. We have transgressed, and we have re­belled, and the Lord hath not pardoned, but punished us with many and sore evils; yet (we must believe) all for our good, for our conversion, not for our confusion; for he hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die, but that he should returne from his wayes and live, Ezek. 18.23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should re­turne from his wayes and live? No, the Lord our God desires ra­ther our life and salvation, then our death and damnation; he hath no pleasure at all in this latter, but delights much in the former: yea, there is joy amongst his Angels in Heaven, over one sinner that repenteth, Luke 15.10.

Give me leave then (I beseech you) to apply this that I have spoken, with the words of Tertullian in his tract of repentance. [Page 13] Bonum est poenitere, an non? quid revolvis? Deus precipit. At enim ille non precipit tantum, sed etiam hortatur. Invitat praemio sa­lutem, jurans, etiam vivo dicens, cupit credi sibi. Tell me, is it good to repent or not? what dost thou study of? God commands thee so to doe; nay more, he doth not onely command, but perswades, and exhorts thee also: he invites thee to Heaven with a promise of a reward, swearing as he lives, that he desires thy salvation, and he would have thee to beleeve him. As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evill wayes, for why will ye die O ye house of Israel? Ezek. 33.11.

O beatos nos quorum causa Deus jurat. O miserrimos fi [...]nec juranti Domino credimus: as the Father beforenamed hath it in the place before cited. O happy and blessed are we, for whose sake God swears; O most miserable and wretched if we will not believe him swearing: and if we doe believe him, then let us repent our selves of our sinnes, and returne unto him. Every sinne is an errour, Nonne errant omnes? Prov. 14.22. Do they not erre that devise evill? We fall and stray, peceardo, by sinning; we must rise and return poenitend [...], by repenting. It is not the falling, but the not rising, not our sinning, but our not repenting that undoes us. Perpetuity and impenitency in sinne makes sin out of measure sinful, and renders the actors uncapable of a pardon. As all Gods promises pass sub conditione obedientiae, on condition of obedience; so all his threatnings, Sub condititione impenitentia, under the con­dition of impenitency. If a righteous man revolt, he shall die for it, notwithstanding all Gods promises: and if a wicked man repent he shall live, notwithstanding all Gods menaces: You may see this clearly evidenced in that 33. Chapter of the Pro­phesie of Ezekiel, at the 13. and following Verses. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if be trust to his own righteousnesse and cōmit iniquity, all his righteousnesse shall not be remembred; but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it. Againe, when I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, if he turne from his sinne, and doe that which is lawfull and right, be shall surely live, he shall not die. What can be said more fully, more plainly, or more punctually? wherefore if we desire [Page 14]rather to live then to dye, to prosper then to perish, let us re­pent our selves of our iniquities, and returne unto the Lord our God. who is ready to receive and embrace us in the armes of his mercie. Esa. 55.7. Let the wicked, &c.

Repentance is nothing else but redire ad principia, to return to him whom we have left by sinne. And the practice of this duty consisteth in these two things. Humiliation and reformation; hu­miliation under the mighty hand of God, reformation of our evil lives and corrupt conversations, which are the cure of the great and many distempers that make us thus miserable as we are.

Humiliation and reformation are the onely meanes to pacifie Gods indignation, and to remove our afflictions; and this is the thing which we are in this day of adversity to consider; and my last observation, which I shall dispatch in a word.

Humiliation and Reformation have for these eight yeares and upward beene the common talke of the times. But what hath beene done in them? why indeed si verbis audacia detur, such things as never were done before. That hath been done, Quod nulla posteritas probet, quod nulla taceat; Which posterity can nei­ther approve, nor conceale; no nor all Antiquity parallel. Ile give you cases as near as I can to ours; we have had daies of Hu­miliation wherein many men have fasted, but as we reade Isa. 58.4. For strife, and debate; and to smite with the fist of wickednesse, &c. and humbled themselves, but as it is Psal. 10.10. That the poore might fall by their strong ones. And such a Reformation we have as Nebuzaradan Captaine of the guard to Nebuchadnezer made at Jerusalem, 2 Kings. 25. When he threw downe the walls both of City and Temple, and tooke away all the vessels of Gold and Silver, &c. And how should it be better when the Devill of Rebellion hath turned himselfe into this Angell of Reforma­tion? and the old Serpent held out new lights, to lead his followers into outer Darknesse. But to have done with these, who have un­done us All.

The Humiliation which I am to speake to, and of, is a true selfe dejection, joyned with the confession of sinne, contrition for sinne, and an earnest desire of pardon.

And as for Reformation, it is a conversion from sinne, a change of all bad actions into good.

[Page 15] The former duty is thus performed. A man touched with the sense of his misery, humbly casteth himselfe downe before the mercy seate of Gods offended Majesty, con­fesseth from a sorrowfull heart his forepast sins, condem­neth himselfe for the same, and earnestly entreateth par­don, and forgivenesse of them at the hands of God for the merits of Christ.

The latter thus. A man perceiving his errour and folly, corrects and amends what ever is amisse in him; sets himself in the right way, and proceeds, and goes on in all vertue, of godlinesse of living.

And let every one of us but thus humble, and thus reforme himselfe, and surely then the controversie which God hath with us all is ended, and a peace concluded: for confirmation of which assertion the whole current of Scripture is so clear, and the Cha­racter so obvious, that he that runs may read. I shall therefore quote but two to avoide prolixity; and what need I more? when In Scripturis non saepius dicta, sed tantum dicta sufficiant. Any one materiall Text will serve to prove any one tenet to them that believe the Scripture. 1. Then for Humiliation, take that of Saint James, at his 4. Chapter, and 10. Verse, Humble your selves in the fight of the Lord, and he shall life you up: doe you but performe the duty of Humiliation, and God will con­ferre upon you the dignity of exaltation.

And as for Reformation, see thee 1. of Esay, at the 16. Verse, where we have this document no lesse consolatory then conso­nant. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes, cease to do evill, learn to do well, &c. and then come, and let us reason together saith the Lord: though your sinnes be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crim­son, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land: If ye will reforme your selves you shall be received to mercy, no question to the contrary! but if ye will not, if ye refuse and rebell, ye may read your destiny in the next Verse, the 20. of that 1. of Esay, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And if the mouth of the Lord hath said it, the hand of the Lord wil do it. For nec ver­bum ab intentione quia veritas, nec factum à verbo quia virtus, saith [Page 16]Saint Bernard. With God neither doth his Word disagree, &c.

Let then so many of us as believe in God, as believe his Word, obey him, and doe as we are commanded. Humble, and Re­forme our selves; confesse, and forsake our sinnes, correct and amend what ever is amisse in us; redeeme the time we have vainly spent, and work out our salvation with fear and trem­bling: Fear God, honour our King, and love as Brethren, and then we need never fear what man can doe unto us, Luke 12.4, 5.

Let all of us in the fear of God in this day, the latter day: the day of Adversity thus consider, and God, it may be, may be intreated, and once againe restore unto us the former day, the day of Prospe­rity, wherein we may lawfully, yea must, and ought, thankfully to be joyfull and merry. To which purpose let us pray.

This Prayer was omitted, because the Glass was run, and the Season then almost as hot as these 8. years persecuti­on; but being it was really in­tended, it is therefore here verbatim inser­ted.O Lord God of Hosts, God of the spirits of all Flesh, who for a long time hast sorely afflicted us with the devouring scourge of a most unnaturall War: And in the depth of thy displeasure hast suf­fered us to proceed to that height of impiety, as unsatisfied with the bloud of our fellow-members, to cut off Him who was our Head; and to take away His Life, for the preservation whereof, we ought all of us both by the Lawes of God and Man to have sacrificed our own. O Lord, we do confesse that we be even astonished, and confounded with the apprehension of our most sinfull, and most miserable condition. O who can lay his hands on the Lords Anointed, and be guilt­lesse? Had He been a Saul, and His Subjects Davids! Had He beene rejected, and they elected! They Righteous, and He Wick­ed! yet had they sinned against their own Soules, and been guilty of the highest Treason for defiling their hands with the Bloud of their Soveraigne. Of how much greater condemnation doth this sinfull Land stand guilty, who have laid hands upon a David, and are themselves Shimea's and Shebaes; who have slaine a most pious, prudent, and peaceable Prince, and are themselves a most perfi­dious, rebellious, and wicked People. Yea, and to fill up the measure of our iniquity, that their might be nothing wanting to make our sinne compleat; we have usurpt thy Authority, who art the onely Judge of Kings, and committed this horrid Murther un­der the specious colour of Justice. We have (if we may make use of [Page 17]His owne Expressions) added the mockery of Justice, to the cruelty of Malice: So that, now we may seeme even ripe for de­struction, and thou mayest justly thrust in thy sickle, and cut us down, destroy us, root and branch as in one day, and lay our Land waste into a Wildernesse, or give it unto Strangers to be inhabited. Thou mayst sweep us away with the beesome of Destruction, and give us our portion with the Devil and his Angels, as the worst of Hipo­crites, in the hottest place of that Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone.

But Lord in Judgment, we humbly beseech thee, to remember mercy; and thou that takest no delight in the Death of one single sinner, spare mercifull Lord, spare a great, though most sinfull Nation. Pity a despised Church and distracted State; heal up those Wounds which our sins have made so wide, that none but thine owne hands can close them; and in the tendernesse of thy un­speakable compassion, set up the Sunne in his Fathers Throne, that he may restore thy worship, settle Peace, and purge the Land of the Guilt of that innocent, Loyall, yea ROYALL blood, wherewith it is Defiled, which cries aloud for Vengeance in thine ears. O Lay not this sin of bloud-guiltinesse, unto the charge of this whole Nation, which is committed by the hands of a handfull, in comparison, to the whole! Neither let the Cry of that horrid murther committed upon the Person of thine Anointed, by those who have graspt all power into their hands, out-cry the cry of their prayers whose Loyall hearts abhorre the very thought of such a Heinous, Treasonable, Dam­nable fact, and mourne in secret for it. O Let it pity thee to see so flourishing a Church and State, as this but lately was, to be thus rent and torne in pieces by a rude rabble of Seditious, Sacrilegious, Re­bellious, Trayterous Men, who have embrued their hands in the bloud of King, Priest, and People: Who have Usurpt all authority, trampled upon all Religion, Violated all our Lawes, infring'd all our liberties, and destroy'd our properties, and Father all their impieties upon thee, because for our sins thou sufferest successe to attend their actions, which have neither warrant, nor president in thy Word. But Lord we beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake to be reconciled unto us, to pardon our sins, and heale our Land, which for its transgressions hath many Princes, yea Servants that rule over it: And give us Him thy Servant, our true, and rightfull [Page 18]Soveraigne CHARLES, Sonne and Heyre to his deceased Father, to be our King, maugre all the power, and malice, of thine, his, and our inhumane, barbarous, and bloud thirsty enemies; Arise O Lord, maintaine thine owne cause, Remember how the Ad­versary hath blasphemed thy Name, profaned thy holy places, Mur­dered thine Anointed, butchered his Subjects, and now gee about to disinherit his posterity, and convert a well-tempered Monarchy, into a popular Anarchy. This thou hast seen O Lord, and because thou holdest thy tongue, they think wickedly, that thou art even such a one as their selves, but doe thou reprove them, and see be­fore them the things which they have done. That thou maist take the matter into thy hands, the poore commiteth himself unto thee, O be thou the helper of the friendlesse, and breake the power of the ungodly and malicious.

Infatuate their Councells and divide them; Infeeble their forces and Disperse them; Impale their hearts, weaken their hands, and command Salvation and deliverance for thy Church, the King, and his people; That thy worship may be restored, Thine ANOINTED inthroned, and Truth, and Peace re-established in all our Borders; and that for his sake, who is the Prince of peace, and that shed his most precious blood to purchase our peace, even Jesus Christ the righteous, To whom with thee, and the blessed Spirit, be ascribed as is most due, All Honour, Power, Praise, might, Majesty, Dominion and thanksgiving, for ever, and for ever, Amen.