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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A PROCLAMATION TO THE KING; In a Sermon preached the 15. of <HI>June,</HI> 1647. Before His Maje&s;ty, and the head of Sir <HI>Thomas Fairfax his</HI> Army.</P>
<P>Out of <HI>Jonah,</HI> ch. 3. v 7, 8. <HI>And hee cau&s;ed it to be proclaimed,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>By <HI>Francis James,</HI> Preacher of Gods Word.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>E&s;ay 51.1.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Sonne of Man lift up thy voyce like a Trumpet.</P></Q>
<LICENSE LANG="eng" SUBTYPE="royal order">
<P>Publi&s;hed by his Maje&s;ties &s;peciall Command.</P>
</LICENSE>
<P><HI>Printed at</HI> London <HI>by</HI> John Hammond, 1647.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE MAJESTIE OF ROYALL KING CHARLES, GREAT BRITTAINES <HI>MONARCH.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Dread Soveraigne,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_WHat your gracious Majestie hath practi&s;ed of Humiliation (the &s;ubject of this worke) is not unknowne to your people; how full and frequent in Divine Supplications, joyned with many &s;ingular Attestations, to compo&s;e your &s;ubjects with godly and univer&s;all Re|formation both in Church and State: And now al&s;o, becau&s;e it was your Majesties &s;peciall Command, after the delive|rie hereof, that this Sermon &s;hould be publi&s;hed; there|fore, according to dutie, it is here pre&s;ented to your Royall hand. Notwithstanding this &s;mall Paper be in it &s;elfe means and worthle&s;se; yet as <HI>Artaxerxes</HI> from a gratefull minde received a Cup of cold water, where a better Pre&s;ent could not be had; &s;o your Majesties knowne Candor will entertaine and cheri&s;h this Mite, and by indulgent Princely acceptation adde worth unto it. The King of <HI>Niniveh</HI>
<PB REF="3">here be&s;peakes you <HI>(Gracious Sir)</HI> and as his, &s;o may your <HI>Practice of Pietie</HI> keepe off Judgements from this Age al&s;o; and as <HI>Niniveh</HI> at the Command of her King turned to <HI>Repentance,</HI> &s;o may the&s;e your Realmes doe the like, obeying God and his Vice-gerent.</P>
<P>This unfainedly wi&s;heth he, who in all words and workes de&s;ireth to write and &s;peake &s;uch things whereby him|&s;elfe and all the Hou&s;e of GOD may be &s;aved; de|&s;iring al&s;o, that your Majesties <HI>Soule</HI> may bee ever bound up in the Bundle of <HI>Life,</HI> and kept from wicked a&s;sa&s;ination, that after a long and happy Fruition of your Kingdome here, you may be tran&s;lated into a more glorious one hereafter.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Your Maje&s;ties mo&s;t loyall, humble,<LB> obedient</HI> Orator, <HI>and</HI> Subject,<LB> Francis James.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>A Proclamation to the King.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Jonah, 3 chap. ver&s;. 7, 8.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And hee cau&s;ed it to be proclaimed, &amp;c.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_A Serious Sack-cloth dutie of Fa&s;ting and Mourning is here enjoyned in my Text, from no le&s;&s;e autho|ritie then the Royall Proclamation of <HI>Ninivehs</HI> King. The occa&s;ion of it is taken primarily from <HI>Ninivehs</HI> horrible &amp; crying tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, for <HI>Ni|niveh</HI> was, <HI>Urbs tam plena vitiis qu&agrave;m divitiis,</HI> a Citie as &s;infull as rich: &s;econdly, from the due con&s;ideration of the &s;evere de|nuntiation of Gods awfull judgements again&s;t her for her tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions: thirdly, from the Commi&s;&s;ion of <HI>Jonah,</HI> c. 1. v. 2. <HI>Ari&s;e, goe to Niniveh, cry again&s;t it,</HI> as an Emba&s;&s;adour extraordinary to give drow&s;ie <HI>Niniveh,</HI> out of her profound &s;leep of &s;in, an <HI>alarum, to awake unto righteou&s;ne&s;se,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.34. to &s;hake off &s;tupiditie, &s;en&s;ele&s;ne&s;&s;e, and &s;ecuritie: for be cryed our, <HI>Adhuc quadraginta,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Yet fortie dayes, and Niniveh &s;hall be destroyed,</HI> chap. 3. v. 4. <GAP DESC="foreign">. Oh, but this is <GAP DESC="foreign">, The Sonne of Truth, and therefore mu&s;t be beleeved. And in the fifth ver&s;e &s;ee the effect he wrought; <HI>For the people of Niniveh beleeved God, and proclaimed a Fa&s;t, and put on &s;ack-cloth, from the greate&s;t of them to the lea&s;t,</HI> yea, the King him&s;elfe: for in the ver&s;e before my Text, <HI>word came unto him, and he are&s;e from his Throne, and he layd his Robe from him, and covered him with &s;ack-cloth, and &s;at in a&s;hes.</HI> You &s;ee the example: not the Royall. Throne exempts the King from this dutie; the voice of Humiliation calls unto him, not unlike that in <HI>Jere.</HI> 13.18. <HI>Say unto the King and Queen, Humble your &s;elves, &s;it downe, for your Principalities &s;hall come downe, even the Crowne of your glory.</HI> No mervaile if he be troubled at this voice, as <HI>Herod</HI> was, and all <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> with him, at the Birth of our Saviour, <HI>Math.</HI> 2.8. No wonder if his knees &s;mite together, as <HI>Bel&s;hazzars</HI> did at the hand-writing again&s;t him on the wall.</P>
<PB REF="4">
<P> The u&s;e you &s;hall make from hence is, <HI>Learne to heare &amp; give eare, and be not proud, learne to feare him who ought to be feared, who is great amongst the Gods; when he denounceth wrath, when his judgements are abroad, learne righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, O inhabitants of the earth.</HI> Learne to heate, and feare, and tremble, and to do no more &s;o wickedly; give glory unto God by confe&s;&s;ion of &s;innes, <HI>before your feet &s;tumble upon the darke Mountaines, and while you look for light he turne it into the &s;hadow of death, &amp; make it gro&s;&s;e darken&s;&s;e,</HI> 13. <HI>Jer.</HI> 15, 16. Learne to believe &amp; make u&s;e of Gods awfull threatned judgements, as well as his gracious promi&s;es; I know our corrupt natures are more inclinable to hearken to the latter then the former, for we delight in them; they are a plea&s;ant cordiall, but the other are bitter, though whol&s;ome, pills to &s;wallow downe: but Oh, let faith be &s;et on worke on both &s;ubjects: Let the legall denuntiations be received and be|lieved, as well as the Evangelicall promi&s;es: doth God de|nounce judgements? He delighteth in the &s;oule that trembles at his words: does he call for humiliation? <HI>he takes plea&s;ure in the &s;oule that walkes humbly with his God.</HI> And this is the duty and <HI>Practice of Piety</HI> here in my Text: <HI>For the King cau&s;ed it to let Proclaimed thorow</HI> Niniveh, <HI>and publi&s;hed by the Decree of him and his Nobles, &s;aying, Let neither man nor heast, Herd nor Flock, tast any thing</HI> &amp;c. <HI>but let man and beast be covered with Sack-cloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turne every one from his evill way, and from the violence that is in their hands.</HI> In the compo&s;ition of which words, there are principally ob|&s;ervable three ingredients.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Solemne and &s;trict Humiliation; <HI>Let man</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Solemne and devout Supplication; <HI>Cry mightily</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Vuniver&s;all and reall Reformation; <HI>Every one turne</HI> &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Of the&s;e in their order. For the fir&s;t, it is apparent, here is fa&s;ting and mourning not onely enjoyned, but joyned together, &s;uitable unto that in <HI>Joel</HI> 2.12. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, Turne you even to me, with fasting, weeping, and mourning:</HI> For want of this duty, God not onely di&s;countenanceth the &s;tub|borne
<PB REF="4"><HI>Jewes,</HI> but al&s;o reproved them, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 22. <HI>v.</HI> 12, 13. when he faith, <HI>The Lord did call to weeping and mourning, and baldne&s;se, and girding with &s;ack-cloth, but behold joy and gladne&s;se, &s;laying of Oxen, and killing of Sheepe, eating fle&s;h and drinking wine; let us eat and drinke, for to morrow we &s;hall die,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;urely this iniquitie &s;hall not be purged from you till ye die, &s;aith the Lord of Hosts.</HI> Sack-cloth it &s;elfe, a rigid garment, is here call'd for al&s;o in my Text, as an expre&s;&s;ive embleme and &s;ymptome of inward com|punction and heartie &s;orrow. It was, it &s;eemes, the u&s;uall and ceremoniall habit of mourners in tho&s;e times under the Law; they made them&s;elves bald, they &s;at in a&s;hes, or put a&s;hes on their heads in the Ea&s;terne Countries, and they rent their gar|ments; but we under the Go&s;pel are more &s;pirituall, we pre&s;&s;e not the outward adumbration or &s;hadow, &s;o much as the inward &s;ub&s;tance and materialitie: To us the word is, <HI>Rent your hearts and not your garments, and turne to the Lord your God.</HI> I &s;ee, Be|loved, no garments torne this day, nay, rather with griefe of heart I &s;ee apparell in men and women more gorgeous then befits the du&s;t and a&s;hes of this &s;ack-cloth-humbling &s;olemnitie: Oh, that the hidden man of the heart were gay al&s;o: Oh, that by a godly and &s;incere Reformation every one of you would demon&s;trate, that you &s;trive to adorn the Go&s;pel of our ble&s;&s;ed Saviour more then your &s;elves. Sack-cloth, and fa&s;ting and mourning, though not meritorious, you &s;ee are not di&s;allowed, are not di&s;annulled: nay, the bea&s;ts them&s;elves ought nor to goe &s;cot-free, but partake with the people in the outward duties of fa&s;ting, &amp;c. I mean, &s;uch kind of humiliation as they were capable of. The&s;e &s;en&s;ible ex|pre&s;&s;ions, here in my Text, extended even unto them; the rather, that man, who is endued both with a &s;en&s;itive &amp; rea&s;onable facul|tie, may perceive the odiou&s;ne&s;&s;e &amp; heinou&s;ne&s;&s;e of his prevari|cations with his God, which drawes not only o<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> him&s;elfe, but on the bea&s;t al&s;o &s;uch evident humiliation. <HI>A good man is mercifull to his bea&s;t,</HI> &s;aith the wi&s;e&s;t of Kings: though the wicked (as <HI>Jon<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> &s;peakes, <HI>c.</HI> 2.8.) for&s;ake their owne mercies, yet <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">e thinke, they ought not to be &s;o rigorou&s;ly unju&s;t, as to pull away pitie from
<PB REF="5">the unrea&s;onable creature, and forfeit clemencie due to bea&s;ts. Oh, that our compa&s;&s;ion to them, as well as to our &s;elves, could make us con&s;ider what we have done! By what hath bin delivered (Beloved) you may perceive how punctuall the <HI>Holy-Ghost,</HI> the Pen-man of the Scriptures, is in this Doctrine of Humiliation; <HI>in fa&s;ting, in weeping, and mourning,</HI> it becommeth the godly to be humble; and truly it hath ever bin their con&s;tant practice in all Ages: for this, turne to 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7.2. <HI>When the Ark of God abode in Kiriathiearim twentie yeares, all the hou&s;e of I&s;rael lamented af|ter the Lord, and they turned unto the Lord with all their hearts, and put away Baalim and A&s;htaroth, and &s;erved the Lord only,</HI> v. 3. <HI>And they drew water, and fa&s;ted on that day,</HI> v. 4. And in the Booke of <HI>Judges,</HI> after the people had grievou&s;ly &s;inned, and the Angel re|buked them at <HI>Bochim,</HI> in the &s;econd chapter, and 4. and 5. ver&s;es, it is &s;et downe punctually that they wept: <HI>For it came to pa&s;se, when the Angel of the Lord &s;pake the&s;e words unto all the children of I&s;rael, that the people lift up their voice and wept, and they called the name of that place Bochim.</HI> The good King <HI>Jo&s;iah,</HI> when he cau&s;ed the Law to be read before him (at the hearing whereof his heart melted) appointed a <HI>&s;olemne Fa&s;t</HI> to be kept. In the Booke of <HI>E&s;ther, Mardochai</HI> and <HI>E&s;ther,</HI> and her Maidens, conti|nued in fa&s;ting, and &s;upplication, and &s;ack-cloth, three whole dayes together, to turne away the wrath of God, and defeat the cruell Con&s;piracie of <HI>Haman,</HI> who had plotted the Nationall de&s;truction of all the <HI>Jewes. Nehemiah,</HI> when he began the buil|ding of the Temple, layd the foundation with a <HI>&s;olemne Fast. Ezra</HI> &s;anctified the people, at the reading of the Law, with the like humiliation.</P>
<P>And here I may take occa&s;ion (for promoting this dutie) not onely to lay open the nature of this humbling, but the nece&s;&s;itie of it al&s;o. The nece&s;&s;itie is drawne from a three-fold rea&s;on: the fir&s;t rea&s;on is, becau&s;e God Almightie often calls for this dutie, as you may reade <HI>Joel.</HI> 2.12. and in divers other places, too long to rehear&s;e: for as there is a voice in every &s;inne to call for judge|ment, &s;o there is a voice in every judgment calling for repentance
<PB REF="5">and Humiliation, &s;ee for this in <HI>Micah</HI> 6 Chap. 8.9. <HI>He hath &s;hewed thee O man what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do ju&s;tly, and to love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God? the Lords voyce cryeth unto the Citie, and the</HI> Man <HI>of Wi&s;dome &s;hall &s;ee thy name: heare</HI> ye <HI>the Rod, and who hath appoynted it.</HI></P>
<P>God willeth us to walke humbly and hear the rod of his controver&s;ie. God &s;trikes upon the &s;tony Rocke of our hearts by his judgements and mercies, as with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his rod, that the Waters of Repentant tears many gu&s;h forth; and in the 8 of <HI>Deut.</HI> when God mu&s;ters up the forces of his deal|ings with the people, and makes an inventory of them, is comes all to this I&s;&s;ue, <HI>That he might humble thee</HI> (O J&s;rael) <HI>and prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end.</HI> Deut. 8.16.</P>
<P>The &s;econd rea&s;on that nece&s;&s;itates this duty is, becau&s;e Humiliation onely hath the promi&s;e of a ble&s;&s;ing annext unto it; St. <HI>Peter</HI> admoni&s;heth us, <HI>Humble your Selves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in his due time.</HI></P>
<P>To this purpo&s;e al&s;o belongs that memorable place in 26 <HI>of</HI> Levit. <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 40 <HI>and</HI> 44. <HI>If they &s;hall confe&s;&s;e their iniquitie and the iniquitie of their Fathers, with their tre&s;pa&s;&s;e which they have tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed again&s;t mee, and that al&s;o they have walked contrary unto mee</HI> &amp;c. <HI>If then their uncircumci&s;ed hearts bee humbled, and they then accept the puni&s;hment of their iniquitie: Then will I remember my Covenent with</HI> Jacob, <HI>with</HI> J&s;aac, <HI>and with</HI> Abraham, <HI>and remember the Land.</HI></P>
<P>'Tis evident <HI>God gives Grace and Favour to the humble.</HI> And in the Prophet <HI>Jeremy</HI> when God pronounceth judge|ments, yet thus he &s;aith to the humble: <HI>If that Nation again&s;t whom I have pronounced turne from their evill, then will I re|pent of the evill that I thought to do unto them,</HI> Jeremy 18.8. Do you expect examples to confirme this Doctrine? Be|hold them mar&s;halld in a full body, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 21. ver&s;e 27.19. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 12.6.7. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34.27.28. Fir&s;t in the ex|ample
<PB REF="6">of <HI>Ahab,</HI> for after he had rent his cloathes, and fa&s;ted, and lay in Sack cloath &amp;c. <HI>Elijah</HI> denouncing judgements, God grants a reprieve of tho&s;e judgements. <HI>See&s;t thou</HI> (&s;aith God) <HI>how</HI> Ahab <HI>humbleth him&s;elfe, &amp;c. I will not bring the evill in his days, but in his &s;ons days will I bring it,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 21.27.29. Next in <HI>Rehoboam:</HI> for, when <HI>Shemajah</HI> had told him and his two Princes, that God had left him in the hand of <HI>Shi&s;hak</HI> King of <HI>Egypt;</HI> in the 7 ver&s;e, when the Lord &s;aw that they humbled them&s;elves, the Lord &s;aid, <HI>I will not de&s;troy them, but I will grant them &s;ome Deliverance, and my wrath &s;hall not bee powered out upon</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>by the hand of</HI> Shi&s;hak. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 12.6.7. In <HI>Mana&s;&s;es,</HI> he humbled him&s;elf greatly before the God of his Fathers, by the innocent fel|lony of prayer and &s;upplication he knocks off the Fetters of his Captivity in <HI>Babylon,</HI> &amp; makes a Gaole delivery of him|&s;elf: Almighty God &s;igning his <HI>Dimittis,</HI> and bringing him againe to his Kingdome. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 33.13. La&s;tly, of <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> thus &s;peakes God, <HI>Becau&s;e thy heart was tender and thou did&s;t humble thy &s;elfe before thy God, when thou heard&s;t his words a|gain&s;t this place, and again&s;t the inhabitants thereof, and did&s;t rend thy cloathes, and weepe before me, I have even heard thee al&s;o &s;aith the Lord. Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers and to thy grave in peace,</HI> &amp;c. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34.27.28.</P>
<P>Next a third rea&s;on was, becau&s;e Humiliation di&s;po&s;eth the Soule with good previous di&s;po&s;itions for mercy, puts it in a po&s;ture and capacity to receive the loving kindne&s;&s;e of the Lord, and truly this is manife&s;t by a certaine place of the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> in his 66 <HI>chap. the fir&s;t and &s;econd ver|&s;es.</HI> God &s;hews he is not delighted in magnificent &s;tructures, again&s;t the Jewes, that gloryed in the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, like their Succe&s;&s;ours that boa&s;ted they had <HI>Abraham</HI> to their Father: God points them to an|other Temple, the Temple of the Holy Gho&s;t in an humble heart. For thus &s;aith God: <HI>Where is the Hou&s;e that you
<PB REF="6">build unto mee,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>But to this man will looke, even to him that is poore and of a contrite &s;pirit</HI> &amp;c. <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 66.1, 2. God hath the&s;e two notable Man&s;ion hou&s;es, the highe&s;t Heavens, and the humble&s;t heart to dwell in; humility is the recep|tacle of his Excellency; God intends good things for them that are humble. In the 8 of <HI>Deut.</HI> 16. Hee tells the <HI>I&s;ra|elites,</HI> he <HI>humbled them to doe them good in the latter end.</HI> And &s;o our Saviour having exhorted his &s;ervants to bee lowly, at the la&s;t concludes <HI>they &s;hall find re&s;t unto their &s;oules, Mat.</HI> 11.28. Truly the meek are filled with good things, when the rich and proude in opinion are &s;ent empty away. For God &s;etteth him&s;elf as in battaile array <GAP DESC="foreign">, for &s;o the word &s;ignifies, a military terme, again&s;t the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If wee would then that God &s;hould meet us in a way of mercy, prepare to meet him in poverty and &s;incerity of &s;pirit.</P>
<P>Thus much for the nece&s;&s;ity. Now for the nature of this humbling which con&s;i&s;ts in 5 principall thing<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters"> A godly &s;crutiny or &s;earch after &s;in, a Hue and Cry. 2 Godly &s;hame for &s;in. 3. Godly &s;orrow. 4 Confe&s;&s;ion of heart and mouth. 5 A judging of our &s;elves. I will pa&s;&s;e them over cur&s;orily.</P>
<P>For the fir&s;t duty a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves God expects it from you, and he finds fault with the ab&s;ence of it. Looke into the 8 of <HI>Jere.</HI> the 6. Where God imputeth their horrible impenitency in a great mea&s;ure to their carele&s;&s;e examining them&s;elves, for there no man &s;aith what evill have I done? Sure the very Heathen will ri&s;e up in judgement again&s;t &s;uch for &s;o <HI>Phocyllides,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">; that is, every day he would call him&s;elf to account, what good duties hee omitted, what evill deeds hee com|mitted. Good God! how generally we come &s;hort of this? O that we did keepe Catalogues of our darling &s;ins in wri|ting;
<PB REF="7">and &s;pread them before us when wee goe to prayer to pray again&s;t them and humble our &s;oules: as godly Mr. <HI>Bradford</HI> was daily wont to doe. There are many idle Diurnalls fly abroad, but this would bee the be&s;t Diurnall of all and mo&s;t profitable. O if we did but take notice of the &s;peciall pa&s;&s;ages of &s;innes &s;ince but the la&s;t Fa&s;t, to be humbled for them. <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. <HI>Commune with your owne &s;elves,</HI> and <HI>Paul, examine your &s;elves if you bee in the faith.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> Next is godly &s;hame. Upon &s;trict &s;earch ha|ving found the plague of our hearts, let our faces gather blackene&s;&s;e and bee covered with confu&s;ion. Take unto our &s;elves the good words of <HI>Ezra</HI> cap. 9.6. <HI>O my God, I am a&s;hamed and blu&s;h to lift up my face to thee my God: for our Iniquities are increa&s;ed over our heads, and our tre&s;pa&s;&s;e is growne up into the Heavens.</HI> With the Publican dare not to lift up our eyes to Heaven, <HI>Luke</HI> 18 ver. 13.</P>
<P>In the Third place marches godly &s;orrow. that works &s;al<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="2 letters">tion <GAP DESC="foreign"> as <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t. Hom.</HI> 1 <HI>in Lazarum.</HI> Sit down by the rivers of <HI>Babylon,</HI> your &s;ins, and weepe abun|dantly and heartily for your own and for others &s;ins, <HI>Draw water unto the Lord in</HI> Mi&s;peh, <HI>make your &s;elves <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">ibeonites, in this re&s;pect, for the hou&s;e of the Lord. Davids</HI> example is imitable for him&s;elf in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 6. <HI>&amp;</HI> 51. and al&s;o for others &s;ins, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 119. <HI>Rivers run downe my eyes, becau&s;e men keepe not thy Laws.</HI> So did al&s;o that worthy Martyr Mr. <HI>Bradford,</HI> in who&s;e eyes Tears were &s;eene to keepe continuall Randez|vouze for the &s;ins of the age, he would not goe to Heaven with dry eyes though in a fiery Chariot. Oh how few are thus effected now! Men can weepe for lo&s;&s;es of pur&s;e, not &s;oule or con&s;cience: they can weepe true warme Teares for the former, but few and tho&s;e deceitfull crocodile tears for the latter. The good God open the fountain and depths of our hearts and eyes, that the other fountain, for the hou&s;e of <HI>David,</HI> may bee opened unto us to purge all uncleane&s;&s;e,
<PB REF="7"><HI>Zach.</HI> 13.1. <HI>Mary Magdalen</HI> wa&s;hed Chri&s;ts feete with her Teares, and <HI>Peter</HI> after &s;in went out from wicked Compani|ons and wept bitterly, <HI>Luke</HI> 22.62. In the fourth take up con|fe&s;&s;ion, <HI>Levit.</HI> 13.45. <HI>We are uncleane,</HI> and <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 51. <HI>In &s;in hath my Mother,</HI> &amp;c. And here acknowledge, and confe&s;&s;e to God not in generall but particular al&s;o; bewaile originall and actuall filth, nationall &s;innes, fore fathers &s;innes, thy o|ther mens &s;innes, family &s;innes, others &s;innes, for which <HI>Lots</HI> righteous Soule was dayly vexed; 2 <HI>Pet<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI> 2.7.8. Fifthly and la&s;tly condemne we our owne &s;elves, confe&s;&s;ing God is righteous, we unrighteous; take the example of the penitent Theefe upon the Cro&s;&s;e in &s;o doing; take ye ex|ample of <HI>Nehemiah, Thou art ju&s;t O Lord in all that is brought upon us, thou ha&s;t done right, but we have done wickedly,</HI> Nehe. 9.33. We can never be fitted for accepting of mercy, till we can pa&s;&s;e &s;entence again&s;t our &s;elves, that it is the Lords mer|cy that we are not con&s;umed, <HI>Lamen.</HI> 3.22. <HI>O pray again&s;t cor|ruptions to keep the body of &s;in under, that it may not reign</HI> Rom. 6.28. And thus I come to my next part, <HI>Devout Supplication,</HI> which indeed is the magnetique chaine that tyes Heaven &amp; Earth together, the &s;weet Dialogue of a Soule with God. <HI>Cry mightily</HI> &s;aith the Text, or as the Sep<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">uagint hath it <GAP DESC="foreign">, unce&s;&s;antly, vigorou&s;ly, The Apo&s;tle hath it <HI>proy con|tinually;</HI> that is to be alwayes &s;o affected as that we may bee in continuall po&s;ture for that duty, having our &s;oules in good condition of Grace alwayes &s;tored, like a good Maga|zeen, with ammunition inexhan&s;tible of holy meditations: Our Saviour Chri&s;t him&s;elfe trod in this &s;top, for as <HI>Paul</HI> witne&s;&s;eth, he offerd up with &s;trong cryes and teares in the dayes of his fle&s;h, prayers and &s;upplications to him that was able to &s;ave him, and was heard in that he feared, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.7. Nay, he continued a whole night in prayer before his pa&s;&s;ion, he calleth Gods Hou&s;e the Hou&s;e of Prayer, to in|culcate this heavenly guift into us, <HI>Solomon</HI> at the dedication
<PB REF="8">of the Temple makes <HI>prayer</HI> a &s;overaigne Bal&s;am again&s;t all calamitous accidents of life, to give ea&s;e to all di&s;tre&s;&s;es; for thus faith he: <HI>If there be famine, or war, or pe&s;tilence, or mil|dew &amp;c. when thy people &s;tretch forth their hands to thee in this place, then heare thou from heaven the place of thy holines &amp;c.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> Prayer wre&s;tles with God <HI>Jacob.</HI> like. It chal|lenges him with his word and promi&s;es, looke downe from Heaven the habitation of thy glory and holine&s;&s;e, where is thy zeale, thy &s;trength, and the &s;ounding of thy bowells, and thy everla&s;ting mercies. Nay, it puts confidence in God, as if it &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>I know in whom I have beleeved,</HI> for &s;o it fol|lowes, <HI>doubtle&s;&s;e thou art our Father, though</HI> Abraham <HI>bee ig|norant of us and</HI> J&s;rael <HI>acknowledge us not, thou O Lord art our Father, our Redeemer, thy name is from everla&s;ting, J&s;ay</HI> 63.15.16. Prayer is not only <HI>Scala Coeli, Jacobs</HI> ladder, but (as one &s;aith) the Saints <HI>Bethe&s;da,</HI> when they &s;tep into it they are cured. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 3 at the 4. <HI>David</HI> profe&s;&s;eth, <HI>when I cry'd to the Lord with my voyce, the Lord heard me out of his holy Hill.</HI> Mark the experimentall happy &s;ucce&s;&s;e the holy man found to his Petitions, &s;urely he might well take up that true max|ime, <HI>God is a God that heareth prayer and a pre&s;ent helpe in the needfull time of trouble. Hezekia</HI> verifies it too, for having mourned like a <HI>Dove</HI> in the affliction of his &s;oule, at la&s;t he breakes forth: <HI>The Lord is ready to &s;ave, therefore wee will &s;ing our &s;ongs all the dayes of our life, I&s;ay</HI> 38.20. For this &s;hall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee in an acceptable time, &s;aith the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t:</HI> God heareth his &s;aints when they cry mightily unto him either with vocall or cor|diall prayer onely. For cordiall &s;upplication, he &s;aid unto <HI>Mo&s;es, let me alone, why crye&s;t thou unto mee?</HI> And for vocall in <HI>David</HI> in the forementioned 3 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. Afflictions and judgements make the &s;ervants of God cry. The <HI>Ninivites</HI> to cry mightily here in my text. <HI>Extremity of mi&s;ery is the Saints highe&s;t opportunity to prayer.</HI> It is hard if wee cannot
<PB REF="8">find to fal on our knees when we are ready to be leveld with the ground, &amp; our honor laid in the du&s;t: It is a fearfull con|dition when God &s;hall lay vi&s;itations and judgements on us to bring us to him, and wee &s;hall chu&s;e to bla&s;pheme him in the mid&s;t of our torments, and to cur&s;e God and dye ra|ther than to repent: when God &s;hall cha&s;ti&s;e us with the cha&s;ti&s;ements of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and wee turne them into the plagues of <HI>Egipt;</HI> the corrections of &s;ons, into the de&s;truction of e|nemies. The men of <HI>Ninive</HI> &s;hall ri&s;e up in judgement in the la&s;t day again&s;t them that are backeward in this hu|miliation, for they repented and &s;at down in &s;ackloath and a&s;hes at the preaching of <HI>Jonah. Nihil mi&s;erius mi&s;er is &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter"> non mi&s;erantibus,</HI> 'Tis fearefull to be in a &s;tate of mi&s;erable and yet &s;tubborne in&s;en&s;ibility. O that the men of <HI>England</HI> would follow that godly coun&s;ell of a dying Martyr, re|pent O <HI>England,</HI> repent; and amend their wayes and their doings that they may dwell in this place, <HI>Jeremi.</HI> 7.3. ver. That &s;o that <HI>Phaenix</HI> off &s;pring might &s;pring up, which is my next particular, <HI>Reformation. That every one would turne from his evill wayes</HI> &amp;c. Generally wee are corrupted and therefore there is need of a generall renovation, generally born the &s;onnes and daughters of iniquity, but we were not contented with that, but have made our &s;elves gally &s;laves unto it: according to our crimes wee have had generall &s;orrows and have pledged one another in this Cup, the &s;word which wee feared hath overtaken us <HI>Jeremi.</HI> 42.16. without have been fightings, within fears, &s;o that like <HI>Pa&s;hur</HI> we have run from chamber to chamber, and yet the &s;torme &s;omething pa&s;t, with <HI>Gallio</HI> wee have cared for none of the&s;e things, but have &s;till remained incorrigible and unreformed, In the rebellion of our uncircumci&s;ed hearts we have taken cour&s;es contrary unto God, even as God in puni&s;hments hath taken cour&s;es contrary unto us, as <HI>Salvian</HI> tels us, <HI>mi|&s;eri fuim us pariter &amp; luxurio&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> even under the Cro&s;&s;e we are wicked.
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<PB REF="10">Generally we fight not the good fight of faith, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6. but the evill combat of lu&s;ts that war in our Members: we yeeld to &s;in and Sathan, and will not bee Reformadoes under the. Captaine of our &s;alvation Je&s;us Chri&s;t; with fooli&s;h <HI>Glancus</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, we choo&s;e the armor of the Prince of darkenes, before the armour of light from the Father of Lights.</P>
<P>Gods ordinance for his Militia is de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>put on the armor of God</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> cap. 6. ver. <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">1. In this univer&s;all deluge of wickedne&s;&s;e what more nece&s;&s;ary than univer&s;all refor|mation? The good God &s;end forth <HI>Nehem abs</HI> &amp; <HI>Zerebabels,</HI> before whom all the mountaines of &s;in may be layd levell. That nationall, per&s;onall, and family &s;ins, deceivable lu&s;ts, and &s;ins that go with a high hand may be taken notice of, crim&s;on &s;ins, and all that &s;o ea&s;ily be&s;et us may be purged: idolatry, prophane&s;&s;e, coverou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;corne of the means of grace, &s;corne of the word and profe&s;&s;ors, and &s;tifeneckednes under gods hand may be reformed: hear I be&s;eech you Gods bill of complaint as it is regi&s;tred <HI>Jere.</HI> 23.10, 11, 12. <HI>The land is full of adulterers, becau&s;e of &s;wearing, the land mourneth</HI> &amp;c. Both prei&s;t and prophet are prophane. Wherefore their way &s;hall be unto them as &s;lippery ways, in the darknes they &s;hall be driven on and fall therein; for I will bring evill up|on them, even the yeare of their vi&s;itation, &s;aith the Lord.</P>
<P>Would we avoyd judgements? O think what is more ne|ce&s;&s;ary then Reformation. Now it is a rule in Philo&s;ophy, <HI>propo&s;itiones nece&s;&s;ariae debent e&s;&s;e univer&s;ales,</HI> nece&s;&s;ary propo|&s;itions ought to be generall and univer&s;all. Let me per&s;wade you then generally and impartially to &s;et your &s;elves about this duty; put it not off from one to another, nor from day to day, it is the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of this day, <HI>Opus diet in dei &s;uo,</HI> it is a word &s;poken in &s;ea&s;on, O let it be as apples of gold in pictures of &s;ilver; finally let the generall counfell of the Apo&s;tles generall Epi&s;tle, confirme this generall duty, <HI>Drath night to God, and he will draw night to you, Clean&s;e your hands ye &s;inners, and purifie your hearts ye double minded,</HI> Jam. 4.8.</P>
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