we do in the holiness and goodness of our lives. Such a preacher, and fuch a practice as that of our bleffed Saviour was, is every way fitted to reprove, and perfuade, and reform mankind.

We now live in an age and church, wherein they who are called to be the teachers and guides of fouls ought to take great heed, both to their doctrine and their lives, that the name of God may not be blafphemed, and hisholy religion brought into contempt, by those who, above all others, are most nearly concerned to preferve and Support the credit and honour of it.

And we cannot but fee how our religion and church are befet and endangered on every fide, by the rude affaults of infidelity, and by the cunning arts of feducing fpirits, and by our own inteftine heats and divifions: and it can never be fufficiently lamented, no though it were with tears of blood, that we whofe particular charge and employment it is to build up the fouls of men in a holy faith, and in the resolution of a good life, fhould, for want of due inftruction, and by the diffolute and profligate lives of too many among us, and by inflaming our needlefs differences about leffer things, have fo great a hand in pulling down religion, and in betraying the fouls of men, either to downright infidelity, or to a careless neglect and profane contempt of all religion.

May not God juftly expoftulate this matter with us, as he did of old with the people of the Jews? Jer. v. 30. 31. A wonderful and horrible thing is commmitted in the land. The prophets prophesy falfely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it fo: and what will ye do in the end thereof? When they who are the pastors and guides of fouls, have, by their ill conduct and management, brought matters to that pafs, that the generality of the people fit down contented with the worst state of things, and are become almost indifferent whether they have any religion or not, what can the end of these things be, but that the kingdom of God will be taken from us, and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits of it?

If ever there be a publick reformation among us, it muft begin at the house of God; and they who are the VOL. II. minifters

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ministers of religion must lead on this work, and be more careful and confcientious in the discharge of that high and holy office which is committed to them by the great fhepherd and bishop of fouls: elfe, what shall we fay when God fhall challenge us, as he once did the pastors of the Jewish church, by his Prophet, saying, Jer. xiii. 20. 21. Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beau tiful flock? What wilt thou fay when he shall punish thee?

3dly, The fins of the people; amongst whom there is almost an univerfal corruption and depravation of manners: infomuch that impiety and vice feem to have overfpread the face of the nation; fo that we may take up that fad complaint of the Prophet concerning the people of Ifrael, and apply it to ourselves, that we are a finful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a feed of evil-doers; that the whole head is fick, and the whole heart faint; and that from the fole of the foot even to the head, there is no foundness in us, but wounds, and bruifes, and putrifying fores, If. i. 4. 5.

We may juftly ftand amazed to confider how the God of all patience is provoked by us every day; to think how long he hath borne with us and fuffered our manners; our open profanenefs and infidelity; our great immoralities, and grofs hypocrify; our infolent contempt of religion, and our ill-favoured counterfeiting of it for low and fordid ends: and, which is the most melancholy confideration of all the reft, we feem to be degenerated to that degree, that it is very much to be feared, there is hardly integrity enough left amongst us to fave us.

And then, if we confider further our most uncharitable and unchriftian divifions, to the endangering both of our Reformed religion, and of the civil rights and liberties of the nation; our incorrigiblenefs under the judgments of God which we have feen abroad in the earth, and which have in a very fevere and terrible manner been inflicted upon these kingdoms, that the inhabitants thereof might learn righteoufnefs; our infenfibleness of the hand of God, fo vifible in his late providences towards us, and in the many merciful and wonderful deliverances which from time to time he hath wrought for us.

And, laftly, if we reflect upon our horrible ingrati

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tude to God our faviour and mighty deliverer, and to them likewife whom he hath fo fignally honoured in making them the happy means and inftruments of our deliverance; and this not only expreffed by a bold contempt of their authority, but by a most unnatural confpiracy against them with the greatest enemies, not only to the peace of the nation, but likewife to the Reformed religion therein profeffed and by law established, and to the intereft of it all the world over.

So that we may fay with Ezra, chap. ix. 10. And now, O our God, what shall we fay unto thee after this? And may not God likewife fay to us, as he did more than once to the Jews, Shall I not vifit for thefe things? faith the Lord; and fhall not my foul be avenged on fuch a nation

as this?

3. We fhould likewife upon this day earnestly deprecate God's difpleasure, and make our humble fupplications to him, that he would be graciously pleased to avert thofe terrible judgments which hang over us, and which we have juft caufe to fear may fall upon us; and that he would be intreated by us at laft to be appeafed towards us, and to turn from the fiercenefs of his anger.

This we find the people of God were wont to do upon their folemn days of fafting and prayer: and this God exprefsly injoins, Joel ii. 15. 16. 17. Blow the trumpet in Zion, fanctify a fast, call a folemn affembly: gather the people; fandlify the congregation; affemble the elders, &c. Let the priests, the minifters of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them fay, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach; that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore fhould they fay among the people, Where is their God?

And to this earnest deprecation of his judgments God promiseth a gracious anfwer; for fo it immediately follows, y 18. Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

And thus likewife Daniel, when he fet his face to feek the Lord God by prayer and fupplications, with fasting, and fackcloth, and afhes, Dan. ix. 3. does in a most humble and earnest manner deprecate the displeasure of God towards his people, and beg of him to remove his judgments, and to turn away his anger. from them, y

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16.

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16. 17. 18. 19. O Lord, according to all thy righteousnefs, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerufalem, thy holy mountain: because for our fins, and for the iniquity of our fathers, Jerufalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy fervant, and his fupplications; and caufe thy face to fhine upon thy fanctuary which is defolate, for the Lord's fake. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our defolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not prefent our fupplications before thee for our righteoufuefs, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, bear, O Lord, forgive, O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own fake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

And thus alfo fhould we, upon this folemn occafion, cry mightily unto God, and with the greatest impcrtunity deprecate thofe terrible judgments which we fo righteoufly have deferved, and to which the great and crying fins of the whole nation have so juftly expofed us; humbly befeeching him, not for our righteoufnefs, but for his great mercy; for his own name's fake, and becaufe we are his people, and are called by his name, and becaufe his holy truth and religion are profeffed amongst us; that he would be pleafed to hear the prayers of his fervants, and their fupplications which they have made before him this day, for the Lord's fake.

4. We fhould likewife, upon this day, pour out our moft earneft fupplications to almighty God, for the prefervation of their Majefties facred perfons, and for the profperity and establishment of their government, and for the good fuccefs of their arms and forces by fea and land.

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And more especially, fince his Majefty, with fo many confederate princes and ftates of Europe, is engaged in fo neceffary an undertaking for the common good of Christendom, and for the mutual prefervation and recovery of their refpective rights; we fhould earneftly implore the favour and affiftance of almighty God in fo just and glorious a caufe, against the common invader and oppreffor of the rights and liberties of mankind.

And that of his infinite goodnefs he would be gracioufly

ously pleased to take the perfon of our Sovereign Lord the King into the particular care and protection of his providence; that he would fecure his precious life from all fecret attempts, and from open violence; that he would give his angels charge over him, and cover his head in the day of battle, and crown it with victory over his enemies, and restore him to us again in safety.

And that he would likewife preferve and direct the Queen's Majefty, in whofe hands the administration of the government is at prefent fo happily placed; that he would give her wifdom and refolution for such a time. as this, and fupport and carry her through all the difficulties of it.

And, laftly, that he would bless them both with a long life, and a peaceful and happy reign over us; that under them we may live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honefty.

5. Our fafting and humiliation should be accompanied with our alms and charity to the poor and needy: and we should every one of us, according to the counsel given by the Prophet to King Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iv. 27. break off our fins by righteoufnefs, and our iniquities by fhewing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of our tranquillity: hereby intimating, that if there be any way to prevent or remove the judgments of God, and to prolong the tranquillity and happiness of prince and people, a fincere repentance, and a great charity to them that are in neceflity and diftrefs, are moft likely to prevail with God, not only to refpite the ruin of a finful people, but to incline him to thoughts of peace toward them for fo he promiseth to the Jews upon their fincere repentance, and earnest fupplication to him, which are always accompanied with charity to the poor, Jer. xxix. 11. 12. 13. For I know the thoughts which I think towards you, faith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then fhall ye call upon me, and ye hall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you: and ye hall feek me, and find me, when ye shall fearch for me with all your heart.

And I have often thought, that the extraordinary charity of this whole nation, and of our pious princes, who are fo ready to every good work, and fuch bright and fhi

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