AN APPENDIX TO SOLOMON'S Prescription For the Removal of the PESTILENCE.  
Enforcing the same from a Consideration of the late Dreadful Judgement by FIRE.  
Together with some Persuasions to all, especially Suffering Christians, to exercise and maintain Faith and Patience, Courage and Comfort, in this Dark and Cloudy Day.  
By M. M.  
Printed in the Year, MDCLXVII.   

The Stationer to the Reader.  
Courteous Reader,  
THis Discourse being designed as an Appendix to Solomon's Prescription, ought indeed to be joined with it (as many of them are) the sense hereof in the beginning having a dependence upon, and connection with the conclusion of that: But yet for the ease of those who had bought of the former (whereof some have been heretofore dispersed) I was willing to Print some of these single. And this Advertisement was thought fit to be given, partly that none might wonder at the ●●bsence of a Prefatory Epistle, but chief to take off from the seeming abruptness of the beginning, and of some other passages herein, which have a reference to that  Treatise, as they who have it in their hands may easily discern.   

AN APPENDIX TO SOLOMON'S PRESCRIPTION For the Removal of the PESTILENCE.  
THus indeed have the Pains and Miseries of blessed Saints that have left this life, expired together with their dying groans, whilst we poor Sinners that are left behind, have remained to be the subjects of those farther Calamities, which the Justice of God brings upon those that contemn●● and slight such expressions of it, as were designed for their Instruction and Reformation: And that most signal expression of contemned and incensed Justice, which hath lately put us into an astonishment, out of which we are scarce yet recovered; doth methinks strongly invite me to attempt some kind of improvement of it, in prosecution of the design which I aimed at in the foregoing Discourse: The occasion whereof was the consideration of the heavy Judgement of the Plague then upon us and an hearty desire that it might attain some good effe●● amongst us; and the business of it is, to represent the Sin we have been Plagued for, and to persuade a reformation from them, which the hand of God the● stretched out against us did so loudly call for. And fine it hath pleased the Divine Majesty to follow that stroa● even whilst it was yet upon our Loins, with this second little less terrible, it will not I presume be impertinence by way of Appendix to this latter Edition, at least 〈◊〉 make so much use of this sad providence as them farther to evidence, That Sins, even such as I have 〈◊〉 , are the true causes of our Miseries, 〈◊〉 thence to enforce my Exhortation to put away from among 〈◊〉 those Sins; for the performance of which Duty, we 〈◊〉 furnished with another so strong but sad an Argument And thoug I may be almost in despair of doing any g●● hereby, which shall be public and visible, yet if I might but prevent the final ruin of any single Soul, I sh●● be far from reckoning my labour lost: Withal I wo●● hope to do something towards the vindication of Div●● Justice, in these seemingly severe dispensations, and the quickening and comforting the hearts of his suff●● people.  
I take it for granted that the Reader is not so destin●● of both Reason and Religion, as to question whe●● there be a God that rules in the World, or whether he be Omniscient and Almighty, without whose cogni●ance and concurrence no Creatures can move, without whose foresight and permission no event can befall: And therefore I hope there's no need that I should concern myself with the original of these flames, and endeavour to manifest that they were kindled by no humane means, before the finger of God shall be acknowledged therein. Since we know that God ordinarily makes use of second causes for the execution of his pleasure; which whilst they execute, there's no necessity that they should distinctly understand what they are doing, and frame designs correspondent to those, which by his overruling power they accomplish: Though Jehu was most intent upon his own advancement, to which the ●uine of Ahab's family was subservient; yet God by him fulfilled the threatings denounced against that Family. Whilst the Assyrian King was glutting his cruelty, and enlarging his Dominions by the conquest of the Israelites, he was a Sword in God's hand to accomplish his pleasure on Mount Zion. And the difference of their intention from Gods, doth no more hinder their being instruments for the performance of his righteous Will, than his turning their actions to his own ends, lessens the wickedness of their intentions. Even Judas and the Jews fulfilled the determinate counsel of God. Moreover that he who hath all Creatures at his beck, even the most brutish and inanimate, which depend upon him for their Being, Motion, and several activities, did not either prevent, or check what he saw without his interposure would produce such and such sad effects, doth plainly speak that it was his pleasure they should be produced. As the watchman wakes but in vain, except the Lord keep the City; so, if he do keep it, all attempts made against it shall be in vain. How often have we had experience of a watchful Providence 〈◊〉 serving us from, or soon stopping the mischiefs of the nature, which either Treachery or Carelessness 〈◊〉 bringing upon us. Those designs which have been contrived with as malicious a subtlety as Hell and the Co●●clave in conjunction were Masters of, have been discovered and frustrated; witness that our deliverance from the Popish Powder-plot, which we yearly Commemorate, and shall never surely forget whilst the Reformation keeps footing in England. And how often have 〈◊〉 been Alarmed with the cry of Fire, which hath b●● extinguished before we could well know where it was But when once we have sinned ourselves out of God's ●●tion, how open do we lie to all assaults? Being exposed to that wrath, whereof all creatures are ready 〈◊〉 obedient instruments, and which none may or can re●● And alas! how plainly did God appear against us in the dreadful instance of his displeasure? Though he did not indeed immediately rain Fire from Heaven upon us, 〈◊〉 there was such a concurrence of circumstances to ma●● it so long unquenchable and raging, as may abund●● convince us, that it was under the command, and ●●dance of an higher, even an uncontroleable power May we not be allowed to say, that it was blown 〈◊〉 and kept in vigour even by the breath of the Lord, if the winds may be so styled: upon the wings whereof the Flames being mounted, road as in a Chariot, trin●phing along the Streets, laughing at Engines, bas●● Art and Industry, mastering and overcoming all oppositions that were made against them; in three or four 〈◊〉 space destroying the Works of many hundred Years, 〈◊〉 the Wealth and Labours of many thousand Inhabitabita●● and yet that it should stop where and when it did, is almost as much a wonder as that it should be stopped no sooner and both are so strange, arguing a more than ord●● providence, that we may reasonably infer, that he who said to the proud flame, You shall come no farther, did also say to them, Hither to shall you come. So that we may fuly allude to that of the Prophet, Isa. 66.15. The Lord is come with Fire, and with his Chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fairy, and his rebukes with steams of Fire.  
And if be granted that it was the Lord who brought this evil upon the City, it will not then I hope be questioned but he hath justly done it; with none I am sure but with Atheists will it be questioned: For he who denies God's Justice, doth in effect deny him to be God; that is, a Being infinitely perfect. Moreover, such is God's gracious and merciful nature, that we may be assured he is not delighted in his Creatures sufferings, which he never inflicts but for some just and weighty cause; yea, I may say, which they scarce ever undergo, but when they foolishly and wilfully pluck them upon their own heads. Strange it is that Man, to whom Self-love is a natural and inseparable property, should contrive his own ruin: or if you say it is not ruin that he purposely contrives, yet as strange it seems, that he who is endowed with Reason, whereby he is capable of knowing the nature, and attending to the consequences of things, should so greedily embrace the cause, and will not be driven from it, whilst he hates the effect, and would fain avoid it. But as strange as this seems, and as great a blemish as it lays upon humane nature, yet most true it is, and too strongly confirmed by daily sad experience. Fain would men separate what the unalterable Law of the Creator hath joined together, Sin and Misery: and though they know, or may know that they cannot have one without 〈◊〉 other, yet will they venture upon what they love, the 〈◊〉 certainly attended with that which they cannot end 〈◊〉 and so most justly, They eat the fruit of their own 〈◊〉 are filled with their own devices. Thus it is in the present case; with eagerness and delight have we procured 〈◊〉 ourselves those evils which we bitterly lament. We● that ran so earnestly to quench our burning houses, with our own hands set them on fire. We that are now in so perplexed and destitute a condition, have even wilfully plunged ourselves into these difficulties: for in the settled course of God's government of the world, there is as great a connexion betwixt sin unrepented of, and sore judgements, either in this life or the next, as betwixt throwing Granado's into an house, and its being thereby burnt to the ground. Yet mistake me not, as if I thought that they who suffer most are the greatest sinners, and that the City was so much more wicked than the Country, as its sufferings are greater: But only this I dare safely say, that Sin is the great Incendiary of our Land, the Traitor and Destroyer that hath done us so much mischief, even the sins of all, and therefore hath a Judgement besaln us, wherein there are few but are concerned, either for themselves or relations, or at leastwise, as members of that Commonalty which suffers so greatly: and those particular persons upon whom it hath fallen heaviest, though there may be many that have deserved as ill, who perhaps far better than they, yet have they no reason to think that they have fared worse than they deserved. God himself directs us in our inquiries after the cause of such calamities, Deut. 39.21, 23, 24, 25. When any should ask why the Land was made like Sc●●me and Gomorrah, Brimstone, Salt and Burning, the answer was to be returned, because they had forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers. This Apostasy from God, is the usual cause of the destruction of Kingdoms. So Isa. 42.24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would 〈◊〉 walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his Law: wherefore we may well say, This evil is of ourselves, our own dring have procured all these things to us.  
If now you ask me, What do? what sins those are which have provoked God thus speedily to repeat his ●ashes? I answer, They are even such as I have before made a rehearsal of, and which I shall not now particularly enlarge upon; but especially our continuance in, and revolting to these sins, as it were in despite of those remarkable Judgements, which have been employed to turn us from them. The Pride and Covetousness, the Whoredoms and Drunkenness, which have abounded amongst us; our cruel Animosities and Divisions, Uncharitableness and Oppression, Contempt of God and Godliness, profanation of Lords-days, and neglect of his Ordinances and Worship; such as these are the do which have brought our miseries upon us. But which is the grand aggravation of all; After we had been strike for these sins, were we grieved and reform? Nay, rather have we not revolted more and more? Did we in our affliction acknowledge our offence, and seek the face of God? Did we return to him that had torn, that he might real us; to him that had smitten, that he might bind us up? Dr rather, were we not like Jerusalem of whom God complains, Zeph. 3. That being filthy, polluted, and an oppressing City, she obeyed not the voice, nor received correction; being ●njust, they knew no shame; and therefore he made their Streets waste that none post by, their Cities were destroyed there was no Inhabitant.  
Were not the fears we before mentioned of a return of all kind of impiety, too prophetical? Where alas! ●ould there be any thing seen amongst us, after the heavy stroke of the Plague was somewhat lightened, that deserved to be called a Reformation? How few were put to a stand thereby, and brought to consider and 〈◊〉 their ways? Though they saw their neighbour 〈◊〉 friends cut off before them, yet did they not still 〈◊〉 on in their former careless and profane course? W●●● considerable notice was there taken of the hand of God▪ Did not the most who outlived the Plague, show 〈◊〉 their sins outlived it too? did they not fall in ag●●● with the very same violence and unconscionable eagerness they were wont, to the pursuing of their world●● designs? As if their greatest trouble was, that they 〈◊〉 been so long interrupted in their gainful trading: and well if the trade of sinning was even that while intem●●ted. Or if there were some, who by the apprehension approaching death, were frighted out of some gros● sins, and into good purposes; yet did they not soon turn to their old bent, like streams, whose course 〈◊〉 been for a while damned up? Many, it is to be feared who in their trouble sought God, presently forgot 〈◊〉 when that was removed; and forgot the promises the made to him, of newness of life and better obedience in case they should be recovered and preserved. But because generals affect not so much; let me put it to thy 〈◊〉 Confcience, Reader, for thy particular, what influence the late Visitation had upon thee, for the changing 〈◊〉 bettering thy heart and life? Did it bring thee to re●● upon thyself, and search out what was the plague of 〈◊〉 heart? what lust thou hadst harboured? what duty th●● hadst neglected? whereby thou hadst contributed to increasing and hastening of God's indignation. And 〈◊〉 thou thereupon proceed to the humbling of thy soul ●●fore God for thy transgression, and to the reforming thy life? If indeed thou hast done thus, and shalt 〈◊〉 on so doing, its happy for thee: but examine well 〈◊〉 there thou art not still the same man that ever thou w●● as proud and worldly, as slothful and sensual as 〈◊〉 and as much a stranger to God, and Christ, and heavenly things as ever. Whether it be thus with thee or not, I cannot say, I leave that to God and thy own Conscience to judge: But I think without breach of charity, I may say, 'tis thus with the most. The Rod hath left them as bad as it found them, and therefore indeed worse: Now do but consider it impartially, whether this be not matter of high provocation to the Divine Majesty, to see himself and his providences thus slighted by heedless resolute sinners. For sure we must needs think that it is for some end, that he who is wise and good lays sufferings upon a people; and he expects they should improve them to this end; and takes exact notice whether they do so or not. No doubt therefore but ●e expected an improvement of our late heavy Visitation, and did observe our behaviour in and after that time. He that looks down from his heavenly Throne upon all 〈◊〉 wellers on earth, hath beheld our senslesness and ●lupicity, how light we have made of the Tokens of his displeasure; our hypocrisy and impudence, how we have kept our Fasts, and our Sins together; he hath seen ●ow regardless we have been of the design of this Dispensation, as if it was no Call to the Inhabitants of the Land, to return to God from whom they had backslidden, but rather that it came by chance, or however, was no more considerable than other Diseases are; and accordingly we have been little more concerned, except in studying how to keep ourselves out of danger; little thinking of betaking ourselves to God, to get our peace made with him, nor well conceiving of any great advantage to be had thereby. Is this indeed a true Character of our demeanour, and could we think the Great God would brook such insufferable contempt? When Fathers have taken the Rod in hand, do they use to lay it down before the Child's stubbornness be conquered? Often may we find in the story of Princes, that they will ●ther connive at some affronts from their Subjects, or Neighbours, than attempt a redress or punishment which they fear themselves unable to accomplish; but once this attempt be made, they look upon themselves engaged in honour and policy to prosecute it, least by the falour their weakness be discovered, their authority impaired, and the offenders more confirmed in their insolences. How would Pharaoh have triumphed, if after a judgement or two, Moses had ceased his suit, and left the Israelites in his hand: he wonsd even have taken himself too hard for that God who demanded them thence, 〈◊〉 then the Almighty hath purpost to reform this Nation or root it up, do we think he will give us off before this purpose be accomplished? As he hath before given precept upon precept, and with great patience waited for the fruit thereof, so he may now justly send Judgement after Judgement, and if one be slighted, follow it w●● another, till his ends are brought to pass. This is no more than what he hath often threatened to the Obstinue. Leviticus 26. Jer. 30.23, 24. Behold the whirl wind the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind, it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath done it and till he hath performed the intents of his heart, in the later days ye shall consider it.  
But before I conclude the discovery of the probable causes of this our late suffering, I cannot but point at the continuance of that miscarriage which I formerly mentioned, and manifested to have so great an influence in procuring our miseries, namely, The disabling 〈◊〉 restraining so many faithful Ministers of Christ fr●● doing what they might, toward the preventing and lessening of provoking Sins, and the advancement of that Godliness which is the welfare and establishment of a Kingdom. The ground I go upon in asserting this to be a principal cause of our Calamities, are with me unquestionable; and will be I think with any one else, who will first but grant, that the overflowing of wickedness brings ruin upon a Nation; and then will soberly confult his own reason, whether the restraint of many such who would make it their very business to oppose the growth and spreading of sin, is not the ready way to cause it overflow? and lastly, will but attend to his own experience, whether this hath not been (and is therefore like to be still) the effect of the removal of the late Ministers from their employments, and of denying admission to all other, who cannot accept of the hard conditions which are tendered them. This, as I yet conceive, I have made beyond all contradiction evident in the former discourse, pag. 80. and forward. Nor can I devise what can be alleged to weaken that evidence. Is it not most certain that there are many such mean places in the Countries, as are altogether destitute of Preachers, which they, who with all their Souls would accept them, are absolutely forbidden to supply? And is it not almost impossible but they should be ignorant, who have no Teacher, and ungodly, who are ignorant? Again, is there any thing of a slander in what I have there said, That there are many places furnished only with men utterly insufficient and unfit for the Ministry, being either intolerably negligent or ignorant, or of lose and villous Lives? To hear of this may be unpleasant to those that cause it, but if it be true, is it not likely to be much more displeasing to God to behold it? Have there not been multitudes restored to the Ministry, who were once cast forth for the notorious scanflalousnesse of their Conversation? And though they pretend, it's like, that Loyalty was their only Crime, yet doth not the continuance of their looseness, as much justify their former ejection, as condemn their restitution? Amongst the many hundred that have been excluded for Nonconformity, wh●● are there ten, may I not say one, thus proceeded against for Profaneness? 'Tis lawful I hope to mention these things which almost every body sees and talks of! E●● those who are not at all desirous to spy blemishes in the Church of England, as they love to speak, nor 〈◊〉 corruption in her Administrations; cannot but come this to be a most grievous one, loudly calling for Reformation. And is it a fault to speak the sense such who are freest from partiality and prejudice 〈◊〉 then so many Shepherds are set over the Flocks, who 〈◊〉 either careless of them, or are themselves dangerous sick of those Diseases they ought to cure, what's like 〈◊〉 become of the Sheep? and what's the ground of all 〈◊〉 mischief, but the seclusion of so many Pious and Conscientious men from the Ministry, which hath made kind of necessity of admitting such unfit persons the●● into to supply their rooms, or of leaving such 〈◊〉 cancies as might too much shame the Authors. This am confident, is the chief ground, together with th●● zeal in those who preside over these affairs for 〈◊〉 strengthening of their own cause, which makes them 〈◊〉 pense very much to such as are qualified with a full Conformity, which is seldom wanting in them who 〈◊〉 little else to recommend them. Now what course co●● be taken that was like to do more to the increase wickedness than this, namely, to thrust into cornersful 〈◊〉 who improved their urmost abilities to counter-work 〈◊〉 and instead of them, to admid such into the Polpit, wh● practices at least were Patrons and Promoters of it 〈◊〉 me not be thought guilty of so much immodesty or prejudice, as to say they are all such, I have before provented that mistake; but I think he may justly be arg●● ●f both, who denies that there are any such. But suppose here were not (which with all my Soul I wish was more han a supposition) yet I am still of opinion, that the lencing of so many Ministers, at least as eminent for Piety, Learning, and Diligence in their employments, as those who succeed them; and preventing so many others, hath been as great a check and hindrance to true religion and Godliness, and of as fatal consequence 〈◊〉 the souls of thousands, as any thing that ever befell ●s since the Reformation. Can there be a readier ●ay to expose men to death, than in time of some great mortality, in a City where the one half of the Physi●ans are Galenists, the other Chemists, to issue out an order, that none should practise except they who would approve the method of Galen; or the contrary: whereby he half must needs be rendered useless, in a season where here would be work for all, though a thousand more? and was it less dangerous to the Souls of men to have 〈◊〉 many Physicians removed, when neither the Patients or their Diseases were few or inconsiderable? It was ●●t then I hope either for want of consideration or cha●●y, that I before took the boldness to suggest, that the reformation of this disorder, was one lesson, which the ●od then laid on us, aught to teach us.  
And since that time hath the case been altered, have atters been mended amongst us? Need I tell the ●orld that they have not? Is there any man such a ranger in England, that he knows not what hath been one since then? How new ambiguous Oaths, as likely 〈◊〉 be resused as the former, have been framed and im●●s'd, so that they who were before cast forth of their employments, and stripped of their maintenance depending thereupon, must now be driven from Cities, Towns corporate, and the places where they have been formerly ●mploy'd, except they would embrace these. And yet what new crimes, to deserve such punishments, 〈◊〉 were guilty of, we are yet to learn, except this was 〈◊〉 That, through the providence of God, and the charity his people, they were not starved to death, or into compliance something worse. I am almost afraid 〈◊〉 being offensive, whilst I do but nakedly relate this patible dealing with such, for many of whom I dare confidently say, their Innocence is as great as their Sufferings; the very rehearsal thereof seems so strange, especially if we consider that doleful circumstance of time wherein it was set on foot. Whilst we were all smaning, amongst other sins, for our unchristian division even then instead of healing our Breaches, and the L●● at once, were some preparing lashes for their Brether who should survive; that if they were left on earth, the might not have a comfortable and quiet habitation it, so far as they could hinder it. Did they, whom 〈◊〉 may reasonably suppose the chief promoters of this design, imagine, that they had offended by too great gentleness, and therefore must expiate that fault by th●● severity? Alas, they need not have feared it! Or d●● they indeed take these their Brethren to be the Pe●● and Plague-sores of the Nation, by purging of wh●● from Towns and Cities, they thought to atone Heave and purge the Land? They should not methinks be●● uncharitable. But yet we find the best of men have been as heavily censured. The Apostles themselves were taken to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I Cor. ●. 13. such kind of vile persons as were commonly pit●● upon for the lustration of their Cities, in times of gre●● Calamity, And as their censure, so their condition was not much unlike; for we find, v. 11. They ha●● certain dwelling place.  
May we not by the way, lawfully take notice of the mercifulness and wisdom of that Providence, whi●● ●urn'd what was meant for his servants harm; into their good, even their temporal good; by something an harsh, but it seems a friendly voice, calling to them to go to Pella before Jerusalem was destroyed. It might seem a ●eice of violence which the Angels offered to lingering Lot, when they laid hands on him to bring him away, Gen. 19.16. But if he had at first thought so, it was but 〈◊〉 very little while before he had sufficient ground to acknowledge, what we read in the same verse, That the Lord being merciful to him, brought him forth, and set him without the City. Who would not in such a dark and mumble world as this, give up himself without repining to he conduct of that Providence, which intends our good ●y those very ways which seems most to coutradict it, ●nd which will safely lead us through all the various ●loomy turns of Life, and at length accomplish the ●ast desires of all those who sincerely serve, and entirely ●esign up themselves to it. When as they who are en●ag'd in any work, which is contrary to his Will who ●ules the World, will find themselves basled and o●●ercome even when they think they succeed and prevail. Oh how miserably do we often find the Wise men of the ●orld infatuated in their policies, whilst they pull down he Walls to secure the City. When the Pharisees ●onceiv'd or pretended a fear, that if Christ should be ●et alone and gather so many followers after him, the ●omans (as imagining, it's like, that they designed a rebellion) would come upon them and take away their ●ation; the course they took to prevent this danger, ●●y conspiring against the life of our blessed Lord, prov●d a means of bringing upon them those Romans which they feared, and by them destruction to their City ●nd Nation. The Sodomites, to whom the precise life and galling reproofs of Lot were as much a vexation, as ●heir wickedness was to his righteous Soul, who were extremely impatient that an Upstart and Stranger should take so much upon him, fared never the better for having this thorn plucked out of their side; and had at leng●● reason to be convinced, that not his Neighbourhood, b●● their contempt of it, with their other impieties, we●● most prejudicial to them. Never yet did Town or C●● far worse for an holy praying people: Swearing, and Cu●●sing, and Conventicles of Good-fellowship, and Profaneness, are like enough to bring mischief upon the places where they are practised, but humble fervent prayer, be it in public, or in private, in a Synagogue, in an Upper Room, never did nor will do; but rather 〈◊〉 restraining of prayer before God may probably do it. Aaron and Hur should have laid stones upon Moses hands, to weigh them down, instead of supporting them no wonder if the hands of their Warriors had been weakened, and Amalek had prevailed: Or if, when 〈◊〉 stood in the Gap to intercede for the Israelites, the should have plucked him out of it, no wonder if 〈◊〉 had soon overwhelmed them. Had they gone about 〈◊〉 prohibit, or any way restrain the offering up the Ince●● of prayer to God, it had been but just and natural 〈◊〉 he should have made the smoke of his fury and their ●●ments to ascend.  
Need I mention it to any knowing Englishman was a kind of Mourning Garb our Nation hath lately wo●● and in what a disconsolate posture she hath sat? Nation so gladded by the Restauration of her Right Magistrate, our dread Sovereign, and equally sadned the removal of a faithful Ministry; than which sc●● any thing could have been devised more to the grie●● and even breaking the hearts of such, to whom their terests of their souls are dearer than all worldly thing And such, though they may not be the richest nor 〈◊〉 greatest, yet without question they are the best part ●ny Kingdom where they dwell. But yet I must confess, have met with very few comparatively, of what spirit inclination soever, that have seemed pleased with these ●ansactions, but acknowledge that gentleness and brotherly forbearance had been more suitable to the nature 〈◊〉 that Christian Profession which we all own, and more advantageous to its interest, which we all pretend to design. Undoubtedly then the blessed God, who hath a ●uicker and more tender sense of his own glory and the concerns of his servants, than the most holy and compassionate man on earth can have, is not well pleased to ●●hold the violence and harshness with which they are allowed, though it may be under pretence of doing him ●rvice. Though they that hate their Brethren, and cast ●em forth, may say, Let the Lord be glorified, yet they ●hall be nevertheless ashamed of this hatred, this expresson of it, and the pretences wherewith they varnish it, ●hen the Lord himself shall appear for the vindication and joy of those who for his Names sake were contemned and abused. And although that great day of discovering truth and doing Justice be yet to come, when all Vi●ors shall be plucked off from persons and things, such that ●ow render Vices Honourable, and Virtues Criminous, is the prosperous please to vote them, and when all being manifested to be what they are, shall be treated as they deserve; yet even before that day, there are now many times such strokes in that Providence which orders humane affairs, as to a careful beholder may somewhat discover what those rules are by which God is pleased ordinarily to proceed in his Administrations. And such Essays and expressions of Justice there are mingled with Mercy, as may serve to bring the ignorant and secure to consider their ways, and to reclaim the considerate. And have not Gods Dispensations towards us been such as speak him to have a Controversy with us? Have we not found that it is an easier thing to silence his Missters than his Judgements? Every man's own sense is best able to inform him what our flourishing and prosperity hath been since that time. Scarce a sensible Christian but to his grief observes how lamentably the intere●● of Religion hath declined, and scarce any carnal man ●sensless but complains that our worldly prosperity had done so. Certainly that allseeing God, who is a love of Holiness, will not be mocked with appearances and glorious pretences. 'Tis not the flourishes of Order, Decency and Uniformity, that will be accepted instead 〈◊〉 downright Godliness, and true Charity and Unity. T● reform a Church, and raise it out of its ruins, impli●● something more than either to repair and beautify stately Edifices, though Consecrated ones; or to give a little splendour to external service, and seduce some petty circumstances of worship which had been disused: 'Tis 〈◊〉 much sense to say, that he recovered a man to life, wh●●● instead of a plain Coat put him on a gaudy one, which perhaps may not be so serviceable neither. Nor is the welfare and glory of a Church to be measured by the wealth, pomp and power of its Governors (for 〈◊〉 we know who would carry it from all Competitors) 〈◊〉 by its attainment of those ends for which it was insti●●ted: We use not to count that the best Flock which 〈◊〉 diseased and scabbed, though the Shepherds may be 〈◊〉 and at ease; nor is that Hospital in the best order, which Governors and Physicians have the greatest Revenue and liberty to do what they list, whilst the sick 〈◊〉 wounded are neglected, and perish, but that where● these are most carefully looked to, and best healed: A●● that's the best School where the Masters are most 〈◊〉 and painful, and the Scholars make the best progress 〈◊〉 earning and good manners, not that where the Maste● re best paid, and do least, though such as these are 〈◊〉 likeliest to get their silly Scholars love. Plainly then, the blessed Redeemer of Mankind, the Founder and Lawgiver of the Christian Church, hath appointed it to be as a School, wherein Believers by the teachings of his Spirit, Word and Ministers, are to be trained up into 〈◊〉 fitness for the high and heavenly glory; as an Hospital wherein lapsed souls are to be healed of the diseases contracted by the fall, that they may be made meet for the present service and future enjoyment of God: wherefore we must needs conclude, that's the happiest and most glorious Church, where these designs are most faithfully regarded and successfully carried on, even where sin and wickedness is most vigorously set against, discouraged and suppressed, and all real goodness is most promoted and farthest spread; where the several members are diligently instructed, and carefully looked after, so that they grow in sound knowledge, faith, humility, zeal, and every other grace, and live together in mutual peace, love and righteousness, adorning the Gospel, and glorifying their heavenly Father by such fruitful, beautiful conversations. But wherever these things are less regarded, ●et there be never so much empty noise of Order and Settlement upon sure and ancient foundations, of a flourishing Clergy, and excellent Constitutions, because perhaps they all read over the same prayer, or wear their Coats all of a colour; yet whilst I believe the Gospel, which tells us the nature and ends of this holy Society, I shall never believe that to be the best ordered Church which falls so vastly short thereof, even that where the Life and Power of Religion apparently decays, and ignorance, Inkewarmness, and profaneness live, thrive, and overrun the members. I think its far better to see the Physicians in times of great sickness busily running to rescue the diseased from the jaws of death, though perhaps not with so much formality and orderliness as might at another time seem requisite, than to have the● take state upon them, and busy themselves in devis●● and prescribing Orders about their Administrations th● make more for their own interest, or at least for the h●mor of some of them, than for the good of their Patients; especially if they should proceed to make it 〈◊〉 Crime for those that may be as skilful and faithful 〈◊〉 themselves, to endeavour the saving of their Neighbo●● lives, except in every punctilio they comply with their humours. But to do thus in matters that concern the everlasting life and death of immortal souls, is such a piece of bold selfishness and uncharitableness, as will scarce be well taken by him who died for them. And whether there have not been such limitations and restraints 〈◊〉 upon many whose business and office it was to overti●● souls, and thereby such injury done to their precious charge, let any unbyast Reader, who knows how affair stand amongst us, determine; as also, if it be so, whether such actions must not needs tend much to the provocation and dishonour of God, being publicly owned and justified, and the whole Nation involved in the Gild, 〈◊〉 far as it can concur to a single action; and whether therefore the redress of this may not reasonably be thought one grand Admonition of the several calamity which have of late like waves come riding one upon 〈◊〉 neck of another.  
And now at length, what as to this particular shall 〈◊〉 the fruit of these flames that have burnt up the Glory● our Land? Shall they not burn up the dishonour of 〈◊〉 too? Shall not our animosities and contentions, 〈◊〉 earthly carnal zeal which hath fed upon our spirits, 〈◊〉 almost consumed our vitals, with all our passionate 〈◊〉 flammations and heart-burnings, be thrown into this 〈◊〉 never to revive and live more? Oh would to God 〈◊〉 they might, I should not then stick to call it a Blessed Fire, which should consume and carry away so much of a worse, even of Hell itself, from amongst us. Oh happy were we, if our Dross and Tin were but thus burnt off, that we might come out of the fire so well refined I That all our stubborn Spirits were but melted and softened into such mutual compliances as beseems Christian Brethren. But alas! what mortal power can produce such blessed effects? What earthly instrument can bring about such an heavenly work? No, this is left for Omnipotence to accomplish. Good Lord, then let the power of thy Grace set in with thy Providences, and let thy Spirit do that, which neither Plague, Fire nor Sword, Mercies nor any Means by themselves can: Even to work the Spirits of all those who call themselves thy Servants and Children, into a gentle, loving temper, becoming that Profession and the nearness of their Relation; that they may with faithfulness and resolution, join hands in that work, to which they are all engaged, and give each other what assistance and encouragement they are able, for the subversion of Satan's Kingdom, and the carrying on those designs of mercy to Mankind, for which thou didst create, and dost uphold this world, and sentest thy Son into it, and keep'st thy Gospel and Ministers in it.  
Is there any thing in this request, to which all true Christians may not readily give their Amen? Why then should not all who own that Name, contribute their endeavours to the obtaining of that, which they profess to desire? How lamentable and strange a thing is this, that when we are all agreed, or seem to be so, about the chief end which we ought to pursue, and the principal means conducing thereto, that yet we should stand at so hot and hurtful a difference about matters, wherein one would think it impossible for rational Men to differ. Are we not all agreed, that the honour of God, and salvation of Souls, aught to be the principal end of our endeavours? And that the bringing of men to know, believe, and obey the Gospel, is the only 〈◊〉 for the attaining of this end? And that the delivering explaining, and inculcating upon them, the truths and duties of this Gospel, by a Ministry fitted for that work, is the ordinary means for the begetting of Faith and Obedience? And after all this, shall it be 〈◊〉 controversy, whether many of those who are th●● fitted, and acknowledged to be so, shall be kept off from this, so needful, so important a work, rather than to be dispensed with, as to some such Subscriptions and practices, which they that refuse, dare not comply with, for fear of sinning; and which they that impose, know they may lawfully dispense with, being matter of that nature, that the most zealous Assertors of them, will not affirm they are of absolute necessity, nor that they will countervail the loss of Souls, which, it's 〈◊〉 too evident, the rigid imposition of them does and will occasion. Will nothing that hath yet befallen us, help to clear our Judgements and settle our affections, so far as to end this controversy? Are not our suffering yet great enough to meeken and bow our spirits, and drive us together? Shall they not now at last, work the same happy effect upon us, in reference to these differences, that Persecution and Imprisonment did upon those famous Martyrs, Ridley and Hooper, in a business 〈◊〉 the like nature. The good man, who was before so bo● in press Conformity, soon put off his harshness, as appeared by his loving Letter, when he saw his Brother a Prisoner for the same common truth with himself. They who may quarrel in the Palace, are made friends in a Prison, and embrace each other at a Stake. And they who cannot agree, so much as about wearing the same clothes, are soon reconciled when they wear the same chain. And should we be reduced to the like case with them, I am very apt to believe we should then be of the same relenting temper. They who have been guilty of so much rigour, would then, I hope, be ashamed and grieved to remember how they had formerly made those to suffer, who are now become their Brethren in suffering. May we not say, Oh wholesome Persecution, whose fetters oft prove bonds of peace, whose pressures always that pride, and heal those breaches, that would not by any other means be healed? But what shall neither Reason, Interest nor Conscience persuade that, which a more smarting Rod would whip us to? Will nothing ●ut ravenous Wolves drive Christ's Flock together? Will ●o other Fire but that of Martyrdom, devour our unnatural heats? Oh why should we provoke God to use ●arsher means for the accomplishment of that, which ●ee sees his more favourable dispensations will not produce?  
That it is nothing sinful or unreasonable that is requested, I appeal to the Petition for Peace, to which I before referred, as containing the sum of their desires, whose cause I plead. Will it be a sin to grant that Indulgence, which for some time his Majesty by his Declaration did; and which he was pleased also to give assurance, he ●hould consent to have it by Act of Parliament confirmed, when any Bill to that purpose should be proposed; and which moreover, it was publicly reported, he was graciously inclined since to have given, had not they, whom 〈◊〉 least beseemed to be enemies of tenderness and charity, prevented it. In a word, can any thing be more reasonable, than that they who profess themselves Officers 〈◊〉 the Church of Christ, to govern it according to his Orders, and to carry on his Ends, should so far provide or his honour, and the necessities of Souls, as to give way 〈◊〉 such to Preach his Gospel, who are competently qualitied for, and earnestly desirous of that Employment; and that upon such conditions as Christ hath in his Laws appointed, and the Apostles in their times required 〈◊〉 those whom they admitted to this Function? Let 〈◊〉 that are Lovers of truth and peace, determine whether 〈◊〉 be not a modest and just proposal; and whether it 〈◊〉 not be something else than Conscience and a Zeal for Religion, that can cause any to reject it; this God will 〈◊〉 his time determine. I mention Church-Officers, be cause, by their mediation, this Liberty is most likely to be obtained, as by their interposure, principally it ha● been taken away and hindered: which consideration, be side the nature of their Office and Trust, methink should engage them to do what they may towards its recovery.  
And was there now but this much granted, though 〈◊〉 dare not say it would bring us all that outward prosperity which is desired, yet I am confident, it would very made change this sad face of things that nowappears amongst us, and would revive a languishing spiritless Nation, and 〈◊〉 much expel those ominous fears, and misgivings of mind, wherewith we are so generally seized; For I 〈◊〉 well assured it would rejoice the hearts of thousands of 〈◊〉 Majesties most faithful Subjects, who though they sho●● be said with the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet would more cheerfully bear it, were their Teacher's 〈◊〉 removed out of the corners, whereinto they have been diven, so that they might freely see and hear them. And 〈◊〉 may reasonably suppose, that an action which tend●●● much to the honour and service of Religion, even to 〈◊〉 curing of our divisions, the easing of the burdened, 〈◊〉 not only to the pleasing of sober and good people, but 〈◊〉 the profiting of the bad, will be very acceptable to God and the most likely way to procure that favour, which will secure a Person or Kingdom from being miserable whatever befall them.  
And what is it, can we imagine, that should preve●● that Grant, which is in self so highly reasonable, and attended with so many desirable consequences? I know not what can be objected, but that common pretence, That this is the way to cast us all into confusions and disorders: To which I have before sufficiently answered. Why, I beseech you, should acts of Clemency breed Confusion, where those of rigour have been received with patience? Why should they be thought so foolish and disingenuous, as to become disorderly by the favour of their superiors, who have had so much Conscience, as to be peaceable in the want of it? Especially since this favour is of that nature, that it makes them little more capable of doing mischief, if they were inclined to it, but might do much to prevent or take away such inclinations, if there was any danger. And how can that breed Confusion, which will do so much to the satisfying of minds, the uniting of hearts, and so to the strengthening of our hands. But to secure all, what can be desired more than is before intimated? viz. That they who share in this Liberty, bind themselves by the most plain and sacred Oaths, not to endeavour the disturbance of either Church or State, but the peace of both. And if any be indeed found guilty of acting to the contrary, let them bear the punishments due to Sedition and Perjury.  
Fain now would I hope that there are none so fully bend on their own Wills, that they are absolutely resolved, no offered Reasons nor Entreaties shall prevail with them, to departed an inch from their undertaken course. Let us leave that as a property of the most singular Church, amongst the many other Prerogatives which makes her stand by herself, to justify and maintain all her Errors, lest she should be thought once to have erred; Proclaiming her Obstinacy, instead of disproving her Fallibility. But they who make none of that ridiculous and proud claim, may well enough avoid those entanglements, which are the pernicious but necessary consequences thereof. As the frailty of M●● exposes him to mistakes, so 'tis the honour of a Christian to acknowledge and retract them. Nor will any 〈◊〉 hope, conceit themselves penned up in such unhappy circumstances, that they have occasion to complain, 〈◊〉 Adrian the sixth did, That being Pope, he could do link good though he really desired it, because he could attempt 〈◊〉 considerable piece of Reformation, but he found it would ●●●ther disoblige the Grandees of his own Court, empair his Revenue, or some way or other weaken the Papal interest. A● that I am pleading for, is but a Liberty for able, godly, peaceable men, to Preach the plain and pure Gospel●● Christ, which it is his command should be made known to every Creature: And wherein this can prejudice any person or party, that maintain not designs contrary to 〈◊〉 or advanced above this Gospel, I am utterly to seek. 〈◊〉 there be any whose endeavours shall be found more 〈◊〉 the upholding and propagating of a Faction, than 〈◊〉 Godliness; I am far from wishing them any such favour as might capacitate them the more successfully to 〈◊〉 themselves. But yet since unhappily there are so many petty differences, and notes of distinction amongst us, let every man have so much Justice, as not to be presently condemned as Factious, because he is angrily called is by another, from whom in some small things he may descent: For if such censures may be on all hands admitted as current proofs, I fear we shall find few i● nocent through the whole Land. Of contrary opinion its impossible to hold both, and in matters of practice which are under debate, we must either do them 〈◊〉 leave them undone. And thus we cannot avoid the appearance of being on one side, which, be it what it will the contrary part (the most rigid of them at least) will be apt to style it a Sect, and those Sectaries which adhere to it, because not thoroughly siding with them: And how the most Catholick-spirited Christian can well please both, is not easy to conceive, displease them he may far easier. It is not my business now to inquire into the nature of those things wherein we differ, so to attempt a dicision, who is in the right, and who is in the wrong; and thence to infer the equitableness of Liberty to any sort of men, upon supposition of their being in the right: But it is enough for my design to suppose (what methinks should not, by any that are sober and charitable, be denied me, to wit.)  
(1) That at present the conditions of access to the Ministry, are of that nature, that it's possible for good Men Conscientiously to descent from them; And  
(2) That there may lawfully be such abatements made as these Dissenters will comply with.  
(3) That notwithstanding the differences that may after this remain in opinion, we may live together in love, and jointly promote the Great ends of the Gospel: From which premises, I presume it is a very fair and natural inference, That such who will sincerely apply themselves to the advancing of these Ends, and will engage not to break the Peace about any inferior points wherein they differ, ought not to be looked upon as Factious and Schismatical; nor as such to be hindered from employing themselves to the best advantage, for the honour of their Lord, and the benefit of his People. Let him then only be accounted Schismatically inclined, who, for the propagating of his own by-opinions, and the advancement of his Party, will neglect and contradict the weightier duties of Religion; not looking so much to the saving of souls, as getting himself Proselytes; undervaluing, censuring, and abusing all that are not 〈◊〉 his own way; for such as these, be they who they will and let them pretend what they will: I open not 〈◊〉 mouth in their vindication, but will rather hearty join with our Litany, in praying that from all such Schism in Opinion, affection or practise, the Lord would deliver 〈◊〉 and from those who are incurably tainted therewith, the Good Lord deliver both this and all other Churches through the Christian World.  
If it should be demanded by what farther note we shall know the Factious from those that are not so, since fine words and fair pretences are a very fallible and insufficient Criterion? To such I answer, That Justice and Common Reason will tell us, that the professions, promises and oaths of men, must be taken for the 〈◊〉 discovery of their hearts and intentions, till they shall have utterly forfeited their credit; and when it shall be evident, not by general charges of whole parties, 〈◊〉 by particular proof, that any have done so, let them never more be trusted, till their Penitence and Reformation may have redeemed that forfeiture; yet let not the Innocent suffer for their sakes, nor let them be thought to agree with them in all their miscarriages, who may agree with them in a particular Opinion, which is the 〈◊〉 uncharitable censure that can be, except it may be proved that those miscarriages are inseparable from th●● Opinion. If any man should attempt to murder 〈◊〉 Pope, upon pretence that he is not Head of the Church the Gild of his Fact is not chargeable upon all that 〈◊〉 of the same Opinion, since this attempt was not the necessary consequence of that Opinion, but of the weakness of his discourse, or some carnal Motive: Why the● should the peaceable bear the blame of other men's disorders, which they could not help, nor did contribute 〈◊〉  
But if there should be any, who whilst they zealous ●●veigh against all parties, shall yet be found so sollici●us for their own, that they will admit of nothing as a ●est of peaceableness and Piety, but the profession of compliance with them, even in those things which are ●he grounds of difference: I fear this their course will ●●e so far from being serviceable to the recovery of the Church's Peace, that it will prove one of the greatest ●●structions of it that could be thought of. And if such shall be jealous of all that refuse the conditions they offer them, as if they went about to set up for themselves, and will accept of no protestations to the contrary, but ●ill endeavour as far as they well can, to keep them out ●f a capacity of doing God service, lest they should undermine some interest of theirs, they do too plainly ●●ll the world, that they have got something which they ●alue at an higher rate than the propagating of the Gospel, and saving men's souls; since by their good will nothing shall be done in this work, but by those who will ●arry on those other ends of theirs. This is such a Demonstration, as mere pretences to the contrary are too weak to confute: But happy will it prove for us all, if ●nce we become so wise as to believe, that there is no greater nor truer self-interest, than to be faithful to the Cause of our Common Lord, and diligent in his service, according to our several capacities: So that all ●hey who own themselves in Commission under him, may desire and employ their power to no other end than 〈◊〉 procure obedience to his Laws, for which purpose alone his Servants are Authorized, as the King Deputes Officers to see his Laws executed. This is their Office and their Honour, to be the happy Instruments of bringing many souls to know and accept of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour; as it is the business and the honour of 〈◊〉 Ambassador to accomplish those designs of his Prince for which he received his Commission and instructions, whereas to neglect these for some private ends of 〈◊〉 own, would speak him rather a Factor for himself, 〈◊〉 a Minister of his Prince. And when Christ's Ministers do hearty believe this, they will never have a jealous of knowledge and godliness (by whomsoever they 〈◊〉 furthered and spread) as if they could receive prejudice thereby, since than it will be their only desire 〈◊〉 greatest delight that these may thrive, and they 〈◊〉 will join their industry with them in this blessed wor●● cannot but be dear to them, notwithstanding any lesser differences betwixt them. Holy Paul rejoiced in that Christ was preached, even when it was done by some 〈◊〉 of no good principle; and why was this, but because 〈◊〉 that he proposed to himself was that Christ might be preached. It was not his Reputation in the World, 〈◊〉 any advancement that he sought for, but that the Kingdom of his Master might be enlarged, and so this went forward nothing could displease or hurt him. Oh how 〈◊〉 then may we imagine that he was from forbidding 〈◊〉 that named themselves Followers of Cephas or Apoll●, 〈◊〉 opposition to him, to preach this Gospel. Happy 〈◊〉 shall we be, if this true Christian spirit of meekness, self-denial, and untainted zeal for God's honour, 〈◊〉 and prevail amongst us: But if Religion be made an instrument of State, or a means for the attaining of some carnal ends, and the Church be governed by such Quirks 〈◊〉 Policy as Statesmen use in Civil Administrations, the● indeed its likely that what, according to the plain R●● of the Gospel, would be very serviceable, shall yet 〈◊〉 rejected, because it agrees not with Politics. 〈◊〉 sometimes even ignorance and ungodliness shall rather be suffered to grow and increase, than those means premitted for their extirpation which have not a tendence to such private ends, or suit not with the Methods which men too profoundly wise have proposed to themselves 〈◊〉 pray God preserve all amongst us from being guilty of so much selfishness, so little true policy. And to draw to 〈◊〉 end, must profess I cannot see how they can absolve themselves of this guilt, who being entrusted with the management of Church affairs, shall not improve their power to redress this grievance whereof I have been complaining, and to obtain that just liberty for the Ministers of Christ, for which I have been petitioning; which its probable might be attained with ease, were they but barely willing that it should be granted.  
But if they prove deaf to all the most humble and importunate entreaties, and continue the restraint of whose who are conscious to themselves of no other designs (in the main) but such as Christ and his Apostles had when they were upon earth, even to instruct and concert careless sinners, and build up believers; still procuring sufferings to such, who by their good will would ●isplease no man, if it be possible to please God and them too, (and some such there are) I shall then look upon these strange proceed as boding yet more and ●reater mischief to this torn and bleeding Nation: Will God have mercy upon that people who will show ●o more mercy to one another? From the day of our peacemaking and hearty Reconciliation, if ever such 〈◊〉 desired day shall come, I shall reckon the beginning of England's Restauration to her happiness and glory; ●ut before then I shall have little hopes of either. I am not so vain as to make pretence to any Prophetic Spirit; but when I consider the reason of the thing, the Nature of God manifested in his Word, and the course ●f his Providence, I can hardly think that Nation will ●e very prosperous, which shall do so much to disengage themselves from his favour, by discouraging so many whom he hath fitted for, and sent out into his service; giving such a stop to the course of his Gospel, whereby the Inhabitants should be brought to that obedience 〈◊〉 his Commands, which hath the blessings of this 〈◊〉 and that to come, entailed upon it. Moreover, 〈◊〉 evident to any considerative beholder, that Pope●● 〈◊〉 phaneness, and Infidelity, are combined against us, 〈◊〉 chiefs near akin, and being united under one Common Head, go about seeking whom they may devour: and 〈◊〉 instead of joining strength against them, we continue those divisions which weaken it, reason and experience will tell us, we shall hereby lie much more open 〈◊〉 their fury. And to little purpose will it be for men 〈◊〉 declaim earnestly against these growing evils, 〈◊〉 they nourish the certain causes of them; and to 〈◊〉 tend themselves desirous to have contentions cease, 〈◊〉 wickedness reformed from amongst us, whilst they industriously keep off the most effectual means for 〈◊〉 Concord and Reformation. And if they persist in the resolutions, how little reason have we to expect 〈◊〉 our fasting and praying should prevail for mercy, 〈◊〉 in order thereto, God shall be so far entreated by 〈◊〉 as to abate that obstinacy, and remove that Veil of partiality and self-love which prevent it, wherever 〈◊〉 are to be found upon us. He himself assures us, Isa. 〈◊〉 that it is not the formality of Sackcloth and Ashes, 〈◊〉 hanging down the head like a Bulrush, that will be accepted of those who continue to find their pleasures, 〈◊〉 exact their labours; or (as the Margin hath it) 〈◊〉 things wherewith they grieve others. But the Fast 〈◊〉 he hath chosen is, to lose the Bands of wickedness, to und●●● heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and to break ●●ry yoke, ver. 6. To the same purpose he speaks, Zech 〈◊〉 when they enquired concerning their Fasts, whether 〈◊〉 should still keep them or not; his answer was, That 〈◊〉 had not fasted to him that while; but rather they should 〈◊〉 harkened to the former Prophets, which cried to them 〈◊〉 ●●●rusalem was inhabited, and in prosperity, and should have ●●●●●ted true Judgement, and shown mercy and compassion ●●rry man to his Brother, and not have been guilty of oppression, nor of imagining evil in their hearts against their brother. And when, upon Jonah's preaching, the Ninevites ●●pt such a very strict and solemn Fast, which being ●●yned with Reformation, was doubtless acceptable to ●●od; yet it's observable how he seems not to take no●●e of this in comparison of their turning from sin, ●●n. 3.10. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repent of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not.  
And when at length we shall be persuaded to celebrate such a Fast as is before described, we may the ●etter hope for those blessed fruits of the same, which are promised in the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. verses of that 58. 〈◊〉 Isaiah; the last whereof is so exceeding seasonable, both in the literal and spiritual sense, to our present sad condition; viz. That they should build the old waste places, and raise up the foundations of many generations, and should 〈◊〉 called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of paths to ●●ell in. And I pray God grant that the pious and successful endeavours of those who are in a capacity amongst us, may procure them these truly Honourable Titles.  
After all that I have said, I know 'tis easy for those who conceive themselves accused, to wipe off all by asserting, That 'tis not any severity of theirs which gives just ground of complaint, but rather the complainers may thank their own stubbornness and self-will for whatever smart they feel; and that they themselves are guilty of whatever mischiefs have come by their Deprivation, who would rather forsake their employments than their humours. But to this, I conceive, I have said enough for the satisfaction of those who are willing to take any. And if I had said no more than this (which is all I shall 〈◊〉 it might seem sufficient, to wit, that I have been pleasing only for their liberty who are willing to take 〈◊〉 most solemn oath, lawfully tendered them, that 〈◊〉 a fear of displeasing God, and damning their souls, which hinders their continuance in, or entrance upon the Ministry, on the conditions now required; and moreover will as strictly bind themselves, if more favoural terms may be allowed them, not to abuse this favour, 〈◊〉 the fomenting either of Sedition or Schism; but 〈◊〉 faithfully devote themselves to that work which is on 〈◊〉 sides acknowledged to be their duty, and will study 〈◊〉 preserve and promote the peace and prosperity both 〈◊〉 Church and State. I leave it then to the judgement 〈◊〉 any charitable man, whether such as these are to be condemned of obstinacy; and where the guilt is like to 〈◊〉 if upon this pretence, their requested freedom of serving God in his Church shall still be denied them. 〈◊〉 moreover, I could wish (as I have said formerly) that the● who oppose their Brethren in this request, would put 〈◊〉 to their own consciences, whether they durst make 〈◊〉 same solemn professions, that they thus deal with the● for fear of displeasing God, and wounding their Conferences?  
I may perhaps be thought guilty of very great ●a●●●ness and petulancy for speaking at this rate; and (would you believe it?) even of Faction and Sedition, for arguing too plainly for peace and equity: but for that 〈◊〉 am at a pass; for be it known to thee, Reader, I consider who is present with me whilst I am writing, and before whom I must shortly give account of these and all other my words; according to which Christ tells 〈◊〉 we must either be justified or condemned; and even 〈◊〉 consideration prompts me to write what I do; so that 〈◊〉 is not the fear of displeasing men which can deter 〈◊〉 from it; since also I can cheerfully forethink of that 〈◊〉 wherein this very controversy shall be equally and ●●●ly decided, at the Bar of an Omniscient Holy God. Wherefore to this God, I absolutely refer my endeavours, and the cause on whose behalf they are, as knowing if it be just and pious, it is his concern infinitely ●●ore than man's; and he will in his own time (which ●e ought quietly to wait) so far own and advance it as 〈◊〉 sees best. Upon which supposition, I dare boldly conclude, in the name of all those worthies, who are conscientiously engaged in it, with that of the Prophet, The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is 〈◊〉 King, he will save us.  
And now methinks, the sad countenances of impover●●nt Citizens, especially of sincere Christians, whom buglosses can make poor, nor should make sad; call for something to be offered by way of consolation. But I 〈◊〉 for a while interrupted in this design by a far sadder ●●●ht, even the merry looks of careless unreformed sinners, who seem so little affected with present miseries, 〈◊〉 apprehensive of any farther danger, as if they had no relation to God, nor the rest of the world; as if they were neither concerned with his Providences, nor with other men's Calamities: Men so impatient of an intermission in the enjoyment, or pursuit of their brutish sensualities, that they can reckon no time seasonable for ●●●iousness and sobriety; but absolutely conclude against them, let the premises be what they will. If they dream of a long and prosperous life, they bid their ●●uls take their ease, eat, drink, and be merry, having goods ●●d up for many years; or if they fear their days may be shortened, and their mirth spoiled, yet they resolve to ●●ve it whilst they may, and cry, Let us eat and drink, 〈◊〉 to morrow we shall die: Those are such that account solitariness and Consideration, the greatest miseries that ●●n befall them, and whilst they are not reduced to a necessity of these, they escape well enough, what 〈◊〉 betides the world. There's nothing they seem to 〈◊〉 more than being brought into their wits, and there 〈◊〉 they strive with all their might against the means of the 〈◊〉 recovery out of this voluntary madness. They have 〈◊〉 far unmanned themselves, that they are even ashamed to show that they are owners of humane nature, by 〈◊〉 by'r reflections upon their own actions and Gods dispensations: As if they were so far engaged in their designs 〈◊〉 courses, that in point of honour they could not now upon any terms retreat, but must confidently proceed 〈◊〉 act the Bruits on this Stage, though they turn Devils 〈◊〉 it in the next. These indeed are a sort of men, rather fit to be Charactered to move others to compassion (〈◊〉 far as they deserve it) than to be spoke to in order to th●● Reformation. Who can cure his deafness, that 〈◊〉 his ears? Or make him hear that is so wilfully 〈◊〉 How can he understand, that hath made himself 〈◊〉 with a stupifying Potion, which hath very much depri●● him of reason and foresight, and makes him go laugh●● down to destruction, in despite of the fairest warn 〈◊〉 loudest calls to prevent it? To attempt by instruction to reduce such as these, seems an undertaking 〈◊〉 less improbable, than by a formal discourse to per●●●● a Bedlam into his right mind. But yet some different there is amongst these prophaner ones: thy are not all 〈◊〉 sotted into the same degree of stupidity, nor all equity resolved against any amendment, nor equally prejudice against the means which tend to it. Wherefore thou●● I have little expectation of such kind of Readers, 〈◊〉 less of doing them good, yet if this Paper should change into any of their hands, if they have the patience 〈◊〉 read any thing beside Drollery, let me crave the attrition of their minds, whilst I soberly advise with the●●● a few words.  
Tell me then, I beseech you, Sirs, such of you that have yet so much Reason and Conscience left you, as to acknowledge a Being above yourselves, who made you and all the world, and governs all with infinite wisdom and Justice; Tell me, I say, whether these providences that have lately befallen our Nation, be not of an extraordinary nature, and therefore in all reason sent upon some great design? If one Ambassador after another be dispatched from a Prince, to any of his Neighbours, with a more than usual solemnity, do we not presently guests that there are some great affairs in agitation? And is it for nothing, or upon any trivial errand, that the Sovereign Majesty of the World, Commissions his most astonishing and magnificent Judgements to march one at the heels of another, to any particular people? Are not their Instructions, think we, as important as their Appearance is terrible? And if it be so, does it not then concern the Inhabitants of the Land, to whom this Message is directed, diligently to attend to, and faithfully and speedily to obey the same? How high in affront will it be, when Ambassadors are dispatched from heaven, for us not to vouchsafe them Audience? But methinks, scarce any can be so wilfully deaf, as not ●o understand this much, which they utter in a voice full ●f power and Majesty, That the great God is very sorely displeased with the ways of this people, being such, that he'll 〈◊〉 longer bear with them as formerly. And shall not the hearing of this awaken us all, to a strict and serious enquiry into our particular ways, whether they be not such is draw out God's displeasure against us? If we had forgot the noise of Trumpets and Drums, which a few ●ears since read us this Lesson; or if we are deaf to the ●●rill Cannon which inculcates the same; or heeded not the sweeping Plague, which did not steal more silently upon thousands, than it loudly warned all that survived; yet let us attend to the voice of these roaring Flame● which once more call out to us, with such a fierce●●● as one would think, should neither be disregarded, 〈◊〉 in haste fórgotten. Shall God speak thus once, and against and shall not we hearken? Doth he manifest his wrat●● and shall not we be seized with an Holy fear? Are 〈◊〉 troubles so great, and shall we not diligently search 〈◊〉 is the Achan, what is the accursed thing that occasion all? Do the storms rise, and the Seas swell, threatening us with a shipwreck, and shall we not examine (〈◊〉 by casting lots, but turning our eyes inward) whether we are not the Jonah's that cause it? What, doth it see● a small matter whether God be pleased with us or 〈◊〉 Is there any in the whole World whose favour we mo● need, and whom we are more bound to regard? Is it not 〈◊〉 from whom we received our lives and all our mercies● and on whose good pleasure we depend for all? Is it 〈◊〉 into his hands that we must shortly fall, when we lea●● the world, by him to be disposed of to our everlasting state? Yea, even now, are not we and all our affairs absolutely in his hands, and at his ordering, to do with 〈◊〉 as seems good in his sight? And can any be so so●●● then, as to imagine that it's not worth while to examine how matters stand betwixt God and their Souls? A●● whether their behaviour hath been such as is accept●● to him, that accordingly they may proceed with bo●●ness, or retreat whilst there is Liberty, and carefully reform themselves. This is the sum of all, that I would advise careless sinners to, even faithfully to consider their ways, every man by himself, what he hath do●● towards the kindling of God's anger, and what he may 〈◊〉 to appease it; to think what it is in him particularly God aims at, and speedily to set against it.  
And besides, the wrath revealed against us in the dispensations, which may drive us to this work, do●● ●en not appear so much mercy in them, as may quicken ●nd encourage us to it? All that hath hitherto befallen 〈◊〉, hath but the nature of a warning to us that are left; ●nd how great soever the terror of these warnings hath ●em'd, yet that was but necessary the deeplier to affect 〈◊〉 rocky hearts. And it can hardly be conceived what ●urse could be taken, more likely to reclaim a people, to ●hom all the alluring invitations, and severe threatenings of the Word, are grown in a manner contemptive, as I have formerly observed; These are like the ●st remedies which Physicians use to dying persons, which ●●e wont either to preserve life, or hasten death. So ●at God doth not only acquaint us by these his deal ●at he is displeased with us, but in the next place, ●hat he is exceeding desirous to reform us, and will upon our ●●urn to him, have mercy upon us, and pardon us. What ●eason else can be assigned why he should not immediately have destroyed us, without affording any space ●or Repentance or capacity of mercy? Might not God ●●s easily, had it pleased him, have sent such flames up●n us, as should not so much have tended to enlighten, ●s utterly to consume us? That should have devoured ●he Inhabitants as well as the Houses? If the Husbandman lop and prune his Tree, dig about and dung it, one ●ear after another, waiting on, and trying it; is not this 〈◊〉 sign that he much desires some such fruit, as may preserve it from being cut down as a cumberer of the ground? And what shall we go on to frustrate these merciful designs of the God of Love, who tries all ways with us to awaken and reduce us? Hath he not as it were hedged ●n our way, and beset us round with such startling Providences, that one would thing nothing but a wilful re●olution to damn ourselves, in despite of all opposition, ●ould carry us over them to farther wickedness and destruction? Hath he not placed before us thousands of carcases piled up on heaps? And set his Angels with ●●●ming Sword to stop us in our course? And is sin 〈◊〉 lovely thing in our eyes, that we will venture upon 〈◊〉 Sword, break through these flames, trample over 〈◊〉 and bones to obtain it? Yea, shall we still remain 〈◊〉 bewitched by it, when God hath purposely represented to us in such ghastly shapes, as might serve most effe●●ally to undeceive us, and deliver us from its perni●●● charms? There is nothing in the whole World inde●● either base or hurtful enough to discover all the loathsomeness and mischief of sin, yet when it hath fa●●●● bused and besotted the sinner, that he can see no 〈◊〉 in it notwithstanding all the bad names that are given 〈◊〉 the most likely way to make it truly known to him, i● to show some such effects of it, as the faculties yet 〈◊〉 him acknowledge most dreadful, and the cause of the● therefore by all means to be avoided. Thus if the silly child cannot be kept from poison, by hearing 〈◊〉 the mischief of it, because it looks and tastes so like S●gar: Let him be sound whipped for touching it, and 〈◊〉 will do most to make him hate it. If he will needs 〈◊〉 playing with a glittering Knife, let him once feel it draw blood upon him, and that will soon prevail 〈◊〉 him to throw it away. And shall not we, who h●●● been worse than childish in our greedy pursuits of seemingly pleasing sins, shall we not run from them as f●●● when we see what we have overtaken? He that has●●●● takes up an hot Iron, because he saw not the redness, 〈◊〉 soon rid his hands of it, when he feels it stick to his fingers and burn his flesh.  
Though drunkenness, gluttony, whoredoms, gain● cozenage, oppression and pride, once seemed very amiable and alluring to degenerate unreasonable sinners whilst they strongly imagined they felt the sweetness and profit of them; yet shall they seem so still, whe● ●hey have seen what sad work they have lately made a●●o●gst us? how they have laid thousands in their graves, ●nd made our flourishing City to fall on heaps, as if it would become a kind of common Tomb to its dead Inhabitants; to serve as a Monument to Posterity, who should find written upon it, Here lie the fruits of sin. Shall we dote upon a painted poisoned Harlot, and that after the Varnish is fallen off, and the poison revealed? Shall we still stroke and play with the Serpent, after we have heard his hissings, and felt some effects of his envenomed sting? God forbidden that we should be so wilful and foolish, to embrace the dart that hath murdered our friends, to court the flames that have burnt our houses, and will do worse than all this?  
As than our calamities tell us to the quick, that God hath observed and altogether disliked our ways, so we see there is Mercy manifested in these Judgements, whilst they tend to rouse us out of our security, to convince us of the mischievous nature of sin before we feel the worst of it, and afford us ground of hope, that upon our con●iction and reformation there is yet mercy to be obtained for us. If then we have any regard to our Maker's pleasure, or our own interest; if we have any ingenuity or love to ourselves, let us he arken to these earnest calls of a compassionate God, and speedily accept of motions for peace upon reasonable terms, lest our continued stubbornness should provoke him to resolve concerning us; that since we accepted not, nor improved the space he allotted us to repent in, henceforward all signs and professions of Repentance shall come too late to prevent our ruin: And that seems to be another Lesson which these Judgements teach us, That is we contemn them, and disregard God speaking to n●by them, there is great hazard that this our incorrigibleness, and strange 〈◊〉 pidity, will procure our final overthrow. If we reject the Sceptre of Grace which hath been held forth to us, 〈◊〉 can we expect but that it should be withdrawn, and frightful Sword set up in its place? If we are as resolve to hold fast our sins, as Pharaoh was to keep the Isra●li●● our resolutions may cost us as dear as his did him● Though our God be long-suffering, yet will he always bear? Will he never do more than gently lash us, 〈◊〉 then wait to see what good his strokes do upon us? 〈◊〉 we shall still make void his expectations of our amendment, will he not at length take another course with 〈◊〉 Hath not God been as it were laying siege to the hea●● of this people, and summoned us again and again 〈◊〉 make a surrender of ourselves to him, using those se●ral Engines that might serve to batter our hardness, and prevail with us? And if we still hold out against hi●, rejecting the gracious messages he sends us, slighting the Warning-pieces he hath shot off, what have we to look for next, but that his Murdering Canons should be planted against us? That as by his last act of ho●●thty he burned one of our chief Forts, so he should proceed to levelly all to the ground. If God hath smote some of us with the Sword, others with the Pestilence, and ●●verthrown some of us as he overthrew Sodom and Go●●rah, and yet we will not return to him; may we not fear that our desolation is as near as theirs was who we●● thus guilty, and of whom God thus complains? Amos 〈◊〉 The continuance and growth of sin under a smarting Rod, adds an high degree of heinousness thereto, which is usually followed with a vengeance proportionably heavy. When a Nation shall solemnly bid defiance 〈◊〉 the most High, and engage in a War with the Lord of Hosts, fight against him by renewed Rebellions, 〈◊〉 he against them by reinfoced Judgements, we may easily know who's like to come by the worst: He hath Arrows in his Quiver against which the rockiest stup●● heart is but a weak defence, which can shatter into pieces those who will not be foftned: And he hath frequently expressed his unalterable will to conquer unre●enting sinners, and that he will even take pleasure in subduing such stout spirits whom nothing before would work upon, or bring to take notice of his hand stretch-out against them. Of those who profanely cried, that ●is word was but wind, and that they should never see evil; he threatens that this Word of his, which they scoffed at, should ●e fire in the mouth of his Prophets, and the people should be ●ood, Jer. 5.13, 14. And Ezek. 5.13. Having before spo●en of all the sad things he would bring upon a stubborn people, he adds; Thus shall mine anger be accomplished; and ●●y fury rest upon them, and I will be comforted, and they shall ●now that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them. Who can in reason expect ●hat God should always maintain his creatures in being, and continue their comforts, whilst they employ ●●eir life and all their mercies against him who gave them ●oth? Would not a Prince rather impoverish and de●roy any part of his Dominions, than let it serve only ●●r an harbour and supply to his mortal enemies? Oh ●●at England may not hear that doleful word pronounced concerning her, which Israel once did, Ezek. 7.6. An end 〈◊〉 come, the end is come, it watcheth for thee, behold it is ●●me. Let us not go on to provoke the God of heaven 〈◊〉 pour out upon us all the plagues that are threatened 〈◊〉 those whom no former means will reclaim, to de●ee a Consumption by Sword or Famine, or any the ●●e destroyers. You that have no regard to your souls, ●ethinks should be more concerned for your temporal ●elfare, your lives, your friends, your estates, than da●ngly to hazard all for the service of some base lust, which will but repay you with damnation at last, besides ●●l the hurt it does in the mean time to yourselves, and those about you. Oh be persuaded at length, to 〈◊〉 pity on the Land of your Nativity; yea, to take pity 〈◊〉 yourselves, your children, and the Wives of your 〈◊〉 some? How could you bear it to have these ravished fro● your sides, and murdered before your faces; or wor●● than murdered by ghastly famine? when you should see them, and feel yourselves, as it were, killed by piece-meal; yea, when your raging hunger should make yo● wish for, and hasten one another's death, and cause yo● to take away life from them to whom you gave it, 〈◊〉 your bellies to become the Tombs of those who ca●● from your loins? Ah Sirs, what reflections would 〈◊〉 Have in such a doleful day as this, on your former delicacies and riotous excesses? Would not the memory 〈◊〉 your past fullness, and the abuse of it, help to tear yo● hearts, as much as present want would do your bowels▪ And know, that plenty of God's creatures which we 〈◊〉 enjoy, is not so much an argument that this evil sh●● never betid us, as our sinful lavishing of them in gluttony and drunkenness, is, that it may. Sin hath bro●●● these, and worse than all these things upon divers Kingdoms: God grant it may not upon ours. And therefore do I mention them, not to increase the unprofited fears of any, but to stir us up all to that repent●●● which is most likely to prevent them, or will be sure 〈◊〉 secure us from any considerable hurt by them. But if 〈◊〉 cry only, God forbidden that ever such things should 〈◊〉 pen, and yet take the direct way to procure them, 〈◊〉 yourselves only must bear the blame, as well as feel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Fair warning hath been given us by what we 〈◊〉 already felt, and we may now conceive God saying to 〈◊〉 Go your ways, sin no more, lest worse things come unto 〈◊〉 And if such admonitions as these, so loudly and so s●●●ly uttered, shall be disregarded, what greater senseless can be imagined? Or what more presaging and 〈◊〉 ●ing ruin, than such a senslesness and affected stupidity? ●nd let none be so weak or inconsiderate, as to imagine, ●od ●ims not at them, nor hath any controversy with ●em, because they have hitherto felt little or nothing 〈◊〉 those Judgements that have been abroad in the Land; ●or let any profligate Atheists add this to the rest of their arational arguings against a Providence, that they themselves who contemn it, live securely and at ease, whilst ●any that believed and reverenced it, suffer under the ●veriey of its Dispensations: Nor let them hence conium themselves in practices as brutish as these Opini●●s (which were principally minted for their sakes) out ●f a conceit, that all danger is far from them, or at least, ●at they are no more obnoxious than others. For, to take ●●f these dangerous mistakes, it is to be considered, that ●e design of these sad Providences is by no means to be sonfined to those particular persons upon whom they ●ave fallen heaviest; but their Errand is to warn all, shilst they strike some, which is no way difficult to be ●●prehended. A Warning-Piece shot off by an Enemy ●ho hath besieged a Town, though it might happily hurt ●●me single Townsman, is nevertheless directed to all: 〈◊〉 Beacon when it is fired, gives warning as much to the ●hole Country, as to him on whose ground it stands, 〈◊〉 whose wood may be employed for that fire. And may ●●e not look upon our burning City, as a kind of Beacon ●●ndled to give notice to the whole Island, that an Enemy is coming against us? Such an Enemy as may en●age us all, not to take Arms, but suddenly to lay them own, and meet him with such humble submissions, and ●arnest supplications, as are wont to gain the cheapest ●nd most honourable Victory: That God, in his dealing with a Nation, whose ways are generally corrupted, lays his strokes upon some, is but Justice even to ●hem; that he treats not all thus, is mere mercy; that he takes these and spares others, some better, 〈◊〉 worse, is purely from his Sovereignty, and ough 〈◊〉 referred to his own good pleasure; and therefore 〈◊〉 we have no other reason for it, readily to be acqui●● in. Both Charity, and (frequently) great Reason, 〈◊〉 bid us to censure their crimes the greatest, whose su●ings are so: For many times we find that God 〈◊〉 singled out his faithfullest servants as marks for his 〈◊〉 est arrows; of which sort of Dispensations, even 〈◊〉 men sometimes, but wicked men always, are very competent Judges. But if any upon this att●● should grow more indifferent to Godliness, when 〈◊〉 sees it will not secure its followers; nay, that an e●nency of it doth oft as much expose its owners, as he● doth Towers and Cedars to Storms and Lightning; he therefore think it rather to be shunned than sought ●ter, his arguing will be found as unreasonable as 〈◊〉 dangerous. Alas, poor blinded Sensualists! you that 〈◊〉 strangers to the life and livelihood, and the great 〈◊〉cerns of Immortal Souls, little know the secret, h●●● transactions betwixt them and their God, in that 〈◊〉 time when you may judge them forsaken of him. I●● do you know how this Godliness helps to bear up 〈◊〉 hearts under the weightiest pressures, and like a s●● Amulet, in time of Infection, secures them from 〈◊〉 mischief of those evils with which you may appre●● them overborne: Wherefore leave them to God and Judgement, and look you rather to yourselves, 〈◊〉 you are to learn by, and how you ought to improve●●● kind of deal; even the mercy that you are sp●●● when so many others are visited one way or other, 〈◊〉 the greater engagement upon you to return to him 〈◊〉 deals so favourably with you; and you may be supp●● the fit for this great and solemn work of Repent●● in that Judgements are brought so near, as may serve● quicken and affect you, but yet stand at such a distance ●at they may not overwhelm you.  
And lastly, You may perceive, that if good Men themselves undergo so much, it's time for you to look ●●out you. If Judgement begin at the house of God, what ●all the end be of those who obey not the Gospel? You may ●ence learn, that it is not because you are better, or more 〈◊〉 God's favour than others who suffer, that you seem to ●●re better than they; and it may therefore cast you into 〈◊〉 fear, lest your punishment be reserved a while, because it shall be laid on for ever, Job 21.30. If the children be now corrected, Bastards shall not always 〈◊〉 unpunished. You cannot then conclude, that they ●ho have drank deepest of this Cup, were sinners above ●●l that dwelled in England; but this you may conclude, that ●●cept you Repent, you shall all likewise perish.  
Even temporal destruction, as I have said, you have ●●ason to expect; but if you take such comminations as ●ords of course, which Preachers are still filling the ears 〈◊〉 their people withal, no more to be regarded, than ●●e  Predictions of Astrologers, and do hereupon ●rden yourselves in sin, as if no danger was near, know 〈◊〉 for certain, that such miseries are coming upon you, 〈◊〉 you shall neither know how to prevent, nor ever re●ove from off you. And that's the last thing I shall men●on, which these Calamities suggest to us, That they who are ●●t bettered by them, nor any other means that in this life time ●●e used with them, shall at length be covered with confusion, ●●d lie down in those sorrows which will admit of no relief, ●●d whence there shall be no release. I cannot certainly ●●y, but you may stretch yourselves upon your beds of ●sse, and continue your pleasant dreams, yet a while ●●nger. Perhaps you may laugh and play away the re●●inder of your days, as you have done all that went ●efore; you may yet have a few more merry meetings and pleasing entertainments; you may be loaded 〈◊〉 riches, crowned with rosebuds, glutted with fleshly 〈◊〉 lights, and may keep up your wont height of pride 〈◊〉 bravery, inso much that in your own esteem, and in 〈◊〉 theirs, who judge of persons and things by the sa●● false rules, you may pass for the only happy men in 〈◊〉 World: But yet I can and dare say, that though you● Lives and your Pleasures should be thus prolonged 〈◊〉 hundred years, you are but miserable men, whose w●●● are now accursed, as your end shall be. Even all 〈◊〉 while the vengeance of God hangs over your heads, li●● a Sword by a Twine-thred, and will shortly fall up●● the Scalp of such as go on in their trespasses; It purs●● you at the heels, and though it seem to tarry, will certainly overtake you. However you may miscall 〈◊〉 Patience, you shall find that God is no more sl●●● concerning his Threaten, than his Promises. In th● hand of the Lord there is a Cup, and the Wine is red: it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same; and though they should escape when it is poured out, Yet the Dr●●● thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, 〈◊〉 drink them, Psal. 75.8. These are the distinguishing judgements which shall light upon the ungodly, and none b●● them. Then at length shall men discern between t●● righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God, 〈◊〉 him that serveth him not: when that day cometh that st●● burn as an Oven, and all the proud, yea, all that do wi●●●lyshall be as stubble.  
Whatever false consequences wanton Sinners dr●●● from God's forbearance of them in this day of his p●●ence, or from his promiscuous dealing with good 〈◊〉 bad in this state of trial, they shall soon be freed fro● their mistakes, when they shall find and feel, in 〈◊〉 a different manner they are treated in the other si●● This will make them acknowledge, that verily there 〈◊〉 God, a Righteous God, who judgeth in the earth. Here ●ndeed they were Neighbours, and had bodies alike, ●nd might therefore die by the same Diseases: Their ●ouses were joined, and might therefore burn together; ●ut their souls were not alike, nor shall they far alike, or ●ive together any longer, but betwixt them will be a great Gulf fixed, over which there will be no passing for the persons, nor any translation of their conditions one ●o another. Though you might remove your dwellings and scape the Infection, or have estates of that nature that Fire did not consume them, yet all your refuges will fail, when these last woes shall be brought upon you. Then shall the scorners who made light of threatenings, that hid themselves under falsehood, and made lies their refuge, find, that their Covenant with death shall be disannulled, their agreement with hell shall not stand: When this overflowing scourge shall pass thorough the ungodly World, they shall all be trodden down by it. Though they might escape Sword and Plague, Fire and Famine, yet Hell they shall never escape. And are there any that own the name of Men, and desire the reputation of Christians, of such a desperate insensibleness of their own concerns, that the known certainty of infinite everlasting torments, in case they hold on their present course, will give them neither check nor diversion? Such indeed who can thoroughly persuade themselves to be Infidels, may possibly live in a stupid peace, till they are brought with the Devils, to believe and tremble. But for them who take on them to believe all that is in the Gospel, and yet walk in those very ways, to which this Gospel threatens everlasting destruction, may we not admire what strange devices they have got, to keep themselves peaceable and steady in this their furious march to Damnation? What, Sirs, have you a belief for what Scripture tells you of the weightiest and most concerning matters in the World, and yet can you always drive th●● out of your thoughts? Do you think it of no consequen●● to consider where the way will end, in which you 〈◊〉 walking with so much confidence? Do you not 〈◊〉 well enough, that if you never turn, you are certain●● undone? And that whilst you delay it, you run such 〈◊〉 hazard as every man in's right wits would beware of? Every step you tread being upon such a dangerous precipice, that nothing but the mercy which you daily abuse, an●● which will not always bear such usage, keeps you fro●● falling headlong? And when once it's withdrawn, do●● you go, and are lost for ever. Is this your case, and 〈◊〉 you not spare time to think how to get out of it? 〈◊〉 Sirs, sad and serious thoughts will be good cheap in 〈◊〉 other World: As much as you fear and shun them no● than you shall be sufficiently haunted with them; b●● as serviceable as now they might be, than they shall nothing avail you. To think in time which way to avoid perdition, should not, methinks be so tedious and unpleasant to those to whom it is so necessary, and may 〈◊〉 as advantageous: but if this be neglected, to think wh● you have brought yourselves to, and how strangely and wilfully you have done it, shall fill you with a sadness that will break your hearts, but nothing better your estates. What then are those dreams wherewith you delude yourselves into a quiet continuance in an ungodly state, which is like to prove so bitter in the end? What do you think its best to go on a while longer, that you have yet time enough before you? But do you well consider, how dear this little while longer may cost you? Have you any ground to expect to be waited on much longer? Doth not the time of patience seem expiring! Are not the years wherein God resolved to try you, what fruit you would bring forth, near to an end? And is th●● a time to dally with the Almighty, when he's coming forth so severely to reckon with you? Is your Sun setting, and yet do you loiter? Is the Ship sinking, and are you ●et unresolved whether you had best shift for you selves? Certainly they who take not this as a fit season for Repentance, would by their good will never Repent, and ●is to be feared never will till it is too late.  
But further, you are not I hope, so vain as to conceit, ●at there is any other way beside sound Repentance; and 〈◊〉 thorough Conversion, to secure yourselves from that ●rath which is denounced against, and will certainly ●ome upon the Children of Disobedience. If you believe ●e Scripture, which I now suppose you do, you cannot ●arbour such a conceit, which is there so often and so sainly contradicted: And as far, methinks, you should ●e from imagining, if this wrath be not thus prevented, ●at ever it can with any patience be endured, or by any ●eans removed. Do you indeed take hell for a tolerate evil? even more tolerable than an holy heart and ●fe, by which it might be avoided? In how dark and ●ind a state are they who run from their felicity as an hurtful thing? And in how sad a case, whom nothing ●it woeful experience will convince of this mistake? But ●hat, do you ever hope to be able to contend with the Most High, to grapple with Omnipotence itself? Do ●ou think you can as easily resist his Power, as you could ●sobey his Commands? If this should once become ●e only refuge that's left you, woe to you that ever you ●ere born. Did you ever yet hear of any that entered ●e Lists with God and prevailed? that overcame him ●y strong hand? Should all the Infernal Hosts join ●●rces with rebellious sinners, how utterly unable would ●●ey be for one minute to withstand the conquering Arm ●f the Almighty? And canst thou a single man, an impotent worm, do any thing against it? Why, dost thou ●ot know that a frown of his countenance is enough to dash all created courage? the breath of his mouth sufficient to destroy the world? If thou be such a courageous man as to venture upon the Divine displeasure, thou shouldst have gone and placed thyself in the midst of one of London's burning streets, and have tried how thou couldst encounter the fury of those flames, and how much they would have valued thy opposition; and thence thou mightst learn what Man can do against his Maker, or against any of his creatures that go forth to destroy with Commission from him. Do but imagine thyself hurled into the midst of those burn, and there to have been kept alive whilst they lasted, (which is no difficulty to him that made the world of nothing) how couldst thou have born such a lodging, even but for three day's space? But what if it had been for so many thousand years? Bethink thee then how thou canst dwell with everlasting burn, which will be the undoubted portion of all unpardoned, unconverted one's. Do you not indeed believe, that Christ will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that would not obey the Gospel? And whither will you then betake yourselves? or to whom will you fly? When not only a City or Kingdom, but all this lower world shall be of a flame; when the Heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat; when an unquenchable fire shall be kindled above, and below, and on every side you, where do you hope for shelter? To cry out to Rocks and Mountains to fall on and cover you, will then little avail you. Ob who can stand before the Lord when he is angry? who knows the power of his wrath? But shall not the demonstrations and appearances of it, which you have already beheld, prevent the farther bold exposure of yourselves thereto? Have you not had a kind of glimpse of hell flashing before your faces, and will it nothing daunt you? Will you like those Ezek. 15.7. Go out of one fire, to be devoured by another? Will you go on like an Ox to the slaughter, when you are told whither you are going, and the instruments of death are laid before you? Will you still believe that the stolen waters which folly affords are sweet? That her bread eaten in secret places is pleasant? When it is revealed to you, that her provisions are baits, and their pleasure mortal; that the dead are there, and her (former) guests in the depths of hell. Will you go on to carry fuel to that pile wherein you yourselves must be consumed? Will you still embrace and cherish those lusts that will, like an unnatural Monster, gnaw out the bowels of those that nourish them, and feed upon the slaughter and ruin of their dearest lovers? Will nothing allay the Adulterers heats, till they turn to the fire that never goes out? Will the Drunkard swallow down his immoderate draughts, till at length he be seized with Dives his thirst, never to be quenched? Will the fond adorers of the riches and Gallantry of the world continue their dotage, till they see their Gold and Silver melted, and not only their stately houses, but their fruitful Lands in flames about their ears, and all that wherein they gloried vanishing into smoke and ashes; and shall find themselves inwardly tormented by their inordinate love to these Idols, more than by any fire whereinto they may be plunged? The good Lord open the eyes and change the hearts of these secure and senseless ones, and show them the hell that is in sin itself, that they may never feel that which it procures; that they may discern the misery and destruction that is in their ways, before their wickedness burn as the fire, and devours them like briers and thorns, Isa. 9.18.  
But besides the lose and grossly profane, there are multitudes to be seen who seem far more serious, and better affected with God's Judgements abroad in the Land, especially they upon whom they have fallen heavily. But alas! how many of these are there more apprehensive of their outward losses, than of the sins that brought them? Such who would have thought themselves well enough had they but kept their goods, though their sins also had been kept with them? How happy would these men be, if their fitness for comfort was as great as their need of it is? But how sad a case is it to have the world frown upon us, and God frown too? to be deprived of temporal enjoyments, and destitute of spiritual blessings? to have our Idols snatched away, and to be unacquainted with the true and living God? But that I may not seem to aggravate your grief, and bring you nothing but sad tidings, know, though I cannot speak a word of comfort to you whilst you continue in your present carnal state, yet would you but make haste out of the same, there is great Mercy before you, and a way open for your access to that Grace whence you may receive an abundant supply for all your wants, and true joy in the midst of your troubles. And methinks this should revive you, to hear that your condition is not yet miserable, past all remedy: What though you should never recover to your former height and fullness in the world, yet if your pride and covetousness be abated, and your hearts by Grace raised nearer to God, as a pledge of your being shortly raised to Glory, you will have no reason to complain of that abasement which was the beginning and occasion of this happy exaltation. Happy indeed are they that thus rise by their falls, and being thrown to the earth, thereby rebound the higher towards heaven: And this happiness, I say, you are yet in a capacity of attaining to; which privilege, was it rightly apprehended, might well take off from the sense of any other ill circumstances you are plunged into; and was it carefully improved, would make a full amends for whatever losses you have sustained. And now to set in good earnest about this work of gaining heaven ●●stead of earth, will be found the quickest and the ●●rest course to make you so rich, and to-set you in such a ●hriving way, as will not only recompense your losses, ●ut keep you from ever being greatly impoverished any more. This to the worldly wise, I know, will seem very strange, and far from any appearance of truth: They who knew nothing better for man than to be rich, and ●ive high in the world, cannot imagine which way he ●an make advantage of being brought into a poor and ●ow condition; and as little can they imagine, what that ●s in all the world which can make amends for such misfortune's, (as they call them) except they may be repaid ●n kind. If by losing an hundred they could gain a thou●ind, or missing one Trade could light upon another, with quicker and better returns, they could well enough understand this to be a gaining by their losses; and he that could teach them this not able art should be a welcome man, a Comforter indeed: But if you send them so look after great matters in another world, to repair their damages in this, and to get their souls enriched, when they feel their bodies pinched, this is but cold comfort, dry and unsavoury discourse to the poor worldling, whose feeling is all his faith, who seeming to himself a ●eer lump of flesh, minds and relishes only earthly things. And accordingly their behaviour too plainly discovers these their unbelieving and carnal apprehensions and affections. For since the hand of God was upon them, ●ath not this been in a manner all the trouble they have ●elt, to think what a breach is made upon their estates, ●nd what fair hopes are blasted, many likely projects ●om'n to just nothing, and the fruits of their long la●our and care suddenly vanished; so that they who thought their Nests well feathered (as they use to speak) and themselves warm and securely placed therein, are now unroosted, and many of them put to begin the world● new? And hath not this been the very sum of all ●●ments contrivances and endeavours, how they might 〈◊〉 again to their best advantage, and soon get up 〈◊〉 they have lost, and most successfully pursue their for●● designs of growing rich? Reflect upon thyself, Read●● whether this hath not been thy very course and frame; thou art one whom the fire hath unsettled.  
If you ask me, whether then I condemn your care●● make provision for yourselves and families, and wh●●ther I would have you rather fit still and starve, th●● look out for needful and seasonable supplies? I answers Though I am far from saying this ought not to be do●● yet I must needs say, there is something which aught far less to be left undone, and both may very well st●●● together. For I hope your souls are of as much val● as your bodies, and their happiness ought to be as dis● gently and speedily looked after: Now methinks th●● costly experience you have had of the vanity and instability of these outward things, should give you very fu● conviction that your happiness is not placed in them, an● that he is very unwise who puts confidence in such de●ceitful riches that make to themselves wings, and flee away Shall not this than put you upon a careful search, whether there is nothing to be found out that is more solid, durable, and satisfying? And if you follow on this search as you ought, you will conclude with Solomon, after all his solicitous inquiries after Good, and his clear discover●● of the vanity of the creature, That to fear God, and 〈◊〉 his Commandments, is the whole duty of man, Eccles. 12. 1●. And not his duty only, but his greatest interest, even 〈◊〉 this life, but especially in that which is to come, whi●● seems couched in the following words of the Wise M●●ver. 14. For God shall bring every work into Judgement, 〈◊〉 every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be e●● And if he do so, we may be sure he'll treat men ac●ardingly, and will, as he hath promised, make those ●●at have served him everlastingly happy, when the ●●icked shall be adjudged to their threatened misery. Why ●●ill you not then turn about, and change your desires and ●endeavours, and be as industrious for holiness and the ●●●ppiness that ever attends it, as you have been for the world, wherein, through your own foolish forbidden expectations, and inordinate love, you have met with so much vexation and dissatisfaction? You see how it hath served you after you have laboured for it so long, and embraced it with so much affection and dearness; it's fled from you in a trice, and hath left you desolate. Why therefore should you trust it any more, to expose yourselves at every turn to the ill effects of its treachery; which is indeed but Justice to those whose hearts are first treacherously departed from God? If you be false to your Maker, never expect the creature should be true to you: No, assure yourselves, it will break from you when you think you have it fast, and forsake you when you need it most; and will no more hearken to you, when you call, and roar, and mourn after it, than Baal did ●o his Worshippers: Torment yourselves never so much for its absence; as they, we read, slashed themselves with Knives and Lancers, yet it will neither pity nor regard you. And though it should remain with you as long as you live, yet at death it will leave you, with your heart broken at the parting, and will afford you no relief in that hour of your extremity, much less in that stare whereinto you must then departed. And what will you still labour for the wind, and set your heart upon that which is not? Surely you have felt though to make you more wary and wi●e; wherefore come rather and once make experiment, whether God will leave you as the world hath done, and is like to do; whether his promises are no truer than its flatteries; whether Grace be as frail and perishing a thing, a● the goods you have lost; whether your hearts will not 〈◊〉 this Treasure safer, than your Chests can do any other My advice to you is the same with that of Paul's to Timithy, 1 Ep. 6.9, 10, 11, 12. That avoiding that resolution to be rich, which brings temptations and snares, that love of money, which is the root of all evil, you would now follow ofter righteousness, go lliness, faith, love, patience, meeknesss, fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. And if you will be persuaded hereto, set about the work in good earnest, ply it hard, and never give off till you have made something of it. Remember you are labouring for an Estate that will never be lost; and rest not till you have got those affections on God, and the things above, which you were wont to lavish upon things below. And when you have done this, your work is in ● manner finished: For the way to have God and Christ, Grace and Glory to be yours, is to desire after, and love them more than all things else. When once you have got your hearts in heaven, you have got a treasure there: Whatever other duties are required of you, will be found natural and easy, when you are but principled with a prevailing, deep-rooted love of heavenly things. And one would think it no hard thing to attain such holy affections, if first you will but well and duly consider the worthlesuess of all things else, till you are cured of your excessive and undeserved admiration of them; and then will be as much in meditation of the excellency, the suitableness, the sufficiency of those things that are invisible and eternal; and how great reason you have, and what engagements you lie under to fix and settle your hearts upon them. Consider well what you own to the giver and preserver of your life, and all the comforts of it, and how you ought to stand affected toward him who thought not his own unvaluable Blood too good to be shed for such finners as we. Think, if you have such a thing within you, as an immortal Soul, whether the bealth, and safety, and felicity thereof, be not of far greater moment and worth, than the prosperity of the body: and whether an unexpressible fullness of all blessedness and joy for ever, deserve not more esteem, than any of the short uncertain advantages and delights which his world affords you? Continue such kind of considerations as these, till you feel they have an influence upon your souls, to change the bent and stream of your affections and inclinations. And be diligent in be use of all other means appointed by God, for the befirming and carrying on a work of grace in the heart of ●an; and above all, be very importunate suitors at be Throne of Grace, that God would bestow upon ●ou his holy spirit, which he hath promised to those that 〈◊〉 him; that by the power hereof. Your minds may ●e enlightened to a right apprehension of things, and our affections strongly carried out to that which best deewes them, that you may be brought, with the Apostle, ●or so much to look at, or be concerned for, those things which are seen, which are temporal, as for those which are not ●in, which are eternal. And for the future, let this be our chiefest project, how to gain heaven, and to this after all your labours and cares. Though it be not the only, yet if it be the principal trade you drive on, to ●rive and grow in Grace, till at length it shall be imroved into such a stock of Glory, as will never be spent; manage all your Talents to the best advantage, as ●ay redound most to your Master's honour, and bring on in the richest inerease; daily reaching forth unto those ●ings which are before, pressing toward the mark, for the price the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Thus set your hearts and faces Zion-ward, looking upon your passage through ●is lower World, only as a journey to, and preparation ●s the higher. And having so rightly fixed your end and your work, taking yourselves here but for Pilgrim's 〈◊〉 Strangers, then set about your worldly affairs, and take care for the accommodations of life, regarding and desiring them under this notion, as they are convenience for a Traveller. And let this true notion of them, moderate and guide all your designs and undertake; 〈◊〉 the utmost of your ambition be to maintain yourselves and those that depend upon you, so as you may be ●●test to do the service God hath set you, and walk o● comfortably in the way he hath appointed you. What ever you aim at more, let it be purely and sincerely 〈◊〉 the good of others, and the honour of God. So 〈◊〉 you fulfil the commands, 1 Tim. 5.8. Eph. 4.28. 〈◊〉 by this means you will most easily escape the temptations which ruin thousands, who wrong their Conscience to increase their Estates; for will he sin against Godget riches, who desires them only that he may there with serve and glorify God. Nor can I think that here by you will have ever the less of the World, but I 〈◊〉 sure you will have a great deal more contentment in and more security of what you shall have; and when length you come to leave it, you shall neither desire 〈◊〉 need it, but shall be supplied with that which is infinitely better: when as those who were bewitched into 〈◊〉 unreasonable fondness of their present enjoyments, s●● at last irrecoverably lose both them and their souls top●ther.  
Again, Methinks, your very worldy wisdom a● self-love may teach you, that if you have been, and a● still like to be, so great losers by God's displeasure, y●● only way is speedily to use means for the obtrining his favour; that so you may either secure your tempore possessions, or something of more worth in their roe●●  they may be taken from you. Believe 〈◊〉 Sirs, there's nothing of all that which you grasp with 〈◊〉 greatest closeness, that you can keep with you, whether ●od will or no: If he command it away, it will soon ●ey his call. You may think of reducing your estates 〈◊〉 be of that nature, that they shall be exposed to no casualties, but all your art will fail you whilst God is your enemy. What foolish merchants than are those, who take him so by their dishonest ways of gaining? Who will 〈◊〉 found at length to have put the most not orious cheat ●●on themselves, purchasing the curse of God with their ●●just gains, laying themselves open to that wrath from which neither their wit nor their wealth can secure them: 〈◊〉 where ever you are, and whatever you have, you are always alike naked to his stroke. Though you should ●●g deep as Hell to hid yourselves and your treasure, ● can easily fetch you thence and pluck you asunder. than you have been so foolish, as by any way of wickedness what ever to engage God against you, does it not now concern you to seek after and make suit of his friendship? Without his leave none of your designs ●all take effect, without his blessing nothing can truly ●●osper that you take in hand. Except the Lord build the ●●ty, they labour in vain that build it, Psal. 127.1. What ●●cess they are like to have, whose undertake God ●ill not favour, the Builders of Balel can inform you: at how much his blessing speeds a work, you may learn ●om Nehemiah and his fellow-builders, Neh. 6. To the ●en of Ephraim and Samariah, that said in the pride and outness of their heart, that the bricks were fallen down, but ●●ey would build with hewn stones, and have Cedars instead Sycamores: God threatens to raise up adversaries that ●ould join together against them, the Syrians before, and the ●●ilistines behind, that should devour Israel with open mouth. ●. 9.9, 10, etc. As perhaps when you consider the ruins of the City, you look no higher than 2. causes, it's like you look no higher for its restauration, very little minding what hand God had in the one, and 〈◊〉 have in the other, before it be accomplished: And what you are thus forgetful of God, and take not his bless●● along with you, let your preparations be never so great and your hopes never so high, your attempts will either be blasted in the beginning, or cursed in the end. Rea●● your doom, Psal. 28.5. Because they regard not the word of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destrive them and not build them up. But would you give all diligence to cleanse your hands and purify your hearts from 〈◊〉 as well as to clear your streets from the rubbish, laying the foundation in true Repentance and a thorough amendment of your ways? then might you say with Nehemid The God of heaven he will prosper us, therefore we his Servants will arise and build, Neh. 2.20. This is the way, the surest and only way to make a desolate City Phaenix-like to rise out of its funeral Ashes with a new life, and Glory greater than it had before its fall. Wherefore let me use the words of Eliphaz, Job 22.21, 23. Atquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall 〈◊〉 built up. And when once you have well done this great work, when you have got your peace made with God and have made sure of his especial love and all the mercies contained therein, you may cheerfully go about your lawful employments, depending upon his Prontdence, and submitting yourselves to his will, who never is unmindful of those that do so.  
And now at length, to those that are in this happy case, my discourse directs itself, even to you that an the cordial Lovers and faithful Servants of the great God; such of you that have born your share in the cilamities that have lately befallen us, especially that have suffered much by the fury of those flames, which, without making any difference or showing any pity, consul all that came before them, so far as their commission went: To you, my great request is, that you would remember yourselves, raise up, but yet calm your spirits, not harbouring any impatience inconsistent with the dutifulness of God's children, nor giving way to any dejection, unbeseeming the dignity of that Relation. 'Tis a pleasant work which I would put you upon, and which ●e who loves your happiness hath by an express command made your duty, even to possess your souls in patience, and to be cheerful in the midst of all your afflictions. Who then, that hath cause for it (and to such I speak) would not rather live at ease, and enjoy himself in peace and ●●●●fort, than vex and torture his own soul by fretting and grieving?  
Before I prosecute this exhortation, let me desire ●ou not to mistake me, as if I was taking you off from all ●erious and sober consideration, for which Adversity is so ●roper a season; nor from that moderate and profitable ●orrow which shall flow from this consideration. No, ●ather I would have you improve this time for a thorough ●earch into your own souls, wherein it's like your Consciences will be more than ordinarily awakened, and will deal truly and plainly with you. And whatever mis●●iages these impartial reflections shall discover, which before you discerned not, or made less matter of, represent them now as heinous and odious to yourselves as you well now how, till you find your hearts wrought to such a neasure of godly sorrow, as may stir up in you an unreoncileable hatred of the sin, and engage you vigoously to fet against it. You may also make advantage of your sufferings to promote this Repentance, whilst they shall help you to clearer and more sensible apprehensions of the contrariety of fin to God, and of its perniciousness to man, whereby you may be brought to a ●ricter enquiry into, and a greater watchfulness over our ways, as you would avoid the grieving of God's Spirit, the wounding of your Consciences, and the sm●● of your flesh. And even now let the remembrance 〈◊〉 any thing you have done to displease a loving Father be matter of greater shame and grief than any affliction which you lie under: Though neither do I go about to persuade you to a Stoical Apathy, an utter insense bleness of your outward losses and troubles; whilst you have bodies, 'tis not to be expected, but you should 〈◊〉 concerned for them, and feel some kind of resentment agreeable to what befalls them: but yet these motion and passions ought to be under the Command of a higher faculty, even sanctified Reason, whose office it to moderate and subdue them so far as her power ●●tends. Wherefore that which I am advising you 〈◊〉 this, that you would not let the sense of your pressure overwhelm you, as to render you unfit for any dutil y● own to God, or so as may speak you forgetful of those greater grounds of contentedness and joy which Religion suggests, and all sincere Christians bea●● about them. And that this advice may take th●● better effect, I shall particularly show what s●● of those grounds are, I mean, what reason you br●● quietly and comfortably to entertain the sharpest 〈◊〉 pensations; and the serious consideration of these, 〈◊〉 the like reasons, may by God's blessing, prove an effect all means for the attaining this frame of Spirit, the being both engagements and helps thereto. It may see perhaps a needless labour to spend words upon th●● Theme, which is so frequently and largely handled i● many excellent Treatises wrote thereupon; upon which account indeed I shall be the briefer, though having this opportunity, something I was willing to say that might suit particularly to the present occasion. It may 〈◊〉 appear unseasonable and superfluous to administer co●●fort at this distance of time from the suffering: but y● we know the effects of it are still present, perhaps d● ●e increasing; and I wish that the sorrows of those who ●eel them, do not answerably continue and increase, which is that I would prevent, or however do something ●o confirm and fortify their minds who are already arrived to any measure of peace and settlement; that they may see how reasonable and becoming this their carriage is, and may now retain, and on all other the like occasions, show forth the same.  
1. And to this purpose first, let me suggest what is most usually insisted on by all that speak of this Subject; namely, that you would consider who is the Author surmissively at least) of all the troubles that have come upon 〈◊〉 even God himself. And let not the commonness of ●●ttuth make it of ever the less esteem with you, but ●●●ber the more it is inculcated, the deeper let it be impressed upon your minds. Why should it be of less efficacy now than in David's days, who when he was consumed by the blow of God's hand, yet opened not his mouth lecause be did it? Or in Eli's days, who when he heard the threatening the nounced against his Family, answered, It the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good? Or in Job's, no when he had lost all, yet could calmly say, The Lord ●●e, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. How effectually then may this allay all the disturbances and tumults of your breast to remember, God had an hand in what hath befallen you? and dare your hearts rise against the operations of his hand? Whether you consider yourselves more generally related to God as his creatures, or more nearly, as his people in Covenant with him through Christ, you will find yourselves under strong and forcible obligations to this duty of submission upon many accounts.  
Is not God your Maker, he who gave you a being, and hath preserved thitherto? Is he not then the most proper and absolute owner both of you and all that you have? And shall he not then do with you what he please without your murmuring or contradiction? We that are now walking upon this earth who a few days since were nothing; that were brought upon this Stage of life and action, by the will and power of a Being infinitely above us, without any contrivance of our own; had we any liberty or capacity of indenting with our Maker, that we would not come into the world except on certain terms, and on condition of such and such usage there? The pot when it is turning on the wheel, might as well compound with the Potter of what form, and for what use it should be made. Fit then it is that we should be a his finding and ordering, whose workmanship we are that we should as entirely render up ourselves to 〈◊〉 will, as we proceeded from it; not thinking we are wronged if God dispose of us or ours without ask out consent, any more than when he made us. Can he wrong us who owes us nothing? who may without injustice turn us into the Grave, or sentence us into our Primitive nothingness? If he may thus take away life itself at his pleasure, may he not do the same by all the comforter it? That he lent them for any time was mere bounties and is it injustice to withdraw them, or some part 〈◊〉 them, when he sees good? As the giving of life lays to obligation upon him to continue it, no more doth his bestowing of any outward mercies. If you had once relieved a man in want, that does not bind you to do so always: Or if you had freely lent your friend an hundred pound for one year, you are not thereby engaged to let him have it for ten or twenty, or to give it hi● outright. And do you think to plead prescription for any of these enjoyments which were graciously lent you by their owner, for so long as he should think fit. Rather methinks, you should dismiss them with thankfulness for having had them so long, and that any thing is yet reserved you. We use not to account them either honest or good-natured, who are as angry with their friends when they call for what was lent, as if they came to rob them. You cannot think sure, that when God put his gists into your hands, he made them so absolutely yours, that he passed away his own right thereto, or his power to recall them. God charges it indeed upon the Jews, Hos. 2.8. That they knew not that he gave them their corn, wine and oil, and multiplied their silver and gold; which they manifested by serving idols therewith, as they are there accused. And I wish this wilful ignorance was not still common in the world, and the same evidence given of it, by ●●ens serving their pride and luxury with those good ●●ings which were allowed to other purposes. Such, I ●●nfess, whose dependence is very little upon God for any thing they expect or need, who are not wont to look to heaven for earthly things, (though for fashion sake they may use to say, Give us this day our daily bread) but placed their chief confidence in their own subtle projects and undertake; such as these do little apprehend ●ow their Estates are the Gift of God, but regard them other as the mere fruits of their own wit or industry; and therefore think their propriety in them so absolute, that they are ready to accuse God himself if he take them away, as if he dealt injuriously with them. But you who believe that it is in vain to rise early and sit up late, without God give a blessing to your diligence, and have accordingly had a chief respite to his Providence in all your ways, and received all your mercies as from his hand, will be far enough, I hope, from such gross mistakes. If you should send your Son or Servant as Fact or beyond Sea, and maintain him there, and furnish him with money for Trading, you would claim a right to the increase he should make of your Stock, and would take it for a sorry argument, if he should keep it back, and tell you, it had now been so long in his hands, that it was not lawful for you to take it out. By this Rule the Steward might detain his Lord's money, if possession conferred a right. And much less reason have you to imagine, that what you may for some while possess, is thereby alienated from him whose is the earth and the fullness thereof. 'Twas he who made that earth, and all those creatures, by the having of which men reckon themselves rich, and whilst they passed from the hands of one to another, they are nevertheless his; and therefore are men entrusted with what measure of them, and for what time he pleaseth, that they may improve them to his glory, and when he pleas●●● he calls them in. And thus in the nineth verse of 〈◊〉 Chapter God threatens those inconsiderate, unthanked ones, to strip them of those his mercies which they 〈◊〉 bused. Therefore (saith he) will I return and take away 〈◊〉 corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax, given to cover her nakedness. And shall not God have liberty to do what 〈◊〉 will with his own? You that are Tenants at will, your Landlord had warned you out of his house, wo●● have prepared to be gone without contending? Or if 〈◊〉 some reasons which he might not tell you of, he should have plucked it down, you would scarce have thought yourselves concerned to quarrel with him for so doing; since it was his own, who could hinder him? And will you not be as submissive to God whilst he executes his righteous pleasure? Your money, goods and houses were all his, more than yours who owned them, or rather who had the keeping of them. Men indeed might not violate the right you had to them, but in opposition to God you had none; why then might he not burn then up, or dispose of them, as pleased him best? Even th●● earth, which for a while he hath given to the Sons 〈◊〉 Men, to travel over it to Eternity, he will ere long cast into flames, without doing any injury, I hope, to the then Inhabitants of it: though one may perhaps cry out for his house, another for his Land, or his Plate and Jewels; which outcries, be they never so loud, are like to have no more regard than they have reason? And why may not God now deal with any part of this earth, as shortly he will with the whole? And why may not we he as contented that he should? The same reason will also hold for our submission to God's Providence, when he shall remove our Relations, our health, life, liberty, or any the like comfort, over all which his Dominion is ●●solute, and therefore his disposal ought to be acceptable. I might also farther show how the wisdom, ●oodness, and other Attributes of God, engage us to the same duty, but I am afraid of being tedious, and may have occasion to mention them hereafter.  
But beside these reasons drawn from your common relation to God as your Creator and Sovereign Lord, you that are his peculiar people, to whom he is become a re●●ciled Father in his Son, may easily discern many ●●ther engagements you lie under, patiently to bear all ●e allotments of his Providence; but chief let me bring to your remembrance the tenor of that Covenant whereinto you were entered with God, when you solemnly gave up yourselves to him, and engaged to take him for your God. Did you herein capitulate with him for your usage on earth in any absolute way, that he should maintain you in health, wealth, and worldly prosperity? Did you list yourselves into his service only on condition of being paid such and such wages, and living at such an easy delicate rate? Surely a Christian at his New-Birth durst no more do thus, than man at his Creation was able to do it. Nay, did you not engage to the quite contrary, that you would not in any thing be your own choosers, but leave yourselves and all your concernments to God's disposing? how else could you take him for God, and your God? which, beside other things, implies your acknowledgement of that Authority he hath over man in general, and your resolution for your own part to submit to it. And do you not contradict this when you would be your own Masters, and find fault with any of his proceed? For you have not only bound yourselves to a sincere endeavour to do what is enjoined you, but also to be content with whatever shall be done with you. All the instances of the Divine Will, whether erprest in his Commands, or in his Providences, you are therefore to embrace and acquiesce in. And when you covenanted to do thus, I question not but you were 〈◊〉 possessed with the apprehensions of God's Sovereignty all sufficiency, and gracious merciful nature, that you believed you could no better way consult for your selver and the safety of your affairs, than by putting all into his hands: And have you any reason to repent of your course, and change these apprehensions? May it not fill administer full ground of security to consider those glorious Attributes of God, and the nearness of his Relation to you? Shall not this even endear and make well come what in self seems rough and harsh, that it comes from the hand of a loving and good God? We find how our blessed Lord made use of this consideration, The Cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ● Shall Children take any thing amiss from their render and indulgent Parents? Have they the least reason to fear that they will contrive their mischief? Earthly Parents indeed may through their indiscretion and excessive fondness bring ruin upon their Children, whilst they are ftudying how to do them good, or through their weakness may nor be able to keep it off them: But how vain and unreasonable are these fears in you, that have the infinitely wife and Almighty God for your Father? Can you imagine that ever his Providence should do you hurt? Certainly if you harbour any such false and unworthy conceit, it proceeds from some gross mistake of your own interest, and the nature of things. And this leads me to a second consideration, which I desire you to weigh seriously and impartially, and not let sense, and carnal reason, and the common Opinions of an inconfiderate maltitude, sway with you against the greatest and most apparent truth.  
2. Namely, That if we speak distinctly and properly, You have received little or no hurt by all those seemingly ●ad things that have befallen you: By your sufferings in hemselves you are not worsted, nor are the poorer for he losses that you have sustained. 'Tis probable, this may at the first sight seem a very great Paradox, and a flourish of Rhetoric, too weak to persuade or satisfy those who can fetch demonstrations from their sight and feeling to the contrary: For them that a while since had houses, and shops well furnished, quick trading, good ●●edit and money at command, now to have empty pur●●, little respect, and perhaps scarce a place to put their leads in: Is there no hurt in all this? This is hard to be apprehended by those that have met with such a change. But if, notwithstanding the strangeness of this Assertion, I shall evinee it to be undoubtedlie true, I hope you will, laying aside all prejudice, entertain and improve it according to its usefulness and importance. Why should it not be as welcome ridings to you to hear, that you have received no damage (or none that's considerable) if it prove true, as it would be to hear how you might recover what's lost, in a way that would satisfy sense itself? And if you be once convinced that no hurt is done you by the hand of God, I hope you will easily be persuaded not to complain of it: And I must confess, except you are in some measure convinced of this, I cannot well see what it is should keep you from complaining, 〈◊〉 a disposition to it. All that is said of God's Dominion o●●ver his creatures, and his right and power to do with them what he please, may make men understand that it is to no purpose to resist a will and strength so much above their own, but will not be sufficient to beget in them an hearty submission to it, nor will bring them to think well of God, and take any complacency in him  he shall make them smart, whilst they have a conceit that hereby he ruins and undoes them: Nay, perhaps it may increase both their rage and torment, to consider how impossible it is for them to help themselves But such, as upon right apprehensions of the true happenness of Man, see plainly that no asslictive Dispensations do prejudice or impair it, they and they only wi●● be enabled to receive them without quarrelling and repining at the Author: And that upon this account you may be possessed of so good a temper, (which is that I am now persuading you to) it will be needful to represent what those right apprehensions are which are here of 〈◊〉 great necessity and use. For when we call to mind what it is that is the chief and only good of man, we shall th●● better understand what is hurtful to him. Now in one word, man's happiness consists in his conformity to God, or in his Communion with him; (which seems the same thing, or a necessary consequence of it) that is to say, in his being made as like to God in all imitable perfections as his Nature is capable; in framing all his motions, and guiding his actions by those rules which God hath prescribed; and in reaching to that knowledge, love and enjoyment of God, for which his reasonable faculties were given him, and are suited. This is the proper formal happiness of Humane Nature, which is begun on earth, perfected and completed in heaven: Here is in the bud, and is called Grace; hereafter it is in the lower and fruit, and is called Glory. I speak to Chritians who believe they have immortal Souls, and that all is true which Scripture speaks concerning them, and ●herefore the supposition of your Faith, may well excuse me from any laborious proof of a Truth so fundamental to Religion, and so plainly revealed in God's ●olie Word.  
If God be the most perfect Being, then to resemble him is our greatest Perfection: If his wisdom, power, and benignity be such, that he created man in an happy state, set him upon, and designed him for a blessed em●●iment and end; then to comply with his will, living 〈◊〉 that manner, and to that purpose for which we were reated, is our greatest interest: And if God be the best 〈◊〉 Being's, then to have our souls fitted for, and raised to the fruition of him, is our highest felicity. From this it was we fell by sin, and to this it is the Office and de●ig● of Christ the Redeemer, and the work of his Spirit, 〈◊〉 recover and restore us. The intent of his undertaing, was not to purchase for us riches, ease, or honours, 〈◊〉 to repair our decayed natures, and renew us after the ●●age of God, which we had defaced, and so to qualify us for, and bring us into his service and favour. Only it is to be considered, that whilst man is in this earthly state, employed in the service of his maker, and getting fit for the higher glory, he hath a body that stands in need of outward support and comforts; as food and raiment, house and lodging, and such like conveniencies: but yet his happiness, which is that I before mentioned, depends not upon his continuance in this body, nor upon its prosperity whilst he is in it: Let what will befall the body, our case is good whilst the soul prospers, and is constant and regular in those duties that are proper to the present state. Nay further, riches, health, and all manner of bodily accommodations, are no farther to be reckoned good for a man, than as they help on his higher spiritual good, as by them we are supported whilst we are serving God, and as we employ them to his Glory, by putting them to those several good uses which he hath appointed us. By this time, I hope, you apprehend what it is I drive at, namely, to manifest how inconsiderable your losses are, that you may value them accordingly. You see of what nature, and in what rank those things are which you have parted with, at what a great distance they stand from your happiness, and how little reference they have thereto: And that whether you consider your happiness as now begun, or as you are in the way to it hereafter to be enjoied. If even here on earth, the good man who lives in the fear and love of his Maker, be the only happy man, what then are you the unhappier for having lost some, yet, suppose it were all of those worldly things you possessed? And what reason have you to complain or grieve? what, I hope, you have lost nothing of God, nor the Graces of his Spirit, wherewith you were enriched; nothing of y●● Spiritual wisdom and affections, of your faith, and love, and zeal for his Glory: These Goods, I hope, are ●●burnt. It was not sure in the power of the flames, as raging as they were, to reach to your souls, and burn up their furniture: That which was God's building within you is not consumed, nor his image upon you defaced. And if your choicest treasures, the having of which can alone enrich you, be saved, may you not with much ease let go your lumber, of a far less value? Are you not still as holy, humble, and heavenly as ever you were? And if so, I dare affirm it, you are never the worse for all your losses. What a wretched creature else would you make man, if his happiness hung as lose about him, as he riches and all external things do? This would seem to blemish the Divine Providence, as if he had put the affairs of man, the noblest of all inferior Being's, into no better a state than of a Bruit, nay, worse by far: For as his earthly enjoiments are of a much greater extent, so would he be more obnoxious to hurts and dangers. 'Tis peculiar to him to be concerned for an estate, for reputation, for Wives and Children, etc. and if to be deprived of these would undo him, than the waves might swallow up his happiness, and Thiefs rob him of it, fire, and many other accidents consume it. The slanderer might blast it, sickness prey upon it, and the grave bury it; and which seems worse than all the rest, our lives would be a continual torment, upon apprehension of the uncer●intie of these things, and through the fore-thoughts and ●●ars of being stripped of them, when as a Bruit is free from these fears, and from most of the evils that occasion them: Moreover, men would hence be drawn to think, that the blessed God hath dealt enviouslie and sparingly with his creatures, in that neither all, nor the most are capable of rising to be happy, if it consist in wealth, honours and the like: Wherefore, they to whom they were never given, or from whom they are at any time taken, will be envyned to hard and evil thoughts of God, whose Providence ●●us order the course of things. But blessed be our heavenly Father, he hath dealt more bounteously with us than so, and hath not cast us into any such necessity of being miserable, through discontentedness with our portion and reluctancy against his will; but hath made our happiness of that nature, that whoever is truly willing may reach to it, and none can he deprived of it against his will; which is a privilege wherein no creature on earth, beside man, is a sharer. 'Tis nothing else but wickedness, which is always a wilful thing, that can possibly hurt us. All afflictions be they never so sharp, do but raze our skin, not pierce our souls. They do but at the most break the Cabinet, the Jewel is safe and whole? When as the effects of sin are like those of lightning, secret, but most certainly pernicious, melting the Sword, whilst the Scabbard's untouched, breaking the bone, whilst the flesh is unchanged, thus doth it destroy the soul, whilst the body seems to remain in good plight. Every creature hath some such perfections proper to its own nature, that the having thereof causeth them to be reputed good, as being agreeable to their own kind, and fit for that use they are designed to. Thus the Horse that hath strength or swiftness, fitting him for the service he is put to, is a good Horse; and though sometimes he may be set out with a fine Saddle, and gaudy Trappings, 〈◊〉 he's never the worse, if considered as an Horse, w●● these are taken off him: And no more is a man for 〈◊〉 loss of any external things which belong to him, sink is not in these that his excellency, as he is a man, consists, nor was that the end of his Creation, that he might enjoy them. What, does it add any thing to his real proper worth, to be clothed in gorgeous and costly array, or to have store of money lying in his chests, or to live 〈◊〉 brave house, with a deal of pomp and attendance, faith deliciously every day, having high titles and hon●● conferred upon him? What's all this to the worth of 〈◊〉 man? These tell what he has, not what he is. His clothes and his house, and money may be good, whilst he himself is stark naught. Such things as these, which are here to day, and gone to morrow, and are of so little reference to him whilst they stay, can they better or advance him? without question they cannot. For shall we not find those who abounded with them, having nothing else to commend them, termed no better, in the language of Scripture, than Dogs and Swine, such to who● the society and portion of Devils is threatened and allotted? When as holy men, though destitute of all the ornaments, by the sentence of God himself, who best knows the worth of his creatures, are styled happy, honourable, blessed, and the only excellent ones upon earth. And if Holiness be the peculiar excellency of the reasonable creature, than the loss of this only is his ruin; as your horse or any other beast, is then spoiled when he hath lost his ability for service; and as the loss of limbs or life is the destruction of the body: Even thus doth sin, where it hath its full force and operation, wound and murder the soul so far as it's capable of dying: For the death of the Soul, is its final departure from God, and its en●●itie against him, which is far worse than any other death or annihilation that can befall it, as we may understand even by the body itself, for which to draw out life upon the wrack, or in any such like torments, is worse than to be slain outright; and that miserable life may most properly be called a lingering death, according to the saying, vita non est vivere sed valere. But it is no crosses nor losses, nor any thing that lights upon what is without the soul that can inflict this misery upon it; nothing, I say, but its voluntary declining from that holy state, wherein God would have it live, to the sordid brutish ways of wickedness. May we not fitly allude to be words of Christ, concerning that which defiles the man. Mark 7.15. There is nothing from without a man, that enring into him, can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they which defile the man. And most demonstrative is the reason there given, vers. 19 Because what he receives from without, entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats. So neither can affliction endamage the soul, since it enters not into it, but falls upon some external thing, and so slides away. But those evil things which come from within, such as are instanced in verse 21, 22. Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, these defile the man: And these are the thing which destroy him; for the defilement of the soul is 〈◊〉 destruction. Take it, Sirs, for a most unquestionable truth, that to have an excessive love for worldly things, 〈◊〉 much more hurtful than not to have the things themselves; to burn in such inordinate affections to them is worse for you by far, than to have them all  up● for this latter is but like the firing of some poor Cottage● and out-buildings, which in time of war is oft done, o● purpose for the defence and safety of the fortified City, when as the former is like a fire which the Enemy hath kindled in the very he art of the City itself.  
Since than your chief happiness, as you are men 〈◊〉 Christians, is placed so far out of the Sphere and hun●● influence of all external accidents, that the worst 〈◊〉 them can do no more to lessen or interrupt it, how 〈◊〉 reasonable is it to be much dejected for but a little grievance? Of what a sordid spirit is that man who should lament the loss of his dung, or some sorry trifle, whil● his house is well filled with goods, and his Coffers with money? And no more reason hath he to be cast down for having his hands emptied of all his earthly substance, whose heart is filled with the more substantial heavealie● Treasure of Grace and Goodness.  
Yet after all, I am afraid least most of my Reader should take what I have said for mere Notions, not 〈◊〉 to be framed into Principles, to guide them in their practice, and in their judgements of things. Hardly will me● be persuaded that riches, the Diana whom not any particular Country only, but the whole world worshippe●● who may number more Votaries and Martyrs than the true God; that these are of so little consequence, and so little conducing to make a man happy. But yet I may well hope for better entertainment from you that haw been enlightened to behold such a beauty and glory i● spiritual things, as hath in some good measure abated your esteem of all things else. And the better yet to clear and settle your apprehensions, I would desire you but attentlie to consider your own Nature, whether you bear not something about you better than flesh and blood, and whether the gratifying and advancing of this Noblest part be not most your interest; and how far earthly things, which are of a nature so distant from it, can be serviceable to this end? Consider moreover, what that is which you must live upon for ever, and then think whether such kind of attainments as make the nearest approach thereto, and are the very beginning of it, ought ●ot rather to be styled your happiness, than such as are quite of another kind, and will then be wholly useless. Consider also what kind of men they are to whom ordinarily the largest share of these things is allotted; how Infidels, Idolaters, and the profanest wretches abound therewith; and remember how little of them Christ himself, and his most Noblest Followers enjoyed; and yet bear what Paul in the name of the rest tells us, That whilst they were as poor, they made many rich; whilst they seemed to have nothing, they possessed all things, 2 Cor. 6.10. Think what were the riches they conferred, and what were the all things they possessed, and see whether they confirm not what I have said. Furthermore, observe what language Scripture gives to these things, as they would be any part of man's felicity, and how little regard it commands us to have for them. Call to mind also what you use to call them yourselves in your prayers and serious discourse, shadows, trash, bubbles, and vanity; and I would hope you think of them as you speak, and will be affected towards them but as such things deserve. And lastly, take notice what their greatest lovers think and say of them, when they have had the best they could get, and are about to leave them. Lay but all these considerations together, which for brevity sake I only mention, and argue thence how little of true happiness consists in the having of them, and how little hurt is done, and therefore how little cause of mourning given by their removal.  
And let me farther add, as very Notions as these may seem, whoever he be that is not so thoroughly persuaded of their truth as to frame his apprehensions, and regulate his affections conformably thereto, is never ordinarily like to live any other than an unquiet, discontented, and therefore miserable life, be it little or much that be hath. 'Tis a most true saying of an excellent Heather. Moralist, that there are punishments, as it were, by an irreversible Law, appointed for those, who in a convidiction to the Divine Order and establishment of things, conceive too great an Opinion and love for any worldly matters, which punishments arise out of the very bowels of their vicious affections. For such (saith he) shall be envious, covetous flatterers; they shall be cast into inward, disturbances, and break out into womanish lamentarions. And was it needful, I might show by many instances out of some of the most rational and sober Heathens, that they by the very light of Nature and strength of reason, discovered as much as I have asserted, that Humane Felicity depends not upon things external: Though I confess few of them (so far as I can learn) could tell much of our future perfect happiness, and therefore wanted sufficient Motives to recommend a contempt of the world, and the like difficult duties to their hearers: This they left for Christianity to do, which hath fully done it, revealing to us a state of Eternal Bliss purchased by Jesus Christ for all his faithful servants whence I may afterward particularly fetch ground 〈◊〉 comfort.  
But you may remember I told you, that if you considered yourselves as in the way to this glory, your affairs are in never the worse posture; taking your present happiness to consist in working out your salvation, in getting meet for, and making sure of the Heavenly Inheritance (as indeed it does) it's not whit prejudiced by the troubles you have undergone. And this plainly appears from what hath been said before: If you have lost nothing of your Grace, you are never the farther from Glory: If that be but secure, as small a stock as you ●ye left you of other goods, you may drive on as quick Trade for Heaven as ever. You have lost nothing of all that whereby you might purchase the favour of God, or ●n entrance into the Kingdom he hath prepared: for it was not for the rich, and honourable, and prosperous, (as such) but for those that love him that he hath prepared it. We read, Psa. 147.10. That God delights not in the strength of an horse, nor takes pleasure in the legs of a man. No more doth he in any other external accomplishment; ●e regards you never the more for your wit or beauty, your wealth or dignity; but Ver. 11. He takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. You may still come as freely and boldly to him as ever, and may find as hearty welcome. Some that once seemed your friends, perhaps may now grow strange, and make  of you, for fear you should trouble them; but be of good cheer, your God will not deal with you thus, whom he loves, he loves to the end. He that chose you, not because you were rich, will not reject you for being poor. The Lord of Glory, your dear Saviour and Husband, will not repent nor be ashamed of your Alliance, for any meanness that you may be reduced to; he judges not as man does; nay, 'tis the mean and despised one's of the world for whom ordinarily he hath the most tender regard; Not many Mighty, not many Noble are called; but he hath chose the poor of this world rich in faith, heirs of the Kingdom. Neither Grace nor Glory are set to sale for such things as the poor cannot bring as well as the rich. The Romish Usurper, with his gaping Officers, may the it, but Christ never will, nor hath he warranted them thereto, or promised to stand to their bargains: He invites all without money or price to fetch his milk and wine. You know what a terrible rebuke Simon Mag●● had for thinking the gift of God might be purchased with money: It was something more precious than silver and gold that purchased the incorruptible and never-fading inheritance; be sure than a part in it is not to be bought with any such base things. A willing, thankful acceptance of it, as the greatest blessing that can be bestowed, is the great condition on your part required; this is your selling all for that Pearl of Price: And 'tis long of something worse than poverty, if any man have not this. Need I bid you remember that your money is no currant Coin in the other world, nor would beslead you any thing there. The Judicature erected in the Heavens admits neither of bribes nor fees. Get a good Cause and you are well enough, but without that all the Gold in the Indies can neither purchase a Pardon, nor a Reprieve; there will then be no distinction betwixt the rich and the poor, the Honourable and the mean; all the difference that is made will be betwixt the godly and the ungodly, who shall accordingly be disposed to the right hand or the left, to blessedness or woe. And if all this be so (as there is nothing more certain) how little reason have you to judge yourselves in a worse state than formerly, or to grieve as if you were so? What, Sirs, is this nothing is your esteem, that you may have access to God as readily, and hear from him as frequently, and converse with him as intimately and lovingly as ever you did, and have the same liberty for transacting with him the great affairs of your Immortal Souls? Is this nothing, did I say; nay, is not this in a manner all? Does not this privilege which is yet continued, contain in it all others that are any whit considerable? In that you may still pursue the great business of your lives as advantageously as ever, and carry on all your designs upon the Celestial Kingdom with as good success. If indeed you had been sent into the world to gather wealth, and leave it to your Children; that you might raise great families which should flourish when you were dead and gone, you had now been sadly cast back, and little better than quite broke; and 'tis no wonder if they take themselves to be so who made this their chief end. But if your business here be, to glorify and please him that created and redeemed you, by an holy fruitful conversation, and to get your souls prepared for an higher bliss, (which I hope you question not but it is) then, I say, you may follow it on with as much courage, and to as good purpose, as ever formerly you did, without check or hindrance by this or any the like disaster. Now what a ridiculous thing would it be accounted, for a General to be daunted for the loss of a few straggling Soldiers, whilst the Main Body of his Army, and all things necessary to carry on the War, are still secure? Or for a Mariner to stand weeping for having his Ship somewhat weatherbeaten and defaced, as to its painting and fineness, whilst it's still as sufficient and well-fitted for his Voyage as before? Or for a rich Merchant to lament some such trivial loss as is scarce missed out of his stock, nor is any hindrance to his great Trading? Why then should the sincere Christian be so deeply affected with those occurrences which need be no let to him in his journey, and which leave him never the less capable of managing his chiefest Trade for invisible durable riches? So that, I hope, I have cleared the truth of my Position, past all denial or doubting, and have made it to appear, that you have received no considerable disadvantage by any effects of the Fire; and therefore it is a very reasonable exhortation, that your sorrow should bear proportion to the ground of it, and not be excessive, when you have no cause, nor can show any reason, why it should be so.  
But it's probable there may arise some such Objections in your breast, as may somewhat delay your firmer asse●t to what is said; two or three of which I shall mention, and endeavour to take out of your way, and so hasten 〈◊〉 the next.  
Obj. 1. Some may think with themselves, If this be● indeed so, that the loss of an estate is a matter of so small importance, how comes it to pass then, that men bear it so heavily? Surely all are not Children and Fools, to mourn for the losing of Pins or Counters, wherefore, how can we but think the things they lose of more worth than so, except we will accuse the generality of men of extreme Childishness and F●lly?  
If this stick any thing with you, for your satisfaction, I would in one word advise you, soberly to consider all that hath been said, to evince how very little, or just nothing, a great estate contributes to the happiness of man; and if you can indeed make it out to your own impartial thoughts, that this assertion is false, and the arguments brought to prove it fallacious, and can manifest the contrary by stronger reasons, you shall have my free consent to reject it: But if you are not able to do thus, not can rationally contradict the former discourse, judge yourselves, whether the example even of the most, of the greatest, or of those whom the world count the wisest, aught to weaken your assent to a plain, undeniable truth. I affirm nothing but what the Word 〈◊〉 God himself, the Professions of all Christians, the strictest Reason, and the Writings of wisest Heathens will very well warrant, and the convictions of almost all, one time or other, yield a suffrage to: What then have we to do with the examples of frail men, under the power of their passions, how many soever they be? May I not with as much reason demand, If it be true what Solomon says of the vanity of all the worldlings Idols; and what David says, that men disquiet themselves in vain, whilst they are heaping up riches; and what a greater than either, even our Lord himself, tells us, That our life consists not in the abundance of those things which we possess; how then it comes to pass, that the most are so eager and insatiable in their desires after them, so constant and unwearied in their labours to attain them? Is this because God and good men speak worse of the world than it deserves? Or because the most are careless and inconsiderate, and think better of it than it is, pursuing the common course, without examining the reason, or foreseeing the end of it? and so in a blind zeal, making that their Idol which they see so many adore; they follow it with the same care and love, as if it was indeed their God and happiness: which I know you'll grant to be a very gross mistake; And yet, as bad as it is, from this very same mistake, proceeds that unseemly and excessive sorrow, which you behold in those from whom the things of the world are withdrawn. Whilst they kept them, they let out their hearts upon, and rejoiced in them, and even blest themselves in their enjoyment of them, as if they would abide with them, and make them happy for ever: How then can it otherwise be, but that when they are removed, they should wring their hands and tear their hearts with grief, as being deprived of that in the fruition, whereof they took all the satisfaction and joy they had, and from which they had expectations of something better than ever yet they had found? Who, that is of these carnal principles, can possibly bear up under the interruption of this comfort, the frustration of these hopes? Yet this weak carriage of theirs, tells us not what the worth of the world was, but what kind of false apprehensions they had of it, and how great a dependence they had upon it. Though it be but an Idol that's carried away, yet if Micah have taken it for his God, what wonder if he follow after the men who spoil him of it, with a deal of lamentation and noise, from which he would never cease, but that he perceives they are too strong for him, Judge 18.24, 26. Even these are some of those sorrows with which, the Apostle tells us, they that covet after money, do pierce themselves through.  
But perhaps you'll tell me, that not only the covetous who are Idolaters, but even good men themselves seem very unable to bear the losing or lessening of their estates, and are more concerned for them, than if they were of no greater value than I speak of, and therefore hence you conclude, that it's warrantable, or however unavoidable, to have a deeper sense of their departure than I seem to allow.  
To which I answer,  
(1) It is not the example of men, what ever they be, but the Word of God, that must be your direction and rule to guide you in all your apprehensions and behaviour: And you know well enough what this tells you of the World, and how you ought to stand affected to it, whether it smile or frown; that you should not, when riches increase, set your hearts upon them, lest when they waste, your comfort should do so too. And  
(2) Since you insist on example, how many instances doth Scripture afford of good men, who arrived to such a constancy of mind, and indifferency to all worldly concerns, that no variety of estate, no crosser therein could shake or much disturb them? David when in a far worse condition, in all appearance, than you are reduced to, even when Ziklag, the City where he dwelled, was burnt, his Goods and his Wives taken by the Enemy; and more than all this, the people spoke of ●toning him, yet when he was thus greatly distressed, ha' ●couraged himself in the Lord his God. So Job when he was not only deprived of his possessions, but his Children too; yet from a consideration, that the same God who had taken away, first gave him all, and that he ●ust return naked to the Grave, as he came out of the Womb, calmly concludes with Blessed be the name of the ●ord. And if he afterwards discovered any touch of impatience, it was when many other afflictions besides ●s poverty lay hard upon him, and embittered his spi●t. Does not Paul also tell us, that he had learned to ●●nt as well as to abound, and in what ever state he was, therewith to be content? And that we might not only admire his excellent frame in him, but rise up to it ourselves; ●e tells us how he came by it, through Christ strengthening ●im, it was, that he could do all these things. Others we ●ead of, that took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods, counting all things but dross and dung so they might win Christ. And Church History makes mention of multitudes of gallant Spirits, both in the Primitive and latter times, ●hat manifested the same low esteem of the World. And ●f they could take it joyfully, to have their Goods spoiled ●or God's sake, may not you take it patiently to have them spoiled by his hand? For may not their examples, who were 〈◊〉 famous for their holiness and wisdom, best inform ●ou of what value the world is, and convince you, that this patience and indifferency of mind, which I am ●ressing upon you, is no impossible thing. Lastly, Granting that you see some, who may yet be good men ●r the main, that by their carriage contradict these examples yet may I not take liberty to say, that this is ●ut a defect of their goodness, and therefore no way fit for your imitation. If David himself begin to 〈◊〉 hard thoughts of God, as if he had forgotten him, he 〈◊〉 quickly correct himself, and acknowledge, This was 〈◊〉 Infirmity, Psal. 77.10. The plain truth is, the best 〈◊〉 too prone to by influenced upon, by the common 〈◊〉 of the multitude about them, and being but a few, 〈◊〉 hardly bear up against the mighty stream of popular opinions, and corrupt practices that flow from them; 〈◊〉 are ready to be born down, as men that are overpower 〈◊〉 by a far greater number of contrary voices. So 〈◊〉 partly from examples without, and partly from the 〈◊〉 inclinations of a carnal principle within, not wholly subdued, many even of the better sort, walk like men, to●● the Apostles phrase, and hastily take up some of th● rules whereby the common sort are guided, without th● strict examination which in such matters is requisite. 〈◊〉 therefore having too much the same conceits of rich●● ease, and reputation in the world, that their ca●●● Neighbours have, when they meet with any cross in the things, they show their weakness in grieving much-w●● as others do. Though, blessed be God, these very times, 〈◊〉 bad as they are, yield us, I hope, many instances of 〈◊〉 who are arrived to a more exalted and Christianlike Spirit. But what if there were fewer, yea, none such what ground have you to plead against your duty? wh●● you are persuaded to nothing but what is possible, wh● is reasonable and highly advantageous, as I may show non. Wherefore labour with all your might, to de● yourselves of all those false opinions, which your lo● and daily converse with a multitude of ignorant, worldly men may have possessed you with, and too deeply ro●●ed you in. Especially beware of esteeming Good 〈◊〉 Evil, according to their reckoning: for mistakes he will produce a world of inconveniencies, and unavoidably cast you into great perplexities and disorders, 〈◊〉 ●nce you think every thing to be Good for you, which ceaseth the flesh, and that to be Evil, which makes it smart, or any way crosseth its interest (which is the ●●dgement of the most) its next to impossible that you should pass your lives with any true peace and quiet. ●nd truly, they that will be foolish and miserable, because they see the most are so, as they are very little capable of Counsel, so they do as little deserve pity.  
Object. 2. But again some may say, That they are now educed to such straits, that of necessity they must follow their ●●llings more closely than they were wont, and so have not the ●●e leisure for the Service of God, nor are so capable of do●●g works of charity as formerly, and therefore they cannot but ●ink themselves in a much worse condition by this Calamity?  
To which I answer, Your greatect business and inter●t, is to comport with the Providence of God, in that estate and condition wherein he sees fit to place you, ●nd to perform the duty proper to that estate. And ●herefore as to your necessity of diligent labour, you ●●eed not be grieved at it: For  
(1) So far as God hath made it necessary, and so ●r as you are taken up therewith, to that end, and in that ●anner which he hath appointed, even these your ●abours shall be an acceptable Service to him. ●or  
(2) Doth he require of you any such Attendance up●● the duties of Religion, as is ordinarily inconsistent ●ith your lawful and necessary callings. It is no more ●●e duty of a poor man to spend so much time in hearing, reading, or praying, as would hinder him for providing for his Family, than it is of a sick man to be so much exercised therein, as would endanger his life.  
(3) May not the diligence you are put upon in your employments, prove an advantage to you, in securing ●ou from idleness, and the temptations and mischiefs that ●●e begotten by it?  
4. However you are not hereby disabled for the greatest and most substantial vital duties of Religion: Though you should not have time to hear or read so much 〈◊〉 formerly, yet, I hope, you may love God and your Brother as much as ever; and be as much in the exercise 〈◊〉 faith, patience, humility, and all other graces of the Spirit; and in these it is, the Life of Religion most of ●●lies.  
And lastly, see that you do but keep up your heart and affections for external duties, and you will find y●● selves not so straitened of time, be your employment what they will; but you will have leisure for the performance of them so far as God hath engaged you then to; nor shall you find this performance any such his drance to your business in the world, as carnal men 〈◊〉 wont to imagine. Keep your hearts heavenly, and earthly employments will be no prejudice to you; spend no●● idly, and you may redeem time for God's service, with out any prejudice to your employments.  
And as for your incapacity of relieving the necessicous, the same answer in a manner may show, that neither upon this account have you much ground of trouble.  
For 1. So far as God by his Providence hath disabled you for works of Charity, he requires them not at your hands, nor will blame you for not doing them, no mo●● than a lame man shall be blamed for not walking.  
2. Every condition hath its proper duty, and you contentedness in a low estate will be as acceptable 〈◊〉 God, as your liberality when in an higher, and more pleatiful.  
3. You may, notwithstanding your poverty, maintain a charitable spirit: your heart may be as large, though your estate is not; and if it be so, you shall be never theless regarded nor rewarded by God. What we 〈◊〉 in the Gospel of the Widow's Mite, may inform us, that they who do what they are able, and earnestly desire to do more, shall be reckoned amongst the greatest Benefactors, and dealt with as such; otherwise it would go ●ll with the best of men, since a Peter himself may sometimes truly say, Silver and Gold have I none.  
3. You had need to look well to your hearts that they deceive you not in this case; for so much of discontent ●s you find in the absence of riches, so much selfishness ●here is in the desire of them, since that proceeds rather from a love to the things themselves, than from any ●ind to glorify God with them. For if this be that you ●im at, why do you not glorify him by acquiescing in his Providence that hath removed them? You may best discover this, by reflecting upon your carriage in the day's ●f your prosperity; for they who did not then improve ●heir Estates for God, desire them back again, it's to be ●ear'd, for their own ends rather than his glory; but if ●ou were so wise as to honour God with your sulstance ●hilst you enjoyed it, this may be abundant ground of satisfaction to you in the want of it.  
For 4. You are to consider that you are but Steward's ●f the gifts of God, whose business it is to keep a faithful account, and make a diligent improvement of whatever Talents you receive; and therefore you must wholly leave it to your Lord's pleasure what you shall have, ●nd how long it shall remain in your hands: Why should ●●e servant be concerned how much stock his Master allows him to Trade with? Be it little or much, what's the difference to him, so he be but careful and faithful in that he's entrusted with? Nay, lastly, if in good earnest ●●u regard yourselves but as Stewards of all you possessed, that must be accountable for the same, methinks it should be but little trouble to you to have your charge ●●d burden lessened. Certainly its easier to give an account of a small Estate than a great one, whatever 〈◊〉 may think of the matter. And though we should refuse no pains for our Master's service, yet so far as he thinks 〈◊〉 to ease us, we have no reason to be displeased at it.  
Object. 3. Some again may tell me (which is the la●● Objection I shall here take notice of) That the affliction they have met with, have occasioned their repining and discontent, and cast them into great despondencies and distrusts, 〈◊〉 therefore (according to my own arguing) have been exceeding hurtful to them, and given them very great cause 〈◊〉 sadness.  
In answer whereto: 1. I grant, that sin indeed do● hurt to any soul where it's entertained, and brings al●● with it just ground of sorrow: and so far as 〈◊〉 have given way to sinful passions, you have cause for 〈◊〉 miliation, which you are chief to manifest, by ender vouring to repel and banish them from your breast, and not go on overwhelming yourselves with one grief 〈◊〉ter another, upon pretence of repenting for the former.  
2. But pray you fee that you pass your Censure 〈◊〉 right, and then you'll easily find, that it is not of God● deal with you, but of your own unsuitable carriage under them, that you have ground to complain. Whatever distempers of mind you have been cast into, the have not so much proceeded from any outward cause, 〈◊〉 from your own weakness and misapprehensions, otherwise the same cause would produce the same effect in 〈◊〉 but you know there are many instances of such who h●● undergone more than ever you did, without any such 〈◊〉 sturbances in their breasts, or irregularity in their behaviour.  
Yea, lastly, So far have God's Providences been fr●● causing the distempers which may now appear, that th● have rather tended to their removal, by discovering th● which were bred before, but lay more secret and undiscerned till this occasion. You will not say, that the touchstone makes the Gold bad, whilst it shows that is 〈◊〉: Nor do wars and dangers make men Cowards, but manifest some to be such. In time of prosperity the heart ●●ten secretly cleaves to the Creature, and yet is scarce aspected to do so, but when adversity comes and behaves it of its Darlings, then doth this immoderate ●●e break out into immoderate grief; as change of ●r sometimes stirs up those humours which before lay 〈◊〉 in the body. Whilst the world was flowing in upon 〈◊〉, those spiritual distempers were hatched and nou●●t, which may most of all show themselves upon its ●ing out. The excess of Creature-love (which posses●●h us soon when the World smiles most upon us) is ●●t corrupt Fountain whence those many bitter streams 〈◊〉 unruly passions flow, as love to God is the Source ●●d Spring of all other holy affections. Fitly may it 〈◊〉 said of you that stand mourning over the Funerals of ●●ward comforts, what the Jews said of Christ when he ●●pt over Lazarus' Grave, Behold how they loved them. ●nd indeed the love we bear to children or friends, is odome so much felt or expressed as at their Funerals.  
The bitter and passionate lamentations which David ●●kes for Absalon, 2 Sam. 18.33. do very plainly re●al what kind of affections he had for him. But now was not Absaloms' death, nor Joabs' hand that slew him, ●●ch less the Providence that permitted both, which was ●●●e accused as the cause of all this sorrow, but his own ●●dness which he had formerly contracted for this beau●●l Son; for when this was away, he could bear the ●ath of a Child with another kind of manliness: It ●●s not then, Oh my Son, my Son, would God I had died for ●●e, etc. But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I ●●ng him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me, 2 Sam. 12.23. Since then this breaking 〈◊〉 of the corruptions you complain of, does but show 〈◊〉 was before in your hearts, may you not look upon it an advantage to have such an insight into yourselves (〈◊〉 shall show anon) and so entertain the Providence wh●● hath helped you to it, rather with thankfulness than 〈◊〉 muring, making so good an improvement thereof as 〈◊〉 fitted and designed for.  
3. But this brings me to a third Consideration, wh●● may work you to a very willing submission to what 〈◊〉 hath laid upon you, in that, if you are not wanting yourselves, your afflictions may be so far from doing you 〈◊〉 that they may very much conduce to your good. And if 〈◊〉 be so, it will be found most unreasonable for you to be them with heaviness and discontent. What would 〈◊〉 think of that man who should entertain courtesies 〈◊〉 repining at his Benefactor? Now that afflictions in gearal are capable of being beneficial to those that are exercised with them, is most commonly inculcated 〈◊〉 acknowledged, and may appear very plain to any 〈◊〉 do but consider the express promise of God, The 〈◊〉 things shall work together for good to those that love 〈◊〉 And the experience of Saints in former times, who h●● left it upon Record, that it was good for them to be ●●●●ed. Moreover, they are pronounced blessed whom the L●● chasteneth, and teacheth out of his Law. We are told 〈◊〉 he chastiseth every Son whom he loveth, and that for their 〈◊〉 fit, Heb. 12.6.10. Yea, had we nothing else to guide 〈◊〉 but our knowledge of the infinite wisdom and good●● of God, we might hence certainly and safely conclude that in all his deal with his people he intends 〈◊〉 advantage. Hath any thing happened to you but w●●● came from his will who is goodness itself, and wh●● ever doing good to such as are in Covenant with hi●● You may be sure, he envies you not your enjoyments● took them away as being too good for you, but as having something better to bestow in their room: Wherefore, although you could not at present discern what those benefits are which God intends you by this sharp Visitation; yet you may rest satisfied in this, that there is so much reason in all his actings, and so much good designed to his people thereby, that if you were fully acquainted therewith, and had all things at your own ordering, you would dispose of them just as he hath done. Did you see and know what God does, and had the same intentions for the honour of his Name, and the good of your own and others souls, you would, had it been at your choice, have chose all that's come to pass, as terrible as it may now appear; and would freely have consented to a raging pestilence, though your friends or families might be laid hold on thereby; and to the burning of London, though your own dwellings were within the reach of the flames? And shall not this reconcile you ●o whatever God hath done amongst us? I know not what more you should require for your satisfaction, except this be a trouble to you, that you are not made acquainted with the secret and unsearchable designs of the Almighty in all his works of wonder, which are manifested in his Government of the world; that is, that you ●re men, and not Gods.  
But yet as to your own concern, you need not go far ●o find out what benefit you may make of the present Providence, which I shall hint in a few particulars: ●nly by the way, let me first desire you to call to mind what is before said of the happiness of man, that it consists in his being made like to God, in his loving, pleasing, ●nd enjoying of him, partly here, perfectly and eternally hereafter: Wherefore whatever promotes this his ●hief good, must needs be accounted so far good for him, however it may appear in other respects, since the means must be judged of, and denominated only from their 〈◊〉 spect to the end. To launce a sore till we smart, if make for its healing, is good for the body. It seen harsh usage for poor creatures that are distracted, to be confined to dark rooms, and sometimes bound to the beds, whipped, and stripped short of food, yet if all this be● on their recovery, is it not to be looked on as good 〈◊〉 them? And as easily may you apprehend, that whatever tends to the weakening of Corruptions, and strength 〈◊〉 of your Graces, enables you to glorify God, and be●● you on in the way to Glory, is so much for your intere●● that nothing else in the whole world could advance 〈◊〉 which conduceth not to make you truly, and in God's account, Better men, to which end, your present suffering may greatly conduce.  
(1) As may first appear by what I formerly mea●oned, of the advantage they give you, for a thorough discovery of the frame and temper of your own Souls. Neither Grace nor Corruption are ever so well known, as under trials. May you not now find, that the world was g●● nearer to your hearts than you imagined, by the 〈◊〉 you feel at its departure; that you leaned harder upon 〈◊〉 than you thought of, by the shaking you have met wi●● when it slipped from you? May you not perceive that 〈◊〉 much of the comfort of your lives did depend upon uncertain, carnal things, and so was itself but vain an● carnal? May you not find more earthliness, impatience, and unbelief, than you before suspected to lo●● in your breasts? Now though to have these Corruption be matter of trouble, yet to discover them, in order 〈◊〉 their cure, is a mercy. To have a Disease is a grief, 〈◊〉 to know it, we say, is the first step to health. One 〈◊〉 or other they must be known so as to be repent of and mortified, or else you were like to far the worse for't certainly then, the sooner the better: for the long they should lie concealed, the greater would be their strength and mischief, and the difficulter their conquest. For this the Psalmist prays, Psal. 139.23, 24. and for this, I believe, you have prayed many a time that God would search and know your hearts, that is, make them known to you, and now he hath answered your prayer. This, Elihu tells us, is meet to be said unto God, by a man under chastisement, That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Job 34.31, 32. and to the same purpose Job 36.9, 10. But on the other hand, if these trying Providences manifest your Souls, through the Grace of God, to be in a more sound and healthful temper, so that you can cheerfully let go whatever he hath called for, and find that there is nothing you so vehemently desire, as to comply with the whole will of God, and to be rendered up thereto; that none of his deal move you to question his truth or goodness, to think hardly of himself, or meanly of his promises; but that still your love to him is as great as ever, and in his favour alone you can rest abundantly satisfied, if it be thus with you, the very discovery of so blessed a frame, may be matter of greater satisfaction, than the loss of all things else, need be of trouble; yea, if this be your frame, you cannot be overmuch troubled with any such losses. So that what ever your temper and behaviour is, there will be found great equity in this dispensation. If you bear it heavily and impatiently, the greater it seems was your need of it, since this proceeds from such an affection to the creature, as was the very disease of your Souls, to which this Physic is suited. But if you bear it quietly, than it appears you were fitted for it, and so I know, will be far from an inclination to complain of him, that hath so well fitted your back for your burden, and gave you not a blow, before he had furnished you with an Helmet. And in that these afflictions serve not only to discover your Corruptions, but to remove them; not only to manifest your Graces, but 〈◊〉 exercise and promote them; upon both these account they will farther appear to be for your advantage, at shall proceed to show.  
(2) Wherefore in the next place, Hereby you 〈◊〉 a very great help to take a true estimate of the world, that s●● you may be affected towards it, according to its worth and weatherwise: Now if ever, you may discern, how vain, how fleeting and uncertain it is. That which even now wi●● in your houses and hands, and seemed to make so good a show there, in a few hours after, with those house themselves, was not at all to be seen, except as expiring into smoke, or turned into ashes. And shall not th● very dust and smoke, though at first it might wring water from your eyes, help so far to clear your sight, that the splendid appearances of a glittering world, may never more impose upon you? May you not now see into it, and thorough it, and behold what a very nothing it is? To your own sense, doth it not appear that the usual titles which Holy Writ bestows upon it, and all the felicity thereof, are no worse than it deserves? Calling it a Bubble, a Dream, very Vanity, even that which is not. For have you not seen stately Fabrics, with all their rich furniture, flash out and disappear as airy bubbles are wont? have you not seen fair and flourishing estates, which made the owner's conceit themselves in a secure and happy condition, able to afford no more comfort than a Dream when one awaketh, being vanished into nothing whilst they promised all things? Now may not such notable sights as these, do very much toward the rectifying of your judgements about all worldly things, if before they were erroneous? and toward the moderating of your affections to them, if before they were excessive? He that doted upon a beautiful outside, will soon coo● his affections, when he sees the object of them turned into a loathsome carcase. Where's that man's wisdom, who eagerly catches at the money, which he is certainly told, will turn to coals or dirt in his hand? And where's his understanding, I may say his senses, who hath not learned, from what he lately saw, that all that a man hath may do so?  
There are indeed (to digress a little) many such excellent lessons taught by this dispensation, that to him who soberly and attentively observes the same, it may prove a most profitable Sermon. How fully doth it inform us, what miserable kind of people they be, who have nothing better nor surer to trust to, than such a perishing world as this? and how foolish they are, who needlessly hurry and toil all their days, and make it the very business of their life, to get that which can be held no faster; especially, how stark mad they are, whilst they sell away their precious souls, and an eternal kingdom that might be made sure, for such trifles as these. It acquaints us also with the great weakness of the generality of men, who take so much upon them, and carry it so high above their neighbours, if they can but scrape together a little more wealth than they, as presently taking themselves to be much the better men for't: When alas! if this be all they build upon, they may within a few days come to be as bad or worse, than those they before despised; and so, they do not only discover their own emptiness of true worth, by valuing themselves by such mean and mutable things, but also stand exposed to contempt, in their own, as well as other men's judgements: for if they account themselves wise and honourable to day, because they are rich, by the same reckoning, they must pass for worthless fools to morrow, when they shall become poor: and yet what's more common in the world, than to prize and rate men after this strange, ridiculous manner, so that he shall be thought ridiculous who contradicts it? Again, this sudden and unavoidable waste that was made of such riches as were in your hands may inform you, how great wisdom it is to dispose of them so as may exempt them from the power of the eves, or fire, or any such dangerous accidents. He that, according to his capacity, lays out his estate for God (or keeps it principally to trade with for him) is that wise Merchant, who puts it into such hands, where not only the principal is secured, but an interest of another value, than blind earth worms are acquainted with, is certain to be gained.  
What one saith of Job, may be partly applied to your case, that he had lost all but what he had given away. That which hath fed and clothed the poor Members of Christ, or any other way been employed for his service, is still your own, and to be reckoned as good as ready money, and better too; if there be any truth in the Gospel, which, I presume, you question not. And for your own gain and comfort, I hearty wish, that your expenses for Christ, amounted to a greater sum, than an Inventory of your losses by the Fire does; then, though you had nothing to show but the very clothes upon your backs, I durst confidently affirm, you have more than you have lost. And hence, for the future, you may take direction how to improve and secure what wealth God shall entrust you with, and may be taught the discretion, still to take the first opportunity to that end. The words of our Saviour to Judas, which the other Apostles thought had a reference to his giving something to the poor, may very well be applied to that purpose, That thou didst, do it quick'y. In good works, you may without danger, make hest to be rich. Nay here, if in any thing, delay is dangerous. Not without reason doth the Wise man exhort us to do good, whilst it is in the power of our hand, and not bid our Neighbour come again to morrow, when we have it by us. Prov. 3.27, 28. That which is to day in your hands, and may be profitable to yourself and brother, may to morrow be snatched out of them, and neither of you be the better for it. Wherefore learn wisdom by what you have seen: You especially that have but seen, not at all, or but little felt the effects of this Fire, let your bounty to your impoverished brethren, be your thank-offering to God for your preservation. And let all take notice, that if they are so backward to render God his own, in that way that it may be most theirs, he can send for it in such ways as will be little for their advantage. Is it not better, think you, to send up your treasures to Heaven voluntarily, where you may finde-them hereafter, than to have them go up thither wards in clouds of smoke, never more to bestead you? And it will make but little to your commendation or comfort, to have your estates fetched away in this manner by hundreds and thousands, which before were wont to be squeezed from you for good uses, only by sixpences and shillings.  
But to return, the great lesson which is pressed upon you hence, and which indeed is understood in all these, is what I before intimated, namely, how very unfit any thing which the whole affords, is, to be your felicity and portion; and how unreasonable it is that you should have the least regard to it as such. And by the palpable discovery of its vanity, which the Providence of God hath made before your eyes, you may, through his Grace working with your serious consideration, be brought off from all such inordinate regard to it, which the best are too subject to. Now without question to have this so common and dangerous a disease weakened and removed, is a far greater mercy than to have had all that is gone from you reserved. Nay, this might have proved a furtherance of your misery, to have retained that which gave strength to your disease. For examine it well, and tell me, whether your very enjoyments have not been a clog and hindrance to you, and made you remiss and sluggish in the way to heaven, by the flatteries and diversions wherewith they were wont to entertain and amuse you?  
Have they not spoiled many a Duty, and rendered many an Ordinance useless, through their too great prepossession of your hearts? Have they not been apt to fill you with false and carnal joys, with a vain confidence and self-conceit? Hath not the World been a bait and snare to your corrupt natures, and drawn you to unseemly compliances with the guise of this luxurious, fantastical age? in the needless cost and bravery of your attire, houses and furniture; in the excess of your feast and entertainments, in a tenderness and delicacy that becomes not the good Soldiers of Jesus Christ? These are the common effects of wealth, and the temptations wherewith it is attended; and though the power of Grace might secure you from the more deadly, damning hurt of its charms, yet it's too too probable some force they had upon you. What a mercy than may you well account it, if this fire have burnt up so much of your Estate as was hurtful to you, and so refined the rest, that it may no more hurt you. Though it will not indeed prove you humble and mortified, because you live at a meaner rate than you were wont, being necessitated thereto; yet this necessity may prove a notable means to that end, and becoming at length the matter of your choice, is capable of being improved into a virtue: A great deal of unnecessary expense and stir to gratify the flesh will be saved, when there remains no such plenty to be lavished away; and hereby may the man in time voluntarily become much more temperate, sober, and selfdenying: Poverty may prick the Bladder of Pride which riches were so apt to blow up; and instead thereof bring in not a forced, but true humility; yea, the very loss of one great estate, may make the owners resolve never to cover after another, not out of despair, but prudence, as seeing what their designs are all come to, and may do again, if they should follow them as before; and so they may meet with contentedness in a low estate, who went without it in an higher, and may serve God better in want than in their former abundance.  
Surely thus to take Knives or Ratsbane out of children's hands is a friendly office, and when they come to understand what was done for them, they'll so esteem it, though at first they may take on as if they were hurt. Your friendship to the world is enmity to yourselves as well as to God; and in compassion of your case he is arisen 〈◊〉 your assistance, against those lusts which warred against your souls: and will you not readily accept his aid, and set in with him against them? Are you not willing to smart a little, so these may die for't? Who would be much troubled for a slight wound, if in receiving it he gave a mortal one to his deadly Enemy? Samson was willing to have the house fall upon his own head, that be might thereby revenge himself upon the Philistine Lords, who had put out his eyes, and were making sport with him: And why should not you as well consent to the fall of your houses and estates too, if therewith that creature-love, delight and confidence, which have done so much to befool and blind you, may be crushed to death? The Physician is not only submitted to, but paid for his Physic, though his bitter Pills and Potions might make us sick before they helped us to our health? And shall we behave ourselves worse toward God, who delights not in our smart and sorrow, only if need be, will let his dearest servants meet with manifold temptations and trials? If then the Fire which hath taken away much of the world from you, hath taken your worldliness too, and by the influence of the Divine Spirit (that Celestial Fire) hath made for the purifying of your souls, so that you come out of it, as the three Children out of the Furnace, not only unhurt, but unbound; having those snares and fetters of carnal affections, whereby you were straitened and enthralled, burnt from off you, instead of repining at this Providence, you have reason rather to indite Songs of praise to him that hath redeemed and advanced you into the truest Liberty, the Noblest Freedom whereof you are capable.  
(3.) Another great advantage of this Dispensation is, That now you have a most proper season for the exercise of faith, patience, and self-resignation, with such like graces, which are especially requisite in, and peculiar to a suffering state. In prosperity these are as it were obscured, (like Stars in the day time) and through disuse weakened, to the great disadvantage of the soul; but adversity excites and polishes them, puts them upon action, and so displays their use and excellency, to the honour of the Author, and the great benefit and comfort of the owners. This we find one end of the tribulations of Christians, That the trial of their faith might be found unto praise, honour and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 1.7 And why should not all the Spiritual Powers and Faculties wherewith God hath furnished his servants be brought into exercise? To what other purpose is Grace bestowed? Why do Generals furnish their Soldiers with Armout and Weapons, but for the fight? And what a shame would it be for any of these to murmur because he's placed in the front, or set to guard any Pass which requires watchfulness and valour? How would Valour be actuated and discovered, if there were no difficulties and dangers for it to encounter? The veriest Coward that while might pass for a valiant man. To get so much ●ook-skill in Military matters, as to be able to discourse ●ow an Army should be Governed and Marshaled, how Onsets and Retreats should be made, and what should ●e done in this case and the other, is a matter of no great difficulty; but to be able actually to lead an Army, and ●o order it aright in all the varieties of Battle, requires ●nother kind of courage, conduct, and presence of mind; ●nd accordingly yields another kind of glory to him ●at is possessed of, and shows forth the same. Whilst you ●ere in a full condition, and all things went according to ●our own desires, you might speak, and hear, and read ●f living by faith, and depending upon God, and resign●g ourselves and all we have to his will, whilst you had ●ttle trial for these Graces. But now, Sirs, show what ●ou can do, being brought upon the Stage, whether you ●ave been so diligent in learning your part, that you can ●ow act it readily and becominglie. What comfort can ●ou now take in a promise, who have little else left to ●ust to? Can you bear up manfully under all your ●ressures, resting singly on the truth, goodness, and ●ll-sufficiencie of God? Can you follow him confidently, though he lead you in the dark? Can you submit to and embrace his will, when it contradicts your senses? This is a season for discovering how you have improved your time, and the means you have had to get well fitted for what you might afterward be called to; would you be content to spend your time and pains in training up a servant to his work, and after that let him lie idle, and show no fruit of all? Or if your negligence hath been such, that so long prosperity, and so great advantages as you therein enjoyed, have been lost upon you, it is but fit that adversity itself should teach you, what it seems you will learn no other way. And indeed we are commonly too remiss in times of ease and peace, to make provision for the troubles that may be coming upon us; like foolish Travellers, that because the Sun shine when they set out, think not of preparing for a Storm; for such men to be well weatherbeaten, is the best way to make them more provident for the future: As in fencing, to hit a man a sound blow, will do more to make him stand upon his Guard, than a bare direction would; or, if you will, as Wars themselves do more to make men expert Soldiers, than any Fencing-School or Training exercises can. Thus the Apostle tells us, that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, Rom. 5.3. Now a Christian comes more to see the want of his spiritual armour than before he did, and therefore labours and prays for it with greater diligence and earnestness. But if any man should ask, whether it was not better never to have need of this, by being freed from those afflictions that make it necessary? I may take leave to tell him, it savours of an impudence, unbeseeming so  a Creature as man, to call in question the proceed of his Maker, and demand whether he might not have ordered things better than he hath. Who should prescribe the way to heaven, but he that owns both it and us, and may bestow it upon what conditions he will? And though (if need were) it might be evident that there is great wisdom and equity in that order which God hath established, yet it's enough for us, that we are told it is his pleasure, that through many tribulations we must enter into his Kingdom, and must fight before we triumph, overcome before we are crowned. And if this be his settled will, we may easily apprehend how needful faith and patience are for this present state; and how much for our advantage that condition is, which does not only put us upon the exercise, but tends to the advancement of them.  
(4.) All these your losses may prove very gainful to you, as, hereby your hearts may be drawn nearer to God, carried out more after him, and caused to adhere to him with the greater firmness, resolution and affection; as upon several accounts may appear. This will indeed necessarily follow from what went before, what interest the world loseth in your hearts, God will gain: so much as your affections are taken off from things below, so much will they be placed the more upon things above. Moreover, so disingenuous and inconsiderate we are, as often to be drawn away into a forgetfulness of God, by those very mercies and comforts which should have made us mindful of him, and engaged us closer to him, and in such a case (which happens too frequently) by the removal of those we may better learn what a kind of dependence that is we have always upon him, and how much we have been beholden to his bounty, when we were little affected to it. It is also very profitable for us t obe sometimes cast into such a plunge, whence we plainly perceive God only can deliver us; for this will put us upon more solicitous inquiries after him, make us rely upon him, and that with all our weight and stress, and will help us to a clearer sense of his loving kindness and Almightiness, in affording us relief when all other refuges failed us. A friends hand put out to a drowning man is grasped with another kind of fastness, and regarded with another kind of welcome and dearness, than when they walked together upon the Land. Furthermore, when that which was wont to stand in competition with God, and to divide our hearts betwixt itself and him, shall be taken out of the way, there's great hopes that we shall with more ease and steadiness centre upon him alone. He that's at a stand which of two friends (that are of contrary parties) he should adhere to, may quickly be resolved, when he finds one of them forsaking him, the other sticking to him at his greatest need: when we have found there was a buy in our right hand, it may drive us most effectually to the true and everliving God Nothing but wilful sottishness could any longer make i● a question, whether God or Baal was to be followed, when they saw to what disgrace the Idol had exposed hi● Priests, whom he could neither hear nor help, and how palpably he was witnessed against by fire from heaven. And if it was possible for any of you to be so weak, as in the least to halt betwixt two Opinions, whether God or the World was to be followed with greatest earnestness, embraced with most affection, I hope the controversy is now fully at an end. You see what a God the World is that cannot defend its self, much less its followers: but the Lord Jehovah is still as good, and powerful, and sufficient, as ever he was, and will so remain for ever. Shall not then all the love and confidence you had scattered away and misplaced upon the Creature, be recollected thence, and fixed upon him, who (as you may now plainly see) only deserves it, and who only can require it? How can you now choose but say within yourselves. Well, since the World hath thus taken its farewell, and fled away, why should we follow it with sighs and tears, and refuse to be comforted because it is not? Why should we mourn for the which hath profited us so little, and been no more kind nor faithful to us? No, rather let us sit down and bewail our folly in overloving such trifles, than be guilty of worse in languisting after them, when we have found that they are such; and with these tears in our eyes let us betake ourselves to our loving and good God, from whom our hearts have too much ●●dred, and beseech him to take them wholly to himself, and never more suffer them to dote upon so unworthy, unsuitable objects. And indeed what way have you left, if you a● all consult for your own interest, but thus to retire to God? If you should yet rather cleave to the Remnant of your Estates, or fortify yourselves with hopes of recovering them, and from these grounds fetch your chie● support, as carnal ones do, you do but more hazard the loss of all, and the utter blasting of these hopes.  
If you indeed belong to God, he'll throw down all your fortresses, and drive you out of all your holds, but he'll recover you to himself. If ingenuity will not bring you, necessity shall. And is it not Fatherly love that thus concerns itself with you, and brings you under the happy discipline of his family, and will leave no means untried, rather than suffer you to remain at such an hurtful distance from him. And how great is his goodness, that ●e will so readily receive and welcome us, upon our return to him after all our strayings; yea, although we are thus fetched back again by a kind of necessity? Might he not justly upbraid us with our former unthankful and unkind behaviour? that we were so strange to him in the day of our prosperity, and lived as if we had no great need of him, that we came not to him till all our other lovers had forsaken us; might he not therefore bid ●s, now go to them in the day of our extremity, and see what they can do for us? But so gracious is his Nature, that he treats us not after this rate, as in Justice he might; but is ready to give us the same loving entertainment, that the Father in the Gospel did to his Prodigal Son.  
To conclude then, Will not this prove a singular mercy, to have your Husks removed, that so you may be brought into your Father's arms, and live more upon the substantial satisfying bread that is in his house? Will you not acknowledge it to proceed from love, that when you attended not as you ought to more gentle calls, God hath dealt with you much like as Absalon with Joab, who when he had twice sent for him in vain, set fire on his Field to bring him away? And be sure, God calls you not thus earnestly to him upon any trivial business; wisdom and goodness shine forth in all his actings: And will you not soon own them in this, when you shall hereby be put upon making up your losses out of God himself, upon searching more diligently than ever you did, what there is to be found in him that will support and satisfy a man that hath nothing else to trust to● Will it, do you think, make nothing for your interest, by these searches to attain clearer apprehensions of the bottomless treasures of goodness to be had in God, and o● his most perfect adequate suitableness to the humane soul? When moreover, you shall be brought to live more singly upon him, to converse more feelingly with him, and shall better relish those surest pleasures of his presence and service, and shall be more solicitous than ever to make sure that he is yours, and to walk so, that you may keep your Evidences clear? Is he worthy the name of a Christian, that if these privileges were to be bought, would not willingly part with all he had to obtain them? Why then should not you as willingly part with what God sees fit to remove, in order to his giving in the same? Estate's sweet, but Life's sweeter, saith the Mariner, when he throws his goods overboard to preserve his temporal life; and will not you cheerfully bear as much for the advancement of a Spiritual and Divine Life? And if these prove indeed the fruits of God● present deal with you, will you not be found as much beholden to this Fire he sent (excepting only a local translation) as Elias was to his Fiery Chariot, whilst it thu● refines you from your earthliness, and carries your soul● so much nearer to God?  
5. But lastly, The benefit of this Providence may hereafter more fully appear, in that it may prove an happy means of preparing you for some further trials that God shall call you to, or for death itself, whenever it shall befall you. Though you should not now so well know what God i● doing with you, yet you may know hereafter: He only in whose hands our times are, can tell what days you may be reserved for, and what it may cost you faithfully to follow the Lamb in the way that he hath led and prescribed you. And perhaps he saw you more entangled in the affairs of this life, than is fit for those that have your warfare to accomplish, and more than would suffer you to please him whose Soldiers you are. The way that is yet behind for you to walk over, may be so rough and untrod, that whilst you were laden with thick clay, you could not have been able to make progress therein, and therefore may you be rendered more light and fit for travel; the weight which pressed you down being taken away, even an earthly load without you, and the greater load of carnal affections from within. In times of suffering for the truth, there's nothing ordinarily proves a more dangerous snare than a great estate. It had been happy, for aught I know, for the young man in the Gospel, if all his possessions had been burnt before he came to Christ; he had then, at least, wanted that temptation which made him go away sorrowful. And as happy had it been for many another, if their riches had been sent the same way, before they were called to lose them for Christ: for than we may probably suppose, they had not forsaken him for love of this present world, which none are so apt to do, as they who have most in it to cleave to. In St. James his time, it was the rich men that were oppressors and persecutors, whilst the poor only were Confessors and Martyrs, Jam. 2.5, 6, 7. And so in all times it is usual. How know you then but God hath taken the world from you, lest in a day of trial it should have drawn you away from him. Thus may the burning of your houses enable you the better to burn at a stake, if ever you should be called to'r; and so one Fiery Trial would fit you for another. But though you escape this, yet death you cannot escape; and to behold in this manner the Funeral of worldly wealth and glory, may very much prepare you for your own. The greater troubles you meet with in your journey, will they not make you long the more for your journey's end? When the Traveller finds his money fall short, or himself tired out with the length and badness of his way, than he falls more heartily to wishing himself at home: Not that you ought in one of Jonah's Pets to take on, and desire by all means to die presently, because your Gourds are withered, your flourishing estates faded away. None ordinarily are more unfit, and if the truth was known, more unwilling to die, than they who in a discontented mood are wishing themselves dead; for it must be love to heaven, more than weariness of the earth, that can confer this fitness, and this willingness. But yet without question, you may make this improvement of all the smart and weariness you feel, thereby to be set a longing after the promised ease and rest. Those desires after death, which proceed from a serious apprehension of the World's vanity, and its unfitness to be your resting place, and are bounded with a submission to Gods Will, are not only lawful, but commendable; and you may esteem it a mercy to have them quickened: Perhaps whilst your present stare was pleasant and desirable, you found it something difficult to get heartily willing to leave it, or to represent to yourself any other condition so much better, as might make you desirous to part with this: But now, I hope, this difficulty is much abated, if not wholly removed. If you found such plentiful and pleasing entertainment in your Inn, that you began to think of abiding there, and to grow forgetful of your own home, will you not be of another mind when you have met with rougher usage? It is not Lazarus his hard fare, but Dives his daily dainties, and such like Bands of love, which chain poor creatures to the World. Moreover, it is to be considered, that at Death you must have undergone the same, and a greater trial than now you have done, in leaving that which hath now left you; and then to have found your heart sticking to the creature, and unwilling to be torn from it, would have been much more grievous to you. Far safer it is that our Bladders slip from under us in the shallow water, where we may try our skill with lest hazard, than in the deep, where we must either swim or drown. By this experience you have had of yourselves, how you can bear the departure of the world, if you have found out your weakness, you are yet in a capacity of looking out for help, and getting better provided for your last great encounter; or if you have discovered strength, you may the more cheerfully expect, and boldly address yourselves thereunto. Thus you see, this affliction, which at present seems not joyous but grievous, may afterwards yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness, to those that are exercised therewith: And therefore it seems no way absurd to apply the exhortation to you, which we find, Jam. 1.10. Let the brother of high degree (not only be content, but) rejoice that he is (thus to his advantage) made low.  
And besides what may accrue to the sufferers themselves, I might (the more to engage their submission) mention the good that may hereby be done to others; as this signal Providence may tend to awaken our Land, and put us upon Repentance and Reformation; or at least may quicken all that are serious, to do what in them lies for the promoting of this work; and may also be a means of terrifying some careless sinners from their ways of wickedness, and of bringing them home to God. If any such work as this was to be done, or a warning given to the Nation, and God saw fit to do it by the burning of our Metropolis, why should you not freely consent that your houses should go in with others, for the accomplishment of his Will? If their destruction may be any means of preventing the overthrow of the Kingdom; yea, or keep any poor soul out of eternal burning; You have no cause to find fault with their being laid out so well. And if any one should think it might have conduced more to these ends, to have singled out the dwellings of the profanest sinners, and made them warnings to the rest, sparing all such as feared God: They may do well to remember, that it becomes not them to prescribe to infinite wisdom, what ways to take for the bringing about his own designs; which designs we are far from knowing perfectly, and less perfectly can we tell, what means are best suited for the compassing of them. But, I suppose, I have said so much of the benefits, that may hereby be given in to true Christians, as may sufficiently demonstrate, that this cloud, as dark as it is, hath a bright side shining upon God's people, which may, in its kind, do them as much service, as the Pillar of Fire did to the Israelites in their March: Whilst they, that Aegyptian-like, are clouded with the mists of wickedness and error, neither perceive the benefit they enjoy, nor partake of it. And though such blind Atheists, or inconsiderate ones, may to their own hurt, misconstrue the methods of Providence, in lashing the good and sparing the bad, or dealing alike with both; yea, though upright men themselves may be somewhat astonished at this, yet shall the innocent stir up himself against the Hypocrite; the righteous also shall hold on his ways, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger, Job 17.8, 9 And thus, I hope, should I say no more, I have showed you abundant ground for patience and quietness under the hand of God. Since  
(1) It is the hand of God, who cannot wrong you, and therefore gives you no cause to murmur.  
(2) This hand of God hath not hurt you, and therefore gives you no cause to complain.  
(3) It may greatly profit you, and so rather gives you cause to be thankful. Two or three Considerations more I have to suggest, which I shall with more brevity dispatch, having stood so long on these.  
4. Though your suffering themselves cannot, yet your impatience under them may very much hurt you, whilst on the other side, your patience will equally turn to your advantage. And this may sufficiently instruct you, if you have any respect to your own interest, outward or inward, which to choose. To pursue this in a particular instance or two.  
(1) By quarrelling with Gods Will in his proceed, you add sin to your afflictions, and thereby put a sting into them, that may do you that mischief, which otherwise they never could. What think you is a sin, if this be not, to be discontent with any thing which God shall do with you? Do you not seem so far to accuse him of want, either of wisdom, faithfulness, or goodness, and so of want of fitness and right to be your Governor? And what's this, but to desire that your affairs were in your own hands, as if than you could order them better? And have you not reason to suppress the very first motions which have so much wickedness, rebellion, and little less than blasphemy in them? You may remember here, what I have formerly said, to demonstrate that sin is the greatest mischief that can light upon the soul of man. If to comply with the Divine Will, in all expressions of it, be his only interest, then to resist this Will, must needs be his greatest misery? Verily, there is no such a deformed monstrous sight in the whole world, as to behold a creature rising up against his Maker, and entering into a solemn war with Heaven itself; whether it be in violating his gracious precepts, or repining at his wise providences. And the very howling of Wolves, or croaking of Toads, is a thousand times more acceptable noise, than to hear men complain and speak ill of the blessed and good God, or any of his ways: For their noise, be it never so harsh, is natural to them; but this harsher voice of murmuring, is most unnatural, and a very breaking of the harmony of the Creation, which consists in a sweet and cheerful obedience of all creatures to him, from whom they received their beings, faculties, conditions, and employments; and in their constant celebrations of his bounty, according to their several capacities. Is not the dumb meekness of a Lamb more grateful to all men, than the roar and strive of a Swine? Especially when kindness, rather than violence, is offered to us, however our false opinions represent it. Want of reason may excuse the struggle of a Bruit, when you go to pluck a Thorn out of his foot, or do him any the like courtesy; but such bruitishness in a Reasonable Creature, is inexcusable! Believe it, Sirs, such unseemly carriage as this, is infinitely worse in the thing itself, and more disgraceful to you in the eyes of God and good men, than your losing all the money and goods you had in the world: This meanness of spirit, is another kind of unhappiness and dishonour, than any other poverty. But on the contrary, to bear up under God's hand with patience and courage, is a greater commendation and privilege, than to abound in all riches. Whatever the world may think, it is undoubtedly true, that to comply with the will of God under any suffering, is a greater blessing, than to have been secured from that suffering. To be content with sickness as it comes from God, is a greater mercy than to be in health; and so patience under all your losses, is a greater happiness than to have lost nothing: For the worst of men may partake of these temporal favours; but good men only are enriched with so excellent a spirit. This tried and approved Faith and Patience, are much more precious than the Gold that is tried (or than all that you have lost) by the fire. How worthy and commendable a thing is it, for a Christian in the lowest, poorest, and most afflicted state, still to think and speak as well and honourably of God, who hath brought him into it, as ever before he was wont? To Apologise for that Providence which he smarts under, and to let Spectators know, that he discerns so much equity and mercy in it, that he cannot choose but submit thereto? Might you not hereby do more to vindicate God before the world, than any other, by bare discoursing can? And by your practice might condemn and shame all those unmanlie ones that act contrarily; and may convince themselves and others, that it is from the weakness of their Faith, the falseness of their opinions, and the unruliness of their passions, that they keep such a complaining, and not from any real cause that God hath given them. This you may teach them more effectually than another out of your condition can: For they are presently apt to reply to such a one, If you was in my case, you would be as bad yourself; but when they see one in the like case, whose carriage is so unlike theirs, they will the sooner be put to silence, and set upon imitation of it. And would not this, do you think, very much endear you to God, to behold in you such a love for himself, such a liking of his actions, and such a zeal for his honour? How do we find him, as it were, glorying of the perseverance of his Champion Job, to Satan his Accuser, in that he held fast his integrity, although his estate was destroyed, Job 2.3. And does not both God and Satan now look upon you, to observe how you will behave yourselves? and will it not please and glorify God, vex and confound Satan, to behold your carriage, like that holy man's? How acceptable, also, will it be to the Lord Jesus, to see you transcribe the copy he set you, to walk as he walk●, when upon earth, and to carry yourselves as he want, under all the sufferings he met with in it? And if the eye of the Prince, or General, will infuse valour into the soul of the veriest Coward, shall it not animate and raise your spirits, to remember what Spectators you have, besides the Inhabitants of this lower world? Even God himself, and Christ, and all the holy Angels. You need not sure be told, how much you are concerned to gain the good liking of these, and how much weight there is in their approbation; nor on the other side, how sad and shameful it would be for you, to have all these ashamed of you, for your Cowardice and fainting.  
(2) Beside the hurt that comes to your inward man, you will find no benefit to your outward concerns, by frowardness and impatience. He that tumbles and strives, like a wild Bull in a net, will never the sooner dis-entangle himself. There's nothing to be gotten of God by this course. He that spared not his Rod, though he knew it might displease you, will not take it off merely because you are not pleased with it. Wise Parents, though never so tender, use not to have regard to all the foolish passions and desires of their Children: and as little reason is there, that God should give heed to yours: For are they any better than childish, whilst the great ground of them (to give no other proof) is, that worldly things are perishing and transitory; or, that according to their nature, they are passed away from you. Now what weakness would you account it, for any man to sit weeping for a beautiful Flower, because it withers in his hand, and because the winter-cold will not permit him to have his fair Tulips and sweet Roses? Or to afflict himself, because the Moon waxes and wanes, and will not always abide in the Full? What relief would you have given to this fond mourner? Should the seasons of the year, or the course of nature be altered to gratify his humour? And do you not know that there are changes in Sublunary things, as well as in the Moon? Seasons and Vicissitudes in our condition, as well as in the year? And both proceed from the same wisdom, though they appear not alike regular and constant. There is a Day and Night, a Winter and Summer, of prosperity and adversity (I speak of things without us.) And of these we may say, as the Plasmist of the other, speaking to God; The day is thine, the night also is thine: Thou host made summer and winter, Psal. 74.16, 17. And is there any reason that he should alter the seasons, and change the nature of things, or the course of his providence, for the satisfaction of every man that is not pleased with it? Or if this should seem too notional, you may easily apprehend, that peevishness and stubborness, may provoke God rather to continue, than cease from lashing you. 'Tis no discretion in a Patent, to spare the Rod always when the Child cries, (the Wise man advises the contrary) much less to dismiss him whilst he is stomachful: And why should you think the Father of Spirits will leave you, till he hath brought you into better subjection to him? It seems by your carriage, there is much corruption left in the Soul to be drawn out: and the same mercy that applied a Corrosive because it was needful, is like to hold it on whilst it is so. But when the cure is wrought, when patience hath had its perfect work within you, you are nearer to a freedom from that, which hath been the exercise of your patience. When the Child is brought to kiss the Rod, the Father is wont to lay it down. When you can hearty say to God, Thy Will be done, you are likeliest to hear from him, Be it to thee as thou wilt. For they hold creature-comforts fastest, who sit losest from them; they deserve them best, and are in the least danger of being hurt by them. To humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, is a sure way, in his due time to be exalted, 1 Pet. 5.6. You have heard of the patience of Job, and seen the end of the Lord, that he is very pitiful and of tender mercy. James 5.11. And none taste sooner, o● more plenteously of this pity and mercy, than they w●●● are most perfectly subdued to his pleasure.  
(3) They that give way to impatience, if they will but have while to look into themselves, may easily discern what harm there is in it, if it were for nothing else, but that continual disquiet and inward torment wherewith it is attended. The passionate man, as well as the cruel, tradableth his own flesh. The most factious Soldier in an Army, or seditious Citizen in a Commonwealth, cannot raise half those stirs and tumults there, as unruly passions do in a Soul. What mire and dirt do they continually cast up? And how do they unfit us for duty to, and converse with, both God and our Brother, and embitter all the comforts we enjoy? There is no Nero nor Phalaris in the world, so ingeniously cruel, as man when he becomes his own Tormentor. He does worse by far, than the Queen we are told of, who held an Asp to her breast: for he maintains a gnawing Worm continually within him, which is near a kin to that we read of, which never dies. Though affliction might make his flesh smart, yet it could not so pierce his soul, did not he himself drive it in; putting vexation into the creature, which is vanity. A Sword, which he finds sticking in his Clothes, he madly thrusts forward, and therewith stabs himself to the heart. A Spider, which was fallen into his Cup, whence it might have been gently taken without any hurt, he squeezes and swallows down, to poison himself, if possible, therewith. How else could it be, that men's losing of their estates, should make them lose their wits too? Sure there's no such connexion betwixt their money and their reason, that they must stand and fall together. But the business is, they fit poring upon their troubles, and representing them to themselves so dreadfully, till their spirits are overwhelmed, and their brains weakened thereby: Like a foolish man, who should get a Glass, that presents Spectators with hideous sights and shapes, of Monsters and Devils, and then stand gazing in it, till with the very horror, he goes besides himself. Now though I hope none that fear God, are capable of such exorbitancies of passion, yet let them beware of the first rise and bubblings up thereof in the soul, lest they should swell to a boisterous Sea, whose waves they will difficultly repress and calm. Thus you see the inordinate sorrow of the world, works death, whilst by subjection to him that corrects us, we live, Heb. 12.9. And live indeed we do, at another rate than discontented, sickly minds are wont. By patience we do truly possess our souls, and enjoy ourselves, and may feel little alteration within, whatever is done without us. Though I will not say it's an easier thing, to rise up to this quiet, humble frame, than to fall into the contrary, yet I may well say, it's much more for the ease of the Soul, when attained to; so much more as will abundantly recompense all the pains taken in the getting of it, and may well set men upon diligence to that purpose: Especially if we consider what was said before, that this is the nearest and surest way to deliverance. And if it be so, an easy way I am sure it is: What's this, but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord? Or as the Prophet to the Jews, In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Isa. 30.15. Or if the outward afflictions should still remain upon you, yet there is in some sense, a way made to escape, whilst you are thus made able to bear it, 1 Cor. 10.13.  
Lastly, Consider how by your unseemly dejection under the hand of God, you may do very much to the prejudice of the Christian Religion, which you profess hearty to believe and love. What will the Atheist, or what will the profane scoffer say, when they shall see this? So sottish and malicious they are, that if they do but see you in affliction, they are straightway scornfully demanding, Where is now their God? But what will they say, if they should hear you yourselves unbelievingly cry out, Where is our God? Will they not be ready to cry, This is the Religion they make such boast of, which you see how little it does for them in a day of extremity: They talked of promiser, rich and precious promises, but where are they now? Or t●● what purpose do they serve? They said they had a treasure in Heaven, what ails them mourn so then, if their riches be there? And carnal worldlings will be drawn to think, that whatever fine talk you might have about God and Heaven, your hearts were most upon the same things that theirs were, since your grief for their removal, is as great as theirs. They know by experience, what a stay it is to the heart, to have an able, faithful friend to depend upon, or to have hopes of a great estate shortly to fall to them; and they'll never be persuaded, you have any such ground of comfort, if they see you as much cast down, as those that pretend to no such matter. By this means, the precepts of Christ to constancy and contentment in all estates, will come to be looked upon (like those of the Stoics) only as Magnifica verba, Brave words, but such as are impossible to be practised; and the whole of the Gospel will be taken for an Airy notion, since they that profess greatest regard to it, are no more helped thereby. Oh what a shame is it; that Religion should in this case make no more difference betwixt man and man! That it should not, do I say? Yes surely it will, where ever it is in truth and power. For does not the essence of it, lie in the souls being brought off from the world, and self-will, to the love of God and subjection to him? Wherefore so much submission to his will, so much holiness and religion there is in the soul. Oh Sirs, these (though they make not such a noise and show in the world) are better differences of a godly man from a wicked, than any outward profession and performances; (though these also may have their use and excellence.) Wherefore show to the world (what ever their common censures are) that it is not so much your care to differ from them in some by-opinions and little strictnesses, as in humility, meekness, contempt of the World, and heavenly-mindedness. And now let these graces display themselves, by your cheerful, patiented deportment under all your grievances. And labour you to cheer up your poor Neighbours, and let them know what an unit and foolish thing it is, to be so much concerned for these things, whilst there are ten thousand times greater offered to their choice: and above all, see that your counsels are backed by your examples. This will force an adoration from beholders, and make them take knowledge 〈◊〉 you, that you have been with Jesus. Your belief and confidence in the promises of the Gospel, being thus ●●de manifest, will honour them and him that made them; and may put others upon enquiry, what it is in Religion that produceth such notable effects: As the brave ●●d undaunted behaviour of Primitive Christians under 〈◊〉 hardships and cruelties, drew many Heathens first 〈◊〉 admire, after to search into, and embrace Christiani●●. If these things be well weighed, you cannot but knowledge, that the patience and calmness, I am ●swading you to, is much more for your interest both Soul and body, than the contrary temper: And if this granted, need I say any more to men of common son, to direct, or exhort them, which to pursue and brace. And so much for the fourth particular.  
5. Farther reason for, and help to this holy frame; 〈◊〉 may find, If you will but take an impartial view of ●●se many mercies, which are still vouchsafed you; the consignation whereof may instruct you, how unreasonable and disingenuous it is, to have your eyes so filled with tears for, and your minds so possessed with, the thought of what you have lost, that you should overlook and forget what you have left. Especially when the mercy yet left, are so very considerable as yours are, both Temporal and Spiritual. Is it nothing, do you think, that your lives are preserved, though your livelihood be lessened? This was promised to Ebedmelech as a great favour, that his life should be given him for a prey, Jer. 39.18. And doubtless Lot took it for such, when the Angel rescued him from the flames that consumed his City. When he was bid to escape for his Life, we read not o●● any Goods that he carried along with him. And thought this preservation was more signal to him (as Noah's also was) in that the rest of the Inhabitants were destroyed yet is the mercy never the less to you, for having ma●● more to partake thereof: but you have cause administr●● to bless God, not only for yourselves, but also on th●● behalf of your neighbours, friends, and relations; where●● as Lot himself did not altogether enjoy this privilege his Sons in Law perishing in the fire, and his Wife ●o looking back upon it: Her fault, it's probable, being that which I am wishing you to avoid, viz. That she had longing mind after her House and Goods, instead of thankful heart for her Life, wherefore remember I●● Wife. But yet you know, some there were (though, bless be God, but a few) that lost their lives in the late Conflagration, and that neither you nor yours were of th●● few, you own it to free mercy, and own for it the heartiest thankfulness. If then it be true (what Truth hi●● self hath told us) that the life is more than meat, and 〈◊〉 body than raiment, have you any reason to repine, which the better is preserved, though the worse should no●● But, farther, I suppose, there are very few, if any of y●● stripped so bare, as not to have food and raiment, wh●● whilst you have, you are commanded to be content, and have reason to be so; you may see both, 1 Tim. 6.8. J●●b's ambition went no higher, than for Bread to eat, and Clothes to put on, Gen. 28.20. and have not you ●ese still? What though they be plain and homely, if they supply the necessities of nature, and keep you fit for the works you have to do in the world, what do you ●eed from them more? Reason and Religion will tell you, this is enough, whatever a fleshly disposition may whine after. Moreover, have you not health and strength, your reason and senses? besides all other particular mercies to yourselves or yours, whereof your own thoughts ●ay present you with a larger Catalogue than I can rehearse.  
And let me put it to your Conscience, whether it is more seemly for you that are encompassed with so many mercies, to own and admire the goodness of the Donour, ●●r sadly to lament the removing of somewhat you enjoyed, and peevishly to quarrel with him that did it. How could you cry shame upon such carriage among men? so see any one repine at his friend for calling in an hundred pound, whilst yet he left him twice as much in his ●and: Or for a Child to murmur at his Father, from ●hom he hath all his maintenance, for withdrawing from 〈◊〉 something that he may well enough be without. and how just your thankfulness is upon account of what 〈◊〉 enjoy, will yet plainlier appear, if you consider, that 〈◊〉 you have proceeds purely from the kindness of your benefactor; and that he can as easily remove all, as any 〈◊〉; yea, and may justly do it, and you have rather derved that he should so. Look abroad also into the ●orld, and observe what multitudes there are in a worse ●●dition than you; and look back upon former times, ●●d see what straits many of God's dearest servants have ●●en brought to. Such of whom the World was not worthy, found no better entertainment in it, than in Sheepskins and Goatskins, to wander up and down in wilderness●● and mountains, dens and caves of the earth; and have not you better raiment and lodging than so? Paul tells us of himself, that he was in hungrings and watch, and maintained himself by the work of his hands. Yea, the Lord Jesus himself, when on earth, underwent hunger and thirst, watching and weariness, and had not so much as where to lay his head. And is the Servant greater than his Master? Or shall he complain whilst he hath the same, or better usage than he? 'Tis recorded (as I remember) of Alexander, that when a dish of water was brought him, in a time when all his Army was sore afflicted with thirst, he threw it away, on purpose to teach them patience by his own example. And shall not the example of Jesus, the Captain of our Salvation, do much more to make all his Soldiers willing to endure hardship, which he hath born before them? and hath showed that it is tolerable, and promised to make it so to them.  
But besides the many temporal mercies that are reserved you, which bespeak contentment with your present estate, you have such spiritual privileges, as may be strong engagements to this duty. At what rate is it to be valued, that you were born and brought up where the Gospel is purely dispensed: not in India, or Turky● where it is not known not embraced; not in Spain or Italy, where it is so much locked up from the people: but in England, where it hath been so industriously published and inculcated. And tell me what you think, if these glad tidings of salvation were now newly come to your ears, discovering the true God, and the way to happiness, with him through the Messiah, and you were but just comed out of Heathenish darkness to the beholding of this glorious light; would it not so swallow up and delight your souls, that you would searce mind any thing without you; nor ever once more think of your lost estate, with any kind of trouble? 'Tis very probable it might have such effects upon you, if received in the power of it: for we find it had no less upon those first Christians, who so willingly sold all they had, and laid it at the Apostles feet. And why should the Gospel be the less regarded, because you have been long acquainted with it? It's own worth, and the mercy to you is never the less, and therefore ought your esteem of it, and its force upon you to be as great: Especially, since it hath pleased God to make it effectual to your souls, and hath thereby brought you to the knowledge and love of himself, through Jesus Christ. And is not this such a peculiar important favour, that it may make you bear any thing comfortably, which is no prejudice to it? To have God enrich and adorn you with the graces of his Spirit, to give his Son to be your Husband and Head, and himself, through him to become your loving Father and satisfying portion, what would you desire, or what can you have more than this? Or what can come amiss to you whilst you have it? There was some reason, though mixed with harshness, in Joab's speech to David, when he took him up so roundly for his unseasonable, excessive lamentations of Absaloms' death, after a rebellion had been suppressed by the gaining of a victory, telling him (with many other words) that he perceived if Absolom had lived, and all the peopl died, it had pleased him well, 2 Sam. 19.6. And may not you, whose sorrows are excessive for worldly losses, be justly charged with as great fondness and folly? For does not your carriage seem to speak, that if the world had lived and flourished with you, though all your other comforts had died, it had pleased you well? And does not his show (as David is there charged) that you love your enemies, and have but little regard for your friends? For tell me, if you account the mercies that are left you of more worth than those that are fled away, why do you not rejoice more in those which you have, than grieve for the want of these? And may not God justly say to you (to continue the allusion) that if you will not arise and be comforted, all the kindness he hath hitherto shown you, shall be withdrawn? And that would indeed be worse for you, than any evil that hath befallen you, from your youth until now. Must it not needs be highly displeasing to God, to see his people not to be content with him alone, except they may have their part in the creature as others have? will not even carnal men in this respect condemn you? For they can make a kind of miserable shift without God in the world, and cannot you find enough in God for your satisfaction without the world? How, I beseech you, can this consist with your profession to take him for your God? By which we mean a Being in whom all perfections and excellencies, all that is needful or desirable for the soul, is to be plenteously found. And can that be really taken for your God, in the having of which, you reckon not yourselves abundantly provided for in every regard? Do you think indeed, there is not enough in God to make those that love him, at all times, perfectly and compleatlie happy, though they had no creature in the world to rest upon? May not they, to whom the Lord is the portion of their cup and their inheritance, well say, that their cup runneth over, and that they have a goodly heritage, though they should not have one foot of Land, nor scarce a bit of Bread to put in their mouths? Certainly God is all and more than all, and they that enjoy his favour, can want no good thing, but may always glory in that sufficiency and redundancy of felicity laid up for them in him. Even here on earth, in the absence of all other comforts, God hath ways of conveying more suitable substantial comfort, than the whole world can afford, to believing Souls that have their whole recourse to, and affectionately hang upon him. You that have tasted that the Lord is Gracious, cannot but acknowledge this. Wherefore, call to mind your own experiences of his goodness, and what many of his dear servants have left upon record, that they have found from him in the day of their distress; and hereby set your souls a longing after him: Press hard after the most close and intimate communion with him, and rest not till you feel yourselves rerived and cheered with those communications of himself, which he is wont to bestow upon such necessitous, hungry souls, as being not only emptied of the creature, but of love to it, breathe after nothing so much, as more of God. And when you are thus rejoicing in him, more than in all riches, what is it that can sadden you? when you are satisfied in him as with marrow and fatness, what want can you feel? But moreover, how may it yet even farther advance you above the troublesome sense of all your pressures, to remember, that your present sweetest and most delicious tastes of Divine favour, are but the overflowings of that cup, which will afford you full draughts to all eternity; some rivulets streaming from that immense ocean of goodness and joy, which will never be exhausted. But of this (as I promised) I now come to speak by itself, and shall mention nothing more.  
6. Wherefore, Lastly, for your support and cheering under all the troubles that are come upon you, Remember, There is a rest remains for all you that are the people of God; an everlasting happiness to be enjoied with him, when the world and all its works shall be vanished and gone. Do you not know there is a time coming, and apace it comes, when you shall know God (in some measure) as you are known by him, clearly; when you shall please him, and be pleased in him perfectly; when you shall love him, and be loved by him feelingly; wh●● you shall enjoy this blissful, ravishing communion with him eternally? Is there such an inexpressible glory as this purchased for you, and revealed to you by the Lord Jesus, and can you come into that condition wherein you may not rejoice in hope of it? Why did he tell you of this, but that his joy might remain in you, and your joy might be full? That your belief of this future advancement, might keep you from sinking and fainting in the lowest estate? Is it comely for a Prince, the Heir of the Crown, to lament the loss of a farthing? And are your losses any greater (though the sum of them should amount to thousands and millions) if compared to your inheritance, who are heirs of God, coheirs with Christ? What though a temporal estate be lost, since it is no less than an eternal Kingdom which you have in reversion? Imagine you heard Christ saying to you, Though your Houses be burnt, yet let not your hearts be troubled, in my Father's house are many mansions; though now you are tossed up and down, yet shortly I'll take you to the place I have prepared, whence you shall never remove more. And does he not speak to this purpose in his Gospel, John 14.1, 2, 3. Though this you lived in be no continuing City, yet there is one to come, which you are now seeking after. When you stand gazing upon the heaps that once were houses, and are ready to mingle your tears with their dust; lift up your eyes and your minds, and think of those streets of the new Jerusalem, which have another kind of beauty than London in all its glory, and this joined with a stability that will never suffer them to be turned into Rubbish. What a privilege is it now accounted, to have an estate in Land for a reserve, when that in House's o● Wares is gone? But what is it to have that better country, which the Patriarches sought, even the Celestial Canaan, for an heritage? which is subject to none of those casualties, that all kind of earthly possessions are? what though you have it not in hand, yet if you be the Children of God, 'tis as sure as if you had; and when you are come to age, grown up into a fitness for it, you shall certainly possess it. Though your Bills and Bonds may be burnt, yet so are not the Promises which convey this inheritance: though your Bible's themselves should be burnt, yet the Covenant of Grace remains firm; Heaven and Earth shall sooner pass away, than one tittle of God's Word fail. And you have already the first-fruits of this your future portion, viz. the indwellings of the Holy Spirit, which may assure you the fullness of glory remains for you in the heavens. And both these it was that made the Christians, I before mentioned, to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods; as knowing they had in themselves (for so plainly the words lie in the Original) a better substance (the Graces of the Spirit) and enduring in the Heavens, (Glory itself) Heb. 10.34. Wherefore instead of making such a matter of your petty losses, pray for yourselves, as Paul for his Ephesians. That God would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, Ephes. 1.17, 18. For did you clearlier know this, you would judge it more reasonable for the wealthiest Citizen to be dejected for his losses than you, whose very earnest is of more value than all his wealth. 'Tis you, Sirs, and you only, who know no end of your riches, neither as to their greatness, or duration, whereas all others may be fathomed and exhausted: If God be infinite and everlasting, so is your portion; when you are reflecting upon your losses, consider yourselves as upon the borders of the other world, and see how they dwindle into a matter of nothing: A man that's now going to be for ever perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God, hath lost a little money by the way. Oh heavy chance! If you were to die within this month or year, how little would this affect you? For you know how these things are needed and valued on the other side the grave, how Angels and Saints care for heaps of gold: How short a while then would you have been better for all that's gone from you? And can you not overlook that inch of time betwixt you and approaching death? Forethink, moreover, how less than nothing these now so terrible things will appear, when you are got safe into heaven, what is it to Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, that once he lay at. Dives his gate? And will it be any thing to you what a loss you had in 1666. when you are lodged in Eternity? Why then should that be so much to you now, which will shortly be as if it had never been? To conclude, when all you are placed so advantageouslie in that higher state, whence you may take a view of the whole Series of Providence, and the several means whereby the good of the Church and your own particular Salvation were carried on, and shall see what a tendency those Dispensations had to this end, which here seemed most dark and amazing, how will you be raised to the admiration of his Wisdom and Power who sat at the Stern, and by all these strange transactions fulfilled the counsel of his own most blessed will? And the fore-thoughts of this, should now beget in you the like frame, whilst you believe that which yet you cannot see.  
From all that hath been said is farther manifest, what a vast difference there is betwixt your condition, who are Gods peculiar people, and theirs who are strangers to him, whilst to outward appearance your sufferings are the same; and therefore how fit is it that your demeanour should be accordingly better than theirs? It becomes not you to think or speak at the rates they do. For a man to have his worldly interest, and all hopes of recovering it quite broken, is with them to be utterly undone; so they plainly speak, and such are their very thoughts: But will you judge yourselves undone, whilst you have God dwelling within you, and an heaven where you shall ever dwell with God? Undone indeed you would be, if your God was gone as theirs is; and therefore blame not the poor men if they take on, for what have they more? But all you the Favourites and Heirs of Heaven, Children of the Most High, to whom you profess to have wholly given up yourselves, to you I conclude my Exhortation as I began it, that you would not discover any such sorrow or impatience, under this Providence, as suits not with your Honourable Relation and Profession; or as speaks you both unmindful of the many great reasons you have for contentedness and joy, and careless of improving them when they are suggested to you.  
Two more Objections which may here probably be started, I would willingly remove.  
Object. 1. Some may say, yes indeed, if we had assurance of the love of God, that we are his children, and should for ever live with him in glory, we could comfortably bear all that he hath laid upon us, as proceeding from love: But how can we, when we have reason to fear the contrary, and to regard his judgements as tokens of his displeasure against us for our sins? To the several things in this Objection, I shall frame an answer in two or three particulars, very brieslie.  
1. If indeed you want assurance of God's love (whereby I mean such well-grounded hopes and comfortable apprehensions thereof, as ordinarily prevail over your doubts and fears, and enable you cheerfully to expect death and judgement.) If, I say, you have not this, is it not your wisest course diligently to set yourselves to attain it, in the use of those means that are prescribed to that purpose, rather than to si● still and faintly give way to your despondencies, and thereby aggravate all other troubles into an intolerable weight? Would this assurance be so profitable (as you yourselves acknowledge) and so fortify your spirits against all assaults whatever, and will you not be quickened to look after it? Since, in that measure I have mentioned, it may be got and kept by diligent, humble, watchful Christians. The method you can hardly be ignorant of, it being so plain and so frequently pressed upon you, viz. That you should study well the terms of the Covenant of Grace, and examine whether you are willing to come up to those terms; that you should search the Scripture, what manner of persons it tells you shall be saved; and then search your own hearts whether you be such, and if you are not, without any more delay, to do what in you lies to become such. And not to digress now to the laying down of marks and signs, let me only wish you to consider what I have before intimated, That your patiented bearing of God's hand is a singular evidence of your sincerity: For since the principal effect of true Religion is, to subject the soul to the Will of God, than a subjection to such instances of it as are so cross to our carnal inclinations, is a good discovery of a truly Religious man. He that keeps himself so unspotted from the world, that he is neither polluted with inordinate love to it, whilst in his hands, nor muddied with foul and turbulent passions when it's taken out of them, his Religion is pure and undefiled before God. To bridle these motions of the heart, as well as of the tongue, show our Religion not to be vain. But take heed of perverting this to your farther trouble, crying out, that you then perceive your condition worse than ever, since you are so far from this temper of mind: but rather be engaged to greater industry with your hearts now at length to bring them thereto, since when you have done this, from this patience and meekness may flow that assurance which hitherto you have sought in vain; for by the exercise of Grace, the being and truth of it is best discovered.  
2. If you judge that it is for your sins you now suffer, and Conscience tells you plainly and truly, what those sins are, your only way is humbly to acknowledge them before God, to repent of and speedily set against them, that hereby you may get a pardon, and the sense of it, and so may attain to satisfaction and comfort.  
3. And know farther, this sincere and ingenuous repentance which God requires at your hands, is no way inconsistent with that quiet frame of spirit which I advise you to: He calls for no unprofitable, perplexing grief, but for that alone which may be for your good, which may bring you more thoroughly from the love of sin, and so be a means to joy itself. And easily may you conceive, that this godly sorrow for sin may well consist with patience under suffering: for cannot a man, whose excess hath brought him into a Surfeit, at the same time be grieved for that folly which procured his sickness, and yet content with the bitter Physic which may cure him of it?  
4. Furthermore, Need I tell you what an unsound argument it is, to conclude from your afflictions, that you are not in favour with God? Do you think it reasonable or safe, to argue from our prospering in the World, that we are beloved of him, and our ways well pleasing to him? And is there any more reason to judge the contrary from cur adversity? Were the Apostles, when exercised, as upon a Theatre, with sufferings of all sorts, disesteemed by God? Or when he brought forth Job, to combat with those evils which Satan had liberty to bring against him, did he do it because he was angry with him, or did not love him? Though his friends indeed would needs have had it so, yet that good man was so just both to God and himself, that he would not believe them. And though you for the same reason should meet 〈◊〉 the same charge of hypocrisy, or any other crimes, de● but faithfully with yourselves, and if your Conscience beat witness to your integrity before God, be not moved from the belief and comfort of it, either by your sufferings, or the censures that for their sakes may be fastened upon you: Both may serve as trials of your Grace, but neither are sufficient proofs of any such guilt.  
Yea, lastly, Grant that for some particular sins you are afflicted, yet have I not shown, that even this may be an evidence of God's love, and so far a ground of comfort to you? Is it not love to reduce you to himself from those ways that might be your ruin? He that should pluck you back, when in an humour you was running to drown yourself, though he might tear your  in struggling, yet should have your hearty thanks, when you were come to a better mind. Pray tell me, cannot you hate your sin, and yet love yourselves? Yea, do you not then love yourselves best, when you do most against it? And may not God do so too? Your sin he hates, and wills the death of it, and sends afflictions to that end; but all this while he loves your souls, and therefore takes this course with their Enemies. What reason then have you but to acknowledge this love, and submit to all its methods for your recovery? And by this your compliance with, and improvement of his deal, you may best make it out that they came from love, and therefore are to be born comfortably, according to your own confession.  
Object. 2. Some again perhaps will reply, You h●x● said much to comfort us under all our losses, and the poverty they have brought us to: But is it possible for them to take comfort, that have nothing for themselves nor families to live 〈◊〉 on, but may, for aught we know, within a while be brought ●ven to starve to death: Can any man living hold up in such a condition as this? Or can any ground of support be administyed?  
Answ. Yes, blessed be God very much; since he hath so well consulted for us, that there is no poison in nature without its attending antidote; no trouble common to man, for which there is not suitable provision made.  
1. I would have you call to mind how much is said in Scripture to secure Gods servants from these fears. You know that godliness hath the promise of this life, and that which is to come: You are bid not to perplex yourselves with thoughts what you shall eat and wear, since your heavenly Father knows what you need, and will take care for you accordingly. When the young Lions suffer hunger, they that fear the Lord shall want no good thing: Their bread shall be given them, and their water shall be sure; and their souls shall be kept alive in famine. David in his time had not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his Seed begging bread. And though these, with a multitude the like, are not to be taken altogether absolutely, yet I suppose it's seldom known but they are in some measure made good to all the godly. It is but a very few in the hardest times (if we except extraordinary famines) that perish for lack of food; but when did you know a good man do so? And why should you think that will happen to you which so seldom doth to any?  
2. You cannot, I believe say, that this is yet your condition, that your wants are so pinching that you have no way of relief left you any longer. Did your Children ever yet ask bread when you had it not to give them? Have you not still one way or other found succour at your greatest need? And yet have not your straits been as great as ever they are like to be? And have you not the same God to depend upon? How exceedingly displeased was he with the unbelieving murmur of the Israelites, who had oft beheld his power employed for their seasonable relief? And why should not your experience engage you to trust in him? Especially since this is the best way to have his promises fulfilled to you; I mean, by your relying upon him for whatever you want, with this persuasion, that if it be good for you, it shall be given in; and that it proceeds not from lack of power, truth or mercy in God, if you go without it. Is it not against all reason, and your own ease, by unbelief and carnal fears to anticipate your troubles, and by frightful imagination; to put yourselves to greater pain than ever your condition is like to do? Are we not told, that sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; and taught to pray for daily bread? Perhaps you have not another day to live, and then you are provided for; or if you have, this day's bread is a good pledge that it shall be given to morrow. And remember, there may be a greater distance betwin you and starving than you imagine, only perhaps you take it for a grievous matter to live at lower rates than you were heretofore wont.  
But lastlie, Suppose the thing you fear should come upon you, even that you and yours should come to die for want of bread, yet is there no such intolerable evil herein, that either the fore-thoughts, or the feeling of it, should overwhelm your spirits, and leave you destitute of all comfort. It is not this, as dreadful as it seems, that can make a good man miserable, why then should it affright you so much? Lay aside, I entreat you, all passion and prejudice, and calmly consider the very truth of the case: Can starving bring any thing worse than death? And may not the Command of Christ here be of force; That we should not fear that which can kili the body only, and then hath nothing more to do? What will it be to you, when once it's over, what death you died on? Will the joys of heaven be the less for the pains of that death that brought you thither? Nay, and as to matter of pain, questionless many a rich man, who hath long lain tortured with the Gout, or Stone, hath felt more pain than ever poor man did, though famished to death. And as to the disgrace, (which is reckoned one of the worst miseries of poverty) it is but matter of Opinion, which a wise man ought to live above. And if it may the more convince you, hear what a very Heathen speaks to this purpose: Thou art afraid (saith he) lest thou shouldst want necessaries; art thou so blind that thou canst not foresee whither this want will bring thee? even thither, that a Fever or any mortal wound does, namely, to death. And hast thou not often gloried of thy willingness to die? True, but my Children will famish also; what then? Will this carry them any whither else? Is not the passage the same, and the state after death the same? Wilt thou not therefore, with a mind fortified against all fears of hunger and want, look thitherward, whether Emperors and Kings, and the richest upon earth must at length descend? Only thou perhaps mayst be killed with penury, they with drunkenness and gluttony. What a shame is it then for a Christian to be daunted with those things which an Heathen could perceive so harmless? Though he could tell so little of any state after death that should make amends for the troublesome passage into it. Know then for certain, that whilst God hath any work for you to do on earth, he'll maintain you in it: Rather will he rain Manna from heaven, or turn the stones into bread, than let his servants want, whilst he sees fit to have their days lengthened out. But when he is pleased to cut off the thread of life, you may well enough bear it, to have the staff of life withdrawn. When your journey's at an end, what need you take care for provision for the way? And needs must your provision last as long as your journey; for when it all fails, your journey's at an end. As the good woman valiantly, when the Popish Persecutors threatened to take away her food; Why then, faith she● God will take away my stomach. So when you are out of a capacity of having maintenance, you shall soon be past needing it. And in the mean time question not, but God will bring you through whatever he brings you to! Wherefore let the confidence and resolution of Habakkuk, be yours also, that though there should neither be fruit in the field, nor meat in the shambles, yet you will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of your Salvation, Hak 3.17, 18. Now though the fears of this calamity are for the most part very groundless, yet I was willing to suppose a case as bad almost as is possible to fall out, that you might be convinced, there is no such condition whereinto you can be brought, that doth necessit eaten, or will justify your dejection and distrust.  
And if indeed the people are in so happy a case whose God is the Lord, that no calamities need affright nor can undo them; then let me hence take rise for an exhortation (wherewith I shall conclude) to all the serious and true hearted Christians in the Land, into whose hands these lines may fall, that in the midst of all the miseries and dangers wherewith we seem surrounded and threatened, they would be of good cheer, summon up their fainting spirits, and fortify themselves to a resolute, undaunted expectation of the worst that may befall us.  
Let the Sinners in England be afraid, and let fearfulness surprise the hypocrite, but let him that walketh righteously be bold as a Lion, since his dwelling is on high, and his place of defence the munition of rocks. Fear not you their fear, neither be afraid, but sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, let him be your fear, let him be your dread: for he is your Light, and your Salvation; whom should you fear? He is the strength of your hearts of whom should you be afraid? Let your minds be st●● on him, who will keep them in perfect peace, even on the Lord Jehovan, in whom there is everlasting strength; and they that trust in him shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed: for as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, benceforth even for ever. Wherefore though you walk even through the valley of the shadow of death, yet fear none ill, since God is with you, who is a very present help in trouble, whose name is a strong tower, whereto the Righteous run and are safe. When Saul the Commander of an Army, and Ruler of a Kingdom may, in the anguish of his mind, run to a witch for relief; and Achitophel the great Politician may have recourse to an halter, yet are they never in any case destitute of a refuge, who are acquainted with the Almighty, and dwell under the shadow of his wings. Does God, even your God, reign in the earth, and will you fear any thing that can betid you whilst you are in it? Are you not always in his hands, and where else can you be safer than there? Must you not trust your souls with him, when you go hence to that other world, to which you are yet so strange? And be wholly at his disposing, what employment, society, and condition you shall be in for ever. Can you then trust him for eternity, and not for a year or two till you come thither? As confused as the affairs of this world may seem, he hath not cast them out of his hands, but governs all in perfect order, according to the nature and capacity of the subject. When storms arise that seem to threaten the ship you are in, you may apprehend him saying to you, Be of good cheer, it is I; I that raise (or at least permit) and I who will lay their troublesome tempest. It would not indeed (as the principal Philosopher says) be worth while, to live in a world destitute of Providence: but this is not so. No events can befall, without the permission of that will, which you daily prey may be done, and is in some sense done, on earth as it is in heaven; so that I may say, the whole world is ruled according to your prayers. And need you fear any thing from the will of God, since it is his eternal and unchangeable decree, that nothing shall make those men miserable, who love him, and submit themselves to his righteous administrations? Whilst therefore you live under his government, as you always do, and can meet with nothing but what he is pleased should come to pass (as you never can) how boldly may you hold on your course, though encountered with all those terrors which dismay the faint-hearted, and cause them to run hither and thither, trembling and lamenting? Fire and Sword, Pestilence and Famine, though they may well terrify those that converse with creatures only (having no better a portion, and no greater strength, than what they afford) yet the man that is armed with a self-resignation to, and confidence in God, may with an unbroken mind, march through the thickest troops of these deaths and dangers: as having God for his felicity, from whom they cannot force him; and for his continual help, and therefore they cannot vanquish him. Yea, may I not add, he beholds all these as fight under the Banner of the Lord of Hosts, whose servant he is, and whose cause he hath espoused: Why then should he be more afraid to go through them, than some known friend of the Generals, is to walk through the midst of his armed men? Though he may go by the mouths of Cannons ready fixed, and the points of drawn Swords, yet he dreads them not, since these instruments of death are prepared for their enemies, not their friends. When any of these overflowing scourges pass over a Nation, and seem to take all before them, yet then have the Righteous the same security and privilege, that Noah and his company in the Ark had, in the time of the Deluge; what if I should say, the same that the fishes than had above all other Creatures left out? For whilst they continue in compliance with that will which order all things for them, they are never out of their proper element; whilst they follow this Providence, and keep out of the by-paths of wickedness, they are still in their way. Not but that their bodies are as weak as other men's, and their outward enjoiments subject to the same casualties: but their souls are of another temper, and their happiness of another nature, and cannot be destroyed or lost. Boldly may they defy all the Hasts of hell or earth that rise up against them, since none of these can keep them from God whilst they live, and do but translate them to him when they die. Well therefore may you, whose interests are so securely placed, out of the reach of all violence and malice; sing aloud with the blessed Apostle, whilst in the midst of his battles; he justly triumphs like a Conqueror; Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, persecution or famine, nakedness, peril or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8.35, 37, 38, 39 And what can be more comely, than all you upright ones, to return thanks and praise to that God, who hath dealt so graciously with you? And to rejoice in your felicity, which he hath made so secure and inviolable? Instead of continual complain of this misery, and the other which is upon us, or fearful prophesyings of worse yet to come, wherewith many are overmuch taken up. Let the high praises of God be in your mouths, who hath done so much for you, to make you at all times safe, and therefore comfortable. Bless him with all your Souls, for his inestimable love to mankind, which he hath revealed by Jesus Christ, in whom he is reconciling the world to himself, and hath actually done that work upon you, whereby it comes to pass, that being reconciled to the Creator, the whole Creation is so far at peace with you, that all the Creatures which stand on his side will not hurt you, and they that are his enemies cannot. Praise your Redeemer, who by his death hath slain your foes, spoiled principalities and powers, disabled Satan, overcome the world, and taken the sting out of all affliction and death itself; that you might walk securely through this vale of tears, and departed out of it cheerfully. Oh praise his name, that he hath kept you from being destroyers of yourselves, and will keep all other things from destroying you. Be thankful to him for the glorious light of his Gospel, and for enlightening your minds therewith, whereby you are made acquainted with the true nature of all things that concerns you; that so you might neither be startled with those Bugbears, which the fears and fancies of weak and guilty men, in the dark apprehend so terrible, nor fall into those real mischiefs, which ignorant benighted sinners run upon to their own destruction. God hath already done much for you, and hath given you promises of very much more; praise him therefore for what you have, and for what you hope for: Especially for the dawnings of Heaven in your souls, and for the promises of a fuller glory hereafter, to be revealed in you. And through the hopes of this, be you ever filled with peace and joy in believing. And with the frequent meditation of all his lovingkindness, be still making melody in your hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and our Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
I have before endeavoured to take off those hindrances to this frame which might arise from worldly crosses: for if they so little deserve our sorrow, when they befall us (as I have fully manifested) how much less do they deserve our sorrow and fear, lest they should? And indeed it was my design, not only to comfort those that have met with troubles, but to prepare others for whatever they may meet with. But there is yet another Objection behind, that may appear of more weight than any of the former, which I cannot altogether pass over in silence, since fain I would do something for the removal of all shelters and pretences for carnal fears and faintings, which do so much pinch and wrong Christian souls, hinder the pleasantness and benefit of their Society, and eclipse the glory of their profession.  
Object. Perhaps than some may tell me, That this is an unseasonable time to call men to joy and cheerfulness, when such heavy judgements lie upon us, and such a black cloud hangs over us, (and God is angry with those who takes no notice of, nor lay to heart his hand) when we consider also the low estate of God's Church, both at home and abroad. When the Church in former times was in such a condition, we find what bitter lamentations holy men were wont to make: The loss of the Ark cost Eli's life, and Nehemiahs' serrow of heart, when Jerusalem lay waste, was so great, that the King took notice of it by the change of his countenance, Neh. 2.2. Why then should it not be so with us?  
Answ. 1. In answer whereto, First let me repeat the Caution I have before laid down, that you should not think I am persuading you to be regardless of God's hand stretched out against us; neither think, I beseech you, that I persuade you to any such mirth and jollity which might manifest this regardlesness. This is indeed provoking to God, when he calls to Fasting, Humiliation, and girding with Sackcloth, to behold killing of Sheep, and slaying of Oxen, Banquets and Revellings, with all kind of excess and brave●●e● 'Tis to none of this that I call you, not to haunt Taverns and Playhouses, feast and dance, to sing and drink away your reason and fears together; rather do you pity their distraction who take this course, whilst they may deride your seriousness. So far am I from this, that on the other hand, I do earnestly desire you to labour for the most awakened apprehensions of God's deal with us, and the design of them, that you may be suitablie affected therewith, and meet him in the way of his judgements, rightly behaving yourselves under the same: But all this may be done without slavish dejections and terrors, which only I plead against.  
2. Yea furthermore, as to what evils may be yet hanging over us, my counsel also is, that you would so far apprehend and expect them, as may put you upon the use of those means which are likeliest to prevent them, or as may tend to prepare you for them, whilst your fears have no worse effects than to quicken you to daily earnest strive with God on the behalf of this poor Nation, and to a careful Reformation of yourselves and families, and a serious endeavour (according to your place and capacity) that others should do the like, in order to the removal of what judgements we feel, and the prevention of those we fear; this while I condemn them not. Moreover, whilst you are so representing to yourselves the worst that can in all likelihood happen, that you may not be surprised thereby, but may get furnished with suitable strength and comfort, you act wisely: But this is a different thing from entertaining such misgiving, ghastly fore-thoughts thereof, as only weaken and torment you. Hath not Christ bid his servants when they hear of wars, and rumours of wars, to see they be not troubled? And in all the calamities that came upon the Jews, God would still have the Remnant that was faithful, spoke comfortably to. In those great and astonishing changes which God makes in the world, rooting up Kingdoms for the wickedness of the Inhabitants, translating the Gospel from one Nation to another; we performing our duty, must lay our hands on our mouths, stand on the Lord's side, and acknowledge he is righteous in all his ways; as remembering, it is not our work to govern the world, but to submit to him that does.  
3. The same again may be said as to those disorders which you complain of, at home or abroad, so far as your trouble hath a tendency toward their removal, or any other good end, it is a duty, but no farther. I'll join with you a little in complaining and acknowledge, that its sad to think how great a part of the world lies buried in Heathenish darkness, idolatry and infidelity, and how little is done by Christians toward their relief; especially that the Princes of Christendom do no more employ their interests to that purpose, as if the petty temporal concerns of their Crown and Kingdom were of greater moment. Sad also it is to see Christendom itself so woefully divided and crumbled into Parties and Factions, through the carnal designs of ambitious covetous men, under the gilded pretences of Catholic peace and unity; and how great a part of it by this means is overspread with ignorance, impiety and idolatry? to the disgrace of our profession, and hindrance of the Conversion of Jews and Heathens. It's sad to observe what a cruel raging thirst there is in these false Christians, after the utter ruin and destruction of all that crouch not to them, but value the Gospel above their rotten Traditions, and senseless sapless Superstitions. And sad it is, that in our own and other Reformed Churches, the divisions should be so great about matters of little moment, whilst the Common Enemy threatens to swallow them up; that the power of Godliness, and all such means as may promote it, are no more set up and encouraged, that profaneness, lukewarmness, mutual heart-burnings and discontents, should so universally possess us. These are all very sad considerations. But what then? Must we therefore sit down, overweighed with the burdensome sense of all these evils, and spend our days in weeping and wailing, because the World we live in is so much out of order? By this means Christians should all turn Disciples of Heraclitus his School. But certainly the Precepts of Jesus Christ put us upon no such course, who would have us live free from all anxious corroding cares, and the very office of whose Spirit it is, to be the Comforter of his people. Mourners in Zion we may be, but disconsolate self-tormentors we must not. The same Paul that took care of all the Churches, rejoiced in hope of the glory of God, and did always triumph in Christ. All those evils which I have mentioned may in one word be reduced to this, that there is so much wickedness in the world, and so little true Religion and fear of God. And this I grant, must needs be matter of lamentation to all good men, that love their Maker and their Fellow-creatures, and I wish that all our hearts were more kindly affected herewith. But how is it we should manifest ourselves thus well-affected? Truly most of all by endeavouring all that in us lies, that the world may be amended; and so far as our prayers, examples, or instructions, may do any thing to that end, let us faithfully apply ourselves thereto. But such a grief as hurts ourselves, and offers nothing to the good of others, ought to be avoided: We should not in such an unprofitable manner, mourn for our own sins; surely than not for other men's. It would go but hardly with us, if the comfort of our lives depended upon such things as are no way in our power to accomplish. It is indeed well-beseeming a dutiful Son to be grieved for the disobedience of his Brethren, but yet not so far as to hinder the pleasure he ought to take in his Father's love, and the performance of his own duty to him. But this pure and unfeigned sorrow for the wickedness of the world, and the dishonours done to God therein, speaks so much ingenuity of soul, and is so very rare, that I need say little to dehort you from the excess of it; rather I may exhort you to it, to be yet more possessed with a bitter hatred of sin and pity to poor sinners; but not in the least, I beseech you, with hatred or envy of the most prosperous and flourishing of them; and be very watchful over yourselves, that no worldly trouble, not your losses, nor straits, your want of trading, nor heavy payments, lie nearer to your heart, than the Interest of Christ.  
4. But if by the low estate of the Church you mean chief the Persecution which it is any where under; or which you feel yourselves, or apprehend to be coming upon us, I may well say, there is far less cause of sadness upon this account than the former. If God see it good to have his Church purified and refined, by bringing it through the fire, who are we that we should contradict it? Need I mention to you the many benefits that are hereby wont to accrue to Christians, to whom it is appointed as their common Road to heaven? Do you not know that Christ hath bid you then especially to rejoice and be exceeding glad, when men say and do all manner of evil against you for his sake? Doth not the Apostle reckon it as a gift and privilege to the Philippians, that they did not only believe in, but suffer for Christ? Phil. 1.29.  
And to these same suffering Philippians it was, that he gives that earnest Exhortation, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice, Chap. 4.4. And how many more Texts of this sort might I mention, as those also which show, that such was the joyful spirit of the Apostles and Primitive Christians under their perfecutions for the truth. So far ought we to be from sorrow or shame for suffering as Christians, that we are commanded to glorify God on this behalf, 1 Pet. 4.16. But here then let me desire you, as you value the true peace and comfort of your souls, to see that you indeed suffer as Christians; both as to what you suffer for, that it be no other than the Cause of Christ; and as to your design in embracing it, that it be purely for his honour, and then you are likely to suffer in that manner that becomes Christians. Beware, I beseech you, of adhering, with a carnal zeal, to any Sect or Party, for the advancement and flourishing whereof you are wholly concerned, as depending thereupon for your estate and ease; and chief for your Reputation, by the success of your Opinion and way. If this selfishness possess you, it will even then when you seem to suffer for Conscience sake, bewray itself by much-what the same effects, that are to be seen in the men of this world, when they contend with, and oppress one another. It will set you a vexing and repining, and fill your mouths with reviling, and your minds with spleen against those that make you smart: And this while you are like to be far from the comfort of a suffering state; and no wonder, for tell me truly, Is it not for Self, rather than Christ that you are thus affected? Doth Christ, do you think, need or desire that you should have such boisterous passions for his sake? Doth the wrath of man work the righteousness of God? Wherefore see that you are but sincerely concerned for God's Glory and your own Salvation, and then you'll perceive that in these respects men cannot hurt or overcome you; and so you'll see no reason to be angry with them, or hate them for any thing they do to you. For by doing the duties, and exercising the Graces that are called for, and may yet be done, you may glorify God, and save your souls, let men and devils rage, and reign, and do their worst. Let the times be what they will, you have still liberty to serve and please God, though not always in the same works, or after the same manner. Sometimes Paul may be glorifying God by preaching boldly in a Synagogue, or in his own hired house; sometimes by lying with his feet in the Stocks, sometimes by pleading at a Bar, and sometimes by preaching in a Prison, though but to the Jailor and his Family; and all this while by courage and patience, love to Christ, and zeal for the Gospel and the good of souls, which, according to the variety of occasions and circumstances, still exerted itself one way or other. Religion, as it is an inward living Principle, lies far out of the reach of all created force, and can no more be interrupted or destroyed thereby (whilst the soul is faithful to its self) than the influences of the Stars, or course of the Orbs, can be bound and stopped. It is indeed in the power of man to hinder some external duties, to discountenance and impoverish good men, but what's this to the heart and life of Religion? Though they may disturb the Communion of Christians, yet not that betwixt God and the Soul; 'tis not a stone wall can intercept that: They may put chains on the feet, but not on the affections, nor hinder their outgoings to God, any more than Xerxes his Chain (which in a silly rage he threw into a rough Sea) could restrain the swelling of its waves: Though some kind of outward splendour and flourishing of Religion may be eclipit, yet the fruits of the Spirit cannot, by the nipping Frosts of Persecution, be blasted. Such as the Apostle mentions, Gal. 5.22, 23. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; of these I may say as he does (though in another sense) against such there is no Law: Or though there should be a Law, yet there is no power against them. Though Enemies persecute you, yet you may love and pity them, whether they will or no: Though they should stop your mouths, yea, pluck out your tongues, yet you may pray for them, and forgive them; you may be humble, patiented, holy, and heavenly in despite of all opposition, and were but all Professors such, Religion would flourish at another rate, than merely by having the favour of great ones, and the riches and honours of the world entailed upon their profession. I wonder whether Religion flourished more for the first three hundred year after Christ, or after that it became the Religion of the Empire: Whether when men lost estates by embracing it, or when they got them by professing it?  
Was it Fire and Faggot, or Ease and Honours, that were the poison of the Church! And was it the blood of Martyrs, or the wealth of the Professors, that was the seed of the Church? Wherefore let us not so much complain of any thing in the Times, as of our own sloathfulness and dulness, of the earthliness and unbelief of our hearts, and the unsuitableness of our lives, for obscuring the lustre of Religion: And if Adversity may scour off all the rust and filth which ease and prosperity contracted, we shall have cause to praise him, who sat as our refiner.  
And here by the way, let me suggest; that there is much difference betwixt the state of the Jewish and the Christian Church: That was under a lower and more carnal dispensation, both as to the frame of their mind, their service and promises. They had not (generally) so great a measurre of the spirit as was afterward to be poured forth, nor so clear revelations of the future glory, neither therefore was it so pressed upon them, that the way thereto was, through many tribulations, which made them so extremely scandalised at that strange doctrine of Christ, that they must leave friends, lands, life, and all for his sake, if they would be his Disciples, and have a treasure in Heaven. But especially take notice, what a dependence their Worship had upon external things, being confined so much to the Temple in Jerusalem, and consisting in such Sacrifices and Ceremonies which could not otherwhere be performed; and therefore they might well be much concerned for the continuance and restauration of that place, whereto Gods peculiar presence was limited; and upon this account they were more obnoxious to enemies, and stood greatly in need of their favour, when conquered by them. But now in all these respects the case is different. The Apostles did not stay for Caesar's leave, nor depend upon his aid for building the Christian Church, the new Jerusalem, as the Jews did upon Cyrus for the Old: (Though I grant the countenance of the Civil Magistrate, to be a great mercy, neither ought Christians, whether Pastors or People, upon any pretence whatever, to disobey his commands, whilst they do not interfere with Christ:) Nor is it in Temples made with hands (though in such we are to worship him in public communion) that God now dwells, but in every holy Soul, who at any time, in any place, may worship him acceptably in spirit and in truth; And this Ark of his presence, the inhabitation of his Spirit, no Philistine force can take out of the heart of man. Now by Jesus Christ, hath God so far saved us from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, that (though we are more assaulted by them than ever, yet) we may serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life, as Zachariah sings. Luke 1.71, 74, 75. Though Christ told his Disciples, he came to send n Sword upon earth, yet he tells them also, that his peace should abide in their hearts, Joh. 14.27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you: For the world indeed gives peace, by removing outward troubles, but my peace shall possess and secure you in the midst of them (as a learned Commentator glosses upon the words) and therefore he adds that injunction, which I have been so long inculcating, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  
And to finish my answer, let me, in the last place, wish you to remember seriously and believingly, that what ever pressures the Church of God, now militant upon the whole earth, or any part of it, may lie under; it shall, besides its present victory, at length rise up from under them into the most flourishing and triumphant state: And all those that are embarked therein, being faithful to her cause and quarrel, and sharing in all her afflictions, shall also partake of her glory. Even now, I say, all sincere Christians by their faith overcome the world, yea, when they seem most overcome by it; like their Master, they conquer, when upon the cross: For it is not with him as with temporal Monarches, whose interest is ruined, when their Subjects are destroyed, or impoverished; But his Kingdom is oft promoted by the sufferings and slaughters of his followers. Nor therefore should we serve him with such kind of apprehensions as common subjects are wont to have, in their quarrels for their King and Country, who are beforehand doubtful of the event, and being vanquished, bewail themselves, and pity their Prince. But he whose battle we fight, does not so need our lives or fortunes, that his strength should be weakened by their loss. Nor does he let his enemies so far prevail over his Church, because through their power and policy they are too hard for him: Though there was not a man upon earth that would stand on his side, he would know well enough how to deal with the greatest Potentates and Politicians of them all, as they will, ere long, know to their cost: But he bears thus with them (beside other ends which will hereafter be better known) that the Graces which he hath given to his Servants may be exercised, and that they may have opportunities of demonstrating, that they love him to the death. And this is all he cares for or requires, and whilst we do thus, whatever becomes of us, we win the field, and are sure of the crown: for our Lord's Kingdom, and therefore ours, is not of this world; nor would he therefore have any upon pretence of advancing it, to disturb the world by Massacres and Powderplots, seditions and tumuls, murdering of Princes, and burning of people. These are fit means indeed to erect some Babel of carnal interest, but not for the building up of Christ's Church: He knows how to defend and exalt it, without any such officious wickedness, as some men by all means would bring to his assistance. And as it is not for want of power or love, that Christ suffers his Spouse for a while to be trampled upon, by the feet of pride and cruelty; so he will at length discover both, in delivering her thence, and placing her with himself in glory. He that purchased his Church with his own blood, will not be fully satisfied till she partakes of the highest benefits of his costly undertaking. As in his own person he hath combated and overcome all the Powers of Hell and Death, so he will go on conquering and to conquer, till he hath finished the same work for, and in his body. Now he is purifying it from all spots and wrinkles, and will hereafter present it to himself beautiful and glorious. Why then should not all the followers of this victorious Leader, march on, with courage in their hearts, sereneness in their looks, and songs of praise in their mouths, as travelling to Zion? where everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, and all remnants of sorrow and mourning shall flee away.  
Wherefore stir up yourselves, I beseech you Christians, sit not always poring upon miseries, and overlooking mercies, making things worse than they are, and vexing yourselves with needless fears. Remember still, that a Child of God in the way to his Father's house, hath always more cause of joy and thank fullness, than of sadness and complaining: Let it appear that you believe so by your deportment. And that you may rise up to this truly excellent spirit, let me beseech you, in one word, To see that you live up to the principles of the Christian Religion. Be affected toward the world, and all its pomps and vanities, as you are engaged by your Baptism: Ever sit lose from it, and regard it not as any piece of your happiness. 'Tis this fills men's minds with anguish and care, even the fears of being deprived of their estates and friends, their fleshly ease, their lives and liberties. But consider you, that it's impossible to have a sure hold of these things, and therefore the way never to be troubled for them, is, not to let them have hold of your hearts. You have lived to see in two years more men taken from their estates, and more estates taken from the owners, than in so short a time hath almost been ever known: Let both teach you what regard to have, either to life itself, or the appurtenances of it. Let your comfort in prosperity, be derived from God and Christ, the first fruits and promises of heaven, then may it be constant and unchangeable, as the grounds of it are. Ever be inculcating it upon yourselves, that God is your felicity, and labour to make and keep it clear, that he is your God. Therefore, as you love your lives, and the comforts of them, take heed of sin, of all sin, which will blot your Evidences, and make you of abject, cowardly spirits; so that instead of fetching comfort from approaching to God, this will fill you with horror, and make you run from him as an enemy, and then nothing in the whole creation can relieve you. But yet, believingly live upon the Mediator, by him to have all breaches healed betwixt God and your Souls, and by his Spirit to have your souls healed of all their distempers. Rest in nothing as an evidence of your interest in him, below an earnest desire, and sincere endeavour to grow up in him, to be like to him, and to fulfil all the gracious precepts of his Gospel: And having this evidence, let no temptations or doubtings rob you of the comfort it may afford. Remember, that as your happiness consists in communion with God, so this is not perfectly to be enjoyed till after Death and Judgement. Wherefore live always cheerfully, apprehensive of the certainty and nearness, of approaching death; let your great business be to get fitted for it, and let all your main designs be so laid, that they may not be blasted, but accomplished by it. When once you have done this, you have little more to fear at one time than another, and nothing at any time: For to Death, you are in a manner always alike liable, and this is the worst that any mortal power can bring upon you, only they may make it more gainful and honourable than otherwise it would. What matter is it, whether we die amongst our enemies, or our friends, since we then take our leave of both? Whether upon a bed, or on the ground, since our body will so soon be in the earth? What matter is't, whether the fire of a Fever, or of a Faggot consume us, whether our souls fly out at our mouths or our throats, since either way they will be alike soon with God.  
But Scripture is most of all wont to press our looking and earnest waiting for the coming of Christ: Perhaps, as having less terror in it to a Believer than death, and as being the time when our fullest glory shall be accomplished, the whole Body of Christ being then brought together into the presence of their glorified Head, and to a participation of his Glory. And I'll shut up all with an earnest request, that you would comfort and encourage yourselves with the fore-thoughts of, and ardent long after, this day of the appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. When ever it is with you, whilst you are sailing over this Ocean, as it was with Paul's company, Act. 27.20. that neither Sun nor Stars in many days appear, and no small Tempest lies on you, than cast forth the Anchor of Hope, and wish for this day. And fix not your hopes with steadiness on any day short of this, or your dying day. The experience we have had of the long-talkt of, and (by some) much hoped-for 66. (beside other warnings of this kind) may tell us, that they who build their faith upon fancy, do but increase their own troubles, provoke others laughter, and dangerously tempt themselves to Infidelity. Expect this coming of Christ, not to the same purpose that the Jews did, and still do their Messiah; to make you rich, and high, and prosperous in the world, to throw down great men, that you may enter upon their places and estates, a poor preferment to a true Saint; but expect him to advance you above sin and Satan, the world and flesh, and to raise you to the clearest, blessed Vision, and fruition of your God. Upon this promise of his coming build all your hopes, lay all your stress, and venture all you have: If this prove false, we are all undone, but never till then, nor then neither any worse than the rest of the world that believed it not; for there's nothing else to hold by but what we are sure will fail us, and if this fail too, Mankind was made to no more purpose than Boys blow up a feather. But never fear it; though the Worldling tells you by his practice he believes its false; though the profane Swaggerer say so downright, and prove it by a jeer, as the more sullen Atheist by his unreasonable cavils and wranglings, yet believe none of them till you have tried; they neither are, nor possibly can be, sure of the contrary, whilst they are in this life; and if there be no other life than this, they'll never be able to upbraid you with your weakness and error: But if there be (as nothing more sure) let them look to themselves: Then let it be seen whether the money of scraping Earthworms, the mirth and music, the childish sports and brutish delights of sensual Gallants, the drollery and Sophistry of selfconceited Infidel's, will be as good security to them, as your faith and holiness, even that which they were wont to deride as folly, proceeding from prejudice, melancholy, or superstition. That will be the trying time, when it shall be known who were wise men, and who were fools, when a righteous and all-knowing Judge shall justly decide the controversy. Oh Sirs, do you look for such a day as this, such an amazing confounding day, when the whole world shall be turned upside down, the earth become fuel for raging flames, and all its Inhabitants brought to account for their actions, and receive their doom to endless joy or woe? And have you any hopes of standing in such a day as this, of beholding our Lord with confidence, when he shall appear in all his Majesty, with thousands of Angels for his Honourable Attendants, when the Heavens above shall ring with the joyful acclamations of these glorious Spirits, and the Saints their Companions, and the Air below shall be filled with the yell and roar of Devils and damned Ghosts: Do you look, I say, ere long to see such sights as these, and to partake of the glory and joy of that great day? And will you now be much concerned for the burning of an house or City, or for the busles and confusions of this dreaming world, that will not till then be awakened? Oh unreasonable! that the Saints, who shall shortly meet their Redeemer with comfort, and before all the world be acquitted and applauded, crowned and received into eternal joys, should now pass their time in so much solitariness, and live no more upon the hopes of such a day. And oh monstrous! that sinners, who must shortly be judged and shamed before all, and sentenced to the sad Society of Devils for ever, can yet spend their days in ease and pleasure, in pampering and adorning their dirty flesh, overwhelmed with gluttony and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, as if they were resolved never to think of their misery till they feel it, and judged it better to feel it, than to think of it so as to prevent it. But let them take their course, and see where it will end: But all you the unfeigned friends and followers of the blessed Jesus, who shall be your Judge, let it be your work to fetch comfort from that which is other men's terror. When their hearts fall for fear, you must lift up your heads, as knowing your Redemption draws nigh. Or in S. James his words, Be patiented, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. And nearer it is drawn by sixteen hundred years since these words were wrote; How near then may we now think it? Though how near we cannot say, yet for certain it's not far off. The eyes of them shall not fail that wait for him; he will not frustrate your expectations, as Sisera did his Mothers, you who look forth from the prison windows of the flesh, and with her cry out, Why is his Chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his Chariot? Confidently dare I answer you, yea, you may make answer to yourselves, Our Lord is coming to gather together and comfort all his dispersed, distressed ones, from the several corners of the world; he is coming to give them final and full release from the heavy yoke of Turkish, Popish, and all other bondage and cruelty that remains till that day; he is coming to trample down and overthrow all oppositions to his Government and Sceptre, and utterly to destroy the works of the Devil, and all his Adherents; he is coming to plead the cause of his righteous servants, to vindicate them and the honour of Religion from all the disgraceful scandals, slanders, and calumnies, which the wickedness of pretended Friends, or the wilful malice of envenomed Enemies, hath cast upon them. He's coming to make all faces and actions bare, to reveal the secrets of all hearts, and discover truth from falsehood. He is coming to the confusion and sorrow of all careless and ungodly ones, rich or poor, Princes or People, that thought not on, nor prepared for this time; but he comes to the perfect, full, and everlasting Consolation of all believing souls, that are praying and waiting, looking and longing for this blessed day of his appearing. Even so, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly; and let him that readeth say Amen.  
FINIS.