Tragicomaedia. BEING A BRIEF RELATION OF THE STRANGE, AND Wonderful hand of God discovered at WITNY, in the Comedy Acted there February the third, where there were some Slain, many Hurt, with several other Remarkable PASSAGES. Together with what was Preached in three Sermons on that occasion from Rom. 1.18. Both which May serve as some Check to the Growing Atheism of the Present Age. By JOHN ROW of G. C. C. in Oxford, Lecturer in the Town of WITNY.  
It is time for thee, Lord to work, for they have made void thy Law.  Psal. 119.126. 
Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth.  Psal. 58.11. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Onatus apud Stobaeum.  
OXFORD, Printed by L. LICEFIELD, For HENRY CRIPPS. Anno Dom. 1653.   

TO MY HONOURED and much beloved Friends, the Inhabitants of the Town, & Parish of WITNY.  
Dear beloved in the LORD,  
THE publishing of these few Papers, both the precedent Narrative, and the ensuing Sermons of right belong to You, and you may challenge them as your own. Among you it was that these wonders of the Lord were seen, and upon you it was that the Lord hath shown himself marvellous. Do not quarrel with the Almighty for setting you up as the public Theatre whereon he would manifest his holiness, justice, & other Attributes to the world. We are his Creatures, and it were enough if we could say no more, but It is his pleasure to have it so. Yet there is other reason why we should quiet, and compose ourselves, and shake off all thoughts, and reasonings that are apt to arise, saying as the Church doth. We will bear the indignation of the Lord, because we have sinned against him. Though you are the people that do only suffer, yet you are not they that are only aimed at. The Lord hath spoken from heaven to the whole Nation, by what he hath done amongst you, and testified by a clear and eminent stroke against the monstrous unparraleld Atheism, irreligion, profaneness, which is walking up and down in all places.  
Though the Lord hath begun with you, yet he may not end with you. If his dealing with you make not others wise, their plagues may be fare greater than yours have been; and if so, it will be a mercy that you were corrected so soon, and not suffered to go on in your sins; which would have brought heavier sorrows in the end. Amongst you it was that these mean Sermons had their rise, which were not in the least intended for the Press, when first they were Preached. But the desires of some amongst you to have written Copies of them, the long and importunity of others to have them published, the good of the Town in general (which might seem to require a standing, & lasting remembrance of these things) seemed to be some call to me for the publishing of them. To which I may add the consideration of some little good the Lord I hope was pleased to do by these plain and mean Sermons: the hearts of some being a little awakened, and the affection of others stirred, and raised, and some provoked to attend on the word thereby. Which sparks being of the Lords own kindling, I thought it my duty to keep them alive as much as lay in me. I hope you will bear with my rudeness of speech, and plain speaking: the Lord being my witness, that it is not a pleasure to me, to make bare your nakedness, or discover your shame, my aim only being, that you may lay to heart your sins, seek pardon for them, and reformation of them. My care hath been as much as may be, to abstain from all personal reflections, and not to make use of any one's Name, that I might not grieve the spirits of any by making them public to the world, although if I had insisted on some particulars, the story might have been set forth with more advantage in the eyes of some. Some enlargments there have been in the Sermons, & some larger explications of a few Scriptures, it being not possible within such a scantling of time, as is allotted, to speak fully to all things. Yet this you will find, you have scarce any material passage omitted of what was Preached, and the Additions which are (I hope) not altogether unprofitable or unnecessary. Some Notes are put into the Margin, which need not trouble the less skilful Reader, all obscurity being avoided in the body of the Sermons themselves. My humble desire, and request to you is, that you will not lay aside this little Book as soon as it comes into your hands, though the things are mean and contemptible, if you consider the person, parts, and years of him that brings them unto you, and the manner of his delivering them; yet are they great, and of moment, if you consider him that sends them to you, so fare forth as the mind of God is revealed in them, and his particular will made known concerning you. Some few hours will serve to Read over the whole Book, and if at leisure times, you put your Children or Servants to read but a little, it may be better than to let it lie moulding in your Windows. Possibly you may meet with such a remembrace, if the Lord work with it by his Spirit, as you may bless him for all your days. I can only say as the Apostle doth with a little change. Brethren my hearts desire, and prayer to God for the people of Witny is, that they may be saved. I trust the Lord hath some of his election yet scattered amongst you, sure I am there are some of his called, and faithful ones already to be found in the midst of you. How long I may be left to speak to you, I know not. This I can azure you, I pray, and sigh at the throne of Grace for you, as well as I can. And I could wish I had better prayers, and more sighs and groans, than my poor barren heart can afford. There could not be a greater joy to me, then to see the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus taking place in greaer power in your souls: to see that high valuation, and eager thirsts in the hearts of many of you after a poor despised, neglected, forsaken Christ, whom the world (but it may break our hearts to speak it) gins to grow weary of, though the world be not worthy of such a one.  
Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus bless you with the knowledge of himself, and this his dear Son, and grant that the savour of his knowledge may be spread amongst you more abundantly. These are the constant prayers of  
Your unworthy Friend, and Servant, in the Gospel John Rowe.   

A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF The Play Acted at Witny the third of February 1652. Together with its sad and Tragical End.  
IT may not seem so proper, nor be so pleasing to every Reader, to set down all the Circumstances about this Play, forasmuch that somewhat might be said touching the rise and original of it, the nature of the Play itself, and the book from whence it was taken, the motives, grounds, and ends of the Actors, concerning all which I might speak more than here shall be inserted, having taken some pains to satisfy myself in those particulars. But I thought it meet to insist on those things, which did most discover the hand of God in so eminent and remarkable a Providence, and lightly touch on other things, so far as they may give light to that which is the name. This Play was and old Play, and had been Acted by some of Santon-Har-court men many years since. The Title of it is, A most pleasant Comedy of Mucedorus the King's Son of Valentia, and Amadine the King's Daughter of Arragon: with the merry conceits of Mouse, etc. The Actors of the Play were Countrymen; most of them, and for any thing I can hear, all of Stanton-Harcourt Parish. The punctual time of their first Learning the Play, cannot be certainly set down: but this we have been told, they had been learning it ever since Michaelmas, and had been Acting privately every week. This we are informed upon more certain grounds, that they began to Act it in a more public manner about Christmas, and Acted it three or four times in their own Parish, they Acted it likewise in several neighbowring Parishes, as Moor, Stanlake, South-Leigh, Cumner. The last place that they came at was Witny, where it pleased the Lord to discover his displeasure, against such wicked and ungodly Plays by an eminent hand. Some few days before the Play was to be Acted, one of Stanton came to the Bailiff of Witny telling him that there were some Country men that had learned to make a Play, and desired his Leave to show it, his aim being (as the Bailiff conceived) that they might have the Liberty of the Towne-Hall. Leave also was desired of the other Bailiff, but they being denied by both the Bailiffs, they pitched on the White Hart, a chief Inn of the Town to Act their Play there. The day when it was Acted, was the third of February, the same day when many Godly People, Townsmen and Scholars of Oxford, kept a Solemn Day of Fast at Carfax. About seven a Clock at Night they caused a Drum to beat, and a Trumpet to be sounded to gather the People together. The people flocked in great multitudes, Men, Women, and Children, to the number (as is guessed) of three Hundred, some say four hundred, and the Chamber where the Play was Acted being full, others in the Yard pressed sorely to get in. The people which were in the Room were exceeding Jovial, and merry before the Play began, Young men and Maids dancing together, and so merry and frolic were many of the Spectators, that the Players could hardly get Liberty that they themselves might Act, but at last a little Liberty being obtained, the Play itself began. In the beginning of it Enters a Person that took the name of Comedy, and speaks as follows.  
Why so thus do I hope to please;  
Music revives, and Mirth is tolerable,  
Comedy play thy part, and please:  
Make merry them that come to joy with thee.  
With two or three verses more.  
Upon this enters Envy, another person, & speaks as follows.  
Nay stay Minion stay there lies a block;  
What all on mirth? I'll interrupt your tale,  
And mix your Music with a Tragickend.  
Upon which Comedy replies. Envy makesanswer again in several verses, and among the rest these: 
Hearken thou shalt hear noise  
Shall fill the air with shrilling sound,  
And thunder Music to the Gods above.   
Three verses after it follows, 
In this brave Music Envy takes delight  
Where I may see them wallow in their blood,  
To spurn at Arms & Legs quite shivered off,  
And hear the cries of many thousand slain.   
After this Comedy speaks, Envy replies 
Treble death shall cross thee with despite,  
And make thee mourn where most thou joyest,  
Turning thy mirth into a deadly dole,  
Whirling thy pleasures with a peal of death,  
And drench thy methods in a Sea of blood.   
Which passages if the Reader carry along with him, he will see how fare they were made good by the Divine hand, both on the Actors and Spectators. The matter of the Play is scurrilous, impious, blasphemous in several passages. One passage of it hath such a bitter Taunt against all Godly persons under the name of Puritans, and at Religion itself, under the phrase of observing Fasting days, that it may not be omitted, it was almost in the beginning of the Play, and they were some of the Clowns words when he first began to Act, Well I'll see my Father hanged before I'll serve his Horse any more, well I'll carry home my bottle of Hay and for once make my Father's Horse turn Puritan, and observe Fasting days, for he gets not a bit. How remarkable was this that some of them that were called Puritans in the days of old, had spent that very day in Oxford in Fasting, and Prayer; and that the Lord by so eminent an hand should testify against such, who were not only scoffers at Godly persons, but at Religion itself. Another passage was of so horrid an aspect, as that the Actor who was to speak it durst not vent it without a change. The verses as they are Printed are these.  
Ah Bremo, Bremo, what a foil hadst thou, that yet at no time was afraid  
To dare the greatest Gods to fight with thee  
At the end of which verses it followeth, He strikes: and probable enough it is, that he used some action at that time; but the words were so ghastly, and had such a face of impiety in them, that he durst not say Gods, but (as one that excused him would have us believe) he said Gobs. And indeed so insolent were these, and other expressions in the Play, that some of the Spectators thought they were not fit to be used, and when they heard them, wished themselves out of the room. We might instance in some other passages, but there hath been enough already. The modest, and ingenuous reader would blush to read some passages. Thus had they continued their sport for an hour, and half, as some of the Spectators say, but as is more probable, about two hours, for they were ordinarily three hours in acting it (as the Players say) and there were above two parts in three of the play that were passed over in this Action. At which time it pleased God to put a stop to their mirth, and by an immediate hand of his own, in causing the chamber to sink, and fall under them, to put an end to this ungodly Play before it was thought, or intended by them.  
The Actors who were now in action were Bremo a wild man, (courting, and soliciting his Lady, and among other things, begging a Kiss in this verse.  Come kiss me (Sweet) for all my favours passed) 
And Amadine the King's daughter (as named in the Play) but in truth a young man attired in a woman's Habit. The words which were then speaking, were these, the words of Bremo to his Lady 
Thou shalt be fed with Quails, and Partridges,  
With Blackbirds, Larks, Thrushes, and Nightingales.   
Various reports there have been concerning the words spoken at that time, as that it should be said, the Devil was now come to act his part: some of the People might say so, observing the wild man's carriage, and some other passages that went before, where there was mention made of the Devil in a Bares doublet, the wild man then acting the Bares part: and indeed we have it upon good information that there were such words spoken; only they were the spectators words, and not the Actors: but this we are assured of, the words then spoken by the Actor were those above mentioned, as he himself acknowledged, and we find them printed so in the Book.  
The Place wherein the Play was acted, was not a Stage erected on purpose, but a Chamber belonging to the Inn, a large Chamber, and which sometime had been a Malting room, having a part of it covered with earth to that purpose. It had two Beams to support it, of which one Sc: the shorter was a great, sound & substantial one, & lay between the two side walls; the other had one end shooting into the middle of the shorter beam, and the other end of it fastened in the wall, of which you may see a description.   stage setup 
The 2 end Walls. A. The 2 Beams B. The sid-Walls C. The short Beam, which broke near the middle, was betwixt 13 and 14 Inches square, one end lying even, or a little within the Wall upon a shoulder of Stone, the other end almost a foot in the Wall, the short Beam breaking the other fell with it.  
The fall was not very quick, but somewhat slow, & gentle, in so much that some that were present thought it was a part of the play, (but it proved the saddest part) & expected when they should be taken up again, yet was it not so slow as that they were able to recover themselves, for the actors then in action fell down, and a great number of people with them into the under room, which was a Shufle-board-roome, and the table itself broken in pieces by the fall of the Timber. The Chamber did not fall down quite, but lay somewhat pendulous, and hanging, broad at the top, and narrow at the bottom, that end of the long beam, which lay in the short falling down, the other end not falling, & the ends of the short Beam where it broke hanging down, the bottom where the people lay was of a very narrow compass, the people falling as it were into a Pit: & such were the apprehensions of some of the Spectators, seeing the chamber sink in that manner as if the earth was opening, and swallowing them up. After the Crack of the beam which was exceeding great, and the fall of the Chamber (in the manner as is before described) all was quiet, and still, and a kind of silence for a pretty space of time, the people being astonished, and bereft of their senses. One that was present was so much affrighted (as was said) that she thought herself verily to be in Hell, which we do the rather insert because whoever shall put the circumstances together may well say it was a little resemblance of that black, and dismal place, there being so many taken in the midst of their sinful practices, and thrust into a pit together where they were left in darkness, the Lights being put out by the fall, where the dust that was raised made a kind of Mist, and Smoke, where there were the most lamentable skreekes, and outcries that may be imagined; where they were shut up as in a prison, and could not get themselves out, (the door of the under room being blocked up, and their leg's being so pinioned, & wedged together by faggots, and other things, that fell down together with them from the upper room, that they could not stir to help themselves.) Another (as is said) supposing his limbs to be all plucked asunder cried out, that they should cut off his head: this is certain, the fright was exceeding great, and many were dead for a time that afterward came to themselves. When the people were come to themselves, there was a fearful, and most lamentable cry, some crying one thing, some another, some crying aid for the Lords sake, others crying Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, others cried oh my Husband! a second, oh my Wife! a third, Oh my child! and another said, No body loves me so well as to see where my child is. Others cried out for Ladders, and Hatchets to make their passage out, for the chamber falling, the door of the under room was so Blocked up that they could not get out there, so that they were fain to break the bars of the window, and most of the people got out that way though it were a good space of time before they could get forth. The other Players that were not in action were in the Attiring-roome which was joining to the chamber that fell, and they helped to save some of the people which were near that part. Those of the people that fell not down, but were preserved by that means got out at the window of the upper room. There were five slain outright, whereof three were Boys, two of which being about seven, or eight years old or thereabouts; the other near twelve: the other two were Girls, the elder of which being fourteen, or fiveteen, and the younger twelve, or thirteen years old. A woman also had her leg sorely broken that the surgeons were forced to cut it off, and she died within three or four days after it was cut off. Many were hurt, and sorely bruised, to the number of about threescore, that we have certain information of, besides those that conceal their griefs, and some of the Country of which there were divers present, it being market day when this Play was acted.  
The Surgeon that dressed the wounded people, told me that the next day after this was done he was counting with himself how many he had dressed, and as near as he could reckon he had dressed about forty five, and twelve after that as he had supposed, and two or three after he had cut off the woman's leg. Which therefore I thought good to insert that the reader may know upon what grounds he may take this relation.  
Some others were dressed by others in the town the just number of which I have not learned But it is generally conceived that there were divers did receive hurt which would not suffer it to be known. Among those that were hurt there were about a dozen broken arms, and legs, and some two or three dislocations, as we were likewise informed by the Surgeon. Some of the people came out with bloody faces, neither could it be otherwise, they having trod one upon another in a most sad, and lamentable manner. Certain it is there was much hurt done that way; the children that were killed, being stifled as was supposed. The man in woman's apparel lay panting for breath, and had it not been for Bremo his fellow Actor, he had been stifled; but Bremo having recovered himself a little, bore up the others head with his arm, whereby he got some breath, and so was preserved; but both the one, and the other were hurt; Bremo being so sorely bruised, as that he was fain to keep his bed for two days after, and the Lady had her beauty marred, her face being swollen by the hurt taken in the fall. Some had their mouths so stufed with dust that they could hardly speak, the people that came from the house made a pitiful moan, some going in the streets, and complaining, here is a Play, a sad Play indeed, others crying out to them that met them, (as they are wont that have received some deadly wound) oh I am killed! Some cried out that their Arms were broken, others that their Legs were broken, some cursed the Players that ever they came to Witny, and the players themselves wished that they had never came thither. They that received no hurt were exceedingly affrighted, insomuch that one of them that were present, as I am credibly informed, did say, that he would not, for as much as Witny was worth, be in the like affright again, though he were sure he should have no hurt. Others said they would never go to a play more, and that it was a judgement. Others have been so profane; as we hear, to make a laughingstock of it, and some so desperate, as to say, they would go again, if it were to morrow next: and too many apt to say it was but a chance, a misfortune, the beam was weak, there were so many load of people there, and the like. But how sleight so ever the matter was made afterwards, sure enough it is, it was sad enough then. It was one of the saddest, and blackest nights that ever came on Witny. Sad it was to see Parents carry home their Children dead in their arms, sad it was to see so many bruised, hurt, and maimed, and some, as it were, half dead that were not able to help themselves, but were fain to be carried away by their friends, some on their backs, some on chairs, sad it was to hear the piteous cries of those that were not there bemoaning their distressed friends. This was the sad end of this ungodly play. And what was spoken in jest in the beginning of it, by the just hand of God, was made good in earnest. The Comedy being turned into a Tragedy, it had a sad Catastrophe, ending with the deaths of some, and hurts of many. And as it was said before And make thee mourn where most thou joy'st  
So by the just hand of God came it to pass. For in the midst of their mirth, and jollity did this fall out, in the midst of these amorous passages between Bremo, and his Lady was this stroke given; yea, immediately before they expected the greatest pleasure, and contentment. For the Actors said the best of the play was still behind, and a little after the hearts, and fancies of the Spectators were to be filled with the love-complements between Mucedorus, and his Amadine. So true was that Turning thy mirth into a deadly Dole.  
The Lord from heaven, having given a check to such wanton sports, teaching men what they must look for, and that he will not bear with such gross open profaneness in such an age of light as this is. That he will so fare take notice of the Atheism, and profaneness of men in this world, as shall keep the world in order, though he hath reserved the great, and full recompense for another day, and place.   
ROM. I. XVIII. 
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.  
IT may seem strange to some of you to hear such a text read. 
The Preface.  What, is love so soon turned into wrath? The last time I was called to speak unto you upon a Lord's day, the first words of the text were God is love; 
1 Joh 4.8.9.  pure love, goodness, and sweetness, all love as it were, made up of love. Now the text begins with the wrath of God, heavy wrath, dreadful, astonishing wrath; enough to break in pieces the hardest heart to hear it but so much as mentioned. It's the wrath of God; Its wrath from heaven, its revealed wrath, 'tis manifested, and declared in open sight. This is a great change indeed may some one say to pass from the sweetest Love to the most terrible and dismal wrath. But the Lord himself hath changed the text, and it is he that hath given it, by that which he hath wrought in the midst of you, and done in the face of the whole Town. Can you look back upon that late sad and astonishing Providence, of which as many as hear, their ears tingle at it, their hearts shake and tremble at it: can you, I say, look upon this strange & wonderful Providence, and not see this written in Broad and Capital letters, and even laid before you in what is come to pass. That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men.  
Be not prejudiced, my Brethren, do not mistake me: I am not come to grate upon your sores, neither to make wider your yet bleeding wounds: God foribd; no, I pity and pray for those among you, that are yet weak and infirm, beseeching the Lord to heal them, and restore them, that they may live to testify their thankfulness, and Repentance. My work is, as a poor unworthy Ambassador, and servant of the Lord, to help you to understand what the meaning of the Lord is; for certainly so great a thing could not be in vain. The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, saith the Prophet Micah. 6.95 And the man of wisdom shall see thy Name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. There is a voice gone out to you of this place, and it is the Lords voice, his Name is written upon what was done but the other week, this name of his is wrirten with fair and legible characters, that he which runs may read: this voice of his, it doth not whisper, it doth not mutter, no, it cries, it speaks aloud, it will be your wisdom to hear this voice. Every rod hath a voice in it, the meanest and most petty afflictions speak something from God. Great and mighty strokes, eminent and remarkable Judgements from heaven, they have a loud voice, and if such be not heard, they bring speedy ruin.  
Let not any among you say, the Preacher is come to vent himself, and his own Passions, and we expected some thundering sermon after this: No, no, I am not come to that purpose, but in all humility and seriousness to beseech you to consider what the mind of the Lord is, and I have begged from the Lord (as well as I could) wisdom and direction to know what I should speak: be not such enemies to yourselves, and to that good the Lord intends you this day, as to say when you come home, we have heard a sermon of Judgement, and that is all; we expected some such thing. Do not so ill requite the Lord and his word, but hearken to the counsels of his word, and be obedient to the same.  
The scope of the Apostle in this Epistle, 
The Coherence.  is to set down the true way of men's Justification, and salvation; which he affirms to be by the pure grace of God, and not by the works of men. This way, or model of God in saving men, the material principle from whence both their Justification and Salvation must arise, viz imputed righteousness, he calls the righteousness of God in the verse before the text, which is so called, because the righteousness by which men are saved is a righteousness of Gods finding out, and of his own bestowing, and not any such thing as men have either framed, and devised themselves; or were able to work out by any thing that they could do. This righteousness, he says, is revealed in the Gospel: it is the Gospel that chalks out this model, and platform of righteousness and life, and by this way must men be justified and saved, and not by their own works: this is the main proposition which he lays down in the 17 verse. In the text we have the first proof, or argument to make that assertion good, & the argument stands thus.  
The works of all men in the world, whether Jew's or Gentiles, ever since the fall of Adam, they are wicked, ungodly, unrighteous works, therefore they cannot be saved by them: the argument is very clear, and strong here. All men deserve wrath, the utmost wrath, displeasure, and vengeance of God by thei● own works, therefore they cannot deserve his love, favour, or good will: they are so far from deserving his love, that they deserve the quite contrary. This is the coherence.  
For explication of the words,  
The wrath of God] By wrath, we are to understand wrath in the Root, and in the Fruit; in the cause, 
The opening of the Text.  and in the effect. God is highly displeased with men by reason of sin, he loathes their ways and abhors their practices, he bears a bitter, and a deadly hatred against all the wickedness which men commit; and he hath an inward quarrel, (if we may so speak) a secret grudge in his heart against men themselves for the same: this is wrath in the root, or cause. And then again he inflicts plagues and punishments, the most dreadful curses, and fearful judgements on men by reason of sin; all which are visible and signal tokens of his displeasure, and manifest proofs, that he cannot endure them, nor any of their ways: this is wrath in the fruit, or effect.  
Is revealed from heaven.  
There may be a twofold sense of this. 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Simpliciter significat Pau lus, manifestius esse quam ut quisquam inficiari possit, Dominum è caelo in omnes ac singulos homines indignari Beza.   
1. The sense may be, it is revealed clearly and manifestly, as much as if it were by a voice from heaven. The Lord God Almighty, the blessed and most holy God, he proclaims it from heaven, and cries aloud in the ears of all the world, that he is deeply offended with all the ungodliness, and unrighteousness which men commit, that he will certainly call them to an account, and punish them for it. In Psalm: 14: 2. it is said The Lord looked from HEAVEN upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God; now here it is said, his wrath is revealed from heaven. God is no idle spectator, he doth not carelessly behold the actions of men, as if so be they might do what they listed, and he not discern, or not be moved at it: no, he looks down from heaven upon the children of men. Jehovah from the heavens looked down upon the sons of Adam; so one reads it: He looks with a watchful observant eye; his eye is intent and fixed upon all the sons of Adam, upon the whole raceof mankind, and for what is all this curious search made? it is to see if there were any that did understand and seek God: But was he well pleased when he found it otherwise? no surely, finding all to be corrupt, that they were all gone aside, that they were all together become filthy, that there was none that did good no not one, that they were workers of iniquity. v. 1.3.4. he gives out the sentence, he pronounceth it from heaven, he proclaims it in the ears of all the world, that he is highly offended, and his wrath is gone out against men by reason of these things. Psalm: 4.2. O ye sons of men how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? how long will ye run mad on sin, and be so desperately adventurous in the ways in which you walk? But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself. verse 3: Take it for granted, that JEHOVAH, that is, the Highest Lord, the Majesty of heaven and earth, he is provoked, and incensed by all these ways, and it is the godly man that he looks after: know ye, Jehovah hath marvellously separated a gracious saint to him; so Ainsworth. It is the pious, devout, holy soul that Jehovah regards, and he hath marvellously separated him, or selected in wondrous sort, 
b segregavit, Graecum, & Latinum, mirificavit, quod verbum non est alienum a proposito ubi bi de opilione ad regiam dignitatem evecto agitur; neque a, Grammatica, cùm verba, quae mirabile facere & separare Hebraice significant, fimilia sint, atque idcirco suas fignificationes facile confundere possint ex regula Grammaticorum, & usn Hebraicae linguae. Muis in loc.  he hath put him in another rank, set a mark of excellency upon him, he hath set him in opposition to the wicked ungodly men, and such as love vanity, whom he hath set on another file, whose names are written in his black book, and hath marked them out as the objects of his wrath. this is illustrated Psal. 11.4: 5: ver. The Lord is in his holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids tries the children of men.  
The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked, and him that loveth violence his soul hateth  
Another sense may be, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, that is, it is manifested by evident, clear, remarkable plagues, and Judgements from heaven. God hath discovered to all the world, that he is an utter enemy to all the sin, wickedness, and ungodliness of men, because he hath punished in all generations wicked, and ungodly men with most fearful plagues and judgements; he hath shown signs, and tokens from heaven, so that all men have seen his hand. 
Pareus.  A learned expositor understands this phrase from Heaven, as that which is opposed to the opinion of profane men, who ascribe the punishments that are ever now and then lighting upon men, to chance, or second causes, the position of the stars, the malignity of the elements, the mutability of the matter: whereas the Apostle shows clearly that this wrath descends from heaven, and is even the scourge and whip of God, whereby he revengeth the impiety and injustice of the world.  
Against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men: by ungodliness, we are to understand sins against the first Table, all contempt of God, of religion, of the worship of God, of the ways and ordinances of God, the wrong and injury that is done to God himself more immediately, or to any part of his worship. 
d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Phav.   
By unrighteousness is meant sins against the second Table, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Gr. Scho l. in Rom 1.  all oppression, injustice, riot, excess; and the like.  
Against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness because there are several sins comprehended under either head  
Here also ungodliness and unrighteousness is put for persons committing such things, the Abstract being put for the Concrete. Who hold the truth etc.  
This is added as an aggravation of the sin of men, that men sin against light and knowledge, and therefore do more abundantly deserve that wrath which is revealed from heaven against them. The doctrine arising hence is this.  
The Blessed, 
Doctrine  and most holy God hath all along manifested, and declared his utter hatred, abhorrence, and detestation of all ungodly, and unrighteous persons; and of all the ungodliness and unrighteousness which they commit: and at sundry times hath confirmed, and made good that displeasure of his by fearful, and terrible Judgements inflicted on men in this world.  
Or more briefly that you may all remember it. God is certainly angry with sin, and sinners, and doth oftentimes in this world show his displeasure against them by remarkable Judgements.  
In the prosecution of this we must show  

1. what this hatred, or wrath of God meaneth.  
2. Prove in a scripture or two, that this wrath of God so opened, and unfolded hath been manifested to have been in God.  
3. how, or by what ways, and means it hath been manifested.  
4. Give proof, that it hath been confirmed by Judgements inflicted on men from time to time.  
5. Why God takes this course to manifest his wrath by plagues, and judgements in this world.   
1. What is this wrath of God?  
It implieth two things: the Holiness of his will: the Justice of his will.  
1. The Holiness of his will: the will of God is absolutely, universally set against all sin, he dislikes it, he abhors it, he hates it to the very death, it is that which goes against him, he cannot endure it, neither will he, it strikes at his own blessedness, & therefore he must needs hate it. 
f Omne impediens à beatitudine debet odiri Aquin.  Heb. 1.9. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity. That, which a man hateth, he wisheth the death of. God hath taken up an irreconcilable, and eternal hatred against sin, it never stood with his holiness to like it, neither ever will it. Nay; he is so holy he cannot but hate it. The wrath of God therefore is the displeasure, which he hath conceived in his heart against sin, the secret grudge, and quarrel which he bears to every man that is a sinner, and cannot but bear to him considered as such, and remaining in that estate. 
g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Aristot.  Wrath, as the Philosophers define it, is a desire of revenge for some seeming sleight, or disrespect shown to a man. As a Prince when he is disgraced, reviled, reproached or any way struck at by one of his subjects, 
h Sola parvipensio causat iram, & omne provocans iram est aliquid sub ratione injusti. Aquin.  he is presently inflamed, his blood is up, 
i Ira est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Eustratius referent. Grot.  & he resolves to right himself, and to revenge the quarrel of his honour on such a man. But God hath no such passions, only so far we may say, the blessed God looks upon sin as a slight, as a disrespect shown unto him, he looks upon and sinners as contemning his holy majesty, as scorning him, and setting him at nought, and this he hates, and cannot but hate.  
2. The 
k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor.  wrath of God implies the justice of his will, the will of God hates sin, and it is resolved to punish sin, the will of God is carried with utter dislike of sin, and it will be revenged for sin, it will inflict punishment for sin. Wrath in our sense is a desire of revenge, when there is some evil inflicted proportionable to the wrong a man suffers, and this is properly called punishment. 
* Est autem paena generali significatu malum passionis quod instigitur ob malum actionis. Grotins' de jure belli & pacis.  Now there are no passions in God, as was said before, but thus we must conceive it; God resolves to lay a meet recompense, a just reward upon men for sin; sin in its own nature, deserves the heaviest curses, and therefore these are measured out by the just, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus Dei.  and upright will of God, as the fittest recompense thereunto.  
This is the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are 
k Ad jus autem pertinet aptitudo quam Aristoreles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est dignitatem vocat. Michael Ephesius id quod secundum eam aequale dicitur interpretatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod convenit. Grotius de jure belli & pacis.  worthy of death. Rom. 1.32. God will render to every man according to his works. Chap. 2.6. This is another thing that must be understood by the wrath of God, the distributive justice of God whereby he lay's actual plagues, and punishments on men according to their deserts. Psalm. 2.5. Then shall he speak unto unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Here is wrath, and the fruit of wrath; the Lord is angry, and he makes it known that he is so; his anger is a vexing, troubling anger, it leaves not men at ease in their sins, but it quickly disquiets them.  
2. The Second particular for the prosecuting of the doctrine, was to instance in a Scripture or two, whereby it appears that there is such anger in God towards sin, and sinners; and to prove that there is such wrath indeed, which hath been manifested as hanging over men by reason of sin. One or two places will be enough for this. Ezra. 8.22. The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, but his power, and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. Nahum. 1.2. God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Prophet is here describing the nature of God, and he begins with jealousy.  

l Aquinas. 1ma: 2dae. Quaest. 28. Art. 4.  Jealousy is an affection proceeding from strength, and intensnes of love, and that which stirs it up is somewhat that would rob a man of the quiet, and sole enjoyment of what he desires. God loves himself and his own glory above all, and good reason for it, he being the highest and most supreme good. Sin in its proper nature, and intention goes about to rob him of what is nearest to him and therefore no wonder if he be jealous. This jealousy of his is manifested in the next words, The Lord revengeth, the Lord revengeth, the Lord taketh vengeance. 
m Cum vero ait Dominus semper est in Heb: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ut intelligant Deum verum, & omnipotentem sibi esse iratum, qui nullins potentiâ prohiberi, aut impediri possit. Ribera.  The name of Jehovah is thrice repeated in this one verse, this he doth to show that it is the true, and living God, he that is omnipotent, whose power and wrath none can resist, that was fallen out with them, and become their enemy. And 
n Ter autem ulciscens, sive ultor dicitur, quod asseverationem magnam habet, maximamque in dicat, & certissimam ultionem: etenim Ternarius magnam vim habet ad amplificandum. Ribera.  the name of vengeance is as often attributed to him, the Lord revengeth, revengeth, will take vengeance, which shows the terribleness of his wrath, and the certainty of it. There are also two other expressions that set forth the greatness, and certainty of his wrath, he is furious, or as the Margin hath it that hath fury, which best suits with the Original which hath it, 
o Dominum irae vocat, ira & indignatione praeditum q.d. nonnunquam ostendit se esse iratum, quum infligit graves poenas. Vatabl.  the Lord of Anger, that is, one that is armed with wrath, and indignation against his enemies, & shows himself to be angry by inflicting grievous punishments on them. 
p Ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Simpliciter accipio pro irâ sed pro efectu irae. Calv. in loc.  This is intimated in the other expression, he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The word wrath is not again repeated in the original, but is taken from that which went before to make the sense complete. He is the Lord of wrath, he hath plagues & punishments enough at his command: these he reserves & keeps by him for a fit time, & then, be sure, he will execute them to the utmost. 3. The third Particular. By what ways, and means hath this wrath of God been manifested to men?  
Answ. These two ways.  
1. By natural light. 2. By the light of the word.  
1. By the light of nature, or of conscience. There is such a power left in all men's hearts, (which is called conscience) that upon 
q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sic High ocles in versum.  sin committed, or good omitted summons men to the tribunal of the supreme Majesty, telling them, that they own punishment to that sovereign justice for the commission of the one, and the omission of the other. The Gentiles, who had nothing but the light of nature, had this court of 
r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. appellat idem Hieroc.  judicature erected in them. Rom. 1. last. Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death etc. This was a principle riveted, and seated in all their hearts, this they knew full well, they 
s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Bez. in textum.  acknowledged it as true, (though they were ignorant of, and denied many other truths) that they which committed such, and such sins were worthy of God's wrath: for that is meant by Death, that bearing the name of death here, which is called wrath in the 18. verse. Hence it was that many of the Heathens spoke of a 
t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. adv. Col.  golden eye, a revengeful eye, an eye of justice that saw all, and would be revenged for all the wickedness, that men committed.  
This is farther set forth in that famous text; Rom 2.15. where the apostle speaking of the Gentiles, says, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another. When they had sinned their consciences accused them, and told them, this they ought not to have done, and there was one that saw and would take vengeance for this: the 
t Neque enim sensus esse videtur, cogitationes se mutuò, i.e. aliam aliam accusâsse, aut excusâsse, sed inter se, & quasi alternatim, aciper vices eum in quo reperiebantur prout nempe unus idemque nunc òene, nunc male ageret operaque virtutum ac vitiorum vices quasdam inter se obtinerent, similiter cogitationes inter se vices nunc excusa ndi nunc accusandi habu isse. Ladov. de Dieu.  meaning is not (so much as the letter of the word seems to import) as if so be the thoughts themselves did grate one upon another, one thought allowing itself when it was good, and condemning itself when it was evil: but the plainer sense seems to be; that they had accusing thoughts when they did evil, and excusing thoughts when they did well; the man, or person acquitting, or accusing himself in his own thoughts according to the difference of his actions, his own thoughts (which is no more than the exercise of conscience) justifying him when he did well, and condemning him when he did otherwise.  
Most men, if not all, especially when they fall into some gross sin, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Plut. de his qui sero à numine puniuntur.  they have this warning, or remembrance from Conscience, thou hast sinned, & thou wilt be damned for this another day. Now God by this means discovers his hatred against sin, and his wrath hanging over the sinner. Conscience is God's officer, it is his Herald to proclaim his wrath to men. If one Prince send his Herald at arms to another Prince, or a General of an Army sends his challenge by drum or trumpet, there is then open war, and all men know it. God hath set up this light in men by which he proclaims open war to them in case they sin against him. wouldst thou know whether God be angry yea or no? look within, dost thou feel no gripes, or prickings there? doth not thy heart secretly 
x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem.  sink and fall after such a sin? Oh miserable man what have I done! certainly I have brought my 
y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hiercel.  self under the displeasure of the Almighty. If thy conscience be not stupid, or seared there are such secret remembrances as these are: 
z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem.  And this is one way by which God instructs the sons of men, what the nature of sin is, and what they must expect, if so be they venture on it,  
2. The second way whereby the wrath of God is manifested is, the light of the word. Now this is twofold,  

1. The light of the Law.  
2. The light of the Gospel.   
1. It is manifested by the light of the Law, the Law threatening nothing but death, curses, plagues, and vengeance to all sin, and ungodliness whatsoever: Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. Gal. 3.10. wouldst thou know whether the wrath of God hangs over men by reason of sin, do but read the 28. Chap. of Deuteron. There you shall find curse upon curse. In the 15. verse. it is said all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed in the field, cursed shall be thy basket, and cursed in thy store, v. 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, & rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy do, whereby thou hast forsaken me. The Law threatneth nothing but wrath: it worketh wrath. Rom. 4.15. It causes a sense of wrath, by threatening wrath to all the transgressors of it.  
2. Is it otherwise in the gospel? no: the gospel, that reveals wrath too. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven. As much as if the Apostle should say: we the Apostles and Ambassadors of God do bring this message from heaven, and publish it in our gospel to the world: that the wrath of God is due to men by reason of sin: all men by nature are under wrath already, they are children of wrath Eph. 2. and there is a day which is coming, when this wrath shall come upon them to the utmost, if they do not believe, and repent.  
Obj. Yea, but the gospel reveals Christ, salvation, pardon of sin?  
An. True, this is the first intention of the gospel, 
Heb, 2.3.  and the first offer which it makes: but if men neglect so great salvation, if they will not stoop to gospel terms, and submit to what it commands, if they will not repent, and believe, than there is so much the more wrath, 
Mark 1.14.15.  and the heavyer vengeance Heb. 10.28.29. He that despised Moses Law, died without mercy, under two or three witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of God.  
Besides, the gospel teacheth, that God will judge the secrets of men's hearts. Rom. 2.16. In the day when God shall judge the hearts of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel. Thy secret pride, covetousness, ambition, thy secret thefts, adulteries, thy secret scorning of the word and ordinances; these must be all judged, the Gospel that hath said so much in effect. It is according to the Doctrine of the gospel, that there must a general judgement pass on all a man's sins, and therefore on the secrets of their hearts, his inward, and most secret sins. It is according to my gospel, saith the Apostle, that men must be judged: why, where had Paul said so? In that famous sermon of his: Acts: 17.30.31. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the Dead. Or else he says according to his gospel, because this was the tenor of the gospel, a part and portion of the gospel, one of the most ordinary and usual Doctrines therein revealed, he, and the rest of the Apostles going up and down, and preaching the day of judgement unto men, bringing that as a main argument why they should repent, and believe; because that there was a day a coming, when they must be called to a reckoning for all their sins. So likewise it is the gospel that says 2. Thes. 1.7.8.9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, takeing vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.  
4. 
4. Part.  The fourth thing for the prosecution of the Doctrine was, to make proof that this wrath of God towards sin, and sinners hath been confirmed, and made good by sundry judgements inflicted upon sinners from time to time. Now here we need not stand long, the whole Book of God is full of clear, and pregnant examples to this purpose. You all know the story of the old world: it is said expressly, God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. 2. Peter. 2.5. You have all read, or heard the judgement that befell Sodom, and Gomorrah: It is recorded with a special note, Gen. 19 24. Then the Lord reigned upon Sodom, and Gomorrah brimstone, and fire from the Lord out of heaven. The name of the Lord is used twice here, to show, that it was a special hand from heaven that brought this. 
e Hebraismus est, pluit Dominus a Domino de coelo, pro Dominus pluit a se de coelo. Vatab.  The Lord did this by himself, as it were: it was not a chance, or accident; (as some call the most fearful judgements that ever have been executed) it was not the ill Crasis, and disposition of second causes, no, it was an immediate hand from heaven, it was Jehovah that did it.  
We might instance in the examples of 
f Exod. 14.  Pharaoh and his Host, which were drowned in the red sea in the examples of 
g Numb. 16.  Korah, Dathan, Abiram, of 
h Isai 37.  Senacherib, and divers others.  
From the old Testament we might pass to the New, and speak of the ends of Judas; Ananias, and Saphira; Herod. These things you all know, much also might be fetched from Histories sacred, & profane to consirme this. Ecclesiastical Histories are full of examples in this kind. M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath a special tract to show the fearful ends of several of the most Eminent persecutors of the Church, and people of God.  
5. 
5 Partic.  The Last thing for the clearing of the Doctrine is to show the grounds, and reasons of this, why God takes this course many times in this world to inflict upon notorious sinners some remarkable judgements: might it not be thought sufficient, that there are eternal punishments reserved for them? The reasons therefore why God doth this are these.  
1. 
Reason 1.  He doth it to put a stop to the Atheism that is in the world. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God. Psal. 14.1. The Atheist says, we may do as we list, the Lord sees not, neither doth he consider; good, and evil are all one to him, and he regards it not: or as they which are described in Job. chap. 21. v. 14.15. They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. what is the almighty that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? Now, when men are come to this pass, he will make them acknowledge him, whether they will or no. The Lord is marvellous patient, and long-suffering, he knows how to right himself, and to be even with the sinner in the end: but if men will break all bounds, if they will deny the majesty above, if they will soff at his word, and make a mock of sin, if they will pluck up all religion by the very roots: he will not, he cannot any longer endure it, it stands him upon to keep up his authority in the world, he will be owned, and acknowledged as God among his creatures. If nothing else will make the proud, & sturdy hearts of men to stoop, and yield to him, his Judgements shall Psal 46.10. Be still, and know that I am God. It is the voice of the Lord to the proud ones of the world. It seems they would not know that there was a God, or at least that the God of Israel was he, that was the true God; therefore was it that they were so mad against his people, v. 6. the Heathen raged: but, what is the next news that we hear? He uttered his voice; the earth melted. As proud, and as stout as they are, no sooner doth He speak, but their spirits flag, & faint; those great, and mighty ones who feared none, and cared for none, they became as dead men: he uttered his voice, or as some read it he gave his voice. Who is this He? look back upon the former verse, and you will quickly see, 'tis God that utters his voice. No sooner doth God speak a word, but their hearts fail them. Let him but show himself, of whom they made a mock but a little before, and questioned whether there was any such one, and then they fear, and tremble; they shrink, and dare not hold up their heads. And why doth the Lord do all this? Why doth he drive them to such a stand? The end is set down at the 11. verse. He will be known as God, amongst the worst of men. Be still, and know that I am God, and then it follows, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. That wicked Pharaoh, one of the worst of men, who blasphened against heaven & said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Exod. 5.2. This bold, this proud wretch, after he had seen the hand of the Lord lifted up, and felt his plagues, he is forced to know who the Lord was, and to let Israel go.  
2. 
2 Reason.  The Lord doth this to render men in excusable Rom. 2.1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. Judgest, how is that? that judgest men worthy of death by sin: that was God's verdict, and sentence touching sinners, and this all men knew by the light of nature, and had the same judgement and apprehension of it in themselves: as it is c. 1. v. 32 when as a man knows by the light, and checks of his own conscience, that the wrath of God is due unto him by reason of sin, when he sees all the curses that are revealed in the Law, and the fearful vengeance denounced in the gospel against all unbelieving, and unrepenting sinners, this makes him greatly inexcusable: but when he shall see the judgements of God executed before his eyes, and many of the same rank, and kind of sinners struck dead in the midst of their abominations, if yet he go on in the same sins, this makes him beyond measure inexcusable. If a man should see an hundred thiefs, or robbers hung up one after another at several assizes, and yet after this, this man himself should play the thief, who would pity that man if he came to the same end? he knows thee. very to be an unwarrantable, & dangerous thing, the law if against it, and many have been punished for it from time to time before his eyes, this makes him inexcusable: so it is in this case: If God take other men in the midst of their sins, if he take them in the midst of their drinking, quaffing, and carousing, as he did Belshazzar in the midst of his cups, or strike them with some secret, and sudden blow in the midst of their chambering and wantonness, as he did the young man in the proverbs, who when he went to the harlot's house, had a dart struck through his liver. Chap. 7.23. or by an immediate hand from heaven, and an Angel sent to that purpose, shall punish them in the midst of their pride, tyranny, and persecution, as he dealt with Herod. If after all this, when a man hath seen such clear, and manifest Judgements from heaven, on the persons of others, he shall live in the same, or worse sins; if he shall continue a drunkard, an adulterer, a persecutor, and opposer of the saints, and of religion after all this, who can say this man is not justly punished? The word is plain, and express against such, and such sins; the end and issue of them is there revealed, and the judgements of God have ratifyed it, and confirmed it; this man is left without all excuse. Now God will have every mouth to be stopped; and all the world become guilty before God. Rom. 3.19.  
3. 
Reas. 3.  The Lord inflicts judgements upon some, that they might be for examples unto others. 2. Peter. 2.6. Turning the cities of sodom, and Gomorrah into ashes, condemning them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly. Here is both the judgement, and the reason of it expressed. He turned them into ashes; and he condemned them with an overthrow: he had condemned their wickedness before in his own thoughts, and adjudged them worthy of some severe plague, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav.  and that plague must be nothing less than a total destruction, a total overthrow; he would so destroy them as to make an utter end of them: for that is the meaning of the word. And why would he do so? it was to make them an example; he set them up as an example, he had prepared them for an example in his own thoughts before, he had fitted, and designed them for it; now this is the edition, and setting forth as it were, of what he had framed, and contrived before. Saint Peter had mentioned two great editions of the wrath of God before, one was in the Angels that fell: He cast them down to hell, v. 4. Here was wrath indeed. Another was in the old world. He brought in the flood upon a whole world. v. 5. here was the second great edition of his wrath, if I may so speak. And the third was in that of Sodom, and Gommorah, these he 
l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constituit. ●ez. pone●s Vulg.  constituted, & framed for an 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hesych.  example; that is, for a sign, a token, a sure, a standing remembrance of what he meant to do with others in the like kind: And therefore is it said, unto those that 
m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Ph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hes.  after should live ungodly. If any had a mind after this to play the Atheists, to cast off all the thoughts of God, of religion, and to riot it in their lusts, as the Sodomites, they might here see as in a map, what their doom was like to be. S. Paul reckons up a whole Catalogue of Judgements which befell the Israelites. 1. Cor. 10.11. It is said, now all these things happened to them for ensamples. the meaning is not that those Judgements came by chance upon them for how could they then be intended as examples, as he says they were. Neither doth he say divisim, and a part, that these things happened, and were examples, but he speaks conjunc●im, knitting them up both in one sentence, they happened as examples, or for examples, that is, those things which corrupt, and carnal hearts look upon as chances, and misfortunes, he in the course of his providence orders that they should come to pass, that they might be examples, therefore in the 6. verse it is said, these things were our examples, or they were 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  made our examples, being ordained, and appointed of him so to be. Examples] that is patterns, 
n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Phav.  samplers, and similitudes, of what he intended to do in after times. These were some of the first draughts, and copies of his judgements, that men might see, as he had begun, so he intended to go on and therefore they are said to be examples, written for instruction, or admonition. Examples they were so in their primitive intendment: and they are written too, left upon record, that we might take warning by them on whom the ends of the world are come. The last age of this world is like to be the worst, and therefore is it said, in the last days perilous times shall come, for there shall be sinners of such and such a sort,. 2. Tim. 3.1. Now God hath provided for this before hand, he hath given many noteable examples of his judgements in former ages, which men, if they were wise, would hid in their hearts, and keep ever by them; and that was his end in making such examples, that they might be for admonition: 
o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Admonitionem: pretiosum vocabulum, ●uo significatur rectis monitis mens quasi prius emota suo loco restitui, vel antea fluctuans componi. Eez. in 1. Cor. 10  a precious word (as one calls it) signifying the bringing of the mind back to itself againeby some wholesome rebuke or other, that was formerly out of its place; or else it signifieth the settling of the mind, that before was fluctuating, and wavering. All men are apt to think slightly of sin, they look upon sin, as a harmless thing, that hath no venom, nor sting in it, they play and dally with it, as little children would do with a Snake. All this while the understanding is a sleep, the mind is out of its place, it judges not of things according to the nature of them. But when the Lord from heaven begins to shoot his arrows, when they see men taken in the midst of their impieties, and punished with some grievous, and fearful judgements, than the mind begins to be awakened, and a man's thoughts begin to recollect themselves, certainly sin is not such a trifle, it is not a toy, an empty notion, as the most of men do make it. These are the warnigs of God to men: his judgements executed in the world, are as so many monunents, standing remembrances of his displeasure against sin. This is the last reason of the point.  
The Application follows.  
The first use may be a word of Terror, & it is able to shake the heart of every unrepentant sinner under heaven. Is there such wrath in God as hath been opened? hath it been all along manifested and revealed? have his judgements confirmed it? this may strike a damp, a terror on the heart of every wretched, unrepenting sinner in the world. Here thou mayest see what thy case is, and what thy doom will certainly be: the wrath of the great God, the God of heaven, and earth is kindled against thee, it burneth, and waxes hot against thee, yea it will one day consume thee, and destroy thee: it will tumble theeodwn into endless, easeless, & remediless torments. This were enough to shake the proudest Nimrods' of the world, and to make the most stout hearted sinner tremble like an aspen leaf, would he but consider it. The case is plain, and clear: the judgement sure and certain.  
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, it's a plain, a manifest thing, it's written with a sunbeam, and there needs be no question of it, thine own conscience, that araignes, accuses, and condemns thee: it's the voice and cry of conscience, if thou liest in such, and such abominations, thou must be damned, the word says it, the Law hath pronounced it a thousand times over and over, the gospel that ratifyes, and confirms it, and the judgements of God executed in the world, they put it out of doubt.  
Oh miserable man or woman, who ever thou be, be thou young or old, rich or poor, be thy rank or condition whatsoever it be, that liest in thy secret thefts, adulteries, oaths, profanations of the sabbath, whose heart riseth at God, and his ways, that lovest thy ignorance, wordlinesse, or what ever sin it be, that I cannot name in which thou livest, and art resolved so to do! Oh miserable, forlorn creature! The God of heaven and earth is set against thee, the God of heaven, & earth is resolved to plague & punish thee.  
Art thou able to dwell with everlasting burn, or to stand before a devouring fire? Art thou a fit match for the Almighty? canst thou grapple with thy maker? art thou strong enough to overcome his almightiness? What is become of all the mighty sinners in the world? what is become of the world of the ungodly? Were they not all swllowed up together, and devoured as in a moment? What is become of the wicked Sodomites? Were they not consumed with fire and brimstone? Nay, that's not all, they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, 
Judas 5.7.  they lie flaming in the fire of hell, and are scorched with the wrath of God there for ever. What is become of Cain, and Judas, and all the rabble of the ungodly? Hath not this wrath of the Lord lighted on them, and are they not for ever miserable this is thy doom & portion also, who continuest in thine abominations. Tophet is ordained of old: yea, 
Isai. 30.33.  for the King it is prepared, he hath made it deep, and large: the the pile thereof is fire, and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. There is elbow room enough in hell for all the drunkards, swearers, Atheists in the world. He hath made it deep, and large, it will hold them all, there is no fear of it: this is the place prepared for thee. Be thou a great sinner, or little sinner, it matters not, if so be thou be an unrepenting sinner, it may be thy sin is so secret way of unjust gain, it may be it is wilful ignorance, constant neglect of holy duties, be it what it will be, if thou be an unrepentant sinner, if thou keep thy sin in thy bosom, if thou hid it as a sweet morsel under thy tongue, the wrath of the Lord is gone out against thee. Oh how great, how dreadful is that wrath? Jerem. 10. v. 10. The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble: and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Revel. 6.14, 15, 16, 17. And the heaven departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together, & every mountain & Island were moved out of their places: And the Kings of the earth, and the great men, & the rich men, & the chief captains, & the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains, And said to the mountains, and rocks fall on us, and hid us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?  
Thou mayest mock at the word now, and despise the messengers of the Lord, and make a light matter of sin, hell, wrath, and judgement, and every such thing. Yea but then shalt thou cry to the rocks, & mountains to fall on thee, & to shelter thee from the wrath of the Lord, and the fierceness of his anger. The wrath of the King is as the roaring of a Lion, but what is the wrath of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? when the Almighty shall stretch forth his own hand against a poor rebellious creature, one that had wallowed in his filthiness, and took his swinge in his base, and swinish lusts, and he shall set his own almightiness on work to make him miferable, Oh how great must that misery be! Revelation 1.7. Behold He cometh, and every eye shall see him, all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. There is a mighty emphasis lies on it, it is he that cometh, who is that? look back at the 5. verse, and you will see it is Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the Kings of the earth, unto whom glory, and dominion is due for ever and ever. Behold he cometh it is ushered in with a note of astonishment and amazement: it is not a poor despised Christ, it is not a carpenters son that now appears, he cometh not in that mean, low, & abject way as once he did; no, it is the glorious Lord Jesus, it is the the faithful witness, one that hath received public testimony in heaven of his truth and faithfulness in his father's work, it is he that was raised up by the glory of the Father, whom he hath set at his own right hand, Far above all principality and powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. 'Tis he cometh, he comes not in a poor mean and abject manner, no he cometh with clouds, he shall come in the glory of his father, and all the holy Angels with him. Behold he cometh. Or else we may refer this to the following verse. v. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning & the ending saith the Lord, which is, & which was, & which is to come; the Almighty. It is that Eternal, that Almighty one. Behold he comeeth. So in the Epistle of Judas v. 14. Behold the Lord cometh. Here we have a behold too. The Lord cometh with ten-thousands of his Saints. To see ten thousand Saints, and thousand thousand of Angels coming to Judgement, Oh what a dreadful sight would this be! but it is the Lord that cometh in the front, and head of these, they are but his followers & attendants. The Lord] he whom thou hast hated, scorned, opposed all this while, it is the Lord that cometh whose commands thou hast made bold withal, and regarded no more than the dust under thy feet. The Lord cometh to execute vengeance v. 15. who said expressly thou shouldst not be drunken, riotous, unjust, abuse his mercies and the like: this glorious mighty Lord, he himself cometh, he whom thou hast dishonoured, provoked, blasphemed so many years together, and yet he let thee alone, but now thou shalt pay for all, he comes to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them, he will spare none, high nor low, rich nor poor, all shall stand before the judgement seat. But is that all, it follows, he will convince them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed. Thou canst be tipsy in a corner, and commit filthiness in secret, and reserve some hidden close haunts of sin which are remote from the eyes of men, but thou shalt not carry it so, the Lord will convince all that are ungodly among them, as subtle, and as cunning an hypocrite as thou art, thou shalt be unmasked, the Lord will lay thee open before men, and Angels, thy baseness, and underhand dealing, thy dodging, and daubing in matters of religion shall be brought to light at that day. Thou sayest as those mockers did, where is the promise of his coming? What is this day of Judgement, hell, and wrath that ministers tell us so much off? Tush these are but Bugbears to fright little children with; and Preachers are grown so proud now a days as they will have all men come to their bows, and have an awe, and reverence of them: but let us not be so weak to hearken to such tales. But what followeth? He will convince them of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Alas! for thee poor man. It is not the minister thou speakest against, those thy wicked, thy accursed, thy hard speeches, they are against him. The Lord will not be mocked, neither will he suffer his creatures to laugh him to scorn. He will convince thee one day, that sin, hell, and wrath are not dreams, fancies, and idle tales, & when thou hast lain some millions of years in those insufferable torments, and hast eternity, for ever lying before thee to think what thou hast still to endure, than thou wilt see, whether sin be sin, yea, or no, whether the wrath of God be a ridiculous thing yea or no. Oh fear and tremble at the thoughts of these things: that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake, and his joints to tremble. This is the first use.  
The second use, and all the use in the general, that shall be made of the point in hand, 
Us● 2.  is an exhortation to Repentance: Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men? Oh Repent, Repent betimes, ere this wrath come upon you. I have lately exhorted you to repentance, by the mercies of God, by his love and goodness, and the sweet provision that he hath made, he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you. You need not say the work is too hard, it is a thing impossible for us to repent. You have heard where your strength lies: I must now go another way to work, and exhort you to repentance by the Judgements of the Lord, the text which I am handling calls for it, and the providences of the Lord, they call for it also. Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men, saith the Apostle: so must we do likewise. Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place, be thy rank, or condition whatsoever it be, be thou in higher or meaner place, Repent, and that speedily before the indignation of the Lord come upon you to the uttermost. I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees, and Sadduces that came to his baptism: it may be looked upon as a kind of argument to press the doctrine of repentance more closely on them, Math. 3.7. who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come. I may say concerning you of this place, the wrath of God is already come, it hath already appeared, it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun, that all that pass by you cannot but take notice of it. Oh repent, repent, lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost: Luke 13: 4.5 Suppose ye those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell & slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem, I tell you nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all, or that they were little sinners, but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the business from themselves, as if so be they that were slain, and made the immediate examples of God's displeasure, were the only sinners in Jerusalem: no, he tells them, their sins might be as great as any of the rest; and therefore he advises them to look about themselves, for unless they repent, they likewise should perish. Do not think my brothers, that the poor children that were crushed to death, the men and women that had their arms and legs broken, or disjointed, their bodies sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney, or that there are no other sinners but them amongst you. Nay I tell you all, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Unless thou, o man, or woman, who ever thou art, repent of thy drunkenness, lying, covetousness, of thy coldness and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish, the word says it, conscience tells thee so, the damned in Hell they feel it to be so.  
Oh what a strange pass are men come unto! the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, and yet they will not believe. God hath testified it from heaven, that every drunkard, and swearer, and profane person shall certainly be damned; and yet men will not believe. 1. Cor. 6.9. Know ye not that the unrighteous, etc. why, This is a plain thing, an evident, a manifest thing, a man may say it is dark at noon day, if he will, but this is clear and beyond all doubt itself. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any unrighteous soul, no unclean thing shall ever enter there. No, if the holy, and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrighteous soul shalt never get there; and if the Saints and Angels stay in heaven, thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there. Oh think on this for the Lords sake. From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction, all the leaves in the Bible make against thee, all the Judgements that ever God hath executed are clear and plain before thine eyes, and yet men will not believe! What will become of this Atheistical generation? There is no man fears, there is no man considers his way. Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodliness & unrighteousness doth bring his wrath upon them, & will damn them in the end, they will not believe it, they will not lay it to heart. The word that threatneth wrath, the Judgements of God, they reveal & make known this wrath, the devils in hell they believe & tremble at it, & the damned, they feel it, & yet the stout hearted sons of men they care not for it. 1. Cor. 10.22. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy, are we stronger than he? Do we incense, 
p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Pha.  exasperated, and put the Lord himself to it to show what he can do? are we content the Lord should do his worst? do we 
q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hes●ch.  equal and compare ourselves with him? dare we justle, and contend with him for mastery? Oh fearful! are you come to this point? let the Lord do his worst, we shall deal with him and his wrath well enough. Oh desperate forlorn man! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Oh repent, repent. 
Heb. 10.1.  It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr. Repent O England, repent, repent, so say I to you, O Witney, repent, repent, otherwise I fear some more dreadful plagues will befall you. You that have ungodly neighbours, servants, or friends go to them & ask them, what mean you to lie in your ignorance, profaneness, neglect of God and holy things still? What do you love to be damned? and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soon as you die? For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily, if you do not I fear some worse thing will come next. Certainly, my Brethren, the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy; (for so it should be called it was not a Comedy, no, no, it was a Tragedy, a doleful Play, it had a doleful end, a bloody, a sad end. Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints, the fearful heart-piercing cries, that saw the broken bones, the disjointed arms, the dead carcases of so many children, will say it was a Tragedy indeed, a doleful play) and the wrath of God hath been revealed from heaven, it is revealed from heaven against thee O Witny. If there be any mockers or scoffers in the congregation that are come to deride the word, I say if there be any such, though I hope better things of the most of you, yet if there be any secret scoffer in a corner, I shall say to him as Job did to his friends, when they had made light of his calamity, and said, it was just. Job. 11.3. Suffer me that I may speak, and after that I have spoken, mock on. You that make so light of the hand of God, & laugh at all his judgements, hear the message which the Lord sent, & if after that ye have a mind to mock, then mock ye on, take your fill of laughter, and it may be you may have your belly full of mocking another day.  
Brethren, mistake me not, my aim is not to make you sad, (though it is fit, indeed, you should be humbled for your sins.) Alas, what pleasure can it be to the proor servants, and messengers of the Lord to make any one sad? No, no, it is your good, and happiness, it is the welfare and happiness of this place I aim at, and I hope by that time you have heard all I have to say, you will be convinced, that it is so indeed. Let me speak to you as the Apostle doth to his Corinthians. 2. Cor. 11.1. Would to God you could bare with me a little in my folly, and indeed bear with me. And then at the 20 verse. for ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. Many, I fear, are apt to plead for their lusts and corruptions, for their games and sports, which have devoured them, and consumed them, and brought them low, and is there not as much reason they should bear with the word which comes in all plainness, and faithfulness to do them good? Certainly my brethren the hand of the Lord is lifted up, the great and dreadful God, the King of the whole earth hath shown himself in the midst of you. I could have hoped there would not be found a man in this place, that was come to that height of Atheism, as to say, this not was the hand of God, this was not a judgement, it was only a chance, a misfortune, & such a thing might fall out, the house was weak, the beam was not strong enough to support such a multitude. I could here cease speaking to such a man, and desire a corner to turn aside & weep in, & even power out rivers of tears in his behalf. It was that which made the Prophet cry out in the like case. Isai. 26.11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see. How was the Lord's hand lifted up? Do but read the former verses and you will find, in the 9 verse we hear of his judgements being abroad, and in the 10. verse, we hear of favour shown to the wicked. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. The Lord's hand was lifted up in a way of judgement, and in a way of mercy, it was his righteous judgement that some were cut off, and it was his mercy that others were spared, and yet when his hand was lifted up so Emenently, they would not see. The Lord hath shown both his severity, and his goodness amongst you, severity to them that suffered, and goodness to you that were preserved. Is it not the Lords goodness? or to return to the Prophet's expression, is it not a favour shown to thee, that thou hast thy life giventhee, when others were crushed to death? is it not a favour that thou art safe and sound, when others had their limbs broken, their bodies grievously bruised? Oh this was that which so moved the Prophet, or the church herself that is brought in speaking in that chapped. that she knew not well how to bear it. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see. It is a pathetical speech, and it savours of somewhat a grieved and troubled spirit. Oh the hardheartedness, the pride and stoutness that is in men, not to see when the Lords hand is so lifted up. What is thy heart flint, and thy Bowels made of brass? will not wrath from heaven, great wrath affect thee? Read what follows in the same verse. They will not see, but they shall see. Thou winkest with thine eyes now, but the Lord will open them at last, thou wilt not believe this is the wrath of God, thou wilt believe it to purpose another day, and it may be that day is not far off. That I may show you the wretchedness of this disposition, not to see and acknowledge the Lord in such great things, but to lay them upon chance, misfortune second causes, and the like. Consider, 1 This is a mere heathenish temper, the Heathens could not do worse than so, the Philistines they said if the matter fell not out so and so, as they had cast it, it was not the hand of the Lord that smote them, but it was a chance that happened. 1. Sam. 6.9. shall we make ourselves Philistines? shall we compare ourselves with the worst of the heathens? Nay, some of the heathens have acknowledged the 
r Vide Lipsium Physiolog. Stoic. l. 1. Dissert. undecimá et seq. Arrian. lib. 1. cap. 6. & 12 more Jamblich. de vitâ Pythag. cap. 28. Stobaeum Eclog. Physic. lib. 1. cap. 3.  Providence of God in such 
s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hiero●l. in aur. carm. paulo post. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  matters, 
t Nec Homerus hoc nescivit: qui de Graecis adflictis causam reddit.— 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Lips. diss. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Eurip. apud S●obaeum in Phys.  they looked upon evils befalling them as the just punishments of their sins, they have feared and trembled at the things that have come to pass, as acknowledging a Divine Power that was the cause of them. 
u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hieroc. in Aur. Car.   
The 
x Circa religi●n●● talem accepim●●. Tomtrua & sulgura paulo ●n●●rmius e●pavescchat Suct. in August●.  Roman Emperors, yea those among them who have been most 
y Ausus interdum non solum vultum attollere: sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Refert. Casaub. de Caligula ex Dione.  profane & wicked, and at sometimes have contemned God, religion itself, and have looked the judgements of God in the face, with pride, & scorn, at other times they have been surprised with a Panic fear. If they heard but 
z Nam qui De os tantopere contemneret, ad minima tonitrna & fulgura connivere, caput obvolvere, advero majora proripere se estrato, sub lectuque condere solebat. Sue: Calig.  thundering, & lightning, they would crouch under their beds, and hid their heads, fearing that some plague from heaven was coming upon them. The Historian reports of Caligula, that wicked Emperor, that he which did so much despise the Gods, upon the least crack of thunder, or flash of lightning was wont to wink, & to wrap up his head; and if the thunder, and lightning were a little greater than ordinary, he would get off the bed on which he lay, and hid himself under the bed. Yea, it was a 
a Moris' fnit cùm tonaret aut fulgeret, aut terra mo veret, continuò pro mutua salute diis vota fundere Causab. ex Philostrato Cusus verba apponit  Custom among some of the Heathens, when there was thunder, or lightning, or an earthquake to pray to their Dietyes for on another's safety and preservation. Nay, the very devils in hell believe, and tremble, the scripture says it, and it is so: they have seen all the judgements that have been already executed, they know them to be his judgements, and tremble at them. They know all the threaten of the word to be true; and believe they shall be accomplished. They know that the day of judgement will come, they look for it, and tremble at the thoughts of it. What art thou worse than the wickedest heathen that ever was? then the blackest Fiend in hell? Oh wretched creature! Pluck off the vizard, show what thou art. Do not defile, & abuse that precious name of Christian: thou a Christian, and worse than a Heathen, worse than the very devils in hell?  
2. Not to acknowledge God in such terrible astonishing things as these are, it is the flattest most down right Atheism that ever was. It is to deny God himself, that there is such a Majesty as the Majesty of heaven and earth, it is to deny the word, it is to deny all his judgements, it is in effect to call all the great works of God that ever he hath wrought in the world mere accidents, and chances: it is to make the flood a mere chance, it is to make the burning of Sodom, and Gomorah a mere chance, in a word it is to make every thing that is recorded in scripture as a punishment of sin and sinners mere casualties and chances. Oh monstrous, abominable blasphemy! was there ever greater blasphemy than this? This is to deny God, to deny his word, to become a stark downright 
k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hier. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Tragieus quidam apud Lips.  Atheist. Dost thou believe there are any such things as judgements: certainly if there be this was one What is a judgement, but only a punishment laid on men for sin, and that which makes it more remarkably a judgement is, when men are taken in the midst of their sins. Now that stage-plays, are sins, fearful and abominable sins, both in them that act them, and them that behold them, we need not labour much to prove.  
1. We might urge, where doth the word of God tolerate such Pas-times? the word says we should redeem the time, be swift to speak, watch unto prayer. If thou canst not afford one hour to hear a Sermon, to pray, to perform religious duties in, 
Eph. 5.16. James 1.19. 1 Pet. 4.7.  doth the word afford thee, three, four hours, or whole nights to sit up at a play?  
2. But this is least of all; stageplayss are absolutely against the word, the word forbids idle words, foolish words, jesting, it forbids unchaste looks, unchaste apparel, unchaste gestures, every thing that might be an occasion of sin: the Scripture saith, Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, 
Math. 5.28.  hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Again it says The light of the body is the eye, if thine eye be evil thy whole body is full of darkness: 
Math. 6.22.23.  stageplayss are stuffed with scarrilous, filthy, unbecoming speeches, passages, and gestures: they are the incentives, & occasions of all lust: stageplayss are the very acting of wickedness, they are a teaching of men to be vile, and wicked. What are all your Comedies, but only bringing the wanton lusts of men upon the stage? as if so be the hearts of men were not corrupt enough by nature, but they must needs see lewdness, and folly acted before their eyes, to provoke them to be wicked. Oh horrible! men are not content to be lascivious, unchaste in their thoughts, desires, and inclinations when they are at home, but they would feign see lust acted in the life of it, they would feign see it displayed in its colours. Is not this abominable? Ezekiel. 23.14.15.16. When she saw men portrayed upon the wall the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in died attire upon their heads, all of them Princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea the land of their nativity, & as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them in Caldea. Can dead pictures do so much, a few painted images on a wall? what then will living pictures do? The persons of men acting the part of some found and wanton lover, or in another habit representing the amorous looks, carriage, and deportment of some lewd and wanton Quean. They, when they saw the pictures in the wall Doted on them, and doth not the sight of lustful amorous spectacles beget & stir up lust? doth it not bewitch and enchant the hearts of men? There are two sad 
h See D Reynolds, overthrow of stage plays. p. 51.  examples of this in Histories. Besides, do not men attire themselves in woman's habits, and is not this a sin? Deuteron. 5.22. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, 
Prinus Histriom mastix. p. 392. & scy.  neither shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all that do so, are an abomination to the Lord thy God. Is there any thing more clear, or more express? How frequent is this in stage plays? was it not so in the late play? was there not one that acted a woman's part in woman's garments? If we believe the word, these were not ordinary sins, no, they are unnatural, abominable practices, the authors of them are abominable, they are 
* Aboninabilis est apud Deum hoc est Deus abhorret ab his monstrjs. Johannes Wolphius. in Deut.  monsters in God's account as a learned man explains that text.  
3. The hand of God hath remarkably appeared against the actors and frequenters of stage plays. 
* Theatre of God's judgements.  There was a woman that went to the Theatre to see a play, and returned home possessed with an unclean spirit: who being rebuked in a conjuration, for daring to assault one of the faith, that professed Christ; answered, that he had done well, because he had found her upon his own ground. Here you have the devils own confession, he acknowledges stage plays to be sins, he had her upon his own ground, where he would have her, and therefore he claims a right to do what he did. Many instances there are in this kind. He that hath a mind to satisfy himself may read Mr Prin's Histriomastix, where there are many Pages to this purpose. There is one instance so near a kin to that of Witny, that it may not be omitted. Upon the 13 of January, Anno 1583. being the Lords day, an infinite number of people, men, women, and children, resorted unto Paris garden to see Bearbaiting, plays & other pas-times and being all together mounted aloft upon their scaffolds and galleries, and in the midst of all their jollity and pastime, all the whole building (not so much as one stick standing) fell down miraculously to the ground with much terror and confusion in the fall of it; five men and two women were slain out right, and above one hundred and fifty persons more sore wounded and bruised, whereof many died shortly after, some of them having their brains dashed out, some their heads all to quashed, some their legs broken some their arms, some their backs, some one hurt some another: there being nothing heard there, but woeful nulls & cries, which did even pieree the skies: children there bewailng the death and hurts of their parents, Parents of their children: wives of their Husbands, and Husbands of their Wives; so that every way from four of the Clock in the afternoon till nine at night, especially over London bridge; many were carried in and led betwixt their friends, and so brought home to their houses with sorrowful heavy hearts, like lame cripples.  
4. Much more might be said to prove the abominableness of these plays, from the rise and original of them, they being the inventions of the Heathens, devised and framed on purpose to honour their 
l Graeci omnium su●rum ●udorum ●●lennita●um atque adeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Gods withal, especially Bacchus their Drunken God, from whence stage players were called Bacchus his handy-crafts-men. From the main ends looked at in them, 
m ai● Ath●nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sed cum veri Dei notitiam a●●●serunt id● Bacchum festivitatis authorem dixerunt, have scenicos ludos consecrarunt: huic dramaticam poe●m & universam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicarunt, quam antiqui●mi ho●●n●: cam ob ca●sam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellarunt, s●enic● hi●●ienes ideo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se● per dicti. IIs; aa. Casaub. de Satur. Grae. Po●s. & Rom. Saty●a. m Equidem Comaediae smis non fere alius crat Graces, quam latitia & hilaritus Cael Rhod. lib 6. at quae sequuntur, ne referam vetat pudor & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  sinful mirth and jollity. From the ordinary concomitants, effects, and fruits of them. But these have been so largely handed by Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Prinne, and others, that it would be needless to repeat them. There hath been said enough already to prove stage plays to be sinful. And if so, (that we may return to that where we left) Is it not a judgement if a man be taken in the midst of his sins? When Nadab & Abihu were smitten by the Lord in the midst of their sins, was it not a judgement, a sore judgement? The story you have, Levit. 10.1.2. Oh cease to speak against the God of heaven any more in this sort. Certainly it was a judgement, and a manifest judgement, it was wrath from heaven, yea it was wrath from heaven against you in this place. Suffer me to give you this observation. All that were killed were the people of Witny; they were your children, your sons and your daughters that were slain; Why should five of Witny be slain outright, and not any one of other places. This Conedy was acted in other places, but it was in Witny only that it proved a Tragedy. O Witny, Witny, the Lord is angry with thee, and there are several sins among you, that the Lord points out by this judgement.  
1. There is the sin of Profaneness amongst you, how many are there in this place, that are given only to drinking, sporting, merriments, and pas-times? I have too sadly observed it in passing the streets, people will sit drinking in an Alehouse making themselves merry with a Fiddle, whereas they will not step over their threshold to hear a Sermon. Oh this is the very depth of profaneness, when men care not for God, they care not for his word, they care not for his ordinances, they care not for the great things of salvation, but are still calling for their sports and merriments, they will be jovall and merry, that they will.  
Heb. 12.16. Lest there be any profane person as Esau, that is an unhallowed, and unsanctifyed person, one that still lies in his natural filth. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Why what is the Character of such a one? it is added, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. You of this place have had the Gospel amongst you, Christ and salvation is offered, heaven and happiness stand waiting on men, few men care for this, few men bid Christ and salvation welcome: are not many apt to say, what need of all this preaching was it not better with us when we had less? Many think it much to afford one hour in a week to hear a Sermon, but they say, come let us eat, and drink, and make ourselves merry, let us dance it, and carded it, and be jovial whilst we may: and I would to God there may be none such found among you, that will sit up whole nights at Cards and Dice, that can sit day after day, many hours together in an Asehouse, that grudge a few minnutes to be spent in the service of God. Oh! desperate profaneness, abominable wickedness! the God of heaven hath revenged this profaneness this day. Do but think with yourselves, what the place was, where the hand of the Lord was seen: was it not in such a Kind of place, where such meetings use to be: I speak not of that Particular house, but that it should be in an Inn, Tavern, or Alehouse, such a Kind of place to which the people of this place are so much addicted, which they haunt so much, & spend so much time in. Is there nothing to be learned from this? Doth the Lord point out nothing of the sin of this place herein? The sin of drunkenness is to rife & common amongst you? the drunkards are reeling in your streets, they are open and obvious, to the view of all, I myself have been too sad an eyewitness.  
2. Another sin that may be feared to be amongst, you is the sin of uncleanness. Is there no fornication, no adultery in secret corners? no such things as chambering and wantonness to be found amongst you? Examine well what all your songs, & carols are, which are so often sung at your doors, & in your houses? are there none of them base, filthy, obscene. It argues too too light and wanton a spirit, that so many scores, yea some hundreds should be at a lascivious play. Oh this is a fearful sin, the sin of uncleanness, fornication, adultery, and those things that border on it. These sins bring astonishing judgements. Some sins of this nature were they that destroyed Sodom, and caused fire to come down from heaven upon it. viz: the sin of uncleanness, and unnatural lusts. These things are too fowl to be named, these things are enough to make the sun in the firmament to blush and be ashamed, and the light of the day to hid and cover itself, in which there is mention made of such things.  
3. A third sin, which is too visible and apparent, is, Neglect of the word and ordinances. Some of them that did attend upon the ordinances have turned their back upon them, and the generality amongst you do apparently slight them. Formerly what flocking hath there been to sermons? how hath this place been filled every Alley, & corner crowded? No people so famous for readiness, & diligence in hearing the word as the people of Witny: Ministers that have occasionally preached among you have observed it, your Name hath been famous amongst others. How thin are your Congregations grown upon the lords day? how small an handful there are upon Lecture days, I am to sad a witness? Brethren, suffer me to speak my fears. I fear one of the great sins that bathe plucked down this judgement, was the neglect of the Gospel. It was not long since, the last time that ever I preached amongst you on the Lord's day, in a full assembly, I beseeched you, I entreated you by all the arguments of love, gentleness, sweetness, that possibly I could to attend upon the word. I beseeched you by the love of God, by the mercies of the Lord, by the bowels of his goodness, that you would not slight the word. The Text was from that of St. John, 
1 john: 4.8, 9  God is love, and the point from it was, that the Love of God monifested to the world in the dispensation of himself by Jesus Christ, it was the most peerless, matchless, incomperable love, that ever was. Hence were you called upon in such exhortations as these in the Applciation.  
Oh do not grieve such a Love! do not slight it! do not abuse it! Oh unkind sinner! Oh hardhearted sinner! worse than the blackest devil in hell! that canst be drunk, that canst swear, that canst laugh at holiness in the face of that very Love which is come to save thee, to pardon thee; that hath sent the only begotten son that thou mightst have life through him. Do not sin against this love, do not grieve it: suffer this love to attain its ends, to accomplish its desires. The design of love is to bring thee unto life, and it hath cost it dear to bring about that design, the son of God must come down from heaven to bring this to pass, and is that so small a matter? why should any of us be willing to stop this love in its workings, to hinder it in its aims and intentions: all the design of this love is to bring us unto life, and is there any harm in that? Ah, my Brethren, is Death spiritual, Eternal death, such a sweet, such a pleasant thing, that we should be in love with it? Is wrath, the wrath of the Almighty, everlasting wrath a thing to be desired? that we should refuse to accept of the offers of eternal love, when it comes to offer life and salvation. With many more Reasonings in this kind. After this you were exhorted to make use of the means of life and of salvation, in some such words as these. If you are willing to come to the Lord Jesus for life, you cannot be unwilling to attend upon those means, and that word, that holds forth Christ and salvation. Will any one say that that man prizes a pardon, that will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon it, nor to read it, when it is sent unto him? Oh my Brethren! the Gospel is the word of life, the word of peace, of pardon, and of salvation, can he be said to prise salvation and Christ, that will not come to that word which brings Christ, salvation, and all? Is that man willing in good earnest to be saved (however all men say they are willing, God forbidden else, but is he so in good earnest?) that will not step over his threshold to hear a Sermon, where this gospel is brought, & the means of salvation tendered? I beseech you suffer me to speak to you in the name of the Lord; I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ, I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ, if you think this love of God the greatest love that revealeth pardon, life, happiness, salvation, do not think it much to wait upon the word that reveals it, and makes it manifest. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing is the ordinary means to beget Faith, and so to bring to Christ, and to salvation. I beseech you do not slight this Exhortation; if you do, I must tell you, (though I am loath so to do, yet I am constrained) this Sermon will rise up in judgement against you at the last day, and I must come in as a witness against you.  
These were some of the arguments wherewithal you were pressed; yet notwithstanding all these beseechings, and entreaties, to my grief I observed it, scarce were there any, that did the more frequent the word preached, & hath not the Lord shown his hand severely? whereas there are scarce many Scores that will come to hear the word, there are some Hundred will go to see a wicked & an ungodly play. Certainly the Lord hath been avenged for this. Do but read that 10. of Lu. from the be beginning & so on, at the 5. verse it is said, Into whatsoever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. but what follows? in the 10 verse it is said, But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say even the very dust of your city which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you. And then there is a sad close in v. 12. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre, and Sidon at the day of judgement, then for you.  
4. Another provoking sin, is the sin of Atheism, and irreligion. Do but read what the Lord Jesus speaks to the Church of Pergamos. Rev. 2.14. I have a few things against thee, why? what is the matter? Thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam: and then again at the 15. ve. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The doctrine of Balaam is expressed, He taught Balaack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto Idols, and to commit fornication. The Doctrine of the 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Epiphanius de Nicolao.  Nicolaitans was much of the same nature, and I blush to tell you what it was, they did not only hold a liberty of uncleanness, but a necessity of it. Now what was the quarrel which Christ had with this church? thou hast there them that hold such and such things: In thee, O Pergamos, are found such monstrous, and abominable Doctrines, in thee are found such as maintain them, & will stand for them: with thee it is that they have their seat, and residence. Are there not to be found in thee, O Witny, corrupt, licentious, abominable Doctrines? hast thou not also them, that hold them, that contend for them with might & main? Are there none amongst you that make a mock of sin, that make sin nothing, that hold there is no such thing as sin? Are there none amongst you, that deny the great fundamental Doctrines, (which are the very hinges, pillars, and foundations of all religion) denying the resurrection, the immortality of the soul, election and reprobation, Heaven and hell, that deny the damnation of any, and maintain the salvation of all, that can take away the scriptures, the whole Bible, and religion itself all at once, are there none such as these are? These are sad provocations, black and dismal provocations! I would feign believe some poor souls are led aside through weakness, and simplicity, and are beguiled through the subtlety of that old serpent whose wiles they are ignorant of. The good Lord deliver them, that they perish not. It's a dangerous thing to stumble at the fundamentals of religion, and godliness, although it be through weakness. But if there be any such who obstinately, and pertinatiously maintain such Doctrines, against clear and convincing light formerly shining on them, against the truth which sometimes they owned and professed, they are in a sad and fearful case. Read the Epistles of St. Peter, and Judas, and there you will see the ends of those men 2. Pet. 2.1. They bring upon themselves swift destruction. v. 3. Their Judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. Ep. jude, v. 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation. If a man out of despite make a mock of Preaching, sabbaths, ordinances, if there be any worse place in hell it is reserved for that man.  
You see what the sins are which are found amongst you, I have now shown you your wounds, my next work is to endeavour the healing of them, and indeed that was my main intention, it was not a pleasure to me to search and launce your your sores, yet that was necessary to a cure.  
The main exhortation pressed on you, hath been an exhortation to repentance, to serious, to speedy repentance. And that which remains, is to give more particular direction, what your carriage and deportment ought to be under the present hand of God. There are these four things you ought to set before you, and to have in your eye.  

1. The work of Humiliation.  
2. The work of Reconciliation.  
3. The work of Reformation.  
4. The work of Remembrance: (for so it may be called) laying it as a solemn charge upon yourselves to keep in remembrance this strange and wonderful providence.   
1. The first Duty to be set upon is the work of Humiliation. I do not mean you should set upon it in your own strength, but take the strength of Christ with you, and the strength of the spirit with you, and then you may go on. You have sinned greatly, oh humble yourselves greatly before the Lord! Manasseth did so after his great sins, 2. Chron. 33.12. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. Every particular soul should humble himself for his particular sins, and say, Good Lord! what have my sins been, that such wrath should come upon Witny in my days! Every family should mourn, and lament over the sins of that family: Husbands should mourn apart, and the Wives a part, children a part, and servants a part; every one mourning for his own personal sins, and the family sins. In the 12. Zachar. 11. we read of a great mourning, a great mourning indeed, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. When was that? When that good King josiah was slain. 2. Chron. 35.23.24.25. Oh that was a dreadful, a terrible Judgement to have such a Prince taken from them! and this occasioned a great mourning, the text says, all judah, and jerusalem mourned for josiah. All were turned mourners then, and there was no one but bare a part in these lamentations. jeremiah the Prophet, he lamented for josiah, and the singing men, and the singing women spoke of josiah in their lamentations unto this day. Their singing was turned into mourning, and their rejoicing into lamentation. You have had a great many singing men, and singing women in this place, such as would go from door to door singing their songs and carols to make themselves and others mirth Oh! it were well if your singers were turned into mourners! if your harpers were turned into lamenters! if instead of all your songs & carols, & dance, you would now come and weep together, and say as jeremiah doth. Lament. 3.1. How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger? How hath the Lord covered poor Witney with a cloud in his anger? and as it is in the 4. verse. He hath bend his bow like an enemy, he stood with his right hand as an adversary, he poured our his fury like fire. Complain as the Church also doth in Lam. 3. with a little change in the expression. We are the people that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. v. 3. Surely against us is he turned, he turneth his hand all the day. v. 4. our flesh, & our skin hath he made old, he hath broken our bones. Thus I say come & weep together, every soul should weep, & every family should weep, & the whole Town should weep, and indeed it were well if God would put it into your hearts to keep a day of weeping, to set apart some solemn day, to fast and pray, and weep, and humble yourselves before the Lord. Say unto the Lord as it is Lam. 1, 18. The Lord is righteous, for we have rebelled against his commandments: and as the Church bemoanes herself, Lam: 3.39, 40, 41, etc. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed, and rebelled, thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.  
2. Aim at Reconciliation. The Lord is displeased, he hath been highly provoked: oh labour to get his anger removed, and his wrath pacified! Run apace to the Lord Jesus, entreat him to stand between you, and his father's wrath: go to, him speedily, go to him immediately, before farther wrath break forth. It is not all our tears (though we could pour out whole rivers of them) that can wash away one sin: no, no, in that day ('tis spoken immediately after the mention of that great mourning) there shall be a fountain opened for sin, 
Zach. 13.1.  and for uncleannesle. Mourn you must, mourn greatly, mourn bitterly, yea, but it is the fountain that must wash away sin, it must be the fountain of the Lord Christ's blood, that must wash away the fowl, and horrible sins of Witney. Come then, wash in this fountain, wash, and you shall be clean. In the 16 of Numbers we read of great wrath: no sooner had God executed that fearful judgement upon Korah, and his rebellious company, but the people fell to murmuring immediately. v. 41. But on the morrow, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmered against Moses, and against Aaron, saying, ye have killed the people of the Lord. Oh desperate, and adventurous sinners! that when they saw the judgement of God executed the very day before, yet they fell into the same sins, which they were guilty of, which had been so plagued. How angry is the Lord for this, v: 44, 45. And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. But what doth Moses do in this case? v: 46. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the Altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. This represented the mediation of Jesus Christ, 
Isa. 53.12.  who is said to make intercession for the transgressors. He is that Angel in the Revelation, that stands at the Altar, having a golden censer, and much incense given to him, that he should offer it with the prayers of thee Saints. chapped. 8.3. Now Moses says to Aaron, go quickly: or as it may be read, make to go with speed, that is, as the Chaldee, and Greek translateth it, carry quickly, or in haste. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Make haste to the Lord Jesus, away to him every soul of you: all you that have not known what the worth of the Lord Jesus is till this hour, know now how to prise him, it is he that must pacify the wrath of God that is gone out against thee for thy profaneness, and thine uncleanness, and thy neglect of the word, and thine Atheism, Oh fall in love with the incomperably precious Lord Jesus this day, as soon as ever thou comest home fall upon thy knees, & beg thou mayest have a Christ given to thee: the wrath of the Almighty is gone out against thee, and will otherwise certainly consume thee. There is no dealing with a sin-revenging Majesty, but only in, & by a Mediator. As for you that have interest in this pretions' Name, O make use of it, present the righteousness, and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the father. It is he that must stand between the dead, and the living: some are cut off already, and the wrath of the Lord is not yet appeased. If you interpose not the Lord Jesus, you may expect more wrath, and more plagues. This I commend to you as the chief, and main direction of all the rest: it is not all thy carelessness, and security, it is not all thy slighting, and despising the judgements of God, that will be able to keep off the wrath of the Lord in the end. No, this will bring on thee so much the more wrath, and heavyer vengeance: Get into the Lord Jesus, hid yourselves in the clefts of that rock till this indignation be over past. If ever Christ be worth having, now is the time. You that cared not for Christ when you were at ease, and when you lived in pleasure, my thinks you should long after Christ, and be restless till you have gotten him now judgement is come upon you. Oh, Brethren, if the Judgements of God in this world be so terrible, that they are enough to abash, and appall the stoutest sinners, how terrible, and how dreadful will that last, and great day of judgement be? If thou canst not stand before an angry God now without a Saviour, without an advocate to plead thy cause, when he doth but manifest a little of his displeasure, and gives but a gentle touch of his finger, how wilt thou stand before him without a Saviour, and an advocate? when he shall come with millions of Saints and Angels, when the Books must be opened, and every man's life ripped open, and it shall be said, There wast thou drunk in such a corner, there hadst thou thy wanton dalliances upon such a bed, at such a time didst thou revile at the Ministers of God, and mock at his ways and the professors of them, so many years thou livedst in the world, and yet never didst study how thou mightest come to the knowledge of God, or the way to life and happiness; when all this, and much more shall be said; and then the Lord shall not come to let in a vein of his wrath only; but he will pluck up all the sluices, & open all the floodgates of his wrath, and vengeance, when that dismal place of torment shall be set before thee, where those unquencheable flames are, where thou shalt hear the devils roaring, the damned yelling, and see all this prepared for thee, how wilt thou be able to hold up thy head at such a day? Make sure of Christ betimes. They were the last, and dying words of one, who in his life time was the Jewel, and Paragon of Religion, and piety in the country where he lived. Make sure of Christ. He is better than all the gold and treasures in the world, better than the Rubies, or the Onyx stone. Thou art eternally happy if thou get him, and Eternally miserable if thou come short of him.  
3. The next thing that is to be studied, and endeavoured after is Reformation. It is Reformation that the Lord looketh after. Do you think that the Lord delighteth in the death of your children? that he taketh pleasure in the breaking, bruising of your bones? is it matter of joy to him to see the hurts, and hear the doleful complaints of your wives, servants, and near relations? No, no, God is love, as you have many times heard had not your sins put him upon it, there had not been so sad a spectacle found amongst you. Put away therefore that evil thing which is in the midst of you. When the children of Israel had fallen before their enemies, Achan who had taken the accursed thing, and been the occasion of the misery, and distress that fell upon them, must be found out, and stoned: You have seen already some of the Achans that have troubled your peace, stone them now, and put them to death. You have heard it was the profaneness, the uncleanness, the contempt of the Gospel, the Atheism, and irreligion that is among you, that hath caused all your trouble: put away these accursed things. And here let me speak more fully to you under these four heads.  

1. To the loser, and prophaner sort.  
2. To them that formerly have been professors, but now are fallen off.  
3. To them that do still fear the Lord, and hold on in his way.  
4. To all the people of the place in general.   
1 To the loser, & prophaner sort, the exhortation is, Oh put away all your drunkenness, formication, uncleanness, oaths, blasphemies; let him that was filthy be filthy no more; let him that stole steal no more: oh that you would think of leaving all these base, unworthy, desperately foolish ways, and think of turning to the Lord with your whole heart, and your whole soul! You that have lain rotting, and stinking in your lusts many years together, thou that art an old gray-headed sinner, think at last of returning to the Lord. Ah poor creatures! what mean you? will you ruin the place you live in, and damn your own souls eternally? If men had but common humanity in them they would not continue in their gross, and hideous abominations, that would pull down wrath upon their wives and children, friends and neighbours, the town and place in which they live. But this is a small matter in comparison; if they had but a tender regard of their own souls, if they made any account of their own salvation, if they had but so much as a principle of self-love in them, they would cast away those sins, that will certainly damn them in the end. There is none of the sins which thoulovest so dearly and huggest them with so much tenderness, and will not be brought to part with them upon any terms, (thou hadst rather part with thy life then with such a lust) there is none of these thy most beloved sins, but it will cost thee the loss of everlasting life, it will cost thee the loss of God, It will cost thee the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven. The word speaks it out aloud. No fornicator, nor Idolater, nor adulterer, nor effeminate person, nor thief, nor covetous person, nor drunkard, nor reviler shall ever inherit the kingdom of God. 1. Cor: 6. Poor man, dost thou know what the Kingdom of God meaneth, from whence thou art for ever to be shut out? or dost thou know what that for ever is, which is the line and measure of thy torments? Sat down, and pause a while, and think what eternity is: thy life is but a minnute, a dream, a shadow, it is gone before thou think of it: count over the hours of the day, and is the day so long a thing, it is but the running of a few such, and then there is a period set to all thy pleasures. How quickly mayest thou on thy deathbed look over all thy life past, and account it as a very little thing, as a mere point, and beginning only of that which is life? but canst thou look beyond eternity? canst thou conceive when everlastingness will have an end? all thy pleasures are gone and passed, they are passed over as in a dream, and now thou art in the midst of eternity before thou art ware. How fearful then will these thoughts be: what must I be ever thus? Must I be tormented in these flames without end? Is there no hope, no possibilities of being otherwise then I am? After I have suffered so many millions of years; is there for ever still behind? Try a little in thine own thoughts, and see where thou canst put bonds, and limits to that which is for ever. Try where thou canst put a stop, beyond which thou canst think of no more: is it better to be everlastingly happy, or everlastingly miserable after a score for two of years? Think of these things, I beseech you by all the calls, mercies, judgements of the Lord, by all the riches of his patience, forbearance, long-suffering exercised towards you. Oh do not put off the thoughts of these things, Do not any more choose abominable things which his soul hateth. Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked for sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  
2. To those that have forsaken their former profession, the exhortation to them is, O Return, Return to the good old way of God, return to the ordinances, return to the use and exercise of holy duties, to the use of prayer, confession of fin, and the like: if you do not, fearful will your Judgement be. I hope some of them that are gone astray do belong to the Lord, but truly you must come back by weeping-crosse.  
I could tell you sad stories in this kind. I speak not by hearsay: I have known them that have smarted deeply for slighting the ordinances, neglecting prayer, for low and undervaluing thoughts of Christ and his blood. I could tell you of some, that living under such a temptation but for a week, or two, in that short time had lost all their former communion with God, and being delivered from the snare accounted their recovery as a new conversion. The experience of one in this kind was so eminent, that I thought I was bound to make it public, that it might serve to stop, and restrain them which are so prone to apostasy in the present age, and I shall set it down, as near as I can, in the same words and expressions, as I had it from the persons own hand. Being not well established, I was soon drawn away in my heart, secretly to decline from that good old way which formerly I walked in, I heard one upon justification, and Christ's coming in the flesh, & upon that place, Christ in you the hope of glory, in such a manner as I never heard the like before, that I was struck with amazement with the manner of his plansible speech. And having heard a good report of the man, and had some experience before that he was an able man to minister comfort to them that were in distress, I was exceedingly taken with what came from him. And in his point of justification, he did labour to beat off from repentance, and from confession of sin, or begging of pardon for sin, and held it out, that these were a calling in question the faithfulness of God; for he shown that all that the Saints had to do, was to believe, and render praise; and as he said, he spoke his own experience, that he had found more of God in one days walking in believing, then in many years in walking in that strict course of praying, and fasting, and keeping days of humiliation, and blamed those Ministers that did hold forth such doctrines. These things he backed on with such Arguments, that it did take much upon the affections of them that heard him. For I never heard him pray, but he would sometimes give thanks and that so sweetly, that it, did even ravish the souls of them that heard him and did much press on to that duty.  
Thus hearing him at several times, by degrees I fell from the good old ways I was trained up in by my parents, and especially that which God had taught me by faithful Ministers, and soon was I poisoned with that Doctrine, which my corrupt nature did soon close with; to the great dishonour of the precious Gospel, to the grieving of the good spirit of God, and the wounding of mine own conscience, which was not soon healed. I began to try conclusions with God, and and walked as a lose libertine, and cast of the duty of prayer to God in private, and so quickly I lost my communion with God, and he withdraw himself from me, and left me for a time: and no sooner had God left me, but Satan came in with his delusions, and form himself into an Angel of light, and carried me up into a fool's Paradise, and lulled me asleep in security, and carried me on in that condition for the space of an year and half before the Lord awakenened me. And no sooner had I left seeking of God in private, but the Lord left me to public shame; for my heart, and strength was let out in an eager pursuit of the world, and love of the creatures, and a fearful slighting of the Sabbath, which began to be a burden to me, and I had an odious slighting esteem of the Ministers of God, and questioned their judgements in holding forth the word to the people, and I was exceedingly perplexed with vain thoughts, and by degrees led into such thoughts as I awe ashamed to name, and by this the Lord awakened me, for I was exceedingly startled at it, and began to consider with myself, that I was out of God's way, and therefore out of God's protection. Then I began to remember from whence I was fallen, but it was long ere I could do my first works, but I was resolved to turn to my first husband, for than it was better with me then now. But I found it a hard pluck before I found my God a reconciled father, pardoning my sin of Apostasy, though I sought it with bitter tears for the space of half an year. And I thought to have kept it to myself, and none should have known my trouble, but the anguish of my spirit was so exceeding great, that I could not hid it from God or man, for I was afraid the Lord would have made me a public example to all that knew me, and that I should have been quite distracted, and ran about the streets like one of those that children run after. But when I saw there was no remedy, I made my case known, and got all the helps I could to seek God for me. When I made my approach to God I was beaten back by mine adversary, and by mine own accusing conscience, which was more to me then a thousand witnesses. And often those words were sounding in mine ears. Him that draweth back my soul abhorreth, and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven, and woe to you Scribes, and Pharises hypocrites, and that in the 6. of the Hebrews, them that have tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, it is impossible to renew them by repentance, with many more places: and when I would have prayed in private, it was told me that God would not hear me, than I replied that I hoped God would hear him that sat at his right hand, but it was replied to me again the Lord had said to him, (as he had to Jeremiah) pray not for this people, I was so lamentably tortured, I could not sleep, nor eat, nor take any contentment in any relation I had, and had not the Lord witheld me from that which the devil tempted me unto, I had surely ended my life. So low was this poor soul brought, and so deep was the distress in which the Lord left it before it was recovered & indeed I cannot declare all, lest this relation should seem too tedious. But it pleased the Lordat last mercifuly to recover this poor distressed soul, though it were long first, (that I may use some of its own expressions) before the Lord did seal unto it its pardon, many a bitter day, and night it did undergo: & to this very day it makes sad, & heavy complaints, & undergoes many a sharp conflict, but the Lord is pleased to sanctify these and former dispensations in fuch a way as that there are few Christians in which there is so much humility, mortifyednesse, such sweet breathe after God, such high prizings of his presence, and humble attendance on the ordinances, & frequent use of holy duties to be found.  
So famous an instance as this is might serve to poise, and balance the lose and fickle spirits of such who begin to hang off from, & to be indifferent unto the good ways of God. Beware of Apostasy. Apostasy is a fearful sin, it is the high way to the sin against the Holy Ghost, that sin which shall never be pardoned in this world or in the world to come. Take heed how you meddle with edge-tools, as the proverb is. Whoever falls on this stone it will grind him to powder. Who ever shall clash with the great Fundamental Doctrines, the Doctrines about sin, whether there be any such thing yea or no, touching the resurrection, Heaven, hell, the last Judgement, he that shall play, and dally with these things, and take liberty to speak for them or against them, such wantonness as this is will prove his ruin in the end. Did you not once believe these things? were they not once Articles of your faith? how is it that you come to cast them off? Oh it is the most dangerous thing in the world for a man to be meddling, and tampering with, and at last come to a flat downright denying of the great fundamental truths of religion, the things which sometimes he believed and professed the belief off! this man is in a fair way to the unpardonable sin: I do not say this is that sin, but he that is come to this had need look to himself, he is in the way thereunto without abundance of mercy to recover him. Much have those to answer for, and fearful is their Judgement like to be, who peremptorily, and obstinately maintain such desperate opinions, that all men shall be saved alike, that sin is nothing, but only that men make it something by their own Melancholy fancies, and timorous apprehensions. 
b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (repete ex superioribis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Hierocl.  This is the very Bane, and cutthroat of all religion, this is that which cuts the very sinews of Godliness, this is that which undermines the worship of God in the world, and plucks it up by the very roots. Take away the name, and notion of sin, make it nothing, who then will regard to worship, fear, obey the great God? who will care for any of his commands? Do you not think the Lord is Jealous for these things? Brethren, my heart will hardly serve me to speak of these things, it's even ready to die, and sink within me. Good Lord! what wilt thou do for thy great Name? how poor? how sleight? how contemptible a thing do men make of thee in the world? men begin to forget that they are thy creatures, and that thou hast made them! I could even here break forth into tears, and say Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day, and night for the dishonour, scorn, and contempt that iscast upon the blessed God by these things.  
It is time for the Angels of the Churches, the Ministers, 
A brief addition touching Atheism.  and Messengers of Jesus Christ to carry that piece of the everlasting Gospel, and to preach unto them that dwell on earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 
Revel. 14.6.7.  saying with a loud voice: Fear God, and give glory to him, worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water. It was said in Athanasius his time, that the world was become an Arrian, and now it may be said that the world begins to turn Atheist. Some there are that dareprofesse it. One upon that passage: The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God, was not afraid to utter such words, That fool spoke the truth. Oh monster! eternity will be a thing long enough to torment thee, and make thee feel whether there be a God yea, or no. But it is not all thy blasphemy can rid thee of thy folly. Canst thou produce the records of the world for six, or seven thousand years ago? canst thou confute the book of Genesis, and bring to light somewhat more ancient, and authentic than it? Canst thou tell who was Adam's Father? and what the generations of men were before him? rise up as high in thy thoughts as thou canst, wilt thou not at last come to some first man? was this man made yea, or no? who was it that made him? was it himself. than he was before himself, but was he made by some other? who was that? or was he from everlasting? why then doth he not continue to everlasting? will any thing destroy itself? Durst thou trust thine own sense? are there any such things as spirits? if not; why are there so many wretched creatures suffer for their familiar converse with them? if thou do believe that there are such things as evil spirits, who is it that keeps them in order, & sets bounds to their malice? But such monsters who deny the Principles of their being should be rather hissed out of the world with abhorrence, then disputed against.  
As there are many that dare profess Atheism, so there are many that durst live it. How peremptory and resolved are men in ways of sin? how light a thing do they make of the word commands and threats of God, and of every thing thing that might keep them in awe, and retain them in their obedience to their acknowledgement, and observance of the great God? Men begin to think they are above the word, above hell above damnation, and in effect above God. What a poor, and contemptible thing is religion grown in the world? Certainly, if religion be the keeping of an awe of God upon a man's spirit, the religation, and binding of the soul over to him, the constant observance of him, and strict conformity to his will, there is little of this religion to be found in the world.  
In all these respects it becometh the servants of the Lord to bestir themselves, to contend zealously for God, for the cause of religion, and not patiently to suffer the name of God, his worship, religion itself to die, and be forgotten in the thoughts, & lives of men  
3. To you that fear the Lord, and walk on in his ways, the exhortation to you is, be more holy, be more humble, be more heavenly minded, be more fruitful in good works: Zeph. 2, 3. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgement, seek righteousness, seek meekness. Ye that are meek already, seek more meekness, ye that have wrought righteousness, be more righteous, and abound in all the fruits of righteousness.  
The Lord's eye is more especially set upon you, he observes in a more peculiar manner what your carriage will be, the Lord expecteth you should not only mourn for your own sins, but for the sins of the place in which you live. Brethren, me thinks there is not that growth amongst you which I could wish, I could be glad to see more life, more sweet breathe after God amongst you. Me thinks you do not love God, and the Lord Jesus Christ enough, you discourse of him but seldom, and speak of him but coldly. Ignatius had his heart so inflamed with the love of Christ, that when he spoke of him, he would say, My love was crucified. Some are so full of love to him, as that they are ravished when they think of him, they break out, and say, oh that excellent! that incomperable one how precious is the Lord Jesus! how precious is he! Men, and Angels are too little to love him, and admire him. For the Lords sake stir up yourselves, entertain Christ better, and entertain the Gospel better. When the Gentiles heard, that the Gospel was sent to them, and thatit appertained to them as well as to the Jews, it is said, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord. Acts. 13.48. Oh this was welcome news, joyful tidings to them indeed! their hearts were even ravished, and transported with such blessed tidings as these, that Christ should become salvation to them, as well to the Jews, for that was it which was made known to them in v. 47. They glorified the word, they magnifyed, and advanced the word. Oh this was the best word that ever they heard! an excellent, and a sweet word! I beseech you, my brethren, stir up yourselves, and provoke one another to love, and to good works. It is a great fault in the professors of this place, that they maintain such a distance, and strangeness one towards another. The ancient Saints spoke often one to another. Malachy: 3.16. The Primitive Saints in the Apostles times met often, they prayed together, and conferred together. So it should be with you, you should be often visiting one another, and ask each other, Oh my Friend! what are your temptations? what are your comforts? what have the deal of God been with your spirit since we met last? is grace kept alive? or is it more dead? This is the way to be a thriving people. I would feign that you of this place should be patterns to all that are round about you for humility, for heavenly-mindedness, for soundness in the faith, for experience, for holiness.  
4. To all in general, the Exhortation is, Labour to set up religion in this place, set it up in your hearts, set it up in your families, set it up, as much as may be, in the whole town. Away now with all your sinful sports, and merriments, away with all your cards, and dice, singing, dancing, and such like vanities. Instead of these things set up Catechising, praying in the family morning, and evening, and let one neighbour come to another, and say, come let us go to heaven together, and seek the Lord together. Jerem. 50, 4.5. In those days, and in that time saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they, and the children of Judah together, going & weeping: they shall goe, & seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying, come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Oh what a blessed change would this be, if young, and old, rich, and poor, husbands, and wives, parents, and children, masters, and servants would all join together; if they would come weeping together, and seek the Lord, if all the people in this place would set their faces towards Heaven, and toward Religion, and say, Come let us join ourselves in a perpetual Covenant, we will strike in with the Lord this day, and we will never alter our choice more, it shall be a Covenant that shall never be forgotten. If you would all resolve this day, Come, we will go to Zion with our faces thitherward. We will go where the word is preached, and where the ordinances are set up, and where the worship of God is celebrated, oh we will neglect the word no more, & we will neglect the ordinances no longer. This is one of the last requests I have to leave with you, oh do not neglect the opertunityes of hearing the word, and coming to the Ordinances as you have done For the Lords sake, you that are masters of families come yourselves, and bring your children, and servants along with you; you that have friends, bring your friends with you. Go weeping (as they did) and say, oh we have neglected the word, and neglected Christ, and neglected salvation, but we will neglect them no more. Let that prophecy be fulfilled of you which was spoken, Isai. 2.3. And many people shall go, and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Load, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. Redeem an hour in the week day to hear the word, your callings will not prosper ever the worse.  
4, The last thing I have to propound to you by way of direction, is the Duty of Remembrance. Forget not the Wondrous works which the Lord hath wrought. When mercies, or Judgements are new, and fresh, we are apt to speak of them, and to be affected with them, but a little time wears them out of our minds, and blots them quite out of our Remembrance. Oh take heed of this. Bind this sad Providence for a sign upon your hands, and let it be as Frontlet's between your eyes. Set it down in your Almanacs, and keep a Register of the Day: oh this was the black, and dismal day of God's visitation on poor Witny. It were good if you kept some solemn day every year as a remembrance of this sad, and heavy stroke. For as great mercies require great, and and solemn praises, so do great judgements require great, aed solemn humiliation. They speak of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an Ordinance in Israel: and behold they are written in the Lamentations. 2. Chron. 35.25. It seems they had a constant remembrance of that judgement (the loss of good Josiah) they speak of him to this day. It was a constant practice amongst them to remember that sad stroke: and they had a solemn Book of Lamentations appointed to mourn for this judgement. Luke. 17.32. Remember Lot's wife. We have not many such Remembers in all the Book of God upon so special an occasion, (they may easily be all reckoned up) and therefore here is some special thing hinted to us. Here was a special monument of God's judgement on a woman that was hankering after her old pleasures, she had been used to the delights, and contentments of Sodom, and she was loath to part with these: she looked back to the Sodom of her former pleasures, and contentments, and whilst she is looking back she became a Pillar of salt. Oh remember this, (saith our Saviour) Remember Lot's Wife. There is an accent put on this. You of this place have been hankering after sports, and merriments, you have been mightily set on these things, and the Lord hath shown his displeasure by an Eminent hand, and a stretched out arm. Oh remember this, remember the Tragical story at the White Hart.  
You have heard now at large what your duty is; in general it is to fall upon the work of Repentance. You have likewise been directed particularly how to carry yourselves in that work; and what the particular Duties are which are to be done by you, and what the Lord expects from each of you in your several ranks, and places. That which remains is only, in the close of all, to add a motive, or two (to that which hath been already said) to press that which is your duty on you.  
1. If you do not repent, some worse thing will come upon you. It may be the Lord may send a Fire next to consume all your houses, it may be he may send the pestilence among you to devour you, or if not that, a famine: the Lord hath ways enough to punish unrepentant sinners. Read over that 26. of Leviticus, & there you will see what the Lord threatens in such a case, v. 23.24. If ye will not be reform by these things, but will walk contrary unto me: then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. v. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me: then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. If you think to wax stout and stubborn against the Lord, he will be as stout against you, if you walk contrary to him he will do so to you, and if one judgement will not do it, he will follow you with a second, & a third, and if you still harden your hearts against him, he will come against you in Fury, he will summon up all his wrath, and vengeance, and if he be able to break, and ruin you, to be sure he will do it. Oh it is a dreadful word. v. 17. I will set my face against you, and that in the 28. verse. I, even I will chastise you. As much as if he should say, I the great God, I that made heaven, and earth, and can turn the foundation of it upsidedown when I please, I will set myself against you, I will engage all my wisdom, and all my power, I will put forth all my glory, and excellency to destroy you.  
If temporal judgements will not prevail, God hath eternal punishents in a readiness for obstinate, and incorrigible sinners. Tophet is prepared, etc. Hell is in readiness, eternal flames, everlasting burn are prepared; and those that would not be tamed, and brought into order by the judgements of God in this world, will be still and calm enough when they are thrown there. Then thy pride and stoutness of heart against the Lord, thy stubbornness, and incorrigibleness will do thee little good. This hath God prepared, Ps. 7.11, 12, 13. God is angry with the wicked every day: if he turn not, he will whet his sword, he hath bend his bow, and made it ready; he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death. Are not the judgements of God in this world terrible enough? do they not strike deep enough? do men bear up themselves against the Almighty, and wax proud against him notwithstanding these? Oh! he hath yet a deadly instrument left behind, he can strike them into hell, and then they are struck to purpose. Art thou not afraid of the first death, (the worst as thou supposest of temporal evils) because that is but a short passage? But there is the second death, when thou shalt be ever dying, and yet never die: thou shalt be always in the pangs, and agonyes of death, and yet never past death itself. The judgements of God in this world they are but as the Alphabet, as the A.B.C. to that great, 
O quantum erit istud Consistorium, quod Majestate divina apparent, & to millibus Angelorum celebrabitur, & quanto majoris Majestatis, tanto majoris terroris, & horror is erit impi is. Luth.  and last judgement. It was Luther's expression. Oh how great (says he again) shall that consistory be, When the Divine majesty shall appear, and so many thousand Angels and by how much the greater the Majesty of that court shall be, so much greater will the dread, and horror be that will fall upon wicked men.  
2. If you be a reformed people, the Lord will delight in this place, as much as ever he hath loathed it. The Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. No, Judgement is his strange work; had you not put him to it, he had never done that which he hath,  
Return now unto the Lord make a covenant with him this day to serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind. Choose the Lord for your God, and give up yourselves in Christ Jesus to him, to walk with him unto all well pleasing, then will he rejoice over you to do you good he will set himself to bless you with his whole heart, and with his whole soul, Blessed shall you be in the town, blessed in the field, blessed in your basket, and blessed in your store. Blessed when you rise up, and blessed when you lie down. All the people that pass by you shall say. Behold Witny, the Place which the Lord hath blessed. The Lord shall take away your reproach, and it shall no more be said, this is Witny, whom the the Lord hath plagued, but this is Witny whom the Lord hath loved, whom the Lord delighteth in. Yea, the Lord himself shall Bless you out of Lion. You shall have all the Gospel's mercies, knowledge shall increase, and the fear of the Lord abound amongst you: others shall be provoked by your zeal, they shall come, and see the religion that is in Witny, and say: Behold the place that was eminent for sin, and judgement, is now become eminent for Holiness, and mercy. And now I may say as Moses did, after he had thundered out all the curses, and sweetly laid forth all the blessings of the Lord upon their obedience or disobedience to the Law, I have set life, and death before you this day. Oh choose the way of life, and you are blessed, blessed shall you here, and blessed for evermore.  
FINIS.