AN ADMONITION CONCERNING A Public FAST.  
The Just CAUSES we have for it, from the full Growth of Sin, and the near Approaches of God's Judgements;  
AND The MANNER of Performance, to obtain the desired Effects thereof;  
Which ought to be other than our Common Forms; and with stricter Acts of Mortification than is usual amongst us.  
With an ABSTRACT of Mr. Chillingworth's Judgement of the State of Religion in this Na●●on in his time.  
And of a Letter from the Hague concerning two Sermons Preached there in the French Church, at which were present divers of the English Nobility.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year M DC XCI.   

To the Queen.  
Madam,  
SInce the Authority of your Majesty hath appeared so particularly in a most Necessary Appointment of a Public Fast and Humiliation to be Observed in most Devout and Solemn manner for Supplicating Almighty God for Pardon of our Sins, and Imploring his Blessing, etc. not once, but every Month during the War. It may be presumed, that what is sincerely endeavoured, that so Necessary and Pious a Command may happily obtain its desired Effects, cannot fail of a Favourable and Benign Construction with a person of so much Piety and Sense of Religion: though to those Naturals or Animals, in whom the God of this World hath blinded their Minds, it cannot but seem Foolishness and Canting, as must all Truth to those, who are both Ignorant and yet Conceited: and though to such as are Big with the Wisdom of the World (which is Foolishness with God) some things in it may seem Rude and Presumptuous: For true Piety could bear even the Railing of a Shimei in a time of Humiliation; and Christian Wisdom can easily discern and distinguish between Height of Fidelity and Affection in the plain Words of Truth and Soberness, and that Malice and Falsehood, which are always ingredients of Railing and Presumption. Even Civil Prudence, considering the irreparable Mischiefs, which are daily wrought in the Courts and Councils of Princes by Treacherous Flattery, will not only permit and allow, but favour and encourage Serious Liberty and Freedom of Speech upon just and necessary occasion in persons of unspotted and undoubted Fidelity and Affection: But Christian Wisdom much more; and especially in Times of Account, which call for Humiliation, Repentance, Reformation, and Judging ourselves; and for Public Humiliation, and particular Confession of Public and known Sins and Offences, with their Circumstances of Aggravation, and careful Search to discover them. Which is the only way to lay a sure Foundation, and to be raised up by the Mighty Hand of God.  
Wherefore, Madam, presuming that I write to a person more Illustrious by such Great Virtues, than any fading, earthly Honour or Majesty can make you, besides what I have said in Common to all, I shall out of Fidelity and great Affection humbly represent to your Royal Consideration some few things more particularly relating to yourself.  
I will not here recount the Great Things which God hath done for the Gradual raising of your Glory, nor tell you that the Eyes of all the World are upon you, and what Great Things they Hope and Expect from you: But this I may say in the Name of God, That his Eyes are upon you; the Eyes of the Lord, (which) run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them, whose Heart is perfect towards Him: (2 Chron. 16. 8.) That to whom much is given of them, much shall be required; and, That if you justly expect from your fellow Creatures, whom You employ, Fidelity, Zeal, and Activity, proportionable to the Favours You confer, and the Trusts You repose in them; much more are You obliged to perform all these to the Sovereign Lord of all in the full Improvement of all those Greater Talents of Honour, Authority and other Advantages, which he hath conferred upon You, for His Honour and Service; and with so much the more Vigour and Resolution, by how much the greater are the Difficulties which occur. The Highest pitch of all is the least Sacrifice that you can offer to Him.  
And therefore I will not, I may not tell you, That the Leisure, as well as the Calm of Peace, will be necessary for this: or, That your Resolving on it Inwardly before God, will be accepted by Him, though you defer the Actual Performance till that Leisure and Calm, which you may never see, nor are ever like to see, while Difficult Duties are declined, neglected or deferred. For this would be to deceive You after the manner of the False Prophets of old? and to expose You and Your Affairs to the Treacheries and Abuses of Dissolute and Depraved men, who be always truer to their Vices than to their Masters. But on the contrary, this I may be bold to affirm, that when by actual Discountenancing and Disgracing of Vice, and Encouraging of Virtue by distinguishing Marks of your Favour; and by a visible beginning of Reforming your Court and your People, and particularly that Body, which of all others should need it least, it is once understood that you are settled in those Noble Purposes, this will make the Execution of them Easy to you, and detect the Falsity of such dilatory Doctrines: and would have done so sooner if more Faithful Advice had not been withstood by such as perverted the Right Ways of the Lord, and misled those they should have directed therein. For God hath wrought in the midst of us a Mighty Deliverance; and was ready to perfect and establish that which he hath wrought for us. But it is now apparent that something there is, which doth stop that Course of Blessings that, seems I cannot now say, but once did seem, ready to flow in upon us. And we have now another Count to cast up. We may and aught to recount the Mercies and Favours of God to us: But we have now, also an Account of his Judgements and Frowns to reflect upon: And this should lead us back to enter into another Account, viz. of Our Sins and Provocations. For that Course of Blessings, which for some time was only stopped, was afterwards turned to a Course of Crosses and Disappointments, or of a Mixture of Mercy and Judgement, and is now at last turning, it may be feared, to severe Judgement, Confusion, and Destruction, unless very speedily prevented, by strict and impartial Inquiry into the Causes, by truly Noble and Heroic Resolutions thereupon, and by a vigilant and vigorous Execution. For the King himself, if I, and many others, be not mistaken, hath already suffered some Diminution in some Essentials of his Majesty, Honour, and most Prevalent Powers and is in Danger to fall lower, from being a Glorious Instrument of God for Good and Happiness to this and many other Nations, into the deplorable and despicable condition of being an occasion of Confusion and Misery: only there seems a door of Hope still open for him, upon one Consideration, if the Opportunity be not neglected; of which more presently: but first I think fit to say something briefly concerning The present State of Things in the World, and what may be expected from it.  
In matters of Prudence, none but weak and dull, or depraved Souls will expect Mathematical Demonstrations and Sensible Evidences, for all their Actions: God by his Providence hath purposely so ordered the Course of things, that his Rational Creatures, Mankind, should be often necessitated to a Close Application of their Minds, and a kind of Spiritual Discerning, in the Management of their own Affairs. This Faculty, as may be perceived by Experience, if well disposed, and carefully observed, extends much farther in manythings than men are able easily to demonstrate to others, and yet even in those often discerns very right. But such Indications may sometimes be observed from a concurrence of various Circumstances as are Sufficient Principles of a Moral Demonstration. My pre-apprehensions of our own Occurrences have hitherto proved true in the Event; and I have now some Indications to help me.  
It is very apparent that there have been very few Princes or Great Men in the World for some years, or rather Ages, who have manifested in their Course of Life any great and just apprehension of the Business of Man upon Earth, much less of the Proper Business of Princes, and Persons under their Circumstances; But have generally both by their Example and their Management, been more subservient to the Kingdom of Darkness, than to the Kingdom of Light; And their Courts, Armies, Navies, and all their great Meetings, generally little other than Seminaries and Nurseries of Pride, Ambition, Covetousness, Injustice, Oppression, Luxury, Impiety, Profaneness, and all manner of Vice and Wickedness; where Souls in great numbers have been trained up and habituated to all the Diabolical Qualities of that dismal crew: and so deceived and abused have they been by False Prophets and other Instruments of that Kingdom, appearing great in the World in pomp and grandeur, magnific Names and Titles, the superficial Ornaments of Literature and Wisdom of the World, (all directly contrary to the Simplicity of the Gospel) that they have believed it must be so, and cannot be otherwise; we must not expect Armies of Saints; and so have plainly given over all Care of Reformation of those things, as Impracticable, Platonic or Phanatick-Phansies.  
It is likewise apparent that the People in all places, even where hath been, or still is the greatest Profession of Religion, (both Laity and Clergy) are most grievously degenerated and corrupted; a great part with the most gross Vices, and scandalous Sins; others of more consideration and sense of Reputation, some with Atheism and Infidelity; others with Formality or Superstition; some with Hypocrisy and Faction; and most of the very best with overvaluation of the things of the World, and with Pride of some Worldly Advantage, of Birth, of Estate, Favour with Great Men, Wit, Learning, Apparel, Attendance, or some such Hobby-horse or other, overlooking divers necessary Christian Virtues, and even to despise and be ashamed of Christ himself in his Members, if appearing in the genuine form of their Master; so that a Genuine Complete Christian is rare to be found in the World, especially among those who have the greatest share of it: and the Sins both of Princes and of People seem to have overgrown all the Methods of the Divine Providence for their Amendment.  
And it is also apparent that such are the Posture and Motions of Humane Affairs at this time in Europe, as are plain Indications that Almighty God by his Providence is producing some Great Alteration in this part of the World very suddenly. And what this is like to be is well and carefully to be considered. Nor is it any presumption to do this soberly; but so far from that, that to discern the Signs of the Times is a plain and necessary Duty; the Neglect or Nonobservance whereof is condemned in the Jews in the like case, by our Saviour, and before by the Prophets.  
The present Posture of Affairs is a State of War, which is one of God's Judgements, for the Punishment of Princes and Nations, and such as the present Sinful State both of Princes and People hath justly deserved, and we may therefore reasonably conclude hath provoked. This War is between two great Parties, the French and Turk on the one side, and the Emperor and the Confederates on the other: And most Princes and States are concerned in it. And if we consider the Motions of this War, it was begun by the French King in secret Confederacy with the Turk and the late Kings of England, without any Colour of Justice, merely to gratify a Proud, Haughty, Insolent, Luciserian, Domineering Humour, and carried on with barbarous Cruelty, even upon his own Subjects, and Devastation abroad. But the Divine Providence at last interposed, and put a Hook in his Nostrils, deprived him of the Assistance of both his Confedarates, and turned the Strength of one of them against him; and thereby gave an offer of Mercy, and a fair Opportunity to the Confederates to have been the Instruments of his Judgements against that Wicked Insolent Invader, had they wisely improved that Divine Favour, for the Service of God and the Reformation and Good of the People.  
But they have all been insensible of, and unhappily neglected their Duty; and have likewise in a great measure lost that fair opportunity put into their hands; so that the Favour of the Divine Providence seems in some sort to have forsaken them, and gone over to their Enemies for the Punishment of this and all their former Sins and Miscarriages, and Unprofitableness for his Service. And indeed whether we consider the Provocations of God's Judgements by this Neglect under such Circumstances, or the present State of Affairs (which I cannot here particularly observe) both present us with too just reasons for some apprehensions, That that cruel and barbarous Tyrant may now be made the Terrible Instrument of the Divine Vengeance, for purging these Countries of that Wickedness, which they would not reform; and for casting out such unprofitable Servants; unless it be prevented immediately by some extraordinary and vigorous Means of Reformation.  
For, as all the Judgements of God are for Punishment of Sin, and Reformation of Manners; so the Common Sinful State of all Nations in these parts, and the General Commotions of all, are a plain Indication of some Great Judgement coming upon all, who do not prevent it by speedy Repentance, and some notable Reformation. And because the Judgements of God are frequently executed not only upon Persons, but in a special manner also upon such Things, as have been much abused to his dishonour or disservice, the Great Work, which all these Commotions overruled by the Holy Providence of God tend to, may in all probability be, not only the Punishment of the Persons of all degrees, but the putting down or abolishing of all that Rule, Authority and Power in the World, which hath been so abused, unprofitable and disserviceable to their Great and proper Master, to make way for that Glorious Kingdom and Blessed Theocracy, which shall never be destroyed. This was begun, and should have been done by the Confederates against that Insolent Tyrant and common Oppressor, had they well considered their Business and subjected their Power to Their Sovereign, and used their Authority in subservience to this Great Work, first by Reformation of themselves and of the People subjected to them. But they not considering, but neglecting this principal Part, the present Posture of things seems to theraten, That they may be first suppressed and the Sins and Wickedness of themselves and their People punished, by Him, and Himself at last for all his Insolence and Wickedness by some extraordinary Judgement. Yet possibly there is not any of them all, but if they shall in time open their Eyes, and without any sinister Designs to set up themselves, apply their Power sincerely and by direct and proper Means to promote the Service of GOD in this Great Work, they may be received and well rewarded, both with Honour here, and Happiness hereafter.  
Of all the Confederates, none hath been more highly favoured by an Extraordinary Providence than King William; but in my apprehension, none hath more failed than he, considering his circumstances, in the Duty incumbent upon him; nor is any in greater danger both in that respect, and in respect of the present State of his Affairs, which I take to be in all respects the Consequence of that. Only there seems to be yet, as I said, a door of Mercy and Favour open for him, in as much as it is now apparent, that it was not wholly his Fault, but partly his Unhappiness, in that he had no better Guides to direct and admonish him; and if he yet be careful and resolute to do what he ought, though now more difficult, and therefore to be performed with so much the greater Resolution, possibly he may recover in a great measure his former Prosperous Condition; though I doubt that He may suffer such loss, as may be just matter for a longer Sorrow and Repentance; and that he that hath troubled both Him and us shall bear his Judgement, whoever he be, unless he prevent it by some proper and eminent Works of Repentance.  
Many things more I had to have said: but this first Work is of so great Importance, that unless it be instantly and effectually provided for, it will be in vain to think of farther applications. Nay our very Fasting and Humiliation, and all the Prayers in the World, will avail nothing, unless the Troublers of Israel be brought forth, and the Accursed thing be removed. If this were once well resolved upon and concluded, it would not be hard to detect greater Troublers of our Israel, than those who are now in danger of their Lives; and soon to put things into such a posture of Security, as the King need not fear Confusions in his Absence, which otherwise may be feared.  
Yet one thing there is most peculiar to yourself that however ought not to be omitted upon this oceasion; and that is the manifest Judgements of God upon your own Royal Family, and upon so near a Relation as a Father; and Judgements both Spiritual, of strong Delusions; and Temporal, of just and deserved Exclusion from the Government of these Nations. The due Consideration whereof will easily discover several Obligations upon you. 1. The Consideration of such Unhappiness of so near a Relation (which is matter not only of particular Humiliation, but of continual Grief and Mourning) requires great Seriousness in all your behaviour, and Circumspection lest Prosperity make you forget it, and thereby offend God, and so bring Evil upon yourself. 2. The Consideration of the Provoking Causes requires, first, your Humiliation under them, and that you be content and willing, and desirous that they may be plainly and fully detected: first, that you may avoid them, and all participation in them, lest you be overtaken and involved in the Judgements of God upon them: but, secondly and principally, for the Glory of God, and manifestation of the Righteousness of his Judgements: for should you offer to hinder this, as it would tend to the Scandal of his Righteous Judgements, so it would certainly provoke him to detect all some other way to your greater Shame and Confusion, and bring the same Judgements upon yourself. Secondly, It requires your utmost Care and Circumspection all your life long to avoid them, that you abhor them, come not near them, lest they lay hold on you: for of all they are the most dangerous for You, by reason of the Participation in so great a Store of Gild, and the Warning given you by such Judgements, and the special Temptations you are like to meet with.  
There is an Iniquity in that Family, which might be traced a great way back into Scotland; but King James I, came into England by the Favour of Providence, in a State of Mercy. And therefore we need look no farther back for this purpose. By and under the same Favour have all his Successors come to the Throne, and yourself in particular: but they all forseited it, and that You may not, is this plain Advice written. His great Sins, which have most ensnared his Posterity were, 1. Great Injustice, and a very wicked Design by a Mystery of Iniquity to subvert a Noble Constitution of Government, which God had entrusted him with, and he had sworn to mainian; and, 2. Abuse and Profanation of Religion to serve his Unrighteous Design. To give a particular account of each of these would be too long for this place. But there are two Effects thereof which have ever since been very pernicious to his Posterity and to the Kingdom, and at the present are the greatest occasions of Trouble and Danger to Your Government, above all other. The one is, False Notions concerning the Constitution of this Government, Prerogative, and the Rights of the People, which cost your Grandfather his Head, and your Father his Crown, and at present misled many worthy and honest Persons, to be your Adversaries, who would otherwise have been your loyal and faithful Subjects; and would be much more mischievous to you, if you should by that Faction, Flattery, or any Temptation be once possessed with them. They are in their original, a Mystery of Iniquity, a wicked Imposture, and such as the Vengeance of the Righteous God has pursued, and still will, till they be eradicated; and it concerns you much to be very careful to avoid them, and that the Occasions and Stumbling-stones be removed by some deliberate Acts of King and Parliament, and of a Convocation: for they will otherwise prove a Root of Bitterness to the whole race of the Author. Your Government is Just and Rightful, let but the Execution of it be so too, and God's Blessing will be upon it. The other is, the Overspreading of Profaneness and Formality, which all Governors are obliged to use their utmost Care and Endeavours to reform, but You doubly, that you may also discharge yourself of the Gild of your Ancestors; I might say trebly, viz. also out of Gratitude for the special Mercies and Favours you have received. Nay it is your special Business, as much to suppress that, as to cast out Popery, without which you cannot prosper.  
That God will bless your Majesty, and that you may be faithful to him, and to the Trust reposed in You, and may flourish in all Grace and Virtue and Prosperity, is the hearty Prayer of,  
Your Loyal and Faithful Subject,   

AN ADMONITION Concerning A PUBLIC FAST, TO Implore the Mercy and Favour of GOD for the Averting of his Judgements, and the Recovering of his Blessing.  
BEcause I have heard that we are like to have a Proclamation for a Public Fast; or however, because I am certain we have great need to have one, at least for the use of those who desire to be found Mourners in secret for the Abominations that be done in the Land; I have thought fit, as an Act of Duty to God, and Charity to my Country, to publish this brief Admonition concerning the present just Causes we have for it, and that manner of Performance of it, which must be observed if we expect any good effect thereof. I did formerly, upon occasion of the Fast, Jun. 5. 1689. publish a Paper Of Humiliation, of which one of the Scoffers of the latter Times, at a Coffeehouse scoffingly said, He supposed that would do more Service than 20000 Men in Ireland. But how long did we afterwards see more than 20000 Men lie near the Enemy there, and do nothing at all! Not dare to attack them, though one would think encouraged enough with so great and easy Success then so lately in England! But of the Invisible Powers, which attend and interpose in the Affairs of Men, such brutish Animals have little Sense or Apprehension. And therefore it is not unlikely that this may meet with the like Entertainment: But I am persuaded that they shall proceed no further, and that their Impiety will very shortly meet with a due Correction, if not before by the Hand of Governors, by the Hand of Providence and the Sword of an Enemy in the midst of them.  
And therefore, leaving them to their own severe Mistress, to proceed, There are two great Causes to provoke us to an extraordinary Humiliation at this time. 1. The Fullness and Ripeness of Sin. 2. The near Approaches of a terrible Judgement. Concerning the former to say nothing of other Evidences of its Maturity, this one I think is sufficient, When it is become past Remedy by Humane Means, it must needs be ripe for the Judgements of God. And then certainly is it past all Humane Means, when it hath either so infected the Governors and Ministers that they will not, or is become so prevalent that they cannot or dare not correct it, or punish it as it ought. And this is plainly our Case. Rarely hath any Prince been more plainly admonished of a Special Duty, and of the dangerous Consequence of the Neglect of it than King William hath been, and in due Time: And as rarely any more plainly admonished of his Fault when committed, and of the Mischiefs thereby incurred, than he bathe been again and again. Never was Parliament more plainly admonished of a foul Fault in the beginning of so great a Work, than our Convention was of thatin their Order for the Thanksgiving, (which hath proved a Root of Bitterness ever since) but so senseless in such matters is this Generation grown, that I doubt we have some Doctors, who do not understand it to this Day. Nor ever were Parliaments more provoked to their Duty by plaindealing than ours have been again and again. Lastly, never were Bishops more honestly and plainly told of their Duty, nor more justly and homely reproved for their most shameful Neglect, than ours have been. But alas! here's the Root of all our Evil. Their Unfaithfulness to God, whose special Service was their proper business; Unfaithfulness to Kings, whom they have magnified above measure, and more slattered for their own Advantage, than faithfully admonished for the Service of God, and been more forward to conspire with to subvert the Rights of their Country, than to admonish them of their Duty both to God and Man, to be Protectors of the Right of the meanest Subject. Their Neglect of their Episcopal Authority for Reproof and Correction of the Scandalous Sins, especially of Great Men, against the Laws of God; and on the contrary, Abuse of it for punishment of Sober and Conscientious People with the utmost Severity for any breach of their own Canons, or Laws made for their Advantage; hath been the greatest Inlet of all our Mischief, of the Brutish and Carnal Sins of the Nation: And again, their earnest and endless pursuit of Preferments, and mis-imployment of what they get, hath been the great Incentive to those Animal Sins of Covetousness and Ambition, which have betrayed the Nation, and been the immediate Means to bring the Judgements of God so near to us, as they are at this time. Nor is this all: But besides their Unprositableness in that great Place and Advantage, which they had to have done good in the Parliament, they have not only heretofore been the Principal Obstructors of many good things, which have been proposed and begun in the House of Commons, but have of late laid aside a Bill for the necessary Reformation of Manners, and preventing the approaching Judgements of God, which was drawn at the Request of some of them, without offering any other in the place of it. And besides, some of them have not only in private obstructed the good Effect of those faithful Admonitions, which have been given to the King, by misrepresenting the Person to him who sent them, as if the Truth and Weight of the Admonitions had not been the only thing to be regarded, whoever was the Instrument; but have at last even from the Pulpit, in the Face of the World, encouraged the King to Security in Neglect of that great Duty, which had been so earnestly pressed in those Admonitions for his own Good; and done it in such a manner, as never any of the false Prophets of old, (except only their Pretence of special revelation or the great Enemy of Mankind could have done more subtly and plausibly: Which though of sad Consideration in other respects, yet may give the more hope of the King's Case, that there is in it so much the less of Fault as there is more of Unhappiness, in that he hath been so unfaithfully dealt with by those about him. And if with this we take. into the Consideration the Bishops Excuse, why they did not offer the Bill in the House of Lords, viz. Lest a thing of that Nature should be ridicaled and contemned, and Religion with it. I suppose no serious Man but will acknowledge all this to be sufficient Evidence of the Prevalence and full Maturity of Sin and Wickedness in this Nation.  
And now concerning the near Approaches of God's Judgements upon the Nation. Every Affliction or Calamity upon a Person or Nation is not presently to be reputed a Judgement or Punishment of Sin. Some may be for the Glory of God, and some for Exercise of his Creatures. But when we see notorious and provoking Sins followed with proportionable Calamities and Afflictions, than we may safely conclude them Judgements; especially when we see Afflictions after Afflictions, or Interchanges of Afflictions and Mercies, and the Afflictions more and more increasing, but the Provocations no whit abated, but either still increasing, or Men more and more hardened in them, and insensible of God's Judgements, that is a dangerous Sign that some terrible Judgement is not far off. But when in such Case a particular Calamity is as visible as a Cloud in the Air, and as likely to fall upon a Nation, as such a Cloud to break into a Storm, (as when you see Jerusalem encompassed with Armies) than the Approaches of that Judgement are very near. And whether this be not the Case of this Nation at this time, deserves our very serious Consideration speedily. Of the Ripeness and Maturity of the Sins of the Nation I have given sufficient Evidence before: It remains thereof only to consider what Prospect there is of any particular Calamity visible, which may probably or possibly be approaching this Nation. And if we look back for most part of these Thirty Years last passed, there has been a Storm in brewing, often ready to break out very terribly both upon these and some Neighbour Nations; but it hath pleased God that it hath as often blown over, and served only for so many Warnings. And it was within these three years that we were in very great Danger, we and our Neighbours too; and it pleased God to give us as great, and a very extraordinary Deliverance. But how little good Effect it hath had upon us, may be understood by what is said already; to which I will add only this, that as we profaned our Thanksgiving for our Deliverance with a frothy Compliment to the Instrument, so do we now make a sport and a Trade of the Approaches of God's Judgements; a matter that hath more of Sin and Provocation in it, than this Sensual Generation is apprehensive of and a very ill Sign of a dangerous Condition. Certainly God, after so great a Manifestation of his Providence in our Deliverance, expected other and more substantial Returns than such a Formality; and when we notwithstanding neglected our Duty, he was graciously pleased the first year to correct our Neglect only with a Suspension of his Blessing; all things were at a stand with us, nothing prospered or succeeded: But when we still continued our Neglect, he proceeded one degree further, to a smarter Chastisement by a shameful Bafflle of our Fleet at Sea, through the Unfaithfulness or Fearfulness (so suitable a Punishment) of some employed in that Service; to say nothing of other Misfortunes elsewhere. And now we are come to the third year without any Amendment, and with a bolder and brisker Attempt of a Powerful and Active Adversary, very early, and with good Success, in the View, in a manner, of the King himself; and perhaps not without some Error committed through Fearfulness, if not Unfaithfulness in some of his Council of War. And if we well consider how Powerful, Active and Forward our Adversary is, how distracted our Allies are abroad, how divided we ourselves are at home; how unfaithfully, or unwisely, or unsuccessfully our Affairs are managed both at home and abroad, we have reason to fear the Approaches of a very terrible Judgement very near. And if things be well examined, we may apprehend not only a Proportionable but a Suitable Judgement in all, Unfaithfulness, Fearfulness of God's Enemies, and adhering to Dilatory wicked Councils, punished with like Unfaithfulness, Fearfulness of our Enemies, and like Dilatory Counsels in those we employ. And for the nearness of the Approaches of Judgements, at the very instant, while I am writing this, are we alarmed with a terrible beginning of a Fire breaking out in the Royal Palace at Whitehal. Certainly, we have great Reason to believe that the Accomplishment of Bishop Usher's Prediction is very near, and that we may soon be taught what Monsieur St. Jean's Thunder under Ground did import, by a sudden Resurrection and Eruption of the Plots, which the Unsaithfulness and Deceitfulness of some have so politicly buried, if not prevented by a very speedy Alteration of our Ordering of things so as may be both more for the Honour and Service of God, that we may recover his Favour and Blessing, and better for the Security of the Nation, which his Favour and Blessing alone can help and lead us to.  
For the Recovery of which, (which is my next business) we must  
1. First consider the Majesty of God, with whom we have to do, in respect of which the greatest Majesty upon Earth is Ten Thousand times less than the faintest Shadow we can behold, and the greatest Monarch but a Butterfly; nay, less than the meanest and most despicable Animal. He is a God of infinite Mercy indeed, but withal of absolute Justice and Holiness, and very terrible in his Judgements against obstinate and incorrigible Sinners.  
2. We must next consider the sinful State and Condition of the Nation; the Universality of it, having overspread all Orders, our Kings, our Nobles, our Priests and our Prophets, and all Ranks and Degrees of our People. The Growth and long Continuance of it, and the Impudence and Obstinacy of it, outfacing all Humane Authority, and standing out without Remorse against the various repeated Divine Methods, both of Judgements and Mercies, to bring us to Repentance and Reformation: And the great Danger, it is now again fallen into by reason of our unprofitableness upon so late and great a Mercy and Deliverance as our last was.  
3. And when with such Considerations we are affected with such a sense of our Condition as is meet, and a sincere internal Contrition, we must speedily apply ourselves to give Glory to God, by serious and solemn External Actions of Humiliation; appointing of Days for the purpose, afflicting our Souls in strict Fasting and Mortification, confessing the Sins of the Nation, of our Kings, and our Priests, and our Prophets, and all sorts amongst us, plainly and truly with great Seriousness and sense of the Evil of them, and the Justice of all the Judgements we either feel or fear, with humble and earnest Supplications and Deprecations. But this, if it be done to purpose, had need be done in another manner than is usual in the Forms of the Church of England, and with more strictness in the Acts of Mortification than is usual amongst u.  
When Public Sins and manifest Judgements require Public Humiliation, then to neglect it is a great Aggravation of the Sin and Provocation of Judgement: To appoint a Day, and not to observe it with the greatest Seriousness, Solemnity and Strictness, is to lose our Labour, profane a Sacred Duty, and add a greater Aggravation and Provocation.  
4. But if all thus far be performed never so well and exactly, yet there remains one thing more, which if neglected, will certainly not only frustrate the Effect of all the rest, but convert it to the highest Aggravation and Provocation. And that is the Removal of the Accursed Thing, whatever it be, and Reformation of what is amiss, instantly, if it be such as may be done instantly. However, to set about it, and do what may be done toward it; instantly, and then pursue it with great Resolution and Constancy till it be throughly accomplished; Banish all false Prophets, who have deceived us into Neglect and Procrastination of so important and necessary a Duty, and thereby brought us into so much Mischief and Danger; and make Examples of Notorious Scandalous Persons; and by doing all that can be for the present, declare both to God and Man a firm Resolution to go thorough with it, by the Blessing of God, whatever Difficulties occur in the way. No Difficulties or Dangers must stop or stay us: It is for our Life And there is no greater Danger than in the Neglect or Delay of so indispensable a Duty. We must remember in this case, as well as in many others, that Warning of our Saviour, He who will lose his Life, (or what else is most valuable) for my sake, shall save it: But he who will save it (thinks to secure it by neglect or transgression of his Duty or Respect to me) shall lose it, and certainly find himself mightily mistaken in his Policy. Nor must we rest in an ordinary Performance of this part of our Duty: For the Judgements which threaten both the King and the Nation at this time, if I mistake not, are very great, and require the Zeal of Phinehas to avert them, and pacify the Wrath of God.  
And here I must take notice of a matter, which deserves to be well considered, though I doubt few ever think of it, and that is of Giving Glory to God in respect of his former Judgements, and doing what is necessary for cleansing of the Nation from the Gild and Pollution of the former Sins, of which it is not yet purged as it ought to be. We have these thirty years passed rather politicly than religiously kept every year the 30th of January, as the Day of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First: But it ought to be considered, Whether ever we have taken care to give God the Glory of his Judgements in that very thing. It was an extraordinary thing for a King to have his Head cut off, at his own Door, by his own Subjects. But however, if we have had more regard to the Dead King than to the Living God, and to his Hand and Judgements in it, that will prove such a piece of Hypocrisy, as may concern the Church of England to look to it in time, lest God by his Judgements set it out to their Shame or Confusion. And for the late K. James, if we can satisfy ourselves with our Acquests, and take no care to manifest to the World the Justice of our own Proceedings in the late Revolution, certainly we ought in Gratitude to God to have given him the Glory of his Justice as well as his Mercy in it, by public Examination and Justice upon some of the notorious Criminals. And I doubt not but the Judgements of God will reach those Profane Politicians, who have studiously smothered and covered such Works of Secrecy and Darkness, as aught for the Glory of God to have been set in the Light, as well as obstructed Justice upon more apparent Criminals. And besides, this is a thing that does so greatly concern the King in respect of his Duty to God, that as it is a shame to all his Bishops and Doctors and Chaplains about him, if they have been all so unskilful in their own Profession, or so unfaithful to him, as that none of them hath admonished him, and endeavoured to make him sensible of the Importance of it; so I doubt it will be imputed to the filling up of the measure.  
But whatever be done by the Church and the State for the preventing of any Public Judgement or Common Calamity, there is that which may be done by Private and particular Persons, which may both help towards that, and may procure Safety and Exemption to themselves out of it: Which I shall comprise in the following Particulars.  
The First is, to try and examine their own ways, and turn to the Lord by Repentance and effectual Reformation of whatever is amiss, and be sure to cast out every Root of Bitterness; leave no matter for the Fire of God's Judgements to take hold of. If we will escape Eternal Judgements, we must beware of such deadly Sins as procure them. And if we desire to escape Temporal Punishments, we must be careful, and vigilant, and circumspect to avoid and cleanse ourselves from every Sin. For every Sin shall receive a just Recompense of Reward, and the Sinner shall suffer Loss, though he himself may be saved, so as by Fire. There is a Chastning of the Lord, by Weakness, and Sickness, and Death, even of those who shall not be condemned with the World; and for that purpose that they may not; which as we would avoid, we must carefully avoid all Sin; or, if we fall into any, be careful speedily to cleanse ourselves from it; which is not to be done without Trouble. We must judge ourselves, if we will not be judged of the Lord. We must afflict our Souls. For though it be the Blood of Christ and the Spirit of God only which can perfect our Cleansing, yet is there something to be done by us in the use of Means, and Cooperation with the Grace of God: As 1. Serious Consideration both of the Majesty, Holiness and Justice of God, and of the Evil of Sin. 2. Serious use of the Means of Humiliation, and of the External Expressions of it for the more Solemn Acknowledgement of the Sin, and the Glory of God, in the sight of Men and Angels. 3. Resolution and Actual Reformation, so as to abolish the Sin, as much as may be, by Restitution, Reparation, Satisfaction, and Practice of contrary Virtues. 4. Application to God by Supplication and Faith in our great Propitiation, with Acts of Mercy and Charity to others. Th●●● and such as these We must do through the Grace of God for our Cleansing.  
The next is to take great care to be of the number of those whom the good Archbishop Usher hath told us, God will hide in the Hollow of his Hand, and under the Shadow of his Wings: And to that end often peruse and ruminate upon that excellent Prophecy, and like excellent Description of Sanctification printed with it; and study, and strive, and pray earnestly, and above all things, to have that Holy Work wrought, and indelibly imprinted in their Hearts; and to give it growth by continual Exercise and Labour of Love for the Honour of God and Good of his Creatures, till that Noble Generous Christian Property, of exerting our Faculties for the Common Good, make us almost forget ourselves, and carry us beyond all Private Respect: Which yet is no more than we see imprinted in the Nature of a poor Animal; a fearful Hen, which will fly at a Kite and a Mastiff for the safety of her Chickens, from which she would otherwise fly as fast to save herself. What Brutes are we, who will not out of ourselves for the God of our Lives, and the Centre of our Happiness!  
The third is, to look out into the World; behold and consider well the deplorable state and condition of this Nation; and indeed, of all the Reformed Churches, by reason of the full Growth of Sin amongst them, and the Terrible Judgements of God, which threaten them, and seem so near approaching after so extraordinary a Mercy lately afforded them, and a Day of Salvation, which they seem to have neglected, without any Sense of the Duties, which such a Divine Favour and Opportunity required; that so they may become Mourners in secret, as well for the Indignities offered to God and our Saviour, and the Abuse of a most Holy and Excellent Religion, as for the Calamities, which we have great reason to fear are coming upon them, for Just Punishment of all that Wickedness, which no Means could prevail with them to reform; and may be the better fitted to perform their Part in a Public Humiliation.  
The Fourth and Last is to do what they can for the Reformation of others, and thereby for the averting or mitigating of the Judgements of God. The Zeal of one Phinehas turned away the Wrath of God from the Children of Israel, that he did not destroy them. And besides it was imputed to him for Righteousness; and he obtained thereby a Blessing upon himself and his Posterity, Numb ●●● 11, 13. Psal. 106. 31. and many such, though private Persons, 〈◊〉 even of the Lower Ranks of Men, might do much Good to the Nation; and especially to themselves, and their own Families. This may, and must be done by these Means.  
1. By well ordering their own Families, if they have any; and that 1. By Daily Prayers in their Families; for which purpose there are many good Books to be had, to help them who need. 2. By Religious Observance of the Lord's Day, taking care that all of their Family frequent and reverently attend to the Public Worship of God, and employ the rest of the Day in Reading, and other Religious Employment. 3. By Instructing, Admonishing, Reproving, and Correcting such as may need or give occasion for it; and discharging from their Service and Employment such as are incorrigibe. Of which more presently.  
2. By Admonishing and Reproving their Familiar Friends and Relations, and such at they converse with, as occasion may serve or require; Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour that thou bear not sin for him, Leu. 19 17. and using their best Endeavours, that the obstinate, who will not be reform by such means, may be punished and corrected by the Magistrates and Governors. Wherein if they may seem to lose their Labour through the Unrighteousness of those in Authority, yet their Labour will not be in vain in the Lord: And besides, if they be constant and unmoveable in the Work of the Lord, they will animate one another; and the Importunity of many will by degrees, by God's Blessing, prevail against the Unrighteousness of such Judges.  
This is a Duty of greater Weight and Obligation than most Men are sensible of: And the Neglect of it hath given great Occasion to the Growth of Sin and Wickedness amongst us to that Maturity and Fullness it is come to, and to the present Unhappiness of the Nation: And therefore now under our Circumstances is it so much the more to be put in Execution with Zeal and Vigour against all (though they be as thy Right Hand, or thy Right Eye) by whom the Offence cometh, they must not be spared; thine Eye shall not pity them, neither shalt thou spare them, neither shalt thou conceal them; so shalt thou put the Evil way from the midst of thee; however from thyself, and deliver thine own Soul, if it cannot longer be kept off from the Nation. But could such a Spirit of Zeal be raised, but in the Despised People, it would be no little Ground of Hope still. And why should it not? We see it in some Particulars upon occasion; and may see it in more, if they be but rightly informed. There is not less reason for it against Debauchery than against Popery; it is not less injurious to our Religion, nor less dangerous to our Nation; nay, it is believed by many Men of Learning and Knowledge of Affairs, that it is one of the Bastard Brats of Popery, and the most pernicious of all, produced by their Councils, and faustred by their Agents, that they might unman us, and expose us to the Wrath of God, and the Fury of our Enemies. All therefore who have any Zeal or Indignation against Popery, aught to turn it mightily against this. First, to resent the Abuse put upon them by the Midianites, and their own Folly and Madness so easily to be led into the Snare, as at the same time that they are so warm against the Papists, to be through want of Consideration, their very Instruments to promote their Designs for the Destruction of this Nation; and at the same time that they profess so much Zeal for the Protestant Religion, to offer greater Indignities to it, than any Adversary possibly can: And upon such Considerations bethinking themselves well, first deliberately and resolutely with Indignatión and Zeal breaking through those Enchantments, and mending their own Manners; in the next place give their Zeal as full Vent against Debauchery as they would against Popery; and against all such infatuated and enchanted Tools of theirs, all debauched People, wherever they meet with them in their Debaucheries, as they would do against any Priests or Jesuits, who could never hurt us, were we not first weakened and exposed by our Sins and Wickedness. Consider how they would take it, if a Man to their Face should reproach their Father, or their Mother, their near Relation or intimate Friend, their great Benefactor, or their Master, Lord, or Prince, or declare himself ill affected to their Country; and know, that, if they have any thing of Manhood or Generosity in them, the Indignities done to God, the Supreme Monarch of the World, and, the Father, Lord, and great Benefactor to us all, and to our most Holy and Excellent Religion, the only complete means of all Happiness both here and hereafter, are Provocations Ten Thousand times greater and more reasonable to exert it to the utmost, and to treat all Profane and wicked People accordingly; that so that Impudent Profaneness and Lewdness, which at present fills all places, should not dare henceforward to appear abroad, or in our Streets. This might, for aught I know, were it well considered and encouraged, save the Nation.  
3. By a general (though implicit) Reproof of the corrupt Manners of the Age, and a kind of bearing Witness against them, declaring a Disallowance and Abhorrence of them, that is, by avoiding and abstaining from all Communication either with the scandalous Persons, or with the corrupt manners thereof.  
That we should avoid all Conversation with Evil and Scandalous Persons there are divers considerable Reasons: Because 1. It may be a Temptation to us to corrupt our Manners in divers respects. 2. It may give Advantage to the Evil Powers, which reside and rule in them, to hurt us. For there is a secret Spiritual Impression of Good or Evil in Company, such as it is, which few Men observe, or are sensible of, 3. It may be scandalous to us, if it be intimate or familiar, which is a thing we ought carefully to avoid. 4. Our Holy Religion and Profession may be affronted by them in our Presence, of which we ought also to avoid all occasions. 5. We ought to express and manifest our Resentment and Indignation against their wicked and scandalous Actions and Practices, for the Honour of our Religion, and to shame them into Repentance and Reformation: But familiar Conversation with such is an implicit deserting of our Profession, disowning of Christ, and prostituting our Religion in an unworthy Compliance, and a means to make them secure in their Evil Courses. For these and the like Reasons we ought at all times to avoid them, unless when we have any hope or design of doing good to them, but more especially under such Circumstances, lest we be Partakers in their Sin, or tainted by them; lest we be Partakers in their Punishment, and suffer with them; and that we may assert and vindicate the Honour of our Religion, and shame them into Repentancc and Reformation.  
By this means may the meanest Person many times have opportunity to give a tacit Reproof, and such as by the Blessing of God may prove very effectual, to the greatest. And every one ought to do it as they have occasion, without regard to their own worldly Interest or Benefit to be had by them, or to the Worldly Dignity of the Person, without respect of Persons. For to neglect it for Private Interest, is to prostitute Religion, and apply to the Devils Instruments, instead of dependence upon God for Supplies, (if we really need them) and his Blessing. And to do otherwise out of respect to any such Person, be his Degree what it will, is to prefer a wicked Creature before our Creator and Redeemer, to prefer external Temporal Honour, before real, intrinsic, and eternal, and to show more respect to the Enemies of God, who dishonour him, and despise his Laws, than to God himself upon whom we depend. Both which, whatever Men think of them, are more wicked and profane than I can here set out as they deserve, and are ready means to provoke God, whose Cause is thereby deserted, to desert them who do so, and leave them to have their part with such Company, with Insidels and Unbelievers. It is so in the meanest Christian, and therefore let those of higher degree look to it, how they will answer the Transgression of this Duty to God, when they are called to account for it, which may be sooner than they expect. It is that which every one ought with great Care to observe, who desires to be found faithful to God, and to be preserved in the Common Calamity by his special Favour. The meanest Servants ought to avoid such Masters and Families; and if by mistake they fall into them, to manifest their Dissatisfaction, get leave to be gone; and if that cannot be had, to fly with Moses into the Wilderness, rather than abide with such wicked Egyptians: Every Tradesman to despise their Custom, and every Artist, Mechanic and Labourer their Service or Employment, and all to avoid so much as to Salute them, or show them any respect, which would be to be Partaker of their Evil Deeds: Be they who they will, who have so little Discretion, or Command of themselves, as to contemn and affront even the Laws, Government and Religion of the Nation, and all the sober People of it, they ought to be slighted and despised by thevery Footmen, Carmen, and all sorts of People; and if they offer to draw their Sword, or injure any, to be trod in the Dirt, as the Pests of the Nation, and Instruments of all our Unhappiness; only Magistrates, and Men in Authority, which is God's Ordinance, must not be affronted, but left to the Judgements of God, if those who have power over them will not regard it.  
And for the Manners of the Age, besides those gross and scandalous sins, there are divers others, which must be avoided and reform, and cleansed, if we would endeavour to purpose to escape the Fire of God's Judgements. Such are 1. All secret Sins, secret and mean in their Commitment, and concealed from the View of Men. God will certainly find these out, and manifest his Allseeing Providence in the severe Punishment of them, if not prevented by a timely and thorough Repentance and Reformation. 2. Such as in their own Nature are not apparent and distinguishable enough to be corrected by Humane Laws, Censure or Cognizance; which are many and various: As, Abuse of Aliments in indulgence to the Appetite, wherein a great part of the People of this plentiful Nation are guilty of Excess to their own Hurt, but especially those brutish Epicures, who glory in their shame, and turning their Paunches into Dunghills by a modish Foolish Term, of eating Well, would recommend a beastly ravenous Action: Ease and Luxury, Sports, and Idle and Unprofitable Employments, Loss of Time, and divers great Advantages, without Benefit to others, or to themselves: Abuse of the Talents of Estates and Wealth, which ought to be employed for the Honour and Service of God, and the Good of Men, to Vainglory and Ostentation in Apparel, Buildings, Furniture, Attendants, and such like Pomp's and Vanities, which the ancient Christians solemnly renounced at their Baptism, and as carefully avoided ever after; and, (which doubles the Sin) even to Emulations beyond proportion, which draw many other Mischiefs after them, to themselves, their Families, and many other, by the means next to be mentioned: Covetousness, and Ambition, and insatiable Greediness and pursuit of things of the World, and the cursed Fruits thereof, Frauds, Cheats, Exactions, Extortions, Oppressions, Breach of Trust, Faction and Treacheries against King and Country, for Pensions from Foreign Princes, and Preferments at home. 3. Such as are covered, and palliated, and patronised by Modes, Fashions, Customs of the World, and pretence of Necessity for the management and promotion of Trade, whereof divers are mentioned already in general, and need not be repeated.  
These, though spread over this Nation, (to say nothing of other Protestant Countries) are most rife and notorious in this Great City, which give great Cause to fear some special Judgement upon it. And though I have always been a Friend to it, yet I think myself obliged to bear my Testimony against the Iniquity thereof in one notorious Part, and that is Abuse of Apprentices after great Sums of Money received with them. I myself have had no less than four Sons, as soberly Educated and as well esteemed as most, before they came to be Apprentices, and who behaved themselves afterward without any great Extravagancies, placed here to suitable Trades, with no little Pains and Charge, yet after all ruined and undone by the Iniquity and Wickedness of their Masters and their Partners. But I have seen the Judgements of God upon two of them already; and to him I have committed my Cause with the other two. This I write upon my own sad Experience, and could say as much of my own Knowledge in the case of some others. Of which I have written heretofore in a Paper, Entitled, Relief of Apprentices, and mention it now as a Common Cause worthy of Consideration, amongst others, of the Magistrates for averting the Judgements of God from the City.  
And while I write this of a Case wherein I myself have been so much concerned, I cannot but be sensible of the case of some others which I often see and hear of, and in Faithfulness to God and to the State, and Charity to the poor People, take notice of it upon this occasion: And that is the Pressing of Men, and sending them out of the Realm, to Sea, or beyond Sea, by Force and Violence against their Wills. I cannot find, or learn upon Enquiry, that there is any Law or Statute, since those made in the Reign of King Charles I. are expired, for the Pressing of Mariners and Sailors, much less of Land-Men, And if there be not, I am sure it is contrary to a Principal Fundamental Right of the People, whose Goods, much less their Persons or Liberty, cannot be touched but by Order of Law and their own Consent in Parliament; and would frustrate the principal Design and Reason of the Habeas Corpus Act, and render it ridiculous and contemptible in Cases of greatest Exigence, and most needing its Relief. The Rights of the Poor, aught to be preserved inviolable, as well as of the Greatest: And they who can be content to see their own Rights violated in the meanest of their Countrymen, while their own Persons and Estates are untouched, do not deserve to have them preserved; and may expect that they or their Posterity may, by the just Judgement of God, be deprived of them. Nor can I see any Reason, why the Poor of the Land, who enjoy so little of it, should be frighted from their Employments, and forced from their Families, Friends, and the Trades and Labours to which they have been used, to hazard their Limbs and their Lives against their own Wills, to defend and maintain the Superfluities and Grandeur of the Rich? Or how the Death of such in the Service being forced against their Will, though by Law, unless they first forfeit their Right by their own ill Behaviour, can be excused from Murder in the sight of God? Nor Last, How we can expect that either such should do any Great Service, or that the Blessing of God should be with us in the use of such unreasonable Means. If we inquire into the Methods of our Ancestors in such Case, we shall find them more just and reasonable, more prudent and honourable, and more prosperous and successful, when Men of Honour and Interest covenanted with the King to bring in their several Numbers, raised them among their Tenants and Neighbours, and led them themselves; so that there was a mutual Love and Confidence between the Leaders and Soldiers. But this mode of Pressing, if I be not much mistaken, is a novel Invention, a base Project of the Authors of Ship-money, put on now, even while a Parliament is in being, to the Prejudice of the King, as well as of the Nation, to furnish such Officers with pressed involuntary Soldiers, who have little Interest of themselves to raise Volunteers, and whom few are willing to serve under. And since it is done while a Parliament is in being, which could have given Authority for it; it may justly be looked upon as no ordinary Abuse to the King himself, but as one of the Treacherous Policies of some Evil Persons to prejudice his Government and Cause; make his Government offensive and suspected by the People, and his Cause seem absurd, while his Authority is abused to violate the Rights of the People, which he came to preserve, and in a Fundamental Point, and contrary to his Coronation Oath; and thereby to justify or excuse the Miscarriages of his Predecessor: For all this it plainly and directly tends to. It is true, there is a Necessity that Men must be had: But Necessity will not excuse Injustice to the Poor, with so great Violation of Common Right, and when without either it may be supplied. Let not such be excluded from the Service, who are able and willing to serve in their own Persons, and have Interest and Reputation to bring in Seamen and Soldier Let the Salaries, Pay and Profits of Great Officers, especially who sit at home, and are out of danger, be reduced to Moderation, and those who venture all, have a proportionable Encouragement, both by good Pay while in Service, and of Good Provision in case they be disabled, and we shall want no Men, nor need any Pressing: And let but good Discipline be exercised, as it ought to be, in respect of the Manners of Officers as well as of Soldiers and Seamen, and we shall not want God's Blessing.  
But to leave these things to the Consideration of the Parliament and of the City, of the Evil Manners before mentioned, those which are Secret Sins, only by Secrecy in the Commitment, and as they are concealed from Men, but otherwise are well enough known to all to be Sins, though they have not so much of Scandal as those which are openly committed; yet may they have other Aggravations, which may equal that, and require no less Severity of judging ourselves, if we would not be judged of God. As to the rest, which either in their own Nature are not so palpable, or easily discernible from what is Lawful; or by common Opinion and Usage of the World are reputed Lawful and Harmless, nay commendable; and some perhaps excused and Patronised in opposition to Popery, it is to be considered, 1. That some are condemned as wholly unlawful, not only by the Judgement and Practice of all the ancient Christians for many Ages, and comprehended in that ancient Solemn Renunciation required of all admitted into the Society of Christians by Baptism, viz. Of the Devil and his Works, the World and the Pomp's, Glory and Vanity thereof, and the Flesh and its Lusts and Desires; but also by the express Doctrine of the Holy Scripture, both under such General Comprehensive Names, as the Flesh, Gal. 5. 17. Lusts of the Flesh, Gal. 5. 16: 2 Pet. 2. 18: 2 John 2. 16. The Old Man, Eph. 4. 24. The Natural Man, I Cor. 2. 14. Desires of the Flesh, Eph. 2. 3. Works of the Flesh, Gal. 5. 19 Provision for the Flesh, Rom. 13. 14. Minding the Flesh, and the things of the Flesh, Rom. 8. 5, 6, 7: Gal. 6. 8. Walking after the Flesh, 2 Cor. 10. 2: 2 Pet. 2. 10. Minding earthly things, Phil. 3. 19: Col. 3. 2, 5: James 3. 15. Being of the World, John 15. 19: 17. 14, 16. Love of the World, 1 John 2. 15: 5. 19 Ja. 4. 4. Lusts of the World, Tit. 2. 12. Wisdom of the World, 1 Cor. 3. 19 The Course of the World, Eph. 2. 2. Conformity to the World, Rom. 12. 2. Inordinate Affection, and Evil Concupiscence, etc. with weighty Admonitions of their provoking the Wrath of God, and excluding from the Kingdom of God, etc. and by more particular Characters, Directions and Injunctions, as against Covetousness, which is again and again called Idolatry, and such as both brings down the Wrath of God, and excludes from Heaven (which should make People more cautious against it than usually they are) and divers Branches of it, as Defrauding, Exacting, Oppressing, etc. against Pride, Vainglory, Boasting, Ostentation, Pride of Apparel, particularly that of Women, (in whom it is more pardonable than in Men) prohibited in very express Terms by the two chief Apostles severally, 1 Tim. 2. 9 and 1 Pet. 3. 3. and yet so agreeably, as declares it to be a resolved Point and positive Injunction, which yet we see frustrated in our Times by some, just as the Pharisees did by the Law in our Saviour's time; and against others, some of them noted before, but all too many to be here more particularly noted.  
2. That there are others, which being Lawful, or more excusable at other times, are apt to be the less taken notice of, yet are not only unlawful and inexcusable at such a time as this, but greatly offensive and abominable to God, and highly provoking, as impious and Profane, under such Circumstances, as may be perceived by the great Indignation expressed in the Prophet Isa. 22. 12. against such upon like occasion, as Iniquity, which should not be expiated till they should die for it. And indeed, as it is a terrible thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God; so there can hardly be a greater Provocation, than such Behaviour as dectares or Implies a Contempt or Neglect, Carelessness or Unconcernedness at the Approaches or Appearance of the Judgements of God against a Nation, by any particular Person. It is very like and the ready way to fix the Decree against such a Person to be certainly involved in it.  
Now therefore to prevent, and avert the Judgements of God from themselves, and, as much as in them lieth, from the Nation; all who in order thereunto desire indeed to have no Fellowship with any such Evil Manners, Customs or Fashions, and to keep themselves unspotted of the World, must apply themselves seriously to such further Means as these, viz.  
1. To abstain and withdraw themselves, as much as their Circumstances will permit, from all unnecessary Diversions, Business and Employment in and about the Matters, and Conversation with the Men, of the World; and retiring, apply themselves to Prayer, Reading, Meditation and Watching; and frequent the Public Worship of God with all Reverence as often as Opportunity may be had.  
2. To abstain from all Acquest of the things of the World in any unfitting manner or unreasonable measure, both which are very common; but be content with just, and honest, and reasonable Gains, according to the real Worth, not appearance of things, reasonable Rents as Times will bear, and moderate Fees, according to the real Merit of Labour, Skill, and Time, without occasioning more Expense than needs; and likewise, to pay to the full value of Commodities, and Desert of Labour, Skill and Time: nay, to abstain from all Pursuit of some, of Preferments, not only after the greedy and ambitious manner, and by the indirect means, which are usual; but from all, considering more the Account, which must be given, and the Encumbrance, than the Profit and Honour; unless out of Charity to Men, and Love to our Country, to prevent the Intrusion of Evil Men for their own Advantage, and to the Disservice of King and Country; which is now so common as may justify that which otherwise would be inexcusable. Out of which Case, for a Man to be well qualified and ready to serve his Country when he is called to it, is sufficient. And lastly, to abstain not only from Pursuit, but from Acceptance of others, of insignificant (as our later Reigns have made them) and burdensome Titles of Honour. Which Men of true Virtue and Wisdom will at no time seek; especially when by the Prodigality of Princes they are thrown, and by the Vices of Nobility trodden in the Dirt, and made rather Badges of Flattery, Servility, Treachery, Vanity and Degeneracy, than Ensigns of Virtue, and of Merit by noble and generous Service and Achievements, the only substantial Grounds of Honour: And Men of Great Piety will not easily accept at such a time as this. Besides, I am persuaded never any Man was made better by them, nor many who were not made some way worse; and that the whole Nation at this time is much the worse, almost undone, and in great Danger of Ruin and Confusion by some aspiring ambitious Persons, if they be not speedily taken down: But sure I am they are unsuitable for Times of Fasting and Humiliation, when they who have them, ought in a sort to depose and lay 'em aside during such Circumstances. And since now a Public Fast and Humiliation is appointed by the Queen to be observed Monthly, in most Devout and Solemn manner, it is but fit and necessary that the House of Lords be admonished of a Great Disrespect both to God and to the King upon the like occasion the last year; (though touched before in the Reflections upon the then late Action at Sea, where the unhappy state of our Clergy and Church was more fully discoursed, and therefore is spared here:) For I believe it may concern them not only to have more regard to the Eyes of Men that are upon them, for their own Honour and Reputation, but to the allseeing Eye of Him, who hath said, Them who honour me, I will honour; but they who despise me shall be lightly esteemed, lest if through their Fault (amongst the rest) the Sun and the Moon be darkened, the Stars also fall from Heaven; and lest he again shake Heaven and Earth as he hath formerly done, or more severely.  
3. To abstain from the Use of unnecessary things of the World, as, Pleasures, Vain Delights, Plays, Pomp, State, Grandeur and Finery, etc. which are at such a time part of that Iniquity, against which we see so much Divine Indignation expressed in the Prophet.  
And here I must not, I ought not to forbear to take notice of that Undecent Attire of our Women upon their Heads, at any time unbefitting Women professing Godliness, but at such a time as this, when God by his Providence calls for Baldness and Sackcloth, and when they should put their Mouths in the Dust, to set up their Crests in that manner, cannot but be displeasing and abominable in the sight of God and the good Angels, as it is in the sight of many of his Faithful Servants upon Earth. And therefore I cannot but think it great Pity, that a Lady of sincere Piety and Virtue, as I hope and believe, should be betrayed, through the Unskilfulness in Divine matters of those about her, or their Unfaithfulness to her, to prostitute Majesty to such a Compliance with a vain Generation, who should rather have given the Law to them, and maintaining her ground on the part of Virtue and Gravity, which is essential to Majesty, by the Authority of so great an Example have given a tacit Reproof and Correction to their Vanity, and taught them more consideration and regard to their own Country, than to do such Honour to a Foreign Enemy, as to glory in a voluntary imitating of their Example, even in Levity and Vanity, as if they would lick up their spital; an unlucky presage, that we shall at last be delivered, by the just Judgements of God, for Correction of our Error, to an involuntary Subjection to their Will and Power, whose vain Humours we are so apt to follow, if we speedily mend not our Manners.  
Nor may I here pass by in silence another such unhappy Miscarriage or two: As the Celebrating, or rather Profaning, of an Anniversary Solemnity, at a time which at once called for both serious thanksgiving to God, and serious Humiliation under his Mighty Hand, with a light and frothy Play; and sullying an illustrious Consultation about matters of great seriousness and importance, when the Eyes of all the World were upon them, with unchristian excessive Drinking. These we may understand by what hath been said already, to be displeasing to God, and by the Dishonour, which soon after befell them, who had first so dishonoured themselves, viz that it was permitted as a just Judgement from him. And these, as they are greater faults in Divinity, than the generality of our Divines can believe; for they contract a Communication with the common Gild both of the Nation at present, and of the preceding Kings and their Reigns, to say nothing of other Circumstances; so are they greater faults in Civil Prudence, than our ordinary Statesmen and Politicians are sensible of; for they tend greatly to weaken and abate a Man's Interest in the opinion and esteem of People, making them doubtful both of his Sincerity in Religion, and of his Prudence and Magnanimity, who will be prevailed on to be a Spectator or Actor in either. It is not Insolence or ill Will, but very Faithfulness and great good Will, which hath induced me to to write this: And such a disposition of Soul toward the Majesty of Heaven, and sense of things, as the present Circumstances require, will make them be well taken from what ever hand they come, with so much Integrity and Affection. And therefore now to return.  
4. To abstain from the use even of the Necessary things of the World, as much as Nature and Decency will permit, and particularly from the Delights and Satiety of Natural Aliments; not only from the quality of Costly and Delicious Meats and Drinks, but from such a quantity of those which are plain and simple, as perhaps the Appetite might crave. This is the only way to avoid, that Intemperance, which is not easy to be discerned by others, but is very common, and very much impairs the Health, and shortens the Lives of many people of this Nation, of all degrees, especially of such as are not much employed in hard Labour; is of great benefit for Health, and of great Advantage for such Retirements as I have mentioned; and is very proper and suitable for such occasions. And to this I might with like reason add and recommend an abridgement of Sleep, and use of Watching, which a spare Diet would render very easy, and conducing to Health.  
5. In all Conversation with others, to be very serious and grave; and by much Affability, Sweetness, and good Admonitions, be always endeavouring to do good to all; never speak of Religion to recommend themselves, nor forbear through Shame, or for fear of Disparagement by it, a common, base and most dangerous Fault; and be always ready to relieve and defend the Needy and Oppressed, and to right the Injured, as far as Means, Ability, or Interest will extend; only with this Caution, that it be done so as may not too much interrupt or disturb the Retirement before mentioned, and the proper Employments thereof.  
As this Method will redeem much Time for Retirements, so the retrenching so much Expense, may both countervail the time substracted from Business; and help to supply what is employed in Works of Charity; in all which, regard must be had to people's different Circumstances. And they who shall seriously enter upon it, and with care, diligence and constancy, keep to it, I doubt not but will find Light in Obscurity, Comfort in Affliction, Confidence and Protection in Danger, great Serenity and Satisfaction in this Life, and Eternal Happiness in a better. Which, next to the Service of our great Lord, and the Preservation of the Nation, is the only Design of this Discourse.  
And for the same purpose, I shall here subjoin the following ABSTRACTS, viz.  

1. An Abstract of Mr. Chillingworth 's Judgement of the State of Religion in this Nation, in his time, which is much more decayed since.  
LET us examine our ways, and consider impartially, What the Religion of most Men is?  
We are Baptised in our Infancy, that is, as I conceive, dedicated and devoted to God's service, by our Parents and the Church, as young Samuel was by his Mother Anna, and there we take a Solemn Vow, To forsake the Devil and all his works, the vain Pomp and Glory of the World, with all the covetous desires of it; to forsake also all the carnal desires of the Flesh, and not to follow nor be led by them. This Vow we take when we be Children, and understand it not: and, how many are there, who know, and consider, and regard what they have Vowed, when they are become Men, almost as little as they did being Children. Consider the Lives, and Public Actions of most Men of all Conditions, in Court, City, and Country, and then deny it, if you can, that those three things which we have renounced in our Baptism; the Profits, Honours, and Pleasures of the World, are not the very Gods which divide the World amongst them; are not served more devoutly, confided in more heartily, loved more affectionately, than the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in whose Name we are Baptised? Deny, if you can, the daily and constant Employment of all Men, to be either a violent prosecution of the vain Pomp and Glory of the World, or of the Power, Riches, and contemptible Profits of it, or of the momentary or unsatisfying Pleasures of the Flesh, or else of the more Diabolical humours of Pride, Malice, Revenge, and such like. etc.  
When we are come to Years capable of Instruction, many, which is lamentable to consider, are so little regarded by themselves or others, that they continue little better than Pagans, in a Commonwealth of Christians, and know little more of God, or of Christ, than if they had been bred in the Indies. A lamentable Case, and which will one Day lie heavy upon their account, which might have amended it and did not. But many, I confess, are taught to act over this Play of Religion, and learned to say, Our Father which art in Heaven; and, I believe in God the Father Almighty: But, Where are the Men that live so, as if they did believe in earnest, that God is their Almighty Father? Where are they that fear him, and trust him, and depend upon him only, for their whole Happiness, and Love him, and Obey him, as in reason we ought to do to an Almighty Father? Who, if he be our Father, and we be indeed his Children, will do for us all the good he can; and if he be Almighty, can do for us all the good he will; and yet, how few are there, who love him with half that affection as Children usually do their Parents, or believe him with half that simplicity, or serve him with half that diligence? And then for the Lords Prayer, the plain truth is, we lie unto God for the most part clean through it, and for want of desiring indeed, what in word we pray for, tell him to his Face as many false Tales as we make Petitions. For who shows by his endeavours, that he desires heartily that God's Name should be hallowed; that is, holily and religiously Worshipped and Adored by all Men? That his Kingdom should be advanced and enlarged? That his Blessed Will should be universally Obeyed? Who shows by his forsaking sin that he desires so much as he should do the forgiveness of it? Nay, who doth not revenge, upon all occasions, the affronts, contempts, and injuries put upon him, and so upon the matter Curse himself, as often as he says, Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us? How few depend upon God only for their daily Bread, viz. the good things of this Life, as upon the only giver of them, so as neither to get nor keep any of them, by any means which they know or fear to be offensive unto God? How few desire in earnest to avoid Temptation? Nay, who almost is there, that takes not the Devil's Office out of his Hand, and is not himself a Tempter both to himself and others? Lastly, Who almost is there that desires heartily and above all things so much as the thing deserves, to be delivered from the greatest Evil; Sin I mean, and the Anger of God? etc.  
And this were ill enough, were it in private, but we abuse God Almighty also with our Public and Solemn Formalities, we make the Church a Stage whereon to act our parts, and play our Pageants; there we make a profession every Day of Confessing our Sins with humble, lowly, and obedient Hearts, and yet when we have talked after this manner, Twenty, Thirty, Forty Years together, our Hearts for the most part continue proud, as impenitent, as disobedient, as they were at the beginning. We make great Protestations, When we assemble and meet together to render thanks to God Almighty, for the benefits received at his Hands; and if this were to be performed with words, with Hosannas, and Hallelujahs, and Gloria Patri's, and Psalms, and Hymns, and such like outward matters, peradventure we should do it very sufficiently: But in the mean time with our Lives and Actions, we provoke the Almighty, and that to his Face, with all variety of grievous and bitter Provocations; we do Daily and Hourly such things as we know, and he hath assured us, to be odious unto him; and contrary to his nature; as any thing in the World is to the nature of any Man in the World; and all this upon poor, trifling, trivial, no Temptations: etc. Our Tongues ingeminate, and Cry aloud Hosanna, Hosanna, but the louder Voice of our Lives and Actions is, Crucify him, Crucify him. etc.  
If I should reckon up unto you, how many direct Lies every Wicked Man tells to God Almighty, as often as he says Amen, to this Form of Godliness, which our Church hath prescribed; if I should present unto you all our acting of Piety, and playing of Humiliation, and personating of Devotion in the Psalms, the Litanies, the Collects, and generally in the whole Service, I should be infinite, etc.  
We profess, and indeed generally, because it is not safe to do otherwise, that we believe the Scripture to be true, and that it contains the plain and only way to infinite and eternal Happiness: But if we did generally believe what we do profess, if this were the Language of our Hearts as well as our Tongues, How comes it to pass that the Study of it is so generally neglected? etc. Seeing therefore most of us are so strangely Careless, so grossly Negligent of it, is there not great reason to fear, that though we have Professors and Protesters in abundance; yet the Faithful, the truly and sincerely Faithful, are, in a manner, failed from the Children of Men? What bút this can be the cause that Men are so commonly Ignorant of so many Articles, and particular Mandates of it, which yet are as manifest in it, as if they were written with the Beams of the Sun? for example;  
How few of our Ladies and Gentlewomen, do or will understand, that a Voluptuous Life, is Damnable and prohibited to them? Yet St. Paul faith so very plainly, She that liveth in Pleasure is dead while she liveth. etc.  
How few of the Gallants of our time, do or will understand, that it is not lawful for them to be as Expensive and Costly in Apparel, as their Means, or perhaps, their Credit will extend unto? Which is to Sacrifice unto Vanity, that, which by the Law of Christ, is due unto Charity; and yet the same St. Paul forbids plainly this Excess even to Women,— Also let Women, (he would have said it much rather to the Men) Array themselves in comely Apparel, with shamefacedness and Modesty, not with Embroidered Hair, or Gold, or Pearls, or Costly Apparel; and to make our Ignorance the more inexcusable, the very same Rule is delivered by St. Peter also 1 Epist. 3. 3.  
How few Rich Men are or will be persuaded, That the Law of Christ permits them not to heap up Riches for ever, nor perpetually to add House to House, and Land to Land, though by lawful means, but requires of them thus much Charity at least, that even while they are providing for their Wives and Children, they should, out of the Increase wherewith God blesseth their Industry, allot the Poor a just and free proportion? And when they have provided for them in a convenient manner, (such as they themselves shall judge sufficient-and convenient in others) that then they should give over making Purchase after Purchase, but, with the surplusage of their Revenue beyond their Expense, procure, as much as lies in them, that no Christian remain Miserably Poor, etc.  
Where almost are the Men that are or will be persuaded, The Gospel of Christ requires of Men Humility, like to that of little Children, and that under the highest pain of Damnation? etc.  
Would it not be strange News to a great many, that not only Adultery and Fornication, but even Uncleanness and Lasciviousness; not only Idolatry and Witchcraft, but Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, and Contentions; not only Murders, but Envying; not Drunkenness only, but Revelling, are things prohibited to Christians, and such as if we forsake them not, we cannot Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? etc.  
If I should tell you, That all Bitterness and Evil speaking (nay, such is the Modesty and Gravity which Christianity requires of us) Foolish Talk and Jesting, are things not allowed to Christians, would not many Cry out, These are hard and strange sayings, who can hear them? etc.  
To come a little nearer to the business of our Times,— They that maintain the King's Righteous Cause with the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes, but by their Oaths and Curses, by their Drunkenness and Debauchery, by their Irreligion and Profaneness, fight more powerfully against their Party, than by all other means they do or can fight for it; are not, I fear, very well acquainted with any part of the Bible: But that strict Caution which properly concerns themselves in the Book of Leviticus, I much doubt they have scarce ever heard of it, When thou goest to War with thine Enemies, then take heed there be no wicked thing in thee; not only no wickedness in the Cause thou maintainest, nor no wickedness in the means by which thou maintainest it; but no Personal Impieties in the Persons that maintain it, etc.  
I cannot but fear, that the Goodness of our Cause may sink under the Burden of our Sins: And that God in his Justice, because We will not suffer his Judgements to achieve their prime scope and intention, which is our Amendment and Reformation, may either deliver us up to the blind Zeal and Fury of our Enemies; or else, which I rather fear, make us Instruments of his Justice each against other, and of our own Just and Deserved Confusion.   

2. An Extract of a Letter from the Hague. Concerning two Sermons preached there in the French - Church, 2/12 Mar. 90/1.  
I Was yesterday in the French Church, where I heard two very good Sermons, and such as would have given you great satisfaction; one was upon Jonah 1. 5. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship, and he lay, and was fast asleep. The scope of what was said was to show, That the Church was in as great a storm as ever she had been, and that greater security was never seen amongst Professors of Religion, than was to be found at this day, which threatened greater desolation than our Fathers had ever been witnesses to. The other was preached by Monsieur Arnold, who is the chief Commander of the Waldenses, as well as their Minister. There was a great Auditory, and, amongst others, the Bishop of London, Earl of Nottingham, Earl of Monmouth and Mr. Wharton: his Text was, 1 Cor. 1. 27. from thence he took occasion to tell us, that we were not to expect fine language from him, it being that which God seldom made use of for gaining the ends of the Gospel; that he was to discourse to us of plain Truths, not valuing what should be our Censures of him, if he might approve himself to his God; that we were not to think, that he was afraid before such an Appearance of persons of all ranks, to reprove what was amiss; for if the King himself were present, though he would give him that respect that was due to his Character, yet he would speak the truth, as became a faithful Servant of Christ: he did with great modesty, without mentioning of particulars, show in general how by a few hundreds of the Waldenses, God had scattered thousands of proud enemies; and from thence took occasion to exhort us, above all things, to make it our business to have God on our side, because it was through his choosing of them, that the foolish and weak things were able to confound the wise and strong, and withal did show us, that we were not like persons chosen of God to confound the designs and strength of our enemies, while irreligion, vanity and debauchery did so much abound amongst us, and did particularly insist upon the vain Attire of Women; and then, with great seriousness, did exhort us to amend our ways and doings; assuring us (without taking upon him, as he said, to be a Prophet) of victory over our enemies if we did sincerely set about a Reformation. These things I thought would give you some satisfaction, as they did not a little to me, which hath made me the more particular in my relation. I forgot to tell you that all heard him with great attention, and particularly those of our Country, I mean Britain; and I did observe that 〈…〉 could not withhold from tears.   

3. An Abstract of Archbishop Ʋsher 's Prediction, concerning a Great Persecution to come upon the Protestant Church, to one who supposed it might have been over in his Life time.  
All you have yet seen hath been but the beginning of Sorrows, to what is yet to come upon the Protestant Churches of Christ; who will e'er long fall under a Sharper Persecution than ever yet has been upon them. And therefore look ye be not found in the Outward Court, but a Worshipper in the Temple before the Altar. For Christ will measure all those who profess his Name, and call themselves his People; and the Outward Worshippers he will leave out to be trodden down by the Gentiles. The Outward Court is the Formal Christian, whose Religion lies in performing the Outside Duties of Christianity, without having an Inward Life, and Power of Faith and Love Uniting them to Christ. And these God will leave to be trodden down and swept away by the Gentiles. But the Worshippers within the Temple and before the Altar, are those who do indeed worship God in Spirit and in Truth, whose Souls are made his Temples, and he is honoured and adored in the most inward Thoughts of their Hearts; and they sacrifice their Lusts and vile Affections, yea, and their own Wills to him. And these God will hide in the Hollow of his Hand, and under the Shadow of his Wings. And this shall be one great Difference between this last and all the other preceding Persecutions: For in the former, the most eminent and spiritual Ministers and Christians did generally suffer most, and were most violently fallen upon; but in this last Persecution, these shall be preserved by God as a Seed to partake of that Glory, which shall immediately follow and come upon the Church, as soon as this Storm shall be over: For as it shall be the Sharpest, so it shall be the Shortest Persecution of them all; and shall only take away the gross Hypocrites and Formal Professors; but the true Spiritual Believers shall be preserved till the Calamity be overpassed.  
To this I think very pertinent that other Excellent Passage of his concerning Sanctification, in these words.  
We do not well understand what Sanctification and the New Creature are. It is no less than for a Man to be brought to an entire Resignation of his Will to the Will of God; and to live in the offering up of his Soul continually in the flames of Love, as a whole Burnt-Offering to Christ. And how little are many of those, who profess Christianity, experimentally acquainted with this Work on their Souls!   
FINIS.