Die Mercurii 26 Maii 1647.  
ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament, That Sir William Brereton do from this House give thanks unto Mr Thomas Case, for the great pains he took in the Sermon he Preached on this day at Margaret's Westminster, before the House of Commons, (it being a day of public Humiliation) and that he do desire him to Print his Sermon, wherein he is to have the like privilege of Printing thereof as others in like kind usually have had.  
H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com.   

I appoint LUKE FAWN and none other, to Print my Sermon.  
Tho. Case.   

Spiritual Whoredom DISCOVERED IN A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT, Upon the Solemn day of Humiliation, May 26. 1647. By THO. CASE, Preacher in Milkstreet, London; and one of the Assembly of DIVINES.  
LONDON, Printed by J. Macock, for LUKE FAWN, and are to be sold at his shop, at the sign of the Parrot in Pauls-Church-yard. 1647.   

To the Honourable the House of Commons in Parliament assembled.  
IT is a ponderous speech of the wise man, and worthy of all wise men's deepest consideration; 
* Eccles. 8.6.  Because to every purpose there is time and judgement; therefore the misery of man is great upon him. Jerom tells us that the Septuagint and Theodotio did read, in stead of [therefore the misery of man is great] because the knowledge of man is great upon him: and he conjectures the difference to arise from the likeness of the two Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one signifying knowledge, the other evil or misery: but the truth is, the want of this knowledge, or wisdom, to know and judge of times and seasons, is that which brings great misery upon the sons of men: And so is the true sense of the words; because there is time and judgement for every purpose, and but a time: And men have not judgement to discern and take that time, therefore the misery of man is great upon him; men bring upon themselves and others extreme trouble and misery; because they do not wisely discern, 
Opportunity is time fitted and framed by God for the accomplishment of his designs.  and lay hold on the time and opportunity (for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies opportunum tempus;) which God doth give them for the bringing about of all lawful and righteous purposes and designs: Therefore it was the wisdom of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that when he came about that great design of saving souls he took his father's time; So you hear his father bespeaking of him, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, 
Isa. 49.8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In tempare opportuno voluntatis vel placito.  and in the day of salvation have I helped thee; therefore it was a day of salvation because it was an acceptable time; the time which his father set him for the work: oh how acceptable a Redeemer was Christ to his father, because his father's time was acceptable to him! Noble Senators, how much you are concerned in these texts I leave to yourselves to judge; There is a complaint made by God, Jer. 8.6. I harkened and heard, but they spoke not aright; no man repent him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? I beseech you as you love Christ, this poor Kingdom, and your own souls, let not this complaint be verified of any one of you; Turn in upon yourselves, and bring to remembrance; common with your own heart upon your bed, and every one ask yourselves this question, What have I done? Ask yourselves what you have done as men? What you have done as Parliament-men? what you have done in reference to the first table, in reference to the second table? What you have done in reference to Christ, his Truths, Worship, Government, Ministry, Ordinances, People? What you have done in your Covenant with God, and your Declarations to the world? Yea, oh that you would alter the question a little on the negative part, and ask yourselves what you have not done in reference to all these? Whether indeed you have taken the accepted time which God hath fashioned and prepared by his own hand, for the accomplishing of the great work of Reformation, wherewith God hath entrusted and honoured you? By the improvement whereof you might have been so many joshuahs', Saviour's and Redeemers, to have restored the preserved of England? Whether you have gone about the work in God's strength, in God's methods, and to God's ends? Surely never had Parliament fairer opportunities, better helps, greater encouragements to have set up Jesus Christ in his Throne (the greatest honour and interest that States & Kingdoms are capable of) than you have had; & I humbly hope we shall not have cause to say only, have had; but that God will still entrust you with the work, and bless you in it; and renew upon you all those glorious advantages, whereby you shall be encouraged, and enabled, to carry it on against all oppositions of men and Devils. We cannot but take notice, with much thankfulness to God, and you; rejoicing in the Lord greatly, that now at last (to use the Apostles words) your care for the Public good hath flourished again, in those selfdenying, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. quod jam tandem reviruistis Phil. 4.10.  and Kingdom-refreshing-votes, which have lately passed, your Honourable House; which we look upon as the fruit of your late Serious and extraordinary humiliation, within your own walls, and an answer of Prayer, your own, and the rest of God's people's who lifted up their hands and voices to God with you, and for you on the same day. Only I beseech you, Honourable, and much Honoured Patriots, give out now real, and lasting Demonstrations, that this motion of yours, is not meetly ab extrinseco, but that it flows from inward principles, and gracious impressions of God upon your Spirits. Go on, and do worthily in the eyes of all the Kingdom and at home, the Churches abroad: and though you are taught of God to be humbled for your failings, yet let no discouragements enfeeble your hands in the work of God, and the Kingdom; but with David encourage yourselves in the Lord your God. 
1 Sam. 30.6.  And though you know how to be vile before God; yet assert your Honour and glory before men; by being zealous, and expeditious, steadfast, and unmoveable, in the work of the Lord; 
Gen. 49.24.  and the Blessing of Joseph be upon your heads, whereby your bow may abide in strength, and the arms of your hands may be made strong by the hands of the mighty God of jacob, from whom you are the shepherd, and the stone of England.  
And the Lord undeceive this poor people, and open their eyes, that they may see, their peace to be bound up in your safety; and that the best way to secure their own Rights and Liberties, is, to assert and vindicate your Privileges. This I am confident of, when ever the Power and Authority of Parliament is trodden under foot, the wall is broken down, the destroyer comes in, and, without a rescuing arm of Omnipotence, the Kingdom undone. If the Lord will give the Parliament an heart to be active for Christ, and the Kingdom an heart to be active for the Parliament, I hope yet to see it a flourishing Kingdom: and you a flourishing Parliament; The Lord jesus ruling, and triumphing in both: which is, and shall be, the hearty, and daily prayer, of  
Your unworthy yet faithful Servant in the Gospel, THO: CASE.   

Reader thou art desired page 22. the last line but one, in stead of conferring, to write or read confessing of sin, other mistakes there are not many, unless they be literal.   

SPIRITUAL WHOREDOM Discovered in a Sermon ON HOSEA 9.1. Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people; for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God.  
CALVIN conjectures that this Prophecy of Hosea, as we now have it (as the rest of the Prophecies) was but the summary or brief heads of certain Sermons, which at several times and upon several occasions were preached unto the people of Israel and judah, collected by himself, and registered for the use and benefit of the Church of God.  
This Sermon he conceives gins at my Text, but the distinct time when it was preached, neither himself nor any other Expositor do hint; That it was before the Babylonian Captivity, is clear from the date of the Prophecy, Chap. 1. Vers. 1.  
Certain it is, and that may content us (saith he) that the Prophet doth here bitterly reprove the extreme obstinacy and desperate security of the people, 
Calv. in locuen.  who by all the pains and unwearied labours of the Prophets could not be brought to repentance, although their rebellions and apostasy were so visible that all the world might take notice of it.  
However their incorrigibleness must not cause the Prophet to desist his duty: therefore upon all occasions (when called to preach before them) he ceaseth not to reprove, to convince, to exhort, if by any means, he might happily awaken them to a timely discovery of their sin, and prevention of approaching ruin and destruction.  
People's obstinacy must not silence the Prophet's fidelity; 
Observe.  passion and short-spiritedness, of all men in the world, doth ill become them: In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance, etc. 
2 Tim. 2.25.26.  is the Apostles cannon to all the Ministers of the Gospel.  
In the words therefore the Prophet doth call them to serious and seasonable humiliation and repentance; for though the words seem to speak only a bare prohibition of joy and rejoicing; yet,  
1. That was to convince them of, & reprove them for their unseasonable mirth and jollity, that they should rejoice when their God was so highly displeased with them for their manifold apostasies; and the repetition of the words rejoice not for joy, or as the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Hebrew, rejoice not to exultation, is for the greater 
* Habet haec repetitio emphasin quandam, i. e. majorem increpationem intempestive laetitiae Ribera in locum.  aggravation of their sin and the Prophet's reproof.  
2. And again the words have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them, they mean and import more than they speak out (as it is usual in Scripture Rhetoric); and so while they forbidden joy, i. e. carnal security and sensual rejoicing in creature-comforts, they enjoin the contrary; sc. mourning and weeping, girding with sackcloth, and rolling themselves in dust and ashes; 
aversus es a deo, ergo tibi lugendum est Jugiter, non exultandum. Corn. a Lap. in locum.  a constant and conscionable humiliation, and walking humbly before their God.  
And this is pressed from a double Consideration 

Sin.  
Wrath.    
Their sin against God.  
God's wrath against them.  
The one expressed: The other employed.  
Their sin expressed, thou hast gone a whoring. And God's wrath employed, if thou hast gone a whoring, God cannot choose but be highly displeased with your sin, and yet more displeased with them for their security then for their sin.  
And both these are yet further aggravated from the Relation which Israel had to God, thy God; which relation is set forth  

1. Positively.  
2. Comparatively.   
1. Positively, The relation of a spouse or wife; and that is employed in the sin, which is called whoredom: Whoredom or adultery, you know, is properly the sin against the marriage-relation. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 
Heb. 13.4.  Adultery is the defiling of the marriagebed; and therefore some do etymon Adulterium, quasi ad alterum, the departure of the husband or wife into the bed and bosom of a stranger: Here, I say, is the conjugal relation into which God had taken Israel, employed, to the aggravation of her apostasy; whereby her sin came to be Whoredom and Adultery against the Lord.  
2. Comparatively, With other Nations; rejoice not as other people: Why? Because though they have the relation of creatures unto God, and of men and women, yet they have not the relation of a spouse or wife: Ye only have I known of all the families of the earth, saith God to Israel: 
Amos 3.2.  i. e. with a conjugal knowledge; other Nations may call God Baali, but they cannot call him Ishi; i.e. they may call him my Lord and my Maker, but not my Husband and my Redeemer; they are his by Creation and common providence, but not by Covenant and conjugal relation.  
So that now here is the aggravation: Other Nations may sin against God, but they cannot commit adultery against God; other Nations may rebel against the Lord, but they cannot go a whoring from him: This was Israel's sin and the aggravation of it.  
And as it was the aggravation of her sin, so it was the aggravation of God's wrath too; that, as I say, is employed; for if Israel's sin be the sin of adultery, than God's wrath must needs be the wrath of jealousy; and jealousy as it is the rage of a man, 
Prov. 6.34, 35  so it is the rage of a God; anger red-hot, wrath ad octo, in the highest degree; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance; he will not regard any ransom, neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts.  
Jealousy is as cruel as the grave, the coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame, etc. 
Cant. 8.6.  This therefore you see is the aggravation both of her sin and danger: By all which the Prophet calls Israel now to sense of sin, and humiliation for sin; to be affected with, and afflicted for her grievous departure from the Lord.  
And now the words thus opened would afford many serious and seasonable observations. I shall resolve all into 4 Doctrines.  

1. A Nation or Kingdom in external Covenant with God stands in a conjugal relation unto God.  
2. A people thus related unto God may (possibly) go a whoring from him, commit adultery against him.  
3. Sometimes it comes to pass that Gods Israel whilst she lieth under the guilt of whorish departure from her God, in stead of being affected with, and afflicted for her whoredom; in stead of mourning, and judging herself before the Lord, doth securely and sinfully let out her heart to carnal comfort and rejoicing.  
4. An Israel, under adulterous departures from God, hath least cause to rejoice; and more cause to mourn and lament then any nation or people under heaven.   
In these 4 Doctrinal Observations you have the sense and soul of this Scripture.  
I begin with the first, intending but a brief transition through the 3 former, that I might sit down and enlarge myself upon the fourth and last. I begin with the first.  Doct. 1 A Nation or Kingdom in external Covenant with God, stands in a conjugal relation unto God. 
Thy God;] There you have the Covenant, so it runs, I will establish my Covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, etc. To what end? To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. 
Gen. 17, 7.  And so again v. 8. I will be their God.  
Where ever the Scripture says thy God, it implies a Covenant. Fallen man having lost his God, can never come to say [my God] again, but it must be by virtue of a Covenant.  
Thou hast gone a whoring] that implies, as I have showed you, the conjugal relation unto God. Wheredom being the sin of wedlock, the violation of the sacred bonds of marriage.  
Into this near relation doth God take a nation or people, when he brings them into the bond of the Covenant. 
Ezek. 20.37.   
So run the words of the Covenant.  
I will betrothe thee unto me for ever.  
I will betrothe thee unto me in righteousness.  
I will betrothe thee unto me in faithfulness. 
Desponsabo. Hos. 2 19, 20.  They are, I say, the words of the Covenant, which God speaks not only to 
* Rom. 9.26.  old Israel, when the vail shall be taken away from their hearts, but to the Gospel-Israel also, even to whatsoever nation or people, God shall say, 
* Hosea 2.23.  Thou art my people, and they shall answer thou art my God Witness the Apostle S. Peter, who in his first Epistle. 2. Chap. 9.10, verses. applies it to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  

* 1 Pet. 2, 9, 10  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Speaking to the 
* Chap, 1, 1.  strangers, i. e. strangers by nature, though not by grace; by generation, (not being of Abraham's seed) though not strangers by regeneration, (being of Abraham's faith) for so it follows. Scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bythinia.  
I But there is no more national Churches, since Abraham's seed ceased to be a Church; Say some. 
Object.   
There is not indeed a national Church, in that sense that Israel was a national Church. And truly if this were but well observed, 
Answ.  it would cut off a great deal of needless Controversy, whereof comes nothing but strife and contention. I say there is not a national Church, as Israel was a national Church; that is to say.  

1. Quà, such a man's seed, they were a Church as coming out of Abraham's loins; for if there were any Prosolites among them, they were reckoned unto Abraham for a seed. So, we know no national Church in the times of the Gospel.  
2. Nor (which follows upon the former) quà such a nation, Israel was a Church quà Israel; England is not a Church quà England, nor Scotland quà Scotland etc.  
3. Nor, thirdly, do we assert or know a national Church exclusive, as Israel was; Israel was a Church, so that there was none else in all the world besides. In judah was God Known, 
Psa. 76.1, 2.  his name was great in Israel, In Salem was his Tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion, i.e. So, as he had no dwelling place else, it is by way of exclusion to all the world besides.   
Thus I say, and in this sense, we own no National Church under the Gospel.  
But now take a Nation or people as in external Covenant with God. h.e.  
1. As God offering to them his Covenant of life and gráce by jesus Christ, revealed in the Doctrine of the Gospel, and ratified by the Seals thereof affixed.  
2. And secondly, such a Nation or people as generally accepting of, and closing with this Covenant thus revealed and Sealed, and professing faith in, and obedience to this Covenant thus offered. And this offer on God's part, and acceptance on theirs, makes them a National Church in a Gospel-sence; yea, notwithstanding ye should suppose, all in that Nation do not profess it, and but very few do savingly embrace and believe it. For what if some do not believe, shall their unbelief make the faith of God. i.e. 
* Fidei nomen hic propria et omnibus scriptoribus usitata significatione accipitur pro dictorum conventorumque constantia et veritate. Beza in loc.  The Doctrine of faith, or of the Covenant without effect? It is the Apostles argument in a like dispute; it is general Reformation, not personal saving conversion which makes a National Church. 
Rom. 3.3.   
If any man shall demand of me to show a National Church in the N.T.  
1. Though I might as well demand of him, to show me such a thing as a Nation in Adam's family; (we cannot show things till time bring them forth.)  
2. Yet whosoever will impartially consult these Scriptures, (
* Psa, 22.27.  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 
* Is, 19, 24, 25  In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land. Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. 
* Isa. 52.15.  So shall he sprinkle many nations, etc. 
* Isa. 55,5.  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee, shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the holy one of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. Rev. 11.15. And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever,) and the like, may find such a thing as a national Church in the Prophecy. And if the history of the Gospel reach not far enough to show the accomplishment, surely the progress of the Gospel doth.  
3. In the mean time, as it is no absurdity to say that Adam's family was both a family, and a nation, and a world, and all virtually: so neither is there any false Doctrine in it, to say, that the first Gospel-Church, was both Congregational and national, and Catholic or Universal.  
4. Surely, a national Church (in our sense) hath been a truth, about which there hath been little dispute among the Reformed Churches; even among them that have opposed Episcopacy, there are many that have not so much as questioned a national Church. Mr. Cartwright not only dedicates part of his labours, against the Hierarchy, to the Church of England, but in his Catech. Ch. 3. Which treats of the Church, having spoken of the Universal Church, propounds this question. What is the Church of one nation? and answers it thus. It is that which is gathered under one politic or civil government.  
Mr. 
* He dedicates his whole book on the Rev. Sanctis, Reformatis, Britannicis, Germanicis, Gallicis Ecclesiis.  Brightman in his exposition upon Revelations 3. in his application of the Church of Laodiàea to the State of our Church, speaks of it as one, Ecclesia nostra Anglicana.  
But time will not suffer me to engage further in this controversy, nor need I stand to make conjectures, why some of later times do so strenuously deny such a thing as a national Church, the reasons begin to discover themselves every day more apparently than other to all the world.  
5. And lastly, This is plain enough to any that are not wilfully blind, that where the parts constituentes of a thing do meet, there you have the thing itself; where God holds forth his Covenant to a Nation or Kingdom and they generally embrace, and profess it: there is a Church in a Gospel-sence: and a Church thus covenanted, stands in conjugal relation unto God.  
1. The greater is the honour which God doth put upon such a Nation or People; 
Use.  He hath not done so with any Nation, 
Psa. 147, 20.  sang David once of Israel, before Christ; he hath not done so with every Nation, may England sing, and what ever other Nation God hath, or shall cause to approach so near unto himself, since Christ.  
2. And secondly the more sacred and invincible obligation lieth upon such a people to maintain spouse-like affection, and to yield spouse-like obedience unto God; to stir up and provoke themselves to be faithful in Covenant with the Lord: to take heed lest there should be any root of bitterness springing up; an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 
Deut, 29.  which was the sin here charged upon Israel: 
Heb, 3, 12.  She went a whoring from the Lord: And brings me to the second Doctrine.  Doct. 2 A Kingdom or people thus related unto God may (possibly) go a whoring from him, commit adultery against him. 
Witness the complaints of God concerning this people (thus in Covenant with him) in this Prophecy. Chap. 4.12. Chap. 5.3, 4. Chap. 7.4. with divers other, per totum.  
Yea all the Prophets bring in their inditements against this people under this notion and metaphor of adultery and wheredom: There were no end of quotations.  
Two things I would briefly speak to.  

1. What this whoredom is, of which they stand indicted.  
2. How it comes to pass that a people so nearly related unto God, may become guilty of so great a wickedness.   
For the first.  
1. All manner of sin is a kind of spiritual adultery against God: 
What whoredom against God in Scripture-sense is.  sin qua sin, hath the nature of whoredom in it: sin being nothing else (as the Schools define it) but a turning away from God, and a turning to the creature; 
Peccatum est everflo a deo et conversso ad creaturam. Gen, 1. ult. Rom, 6. ult. Heb, 3, 12.  a taking of that love and affection which is due to God, and bestowing it upon the creature, yea the Devil's creature: for sin is none of God's creature: God made neither sin nor death; (all that he made was very good:) but the Devil brought in sin, and sin brought in death. Sin, I say, is a departing from God to the the creature, to a base lust: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with we, 
Ier, 3, 20  O house of Israel, saith the Lord. It is an indictment laid in, in reference to their sin and apostasy in general. And thus corporal whoredom against the Covenant of marriage, is also spiritual whoredom against the Covenant of God; and pride is whoredom, and drunkenness whoredom, (indeed they seldom are separated in the very letter) and Sabbath-breaking is whoredom, and all manner of profaneness is whoredom against the Lord.  
So it runs in this people's charge by this Prophet;  

* Hosea 4.11.  Whoredom, and wine, and new wine take away the heart: The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err in the very next verse.  

* Chap, 5, 5.  The pride of Israel testifies to his face: that's branded with the infamy of whoredom too, vers. 4. 
* Verse 4.  The spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them: All manner of profaneness are but streams that flow from the poisoned fountain of an whorish heart, an heart turned away from God, and refusing to turn unto him again. And therefore in reference to all these and more, it is demanded with astonishment; 
Isa, 1, 21, 23.  How is the faithful City become an harlot? Wherein? It follows, it was full of judgement, righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers: Thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of thiefs; every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. See perverting of justice, rebellion, robbery, covetousness, bribery, mercilesness, all these are Whoredom.  
But there are some special sins, 
Special sins called whoredom in Scripture  which eminenter and above all other, are branded with this mark of whorish departure from God.  
First, 
1 Idolatry. Ier 20, 20. Ezek, 16, per tetum.  Idolatry is all over the Prophets stigmatised with the infamy of Wheredom and Adultery against the Lord; not only because (for the most part) they go together, but especially as this is indeed a proper whoredom against the Lord, in as much as it is the taking in of another lover into the bosom; the setting up of a Rival God: those expressions have much of the metaphor in them; where the Lord, speaking of their Idols, lays this to their charge, Thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, 
Isa, 57.8.  thou lovedst their bed; and thou hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, 
Ezek. 16, 25.  and multiplied thy whoredoms: i e. Committed Idolatry with all the false gods of the heathen round about. Idolatry is the taking in of a strange god (as it were) into the bed of loves: therefore hath God set his name of jealousy upon that Command which forbids Idolatry, 
2 Command.  because it is the proper passion which is irritated by the adulterous departures (or the suspicion of it) of the yoke-fellow from the other party in conjugal Covenant and relation.  
The second sin branded with whoredom in Scripture is, 
2 Sin; Refusing and opposing of Reformation. Hosea 7.1.  the refusing and opposing of Reformation: When I would have healed Israel, than the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: i. e. In a time of reformation they were worse than ever. What are they called for this? See vers. 4. They are all adulterers, etc. Idolatry is whoredom, in as much as it is a turning away from God: and opposition to reformation is whoredom, because it is a refusing to return to God: They will not frame their do, or (as the Hebrew may be rendered) their do will not suffer them to return to their God: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non sinent opera corum ut revertantur. Hosea 5.4.  i. e. Reformation was not consistent with the designs they drove, it was not compatible with their lusts and private interests: What follows? The spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them.  
Opposition of Reformation is spiritual adultery.  
So are false doctrines and heretical opinions taken up and maintained by a people or person; 
2 Sin; False doctrine  they are spiritual wickedness and whoredom against God: The false prophets prophesied lies in Jeremiah's time, 
jer. 23.26, 31 32.  they are censured as Adulterers for it, Vers. 14. I have seen also in the Prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing, they commit adultery and walk in lies: And so in this Prophecy. 
Hosea 7.3, 4.  They make the King glad with their wickedness, and the Princes with their lies: i e. They found our false doctrine to palliate and justify Jeroboams and his Princes false worship (of which you may read 1 King. 12.26.—) it follows vers. 4. They are all adulterers etc.  
The truth is, indeed, false doctrine is the pander to all manner of profaneness; it is the cover-sin in the world: Antichrist himself had never been a man of so many errors and blasphemies, had he not been first the man of sin.  
Vain man would fain sin by Authority, and therefore finds out falsehoods and lies, and then fathers them upon the Word, that he may sin by Scripture.  
And that would make Error to be whoredom if there were no more (in a people that have known and embraced the truth as it is in Jesus) in as much as it is the Cord to keep a people down in the bed of Whoredoms, of all manner of wickedness; for so it is added in the indictment of the false Prophets: They walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of evil doers, 
Ier, 23, 14.  that none doth return from his wickedness: for this, they commit adultery.  
But that is not all: It is not only whoredom by consequence, but pierce, in its own nature: God is the God of Truth, and Scripture is the Truth of God: They therefore that depart from God and his Truth, to embrace and believe lies, stand guilty of whoredom in words at length, and not in figures only.  
Inordinat love of the world, 
4 Sin.  is specially pointed at by the finger of God's spirit, as an Adultery. 
* james 4.4.  Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity against God etc. This is so apparent an whoredom, that the Spirit of God makes it matter of shame and astonishment, that any man should be ignorant of it: know ye not?  
Therefore is the covetous man said to be an Idolater, because he adores every Cross of his corn: i. e. 
Eph, 5, 5.  He layeth out that love, and zeal, and confidence, and trust which is due to God, upon his Cash, he saith to 
* job 31, 24.  Gold thou art my hope, and to his fine gold, thou art my confidence.  
That is the last sin, (the last I shall name) which Scripture makes Adultery against God: 
5 Sin.  Gornal confidence, trusting in the Creature. It is the sin immediately going before my text. Isreal buildeth Temples, so in Dan and Bathel, 
Hosea 8, 〈◊〉.  for the worship of the Calves: And 
* Calv, in loc. Non quod per se hoc coram deo sit damnabile sed quia videbat propheta tranferri in illas urbes populi fiduciam, Ier, 17, 5.  judah hath multiplied fenced Cities; both for the securing of themselves against danger: it is called a forgetting God, Israel hath forgotten his maker in the beginning of the verse. When a people trust in man and make flesh their arm, their heart is departed from God, they are gone a whoring from him.  
And thus you see what whoredom against God is. First all sin in general, lived in and allowed: but more especially; 1. Idolatry. 2. Opposing of Reformation. 3. Heresy. 4. Inordinate love of the world. 5. Carnal confidence, all these are whoredom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Adultery of the first magnitude.  
Briefly now, 
2 Quest.  How comes the faithful City to be an Harlot? how comes it to pass that a people so nearly related to God, may become guilty of so great a wickedness?  
For is there indeed such a thing in Scripture as falling away from grace, and the Divines of England would never let us know of it?  
Is there indeed such a thing as the dissolution of the marriage knot between God and his people?  
Surely no.  
But 1. 
Answ.  we are speaking here but of a visible Church, a people or kingdom in external Communion with God, a mixed multitude of professors, the major part whereof for want of root in themselves, (with the stony ground) may make a total and final Apostasy from the worship, truths, and commands of the living God, to Idolatry, Heresy, and Profaneness; and go a whoring from God, so as never to return to him again.  
Formal and ungrounded profession is the road to final defection and Apostasy.  
2. Yea secondly, even of them who are living members of the invisible Church, who are betrothed unto jesus Christ in an everlasting Covenant, even among these may be some, who for want of a discerning eye, of Spiritual watchfulness, may for a time, and in some degree, be carried away with the error of the wicked, 
Ephes, 4.14, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and by the cunning craftiness, (the sleight of hand or cheatry) of them that lie in wait to deceive, be carried down the stream and torrent of error and the Apostasy of the times. Oh, Christians had need of good eyes, and critical inspection and circumspection, to discern the fallacies and frauds of seducers, for want whereof they may be I say greatly, not unsettled only and troubled, but even ensnared and misled into dangerous principles and ways; but there is a Spirit of truth and love that acts and animates them (at the bottom) which shall preserve them from total and final Apostasy, and recover them to the acknowledgement of the truth, and into the chaste and spouse-like embraces and obedience of their first Husband. Hose 2.8.  
Use. However the Contemplation of both these may be.  

1. A Startling and an awakening Consideration to all Christian Magistrates and governor's, to look about them that they do not suffer Churches and states under their hand to turn Apostate, and go a whoring from their God, as much as in them lies.  
2. A Caution to all, in the words of the Apostle, 
1 Cor, 10, 12.  He that thinketh he standeth, let him take heed lest he fall.   
But I shall have more full occasion to speak to both these in the fourth Doct. And therefore I shall leave this, and hasten in a word to the third Doctrine.  Doct. 3 Many times it comes to pass that Gods Israel lying under the deep guilt of whorish departures from her God, in stead of being affected with, and afflicted for her whoredoms, doth securely and sinfully let out her heart to carnal jollity and contentments. 
It was the condition of Israel here which the Prophet doth severely reprove and condemn; and this was not the first time they did so, was it not the complaint of the Prophets, 
* Isa, 22, 12, 13.  Isaiah, and 
* Amos 6, 3, 4, 5, 6.  Amos?  
And last of all, 
Luk, 17, 26, Reasons.  the complaint of the Lord of the Prophets, jesus Christ himself?  
What might the Reason be?  
1. Surely, first there is desperate security at the bottom of it, people in this case do wilfully shut their eyes against the discoveries, and convictions of sin and wrath. They lie in a deep sleep of security, and take no notice how the things of their peace are passing by them. 
Luke 19, 42.   
2. There is a mixture likewise of desperate unbeleif. Behold I work a work in your days which you will not believe, though it be told you: 
Hab, 1, 5.  people do harden their hearts against all the predictions and intimations of approaching ruin.  
3. People do flatter themselves extremely, with their present prosperity and deliverances. It was the Lullaby of this people here, as Interpreters observe; because garners were full, and wine-fatts ran over; because they had great peace, and rich plenty, therefore they thought all was well, As long as people hear not from God in thundering and lightning, they reckon themselves safe enough. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, 
Ier, 7, 9, 10.  and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other Gods whom ye know not, and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations?  
Behold, theft, and murder, and adultery, and perjury, and Idolatry, all put upon the score of deliverances. Thou hast found the life of thy hand, 
Isa, 57, 10.  therefore thou wast not grieved. As long as people can live of themselves, they will lay neither sin nor wrath to heart. Carnal minds take God's silence for God's consent, his patience for his approbation. these things hast thou done, 
Psa, 50, 21.  and I kept silence, thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself.  
4. A fourth ground or cause of it, may be, trusting to outward Church-priviledges; placing confidence in the very being in external Covenant with God. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit; 
Ier, 7, 10, vers, 4.  what were they? why, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these.  
Foolish people content themselves to hang on the outside of the Ark, and think that shall save them from wrath both present and to come. There is a dreadful Catalogue of sins brought in by the Prophet Micah, against the Rulers and Teachers of this people. They build Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the Priests thereof teach for here, 
Mic, 3, 10, 11,  and the Prophets thereof divine for money: horrid Apostasy! And could they hold up their heads under all these abominations? yes, as high as ever, and overlook and scorn all the threaten of the true Prophets, no evil can come upon us; they may tell us strange tales to make us afraid if they could, but we are safe enough, evil will not, evil cannot come upon us; why? they lean upon the Lord, and say is not the Lord among us? Mark I beseech you, because they had yet the presence of the ordinances of God, they concluded they had also the presence of the God of the ordinances, and thus they deceived and cozened themselves.  
Use. Is not here more soul-humbling work for us? Lord what is man left to himself? But of this also in the next Doctrine, which is the fourth and last Doctrine.  Doct. 4 Gods Israel under adulterous departures from him, have less cause to rejoice, and more cause to morn and lament, than any people or nation under heaven. 
Rejoice not O Israel for joy as other nations for etc.  
There is a twofold ground of it.  

1. In reference to their sin,  
2. In reference to their danger.   
There is no people under heaven that can sin as Israel sins; no people under heaven that can smart so for sin as Israel may smart.  
first for their sin.  
Israel's sin hath more aggravation upon it then the sin of all the world besides.  
There is a twofold aggravation upon Israel's sin, of which the sin of other nations is not capable.  

1. An aggravation of light.  
2. An aggravation of love.   
God's Israel sins against more light, and Gods Israel sins against more love, than all the earth besides.  
First, Israel sins against more light, they know more than all the world knows.  
1. Of God. God reveals more of himself unto his Church, 
Israel knows more God.  than he doth to all the nations upon the earth. In judah is God known etc. 
Psa, 76, 1, 2. His attributes.  They know more of his names and attributes than the rest of the world do, his name is great in Israel: his holiness, his justice, his mercy, his faithfulness, his omnipotence, his omnipresence, his omniscience etc. These he makes known to and in his Church, more than to any of, or all the nations in the world. God mentions it as an high favour unto Abraham, Isaac, and jacob; I appeared unto them, by the name of God Almighty: an higher favour, that he made himself known to his seed by the name jehovah: 
Exod, 6, 3.  God shines forth in his Church in the brightness and deerness of all his glorious attributes: and this is an high aggravation of Israel's sin and Apostasy. Howbeit then when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are no Gods. 
Gal, 4, 9  But now after that ye have known God, how turn ye again? etc. This was a defection for which there could be no Apology made: for if the knowledge of God by the book of the creature, where God's name is to be speled out but by dark and broken Characters, be sufficient to leave the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Apology or excuse, 
Rom, 1, 20,  how much more will that knowledge of God held forth so distinctly and fully in the Church, leave Israel without a word to speak for itself in the day of her Apostasy and revoltings from the Lord her God?  
2. Israel hath more knowledge of Gods will: 
His will, Rom, 12, 2,  Israel knows or may know what that good and acceptable and perfect will of God is; Israel is the servant that knows his master's will, if he do it not, this aggravates deeply.  
3. Israel knows more of the evil of sin, 
The evil of sin Rom, 3, 20. Rom, 7.  by the law is the knowledge of sin: yea the law makes sin appear exceeding sinful; the Gentiles scarce know what sin is, but in some very obscure and confused notions; and yet sin is sin in them, surely where it appears exceeding sinful, there it must needs be exceeding sin.  
4. Israel knows more of God's hatred of sin, 
God's hatred of sin. Ier, 44, 4.  how much his soul loathes it: oh! do not this abominable thing (saith God to Israel) which I hate. And therefore if Idolatry be a sin in the Gentiles, who think it to be a worship which God loves, what is it in Israel to whom God hath expressly said, my soul hates it? If any man draw back, draw back from my truths, draw back from my worship, draw back from my Commands, etc. my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 
Heb. 10, 38.   
Now Israel to the attaining of this knowledge of God hath a threefold advantage. 
Israel hath the book of the Word Psal, 19, 1. Verse 7, Ps, 147, 19, 20 Psal, 19, 7, 8.   
1. Whereas other nations have but what knowledge the book of * works can dictate to them, Israel hath the book of the * word; He showeth his word unto jacob, his statutes and judgements unto Israel. And the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple, the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes. The word doth not only give light, but giveth eyes too. He hath not dealt so with any nation. And if God hath not dealt so with any nation as with his Israel, in dispensing light, then can no nation deal so with God as Israel in sinning against it.  
2. A second advantage that Israel hath above nations to know God, is his works, his works of special Providence. 
The book of special Providence.  In judah is God known, etc. how? by what mediums? Why, there broke he the arrows of the how, the shield, the sword and the battle. All the power, 
Psal, 76, 3.  and artillery of the enemies that came against his Church, though upon mighty advantage. There is more of God manifested in the go forth of his power and wisdom, for the preservation of his Church, and the ruin and destruction of the enemies thereof, then in all the world besides. So that in reference to this, the Psalmist sings, 
Psal, 31, 19  oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men! what goodness? why his preserving goodness to his Church and people, 
Verse 20.  thou shalt hid them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man, thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion etc. Oh the ways of God in preserving and hiding his Church from the pride and power of men, are secret mysterious ways, which the world cannot discover.  
3. And then the third and last Advantage is. 
The Spirit as an Interpreter.  Israel hath an Interpreter (greater than one of a thousand) to expound both these books unto her, even the Spirit of God which the world knows not. We have received, 
1 Cor, 2, 12.  not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is of God, that we may know the things that are freely given unto us of God. And again eye hath not seen etc. i.e. the natural eye, 
Verse 9, 10.  the natural ear etc. But God hath revealed them to us by the Spirit.  
Indeed, the word expounds the works; and the works of God do interpret the word: it is a fine skill to make works and word face one another, and answer over one to another; but this cannot be done without an Interpreter, that is a secretioribus dei, God's privy-Counceller; and that is the Spirit which the world knoweth not, and receiveth not; and therefore is both the book of the word, some fragments whereof the Gentiles light upon sometimes) and the book of the works a sealed book, which they cannot open, or not read, if they could open.  
Now therefore the Church and people of God, having this threefold advantage to a more clear and full discovery of God, and his will, of sin and his hatred thereof, than all the world besides; Israel's sin hath hereby an aggravation upon it, of which theirs is uncapable, an aggravation of light. If ye were blind ye should have no sin, 
john 9.41.  no sin Comparative: but now ye say, we see: therefore your sin remaineth, i.e. it remaineth inexcusable, it remains aggravated. And this is the first aggravation.  
The second aggravation that Israel's sin is Capable of, is  
An aggravation of love, a manifold love.  
First, Israel sins against Gods distinguishing, his separating love. Members of the Visible Church, they sin against that love of God, which distinguished them from the rest of the 
* Deut. 32, 7, 8  world, members of the invisible Church, they sin against that love which distinguished them from the rest of the Church; his electing-love, his Adopting-love, his effectually-calling-love: Oh this must needs go deep in sin: You only have I known of all the families of the earth. 
Amos 3, 2.  i e. Known with a Conjugal distinguishing knowledge: I have known you of all the families of the earth; to distinguish you from all the families of the earth: this makes their sin become exceeding sinful; it is the other branch of the Apostles argument, 
Gal, 4, 9  or rather are known of God: Know God, there is their light; known of God, there is God's love; his distinguishing love; sins against distinguishing love, are distinguishing sins.  
2. Israel sins against his correcting love, which is always managed with the wisdom and moderation of a father; In measure etc. And for profit, 
Isa, 27, 8. Heb, 12, 10.  that we might be partakers of his holiness. The thought of sinning against this love melts down holy Ezra to the very bottom. And after all this is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass; 
Ezra 9, 13, 14  seeing thou our God hast punished us, less than our iniquities deserve, should we again break thy Commandments? etc. And so it should do with every ingenuous heart.  
3. Israel sins against God's repenting-love. Psa. 106.45. He remembered for them his Covenant, and repent etc. Amos 7.3, 6. The Lord repent for the plague of grasshoppers: And the Lord repent for the fire: Yea, how often is it repeated Ezek. 20. I lifted up my hand; i. e. as if he were fetching his blow to smite them, and to smite but once; or as if he had sworn their destruction; (lifting up of the hand signifies both;) But I wrought for my name, Ver. 14. Mine eye spared them from destroying them, Vers. 17. I withdrew my hand, Vers. 22. etc. Now brethren to see a God repenting over a people, and to see a people not repenting before their God; to see God repenting of the evil of punishment, and a people not repenting of the evil of sin; Gods repentings are Israel's revivings, Ezra 9.8, and when he revives comforts to their spirits, for them to revive grief to his spirit, oh who can take the dimensions of this aggravation?  
4. Israel sins against Gods pardoning love; 
Mich, 7,18.  He pardons the mixed multitude in the Church with a passing-by-pardon, a pardon of forbearance: he pardons his own in Covenant of grace with a blotting-out-pardon, a pardon of forgetfulness, I will be merciful to their sins, and remember their iniquities no more: 
Ier, 31, 34. Psa, 78, 38.  But he being full of mercy forgave their iniquity: Oh now to sin against this love; while God is full of mercy, for Israel to be full of sin; God pardons and they sin, they sin and God pardons, and again pardons, and they again sin: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiplicabit ad parcendum. Isa, 55, 7.  For God to add to multiply pardons, and they to add to multiply sin; for this indeed, rejoice not, Oh Israel with joy as other nations, They, sin not against Gods pardoning love.  
5. Israel sins against Gods parental love: 
Ier, 31, 20.  Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? Therest of the world sin but in the capacity of bastards, slaves, creatures at best: Ephraim sins in the capacity of a child, a son, a dear son, a pleasant child; the child hath more cause to mourn and lament then the stranger: this is an aggravation that heaven and earth must hear of: 
Esa, 1, 2,  Hear, O heavens; and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken; I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.  
6. Yea Israel all this while sins against Gods conjugal love: Turn, 
Ier, 3, 14,  O back-sliding children, for I am married to you, saith the Lord. Behold a Father married to his Children; behold God stands to his Church in relation of both Father and Husband, and yet she rebels; hath any Nation such cause to mourn?  
I could tell you moreover of  
7. God's protecting love:  
8. His providing love, he provides like a Father, like an Husband for his Church and people, etc.  
Against all which Israel sins: But I must hasten.  
Consult in the second place the Danger, 
The danger of Israel's sin.  and that also will tell you Israel hath more cause to mourn for her adulterous departures from God, than any nation upon the earth.  
What Danger?  
Why Brethren, Israel playing the Harlot is in danger of God: jealousy. 
2 Command.  I the Lord thy God am a jealous God: other nations sinning are in danger of God's anger, but Israel of God's jealousy: And jealousy is the rage of a man, &. ut supra. Is it nothing, my Brethren, to have a God angry, yea even to Jealousy? Consider I beseech you:  
God's Jealousy is,  
1. A stripping-jealousie; 
Ezek, 16, 38,  I will, judge thee as women that break wedlock, (saith God to adulterous Israel) how is that? Vers. 37. I will discover thy nakedness to thy lovers, and they shall strip thee of thy clothes, and take away all thy jewels; all her Church-ornaments, all her Bride-glory and bravery, not only her silver and gold, peace and plenty, but Word and Sacraments etc. Alas! the Nations have none of these to lose.  
2. It is a withdrawing-jealousie; the husband withdraws from the wife when he is jealous of her; and woe unto thee, saith God, when I depart from thee. 
Hose, 9, 12,   
3. It is a divorcing-jealousie; a discovenanting-jealousie: God said here to this whorish people, Lo-ammi and Loruhamah, 
Hosea 1, 6, 9,  not my people, not having obtained mercy: they discovenanted God, and God discovenanted them: they cast off God, and God, and God discovenanted them: they cast off God, and God cast off them.  
Many more particulars might be added, but these must suffice.  
And now tell me, I beseech you, hath not Israel, think ye, under whorish departures, more cause to mourn and lament then any people under heaven? Do any of the Nations sin against so much light? Do any of the Nations sin against so much love? Hath any Nation under heaven so much to forfeit by their sin as Israel hath? They may feel his wrath, but they are not liable to his jealousy. The Nations may lose their flax and their wool, their silver and their gold, but they have no Ordinances to lose, they have no Gospel to lose, no Word, no Sacrament to forfeit. The Nations have no God to lose, at lest no God-a-father, no God-an-husband to lose: they may be unpeopled, but they cannot be unchurched: They may know what sword and famine is, but they cannot know what it is to be divorced. Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, etc.  
I but Gentiles are capable of hell, are they not, and is there any state worse than that? 
Object.   
1. We speak of Israel especially in reference to her Church-state and condition of which she is capable in this life. 
Answ.   
2. If we speak of hell, Israel, that is the generality of the visible Church are in as much danger of that as the Gentiles: yea more; tribulation and anguish, 
Rom, 2, 8, 9  indignation and wrath to the jew first, and also to the Gentile. Yea certainly a deeper place in Tophet is reserved for apostate Israel, then for the poor purblind Gentiles: when the Gentiles shall but swim upon the surface of that burning lake, Israel shall be sunk into the midst of those devouring flames: It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement, then for Capernaum.  
3. And lastly, Even the very Elect of God, Israel according to the spirit and promise, if they be defiled with the pollutions and whoredoms of the rest, and carried down the stream of apostasy, whether in Doctrine or Conversation, it may cost them dear; God may put such a cup into their hand to drink; a cup of trembling and spiritual desertion, which, for a time, may be worse than all the plagues of Egypt, and as it were the very skimmings of the bottomless pit.  
USE. First, It may inform us what an horrid and hateful sin Adultery is before God, in as much as of all sins, the wisdom of God hath made choice of that sin for a type and metaphor of the great sin of apostasy from God, the greatest of sins next the sin against the Holy Ghost; and is not only a degree to it, but a spice of it: In all the beadroll of sins there is none found vile enough to make a shadow or representation of departing from God, but this sin of whoredom, the fittest emblem for that purpose, in as much as it is a base and treacherous apostasy from the marriagebed and the Covenant of God: for so is the adulteress described: 
Prov, 2, 17.  She forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the Covenant of God. Oh, that as God hath set such a brand of abomination in the forehead of this sin, this peccatum non nominandum, this sin that should not be so much as named among Christians (i. e. with complacency or delight, 
Ephes, 5, 3,  there should not be so much as word-obscenity among Christians:) I say, oh that as God hath set his brand upon it, so Authority would set their brand upon it too, and make it as odious and formidable in the punishment, as it is and should be to us in its own nature! When the government was immediately in God's hands, he punished it with death; and why it should not be so in our polity, I know not: I am confident that law, as it hath been often propounded, so it had been long since established in this Kingdom, had not guilt and love of that abominable filthiness stood in the way.  
But 2. Hence we have to confute that lewd opinion, that the Saints (according to the new stile, which all new opinions do write) need not mourn for sin, need not be humbled for, nor troubled with any sin, (if at lest they can sin) which is improved to that height, that conferring of sin and mourning for sin, is the greatest sin a Saint can be guilty of. When alas, the Spirit of God tells us here, that no people in the world have so much cause to mourn and lament for sin, as they have; and you have seen the Doctrine made good by Scripture grounds and demonstrations.  
As for those that can wipe off all this with the jeer and blasphemy of an old Testament Spirit, I dare be bold to say, and fear not the breach of charity in it, let them be who they will, whether Teachers or Taught, Doctors, or Disciples, they be of the number of the Apostles Separatists 
jude 18.  mockers, walking after their own lusts, sensual, having not the Spirit; they have not the Spirit, neither old-Testament-Spirit, nor new-Testament-Spirit; for it was but one and the same Spirit of God that dictated both Testaments to the penmen thereof: all Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by inspiration, 
2 Tim, 3, 16,  the breathing of God, even the old as well as the new. For Prophecy came not of old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were inspired by the holy Ghost. As for them that can wipe out an whole Testament of divine truth, 
2 Pet, 1, 21,  with a wet finger (without which the other may well suffer a deleatur also) the punishment of their blasphemy, is Prophesied before hand (without repentance) God shall blot out their name out of the book of life. 
Rev, 22, 19,   
I should talk more with these men, who thus boldly and blasphemously deny humiliation for sin, but that it would keep us too long from the work itself, (which is the work of the day) and the  
Third Use. An use for humiliation. 
3. Use. Hunuliation,   
Have not the Prophets of England as much cause to cry in the ears, not of this Congregation only, 
England's Whoredoms. 1. All sin, and the improvements thereof, whoredom, drunkenness, swearing, Sabbath profanation.  but of the whole nation: Rejoice not oh England for joy as other people, for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God? Surely they have: witness first, not only the continuance but the monstrous improvement of all manner of sin among us; whoredom and drunkeness, and swearing, and Sabbath breaking, and all kinds of profaneness is broken in upon us like another deluge; and a worse deluge then that of water: for better it is a thousand times better to see a people lie drowned in waters, then to see a people lie drowned in sin; yea better to see a people lie weltering in their blood, then to behold them lie wallowing in their lusts.  
Did the pride of Israel testify to his face, and doth not the pride of England testify to its face? 
Pride of Men  Surely it testifies to the faces of men in that gallantry and bravery, sumptuousness and gaudiness of apparel, that scurrility of hair, (I may truly call it) loftiness and wantonness of gesture, and that in these sad times of Jacob-troubles, that England never equalled in her most peaceable and prosperous days: I say it testifies to the faces of men: 
Women.  And it testifies in the faces of our women, the Gentry and Ladies of our times. I cannot say they are Blackamoors or Ethiopians, 
Ier, 13, 23.  for they can change their skins, they can change their skins by painting; but I may justifiably call them Leopards, for they will not change their spots: Spotted beasts they are, and are not afraid to come with their spots into the Congregations of God: yea to bring them to these days of solemn humiliation, wherein they should rather come Sprinkled with ashes, and girded with Sackcloth; Surely as an ancient Divine was wont to say, they cannot expect that God should know them, they do so un-make themselves from what he made them: and if God shall say to them hereafter, depart from me I know ye not, (these are not the faces which I made) they are undone for ever; Interim, God may in a just judgement smite them with a Spot that cannot indeed be changed, or healed with all the art of the Physician; and rend their faces and skins with an incurable scab, as they now rend their faces with painting. It is threatened by a God able to make his Word good, for this sin of pride, Isa. 3.17. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab, the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. And what shall we say for other sins, doth not robbery and oppression, cruelty and injustice cry in the ears of the Lord of Sabbath! 
james 5, 4.   
Surely there is such an increase of all manner of sin and profaneness as if the windows of hell were opened, and the floodgates of the bottomless pit were pulled up; hell itself broke lose. But alas! if we look upon those sins which more properly and peculiarly are branded in the shoulder with the mark of whoredom: How may we take up the Prophet Isaiah's lamentation, and wonder, How is the faithful City, the faithful Kingdom, become an harlot? 
Isa. 1.21.   
She that was accounted the chastest among the Churches, for fidelity to the worship and doctrine of the Lord Jesus, how is she degenerated into an Adulteress!  
For 1. is there not Idolatry found among us? Ye have pulled down Idols in the Churches, 
Idolatry.  (and ye have done well) but oh, Idols are multiplied in the Land; every man's opinion is become his idol which he adores and worships with highest veneration: we have cause to be humbled for our old Popery, and our old Popish Ceremonies; (You our Honourable Senators told us so once in an Ordinance of Parliament, and ye did well) but Popery was but one way of false worship: There be a generation of men in the Land that stand up for all kinds of false worship; that every man may worship God after his own conscience; or if they will not own it in words at length, they will have it in figures: And if they may not, are ready, not only to cry, but to act persecution, and that to purpose: for while they cry persecution, gladio oris, they are ready to act persecution, ore gladij: I pray God it may never be Englished.  
In the second place, Is there any thing refused and opposed so much as Reformation? 
Opposing of Reformation.  Oh that Popery were so much opposed as Reformation! Oh that Blasphemies were so much opposed as Reformation! Oh that Antichristianism and Atheism were so much opposed as Reformation! Happy we then. Would ye know when all these abominations are broke out in England? Oh it is in a time of Reformation! In a time of the breaking out of Gospel-light and liberty; such as the world never saw since it was Christian. In a time when we had sworn ourselves to God by Covenant to extirpate Popery, Prelacy, Superstition, Heresy, Schism, Profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godliness. Alas we run in such a contrary motion that a man might almost think there was a word in the Covenant misprinted, and the next errata should bid the Reader read establish in stead of extirpate. Oh! God may say of us, when I would have healed England, than the iniquity thereof was discovered! England was never so bad as in a time of a Reformation.  
Witness thirdly, 
Heresies.  the numerous and numberless increase of errors and heterodox opinions even to blasphemy among us.  

Heresies even ●o blasphemy.  The world once wondered to see itself turned Arrian: England may wonder to see itself turned Anabaptist, Antinomian, Arminian, Socinian, Arrian, Anti-trinitarian, Antiscripturist, what not! Alas! what were Ceremonies to these things, but (as Calvin once called them tollerabiles ineptia, children's sport in comparison, how much less an evil was it (think ye) to bow at the Name of Jesus, then to deny, to blaspheme the Name of Jesus? 2 Pet. 2.1.  
If any man shall demand a proof of these things, I shall say nothing else but this, that is to be feared that man himself is a proof, Hereticorum est omnia dubitare, 
Arnobius.  It is the trick of Heretics to believe nothing, no not that there is such a thing as Heresy. Oh England! Is this of thy whoredoms a small thing! that thou shouldst sell the precious truths of Jesus Christ so cheap which our fathers and we ourselves, yea the Lord Jesus Christ bought so dear, even at the price of blood!  
As for covetousness and worldliness, 
Covetousness.  alas it is death to consider after a little suspension of trading and straightening of our estates, a little blood-let in our superfluous abundance, whereby God would have taught us that lesson, that riches have wings and fly away; 
Prov. 23.5.  and thereby would have weaned our hearts from the world, and have winged our affections for an higher flight, even the pursuit of more excellent treasures, the things above: I say it is death to see and consider on the contrary how people do with the Israelites (after they had fasted an whole day) fly upon the spoil, and eat with the very blood running about their lips, the blood of the widow, the fatherless and oppressed! What feathering of nests, what heaping of preferments and places: What scraping for the world, as if the dust thereof would not serve every man for an handful! What enriching of menselves upon the poverty of the Kingdom? What building (as of old) houses with blood, and raising of families with oppression?  
And can all this go without creature-trust and carnal confidence? 
Carnal confidence.  woe unto us for surely we make flesh our arm, and our heart is departed from the living God; we have made any thing our God but God. Alas Fathers and Brethren, my spirit doth fail me in relating these things! Did I ever think I should have had occasion to have made such sad complaints in England of England? Who could have believed that England could so soon have made an Apostasy from her God Who could have believed that England could have so soon forgotten her Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ? Especially having so lately re-espoused herself unto him by Solemn Covenant! Jer. 2.12, 13. Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, 
Jer. 2.12, 13.  and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord: For England, God's people, the spouse of jesus Christ, hath committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. 
Verse 10.  Vers. 10. Pass over the Isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. So may I say, go over to Spain and France and Rome: Yea pass ye over to Constantinople and Egypt, etc. Have any of these Nations changed their religion which was no religion; and forsaken their gods which were no gods? But England hath changed her glory for that which doth not profit. These are some of the whoredoms that are found in England, but what are the aggravations?  

Aggravations of England's Whordomes.  Are Israel's whoredoms ours, and are not Israel's aggravations ours too? Yes, Israel's aggravations are aggravated among us.  
Did Israel sin against more light than the Nations? England sins against more light than Israel: 
Light exceeding Israel's light.  Gospel-light doth as much exceed that of the Law as the light of the Sun doth the light of the Moon, as the light of seven days exceeds the light of one. They saw in types, and vails, and curtains; 
Isa 30.26. 2 Cor. 3.13. Heb. 10.1. 2 Cor. 3, 18.  so that they could not see things for shadows: We see with open face the glory of the Lord. It is eminently observable, look with what expressions the Apostle doth commend and celebrate the vision of glory above the vision of the Gospel, 1 Cor. 13.12. In the very same language doth he commend the vision of the Gospel above the vision of the Law, in this 2 Cor. 3.18. Doth not this aggravate their aggravation of light? I am sure above all this we have one book which they had not, the Book of the Revelations, wherein specially the whoredoms and plagues of the Antichristian state are clearly discovered; that so God's people might come out of her, Rev. 18.4. & the spirit of God, the Interpreter of all God's works and Gods Word, 
joel 2, 28.  poured out in greater abundance to expound his riddles. Again, did Israel sin against greater love than other Nations, and doth not England sin against greater love than Israel? 
Love exceeding Israel's love.   
Surely there be two kinds of love which Israel had not, at lest not in such a revelation of them as we have: And they are, 1. Gods- Christ-giving-love. 2. His- glory, his Heaven-giving-love.  
Alas Christ and Heaven were but obscure notions, dark riddles among them, hardly understood of one of ten thousand among them, unless it were their Heroes, the Patriarches and Prophets: and yet even of them, says our Lord jesus, He that is least in the Kingdom of heaven, i. e. in the Gospel, 
Mat. 11, 11.  is greater than He that was greater than the greatest of them, than John the Baptist, sc. in regard of the full and clear discovery of Christ and glory. Alas, an earthly Canaan and a temporal Messiah, one that should king it over them in terrene state and greatness, was the top of their ambition (witness the very Disciples themselves, 
Acts 1.6.  even when Christ was ascending to take possession of his heavenly Kingdom): As for a saviour of souls and a Kingdom of eternal glory, these were things which few of them could hardly spell out; but clearly and with open face revealed to us in the Gospel. 
Life and immortality are brought to light in the Gospel. 2 Tim, 1, 10. England's danger for her adulteries  And to be guilty of all these treacherous departures from God and Christ under such a glorious revelation of Light and Love, what may we expect; But even that the jealousy of the Lord should break forth like a devouring fire (and I pray God it be not already kindled) which shall burn down to the very foundations of the Land: Even,  
1. A stripping-jealousie that shall strip us not only of our corn and wine, but of Word and Sacraments, even of all our Gospel-ordinances, and turn our garden of Eden into a desolate wilderness.  
2. His withdrawing-jealousie; that God shall say of England as once of Israel, jer. 12.7. I have forsaken mine house: I have left mine heritage: I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.  
3. His divorcing-discovenanting-jealousie; that God should call England, as once he did Israel, Lo-ammi and Loruhamah: and cast us out of his house and out of his presence for ever. 
1 Thes, 2, 16.  You see the wrath which he threatened upon Israel and Judah, he hath poured it out to the uttermost: What he spoke with his mouth, he hath fulfilled it with his hand, as at this day.  
But let me tell you this, when ever the Lord shall enter into controversy with England for her whoredoms, the furnace will be heated seven times hotter than it was for Israel: the judgement will be much more intolerable on us than it was on them: By how much our light and our love hath been more transcendent than Israel's, by so much will our condemnation be greater. Oh for an England, a people that have been clothed with scarlet, and adorned with jewels to be stripped naked as in the day wherein she was born! For a people that have known the joyful sound and have walked in the light of God's countenance all the day along, that have sat (as it were) in the bosom and embraces of the Lord jesus, for God now to be a stranger in their land, and as a way-faring man that turns in but for a night: For a people that have sat at the top of heaven in Gospel-vision, to be cast down to hell into a kind of utter darkness! For a people that have been in the bed of divine loves; feasted at God's table, sat as a Queen in the Palaces of Ivory, to come to be divorced, kicked out of doors, and a cain's mark (as it were) set upon them to wander up and down, to be a shame and a Curse and a Proverb among the Nations, as it is with Israel at this day: The tongue of man is not able to express, the heart of man is not able to conceive the misery and anguish of such a condition. 
Prognostics of dicovenanting wrath.  Gentiles and Pagans are not capable of such a judgement as this is.  
Truly there be many sad forerunners and Prognostics of this approaching jealousy amongst us: scil. 
1. Taking off of our wheels Exo, 14, 24, 25   
1. God gins to trouble us; our wheels seem to be taken off; we drive heavily: In all our motions we drive heavily, and ye know when it was so with the Egyptians, wrath was near. 
2. Contempt.   
2. God hath poured out contempt upon us; the Lord make us sensible of it: unspeakable contempt upon the Parliament: Contempt upon the faithful Ministry of the Land: Contempt upon the City: Contempt upon the whole Kingdom: England once not only a terror among the Nations, but the glory of all the Churches; now the shame of Christendom and the scorn of all the world: 
Ier, 2, 16.  It was one of the fore runners of old Israel's rejection and divorce.  
3. A Spirit of division and confusion let lose upon as, Counsels divided, 
3. Division. Divide & impera, An house divided cannot stand.  and Ministers divided, City divided, and Kingdom divided: not one limb hardly hanging to another, the envious man hath done this; through the wrath of the Lord the Jesuit and the Devil have almost attained their design so that without infinite mercy we are like water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again, we are broken all to pieces.  
4. All the four great plagues and judgements threaten us, 
4. God's four sore judgements. Ezek, 14, 21.  sword, plague, famine, and evil beasts.  
5. Yea that which is a thousand times worse, God seen to be departed from the ordinances: the converting presence of God is gone from the word, It was the sad emblem and symptom of God's departure from Israel. 
5 God departed from the ordinances. Ezek, 10, 4. Chap, 11, 23.  Ezek. 10.4. The glory of God filled the house, but God was upon the threshold; And the next news we hear of him, he was upon the Mountains: It is sad and ominous when God gins to recede by degrees from a people or person.  
6. The power of godliness is departed from the generality of professors. 
6. The power of godliness is gone.  Alas that savour & sweetness, that life and activity, which was wont to be in the people of God and in their Christian meetings, wherein they did admonish, and comfort, and exhort, and strengthen one another in the Lord their God, comparing their evidences, and communicating their experiences, praying with, and praying for one another; alas where are these things to be found? is not this a sad fore-boding of God's jealousy.  

7. Spiritual plagues.  7. And then in the last place: Spiritual plagues begin to succeed and overtake temporal judgements. Unbeleif hardness of heart, contempt of the word and ordinances, mocking of the messengers of God etc. When so it was in Israel, the text tells us, there was no remedy: a Spirit of delusions to believe lies; and that which is the perfection of all, 
2 Chron, 36, 16 2 Thes, 2, 10,  a Spirit of slumber, a deep sleep of security doth possess us: who is there that fears and trembles? who is there that takes notice of these things to lay them to heart: the whole nation is a sleep with the kingdom on sire about their ears. Well Honourable, 
Is, 42, 1.  and Beloved Christians, this is our estate; I may say to you as josiah did once to Isaiah: Inquire of the Lord for us, for great is the wrath of the Lord that is gone out against us. What is to be done?  
1. Why rejoice not O England i. e. Weep and mourn, it is the work we are about this day, O that we would do it to purpose. O that this day we could do as Israel did, 
1 Sam, 7, 6.  draw water and pour it out before the Lord. O that we could make the place where we are a Bachim: And oh that the Lord would pour out upon us a Spirit of grace and supplication, that we might look upon him whom we have pierced and mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, 
Zech, 12, 10,  and be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born. We have trflied with God in these days of public Humiliation, so that we may fear he takes them us more with good will at our hands. 
Mal, 2, 13,  Truly we may fear lest our solemn humiliations be not become solemn provocations, and our very prayers turned into sin. Our fasts have not been altogether so good as Israel's bulrush humiliations: Isa. 58.5. We are impatient of bowing down our heads for a day. O let us cry mightily to God, and with jacob-like importunity, resolve not to let him go, till be bless us  
2. Yea secondly, let us mourn in secret as jeremiah did. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand, for thou hast filledme with indignation. O that God would teach us to make good that Prophecy, surely it hath an eye to Gospel-times. Zech. 12.11, 12 13, 14. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apars: The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart: All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. The family of the house of David: i. e. the royal family, the house of the Prince. The family of the house of Nathan: i. e. the Prophet's families. The family of the house of Levi, i. e. the Priests families: the family of the house of Shimei, i. e. the families of private men in their several callings. O that God would indeed pour out from on high such a Spirit upon England; that the King and Queen, might humble themselves, sit down, 
Ier, 13, 18.  and lie in the dust before the Lord; that the Princes and Nobles, Magistrates and Ministers, with the whole people of the land, from the highest to the lowest, would humble themselves greatly before the Lord, and cry mightily to him; every family apart, and their wives apart; who knows whether the Lord might not repent of the fiereness of his wrath, 
joel 2, 14.  and return and leave a blessing behind him?  
3. Labour to possess a mourning frame of Spirit, take heed of letting out your hearts to take your fill of creature-comforts: take heed how you give up yourselves to carnal mirth and rejoicing: It was Israel's sin here in the text, and a posture ill becoming a people that have gone a whoring from their God.  
It is a sin at any time to feed ourselves without fear, much more when God is angry. 
Judas 12.  It was a seasonable and severe check God by the Prophet Ezekiel gave unto the unseasonable mirth of that besotted people. Ezek. 21.9, 10. Thus saith the Lord, say a sword, a sword is sharpened and also furbished, it is sharp to make a sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? And I could wish that (as Jerome said of his surgite mortui etc. so) this voice might sound continually in our ears; to check and restrain our vain and unseasonable rejoicings in the creature, yea in our sins: for what doth the Lord require at our hands but to do justly and love mercy, 
Mich, 6, 8.  and walk humbly with our God? Else wicked 
* 1 King 21, 27.  Ahab and heathen 
* jonah 3, 5, to the end.  Nineveh shall rise up in judgement with this generation and shall condemn it. The Lord awaken us, and teach us to behave ourselves as a people whose God is angry, angry even to jealousy, & to know in this our day the things which belong to our peace before they be hid from our eyes.  
2. Use, Exhortation. 
Use, Exhortation.  There is a word of Exhortation behind, and I beseech you suffer it.  
First. to you Honourable and Noble Patriots, 
1. Branch. to the Honourable Parliament.  who are called to be the Reformers, and Healers of a poor broken kingdom, I would humbly move these 2. things.  
First, that you would exert that power and authority which God hath given you, to the punishing and suppressing of the Adulteries and whoredoms of the land, which do stare heaven and earth in the face, and do provoke the jealousy of God, even to give England a bill of divorce and put us away: arise I say, oh ye Rulers and Governors of England, 
Psa, 45, 4,  gird your sword upon your thigh, and ride on prosperously because of truth and righteousness, and let your right hand teach you terrible things. You know what Phineas did in the case of Corporal whoredom, committed in the face of God and the Congregation. 
Psa, 106, 30,  Then stood up Phineas and executed vengeance or judgement; and you remember how well the Lord took it at his hands: The plague was stayed, and it was imputed to him for righteousness; 
31,  Oh that the Spirit of Phineas may come upon you; that you may sheathe your sword in the bowels of these monstrous whoredoms of all sorts, Corporal and Spiritual, which are committed in the sight of all Israel, yea in the sight of all the Churches round about us: that the blessing of Phineas may come upon you, and the plague may be stayed.  
Doth not indeed the punishing and suppressing of Spiritual whoredoms against God, Idolatry, Heresy, Blasphemy, and the rest: doth it not belong unto you, as welas the punishing of bodily whoredoms, theft, murder & c.? Doth it indeed belong to you only to look to the Civil peace, and to let Religion, and truth, and the worship of God, stand or fall to their own master? fight God, fight Devil, fight Christ, fight Antichrist; catch that catch can; you have nothing to do but to stand by, and look on! Say so then; speak out, publish it in your declarations to the world, and let the people of England know, that it is the right and liberty, to which the subjects of England are born, that every man hold what he please, and publish and preach what he holds: that it is the birthright (as some would have it) of the freeborn people of England, every man to worship God according to his own Conscience; and to be of what religion his own Conscience shall dictate: do so, and see (fathers and brethren) how long your Civil peace will secure you, when religion is destroyed; how long it will be ere your Civil peace, be turned into Civil war! for no doubt if this once be granted them, but they may in good time come to know also (there be them that are instructing them, even in these principles too) that it is their birthright to be freed from the power of Parliaments, and from the power of Kings; and to take up arms against both, when they shall not vote and act according to their humours: Liberty of Conscience (falsely so called) may in good time, improve itself into liberty of estates, and liberty of houses, and liberty of wives, and in a word, liberty of perdition, of souls and bodies.  
Right Honourable, and worthy Gentlemen: I cannot stand to dispute, this only would I know of you; are Idolaters and Heretics, and Blasphemers and Seducers, are they evil doers? if so, then look to your Charge. Rom. 13.3, 4. Ruler's must be a terror to evil doers, unless ye mean to bear the Sword in vain. 
verse 4.  And if you will, God will not; and if God take the Sword into his own hand once (as he seems to be a doing of it) he will smite to purpose; he will execute vengeance throughly: both upon the evil doers, and upon you that have not been a terror to them. Oh therefore up and be doing, that you may deliver the kingdom out of the hand of the Lord; for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 
Heb, 10, 31.  O let not your patience (I hope it is no more all this while) be interpreted a Connivance, and your Connivance be taken for a toleration, it may be the kingdom's ruin, but it will be your sin.  
2. As you should punish the whoredoms of the land, so I humbly call upon you in the name of the Lord this day, that you would awaken and stir up yourselves, to prevent the further whorish departures of this our Israel from the Lord.  
And that first, by setting up your government, do it, I beseech you, and do it to purpose; do it, and do it so, as it may be able to answer the ends for which you set it up. That it may not be mocked out, by profane persons on one hand, nor by Sectaries on the other, (as it is at this day) fill your government (if you are in good earnest) with a life and soul, power and strength: whereby it shall be able to act, as well as to speak.  
And Secondly, prevent the further departure of the land from God, by keeping out Seducers: those Seducing, Malignant, Popish, Prelatical Priests, whom you have cast out: who have been one great cause of the Apostasy of England. The sins of the teachers, have been the teachers of sin; they are the men who (with Hananiah and Zedekeah) have taught rebellion against the Lord.  
Certainly, if ye did well in putting of them out, ye will do extremely ill in taking of them in again. Hath the King's army bettered them? hath Oxford changed their principles? I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that if ye suffer them to recover their stations again, or who ever of you shall for favour, reward, relation, or any other respects whatsoever, use your interest to reinvest them again into their places, 
Gal, 2, 18.  you destroy what ye have builded, and will be found transgressors: and translate the blood of poor souls upon your own heads.  
Well, strengthen your hands (Honourable and much Honoured Patriots) strengthen your hands in God, thus to suppress and prevent the Adulteries and whoredoms of the land.  
If you shall not; give me leave to tell you ye will bring a six-fold aggravation upon your neglect. 
Aggravations.   
First, All the Sermons which have been preached before you, and by your command, have been published to all the world, 
1. Sermons.  will rise up in judgement against you: for they will testify to the present and to after ages, to the coming of Christ, and in that day, that you have had Prophets among you, who have not seen false visions and causes of banishment: 
Lam, 2, 14.  but have dealt faithfully with you, 
Acts 20.27.  in declaring unto you the whole Council of God.  
2. All the blessed and glorious opportunities lost: when the poor kingdom near giving up the Ghost, 
2. Opportunities  shall groan out her last complaints thus; the harvest is past, 
jet, 8, 10.  the summer is ended, and we are not saved. What opportunities?  
Why, 1. rare abilities and parts, both of learning, and grace among yourselves. I dare say a riper harvest was never gathered into those walls.  
2. Strange and excellent impressions many times upon your Spirits.  
3. Victorious armies subduing and conquering the kingdom before you.  
4. A Ministry, neither ignorant, nor unfaithful, nor driving their own interests, to serve you; to bring in the hearts of the people to you, which (till some taught them otherwise) they did, with such success, that;  
5. Your interest in the affections of the Subjects was such, that you commanded their purses and their persons, their livelihoods and their lives, with as much freedom as ye did the wives of your bosoms, or your hired servants. Oh that is were with you as in the days of old!  
6. The prayers of all the faithful at home, and of all the Churches abroad; which were round about you as an army of banners. Oh, to have all these come in against you, will be an Aggravation indeed.  
3. So will (in the next place) the deep obligations which God hath laid upon you: 
3. Obligations from God.  your plenty, peace, preservations, even miraculous, both Public and personal; I hope you have not forgot them. Admirable successes in your own kingdom: seasonable and honourable assistance from the neighbouring kingdom of Scotland, in a brotherly league and Covenant with you. Your malignant neighbours abroad, God hath found them Work of their own, that they have not been able to disturb you: nor hath he suffered the Plague at home in seven Summers together to scatter you. There hath not an hair of your heads fallen to the ground. Are these small things in your eyes? 
4. Self engagements.  Surely they cannot.  
4. What say ye to the Engagements which you have laid upon your own souls, by your enquiry at God's oracles; Declarations, Sacraments, vows, the Solemn league and Covenant! Oh wilnot these speak loud in God's ears? I, and in your ears one day, in case of neglect.  

5. justice executed on delinquents.  5. The judgement of God executed by you upon offenders, for their delinquencies against the state, against religion: I should be sorry, their blood should ever cry against you. Yet I must tell you, Jehu carried the matter so in destroying the house of Ahab, (though God commanded it) that while Jehu writes Justice, God writes down murder. I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu. 
Hosea 1, 4.  Jeroboam rescues ten tribes and an half out of the Tyranny of Rehoboam, and then betrays them to Idolatry: he sins, and makes Israel to sin. Amaziah destroys the Edomites for their Idolatry, and then worships their Idols. 
2 Chro, 25, 14.  In all these you shall find, it was not love of justice, that did edge their sword, but self-interests: Reformation was not indeed their end, but the setting up of themselves upon the ruin of an opposite party: so dangerous a thing is it to dally with God.  
6. And lastly, What say ye to your prayers, 
6. Prayers.  and in special to your late day of Humiliation for the spreading of Heresies and Blasphemies, in Print now to all the world? Will ye fast for Heresies and spare them when ye have done? Will ye humble yourselves for Blasphemies against God and Christ and the whole blessed Trinity, and suffer men to blaspheme on? What will this be when it is interpreted? Surely though fear may make men mince it at home, the Churches abroad will not be afraid to call it hypocrisy and mocking of God.  
And be not deceived, saith the Apostle, God is not mocked: Not mocked? What is that? That is, 1. Not undiscovered: 
Gal, 6, 7.  There is neither clouds nor darkness wherein treachery or prevarication can hid itself from the piercing eye of God: There is no imposing upon the Almighty.  
And 2. God is not mocked impune: No man shall mock God and scape : What a man sows that shall he reap; it is the Apostles own exposition of the place.  
Fathers and Brethren, let me not be mistaken; I come not this day as your Accuser, but as your humble remembrancer: I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy; the Lord knows you are dearer to me then that blood which runs next my heart; and might it do Christ and you any service, I could (I hope) as freely sacrifice it, as eat my bread when I am hungry.  
I know you have had many obstructions and hindrances; But now I beseech ye, gird up the loins of your mind; set yourselves, with all your counsel and strength, to the staying and stopping of the grievous apostasy and whorish departure from God in the Kingdom, and to reducing of it back again to the Commands, Worship, Truths and Government of the Lord jesus: Conclude this with yourselves, there is no work lies upon your hands of such concemment as this: And for your encouragement know, that though your troubles and distractions be great; yet you have a mighty God to stand by you, who hath promised that Jerusalem shall be built, and the wall shall be raised, 
Dan. 9 25.  even in troublous times. It relates as well to Gospel-Reformation, as to the full and final return of the Jews: and the Lord make it good to you, and by you.  

2 Branch of Exbortation to Ministers.  I would speak a word in the second place to the faithful Ministry of England.  
Do you set yourselves (with the Prophets of old) to the bringing back of this poor Kingdom so fearfully gone a whoring from God: To that end,  
1. Take heed of healing the hurt of the daughter of this people slightly, by crying peace, peace, where there is no peace: Take heed of daubing with untempered mortar: Take heed of false visions and causes of banishment: but be faithful in discovering the iniquities and whoredoms of the Land. If they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, 
jor, 23, 22.  than they should have turned my people from their evil way, and from the evil of their do. Behold this is the way to save the Land, speak while ye may speak; and I pray God it be not ultimus singultus morientis libertatis.  
2. Stand in the gap with Moses, plead with Elijah, pray and cry with Jeremy: God hath not yet said to us, pray not for this people, if he had; surely (with reverence be it spoken) we should not believe him: Jeremy would not; but even after the Lord had enjoined him silence, 
* Ier, 14, 11.  pray not for this people, he is at his intercessions again and again, in the 13.19, 20, 21, 22. Verses, and all over his Prophecy. Oh therefore, Ye that make mention of the Lord, ye that are the Lords remembrancers (by special office and designment) give him no rest till he establish and make this our Jerusalem a praise in the earth.  
Thirdly and lastly, 
3 Branch of Exhortat. to all  Here is a word of Exhortation to all the people of the Land; and that in the language of the Apostle: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, 
Heb, 3, 12,  in departing from the living God.  
In departing from the living God, in his 

Truths.  
Worship.  
Commands.  
Promises.    
But in all these respects let us say with repenting, returning Israel: I will go and return to my first husband, for than it was better with me than it is now.  
And for the encouragement of 

Parliament.  
Ministers.  
People.   let me remember you of that gracious invitation and promise: They say, if a man put away his wife, and she go from him, 
Ier, 3, 1.  and become another man's, shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet return unto me, saith the Lord. There is much treasure in the place, but the summa totalis is this; God will accept of a returning people or person upon those terms that the dearest husband in the world will not. It is very observable that when Christ was withdrawn from the spouse, Cant. 2.17. she cries but once to him, Turn my beloved; but when she was gone from him, he cries four times return to her, Chap. 6.13. Return, return, O Shulamite, return, return: Christ is four times as desirous and glad of our return to him, as we are or can be of his return to us: The Lord speak effectually to us, that we may know, and all the Churches may know that he is the Lord God, 
2 Kings 18, 37  and that he hath turned our heart back again. Amen.  
FINIS.