Englands Summons: OR, LONDONS ALARUM FROM HEAVEN.  
With a Caveat to all Cities, Towns, Counties, and Families in the same.  
Collected by J. W.  
 emplem of two hands holding sword and whip descending out of fiery heavens 
Repent   
LONDON, Printed for W. Gilbertson, at the sign of the Bible in Giltspur-street. 1650.   

THE EXPLANATION of the Emblem.  
BEhold the Emblem, and consider what hangs over thy head( Oh England) with all thy fruitful Counties, glorious Cities, and pleasant towns.  
The Trumpet sounds a Summons from Heaven, and bids us to repent. The Sword drawn, signifies Gods vengeance,( as we have partly felt already) and when it will be sheathed none but the Lord doth know. The three-fold Scourge signifieth War, Famine; and the Pestilence, of which likewise wee have already had a portion, and( without Gods great Mercy,) it is likely to continue and increase for our Iniquities. The flames signifies the wrath of God, as he destroyed sodom and Gomorah, with other Cities, being also a Memento of the Latter Day, &c,   

Englands Summons; Or, Londons Alarm from Heaven.  
SEarch yourselves, even search you, O Nation, not worthy to be beloved, before the decree come forth and you be as chaff that passeth on a day, Zeph. 2.1, 2.  
The pride of thy heart hath deceiveved thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocks, whose inhabitants is high, that saith in his heart Who shall bring me down to the ground? though thou exalt thyself as an Eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord, Obad. 3.4.  
For I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the City shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished, and half the city shall go forth into captivity. Zach. 14.2.  
And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsowne, the full Store-houses shall suddenly be found empty: And the Trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man heareth, they shall suddenly be afraid: At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear, with those that dwell therein, 2 Esdras 6.22, 23, 24.  
For the Sword and their destruction draweth nigh, and one people shall stand up to fight against another, and swords in their hands; for there shal be sedition among men, and invading one another; they shall not regard their Kings nor Princes, and the course of their actions shall stand in their power, 2 Esdr. 15.15, 16, &c.  
Now is the Ax laid unto the root of the three, every three therefore not bringing forth good Fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire, Luke 3.9.  
Make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord; Neither put it off from day to day, for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord break forth, and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed, and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance, Eccles. 5.7.  
Wherefore( as the Holy Ghost saith) to day, if ye shal hear his voice, harden not your hearts; yea, this day, if ye hear his voice harden not your hearts, Heb. 3.7, 8. & 4.7.  
Therefore now, oh now remember fruitful and pleasant England, and ye famous Cities and towns, which like so many rich and glorious Diamonds embroidered, and garnished the garment of your Nation in every Shire and County; You that had a Land that flowed with milk and Honey; being a Land of brooks of Waters, and Fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and Hills; a Land of Wheat and Barley; & Wines and Fig-trees, &c. Built goodly houses; thy herds and Flocks multiply, with thy silver and gold, &c. But beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Commandements and his Judgements, &c.  
Oh wretched sinners that we are that delayeth the amendment of our wicked lives by our incredulity: For surely if we did believe those things which are written in the sacred Scripture of the judgement to come, of the voice of the archangel, and Trumpet of Cod: of the tribunal fear of Christ. before which we must all appear, of the pains of the reprobate, of the endless condition and felicity of the righteous: of the Resurrection to come of Body and soul, to an assured part either of Glory or shane: did we believe these things? surely I am persuaded we would stustie to live after another sort, and not defer the amendment of our lives as we do from day to day.  
Remember that at the last Day our reconings must be cast up, we shall be called to an account, we live here in the sight of God and Man; and therefore we ought with St Paul, herein exercise ourselves, that we may have a good Conscience, voided of offence towards God and toward man. Act. 24.16.  
But we now live in all voluptuousness and( I believe that) all the sins that ever reigned upon the face of the Earth doth now abound both in City and Country, but especially in this City: Never was there more Pride, Ambition, base Flattery, drunkenness, Blasphemy, luxury, Deceit, Avarice, In-justice, Prodigality, murder, and Perjury: but true Religion( amongst two many) not regarded.  
These sins, with a number more, fills the Land full of Treasons, the Subjects full of impiety, and in the end, may ruinated a State, and batter down the walls of sweet Peace,( if providence in time prevent not so foul a mischief) That Common-wealth is most miserable, that hath her Foes within herself: and now modesty and civility are changed into all manner of dissolution and vanity.  
As for Charity, that is banished the Land, witness the lamentable cries of the poor daily presented to our eyes and ears, who are ready to starve for lack of food: But know, that wee ought not to turn our eye from the poor, but be careful of them: And he that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, shall cry himself, and not be heard. We ought to give to the poor cheerfully, and not to despise them, have we not al one Father, hath not one God made us? 1 Cor 9.7. Why doth every one despise his own brother,( saith Malachi 2.) And S. John saith, God is charity, and he that dweleth in charity, dwelleth in God, and God in him.  
Then let not the fire of zeal drink up the due and moisture of Charity, as the fire from Heaven dried up the water at Eliahs Sacrifice, 1 King. 18.38. Nor let not Sacrifice turn mercy out of doors, as Sara did Agar, Gen. 21.14. But remember the speech of our saviour in Matthew, to those on the right hand, where he saith, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me, &c. Mat. 25.34 35, 36. In as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. But I am afraid there are too many on the left hand, that hath done none of these things, to whom Christ said, In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the Righteous into life eternal, vers. 45, 47.  
O England, both Shires, Cities and Towns, there be too many false Brethren fostered in your bosom; Wolves clothed in Lambskins, that do seem, by the preciseness of their habit, and demureness of their behaviour, to be truly mortified to the World; They will reprove sin, refrain from swearing, celebrate the sabbath. yea many hour of the wéek-daies in hearing of the Word, labouring( if they like the Minister) to digest it into their memories by penning and conference: In a word, they will pretend a great deal of faire and religious dealing, and seem to be Gods white Children, but they are little better then black Divels transformed into Angels of light, 2 Cor. 11.14.  
These are they that make Religion a cloak, wearing Christs Livery for their own conveniency, that so they may the more safely and unsuspectedly compass their secret and unsacred end; For there are none that are more unjust in their dealings, none more covetous, deceitful, full of pride, hatred malice, and all uncharitableness then they: For Hypocrites seem to seek God in trouble, but not from the heart, and seem Godly, but their deeds bewray them.  
And thus doth hypocrisy flourish, to the great reproach of sincere professors: For wee may observe that all ungodliness hath advanced itself and taken heart in our Nation. Iniquity hath put on a brow of brass, and impiety like a shameless Strumpet, attended by impudence, hoth taken up her standing in every street and corner of City. Town and Country: It is almost impossible to relate the sins and wickedness that reign in this Land: Thus ungodliness is become a contagious Leproste, it hath infected and run over the whole body of this Land, and no part more then this City; insomuch that it may truly be said of us, as the Prophet of the Iewes; We are a sinful people laden with Iniquity: The whole head is sick, the whole heart is heavy, from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, there is nothing whole therein, but wounds and swellings, and sores full of corruption. Isa. 1.4.5.6.  
Alas poor England, thou hast cause to bemoan thyself; For the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and their refuge shall perish, and their hope shall be sorrow of mind; his own counsel shall cast him down, his rejoicing is but short, and the joy of an Hypocrite is but a moment; For the wickeds light shall be taken away, they are snared in the works of their own hands. Therefore we ought to look about us, the dangers are many wherewith our sinful Nation is threatened; God hath often forewarned us, and given us gentle corrections; but we amend not our lives: But let us know that God is just in all his ways the eye of heaven is always open he will bring all our deeds of darkness to light, though we think to conceal them from him and the World: Let Adam lurk never so much among the Trees of the Garden of Eden, he must come forth and be examined indicted, convicted, adjudged: He that getteth up out of the pit, shal fall into the snare; he fleeth from a Lion, and a bear meeteth him; leaneth his hand on the wall, and a Serpent biteth him. Thou mayest escape six dangers, and the seventh shall seize upon thee, as London, and other places yet have done:) But the Lord said; It shall come to pass, that him that escapeth from the Sword of hazael, him shall Jehu slay: & him that ascapeth the Sword of Jehu, shall Elisha slay. Also note what the Prophet Jeremiah doth say: Cast them out of my sight, and let them depart; and if they ask whither shall we depart? say, such as are appointed unto death, unto death; and such as are for the sword to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.  
Let us but observe how fickle the state of kingdoms and Monarchs are as well as small territories: Can a man be safe in his Cabin, when the whole ship is drowned under water? All mens estates are ventured in this great vessel called the Earth, which was once swallowed up in a deluge of water, and shall( ere it be long) with a deluge of fire. If our State hath received any wound or the Church any blow, we know where to lay the blame; we may say with mournful Jerusalem, The Lord is righteous, but we have rebelled against him; God hath been good to us, but we unthankful to him, Lam. 1.18.  
Let not the devil deceive, in making thee imagine or hope to please God, and yet to let thy corruptions lie unseen, and thy sins unsearched out, lest thereby thou mar all; For none useth to lay up Wheat in their Garners until it be purged from the chaff: so think not to store up any saving knowledge, or any other grace of God in thy heart, until the chaff of vanity be first blown away, that so the holy graces of God may be laid up in the Garners of thy soul. Remember Christ Parable of Tares and Wheat: Let both grow together until the Harvest, and in the time of harvest. I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together, first the Tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the Wheat into my barn, Mat. 13.30.  
Therefore, O wretched England bewail for thy transgressions and if God punish us, we ourselves are the cause that forceth him to do it; God inflicteth stripes, but we deserve them; God striketh, but we provoke him to it; God poureth out the Vials of his wrath, but it is we that fill them up to the brim, by our overflowing iniquities: If we were not unjust in transgressing, God would not be just in punishing; For he delighteth in mercy, and goodness is his Nature, Micah. 7.18.  
O then, let every one of us make a diligent search into his own bosom, and judge himself, lest he be judged of the Lord: Let us ripp up that body of sin which is within us, not only that natural corruption, which we have all alike successively received from our first Parents, but also those personal transgressions which every man hath made himself guilty of. Then having faithfully laid open our sinfulness, let us look on it with a loathing eye and lamentable heart, For an humble and contrite heart, O Lord thou shalt not despise. And the Lord said Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.  
Therefore let us go with faith in the blood of Iesus Christ to the Throne of grace imploring mercy at the hands of our heavenly Father who is ready and willing to embrace with the arms of his mercy, all such petitioning him for grace in the name of his son.  
And now( O England, Cities, towns and private Families) let us for the time following, entertain this settled resolution into our hearts, faithfully to labour in the reformation of those sins we have committed, by hearty repentance: and that wee may crown our holy resolutions, and putting them into action, By bringing forth fruit wort by amendment of life: Luke, 3.8. for true Repentance is the gift of God.  
Let us therefore even now, while it is to day, begin to work our salvation, with fear and trembling, and unfeignedly repent and call upon God for mercy: for we have spent our time past upon the lusts of our own hearts, in bringing forth the corrupt fruit of the flesh; in drunkenness in swearing, in profaneness, in pride, in uncleanness, and all other abbominable transgressions, which are loathsome to be nominated. Therefore let us now walk in newness of life, lest the Lord do suddenly, before wee do so much as dream of it, hue us down and cast us into the fire. Luke, 3.9.  
And for that wee are all members of the mystical Body of Christ Iesus, we do humbly make our requests unto thee, O heavenly Father, both for our own miserable selves at this present, and all others, as are afflicted with any kind of cross or tribulation, as war, Plague. Famine, sickness, Poverty, Imprisonment, Persecution, Banishment, or any other of thy Scourges or rods; Whether it be grief of Body, or unquietness of Mind: and that it would please thee to give us and them patience and constancy, till thou sand a full deliverance out of all our griefs and troubles, add so at length bring us to eternal bliss.  
Then hear what good comfort our blessed Saviour Christ promiseth, if we repent us of our sins.  
Come unto me all that are weary and heavy Laden, and I will ease you. I came not to call the Righteous, but Sinners to Repentance. The son of Man came not to destroy, but to save. Mar. 2.17.  
Come ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you, before the foundation of the World was laid. Mat. 25.34.  
These are Heavenly comforts for such as have forsaken their wickedness, and turn unto the Lord, That when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of Glory that fadeth not away. 1. Pet. 5.4.  
Which, O dear Father of mercy, and God of all Consolation grant, for the merit of IESUS CHRIST, To whom with the Father, and the Blessed Spirit, be rendered all glory, praise, and thanksgiving now and for ever.  
AMEN.  
FINIS.   

Imprimatur, Jo. Downeham.