An emblem of the Times: OR, A seasonable Exhortation drawn from the consideration of God's gracious dealing with ENGLAND, above all other her neighbour-Nations.  

Legal Punishments  

While on this Emblem thou dost fix an eye  
Know it presents ouryles late misery  
War and the pestilence those judgements great  
For gospill great abuse much felt of late    Revel. 19 1. 
Salvation glory and power to the Lord our God.  
2. For true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged those which corrupted the earth, &c. and he hath avenged the blood of his Servants.  
6. Alleluia, for the Lord our God reigneth.  
15. Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the Nations, he shall rule them with a rod of iron, &c.  
17. An angel cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the Supper of the great God.  
18. That ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains, and the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and those that sit thereon.  Zeph. 2. 8. 
I have hard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves.  Vers. 9 
Therefore as I live saith the Lord surely Moab shall be as Sodom. &c. therefore they shall be a perpetual desolation, the residue of my people shall spoil them.  
10. This shall they have for their reproach, and for their pride, because they magnified themselves against the people of the Lord.  Isai. 9 17. 
Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in them, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows, for every one is an hypocrite, and an evil doer, and every mouth speaketh folly.  Isai. 10. 6. 
I will send him against an hypocritical Nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and tread them down like mire in the streets.  Isai. 16. 6. 
We have heard of the pride and haughtiness of Moab and of his wrath, but his lies shall not be so.  Isai. 19 11. 
Surely the Princes of Zoar are fools, the counsels of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh are become brutish.  
12. Where are they, let thy wise men tell thee now, and let them know what the Lord hath purposed.  Isai. 22. 9 12. 
You have seen the breaches of the Cities of David that they were many.  
In that day did the Lord God of▪ Hosts call to weeping, and mourning, &c.  1 Pett. 4. 17. 
The time is come that judgement hath begun at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall become of those that obey not the gospel?  

England's admired change, who can ascend?  
Or show the ground, why war thus near should end?  
A civil War thus in our sinful Nation,  
How far above all human expectation.  
Our sins that caused the same as great as those  
That ruined Germany, Ireland do expose:  
Whereby such sad and doleful lamentation,  
With depth of grief, o'erwhelm their Nation.  
Oh England! Israel's God hath saved thee,  
And kept thee from intended slavery.  
The great oppression and Egpytian yoke  
He only hath dissolved, and stayed that stroke:  
Words are unable to express that love,  
And tender dealing, whose affections move  
To carry on a work, and heal our bleeding isle,  
This work's intended, for such sinners vile,  
Then with what thankful hearts, obedient,  
Oh now delay no time, with speed repent,  
Wars dismal voice of late thus heard to sound  
Throughout the kingdom, let not fall to ground.  
Shall great salvation from free love appear?  
Shall songs of mourning turn to praise and prayer?  
Shall wrath and vengeance turn to tender love?  
Shall peace present her treasure from above?  
Shall truth and mercy woo a sinful Nation?  
Shall Justice stay her stroke, what provocation  
The danger of relapse, most desperate,  
Oh therefore now return, before too late.  
War sheathing of his sword, yet armed both stand,  
And stays a while, yet ready at command.  
If sin still stay the close, our expectation  
Frustrate shall be, without a Reformation.  
Our plenty of the gospels blessed food  
Becomes not such sad janglings, 'tis not good  
When children strive where plenty there is store,  
Then wantonness, not hunger, is the more.  
This nice disliking if no novelty,  
Poor pampered England cannot justify,  
Oh what a sad condition are we under,  
That by division thus are rent asunder.  
The head and tongue, which so deceitful are,  
Yet most preferred, whilst hearts neglected are.  
What shall thy comfort be that know'st the most,  
When filled with pride and sin, then cease to boast:  
Go learn to do what yet thou slighted haste,  
Then shalt thou know, The doer shall be blessed.  
Obedience, that great Scripture-Character,  
Accounted now by some a work of nature;  
A faith but to believe, and for dispute,  
How greatly valued, and of most repute?  
But Scripture-Worthies (still upon Record)  
Declare the truth, that now obtain reward:  
Noah, Abraham, Moses, what endured they,  
With many others, whom we mention may:  
In Holy Writ, there's not a Saint there set,  
But still obedience and his faith have met:  
Then would we war and pestilence should cease,  
That England might abound with truth and peace?  
Let sinners all forsake their provocation,  
Turn from their evil to humiliation:  
Then the destroying angel quite shall turn  
And we no longer sadly caused to mourn,  
But Hallalujahs for our great salvation,  
Shall sound with joy to him that saved the Nation.    

London: Printed by R. A. 1647.