A Country DIALOGUE BETWEEN William and James, ON THE MONTHLY FASTDAY WITH REFLECTIONS ON THE EARTHQUAKE Which lately happened at jamaica, and Here Sept. 8. 1692.  Will. 
WEll met, Jemmy: Why was you not at Church to day?  Jam. 
I chose the better part, Charity; I carried in a dozen Loads of Wheat [the Wether is very uncertain, and we must expect Corn will be dear] with which I shall be able to relieve my poor Abdicated Neighbours.  Will. 
I am sorry you was not there; for we had a most heavenly Sermon preached by a Strange Divine.  Jam. 
Ay, We have very many Strange Divines .  Will. 
You take me up before I'm down, Jemmy; I meant a Stranger.  Jam. 
So do I too; Strangers to the Orthodox Doctrine of the Church of England.  Will. 
You will have your way still, I find: Before the Sermon our Vicar tickled it off with a godly Prayer made by Bishop B—net and the new Archbishop T— n; and that must be Orthoknocks as you call it, I hope.  Jam 
New-no Bishop, if you will believe St. Cyprian, as you may find it in Dr. Stillingfleet's unreasonableness of Separation, p. 246. His Words are so considerable to our purpose, that I will set them down: Et cum post primum secundus esse non possit, quisque post unum qui 〈◊〉 esse debeat, factus est, non jam secundus ille sed nullus est; Since there cannot be a second after the first, whosoever is made Bishop when one is made already, who ought to be alone, he is not another Bishop, but none at all. Thou knowest as well as I, Billy, that Dr. Stilling fleet and Dr. Tillotson were inseparable Waiters at Whitehall, and clubbed in their Writings: Let them reconcile these Words of St. Cyprian, even the holy and meek St. Cyprian, to their Practices, if they can: And 'tis most earnestly desired, that they would club again, and solve this Dilemma. St. Cyprian's Argument is good against Mr. Baxter; ergo, 'tis so against the new Archbishop of Canterbury; for, the most Reverend Father in God, Dr. Sancroft, is still living.  Will. 
You are too Book-learned for me: but I'll warrant you the Archbishop Till— n will satisfy you; for he is a very good Christian.  Jam. 
Your Warrant I fear will fail in both your Hypothesis'; the latter is very much questioned. But that we may not be longer Strangers to this strange godly Prayer, I pra'ye what was it?  Will. 
That God would Bless, Preserve and Keep, our most Gracious K. William, and our most Religious Q. Mary; And that he would Defend them against, and give them Victory over, all their Enemies.  Jam. 
What Enemies? Did the Parson name them, Billy?  Will. 
No, No: But every body knows he meant the Most Christian Turk, Lewis the French King; and the late King James, who would bring into England, Popery, Slavery, and Arbitrary Power: But I'll warrant him for ever returning; for the Prayers of the Godly will prevail certainly.  Ja. 
The Godly! Where dost thou read that God commanded or enjoined Subjects to pray for the Destruction of their lawful King?  Will. 
King William and Queen Mary hath commanded it, and I am bound in Conscience to obey our King and Queen; and they are our lawful Sovereigns, I'm sure; I saw them Anointed and Crowned with mine own Eyes.  Ja. 
Ay, they are the People's Anointed: But did not You and I see King James Anointed and Crowned too? What became of Your Conscience when you Rebelled against him? Ha!  Will. 
I believe by your Talk you did not Fast nor Pray neither to day.  Ja. 
Yes, I did both; but 'twas for our Sins, particularly those of the deepest Dye, Rebellion and King-killing: You make an Ahab's Fast for Naboth's Vineyard: You have Slandered the King our Father, and his Son; nay more, Deposed him, and thrust him into a strange Country to starve; but God hath raised him a Friend in his Extremity: and now you Fast and Pray that God would prosper you in your Rebellion; and that he would be pleased to null the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Commandments, that you may wash your hands, and say we're Innocent.  Will. 
No, We pray to God to confound the French King and his Devices.  Jam. 
Because he preserves our lawful King James: If he would banish him as Oliver Cromwell, our Prototype, formerly gained that point; then instead of Cursing you would Bless him: But God hath given this Monarch a more sublime Soul. When we do re-establish K. James on his Throne, the glorious K. Lewis will make an advantageous Peace for all Christendom. Nothing obstructs a Peace so much as the boundless Ambition of K. W. and poor England is the Ass to bear the Burden whilst we mount him, and raise the Dutch to trample us in the dirt.  Will. 
Odsooks, say you so? The Parson did not say one word of that.  Jam. 
No, 'tis too nice a point to be touched: but if you will have a little patience, and set aside your unreasonable Prejudices, I will demonstrate the whole matter to you as concisely and with as much Veracity as I can. Know then, that this damnable Conspiracy hath been hatching in K. Charles II. time; for when they found that good King firm to his Resolution of keeping the Succession in the Right Line; and notwithstanding all their Artifices, would not pass the Bill of Exclusion; but withal advised them to make the strictest Bill they could to menacle their Kings in case of a Popish Successor, and he would Sign it: which was so far from giving them Satisfaction at that time, although so indulgent, reasonable, and condescending, that Shaftsbury was sent into Holland, and there founded this horrible Conspiracy and unnatural Rebellion. It was not so much to keep out Popery, suppress Arbitrary Power, and preserve Property [Neither of which was in danger in that King's Reign] as it is insinuated in all the P. of Orange's Declarations; but to alter the Succession, and to make the K. of England Elective, which they have effected in the P. of Orange, designing thereby a Commonwealth when they are able.  Will. 
But K. James intended to bring in Popery, and govern Arbitrarily by dispensing with our Laws; 'tis better a Commonwealth than under such a King.  Jam. 
To enervate that, I was an ocular and an auricular Evidence; for K. James, the Night before he went to Windsor, and then for Salisbury, was pleased to express himself at Supper with great Concern for his Kingdoms, in these Words, with Hands and Eyes lift toward Heaven; What would my People have? I will call a Parliament that all Grievances may be taken away, that Laws may be made to secure their Religion and Property, that they may examine strictly into the Birth of the Prince of Wales; God forbidden that any such Cheat should be put upon the Nation; for, said our good King [darting his Eyes on the Pope's Nuntio] clapping his Hand on his Breast, I will do as I would be done by, for that is the Law and the Prophets. Then directing his Discourse to the Earl of Oxford [who waited then as Gentleman of the Bedchamber] with the same Asseveration, striking his Breast, he said, I will do as I would be done by, for that is the Law and the Prophets. Then speaking to Sir Henry Firebrace, Clerk-Comptroller in waiting, he continued his religious Protestation, smiting his Breast, etc. as before. I saw and heard all this, Billy, as I hope for Salvation: And his Majesty expressed himself so pathetically, that we did see, as it were, his Royal Soul in his Pious Face; Vultus index animi: if ever it was true, 'twas at that time. And to confirm he spoke his Sentiments a Great Person, who is now alive, told me then the King had declared in Coucil, There was nothing his People could ask of him that he would not do to satisfy them: yet I am afraid, said he, 'tis 〈◊〉 too late. His Lordship is now in Commission, and therefore you need not doubt of his Majesty's Integrity, since a Williamite avowed it. A Peer of the Realm doth not swear when he gives his Verdict against his Fellow-Peer; only puts his Hand to his Heart, saying Upon my Honour, and 'tis sufficient: His Majesty King James did it three times, calling God to witness: I hope you will allow him his Peerage, Billy. Yet infatuated Englishmen would not believe him! How many Millions of Money? How many Thousands of Lives? How many Hundreds of Ships had we saved? What Reproaches? What Calamities? nay, What Sin● had we avoided, by adhering to our pious Sovereign's Promises and Declarations. But we blasphemed the Lord's Anointed and our Sovereign Lord the King saying He is a Deceiver, we will not believe him, [We will not have this man to reign ever us] and yet at the same time embraced the P. of Orange as a Saviour sent from Heaven inspired for our miraculous Preservation; and are still going on in our Lethargic Chimeras, although he hath not made out any thing in his Declarations, particularly his bringing over the P. of Wales' Mother, a poor Baker's Wife as was pretended; tho K. James sent Letters to both Houses to examine narrowly into the Birth of that Prince, saying, It is not to be supposed at this time of day that the P. of Wales back awny Friends in either House: yet it was not insisted on, because they know the Proofs irrefragable. And though some say that was not in the P. of Orange's Declaration, yet 'tis well known that such a Woman was every Night exposed on Horselack in Holland, where their Circie of Coaches met as ours do in Hyde-park, and publicly declared the P. of W●les Mother who was to go into England with the P. of Orange to confront the Juggle, as t●●y called it, of the Birth of the P. of Wales. To confirm the truth of this, several Persons of Substance who were then in Holland have deserted the P. of Orange's Interest upon that politic Dutch-Trick. You may judge of all other Cheats by this. If the P. of Orange's Design had been purely to settle Religion and Property by Law, and for preventing Popery and Arbitrary Power, and to settle the Succession, as 'twas pretended Why did he not, as King James proposed, remain in some part of his Majesty's Dominion with his Troops, that a Free Parliament might be called to adjust all Jealousies and Grievances? This had been a most glorious Atchieument, worthy to be engraven in the Roll of Fame ad perpetuam rei memoriam: But inftead of giving an Answer to the King, his Uncle and Father-in-law, by the Lords whom he had sent to him on that Errand, he marches directly for Windsor Castle, and thence to St. James' And to show he came positively for the Crown, all his Declarations were in the Royal Style, We, etc. To pursue which Design, after the Guards were set by the King he changed them to Dutch Guards, and sent three Lords when His Majesty was in a sound sleep at Midnight who rudely waked him [tho dissuaded from it by the Page and Gentleman of the Bedchamber, who told them the K. was not well, and had slept very little in two Nights before] to tell him the P. of Orange could not think himself safe His Majesty being so near him; and therefore he would have him remove [that Night too, else they might have stayed until the Morning] either to ham-House or to Hampton-Court. O barbarous Insolence! You or I could not have endured it from Servants; no, not from our Parents!  Will. 
Odsooks, I would have broke their Heads had any served me so.  Jam. 
Well then, by this time I hope you do not think the King did abdicate us,— we do not truly understand the word; it signifies a free and voluntary resignation of our Right; Now pray consider, did K. James freely and voluntarily resign his Crowns? or was he not forced to make his escape out of the hands of his Enemies to save his Life? For they had put a Dutch Guard upon him, by which he was made a Prisoner, and Death usually is the next step to Monarches.  Will. 
They must go whom the Devil drives; I never heard a word of this before.  Jam. 
No, nor thousands more, but the quite contrary; for they are true Children of their Father, they delight in, and carry on their designs by Lies: But what have we gained by this Revolution and Rebellion? Let us cast up our Accounts. Imprimis— We have dethroned, Deposed, Banished, and for ever as much as in us lies, extirpated our Lawful King, and his true Heir, under whom we enjoyed Peace, Plenty, and Prosperity: We paid nothing for these Blessings Billy; no! not so much as our Prayers and Praises to Heaven for them as we ought! if we had, God would not have permitted these judgements to fall upon us: Our Sins are the cause, let us therefore repent and make restitution to our so much injured Sovereign: Repentance cannot be true without Restitution; to repent and yet continue in the same Sin is nonsense; 'Tis like the Swearing Clergymen, who in the Litany, pray From all Sedition, privy Conspiracy and Rebellion, good Lord deliver us; and yet they continue in Actual Rebellion, Preaching against their Lawful King, and praying for an Usurper: Call ye these Prayers and Praises to God? No, no, be not deceived; 'Tis the sacrifice of Fools and Knaves; and God will esteem it no other. I fear, and tremble at it. There were few or no Taxes in K. James' Reign; but since this Revolution, Rebellion and Usurpation, in four years' time only, more Money hath been drained from poor mistaken-abused- England than in the two former Reigns; from the miraculous Restoration of K. Charles II. [more than 28 Years which great Blessing We have quite forgotten too] until the Diabolical Abdication of K. James: Nay, I may safely take in the Reigns of Qu. Elizabeth, K. James I. and K. Charles I. [In all 129 years'] in whose Reign what noise did a little Ship-money make, which built the Royal Sovereign? [a Ship which hath done so much Honour and Service to the English Nation, and remains capable to do a great deal more:] The heat was, because the King raised it without a Parliament. But now a Convention and a Foreign Prince can Dethrone the Lawful King, and make a Parliament, which gives away almost all the Wealth of the Nation to enrich the Dutch; and it goes down glib with us! Neither do they so much as inquire how K. William hath performed the Prince of Orange's Declarations.  Will. 
'Tis true indeed; we cannot boast of his Integrity in that: But we are freed from Popery, that is totally crushed.  Jam. 
And the Church of England too, in a great measure, which is the only Bulwark against Popery; when that Rampart is demolished, Popery will flow upon us impetuously: But we do not see so much Religion to brag of in K. W. Before he came over 'twas confidently averred, that he used to go to Mass; and promised the Confederate Popish Princes, that he would be kind to the Papists; of whom he brought over, and continueth, many thousands in his Army, (and pays them though he goes on tick with the English.) In Scotland he is a Kirksman, the Church of England is almost destroyed there: In Ireland he would allow of Popery, or any thing what the People please, to gain that Government: In England he is a lukewarm Christian, favouring all, and truly of no Religion; unless Predestination can be called Religion. Empire is his sole aim and design, which he will compass directly or indirectly; by Policy, Stratagems, Dissimulation, breach of Promises, Protestations and Declarations; or by the death of thousands of Soldiers. He was earnestly entreated and advised [since we Created him King, for he was made so out of nothing] to decline his precipitate intention of attacking the Enemy; because in all probability, he would lose 10000 Men before his Army could have equal fight, they being so advantageously Posted: What then, replied he, so we gain our Point: For if we are predestinated to conquer, we shall overcome; if not we must be beaten; O pius Pater Patriae! who values not his Subjects Lives and Treasure, so he climbs to the top of the Pinnacle. And to strengthen this Assersion, What Popular Acts hath he passed since we dubbed him King, to recompense, all our Blood and Treasure? King James had other Bowels; For when his Subjects, those whom he had most endeared, had deserted him; O English Ingratitude to their Kings! he would not venture the remaining Loyalists; because they were but an handful to a multitude: Oh! call not his Piety cowardice I beseech you Friends and Fellow Subjects, 'twas true Religion; he was truly Religious (in his way) and only designed that the Roman Catholics might have a limited Liberty for their Religion, of which His Majesty is a member, to be adjusted by Act of Parliament, as likewise our Grievances: Certainly it had been our Interest to have kept our Old Religion, and our Lawful King: in his time our Coffers were full and ran over, but now they must squeeze to get any thing out of them.  Will. 
Odsooks and squeeze very hard let me tell you that; they Poll, and Poll, and Poll every quarter, so that I cannot pay my Rent I'm sure.  Jam. 
We are well enough served, we brought it on ourselves by Abdicating our good Old King, and caressing a Petty Prince; for whom, and our depraved fancy, we paid the first penny, a-lumping-all-to-make-a-penny-worth, the sum of 600000 l. Sterling.  Item. 
In Taxes, most part of which is carried out of the Land, never to return again, except some Half Crowns which are so Clipped they hardly weigh 22 d. and yet they do it in Holland openly in their Shops: a Crime with all Capital, but there a Trade: the Taxes are computed at about 20000000 l. Sterling; but I do not pretend to be exact, because a true account thereof will be published by way of Debtor and Creditor, to present to the Houses of Commons next Sessions: I shall only advise my Country men to consider, that when the Blood ceases to circulate, the Body cannot live: Money is the Blood of the Body-politick; that being exhausted no Gold or Silver Mines are in England to repair or replenish it; and our Trade is so much impaired, that but little Bullion is imported to answer he vast exportation of our Coin.  
3. When Ships arrive richly laden, which is but seldom, we have not Money to buy those Commodities; if we can cover our Nakedness decently and cheap, and put food into our Bellies to sustain nature, it is all we can reach to now: And when our Merchants have cast up their Accounts of double or triple wages to the Seamen, double time in waiting for Convoys, etc. Triple Insurance Money, etc. and their Goods laying dead upon their hands, with the mighty Losses they have sustained at Sea; I hope, at last, they will be of my opinion, that Honesty is the best Policy, and Godliness the truest gain, and ●hew it too by petitioning the Council now, and the Parliament the next Session, to bring home our Lawful King.  
4. The number of Ships taken and lost is computed at 2500 Sail; the value of which at 500 l. each Ship (a modest computation the cargo included) amounts to 4000000 l. not reckoning the Men of War lost.  
Lastly, The number of brave Men killed, by this dismal change is not easily computed; 'tis guessed at 100000, but if they could be exactly numbered, 'tis impossible they should be valued; especially their precious Souls.  Will. 
Well; in the main I am of your mind, that we have done a hair-brain-hasty-unadvised-action: But now we are in, we are obliged to go through; for if K. James returns by the Force of France, than we shall inevitably be overwhelmed with French-Arbitrary-Power and Slavery; be servile to Strangers, and Dragooned into Popery; and we were better continue as we are, than we part with a great deal of our Riches, then totally to lose our Religion, which is dearer to us than our Lives.  Jam. 
The ills which I have done cannot be safe, but by committing greater said wicked Catiline; but Christians have another method, Repentance; turn ye, turn ye from your wicked ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: You say we have done a hair-brain-hasty-action; but you mince the matter, for we have perpetrated a very wicked and sinful deed: Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft saith God.  
2. You say we must go through, etc. as above: To which I answer, King James cannot in prudence endeavour to be reestablished in his Kingdoms by a Foreign Force [unless we compel him] for that way his People would be destroyed; his Country laid waste, and his Subjects beggared; and 'tis next to a King of Clouts to be King of a debilitated and ruined Nation; at the best he could expect to be but a Viceroy during pleasure by your bugbear supposition. No, King James says otherwise in his Declaration; The Most Christian King hath, according to our desire, declined to send over Troops so numerous, as may raise jealousies in the minds of our good Subjects, 
See K. James' Declaration.  of his intending to take the Work wholly out of their hands, or depriving any true englishmen of the part he may hope to have in so Glorious an Action, as is that of restoring his Lawful King; that but so many Troops should come, as are sufficient to untie the hands of our Subjects; and make it safe for them to repair to Our Standard; which Troops shall be sent back, as soon as we shall be fully settled in Possession of our Kingdoms, without the least injury to the Persons or Possessions of Our Subjects, etc. But we may prevent these surmises and fears by addressing to the Parliament, to recall Him, that His Restoration may be as Glorious as his Royal Brothers. Let all  Englishmen revolve how flourishingly we enjoyed our Religion, Laws, Property, and Trade after that miraculous Restoration; and God would restore the same Blessings had we the same repenting Hearts.  
3. As to our Servility to Strangers, etc.— Your K. W. hath forty Papists in this Army to one that K. James had in his; and a much greater number of Strangers than our lawful King designed to bring with him for his and our necessary Assistance. Remember the Danes in the days of yore, now they Lorded it over us, [and were from thence called Lordanes] and if we go on [or go through as you call it] to have our best Men killed in the Dutch Quarrel, and to support the Ambition of K. William, we shall be so weakened, that Dutch Strangers will be our Masters, and English Freeholders their Slaves. I beg, religiously, that all Freeborn Englishmen would weigh this point truly, like brave old Englishmen.  
4. Our Religion will be guarded by Acts of Parliament, as I told you I heard our gracious K. James promise, and you have seen in his Declaration which he will keep inviolably, though the P. of Orange broke his in every Particular.  Will. 
If this be true, as I know a great part of it is, sure we are not wise to be thus led by the nose. I have read in a Book entitled A Discourse written by Sir George Downing the King of Great Britain 's Envoy Extraordinary to the States of the United Provinces, showing how cruelly, barbarously, and inhumanely, the Dutch treated us at Amboyna.  Jam. 
Ay; and when 'tis in their power they will use Us just so in England. The Lord open our eyes, that we may foresee and prevent our ruin, for we are on the brinck of a Precipice: Yet notwithstanding our loss the other day (about 14000) by Namur, we have sent more Recruits (12000 Men) the Soldiers who were to form a Descent into France this Summer to Crown K. William there, as the Prophecy tells you the Son of Man, meaning Him, must be this notable fourth Year of his Reign. O infatuated Englishmen! to believe such Stuff! Yet, as the Doctrine now in vogue speaks,— If the P. of Orange is predestinated to be King of France, it must be so; and if the People of England are predestinated to Rebel, and continue in it, they must do so, and be damned. So that by this Dutch Doctrine we make God the Author of all our Villainies. O horrible Blasphemy!  Will. 
Pray what may that pretended Descent cost the Nation?  Jam. 
About 3 or 400000 l. A Trisle.  Will. 
Trifle me no Trifles; I see we must be undone at this rate.  Jam. 
If we do not repent it is very visible we shall perish: And truly I see but little hopes of true Repentance and thorough Reformation; for about three Weeks since I discoursed with one, who is a zealous Williamite, concerning the Premises, hoping to convince him, as God be thanked thou art; but his Heart was unmalleable: His chief Argument for their being in the right, was Success. He began with the Prince of Orange's Arrival in the Winter; how the Winds and Seas favoured him; how he miss our Fleet; how the Hearts of the People were open to receive him; his Conquest in Ireland; the beating the French Fleet, etc. I urged David's Complaint, how the Wicked flourished in his time, Then, said he, I have cleansed myself in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. The Success of the Wicked amused holy David; it was too hard for him to understand until he went into the House of the Lord, than he knew the end of these Men; namely, That they stand in slippery places, and shall be cast down and come to a fearful end. That Success is not the Christian's Rule, the Word of God, the Scriptures, are our guide: If an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Doctrine to you than what you have received from us let him be anathema, saith the Apostle. Now the Scriptures say, Honour thy Father and Mother; Thou shalt not Steal; Thou shalt not Covet; Fear God and honour the King; Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm; Mine Anointed, not the People's, and much more. Then to weaken his Argument founded on Success and Prosperity, I conjured him to consider religiously the terrible Earthquake at Jamaica in July last in which so many Thousands were swallowed quick; they went down into the Pit, not having time to say Lord be merciful to us Sinners; about four Milli●●s of Trcasure was buried and destroyed. And this Island is the best Plantation the English have in the West-Iudies, and is now as much subject to K. William as his other Dominions: Surely then this Earthquake must be esteemed a great Judgement, and must put a Remora to the celebrated Success and Prosperity so much boasted of, etc. He returned, That Earthquakes proceed from natural Causes; that they were a wicked People, Sodom and Gomorrha were not more sinful, and their Destruction was but the effects of God's Justice; That We in England were true Protestants, and lived up to the Religion We profess, and therefore he feared no Earthquakes here: 'tis Terra firma in Old England. I told him, That God could shake the Foundations of the whole Earth, and would his Terra firma if We continued in our Sins: That the Pharisee thanked God he was not so wicked as the penitent Publican, but that Publican was justified rather than he: That our Saviour said they were not greater Sinners on whom the Tower fell than those who escaped; but if they did not repent they should all likewise perish: That this Judgement was sent on Them to warn Us: That Jamaica could not be guilty of greater Sins than we have perpetrated: We did Behead our lawful pious King, and do yet continue in a Wicked Rebellion: at which Word he pished, and so we parted. O Billy, what hope is there of Repentance in them who are so far from owning their Sins, that they applaud their own Righteousness, and bring God himself to justify them by his forbearance.  Will. 
Truly we are a very wicked and obdurate People; yet God is pleased still to Warn us: What a terrible Trepidation had we this 8th day of Seprember, at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon? Which shows God can shake this Terra firma so much relied on by insensible Wretches.  Jam. 
Yea, and shake it to pieces; worse than at Jamaica, if we do not Repent, and make Restitution. There is a memorable Passage in the sixteen Chapter of the Acts almost synonymous, but very pertinent, to our Transactions here in England, and the Earthquake this day: I will insert it, and enlarge upon it. Paul and Silas the Apostle and Disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, were, for Preaching the Gospel and working a Miracle, 
Acts xuj.  beaten with many Stripes, and cast into Prison: And that they might be kept more secure, they were thrust into the Stocks. [Our Archbishop, and several Bishops and Ministers, 
Ver. 23, 24.  are violently thrust from their lawful Habitations and just Rights and Possessions, and confined with the Fetters of Poverty and Penury; and, were it not for the Charity of well-disposed Christians, they and their innocent Families would starve; because they refuse to act against their Consciences.] But Paul and Silas Prayed and sung Praises unto God, and suddenly there was an Earthquake, and the Foundation of the Prison was shaken, and the Doors were opened, and their Bonds loosed; and the Keeper fearing the Prisoners were fled, would have killed himself: But Paul cried with a loud Voice, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. Then when he had called for a Light, and saw the wonderful effects of the Earthquake, he trembled, [As many of us, God be thanked, did at this days Earthquake] and brought Paul and Silas out, and said, Sirs, What must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house: 
Ver. 25. to 34.  And he took them the same hour and washed their Stripes and and was baptised he and all his. And when he had brought them into his house he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God, and all his house. Three things are very remarkable in this Man's Conversion, Faith, Repentance, and Restitution.  
1. Faith.— Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, vers. 29. And that he did believe is plain, for he was baptised, vers. 33.  
2. Repentance. He trembled and fell down before them, vers. 29. He was sorry and grieved for his past Sins, and resolved to turn from them and lead a new life, walking in God's holy Commandments for the future, if he could find the true way; and therefore he cries out with great earnestness, in a mighty Agony of Spirit, Sirs, What must I do to be saved?  
3. Restitution. He did as much as lay in his power: He could not take off the Indignity, Affront, Smart and Pain, that the Stripes and Stocks gave them, and with which he had so cruelly and with great inveteracy but a little before loaded them; but he washed their Sores, bathed their Bruises, bound up their Wounds, and brought them into his House, set Meat before them, and rejoiced, and believed in, and praised God. O happy change! From a Jailor he became freeborn in Christ Jesus! O blessed Earthquake! thus to shake and change the hearts of Sinners from a hardened Adamantine Persecution of Christ's Apostles and Disciples to the tenderness of a divine Repentanee and an invincible Charity! God grant the Earthquake this day may have the same Ejects with us; that we may wash the Stripes of those we have scourged, and with this Keeper of the Prison, repent and make Restitution, without which no Repentance can be true. God hath shaken his Rod over us, and if we do not amend our Lives he will let it fall heavy upon us. He warned Jamaica with such Tremble as we have seen this day several times before his Judgements poured down upon them. O let us hearty reslect on our past wicked Lives, and with unfeigned Sorrow and effectual Repentance turn from our ways with loathing and detestation; choosing rather to die than commit, or continue in, any known Sin: And though Earthquakes are caused by the Air being compressed, or penned, in the Bowels, or Caverns, of the Earth, and proceed from natural Causes as Thunder and Lightning do, are bounded by God's omnipotent Providence, and cannot hurt without his Permission; yet if the Punishment of our Neighbours and his threatening Rod, which he hath this day held over us in great mercy, will not move us to forsake the crying Sins treated of at large in the Premises of which we are so notoriously guilty; he will suffer his Anger to break forth into Fury, and consume Us, our Wives, our Houses and our Children, in the twinkling of an eye; and not only punish us temporally, but hurry us into Perdition with the eternally tormented Souls in Hell-fire.  Will. 
God forbidden we should provoke his Mercies by continuing in our Sins: Verily your Discourse, and this merciful warning from Heaven, hath so touched my Soul, that I do now, and will always, pray that God would grant us true Repentance, and loyal Hearts to restore our Deposed King. Amen.  Jam. 
Fellow-Subjects, dear Brethren and Christians, for Jesus Christ's sake consider: If we persist, an intestine War will inevitably follow, [Pray reflect on the Miseries of Ireland;] and 'tis but just that we who would not know our own Happiness should be made so miserable. If we continue obstinate, and not restore King James in his life-time; yet an indisputable Right to the Crown lives as long as the Prince of Wales survives, or other Sons which the Queen may still have: There will be an entailed War upon the Nation so long as any Interest can be made to foment and support it. Pray reflect on the bloody Contentions of the Houses of York and Lancaster, and tell me if it is morally possible that we can be happy whilst a just Dispute continues amongst us between a Dispossessed Right and an  Possession. God of his infinite Mercy give us true Repentance, loyal Hearts, and discerning Souls, that we may see and pursue the things which make for our Peace here, and our eternal Welfare hereafter. Amen.  
Sept. 8. 1692.   
FINIS.