Newcastles Call to Her Neighbor and Sister Towns, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
An Introduction to the maine Obſervation.
I Need not tell you why at this time I make choyſe of theſe words to treat on. This Argument had not bin out of ſeaſon,The occaſion of this Argument. if wee had handled it before euer this plague of peſtilence arrived our coaſts, and when we only heard how it raged in Holland, and in other parts beyond the Seas. They there of the reformed Churches eſpecially, are our brethren, & wee members with them of the ſame body myſtical. And as we ſhold have ſympathized more with them than we did,We ſhould have taken warning by others, and our ſelves formerly. ſo wee ſhould have taken warning by Gods heavy hand upon them when firſt the plague began with them, and wrath was gone out frō the Lord. For this judgement of plague, as an Overflowing ſcourge of the Lord, (as other like judgments are) ends not commonly where it begins: neither ſhould wee have made a covenāt with death (as if we had bin at agreement with hell) to ſay in our ſecurity (and it skils not whether wee ſay it in word or in deed.Eſay 28.15-18.) When the overflowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe through, it ſhall not come unto us. At the firſt going out of wrath it concerned us to hauehave bin warned, and to have prepared to meete our God by true repentance,Amos 4.12. and intreaties of peace: and when his judgements once began to bee in the earth,…ſay 26.8, 9 to hauehave learned righteouſneſſe. How much more now, when Gods bow is further bent, and his arrowe of Peſtilence hath reached even unto us, ſhall I ſay of this nation only, nay to us of this ſinfull place and Towne where we liue, and where (after a pretty warning and ſummons given us a few moneths agoe when it arrived ouraAt the North Shields in Octob. 1635. Port, and made its abode there a while chiefly, yet ſo as that it ſent up the river to us ſome few meſſengers of death) where I ſay, after ſome few moneths intermiſſion, it hath broken out fearefully,May 6. 1636. and begins to ſpread like wildfire, mo periſhing by it this firſt fortnight ſince it began, or was diſcovered amōgſt us,Namely, 114 perſons. then either formerly with us, or yet with the great and mother-citie of London, in the firſt three moneths after it began with them ſome 11. yeres agoe (though for number of pariſhes the diſproportion bee thirtie to one:) When God makes ſuch ſpeed at the firſt going out of his wrath here amongſt us,… others us now, will it not concerne us alſo to make ſpeed and to haſten our repentance, yea not us only, but our neighbouring towns and cities, yea generally all townes and cities in theſe his Majeſties kingdomes?Who muſt …ot be ſe…ure. For if yet we wil be ſecure, that will concerne us which long ſince was ſpoken to Ieruſalem & Ephraim and to the ſcornefull men who ruled that people: Eſay 28.1.3, 4.firſt, woe to the crowne of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim: The crowne of pride, the drunkards of Epharim ſhal be troden under feet: Verſe 14.And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley ſhall bee a fading flower. Then, for their ſecuritie thus they are threatned, (and why not we now, of this place eſpecially, being as proud, ſenſual, ſcornfull and ſecure as they?) your covenant with death ſhalbe diſanulled,18. and your agreement with hell ſhall not ſtand; when the overflowing ſcourge ſhall paſſe through, then ye ſhalbe troden downe by it.19. From the time that it goeth forth, it ſhall take you: for morning by morning ſhall it paſſe over, page missing wherupon the Lord ſhewing himſelfe ſtrong on the behalfe of his ſervants, was ready to have conſumed the whole congregation all at once as in a moment, but that they who were injuried interceded for them; the effect of whoſe interceſſion was a Direction from God to the Meanes by which he would be pacified, which Moſes receiving from God gives in charge to Aaron, (herein a type of Chriſt) that he would take a cenſer,1 Theſſ. 1 10. and go quickly to the Congregation, and make an atonement for them: and why?And the meanes uſed to ſtay it. was it not high time? Yes aſſuredly; for there was wrath already gone out from the Lord, the plague was begun: and ere hee could get into the middeſt of them and performe his office, there died of the Plague fourteen thouſand and ſeven hundred; Verſ. 49.which meanes if it had not bin uſed in time, the whole Congregation had bin conſumed.