New Englands Tears for Old Englands Fears, Sermon
NEVV ENGLANDS TEARES, FOR OLD ENGLANDS FEARES.
JOB 2.13.
So they ſate downe with him upon the ground ſeven dayes and ſeven nights, and none ſpake a word unto him, for they ſaw that his griefe was very great.
THE words are ſpoken of Jobs three friends, who were now come to viſite him, and ſympathize with him in the time of his diſtreſſe. They had made an appointment thus to doe, verſ. 11. viz. to come to mourne with him, and to comfort him. For thus the godly ſhould ſend to one another in like caſe, and acquaint one another with the ſorrowes and calamities of their friends and brethren, and agree to contribute and caſt in their ſorrowes and ſympathize when their friends are afflicted. A godly practice, and which the Churches in this Land doe well this day to imitate.
Now then are Jobs friends comming towards him, and when they lift up their eyes a far off, they knew him not, &c. Affliction may ſo alter the outward face of things and friends, that ancient acquaintance may not know them. Upon this, they ſate downe with him upon the ground, &c.
The ſumme of what is now read unto you, is the ſympathy of Iobs friends in the time of his calamity; and from it we may obſerve this point,
That it is the part of true friends and brethren,Obſer. to ſympathize and fellow-feele with their brethren and friends when the hand of God is upon them. For thus, you ſee, did Iobs three friends here doe; and they performed a very brotherly office of love in ſo doing. When therefore afterwards their hearts grew more hard towards him, he cals upon them for the ſame compaſſions,Iob 19.21. Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O yee my friends, for the hand of the Lord hath touched mee. From whence wee may likewiſe collect, that when the hand of God hath touched a friend, all his friends ſhould have tender pity upon him. And ſuch affections have the godly ſhewen forth, as we finde in Scripture. Who is weake, ſaith Paul, and I am not weake? 2 Cor. 11.29.Who is offended, and I burne not? When David was in great heavineſſe, as being under a great affliction by the rebellious inſurrection of the ſonne of his owne loynes againſt him, Mephiboſheth, the ſonne of Jonathan, Davids deare friend, did neither dreſſe his feete,2 Sam. 19.24, nor trimme his beard, nor waſh his clothes, untill the day that the King returned in peace. And Jeremy writes a booke of Lamentations for Judahs miſery, though himſelfe had then his life given him for a prey. When the naturall body of Chriſt was to ſuffer, he ſaid to his friends, Weepe not for me, but weepe for your ſelves; but when his myſticall body ſuffers, he expects that we ſhould not weepe ſo much for our ſelves as for him.
Nay, David ſympathizeth with his very enemies; As for me, when they were ſick, my clothing was Sack-cloth, and I humbled my ſoule by faſting; I behaved my ſelfe as though he had been my friend or brother, I bowed downe heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother, Pſal. 35.13, 14. Whence wee gather, what our affections and behaviours ought to be for our friends, brethren, and mother, in their diſtreſſe. Yea, which is yet more, wee finde one wicked man fellow feeling with another. Ahaziah, a wicked King went downe to viſite wicked Joram the ſon of Ahab, becauſe he was ſick, 2 King. 8.27, 29. And both God and his Church and Children will complaine in the want of this brotherly affection. Among all her Lovers, ſaith Jeremy, ſhee hath none to comfort her, Lam. 1.2. It was indeed Jeruſalems miſery not to be pitied, but withall it was her Lovers ſinne. Therefore ſhee complaines, verſ. 12. Is it nothing unto you all, ye that paſſe by? Behold and ſee, if there be any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, &c. Againe, I called for my Lovers, but they deceived me. Verſ. 19.And Obadiah prophecieth againſt Edom for their cruelty, and want of compaſſion with their brethren of Judah in the day of their diſtreſſe. When Chriſt is any way afflicted, he expecteth to be pittied,Matth. 25. and will openly condemn them before all the world that omit this dutie. And that parabolicall ſpeech of Chriſt to the Jewes, of children ſitting in the Market place, and calling one to another,Luk. 7.32. and ſaying; Wee have mourned to you, and yee have not wept, is taken from this ground, that it is matter of juſt complaint, if when friends doe mourne, their fellows doe not weepe.
But the Scriptures are expreſſe in the command of this ſympathy.Rom. 12.15, 16. Rejoyce with them that rejoyce, and weepe with them that weepe; be of the ſame minde one towards another. When the Apoſtle had ſaid, Let brotherly love continue; in the verſes following he inſtanceth in two duties thereof;Heb. 13.1, 2, 3 firſt, In enterteining ſtrangers; ſecondly, In remembring them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them that ſuffer adverſitie, as being our ſelves alſo in the ſame body. God doth then expreſly require this part of brotherly love. The Doctrine is cleare enough, It is the part of true friends, Prov. 17.17.&c. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is borne for adverſitie.
Reaſons.
Becauſe they are members of the ſame body;the Reaſon intimated by the Apoſtle, Remember them that are in adverſitie, as being your ſelves alſo in the ſame body. Now it is the part of one member to fellow-feele with another. When the Shunamites ſonne was ſick, eſpecially in one part, his whole body complained, ſaying, My head, 2 King. 4.19.my head. This made David to ſay for my brethren and Companions ſake, I will ſay, Pſal. 1 22, 8.Peace be within thee. He deſired the peace of Jeruſalem, becauſe of his brethren and companions there, who were as it were, bone of his bone.
It is a great lightning of the afflictions of brethren, to be bemoaned by brethren and friends in time of affliction. Solamem miſeris ſocios, &c. ſociall ſorrowes doe ſomewhat ſolace the miſerable. Which wee ſee in Jeruſalems Complaint for want of pity from her Lovers, and Jobs (at laſt) from his friends. Now it is the part of friends and fellowes to beare one anothers burdens. Yea it is of the Law of Chriſt,Gal. 6.2. which is the Law of Love. And ſurely, if a man doth but ſee his horſe over-burdened, he will run preſently and lighten the loade that is upon him.
Againe; Conſider that it may be the caſe of, friends themſelves, who then would be glad to be ſympathized with. A man that hath friends,Prov. 18. laſt. ſaith Salomon, muſt carry himſelfe friendly. He may ſoone els looſe his friends when he expects to be dealt with friendly by them. One reaſon why mercy rejoyceth againſt judgement, Iam. 2.13.is becauſe as it hath yeelded mercy to others in time of Judgement, ſo now it expects the ſame from them in like caſe.
Laſtly, It is an eaſie ſervice of Love. It coſt Jobs friends but little to come and beſtow their teares and their ſorrowes upon him. What can a friend doe leſſe? true friendſhip and brotherhood goes further, it will, nay it muſt, if need be, lay downe its life for the brethren.1 Ioh. 3.16.
Ʋſe.
Before I come to the maine uſe which I ayme at, I will ſpeake a few words, by way of Information, to ſhew how farre they are from being friends or brethren, who are ready to rejoyce at the afflictions and miſeries of others. A right Edomitiſh quality;Obad. verſ. 12. for Edom rejoyced over the children of Judah in the day of their deſtruction, and ſpake proudly in the day of their diſtreſſe: and theſe were a curſed generation. And indeed the Pſalmiſt implyes it to be a property of abjects thus to doe: In mine adverſity they rejoyced,Pſal. 35.15. and gathered themſelves together, yea the abjects, (i.e. the caſt-awayes) gathered themſelves together. And it is commonly obſerved, that men and women who have turned Witches, and been in league with the devill, thereby to doe miſchiefe, are never given over ſo to doe, till they begin to have an evill eye, which grieveth at the Proſperity, and rejoyceth at the miſery of others. Hence Witchcraſt is deſcribed by an evill eye.
I know not what eye hath bewitched my young Lambes. And when any are bewitched,Neſcio quis teneros oculus mihi faſcina… agnos. it is a phraſe of ſpeech among many to ſay, they are overſeene, i.e. lookt upon with a malicious eye. Nay, it is the property of the devill to be thus affected. Mans proſperity is his p…ine, and mans adverſity his rejoyeing, as wee ſee in Iob; neither is there (ſcarce) any thing that doth more import the ſeed of the Serpent in a man, then this ſame foreign rejoycing in the evill and miſery of another. It is then the property of Edomites, abjects, witches and devils, to rejoyce in the miſery that befalleth others. And though I am not able to charge any of you with this curſed affection, yet I doe wiſh you to looke into your owne hearts; for this I am ſure, here are ſtrong temptations ſometimes, leading towards it in this Land, which when they meet with an heart voyd of grace, muſt needs ſtirre up the diſpoſition in it, and not onelyonly emulations and envyings, but witchcraft it ſelfe is a worke of the fleſh.Gal. 5.19, 20.
But the uſe that I doe principally intend, is of Exhortation to you all, as you deſire to approveyour ſelves the true friends and brethren of your deare Countrey-men in old England, to condole with them this day in their afflictions. Jobs friends, you ſee, did it for him ſeven dayes and ſeven nights, i.e. many dayes, oh let us doe it then this one day, at leaſt, for theſe.
Indeed when we looke upon our ſelves at this time in this Land, the Lord hath given us great cauſe of rejoycing, both in reſpect of civill and ſpirituall peace. God hath at once ſubdued the proud Pequats and the proud opinions that roſe up in this Land; and for plenty, never had the Land the like. Yea, which is much better, the Word of God growes and multiplyeth;Act. 12. the Churches have reſt throughout the whole land, and are edified,Act. 9.31. and walking in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghoſt, are multiplyed. This is much, and more it would be, if the edge of theſe and other our comforts were not this day turned by the feare of civill ſtrifes and combuſtions in the Land of our Nativitie, which doe not a little abate the ſweetneſſe of all other our happineſſe to us, and call for Lamentation and ſack cloth at our hands.
When Artaxerxes ſaid unto Nehemiah, Neh. 2.3.Why is thy countenance ſad, ſeeing thou art not ſicke? Have you not read the anſwer? Why ſhould not my countenance be ſad, when the City, the place of my Fathers ſepulchres lyes waſt, and the gates thereof are conſumed with fire? Why? Nehemiah was well enough at eaſe, he had honour, and power, and favour, and pleaſure enough, and being the Kings Cup-bearer, he had Wine enough of all ſorts at his command, which maketh glad the heart of man. But what is all this not to cloud his countenance, and to overcaſt it with griefe and ſorrow, when the City of his Fathers was layd waſt, and the gates thereof conſumed with fire? Thus Beloved, if our comforts were treble to what they are this day, yet could it not but much abate the ſweetneſſe of them, to conſider what diſtreſſes may lie at this time upon …ur native Countrey, for ought wee know, a… have too juſt cauſe to feare. When the Arke and Iſrael and Judah abode in tents, and Joab and his men were encamped in the open fields,2 Sam. 12.11. Ʋrijah tooke no comfort in his beautifull wiſe, nor in his houſe, nor in his meate and drinke.
Let us therefore, I beſeech you, lay aſide the though…s of all our comforts this day, and let us f…ſten our eyes upon the calamities of our brethren in old England, calamities, at leaſt, imminent calamities dropping, ſwords that have hung along time over their heads by a twine thread, judgements long ſince threatned as foreſeene by many of Gods Meſſengers in the cauſes, though not foretold by a Spirit prophetically guided; heavy judgements in all probability when they fall, if they are not fallen already. And not to looke upon the occaſions given on the one ſide or the other, betweene the two Siſter Nations (Siſter Nations? ah, the word woundeth,) let us looke this day ſimply on the event, a ſad event in all likelihood, the dividing of a King from his Subjects, and him from them, their mutuall taking up of Armes in oppoſition and deſence; the conſequences, even the gloomy and darke conſequences thereof, are killing and ſlaying, and ſacking and burning, and robbing and rifting, curſing and blaſpheming, &c.
If you ſhould but ſee Warre deſcribed to you in a Map, eſpecially in a Countrey well knowne to you, nay dearely beloved of you, where you drew your firſt breath, where once, yea where lately you dwelt, where you have received ten thouſand mercies, and have many a deare friend and Countrey-man and kinſman abiding, how could you but lament and mourne?
Warre is the conflict of enemies enraged with bloody revenge, wherein the parties oppoſite carry their lives in their hands, every man turning prodigall of his very heart blood, and willing to be killed to kill. The inſtruments are claſhing ſwords, ratling ſpeares, skul-dividing Holbeards, murthering pieces, and thundering Cannons, from whoſe mouths proceed the fire and ſmell and ſmoake and terrour and death, as it were, of the very bottomleſſe pit. Wee wonder now and then at the ſudden death of a man; alas, you might there ſee a thouſand men not onelyonly healthy, but ſtout and ſtrong, ſtruck dead in the twinckling of an eye, their breath exhales without ſo much as, Lord have mercy upon us. Death heweth its way thorow a wood of men in a minute of time from the mouth of a murderer, turning a forreſt into a champion ſuddenly; and when it hath uſed theſe to ſlay their oppoſites, they are recompenced with the like death themſelves. O the ſhrill care-piercing clangs of the trumpets, noiſe of drums, the animating voices of Horſe Captains and Commanders, learned and learning to deſtroy! Iob 39.19, 20, &c.There is the undaunted horſe whoſe neck is clothed with thunder, and the glory of whoſe noſtrills is terrible; how doth he lye pawing and praunſing in the valley going forth to meet the armed men? he mocks at feare, ſwallowing the ground with fiercenes and rage, and ſaying among the trumpets, Ha, Ha, he ſmels the battell a far off, the thunder of the Captaines and the ſhouting. Here ride ſome dead men ſwagging in their deep ſaddles; there fall others alive upon their dead horſes; death ſends a meſſage to thoſe from the mouth of the Muskets, theſe it talkes with face to face, and ſtabbs them in the fiſt rib: In yonder file there is a man hath his arme ſtruck off from his ſhoulder, another by him hath loſt his leg; here ſtands a Souldier with halfe a face, there fights another upon his ſtrumps, and at once both kils and is killed; not far off lyes a company wallowing in their ſweat and goare; ſuch a man whileſt he chargeth his Musket is diſcharg'd of his life, and falls upon his dead fellow.Iſa. 9.6. Every battell of the warriour is with confuſed noiſe and garments rouled in blood. Death reignes in the field, and is ſure to have the day which ſide ſoever falls. In the meane while (ô formidable!) the infernall fiends follow the Campe to catch after the ſoules of rude nefarious ſouldiers (ſuch as are commonly men of that calling) who fight themſelves feareleſly into the mouth of hell for revenge, a booty, or a little revenue. How thick and threefold doe they ſpeed one another to deſtruction? A day of battell is a day of harveſt for the devill.
All this while, the poore wife and tender children ſit weeping together at home, having taken their late farewell of the harneſſed huſband and father (ô it was a ſad parting if you had ſeene it!) never looking to ſee his face againe, as indeed many and the moſt of them never doe; for anon comes Ely's meſſenger from the Camp, ſaying,1 Sam. 4.17. There is a great ſlanghter among the people, and your husband is dead, your father is dead, he was ſlaine in an hot fight, he was ſhot dead in the place and never ſpake a word more. Then the poore widow who fed yet upon a crumb of hope, teares her haire from her head, rends her cloths, wrings her hands, lifts up her voice to heaven, and weeps like Rachell that would not be comforted, her children hang about her crying and ſaying, O my father is ſlaine, my father is dead, I ſhall never ſee my father more; and ſo they cry and ſob and ſight out their afflicted ſoules, and breake their hearts together. Alas, Alas! this is yet but Warre thorow a Creviſe. Beloved, doe but conſider; There is many times fire without warre, and famine and peſtilence without warre, but warre is never without them: and there are many times robberies without warre, and murthering of paſſengers, raviſhing of matrones, deflouring of virgins, cruelties and torments and ſometimes barbarous and inhumane practices without warre, but warre goes ſeldome or never without them.
Warre, it is malum complexum, a compound of Judgements,Pſal. 75.8. amixt miſery, the cup in the hand of the Lord, the wine whereof is red, and it is full of mixture. The wine is indeed as red as blood, and the ingredients are fire, famine, peſtilence, murthers, robberies, rapes, deflourings, cruelties, torments, with many other miſeries. The voice of melody ceaſeth, relations that were lately the comfort are now become the griefe of the life of men; the high wayes are unoccupyed, Iudges 5.6, 7, 11.the travellers walke thorow by wayes, the Inhabitants of the villages ceaſe, and the noiſe of the Archers is heard in the places of drawing water. Warre, it is the immediate hand of ſuch whoſe tendereſt mercies are cruelties,2 Sam. 24.14. commonly therefore the laſt of Gods ſtroakes upon them that will take no warning. But yet there is difference in warres; a warre in the borders of an enemy is held better then a warre in ones native Countrey; for commonly, the land that is as the garden of Eden before an enemy,Joel 2.3. behind them is like a deſolate Wilderneſſe; and it is very wofull when people and land ſhall be waſted together. Or if it be warre in our owne and, yet a warre againſt a forreigne enemy invading, is far better then a civill warre. It is grievous, but not admirable, to ſee an Egyptian and an Hebrew contending, but to ſee, as the Prophet ſayth, Egyptians againſt Egyptians,Iſa. 19.2. and every one fighting againſt his brother, and againſt his neighbour, City againſt City, and Kingdome againſt Kingdome; or to ſee, as the ſame Prophet ſayth, Manaſſeh againſt Ephraim, Iſa. 9.21.and Ephraim againſt Manaſſeh, and both againſt Judah; O, this is both lamentable and wonderfull! The mad Souldier in the heart of his blood, and the depth of his Atheiſme, may account it perhaps at firſt with Abner but a play, to ſee Iſraelites catching of Iſraelites by the beard,2 Sam. 2.14, 15, 16. and thruſting their ſwords in one anothers ſides: but of all warres none ſo bloody, neither hath any play ſuch bitterneſſe in the end.
It is a ſad play, wherein not onelyonly mens goods and bodyes and ſoules doe commonly lye at ſtake, but wherein alſo even the very Conquerour is conquered, as one that played but for his owne money, and at ſuch a deſperate play whoſe very gaines are looſings. No warres ſo cruell, ſo unnaturall, ſo deſolating, as civill warres. You have heard, Beloved, of the dreadfull German-warres; why, if there be any in our owne Countrey this day, I may call them German-warres, becauſe they are the warres of Germans, even the bloody contentions of brethren; and when relations turne oppoſites, nothing more oppoſite. A Kingdome at warres with a forreigne enemy may ſtand, but a Kingdome divided againſt it ſelfe, can never; there can never be proſperitie within Jeruſalems pallaces,Pſal. 122.7. if firſt there be not peace within her walls. Unity and peace are a bond,Epheſ. 4.3. and where that is broken, there muſt needs follow diſſolution.
When the Philiſtines went beating downe one another,1 Sam. 14.16. the multitude (mark the word) melted away. A thing never conſumes faſter, then when it falls to melting: and how doe ſuch weaken themſelves for an enemy without, and ſight for the conqueſt of ſome forreigne adverſary? Gedeons men may ſtand ſtill every man in his place,Iudg. 7.21.22. ſo long as Midianites turne their ſwords againſt Midianites.2 Chron. 20. Neither needs Jehoſophat ſtrike a ſtroake, when the Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites his enemies, lye in ambuſh one againſt another; firſt Moah and Ammon fighting againſt Edom, and then Moah and Ammon one againſt another. And what was the iſſue of the eleven Tribes warres with their brother Benjamin, but lamentation,Iudg 21.2, 3, 6. mourning and woe? And yet too among civill warres,—En quò diſcordia cives Perduxit miſeros. ſome are worſe then other. I have read, I remember, in Lucan, of warres betweene Caeſar and Pompey worſe then civill:Bellaper Ematheospluſquam civilia campos. and ſuch eſpecially are mutining warres, when there is little truſt to either ſide, and friends are ſcarce knowne from foes, but all things are filled with conjurations, treacheries, diſtractions, factions, feares, ſuſpitions, tumults, combuſtions, ſpoy lings, &c. The Lord be mercifull to old England, as hitherto he hath been, yea more then to any Land this day under the Sunne, which indeed heightneth its ſins above the Sunne, and makes it more ſinfull then any Land at this time in the whole world, inſomuch, that we cannot but yeeld that there are no warres that Englands ſinnes have not deſerved. Let us therefore feare the worſt at this preſent in behalfe of our deare Countrey-men (conſidering alſo what ill tidings we have heard thence) that nothing, as we doubt, but a miracle of divine power and mercy can preſerve them from the miſeries of the devouring ſword. I remember what the Auxiliaries of Egypt ſaid in their diſtreſſe,Jere. 46.16. Ariſe, and let us goe againe unto our people, and to the Land of our Nativity from the oppreſsing ſword; but if wee were now under that miſery, I doubt it would be in vaine for us to ſay the like. But that which wee are now called unto, is Brotherly Compaſſion, and to doe the part of Jobs friends in my Text, to ſit aſtoniſhed, as at the crying ſinnes, ſo at the feared ſorrowes of our Countrymen, for in all probabilitie, their griefe is very great.
To this end, you may thinke a while upon theſe particulars.
Of our civill relation to that Land, and the Inhabitants therein. There is no Land that claimes our name, but England, wee are diſtinguiſhed from all the Nations in the world by the name of Engliſh. There is no Potentate breathing, that wee call our dread Soveraigne, but King CHARLES, nor Lawes of any Land have civilized us, but Englands; there is no Nation that calls us Countrey-men, but the Engliſh. Brethren! Did wee not there …aw in our firſt breath? Did not the Sunne firſt ſhine there upon our heads? Did not that Land firſt beare us, even that pleaſant Iſland, but for ſin, I would ſay, that Garden of the Lord, that Paradiſe?
Withall, let us thinke upon our naturall relations to many in that Land. Some of you, I know, have Fathers and Mothers there, ſome of you have Brethren and Siſters, others of you have Uncles and Aunts there, and neare kinſfolke. All theſe ſitting in griefe and ſorrow, challenge our ſympathize; and it is a fearefull ſin to be voyde of naturall affections:Rom. 1.31. nature wrought in Abraham, as well as grace, when his nephew Lot was taken captive by the foure Kings.Gen. 14.
But which is more, let us remember, how(for many of us) we ſtand in a ſpirituall relation to many, yea very many in that Land. The ſame threed of grace is ſpun thorow the hearts of all the godly under heaven. Such a one there, is thy ſpirituall Father, he begot thee in Chriſt Jeſus thorow the Goſpell; and there thou haſt ſpirituall Brethren and Siſters and Mothers.Matth. 12.50. O there is many a ſweet, loving, humble, heavenly ſoule in that Land, in whoſe boſome Chriſt breaths by his bleſſed Spirit every day, and ſuch as I hope wee ſhall ever love at the remoteſt diſtance, were it from one end of the earth unto the other. Why, they are bone of our bone, and fleſh of our fleſh in Chriſt, nearer by farre then friends, and kindred, oh let their ſorrowes be our ſorrowes, and their miſeries ours.
Beſides theſe relations, civill, naturall, ſpirituall,let us thinke upon the ſpeciall tyes and and engagements that many there have upon us. Among your friends there, whither naturall or ſpirituall, there are, no doubt, ſome there, whom you prize above the reſt. O if you could but ſee them, your ſoules would hardly ſtay within your bodies for running forth to meet them; At leſt, you would ſtrive to incorporate your ſelves into them by the cloſeſt embraces. Alas, theſe now, perhaps, are weeping in their ſecret places, theſe are now ſitting with Job among the aſhes. If you could but ſee the expreſſions of their ſorrowes, and heare their preſent ſpeeches and complaints, and how they, their wives, and little ones doe ſit and lament together, it may be ſome of them in expectation of daily death, and how they faſt and pray, and afflict their ſoules, or how, peradventure, they wiſh themſelves at this very inſtant with us; O you would weepe and cry, and melt away into teares of ſorrow.
To this, adde the Conſideration of the many mercies, heapes of rich and precious mercies, twenty, yea thirty and forty yeares mercies, and to ſome more, which wee have there received; eſpecially ſoule mercies. There the light of the glorious Goſpel of Chriſt Jeſus firſt ſhined forth unto thee; there firſt thou heardſt his pleaſant voice; there did his good Spirit firſt breathe upon thine heart; there didſt thou firſt beleeve and repent, and amend thy lewd wayes. And never was there a Land, I thinke, ſince Chriſt and his Apoſtles left the world, ſo richly bleſt in converts, or that ever brought forth ſuch and ſo many worthies into the world. Yet there now (alas indeed, where ſooner, when ſinne aboundeth?) doth Judgement begin to reigne, as we may greatly feare.
Or is it not meet that we ſhould beare a partwith them in their ſorrowes, who have borne a part with them in their ſinnes? Have we conferred ſo many ſinnes as we have done to ſpeed on their confuſion, and ſhall we beſtow no ſorrow on them? Shall we not help to quench the fire with our teares, that we have kindled with our ſinnes? O cruell! How know wee but that the Lord is at this inſtant viſiting our tranſgreſſions there acted, which polluted the Land? Beloved, did wee not commit there ten thouſand millions of ſinnes and more amongſt us during our aboad there? There, O there, we played the ungodly Atheiſts, there it was we halted betweene God and Baal, ſware by the Lord and by Malchom, were neither hot nor cold; there ſome of us blaſphemed the dreadfull name of the ever bleſſed God, polluted his Sabbaths, deſpiſed his meſſengers, contemned his holy wayes, prophaned and abuſed his mercies, and his good creatures, ran with others to the ſame exceſſe of riot, &c. And how ever ſome may ſay, they have repented hereof, yet little doe they know what evill examples they have left there behind to fill up the meaſure both of ſinne and wrath. If thy ſinnes committed there be pardoned, yet thy ſins ſins may be puniſhed, like as a Father may be ſpared, and yet his children executed.
Thy ſinnes; ôman, have begotten many ſins there; there is many a formaliſt, and many a conformitant the more for thee, as indeed I feare there is for me. Alas, how have they kept on ſinning upon our examples? Anothers drunkenneſſes have begotten many a drunkard there, as anothers ſpirituall cowardize many a Nicodemite, and anothers Lukewarmeneſſe many a Laodicean. Now, doe we feare that the Lord is gone forth this day to call that Land to an account, and to viſite for theſe and the like abominations, and is this nothing unto us? Shall men be ſlaine for our ſinnes, and we afford them no ſorrow? What? ſhall the old Prophet in Bethel riſe up in judgement againſt us? for when he had ſlaine the man of God by his lying and diſſembling to him, he yet mourned and lamented over him,1 King. 13.30. ſaying, Alas my Brother. Ah my friends and brethren, let us doe the like; our ſinnes have ſlaine, perhaps by this time, a little Army of men, what can wee leſſe then lament over them, ſaying, Alas, Alas, our Brethren. Surely, wee in this Land have great cauſe to doe as wee doe this day, if for no other reſpect, yet for this; for wee have done enough and enough to overwhelme old England with the wrath of God; that our hearts at this time could be but over-ſhadowed with a cloud of ſorrow!
Againe; let us ſuppoſe that things were even now turned end for end, and that wee were this day in diſtreſſe, and thoſe our brethren in peace; I am confident, that they would condole with us, yea and powre out many a prayer for us: for they did as much, I know, when this Land lay ſometimes under dearth, another time when the Indians rebelled, a third, when the monſtrous opinions prevailed. And how have they alwayes liſſened after our wellfare, ebbing and flowing in their affections with us? How doe they (I meane all this while, multitudes of well affected perſons there) talke of New-England with delight! How much nearer heaven doe ſome of their charities account this Land, then any other place they heare of in the world? Such is their good opinion of us! How have ſome among them deſired to dye, if they might not be vouchſafed to live in this Land? And when ſometimes a New-England man returnes thither, how is he lookt upon, lookt after, received, entertained, the ground he walks upon beloved for his ſake, and the houſe held the better where he is? how are his words liſſened to, laid up, and related frequently when he is gone? neither is any love or kindneſſe held too much for ſuch a man.
Neither let this be forgotten, that of all theChriſtian people this day in the world, wee in this Land enjoy the greateſt meaſure of peace and tranquilitie. Wee have beaten our ſwords into plough-ſhares and our ſpeares into pruning hookes, when others have beaten their pruning hookes into ſpeares, and their plough-ſhares into ſword. And now, as Moſes ſayd to the Reubenites and the Gadites,Numb. 32.6. Shall your brethren goe to warre, and ſhall yee ſit ſtill? So, ſhall our brethren goe to warre, and we ſit ſtill, and not ſo much as grieve with them? ſhall they be wounded with the ſword and ſpeare, and not we pierced ſo much as with brotherly ſorrow? Surely then, if ever the LORD ſhould bring the like houre of temptation upon us, as his people here have not been long hitherto without exerciſe, he might juſtly ſhut us out of the hearts of all our brethren in the world. And whereas too perhaps here and there one in our native Land, eſpecially in their paſſions, may have had ſome tranſient thoughts, touching, it may be, ſome of us, as if the exorbitant ſpirit of John and James were in us, deſirous that fire from heaven ſhould fall upon them, as if, I meane, we would be glad to heare of Judgements upon our native Countrey (ô cruell, and unnaturall!) our fellow-feelings this day, I hope, ſhall wipe away all ſuch prejudices. And truly, if Gods Juſtice might be ſatisfied with that Lands amendment without one drop of blood, though we ſhould ſhed ſtore both of teares and blood to effect it, wee would greatly rejoyce, and ſoone turne this day of Humiliation into a day of gratulation, graiſe, and thankeſgiving.
What ſhall I ſay? If there ſhould be any one heart here digd out of a Marpelian rock, let ſuch an one remember,Iere. 29.7. laſtly, that in the peace of that Land, we ſhall have peace, and therefore in the miſery of that Land, we ſhall never be happie. You know, that God hath hitherto made that Land a bleſſing unto this; If Chriſt hath a Vine here, that Land hath as yet been the Elme that hath ſuſteined it. Thence hath the Lord thus ſtockt this American part with ſuch Worthies, there were they bred and nurſt, thence hitherto have been our yearely ſupplies of men, and of many an uſefull commoditie. If then they ſuffer, we may eaſily ſmart; if they ſink, wee are not likely to riſe. And this, at leaſt, may be a perſwaſive to a ſordide minde, that will not be wrought upon by more ingenuous Arguments.
The mercifull God ſtirre up all our affections, and give us that godly ſympathy, which that Land deſerveth at our hands, and teach us to expreſſe it upon all occaſions of ill tydings comming to our eares from thence. Yea, let us ſit at this time like old Ely upon the wayes ſide,1 Sam. 4. watching, as he did, for the Arke of the Lord, with a trembling hand and heart. And let us be every day confeſſing of our old England ſinnes, of its high pride, Idolatry, ſuperſtition, blaſphemies, blood, cruelties, Atheiſmes, &c. and let us never goe to our ſecrets without our Cenſors in our hands for old England, deare England ſtill in diverſe reſpects, left indeed by us in our perſons, but never yet forſaken in our affections. The good God of Heaven, have mercy upon it, and upon all his deare people and ſervants in it, for Chriſt his ſake, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Hooke, New Englands Tears for Old Englands Fears (1641)