Divine Cordials, Sermons · Sermon 4
Sermon IV.
Ezra 9. the laſt Verſe.
O Lord God of Iſrael, thou art righteous, for we remaine yet eſcaped as it is this day: Behold wee are before thee in our treſpaſſes; for wee cannot ſtand before thee, becauſe of this.
IN this verſe Ezra pleads guilty to the inditement, acknowledging God to bee juſt, though hee ſhould renew his judgements afreſh upon them: There bee two things in it; Firſt, his juſtifying God, in theſe words, [O Lord God of Iſrael, thou art righteous.] Secondly, the reaſon which hee gives for it; firſt on Gods part, he had uſed all poſſible meanes to bring them to Reformation: [Wee remaine yet eſcaped as at this day:] ſecondly on their part, [they were ſtill in their treſpaſſes.] And therefore they were the freſh fuell of Gods indignation. Before we come to theſe particulars, give me leave to ſpeak a word or two of the ſtile hee gives God; he calls him, [Lord God of Iſrael.] The title [Lord,] ſignifies his greatneſſe, [the God of Iſrael,] his goodneſſe: A fit Preface for a prayer: for the word [Lord,] it is a terme well befitting God; in the holy Scripture he is ſaid to be ſtrong in power, and wonderfull in working: Nay, ſo powerfull he is, that nothing whatſoever is impoſſible to him: The Scripture demonſtrates further, That he doth what he pleaſeth, in heaven and in earth, in the ſeas, and all deep places, Pſal. 135.6. And what hee will doe,Pſa. 135.6. all the world cannot hinder. Secondly, the holy Scripture ſets out Gods power by this, that whatſoever hee doth, hee doth without difficulty: hee knowes how to ſit ſtill and work, and to work and ſit ſtill; Yea, ſo farre is his power extended, that his will is his power, as appeares in the creation; he ſaid the word, and all things were created: and though ſome Atheiſticall ſpirits have asked with what ladders and engines, God built the Fabrick of heaven; if they had but conſulted, Gen. 1. they ſhould have been reſolved;Geneſ. 1. for that ſhewes them, that by his word ſpeaking all things were made: and it is worth our obſervation in the Book of God, where hee is ſaid to effect things by meanes; we ſhall finde that he hath done the greateſt things by the ſmalleſt meanes: Thus by Moſes and Aaron, a couple of poore men, he delivered his people Iſrael out of Egyptian bondage, in ſpight of Pharaoh that great Potentate; and by Gideon and his three hundred men, hee conquered that great Army of the Midianites which lay as as Graſſe-hoppers on the earth for multitude: So he ruined the Walls of Iericho by the ſound of rammes hornes; and he wrought thoſe great wonders in Egypt by Moſes his rod, which was a contemptible thing: This alſo by Shamgars goad hee laid the Philistims heapes upon heapes: and by a jawbone of an Aſſe in the hand of Sampſon, he ſlew a thouſand men; and by little David overcame and ſlew that great Goliath: When hee would work redemption for the Sons of men, hee brought it to paſſe by him who was, noviſsimus hominum, the meaneſt of men: who was poore in his birth, obſcure in his education, poorely attended when he came to the execution of his Miniſtry, and pooreſt of all in his death, for qui in vita non domicilium, in morte non ſepulchrum, he that in his life had not a houſe to hide his head in, when hee died, was buried in another mans Tombe: and when hee will diſpence the Goſpel, hee makes choyce of Fiſhermen, to publiſh thoſe glad tidings to the World. Thirdly, God is ſaid to bee powerfull, becauſe he can doe more then he will: he could of ſtones have raiſed children to Abraham, but hee would not; and when our bleſſed Lord was apprehended, hee tells Peter, that hee could have obtained of his Father, more then twelve legions of Angels to help him, but he would not: He can doe more then hee will, but hee will not doe all that hee can.
Vſe 1 It meets with thoſe that deny this to God: Plinius ſecundus ſaith, God is not Almighty, becauſe hee cannot lie nor deceive: Lodovicus Vives wonders at this, ſaying, I admire that a man ſo wiſe ſhould cavill at Gods power; but Saint Auguſtine anſwers him well, and ſaith, therefore is God ommipotent, becauſe hee cannot he nor deceive, for theſe argue impotency. Secondly, it confutes others, who ſay God is not ſo powerfull as the Scripture makes him to be, becauſe hee cannot make a thing to bee againſt its nature, as to bee, and not to be: to whom I anſwer, things which in their nature are ſimply impoſſible (with reverence bee it ſpoken) God cannot doe; but all other things, though impoſſible to created nature, God can doe; therefore this vaine objection doth not diſparage Gods power.
Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, let it comfort Gods people; God is the Lord Almighty in power, what then ſhall bee obſtaculous to him to performe with them? where humane help failes, there God puts in with his power, and makes mans extremity his opportunity: hee comes not to Sarah, till it had ceaſt to bee with her after the manner of women: he comes not to deliver Iſrael, till they were upon the brink of the red ſea; and then Moſes ſaid, Feare yee not, but ſtand ſtill, and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord; hee came not to deliver the three children, till they were caſt into the fiery furnace; nor to Daniel till he was among the Lyons: there can be no falſhood in what he ſaith, for nothing is too hard for him to effect.
Vſe 3 Laſtly, it ſhould teach us to ſtand in awe, and not ſinne againſt God, for hee is able to grind the greateſt Prince to powder, if he be rebellious: nay, he can make the flies, the lice, the locuſts, the ants, thoſe contemptible creatures to deſtroy man, if hee continue refractory: therefore let us ſtand in awe of this great Lord, that his mighty power may bee armed to our preſervation, not to our deſtruction. So wee come to the ſecond, which is, that hee is, [the God of Iſrael.] And if in the firſt he was maximus, the greateſt, then in this he is optimus, the beſt. l know hee is the God of all the earth, Pſal. 24.1.Pſal. 24.1. but more eſpecially hee is the God of Iſrael: Firſt, ſecundum ſpecialem cultum, by a ſpeciall and peculiar worſhip: to them above other people, hee revealed how hee would bee worſhipped; they were ſcriniarii legis, the treaſurers of the Law: God dealt not with the Heathen, as hee dealt with Iſrael; they are deſcribed by calling on the Lord, as if no people called upon God but they. Secondly, hee is the God of Iſrael, ſecundum ſpecialem curam, in regard of that ſpeciall care hee had of them: he was a wall of fire round about them, to preſerve them from their enemies: God is ſaid to carry his people, as an Eagle carrieth her young ones on her wings,Deut. 32.11. Deut. 32.11. it is a ſweet compariſon, the Eagle feares nothing from above to hurt her young ones, becauſe ſhe ſoares higher then any other bird; and if there come any danger from beneath, her body is between it and her young, ſhee will be hurt, rather then they ſhall: So God interpoſes between his people and their enemies, ſo that no miſchiefe ſhall befall them, but by his permiſſion. Thirdly, hee is the God of Iſrael, ſecundum ſpeciale praemium, by a ſpeciall reward which hee hath promiſed them: he ſaith to Abraham, I am thy exceeding great reward; and that God that told him hee would give the land of Canaan to him and his ſeed for a poſſeſſion, doth not only provide for his people a temporall Canaan here, but an eternall Canaan hereafter, of which the other is but a Tipe: they be called, ſegullam, his chiefe treaſure: and Saint Peter cals them, a choſen generation, a royall Prieſthood, a holy Nation, a peculiar people, 2. Pet. 2.9.2 Pet. 2.9. And to ſpread it a little further, it is not only now, Deus notus in Iehuda, God is known in Iudah, but notus inter Gentes, he is known among the Gentiles; for whereſoever the Goſpel is preached, they be the Iſrael of God: they be the piece of ground culled out of the whole world, to be a garden for the Lord; they bee his incloſure, and are tied to him by the ſtricteſt relations in the world; hee is their Maſter, and they bee his ſervants; yet more, hee is their Father, and they bee his children; yet more, hee is their Husband, and they bee his Spouſe, for hee hath married them to himſelfe, Ierem. 3.4.Ierem. 3.14.
Vſe 1 This that hath been ſaid, may aſſure Gods children of his affection towards them: be they his? then they may bee ſure that hee will have a care of them; relation hath ever been a ground of affection: a man loves not his Countrey ſo much, quia magnam, becauſe it is great, as quia ſuam, becauſe it is his: Therefore if God entitle his people to himſelfe, they may bee ſure hee will care for them: and what can bee more for Gods people to triumph in, then that the Lord is their God? This high Priviledge exceeds all things whatſoever; for hee that hath honour and riches, may goe to hell with them; but hee that hath God to bee his God, is ſure to bee everlaſtingly happy. I read of one in S. Auguſtine, that paſſing by a ſtately houſe, which had faire demeanes about it, hee asked one that hee met, to whom that houſe and land belonged, hee anſwered to ſuch a one; O ſaith hee, that is a happy man: no, ſaith the Father, hee is not happy, that hath that houſe and land, but hee is happy that hath the Lord to be his God.
Vſe 2 Secondly, mee thinks this ſhould take off the edge of all Perſecutors; Is God the God of his people? and dare they touch that which is hallowed unto God? will they meddle with the apple of his eye? God is ſaid to be blaſphemed, when Rabſhekah that railing Oratour reviled the Hoſt of Iſrael: and Chriſt ſaith to Saul when hee was going to Damaſcus, Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou mee? It is well known that there was an infinite diſtance between our Saviour and hee; but it was in his members that hee was perſecuted. Zereſh the wife of Haman gave good counſell to her Husband, had he taken it in time, ſhee tells him,Eſth. 6.13. Eſth. 6.13. If Mordecai bee of the feed of the Iewes before whom thou haſt begun to fall, thou ſhall not prevaile againſt him, but ſurely falI before him. I know that oftentimes God gives Perſecutors power to hurt his people, but it is not ad extirpationem, to root them up, ſed ad exercitationem, but to exerciſe and try them; Therefore the enemies of Gods Church, are compared to Bees, that have honey, as well as a ſting: God makes the wicked as uſefull to his children, as the fire is to the gold: as Ignatius that holy Martyr ſaid, when hee was threatned, that he ſhould bee eaten up of wilde beaſts; ſaith he, By paſsing thorow the teeth of wilde beaſts, I ſhall bee the purer manchet for the table of God my Maſter.
Vſe 3 Thirdly, me thinks it ſhould teach all Perſecutors, and all wicked men to love the people of God: how are wee affected with earthly things? If wee know a man whom the King favours, how doe wee ſeek to get into his favour? wee will doe him any ſervice to obtaine it: and are not the Saints of God his Favourites? Yes, they are thoſe whom God highly honours; Why doe wee not then indeare our ſelves unto them? if the wicked were wiſe, they would keep in with Gods people above all others; one Moſes will more prevaile with God to turne away his wrath, then a thouſand other men:Acts 27. and in the Acts 27. all in the ſhip are beholding to Saint Paul for their lives: I know the wicked miſ-uſe the godly, and think meanly of them; but were it not for them, they ſhould quickly be made as Sodom and Gomorrah, for they ſtand in the breach interceding with God for them, in ſo much that hee ſaith, let mee alone: but though ungodly men maligne them, we who are led by a better ſpirit, ſhould doe the Saints of God all the good we can: And they that doe it ſhall not goe unrewarded, for it is a Sacrifice well pleaſing to God,Phil. 4.18. Phil. 4.18. And ſaith the ſame Apoſtle,Heb. 6.10. Heb. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which yee ſhewed towards his name, in that yee have miniſtred unto the Saints, and yet miniſter: and Chriſt himſelfe ſaith, Matth. 10.42.Matth. 10.42. Whoſoever giveth a cup of cold water only to the leaſt of theſe, in the name of a Diſciple, verily hee ſhall not loſe his reward.
Vſe 4 Laſtly, is the Lord the God of Iſrael? let Iſrael then behave themſelves as Gods people: what ſaith the ſpirit of God in Deut. 26.18?Deut. 26.18. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to bee his peculiar people, as hee hath promiſed thee, that thou ſhouldſt keep all his Commandements: So in 1 Cor. 6.20.1 Cor. 6.20. Yee are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your ſpirit, which are Gods: Titus 2.14.and in Titus 2.14. Who gave himſelfe for us, that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity, and purifie to himſelfe a peculiar people zealous of good works: and Saint Peter cals the people of God lively ſtones, and a holy Prieſthood: Why ſo? it followes in the next words, to offer up ſpirituall ſacrifices, 1 Pet. 2.5.acceptable to God by Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 2.5. Therefore as many of you as lay claime to God, be not companions to wicked men; though they ſweare, lie, deceive, oppreſſe, vos autem non ſic, yet muſt not you doe ſo: Though Iudah play the harlot, let not Iſrael ſinne; let your chiefe care bee, to live as the people of God: and if yee would bee known to bee ſuch, Let your converſation bee according to the Goſpel: and as many as walk after that rule, peace ſhall be upon them, and upon the whole Iſrael of God: Now wee come to the particulars in the Text, as wee laid them down: Firſt, for his juſtifying of God, [thou art righteous.] This hath been ever the practiſe of Gods people, they have ſtill confeſſed God to bee juſt in what he hath brought upon them. Thus doth David, Pſal. 51.4.Pſal. 51.4 Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned, and done this evill in thy ſight, that thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and be cleare when thou judgeſt: As if he had ſaid, though thou puniſh mee ſeverely, yet I cannot but confeſſe that it is juſtly:Pſal. 119.137. So in Pſal. 119.137. Righteous art thou O Lord, and upright are thy judgements: The like wee ſee in Eli, when Samuel told him that ſad Meſſage from God, concerning the extirpation of his houſe, hee ſaith, It is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him good, 1 Sam. 3.18.1 Sam. 3.18. which calls to my minde that of Hezekiah, when he had ſhewed the Embaſſadours of the King of Babylon his Treaſurers, and that the Lord had ſent Iſaiah to tell him, that for his vaine-glory, hee would give them into the hands of that King; all that hee ſaith, is, bonum eſt verbum Iehovae, good is the word of the Lord, Iſa. 39.8.Iſa. 39.8. The like wee ſee in Daniel, Dan. 9.7.Dan. 9.7. O Lord righteouſneſſe belongeth to thee, but unto us confuſion of faces as at this day: The ſame was the practiſe of good Nehemiah, Neh. 9.33.Nehem. 9.33. Thou art juſt in all that is brought upon us, for thou haſt done right, but wee have done wickedly: As if hee had ſaid, we know wee lie under a great judgement, and wee hope thou our God doſt not think it ſmall, but bee it what it will, wee are ſure thou art juſt in inflicting it upon us; and becauſe contraries doe beſt appeare when they are brought together, yee ſhall ſee how contrary the wicked be to the godly in this: Cain cryes out, that his puniſhment is greater then he could beare: hee complaines not of his ſinne, but of his puniſhment, as if God puniſhed him more then hee deſerved: and Saul takes it ill that Samuel ſhould charge him with diſobedience, though it were groſſe and palpable; and yee ſhall finde in Scripture that God expoſes his actions to ſcanning,Ierem. 5.19. Ierem. 10.16. that it may appeare to all the world, how juſt he is. In Ierem. 5.19. and in Chap. 10.16. the wicked are not aſhamed to queſtion God, why hee puniſhed them, as if hee had done it without cauſe:Ezek. 18.25. So in Ezek. 18.25. They ſay, the Lords wayes were not equall: as if he had puniſhed the children for their Fathers ſinnes; when as the ſame ſinnes were found in the children:Mal. 3.8. So in Mal. 3.8. when God challengeth and plagueth them for their tranſgreſſions, they reply, What have wee done? As if God puniſhed them without deſert: and this humour of turning againe, will not leave the wicked at the laſt day: for when Chriſt ſhall ſay unto them on his left hand depart yee curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devill and his angels, for I was an hungred, and yee gave mee no meat; I was thirſty, and yee gave me no drink: then ſhall they anſwer him, ſaying, Lord, when ſaw we thee an hungred, or a thirſt?
Vſe 1 This lets us ſee, how the world failes in this particular; when God layes his hand on men, how apt are they to diſpute with God, and ſay, why doth hee deale thus and thus with us? and by this meanes they are ſo farre from mitigating, that they encreaſe his hand upon them: Nay, there bee thoſe preſumptuous ones that in argumentation will aske, why God elected ſome, and reprobated others? but take heed of this, is it not enough to knock at the doore, but wee muſt break it open? Who art thou O man, that replieſt to thy Maker?
Vſe 2 Secondly, let us alwayes bee perſwaded of the juſtice of God in all his proceedings; for though wee ſee not the reaſon, why hee doth this or that, yet there is good reaſon for it: Voluntas Dei ſecreta ſit, nunquam injusta; the cauſe why God puniſheth, may bee hid, but it is never unjuſt: Therefore when thy tumultuous fleſh ſhall ſay with Rebeckah, Why am I thus? know that it is for thy exceſſe, thy Sabbath-breaking, thy hypocriſie, thy lewd converſation: Therefore change thy note, and ſay with the Church, Mich. 7.9.Mich. 7.9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, becauſe I have ſinned againſt him: I know it is a hard thing to ſuppreſſe the tumultuous thoughts which ariſe in men in times of trouble; but theſe muſt bee laboured agaiſt with all our power, for no man gets by contending with his Maker, but multiplies his ſtroaks: Wee proceed now to the reaſon which hee gives for juſtifying God: [for wee remaine yet eſcaped, as it is this day.] As if hee had ſaid, thy goodneſſe is demonſtrate, hee that runnes may read it, thou haſt been abundantly more mercifull to us, then to thouſands of our brethren who periſhed in the captivity; for lo, we remain even to this day: That which I collect from hence is this.
In generall judgements which God brings upon the World, there is ſtill ſome eſcaping. When God ſent the Deluge upon the world, Noah and his Family periſhed not; in the fiery ſhower which God rained on Sodom, and Gomorrah, Lot, and his Daughters periſhed not; nay, a whole City (to wit Zoar) is ſpared at Lots entreaty: When Pharaoh commanded all the male children of the Iewes to bee drowned, Moſes was preſerved: and when Iericho was deſtroyed, Rahab and her Family were ſpared: and when for Davids pride, ſeventy thouſand were conſumed by the Peſtilence, many thouſands in Iſrael eſcaped: and when the laſt great Plague was among us, thouſands and ten thouſands had their life for a prey. What is the ground of this?
Reaſon 1 Firſt, all Gods wayes are interveined with mercy.
Reaſon 2 Secondly, God ſtill ſpares ſome to bring them to repentance, that they may turn out of the crooked, into the ſtraight path.
Vſe 1 Let me adviſe them that have taſted of Gods mercy in this way, never to forget it: and for this let me ſtirre up my own ſoule to prayſe God with you: when my next neighbour was ſmitten dead, why was not I ſmitten alſo? it was only Gods mercy: when ſome in the ſame houſe with us were infected, and died of the plague; why were wee ſpared? it was of Gods meere mercy, and it ought to bee marvellous in our eyes.
Vſe 2 Secondly, let us bee farre from cenſuring any that dyed in the laſt viſitation, as if they were greater ſinners then others; farre bee it from us to bee of this wicked humour: for many a good ſoule went to Heaven then, and many a Cham was ſpared: Wee are bound to praiſe him for our ſelves, for why did hee ſpare us? was it not that wee ſhould bee better? Gods ſparing men, is either to harden them, or to amend them; therefore, except wee repent, wee ſhall likewiſe periſh. The reaſon which hee gives on their part, is, that though God had ſpared them, [yet they were before him in their treſpaſſes:] as if hee had ſaid, O Lord thou haſt to the full performed thy counterpart with us, but wee are yet in our ſinnes, for wee are as bad or worſe then wee were before. Here take notice of thus much:
What a fearefull judgement it is, not to profit by afflictions: It is that for which God finds great fault with his people in Deut. 29.2.3.4. his hand had been heavie upon their Enemies in their ſight and view,Deut 29.2.3, 4. yet they were never the better. So in lſa. 1.5. there the Lord ſaith to Iſrael, Iſa. 1.5.why ſhould yee bee ſtricken any more? yee will revolt more and more: Ierem. 12.13.The like alſo we ſee in Ierem. 12.13. They were ſick and had no profit: This was the ſinne of Cain, hee was ſtigmatiſed for a wretch, yet hee was as wicked as hee was before: It was alſo the ſinne of Pharaoh, Ahab and Ahaz; they were all the worſe for comming under the rod, and are therefore branded by the ſpirit of God to all poſterity. There is a great deale of difference between Gods afflicting the godly and the wicked,Iſa. 27.7. as may appeare Iſa. 27.7. Hath hee ſmitten them, as hee ſmote thoſe that ſmote him? What is the reaſon? the godly profit by affliction, but the wicked are the worſe for being afflicted: Every thing works together for the beſt to Gods people, but every thing turnes into ſinne to the wicked, according to that ſtrange ſpeech,Ierem. 4.11. Ierem. 4.11. ſaith God, I will cauſe a dry wind of the high places in the wilderneſſe, to blow toward the Daughter of my people, not to fanne, nor to cleanſe: That is, I will bring a great judgement upon them, but ſuch is their obſtinacy, that they will not bee bettered by it.
Vſe 1 May wee not think without breach of charity, that this is the caſe of many in theſe dayes? Hath not the Lord puniſhed ſome of you, for pride, exceſſe, adultery, oppreſſion? and yet yee are as proud, exceſſive, luſtfull, and oppreſſive as before: What? doe you meane to out-brave God? doe you long to bee made the inſtances of his diſpleaſure? beware of this, for yee cannot provoke him, but to your own hurt.
Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, let us labour to profit by affliction; (it is a leſſon worth our learning, for affliction is not good in it ſelfe) and then we profit by it: Firſt, when it urgeth us to examination and confeſſion of our ſinnes. Secondly, when it works us to humiliation for our ſinnes, when we have the melting heart of Ioſiah, and the contrite heart of David. Thirdly, when wee poure out our ſoules to God in prayer, when his chaſtning hand is on us, as the people of God did, Iſa. 26.16.Iſa. 26.16. Laſtly, when wee not only vow amendement of life in our affliction, but when wee reforme our wayes, and ſo follow our vowes with endeavours: This is the true end of affliction, when like gold wee come purified out of the fire, and when it is as a file to cleare us from our ruſt, and becomes a Betheſda, to cure us of our ſpirituall infirmities; but when men are the worſe for being afflicted, they may well expect a worſe thing to befall them. The laſt clauſe is, [neither can wee ſtand before thee, becauſe of this.] As if hee had ſaid, wee cannot come before thee with any confidence, while wee bee in our ſinnes unrepented of: which yeelds us this Obſervation.
That man that comes before God in his ſinnes without repentance, cannot come with any confidence or hope of mercy. Prov. 28.13.In Prov. 28.13. mercy is promiſed to him that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſinnes, but wrath is pronounced againſt him that hideth them: Such a man may come into the Courts of God; ſuch a man may offer ſacrifice to God, but it is an abomination to him,Prov 1….8. Iſa. 1.15. Prov. 15.8. and hee tells ſuch, in Iſa. 1.15. When yee ſpread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when yee make many prayers, I will not heare: Why s;o? your hands are full of bloud: And this is the meaning of thoſe words in Iohn 9.31. [God heareth not ſinners: Io… 9.31.] That is, not ſuch as are obſtinate and impenitent ſinners.
It ſhould teach us to abhorre ſinne;Vſe. if we know a man to bee infected, wee will bee ſure to avoid his company: and ſhall we not caſt away ſinne, which makes us unable to ſtand before God? Therefore abandon thy wicked luſts, and waſh away all ſinne by the teares of true repentance, and then in the name of God come into his Courts: though thou canſt not bee an innocent, yet come in penitence, and thou ſhalt finde that God is as well pleaſed with penitents as innocents. And now that I have done with this Text; give mee leave to goe over the three verſes againe by Application, and to ſpread them on you, as Eliſha ſpread himſelfe on the Shunamitiſh womans childe: wee have right to them all three; it is ſaid in the firſt, that God puniſhed them, but leſſe then they deſerved, and that he had delivered them: was not this our caſe five yeares ſince? for our ſinnes God puniſhed us, by turning our waters into bloud, and hee puniſhed us leſſe then wee deſerved; but withall hee magnified his mercy towards us in taking that judgement off, the peſtilence wholly from us in a ſhort ſpace. Then for the next verſe, did not wee ſay, as theſe Iewes, O Lord, now that thou haſt delivered us, if wee ſhall returne to our ſinnes againe, it ſhall bee juſt with thee to puniſh us most ſeverely? Which of our ſoules did not ſay thus? And for the laſt verſe, wee may ſay alſo with Ezra, Wee are before thee in our treſpaſſes, therefore O Lord it may ſtand with thy juſtice utterly to conſume us. (Beloved) I have ever been free and bold with you, and I will not now begin to diſcolour: Is not London as full of pride, exceſſe and adultery as ever? doth not ſacriledge and uſury keep as high a roome in the City as ever it did? Surely thoſe ſinnes muſt bee of a deep tincture, which all this ſcouring will not cleanſe; well, God hath begun with us againe, and hee ſhall bee juſt, if hee ſhould not leave a man of us alive: What ſhall wee now doe? every man to his prayers, let every one amend one, and then all will bee amended: Let every one ſweep his own doore, and the Street will ſoone bee cleanſed. Here wee bee now, but God only knowes whether wee ſhall have ſo much leave as to come into his houſe againe; while therefore wee have time, while the arro…es of God flie beyond us, and beſide us, round about us, and yet not touch us, let us ſeek his face by true repentance; and I will bee bold to ſay, if hee finde us penitent, hee will remove his judgement: but if wee ſtand before him ſtill in our ſinnes, no marvell then, that hee renew and encreaſe our plagues.