YE have here in my Text as in much of the world, a woful change, wrought by a power­full author, and upon a juſt merit: The change of a fruitfull Land in­to barrenneſſe; the author, GOD, the almighty arbiter of the world, He turneth; the merit, the wickedneſſe of the inhabitants. Theſe three then muſt be the meaſure of my tongue, and your eares, the change,2 the Author, the Merit. In the change you ſhall ſee the Act and the Sub­ject. For the firſt: All theſe earthly things have their turnes; the whole World is the proper region of mutability. I know not whe­ther I ſhould exempt heaven it ſelfe. Even there I finde a change, of Motion, of Face, of Quality; Motion whether by conſiſtence, or retrogradation, Sun ſtand thou ſtill in Gibeon, and thou Moone in the vally of Aialon, Ioſ. 12.10. There was a change in not moving. And for Retrogradation, The ſhadow went back ten degrees in the diall of Ahaz, Eſ. 38.8. A change of Face, the Sun was darkned, Luc. 23.45. when the Sun of righteouſneſſe was eclip­ſed, and ſhall be ſo againe ere he breake forth in full glory: Then3 ſhall the Sun be darkned, the Moone ſhall loſe her light, the Starres ſhall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven ſhall be ſhaken, Mat. 24.29. A change of quality; what need I feare to a­ſcribe that to this glorious frame, when the ſpirit of God can tell us; They ſhall waxe old as a garment, as a veſture thou ſhalt change them, and they ſhall be changed. In the meane time our eyes can tell us, that the ſecond of theſe greater lights, the Moone, is the very embleme of mutabili­ty; never looking upon us twiſe with the ſame face; there is no moneth paſſeth over us, wherein ſhee is not both new and old, to the making up of a juſt and com­mon riddle, that not exceeding the age of 28. daies, ſhee is yet no leſſe old then the world; ever filling4 and waning, and like the true i­mage of all mutability, never ſo blotted as in her greateſt bright­neſſe.

Yea, what need we doubt to a­ſcribe ſome change to thee mate­riall heavens; when if we looke to the inſide of them, we ſhall finde that there hath been the greateſt change in the very Angells; and for their preſent condition, that though the eſſence of the glorious ſpirits there, be immutable from within, having nothing in them that may worke their diſſolution or change, yet that we cannot ſay they are immutable from with­out, ſince if that power which gave them being, ſhould with­draw his hand, they could not be. It is the perfection of God only,5 to be abſolutely inalterable, and as to work freely, ſo to bee neceſ­ſarily: ſo as our ſubtile Bradwardine maintaines that ens neceſſarium is the firſt attribute of God, that can fall under our notion. And even of this moſt glorious, infinite, and only perfect and abſolute being, we may ſafely (though in all aw­full reverence) ſay, with Gregory, Mutat ſententiam, non mutat conſilium, He changeth his threatned doom, but never his decree. But, how high are weflowne ere we were a­ware; me thinkes I heare the An­gell ſpeake to me as to Eſdras; Thy heart hath gone too farre in this world, and thinkeſt thou to comprehend the waies of the moſt High?

Caſt we our eyes rather downe to the lower orbes of elementary6 mixture; here is nothing to be ſeen but in a perpetuall gyre of mutati­on; the elements that are partners in quality, interchange with each other in ſubſtance, the mixed bo­dies can no more ſtand ſtill then the heaven whereby they are go­verned; for as that Sun never holds one minute in one place, never day walkes the ſame round, no more doe theſe inferior bodies continue one moment in the ſame eſtate, but ever altering; either growing up to their (〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) the verticall point of their being, or declining towards their cor­ruption; inſomuch as Phyſitians obſerve, that every ſeaven years this body of ours is quite another from it ſelfe, and in a continuall renewing of ſupplies, or degrees of decaies.

And if ye looke upon the grea­ter bodies, the Sea and the Earth, yee ſhall ſee that the ſea is ever eb­bing and flowing, and will want waves ere it want motion; The earth, which of all viſible things hath the ſtyle of cōſtancy [terra quae nunquam movebitur] yet ſometimes feels the motion of Trepidation in her vaſt body: The earth ſhook and trembled, and the foundations of the hills moved, and were ſhaken, Pſal. 18.7. And alwaies in the ſurface of it feeles the motion of ſenſible mutation; the domeſtiques where­of, as all vegetative and ſome ſen­ſitive creatures, and the Lords thereof, rationall creatures, are e­ver as moving, as the earth is ſtill: ever breeding, borne, growing, declining, dying: And if ye match8 theſe two together, ye ſhall ſee how the Sea and the Earth win of each other; it is full tide now, where there was a goodly crop: and where the oxe grazed, there the whale ſwims; How have wee ſeene ſteeples to ſtand in thoſe li­quid cemiteries; in ſtead of maſts, & again the plough to goe, where the ſhip lately ſailed!

And as it is thus in the frame of nature, ſo of policy too, thoſe great and famous Monarchies of the world what ever precious metall, their head, ſhoulders, waſt, have beene of; yet their feet have been of clay, and are gone into duſt; Civility, arts, ſoverainty have, in an imitation of the Suns courſe, gone from Eaſt to Weſt, and will no where be fixed, till9 they be overtaken with the laſt re­volution.

In vaine therefore ſhall wee look for conſtancy upon earth; look how poſſible it is for a man that ſtands, fortune-like, upon a round rolling ſtone in a ſmooth floore to be ſteddy in his poſture, ſo poſſible it is for us to be ſetled in an unchangeable condition, whiles we are upon this ſpheare of variableneſſe. Can we think that the world ſhall move, and wee ſtand ſtill? Were the Sun the center of motion, and the earth whirled about in this vaſt circum­ference, could we make account of reſt? And if in our own parti­cular, we could either ſtay our foot, or ſhift it at pleaſure, not­withſtanding that inſenſible rap­ture10 (as the Ant may creepe the contrary way to the violent cir­cumvolution of the wheele) yet we muſt neceſſarily bee ſwayed with that univerſall ſwinge of mutability, wherewith all crea­tures are carried forcibly about. The moſt laſting Kingdomes therefore have had their periods; and of the moſt ſetled goverment, Gods hand-writing upon the wall goes ſo farre as to ſay, Mene, mene, thy dayes are numbred. Oh the fickle­neſſe of this earthly glory and pro­ſperity! Oh the glaſſy ſplendor of all humane greatneſſe; crackt with a touch, with a fall broken! who would ſet his heart upon theſe unſtable felicities? Doe ye not ſmile at the child, which when he hath raiſed a large bubble out11 of his wallnut-ſhell, joyes in that aery globe, and wonders at the goodly colours he ſees in it; which whiles he is ſhowing his owne face and his play-fellowes in that ſleight reflection, vaniſhes away, & leaves nothing but a little froa­thy ſpittle behind it? ſo ridiculous are wee, whiles we dote upon theſe fugitive contentments. The captive Prince in the ſtory, noted well when he lookt back upon the charet of his proud victor, that ſtill one ſpoake of the wheele went downe as another roſe; Think of the world as it is, O yee great ones, it turnes round, and ſo doe all things in it. Great Saladine cauſed it to be proclaimed, that he had nothing left him but his winding-ſheet. The famous Ge­nerall12 that thriſe reſcued Rome, came to Date obolū Beliſario, one ſin­gle half-penny to Belliſarius. Take your turnes then for theſe earthly preeminences, but look at them ſtill as periſhing; and if you ayme at reſt, looke for it above all theſe whirling orbes of the viſible hea­vens; ſay of that Empyreall hea­ven, as God ſaid of the holy of ho­lies which was the figure of it, Hic requies mea in aeternum, Here ſhall be my reſt for ever: there as Bernard well, is the true day that never ſets, yea there is the perpetuall high­noone of that day, which admits no ſhadow. Oh then over-look all theſe ſublunary vanities; ſet your affections on things above, not on things on the earth; ſeek thoſe things which are above,13 where Chriſt ſitteth at the right hand of God; There only ſhall you find true reſt, and conſtant glory. This for the act of the turn­ing, the termes or ſubjest of it fol­lowes; A fruitfull land into barren­neſſe.

Philoſophy hath wont to teach us that every change is to the con­trary; here it is ſo, plainly; Fruit­full into barren, yea into the ab­ſtract Barrenneſſe it ſelfe: Small al­terations are not noted; the grow­ing of the graſſe, the daily decli­ning into age, though not without a kind of change, are inſenſible; but for Aarons dry rod to be bud­ded, bloſſomed, almoned in a night; for the vigorous, and cur­led priſoner to become gray hea­ded by morning; for the flouriſh­ing14 Pentapolis, to be turned ſud­dainly into ſulphurous heapes, and ſalt-pits, theſe things fill the eye, not without an aſtoniſhment of the heart. The beſt beauty de­caies by leaſure, but for a fleſhy Idoll at the Court, to become ſud­dainly a leprous Miriam, is a plain judgement; Thus, when the faire face of the earth, ſhall be turned from a youthly and flouriſhing greenneſſe, into a parched, and withered deformity; the leaves which are the hayres, fall off, and give way to a loathſome bald­neſſe; the towred Cities, which are the chaplets and dreſſes of that head, are torne downe, and turned to rubbiſh; the fountaines and ri­vers, which are the cryſtalline hu­mours of thoſe eyes, are dryed up;15 the ſurface, which is the skin of that great body, is chopped, and chinked with drought, and burnt up with heat; thoſe ſweet waters of heaven, and thoſe balmy drops of fatneſſe wherewith it was wont to be beſprinkled, are re­ſtrained, and have given place to unwholſome ſereneneſſe, and kill­ing vapors: ſhortly, that pampe­red plenty, wherewith it was glut­ted, is turned into a pinching want, this change is not more ſen­ſible, then wofull. It is a great judgement this of barrenneſſe, the curſe of the diſappointing fig­tree was but this; Never fruit grow more on thee; as contrarily, the crea­ture was bleſſed in no other tearmes then Creſcite & multiplicami­ni, Increaſe and multiply. A barren16 womb was Michols plague, for her ſcoffing at devotion. It was held by Abimelec no ſmall judgement that God inflicted on him in clo­ſing up all the wombs of the houſe of Abimelec,Gen. 20.18. and therefore it is ſaid Abraham prayed,v. 17. and God hea­led Abimelec, and his wife, and his maid­ſervants. And ſurely as the Iewes held this the reproch among wo­men (though ours have not the ſame opinion, nor the ſame rea­ſon) Luc. 1.25. (in ſo much as Canta ſterilis had been a ſtrange word, Ep. 54.1. were it not for that which followeth, The deſolate ſhall have more children then the married;) So this is opprobrium terrae, the re­proch of our common mother, an unbearing womb, and dry breſts, Oſe. 9.14. What followes hence, but17 miſerable famine, leanneſſe of body, languiſhing of ſtrength, hollowneſſe of eyes, drineſſe of bones, blacknes of skin, wringing of mawes, gnawing and clinging of guts, and in the end, the pale horſe of death followes the black horſe of famine, Revel. 6.8. And Thoſe that are ſlaine by the ſword are better then they that are ſlaine with hunger, Lament. 4.9. Yet let me tell you, by the way, the earthly and exter­nall barrenneſſe is nothing to the inward and ſpirituall; where the heart is barren of grace, where the life is barren of good works, the man is not neare to curſing, but is under it; Ye know who ſaid Give me children or elſe I dye, Gen. 30.1. It was an over paſſionate word of a good woman; many a one lives,18 and that with leſſe griefe and care, and more eaſe, without them; ſhe might have lived happy though unfruitfull, but ſurely a barren ſoule is both miſerable and dead­ly; God ſayes of it as the Lord of the ſoyle ſaid of the fruitleſſe fig­tree, Exſcindatur, Cut it up, why keepeth it the ground barren? If then wee find our ſelves in this condition, let us doe as Solomon ſayes the fa­ſhion is of the barren womb, cry Give, Give, and never leave impor­tunate craving till we finde the twins of grace ſtriving in the womb of our ſoules.

But yet if a dry Arabian deſert yeeld not a ſpire of graſſe; or the whitiſh ſands of Egypt (where Nile toucheth not) yeeld nothing but their Suhit and Gazul (fit for19 the furnace, not the mouth;) or if ſome ill-natur'd waſt, yeeld no­thing but heath and furres, we ne­ver wonder at it; theſe doe but their kinde; But for a fruitfull land to be turned to barrenneſſe, is an uncouth thing; the very excellen­cy of it aggravates the ſhame. And ſurely God would not doe it if it were not wondrous, he fetches light, not out of glimmering, but out of darkneſſe; he fetches not indifferent, but good out of evill: Wee weak agents (ſuch all natu­rall, and other voluntary are) de­ſcend by degrees from an extreme, by the ſtaires of a meane, and (that oft-times) ſenſible mutation; God, who is moſt free and infinite, is not tyed to our termes, he can in an inſtant turne faire into foule,20 fruitfull into barren, light into darkneſſe, ſomething, yea all things into nothing; Preſent fruit­fulneſſe therefore is no ſecurity a­gainſt future barrenneſſe. It is the folly of nature to think it ſelfe up­on too ſleight grounds ſure of what it hath. Non movebor, David confeſſes, was his note once, but he ſoone changed it; and ſo ſhall wee; Thou art rich in good works, as that churle was in pro­viſion, and ſaiſt, Soule take thy eaſe, let thy hand be out of ure a little through a lazy ſecurity, thou haſt forfeited all, by diſuſe, and maiſt expect to heare, Stulte, hac nocte: Thou art rich in profeſſion of Grace? Was any man more offici­ous then Demas? yet he ſoon fell to imbrace the preſent world, with21 a neglect of the future. Think not now that I am falling in with our late Excutifidians, to teach that a true, ſolid, radicated ſaving faith may be totally, finally loſt; no, I hate the motion: it is preſumption that I taxe, not well grounded aſ­ſurance; preſumption of outward profeſſion, and priviledges, not aſſurance of the inward truth of grace. Preſume not, o vaine man, of what thou wert, or what thou haſt. Devills were Angells, Hie­ruſalem was the holy Citty. Rome was for her faith famous through all the world, Rom. 1.8. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel the City where David dwelt, Eſ. 29.1. Our owne once good eſtate may aggravate our miſery, can never ſecure our happineſſe. Son of man, what ſhall22 become of the vine of all plants? (ſaith the Prophet) The more noble it is, the worſe it ſpeeds, if fruitleſſe: Oh let us not be high-minded, but feare. England was once, yea late­ly was, perhaps is ſtill, the moſt flouriſhing Church under hea­ven; that I may take up the Pro­phets words,Eſ. 13.19. the glory of Churches, the beauty of excellency; what it may be, what it will be, if we fall ſtill into diſtractions, and various Sects, God knowes, and it is not hard for men to fore-ſee: Surely, if we grow into that Anarchicall faſhion of Independent congregations, which I ſee, and lament to ſee, af­fected by too many, not without wofull ſucceſſe; we are gone; we are loſt in a moſt miſerable con­fuſion; we ſhall be, as when God23 overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah;Eſ. 13.20.21. and it ſhall be with us, as the Pro­phet ſpeakes of proud, and glori­ous Babylon, The ſhepheards ſhall not make their fold here; wild beaſts of the deſert ſhall lye bere, and our houſes ſhall be full of dolefull creatures, and owles ſhall dwell, and ſatyres ſhall dance there, and the wild beaſts of the Iſlands ſhall cry in our deſolate palaces: I take no pleaſure (God knowes) to omi­nate ill to my deare nation, and dearer mother the Church of England, for whoſe welfare and happineſſe I could contemne my owne life: but I ſpeake it in a true ſorrow of heart to perceive our danger, and in a zealous pre­caution to prevent it. Oh God, in whoſe hands the hearts of Princes and all the ſons of men are, to turne24 them, as the rivers of waters, put it in­to the heart of our King and Par­liament, to take ſpeedy order for the ſuppreſſion of this wild va­riety of Sects, and lawleſſe inde­pendencies ere it be too late. Thus much for the ſubject and termes of this change; The agent followes, He turneth.

Never was there any ſterility, whereof there may not be a cauſe given; Either, the ſeaſon is un­kindly, parching with drought or drenching with wet, or nipping with froſt, or blaſting with per­nicious aires, or rotting with mil­dewes; or, ſome miſ-accident of the place, inundations of waters, incurſions and ſpoyle of enemies, ſuddaine mortalities of the inha­bitants, or ſome naturall fault in25 the ſoyle, or miſdemeanure of the owners; idleneſſe, ill-husbandry, in miſ-timing, neglect of meet helps, unculture, ill choyce of ſeed, but what ever be the ſecond cauſe; we are ſure who is the firſt, Hee turneth: Is there any evill in the City and he hath not done it? Alas, what are all ſecondary cauſes, but as ſo many liveleſſe puppets? there is a divine hand unſeene, that ſtirres the wires, and puts upon them all their motion: ſo as our Saviour ſaid of Pilate, we may ſay of all the activeſt inſtruments both of earth, and hell, Thou couldeſt have no power over mee, unleſſe it were given thee from above.

Is Ioſeph ſold to the Merchants by the villany of his envious bre­thren? The Lord ſent me before you,26 Gen. 51. Doe the Chaldeans and Sa­beans feloniouſly drive away the heards of Iob, doth the Devill by a tempeſtuous guſt bluſter downe the houſe, and rob him of his chil­dren? The Lord hath taken, Iob. 1. Is a man ſlaine by chance-medly, the axe-head ſlipping from the helve? Dominus tradidit. So whether they be acts of nature, of will, of caſualty; whether done, by natu­rall agents, by voluntary, by caſu­all, by ſupernaturall, Digitus Dei eſt hic; He turneth. What can all o­ther cauſes either doe, or be with­out him, who is the originall of all entity, and cauſality?

There is much wiſdome and juſtice in diſtinguiſhing cauſes & giving each their owne; where­of, whiles ſome have failed, they27 have run into injurious, and fran­tick extrems: Whiles, on the one ſide, wild and ignorant hereticks have aſcribed all to Gods agency, without acknowledging ſeconda­ry cauſes; on the other, Atheous fooles aſcribe all to the ſecond, and immediate cauſes, not look­ing up to the hand of an over-ruling, and all-contriving provi­dence; We muſt walk warily be­twixt both, yeelding the neceſſa­ry operatiō of ſubordinate means, imployed by the divine wiſdome; and adoring that infinite wiſ­dome, and power, which both produces, and imployes thoſe ſub­ordinate means to his own holy purpoſes. Tell mee then; art thou croſſed in thy deſignes and expe­ctation? Blame not diſtempers28 of times, diſappointment of un­dertakings, intervention of croſſe-accidents; this is, as ſome ſhifting Alchymiſt that caſts all the fault of his miſ-ſucceſſe, upon his glaſſe, or his furnace; but kiſſe that invi­ſible hand of power, which di­ſpoſeth of all theſe ſublunary e­vents, if againſt thy will, yet ac­cording to his owne. Even na­ture it ſelfe will teach us to reduce all ſecond cauſes to the firſt. Be­hold (ſaith the Lord) I will heare the heavens, they ſhall heare the earth, the earth ſhall heare the corne, wine, oyle, and they ſhall heare Iſrael. Lo here is a neceſſary ſcale whereof no ſtaffe can be miſſing: How ſhould Iſ­rael live without corne, wine, oyle? how ſhould the corne, wine, oyle, be had without the yeeldance29 of the earth? how ſhould the earth yeeld theſe without the influence of heaven? how can heaven yeeld theſe influences without the com­mand of the maker? Oſe. 2.21.

When I meet therefore with a querulous husbandman; he tels mee of a churliſh ſoyle, of a wet ſeed-time, of a greene winter, of an unkindly ſpring, of a luke­warme ſummer, of a bluſtring autumne; but I tell him of a diſ­pleaſed God, who will be ſure to contrive and fetch about all ſea­ſons, and elements to his own moſt wiſe drifts and purpoſes.

Thou art a Merchant, what telleſt thou mee of croſſe winds, of Michael-mas flawes, of ill wea­thers, of the wafting of the Arch­angels wings when thou paſſeſt30 by the Grecian promontory of te­dious becalmings, of pyraticall hazards, of falſhood in trades, breaking of cuſtomers, craft and undermining of interlopers, all theſe are ſet on by heaven to im­poveriſh thee.

Thou art a Courtier and haſt laid a plot to riſe; if obſequious ſervility to the great; if thoſe gifts in the boſome, which our blunt Anceſtors would have termed Bribes; if plauſible ſuppalpations, if reſtleſſe importunities will hoyſe thee, thou wilt mount: But ſomething there is that clogs thy heele, or blocks thy way; either ſome ſecret detractor hath for­laid thee by a whiſpering miſ-in­timation; or ſome miſ-conſtructi­on of thy well-meant offices hath31 drawne thee into unjuſt ſuſpition, or the envy of ſome powerfull corrivall trumps in thy way, and holds thee off from thine already ſwallowed honor; There is an hand above that manageth all this; What are we but the Keyes of this great inſtrument of the world, which he touches at plea­ſure, depreſſing ſome, whiles o­thers riſe, and others againe ſtand ſtill?

Yea, let me make higher in­ſtances of you men of State, that ſway the great affaires of King­domes, and by your wiſe and aw­full arbitrements decree (under Soveraignty) of either warre or peace, & either take up or ſlacken the raynes of Commerce, ſo fra­ming the many wheeles of this32 vaſt engine that all may move happily together; you may rack your braines, and enlarge your forraine intelligences, and caſt in the ſymboles of your prudent contributions to the common welfare, but know withall, Fru­ſtra niſi Dominus, let your projects be never ſo faire, your treaties ne­ver ſo wiſe and cautious, your en­terpriſes never ſo hopefull, if he doe but blow upon them, they are vaniſhed. The race is not to the ſwift, nor the battle to the ſtrong, nor yet bread to the wiſe, Eccleſ. 9.11.

What ſhould we doe then, but look up to that Almighty hand that ſwayeth all theſe ſublunary, yea and celeſtiall affaires? It is the weake faſhion of fooliſh children to aſcribe all their kindneſſes, or33 diſcontents to the next cauſe; If good befall them, it is the Taylor to whom they are beholden for their coate, the Confectionary for their ſweet-meats, not their pa­rents who pay for all theſe; A­gaine, if the knife be taken away from them, the Servant is blamed and beaten with their feeble but angry hand, not the mother that commanded it; yea it is the bru­tiſh faſhion of unreaſonable crea­tures to run after, and bite the ſtone, not regarding the hand that threw it. Wee Chriſtians ſhould have more wit; and ſince we know that nature it ſelfe is no o­ther then Gods ordinance of ſe­cond cauſes, and chance is but an ignorance of the true cauſes; and our freeſt wills are over-ruled by34 the firſt mover, oh let us improve our reaſon and Chriſtianity ſo much, as to acknowledge the ſe­cret, but moſt certaine hand of an omnipotent agent, in all the oc­currents of the world; for certain­ly there cannot be a greater injury to the great King of heaven and earth, then to ſuffer ſecond cauſes to run away with the honor of the firſt, whether in good or e­vill.

Secondly, what ſhould we doe but kiſſe the rod, and him that ſmites with it, patiently receiving all chaſtiſements from the hand of a powerfull, wiſe, juſt God? Had we to doe with an agent leſſe then omnipotent, we might per­haps think of him as one ſaid of the Egyptian Magitians, They35 could hurt, but they could not heale, they could doe evill, but not good; or we might feare ſome­thing might betide us againſt, be­ſide, without his will; finite agents cannot goe beyond their owne ſpheare, were the power of great Princes as large as their wills, none of their deſignes ſhould be ineffectuall: Or, had we to doe with a powerfull agent that were not alſo infinitely wiſe, we might think he might be over-reacht in his plot: But now that infinite power and wiſdome are the very eſſence of God; let us, what ever we doe, or may befall us, take up that holy reſolution of good Ely, It is the Lord, let himdoe what ſeemeth him good, 1. Sam. 3.18.

But in the meane time let not36 thoſe wicked wretches, by whoſe unjuſt hand the juſt God thinks good to ſcourge his owne, com­fort themſelves with the hope of an impunity, becauſe they are un­wittingly uſed in his executions: No, they are no whit the more innocent, becauſe God beats his owne with their malice; neither ſhall they be leſſe avenged becauſe they have heedleſly done Gods will, whiles they deſpitefully doe their owne; Aſhur is the rod of Gods wrath, when God hath ſuf­ficiently whipt, & drawne blood of his Iſrael by him, he caſts him into the fire; the fire of that wrath which Aſhur feeles from God, is a thouſand times hotter then the fire of that wrath which Iſrael feeles from Aſhur. Shortly, God37 will have his due honor both in afflicting his owne, and in plague­ing thoſe that afflicted them; his agency is equall in both; He turn­eth a fruitfull land into barrenneſſe. Hi­therto the agent; now followes the meriting cauſe of this change, The wickedneſſe of them that dwell therein.

God is an abſolute Lord, Domi­ni eſt terra; he is not accountable for any reaſon of his change: whe­ther of barreneſſe or plenty, there needs no other ground to be given but, Quia voluit; and even ſo it is in this ſtirring peece of earth, which we carry about us; Why this womb, or thoſe loynes are ſterile, that fruitfull, yea, why this, or that ſoule is ſo, he needs not give any reaſon but his will, yet ſo far doth he condeſcend to us, as to impart38 to us an account of the ground of his proceedings; Man ſuffreth for his ſin, ſaith the Prophet; and the earth ſuffreth here for the wickedneſſe of the inhabitants: Evermore, God hath ſome motive for the inflicting of evil; As it is in the main point of a mans eternal eſtate, Mans Salvati­on is, ex mero beneplacito; The gift of God is eternal life; but his damnation is never without acauſe in mā; The ſoule that ſinneth ſhal dy: So it is in this caſe of leſſer good or evill; when God ſpeakes of turning wilderneſſes into ponds of water, in the following words, ye heare no cauſe aſſigned but meer mercy, but whē he ſpeaks of turning fruitful lands into barren­nes, now, it is for the wickednes of indwellers. This is a moſt ſure rule therefore, All judgements are infli­cted39 for ſin; Chaſtiſements are out of love, but puniſhment out of Juſtice; Yea, ſo doth God order his judgements commonly, that in the puniſhment we may reade the ſin, and in the ſin we may foreſee the puniſhment; and can confi­dently define, where puniſhment is, there hath been ſin; and where ſin is, there will be puniſhment.

I have heard and ſeene ſome ig­norant impatients, when they have found themſelves to ſmart with Gods ſcourge, caſt a ſullen frowne back upon him, with Cur me caedis? or with the maleconten­ted mother of the ſtriving twins, Why am I thus? Alas, what mere, what miſerable ſtrangers are theſe men at home? There is nothing in the world that they doe more miſ­know40 then themſelves; had they ever but look't in, if but at the door, yea at the window, yea at the Key­hole of their owne hearts or lives, they could not chooſe but cry out, with holy Iob, I have ſinned, what ſhal I do to thee, O thou preſerver of Men? They would accuſe, arraign, & con­demne themſelves, and would ra­ther bethinke which of thoſe ma­ny thouſand ſinnes which they have multiplyed againſt heaven, they are called to reckoning for, and would have no word in their mouth but mea culpa, mea culpa. Now as where puniſhment is, there was ſin: ſo where ſin is, there will be, there muſt be puniſhment. If thou doſt ill, ſaith God to Cain, Sin lyes at the doore, Gen. 4.7. Sin, that is, puniſhment for ſin, they are ſo inſe­parable41 that one word implyes both: for the doing ill, is the ſin, that is within doores; but the ſuf­fring ill is the puniſhment: and that lies like a fierce maſtive at the door, and is ready to fly in our throat when we looke forth: and if it do not then ſeize upon us, yet it dogs us at the heeles, and will be ſure to faſten upon us at our greateſt diſ­advantage. Tum gravior cum tarda venit, &c. Ioſephs brethren had done haynouſly ill, what becomes of their ſin? It makes no noyſe, but followes them ſlily and ſilently in the wildernes, it followes them home to their fathers houſe, it fol­lowes them into Egypt: all this while there is no newes of it, but when it found them cooped up three dayes in Pharaohs ward, now42 it bayes at them, and flies in their faces: We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoule, &c. Gen. 42.21. What ſhould I inſtance in that, whereof not Scripture, not bookes, but the whole world is full; the inevitable ſequences of ſin and puniſhment? Neither can it be otherwiſe; Shall not the Iudge of all the earth doe right, ſaith Abraham, Gen. 18.25? Right is to give every one his due: wages is due to work; now the wages of ſin is death: So then it ſtands upon no leſſe ground then the very ne­ceſſary, and eſſential juſtice of God, that where wickednes hath led the way, there puniſhment muſt fol­low: There is more need to apply then to prove ſo cleare a truth; How then I beſeech you, honora­ble43 and beloved, ſtands the caſe with us? where is the man that dare flatter us ſo much, as to ſay, there is not ſtore of wickedneſſe found in our hands: Wo is mee, we are in the eyes of all the world no leſſe eminent in Gods favours, then in our owne ſinfulneſſe: It is paſt our power to either conceale, or denye, or excuſe our abomina­ble iniquities: Certainly, if we change not, we are ſure God will not; What can we then expect, from that juſt hand of the Almigh­ty, but that he ſhould turne our fruitfull land into barrenneſſe, for the wickedneſſe of us that dwell in it? I may not be ſo ſawcy, to pre­ſage by what courſe he will doe it; That Almighty arbiter of the world hath a thouſand wayes to44 his own ends; but it is not an im­probable note of the Author of our Faſciculus temporum; that there is trifarius curſus rerum, Abundantiae, indigentiae, temperantiae; a three fold courſe of things; of Abundance, want, tempreance: From abun­dance or exceſſe, ariſes animoſity and delicacy: from theſe ariſes diſ­cord, and quarrells; and from theſe want; from want we beginne to learne wit, and compoſe ourſelves to temperance; that thrifty courſe raiſes abundance, In circuitu ambu­lant impii, as he ſpeakes: Now what ſhall we ſay? Of the abundance and delicacy we have ſurfeited al­ready too long; we are now in the quarrelſome part, that ariſes from our pampered animoſity; and what can follow next, but our mi­ſerable45 indigence and diſtreſſe? we may pleaſe our ſelves in the ſecure condition of our happy union, in the ſtrength of our wooden walls and our naturall Bulwarkes; But I remember what I have read of a noble and wiſe Captain, who when he was vehemently mo­ved to take upon him the De­fence of a ſtrong City, which was inforced to him by the ſafe ſite, ſtrong fortifications, plentifull am­munition, and inexpugnable walls of it; Yea (ſaith he) but tell me I pray you, have you any covering betwixt it and heaven? have you any defence a­gainſt the vengeance of that God, whom your ſins have provoked? If thoſe ſins of yours ſhall draw downe Gods curſes upon your heads, to what purpoſe ſhall it be to indea­vour46 to keep your enemy out of your gates? The ſtory applies it ſelfe; In vaine ſhall we thinke to ſecure our ſelves and our ſtate from earth, if we irritate heaven.

There is no ſin that is dumb, there is none that whiſpers; every one is vocall, loud, clamorous to ſolicit heaven for vengeance, but ſome are more ſhrill and impor­tunate then others; God hath been pleaſed to diſtinguiſh their noyſe: Oppreſſion is one that hee heares above the reſt; That hath two tongues, both lowd ones, both prevalent; The cry of the Oppreſ­ſed, and the cry of the Oppreſſion; The Lord will enter into judgement with the Ancients of his people, and the Princes thereof. Wherefore? The ſpoile of the poore is in their houſes. 47What meane you that ye beat my people to pieces, and grinde the faces of the poore, ſaith the Lord God of hoaſts? Iſay 3.14.

Contempt of Gods Miniſters is another, and that's a paying ſin whereſoever it is, Ier. 25.4. Even Moſes himſelfe that was mitiſsimus ſuper terram, yet when he comes to ſpeake of affronts offered to Levy, can ſay; Smite through the loynes of them that riſe againſt him, and of them that hate him, that they riſe not againe, Deut. 33.11.

What ſhould I particularize? The Lord hath a controverſie with the land, ſaith the Prophet Hoſea, By ſwea­ring, and lying, and killing, and ſtea­ling, and committing adultery, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood; Therefore ſhall the Land mourne. 48Hoſ. 4.2. Doth hee not ſpeake of our times, think you?

But above all theſe there is a ſin, which whereſoever it is, drownes the noyſe of all the reſt, and that is Sacriledge, which certainly, in what hand, in what nation ſoever it is found, hurries downe an in­evitable judgment.

It was a fearfull word that of the Pſalmiſt, Make their Nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, yea, all their Princes like Zeba and Zalmunna, who ſaid, Let us take to our ſelves the houſes of God in poſſeſsion: O my God, make them like a wheel. Pſal. 84.11, 12.

Indeed, how can it be other­wiſe? Will a man rob God, ſayes the Prophet? Yee are curſed with a curſe, for ye have robbed mee, Malachy, 3.9.

What ſhould I tell you the49 ſtories of Baltaſar, of Heliodorus, of Craſſus, of Iulian, of the Templars, of Woolſey, and of his Maſter H. 8. ſhortly, ſhow me the man, the fa­mily, the nation that ever proſpe­red after ſacriledge; I am ſure I have a great Author to the contrary; no leſſe then one of the nine worthies, Charles the great. Novimus (ſaith he) multa regna, & reges eorum propterea cecidiſſe, quia eccleſias ſpoliarunt, réſ­que earum alienarunt, & militibus lo­co ſtipendii dederunt.

We have known, ſaith he, great Kingdoms, and the Kings of them therefore to have miſcarried, be­cauſe they ſpoyled Churches, and alienated their poſſeſſions, and gave them to their ſouldiers for their pay. If any man have a mind to feoffe a curſe upon himſelf and50 his poſterity, let him defile his fin­gers with the holy things of God: Oh let this portion be to the ene­mies of my Lord the King and our deare country; But upon him and his friends, and his peeres and peo­ple that abhorre this wickedneſſe, let there be bleſſings from God e­ven upon them and their ſeed for ever and ever.

Finally then, ſince there is no wickednes which doth not main­ly contribute to the pulling down of Gods vengeance upon us, and our Land; Let us in the feare of God joyn all our forces together a­gainſt all the raigning ſins of the time: Let us never thinke we can ſpend our ſelves better, then in ſtri­ving againſt the ſtream of our preſ­ſing iniquities: Wherefore hath51 God put the ſword into the hands of you great men, but that you ſhould uſe it to the effectuall cut­ting down of all wickedneſſe and vice? Wherefore hath God put the two-edged ſword of the Spirit into the mouthes of us his Mini­ſters, but that we ſhould lay about us zealouſly, in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon; to the hewing downe of the over-growne abominations of this ſinfull age? Yea how doth it concerne every one of you, who heare mee this day, if you would be but wiſe men, and good patri­ots, to put your hand to the work, and to bend your utmoſt indea­vours to the beating downe of your owne ſins, and carefully to ranſacke all the blinde corners of your hearts to finde out the curſed52 Achan in your owne boſomes? Oh that each man would thus un­dertake to reforme one! How ſure ſhould we be that the good God of heaven would divert his fearful judgements, and graciouſly con­tinue the bleſſings of peace, plenty, proſperity, and together with them of an happy government, and the freedome of the bleſſed Goſpell to us and our poſterity after us: which God vouchſafe unto us for his mercies ſake, and for the ſake of the Son of his love, Ieſus Chriſt the Iuſt, &c. To whom &c.