and professors, who walk in the fear of God, and are free from all these sins; and therefore it doth not extend to all

sorts.

Brethren, you know my mind full well in this matter. I have been for these three last years upon all occasions inculcating it upon you. I acknowledge the churches in this nation are not guilty of those sins, whereby God is provoked against the nation to bring on national judgments: but I do say, that churches and professors in this nation are guilty of those sins, for which Christ will bring correcting judgments upon churches and professors; so that we are all in the same way and bottom, though not all upon the same account: The land is filled with sin.' How are your thoughts concerned in these things, brethren? I confess to you I speak my heart, my conscience, as in the presence of God, and as that which you are concerned to consider.

I have given you two evidences that this land is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. I will give you

two more.

(3.) When the sins of a land have upon them the greatest aggravations that national sins are capable of. What are they? They are plain; they are against warnings, and against mercies; all sorts of sins in all sorts of persons; against all sorts of warnings, and against all sorts of mercies. God hath not left this land without warnings in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Was there no warning given us in the wasting, desolating plague? No warning in the consuming, raging fire? No warning in the bloody war that ensued thereon? No warning in all the prodigious appearances in heaven above, that we have had? None in that which at present hangs over us, as an ensign of God's supernal host? I acknowledge there hath been, I fear a weakness in one kind of warning by the public dispensation of the word. But God hath not left himself without witness: he hath multiplied warnings, and they have not been complied withal. Have they, brethren? Were they at all afraid,' saith Jeremiah, when the roll was read? Or, 'did they rent their clothes?' Jer. xxxvi. 24. No, not at all. Have these warnings of God been complied withal? Hath the voice of God in them been heard? Hath the nation been afraid? Have they rent their clothes and returned to

the Lord? They have not. We yet continue, God help us, in a state of sin against warnings. And as for mercies, the mercies of peace and plenty have been the food of lust, of covetousness and sensuality, and have pampered us in wantonness, to the rending and tearing one another.

(4.) When in the secret workings of God's providence there is an inclination in a sinful people unto a compliance with them, from whom their destruction is like to proceed; it is a sign that God is withdrawn from them, and that the land is so filled with sin. When Israel was to be destroyed by the Assyrian, when Israel saw his sickness, he sent to the king of Assyria, applied himself to the king of Assyria, by whom he was to be destroyed; Hos. v. 13. When Judah saw his sickness, all his inclinations and applications were unto the Babylonians and Chaldeans, by whom he was to be destroyed. The prophet Ezekiel hath a whole chapter to tell you of the fondness of that people upon the Babylonians before their destruction; Ezek. xxiii. They were all like princes and mighty men, and thou wast in love with them, and committed adultery with them;' that is, partook and complied with their idolatry. When it is so, it is evident that God is greatly withdrawn from such a people, and that they are nigh unto their desolation.

What shall we plead for England in this matter? Is it not known what wretched and vile compliances we have had with a neighbour nation, the French, following their manners, imitating their customs, promoting their interest, advancing their reputation, when every man almost among us talked of nothing but that we should be destroyed by the French? An eminent token of the hand of God upon us, and that the land is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Nay, go farther, whence is it (for we bear ourselves herein not only upon the truth of the thing itself, but also upon the proclamation inviting us upon this day), whence is it, that we fear the judgments of God? Whence do we fear desolation, confusion, destruction upon this nation, to our religion, to our liberties, to our lives? Is it not from the papal interest? There is it stated by our rulers, and in the thoughts of all sober persons. And had we been wise, we might have seen it many years ago. But what have we been doing for some ages? Deserting our princi

ples, forsaking the foundation we stood upon against the papacy, foregoing those avowed principles of the first reformers, pleading for compliance, pleading for a possibility of reconciliation, avowing them to be a true church. And in one word, if the power of the Protestant religion had not been preserved in the body of the people, it had by some been long ago given up to the papal interest, and this at a time working effectually among us when we were in dread, all that were wise and considerative, that there would from thence arise the desolation and destruction of this church.

I have given you these evidences, that this land of ours is so filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. And if they can answer it, and disprove it, no man shall more rejoice in it than myself.

I should in the next place shew the danger that land is in, when things lie in this equal balance. For I pray observe, I have not given these things to prove the land hath filled up its measure of iniquity, and must certainly be destroyed; I have not given them to prove absolutely that there is a decreed judgment that cannot be diverted, that there is no remedy, that notwithstanding reformation, God will say, 'I will not turn away the fierceness of mine anger:' but I have given them only to prove, that we are in that state and condition, wherein there is no certain rule of the word, no indication of providence, no rational consideration of the state of things, that can give us any security of protection, or deliverance; but that we are absolutely resolved upon sovereign grace and mercy, and without relief from thence, I shall only say, as to the proof of the proposition, what the prophet saith, Isa. xxxiv. 16. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read, not one of these things shall fail.'

To omit all the considerations, and all the proof I intended, that soverereign grace and mercy must be our relief, if ever we be relieved; I proceed unto the second thing, which is,

II. To give in evidences, that England is not yet utterly forsaken of the Lord its God, the Lord of hosts, though the land be thus filled with sin.

So that there is ground of encouragement yet remaining to apply ourselves to God. And in truth I will tell you the best I can think of.

1. The large and wonderful discovery of the horrible plot, of the horrible popish plot, laid for the ruin, destruction, and desolation of this nation, is an evidence that England is not yet, I say, utterly forsaken of the Lord its God. It was not discovered by our rulers, from whom it was hid. It was not discovered by the severe indagation and watchfulness of ministers of state from foreign intelligence, the usual way of discovering such plots. It was not discovered by persons of authority and interest, to warrant the discovery. It was not so in a time when the nation was awake, and looked about them, and were jealous of such things; but in the deepest security. It hath admitted, it hath met with all the endeavours of hell and men for the covering of it; yet through the conduct of the holy providence of God, it hath broke forth to that discovery, as that it is publicly proclaimed to all the nation. I say with the wife of Manoah: If God would have destroyed us, he would not have shewed us this thing.' If he had utterly forsaken us, he would have left us to have been swallowed up, when we should not have had leisure to have cried, alas! To me, I 'say, it is an evidence that England is not yet utterly forsaken.

2. That God hath stirred up some, at least, of the nobles, and our rulers, to follow on this discovery, to bring it forth to light, and to pursue them to condign punishment, who were the contrivers, authors, abettors, and carriers on of that bloody design. I will not speak one word or syllable to their dishonour or disrespect, who deserve both honour and respect from us: but this I will say, that if I know them, or any thing of them, this is not from themselves; this is from the clothing of the Spirit of God, and anointing to this very work, and is not from themselves, nor their own principles, nor their own inclinations, but the hand of God in them and upon them. Add hereunto the strange and wonderful quiet disposure of the magistracy of this city into the hand of persons, prudent, diligent, and watchful, whom we have reason to pray for, and bless God for. And it is strengthened by the stirring up of a spirit in the common people, unto an unheard-of heat and earnestness in bearing witness and testimony against popery and all their abominations, in such a manner as hath not fallen out in

any nation under heaven, and this acted above and beyond their spirits and principles. These things to me are some evidences, that England is not yet utterly forsaken of the Lord its God, though the land be full of sin.

3. I could instance in the embroilments of foreign nations abroad. At this time they are all quiet; but who is there that doth not know that they all stand as it were on the tiptoe, looking who shall first begin to cut throats, and kill men? Even all the nations in Europe are in this posture at this day. Though they are quiet this cold weather, yet who shall begin first, who shall make the attack, and who shall defend, is the talk of all Europe, whereby some of them may have been hindered from a public contributing to the ruin of this poor nation.

4. It is an evidence that England is not yet forsaken, in that a secret, efficacious influence of divine providence hath preserved the body politic of the nation in its being and union, when all the ligaments of law and mutual trust have been broken. There hath been such a dissolution of mutual trust, and all ordinary ligaments of the politic union of a nation, that if God had not powerfully grasped the whole in his hand, we had long since been in confusion, and every man's sword had been in the side of his brother and his neighbour. But to this day we are preserved in peace by a secret, influential power of divine wisdom and providence, whose footsteps I would adore more and more; which is so much the more excellent, in that it is not visible, and by outward force, but merely upon the minds of men. This is to me another evidence that England is not yet forsaken of its God, the Lord of hosts.

5. My last is this: that after God hath by so many ways, and so many means, declared unto us his displeasure against our sin, having declared the sentence in his word, yet he hath visibly granted an arrest of judgment. The sentence shall not be put in execution, saith God, while I give this people a time, and space, and season of repentance and reformation. Alas! if God had utterly forsaken us, he would have taken us off in the midst of our security; evil would have risen, and we should have known the morning of it; destruction would presently have overtaken us. But now God hath given us various calls, various warnings, and