These dangers both from without and from within, together with the remedies thereof, have been from time to time represented and held forth, in the many publick Supplications of this Kirk and Kingdom to the King, and in their many Declarations, Remonstrances, Letters, Acts, and other publick Intimations: Particularly by a necessary Warning published by the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly in January 1643; And by the Remonstrance of the same Comissioners to the Convention of Estates in July thereafter concerning the Dangers of Religion, and Remedies of these Dangers: which Warning and Remonstrance [pg 272] at that time had, by the blessing of GOD, very good and comfortable effects. And now the General Assembly itself, being by a speciall Providence, and upon extraordinary occasions called together, while GOD is writing bitter things against this Land in great Letters, which he that runs may read: and knowing that we cannot be answerable to GOD, nor our own consciences, nor the expectation of others, if from this chief Watch Tower we should give no Seasonable Warning to the City of GOD: While we think of these things, For Sions sake we will not hold our peace, and for Jerusalems sake we will not rest: trusting that GOD will give, though nor to all, yet to many, a seeing Eye, a hearing Ear, and an understanding Heart: For who is wise and he shall understand these things, prudent and he shall know them; For the Waves of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein, and the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand.
That which we principally intend, is to hold forth (so farre as the Lord gives us light) how this Nation ought to be affected with the present Mercies and Judgements; What use is to be made of the Lords dealings: And, what is required of a people so dealt with.
Had we been timely awaked, and taken warning, either from the exemplary judgement of other Nations; or from Gods threatnings by the mouths of his servants amongst our selves; or from our owne former visitations, and namely, The Sword, threatned and drawn against us, both at home and from abroad, but at that time through the forbearance of GOD, put up in the Sheath again, wee might have prevented the miseries under which now we groane. But the Cup of trembling, before taken out of our hands, is again come about to us, that wee may drink deeper of it: And although when these bloody Monsters, the Irish Rebels, together with some degenerate, unnaturall, and perfidious Countreymen of our own, did first lift up their heads, and enter this Kingdome in a hostile way, it was looked upon as a light matter, and the great judgement which hath since appeared in it, not apprehended: yet now wee are made more sensible, that they are The rod of Gods [pg 273] wrath, and the staffe in their hand, which hath stricken us these three times, is his indignation. He hath shewed his people hard things, and made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Take we therefore notice of the hand that smiteth us, for affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground. There is no evill in the City nor Countrey which the Lord hath not done. He it is that formeth the light, and createth darknesse; Who maketh peace, and createth evill: He it is that hath given a charge to the Sword, so that it cannot be still: He it is that hath his other Arrows ready upon the string to shoot at us, the Pestilence and Famine.
In the next place let us apply our hearts to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdome, and the reason of things, and to understand the language of this present judgment, and Gods meaning in it, For though the Almighty giveth not an accompt of any of his matters, and hath his way in the sea, and his path in the deep waters which cannot be traced; Yet he is pleased by the light of his Word and Spirit, by the voice of our own consciences, and by that which is written and ingraven upon our judgement, as with the point of a Diamond and a Pen of iron, to make known in some measure his meaning unto his servants. God hath spoken once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth not; Therefore now hath he made this rod to speak aloud the third time, that we may hear the voice of the rod, and who hath appointed it. That which the rod pointeth at, is not any guilt of Rebellion or disloyaltie in us, as the Sons of Belial do slander and belye the Solemne League and Covenant of the three Kingdoms, which we are so farre from repenting of, that we cannot remember or mention it without great joy and thankfulnesse to God, as that which hath drawn many blessings after it, and unto which God hath given manifold and evident testimonies, for no sooner was the Covenant begun to bee taken in England; but sensibly the condition of affairs there was changed to the better; and though a little before the Enemy was coming in like a Flood, yet as soon as the Spirit of the Lord did lift up the Standard against him, from that day forward the Waters of their Deluge did decrease.
And for our part, our Forces sent into that Kingdom, [pg 274] in pursuance of that Covenant, have been so mercifully and manifestly assisted, and blessed from Heaven (though in the mids of many dangers and distresses, and much want and hardship) and have been so farre instrumentall to the foyling and scattering of two principal Armies; First, the Marquesse of Newcastle his Army, And afterward, Prince Ruperts and his together; And to the reducing of two strong Cities, York and Newcastle, that we have what to answer the Enemy that reproacheth us concerning that businesse, and that which may make iniquitie it self to stop her mouth. But which is more unto us than all Victories, or whatsomever temporal Blessing, the Reformation of Religion in England, and Uniformity therein between both Kingdoms (a principal end of that Covenant) is so far advanced, that the English Service-Book, with the Holy-dayes, and many other Ceremonies contained in it, together with the Prelacy, the fountain of all these, are abolished and taken away by Ordinance of Parliament; and a Directory for the Worship of God in all the three Kingdoms, agreed upon in the Assemblies and in the Parliaments of both Kingdoms, without a contrary voice in either; the Government of the Kirk by Congregational Elderships, Classical Presbyteries, Provincial and National Assemblies, is agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, which is also voted and concluded in both Houses of the Parliament of England: And what is yet remaining of the intended Uniformitie is in a good way; So that let our Lot fal in other things, as it may, the Will of the Lord be done; In this we rejoyce, and will rejoyce, that our Lord Jesus Christ is no loser, but a Conquerour, that his Ordinances take place, that his Cause prevaileth, and the work of purging and building his Temple goeth forward, and not backward. Neither yet are we so to understand the voice of the rod which lyeth heavy upon us, as if the Lords meining were to pluck up what he hath planted, and to pull down what he hath builded in this Kingdom, to have no more pleasure in us, to remove our Candlestick, and to take his Kingdom from us: nay, before that our God cast us off, and the glory depart from Israel, let him rather consume us by the Sword, and the Famine, [pg 275] and the Pestilence, so that he will but keep his own great Name from reproach and blasphemy, and own us as his people in Covenant with him. But now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, we will beleeve that we shall yet see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living: We will not cast away our confidence of a blessed peace, and of the removing of the scourge and casting it in the Fire, when the Lord, hath by it performed his whole Work upon mount Sion and Jerusalem, much more will wee be confident of the continuance of the blessings of the Gospel, that glory may dwell in our Land. This is the day of Jacobs trouble, but he shall be saved out of it: And the time is comming, when a new Song shall be put in our mouths, and we shall say, This is our God, we have waited for him, and he hath saved us. Though the Lord smite us, it is the hand of a Father, not of an Enemy, he is not consuming us, but refining us, that we may come forth as Gold out of the Fire. We are troubled on every side; yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despaire; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast downe, but not destroyed. We know assuredly there is more mercy in emptying us from Vessell to Vessell, then in suffering us to settle on our Lees, whereby our taste should remain in us, and our scent not be changed.
These things premised, we come to the true language of this heavy judgement, and to the reall procuring causes thereof. For the transgression of Jacob is all this, and for the sins of the house of Israel. God is hereby shewing to great and smal in this Land their work and their transgression, that they have exceeded. He openeth also their eare to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. We leave every Congregation in the Land, every Family in every Congregation, & every Person in every Family to examine their own hearts and wayes, & to mourn for Congregationall, Domesticall, and Personall sinnes: Cursed shall they be who have added fuell to the fire, and now bring no water to extinguish it, who had a great hand in the provocation, and bear no part in the humiliation.
Let every one commune with his own conscience, and [pg 276] repent of his own wickednesse, and say, What have I done? Wee shall here touch onely the Nationall sinnes, or at least more publick ones, then those of a Family or Congregation, which we also intend for chief causes of a publick Fast and Humiliation. If among our Nobles, Gentrie and Barons, there have been some studying their own private interests more then the publick, and Seeking their own things more then the things of Christ, or oppressing and defrauding the poore sort and the needie, because it was in the power of their hand: and if among our Ministrie there have been divers Time-servers, Who have not renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, whose hearts have not been right before God, nor stedfast in his Covenant, who have been secretly haters of the Power of Godlinesse, and of Mortification; shall not GOD search all this out? who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts. In these also leaving all men to a judging and searching of themselves, there are many other provocations which are apparent in all or many of this Nation, from which, though they wash with nitre, and take much sope, yet they cannot make themselves clean: Because of these the Land mourneth, and at these the Sword striketh.
As first, the contempt, neglect, and dis-esteem of the glorious Gospel; our unbelief, unfruitfulnesse, luke-warmnesse, formality, and hardnesse of heart, under all the means of Grace; our not receiving of Christ in our hearts, nor seeking to know him, and glorifie him in all his Offices. The power of Godlinesse is hated and mocked by many to this day, and by the better sort too much neglected, and many Christian duties are not minded: as, The not speaking of our own words, nor finding of our own pleasure upon the Lords day: Holy and edifying conference both on that day, and at other occasions: The instructing, admonishing, comforting, and rebuking one another, as Divine Providence ministreth occasion. In many Families almost no knowledge nor worship of GOD to be found: yea, there are among the Ministers who have strenghtened the hearts and hands of the profane more then of the godly, [pg 277] and have not taken heed to the ministrie which they have received of the Lord to fulfill it.
Next, GOD hath sent the Sword to avenge the quarrel of his broken Covenant: For besides the defection of many of this Nation under the Prelats from our first Nationall Covenant, a sinne not forgotten by GOD, if not repented by men as well as forsaken, our latter Vows and Covenants have been also foully violated, by not contributing our uttermost assistance to this Cause, with our Estates and Lives; by not endeavouring with all faithfulnesse, the discovery, triall, and condigne punishment of Malignants, and evil Instruments; yea, by complying too much with those, who have not onely born Armes, and given their personall presence and assistance, but also drawn and led on others after them in the shedding of our Brethrens blood: Therefore is our sinne made our punishment, and We are filled with the fruit of our own wayes. These horns now push the sides of Judah and Jerusalem, because the Carpenters when they ought and might, did not cut them off: And yet so this day the course of Justice is obstructed: The Lord himself will execute justice if men will not. But above all, let it bee deeply and seriously thought of, that our Covenant is broken by the neglect of a reall Reformation of our selves and others under our power: let every one ask his own heart what lust is mortified in him, or what change wrought in his life since, more then before the Covenant? Swearing, Cursing, Profanation of the Lords day, Fornication, and other uncleannesse, Drunkennesse, Injustice, Lying, Oppression, Murmuring, Repining, and other sorts of Prophanenesse still abound too much both in the Countrey & in our Armies: yea, there is no Reformation of some Members of publick Judicatories, which is a great dishonour to God, and foul scandall to the whole Nation.
Thirdly, we have not glorified God according to the great things which he hath done for us, nor made the right use of former mercies: Since he loved us (a Nation not worthy to be beloved) he hath made us precious and honourable, but we have not walked worthy of this love: We waxed fat and kicked, forsaking God who made us, and lightly [pg 278] esteeming the Rock of our salvation. And this great unthankfulnesse filleth up our Cup.