AS long peace and prosperity, are the common causes of carnal security and hardness of heart, so these the usual forerunners of fearful punishments, seeing in this desperate Disease (which we may fitly call, the stone in the heart) more gentle Medicines will not effect the cure. For when mens hearts are come to brassy or flinty hardness, nothing will melt them (without some extraordinary work of the Spirit) but the fiery furnace of Affliction, nothing will bruise and break them, but the heavy hammer of Gods ⟨image 492⟩dreadful judgements. And this is manifest in the examples of all Ages, which are left unto us in the Scriptures, to give us warning. As of the old world, Sodom and her bordering Cities; and of the Israelites, Gods own best beloved people, all which, as they were lulled asleep in the Cradle of carnal Security, with the pleasing and bewitching tunes of peace and pleasure; so were they always, when they least suspected it, surprised upon the sudden in their lethargy of sin, with some remarkable plagues and punishments. And therefore considering with my self, that our long peace, plenty and prosperity hath infected the most that live in our land, with deep security and reckless carelessness, and caused them to dream, that this Sun-shine will never set: I could not choose but suspect, and daily expect the near approaching of the other, and that the dark night of affliction and calamity will ere long surprise us, unless the loud cries of Gods Ministers do speedily awaken us out of our lethargy, and move us to meet the Lord and prevent his judgements, by turning unto him in unfeigned repentance. In which regard, being appointed and called by God to be one of his (though least worthy) watchmen, whose office requireth, that we should not only our selves keep the spiritual watch, but also, as much as in us lieth, awaken others: I thought it my duty, by giving warning of these approaching dangers, to ⟨image 492⟩rouse up as many as I could out of this sleep, or rather lethargy of security. And because my voice were far too weak (though I could, as the Lord requireth, lift it up as a Trumpet) to be heard of all the people of this Land, I have endeavoured to convey the sound thereof (as it were) by these paper Pipes, even unto the most remote places; and to those especially, where the lively voice of Gods faithful watchmen, is rarely heard;
AS long peace and prosperitie, are the common causes of carnal securitie and hardnesse of heart, so these the vsuall forerunners of fearefull punishments, seeing in this desperate Disease (which we may fitly call, the stone in the heart) more gentle Medicines will not effect the cure. For when mens hearts are come to brassy or flinty hardnesse, nothing will melt them (without some extraordinary worke of the Spirit) but the fiery furnace of Affliction, nothing will bruise and breake them, but the heauy hammer of Gods ⟨image 492⟩dreadfull iudgements. And this is manifest in the examples of all Ages, which are left vnto vs in the Scriptures, to giue vs warning. As of the old world, Sodome and her bordering Cities; and of the Israelites, Gods owne best beloued people, all which, as they were lulled asleepe in the Cradle of carnall Security, with the pleasing and bewitching tunes of peace and pleasure; so were they alwayes, when they least suspected it, surprised vpon the suddaine in their lethargie of sinne, with some remarkable plagues and punishments. And therefore considering with my selfe, that our long peace, plenty and prosperity hath infected the most that liue in our land, with deepe security and retchlesse carelesnesse, and caused them to dreame, that this Sun-shine will neuer set: I could not chuse but suspect, and daily expect the neer approching of the other, and that the darke night of affliction and calamity will ere long surprize vs, vnlesse the loude cries of Gods Ministers doe speedily awaken vs out of our lethargie, and moue vs to meet the Lord and preuent his iudgements, by turning vnto him in vnfayned repentance. In which regard, being appoynted and called by God to bee one of his (though least worthy) watchmen, whose office requireth, that we should not only our selues keep the spirituall watch, but also, as much as in vs lyeth, awaken others: I thought it my duty, by giuing warning of these approaching dangers, to ⟨image 492⟩rowze vp as many as I could out of this sleepe, or rather lethargie of securitie. And because my voyce were farre too weake (though I could, as the Lord requireth, lift it vp as a Trumpet) to be heard of all the people of this Land, I haue indeuoured to conuay the sound thereof (as it were) by these paper Pipes, euen vnto the most remote places; and to those especially, where the liuely voyce of Gods faithfull watchmen, is rarely heard;
