Whether *there will a blessing follow him that keepeth in his Corn in a time of Famine? Behold 2England is crying unto you in her Famine, as Egypt to Joseph, for with you is the store; for the Lord's sake †open the store-houses. Now or never stir up your Gifts, we seem to hear the fainting souls ⟨p. 9⟩of the forsaken, starving Flocks, coming and crying to you, as they to him, O give us Bread, for why should we dye in thy presence? We seem to see the famishing cheeks approaching you, and calling for relief, expostulating as they, Wherefore should we 4dye before thine eyes? Give us Food that we may live and not dye, Gen. 47. 19. For the Lord's sake bear with us to be a little plain with you; Are your souls sensible of the Famine upon the Land, or are they not? if not (as we cannot, we dare not, we do not think so of you Fathers; for we doubt not your Integrity with God) you were, we will not say no Fathers, but not so much as true Children or Members of the Church, having no Natural Affection, no Christian Sympathy. If you are indeed sensible of the Famine, how can you keep in the Corn? Surely the Voice of God to a withholding-Minister, seems like that, Lam. 2. 20. Arise, Cry out in the Night, in the beginning of the Watches; pour out thine heart like water before the Lord; lift up thine hands towards him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street: It grieves us to urge what yet we cannot keep in. Fathers, we reverence you from our hearts, but cannot but set before you the gemitus & suspiria of grieved souls, who seem to cry to you, as Lam. 4. 3. Even the Sea-Monsters draw out the Breasts, they give suck to their young ones; the Daughter of my People is become cruel, like the Ostriches of the Wilderness.
Whether *there will a blessing follow him that keepeth in his Corn in a time of Famine? Behold 2England is crying unto you in her Famine, as Egypt to Joseph, for with you is the store; for the Lord's sake †open the store-houses. Now or never stir up your Gifts, we seem to hear the fainting souls ⟨p. 9⟩of the forsaken, starving Flocks, comming and crying to you, as they to him, O give us Bread, for why should we dye in thy presence? We seem to see the famishing cheeks approaching you, and calling for relief, expostulating as they, Wherefore should we 4dye before thine eyes? Give us Food that we may live and not dye, Gen. 47. 19. For the Lord's sake bear with us to be a little plain with you; Are your souls sensible of the Famine upon the Land, or are they not? if not (as we cannot, we dare not, we do not think so of you Fathers; for we doubt not your Integrity with God) you were, we will not say no Fathers, but not so much as true Children or Members of the Church, having no Natural Affection, no Christian Sympathy. If you are indeed sensible of the Famine, how can you keep in the Corn? Surely the Voyce of God to a withholding-Minister, seems like that, Lam. 2. 20. Arise, Cry out in the Night, in the beginning of the Watches; pour out thine heart like water before the Lord; lift up thine hands towards him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street: It grieves us to urge what yet we cannot keep in. Fathers, we reverence you from our hearts, but cannot but set before you the gemitus & suspiria of grieved souls, who seem to cry to you, as Lam. 4. 3. Even the Sea-Monsters draw out the Breasts, they give suck to their young ones; the Daughter of my People is become cruel, like the Ostriches of the Wilderness.
- *Pro. 11. 26.
- 2Quest. 3.
- †Gen. 41. 56
- 4Gen. 47. 15.
