18. All the days of fasting and prayer that have been of late years kept in England so a Reformation, will rise up in Judgement against the unreformed, that will not be persuaded to the painful part of the work. And I confess it is so heavy an aggravation of our sin, that it makes me ready to tremble to think of it. Was there ever a Nation on the race of the earth that hath so solemnly and so long, followed God with fasting and prayer as we have done? Before the Parliament began, how frequent and fervent were we in secret: After that for many years time together, we had a monthly Fast commanded by the Parliament: besides frequent private and public Fa••s on the by. And what was all this for? What ever was sometime the means that we looked at, yet still the end of all our Prayers was Church-Reformation, and therein especially these two things; A faithful Ministry; and Exercise of Discipline in the Church: And did it once enter then into the hearts of the people, yea or into our own hearts to imagine, that when we had all that we would have, and the matter was put into our own hands, to be as painful as we could, and to exercise what Discipline we would, that then we would do nothing (but publicly preach) that we would not be at the pains of Catechizing and Instructing our people personally? nor exercise any considerable part of Discipline at all? It astonisheth me to think of it! What a depth of deceit is it, the heart of man! What, are good mens hearts so deceitful? Are all mens hearts so deceitful? I confess I told many soldiers and other sensual men then, that when they had fought for a Reformation, I was confident they would abhor it and be enemies to it, ⟨p. 379⟩when they saw and felt it: thinking that the yoke of Discipline would have pinched their necks: and that when they had been catechized and personally dealt with, and reproved for their sin, in private and public, and brought to public confession and repentance, or avoided as impenitent, they would have scorned and spurned against all this, and have taken the yoke of Christ for tyranny: But little did I think that the Ministers would have let all fall, and put almost none of this upon them, but have let them alone for fear of displeasing them, and have let all run on as it did before.
18. All the daies of fasting and prayer that have been of late years kept in England so a Reformation, will rise up in Judgement against the unreformed, that will not be perswaded to the painful part of the work. And I confess it is so heavy an aggravation of our sin, that it makes me ready to tremble to think of it. Was there ever a Nation on the race of the earth that hath so solemnly and so long, followed God with fasting and prayer as we have done? Before the Parliament began, how frequent and servent were wein secret: After that for many years time together, we had a monethly Fast commanded by the Parliament: besides frequent private and publike Fa••s on the by. And what was all this for? What ever was sometime the means that we lookt at, yet still the end of all our Prayers was Church-Reformation, and therein especially these two things; A faithful Ministry; and Exercise of Discipline in the Church: And did it once enter then into the hearts of the people, yea or into our own hearts to imagine, that when we had all that we would have, and the matter was put into our own hands, to be as painful as we could, and to exercise what Discipline we would, that then we would do nothing (but publikely preach) that we would not be at the pains of Catechizing and Instructing our people personally? nor exercise any considerable part of Discipline at all? It astonisheth me to think of it! What a depth of deceit is it, the heart of man! What, are good mens hearts so deceitful? Are all mens hearts so deceitful? I confess I told many souldiers and other sensual men then, that when they had fought for a Reformation, I was confident they would abhorr it and be enemies to it, ⟨p. 379⟩when they saw and felt it: thinking that the yoak of Discipline would have pincht their necks: and that when they had been catechized and personally dealt with, and reproved for their sin, in private and publike, and brought to publike confestion and repentance, or avoided as impenitent, they would have scorned and spurned against all this, and have taken the yoak of Christ for tyrannie: But little did I think that the Ministers would have let all fall, and put almost none of this upon them, but have let them alone for fear of displeasing them, and have let all run on as it did before.
