Englands antidote against the plague of civill war presented in a sermon before the…Englands antidote against the plague of civill warre presented in a sermon before the…

For first, You bring not your Fasting apparel with you; here are many of you appear in this place rather in a triumphing way, then in a penitent way; whereas the great King of Nineveh, he laid aside his robes, and so did his Nobles. And though God regards not the out-side so much, nay God scorns the out-side without the in-side, yet God looks to have the out-side, as well as the in-side: And then again,

For first, You bring not your Fasting apparell with you; here are many of you appear in this place rather in a triumphing way, then in a penitent way; whereas the great King of Nineveh, he laid aside his robes, and so did his Nobles. And though God regards not the out-side so much, nay God scorns the out-side without the in-side, yet God looks to have the out-side, as well as the in-side: And then again,

Secondly, Here is a great deal of Fasting, but where is your weeping? where is your mourning? Look into the Word of God, ⟨p. 30⟩and you shall always see fasting and weeping go together; God scorns your fasting, if there be not weeping joined; Turn unto me with all your hearts, with fasting, (what next?) with weeping, ¹and with mourning: Nay fasting and mourning are all one in Christs sense; in Matth. 9. 15. Can the children of the Bridegroom mourn when the Bridegroom is with them? but when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they Fast. Here fasting and mourning are put for one and the same thing: Now because there is a great deal of fasting, and so little weeping, that is the reason why our Fastings do no more good; We keep days of humiliation without any humiliation, and therefore God scorns our days of humiliation. It is a very sad thing to see that in stead of weeping on a fasting day there are many that turn a great part of it into sleeping; we turn our weeping into sleeping, we weary God, and weary our selves; and in stead of soul-afflicting, we afflict God by our negligent addresses to God on that day. Were it not strange to see a condemned Malefactor, while he is pleading for his life at the Bar, to fall asleep, would you not say, this man cares not much for his life? You come hither like so many condemned Malefactors, and you come to plead for your own lives, and for the lives of three Kingdoms; and for you to fall asleep while you are pleading for your lives, God scorns such fastings; and that is the reason saith England, why I am not healed by your fastings. And then again,