A85486:210
The right wayThe right vvay
The right way: or A direction for obtaining good success in a weighty enterprise. Set out in a sermon preached on the 12th of September, 1648. before the Lords on a day of humiliation for a blessing on a treaty between His Majesties and the Parliaments commissioners. / By W. Gouge.The right vvay: or A direction for obtaining good successe in a weighty enterprise. Set out in a sermon preached on the 12th of September, 1648. before the Lords on a day of humiliation for a blessing on a treaty between His Majesties and the Parliaments commissioners. / By W. Gouge.
London: printed by A. Miller for Joshua Kirton, 1648London: printed by A. Miller for Ioshua Kirton, 1648
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The great complaint of pious Christians in former times was, that public fasts were not enjoined by public authority. Sometimes a dozen, sometimes more years passed in this Land and Kingdom without any ⟨p. 31⟩public fasts, and yet sundry Parliaments called in those years: sundry Armies sent forth, and sundry judgements inflicted. I can remember a solemn fast proclaimed, and most solemnly kept in the year 1588. upon the approach of that Spanish Armada, that carried the stile of Invincible. Admirable was the blessing that followed upon that fast: for soon after, that proud Armada was strangely dissipated. I do not well remember another public fast betwixt that and the first year of King James, wherein was such a raging Plague, as we have not heard of the like before in this Land. Thereupon a weekly fast was enjoined by public authority, till it pleased God to remove that plague.
The great complaint of pious Christians in former times was, that publike fasts were not enjoyned by publike authority. Sometimes a dozen, sometimes more years passed in this Land and Kingdome without any ⟨p. 31⟩publike fasts, and yet sundry Parliaments called in those years: sundry Armies sent forth, and sundry judgements inflicted. I can remember a solemn fast proclaimed, and most solemnly kept in the year 1588. upon the approach of that Spanish Armado, that carried the stile of Invincible. Admirable was the blessing that followed upon that fast: for soon after, that proud Armado was strangely dissipated. I doe not well remember another publike fast betwixt that and the first year of King James, wherein was such a raging Plague, as we have not heard of the like before in this Land. Thereupon a weekly fast was enjoyned by publike authority, till it pleased God to remove that plague.
Very few public fasts were betwixt that and another greater plague, in the year, 1625. when there was also a weekly fast enjoined by public authority: at which time God gave a very gracious return to the prayers of his people: for the plague decreased much faster then it increased, and in short time from the number of five thousand two hundred and five that died in one week, it came so utterly to cease, as not one at all to die of that sickness.