England (in whose Peace we shall have Peace) seems to be ripe for Judgment. The Grievous National sins committed in the late Reigns, have not yet been accounted for. Never was there a Nation in the world (the Jewish excepted) that sinned against the light of the Gospel so as the English Nation has. Our Hearts may (with Eli) tremble for the Ark of God there. I have often wondered at some very surprising Passages which are in our Renowned Hookers Sermon, on Jer. 14.9. which was the last that he Preached in England. Shall I tell you (says he) what God has told me, Nay, I must tell you on pa•n of my Life: I am a poor Ambassador sent from God, to do His Message unto you. And tho' I be Low, yet my Message is from above, and He that sent me is Great; And Oh! that He would grant that this my Message ⟨p. 10⟩might be believed. What if I should […] you what God told me yester-night, that He w•ll lay England waste. It is my Message by Meditation in Gods Word, that He bid me do to you. I do my Message as God Commanded me. Do you think well of it? Will you have England Destroyed? Will you put the Aged to Trouble, and your Young Men to the Sword? Will you have your Young Women Widows, and your Virgins Defiled? Will you have your dear and tender Little ones tossed on the Pikes, and dashed on the Stones? Or, will you have them brought up in Popery, in Idolatry, under a necessity of perishing their Souls forever, which is the worst of all? Will you have these Temples wherein we seem to worship God, will you have them and your Houses Burnt with Fire? — Do not say, here are many Good Christian. Do you think that God is beholding to you for your Religion? Surely not: For rather then He will preserve such as pro•ess His Name, and hate to be Reformed, He will raise up of these stones Children unto Abraham: He will rather go into Turkey, and say to them, Thou art my People, and I will be your God ▪ Thus speaks that Man of God. I find that ⟨p. 11⟩this Sermon of his is by a mistake, Published amongst Mr. Fenners works▪ as if it had been Preached by him. Probably, the Booksellers might find it in Mr. Fenners Study amongst his Manuscripts, and so sent it abroad into the world under his Name. Reverend Mr. Higginson (the most Aged Minister now living in New-England) was well acquainted with Mr. Hooker, as having been Educated under him, and he assures me, That after Mr.
England (in whose Peace we shall have Peace) seems to be ripe for Judgment. The Grievous National sins committed in the late Reigns, have not yet been accounted for. Never was there a Nation in the world (the Iewish excepted) that sinned against the light of the Gospel so as the English Nation has. Our Hearts may (with Eli) tremble for the Ark of God there. I have often wondred at some very surprizing Passages which are in our Renowned Hookers Sermon, on Ier. 14.9. which was the last that he Preached in England. Shall I tell you (sayes he) what God has told me, Nay, I must tell you on pa•n of my Life: I am a poor Ambassador sent from God, to do His Message unto you. And tho' I be Low, yet my Message is from above, and He that sent me is Great; And Oh! that He would grant that this my Message ⟨p. 10⟩might be believed. What if I should 〈…〉 you what God told me yester-night, that He w•ll lay England waste. It is my Message by Meditation in Gods Word, that He bid me do to you. I do my Message as God Commanded me. Do you think well of it? Will you have England Destroyed? Will you put the Aged to Trouble, and your Young Men to the Sword? Will you have your Young Women Widows, and your Virgins Defiled? Will you have your dear and tender Little ones tossed on the Pikes, and dashed on the Stones? Or, will you have them brought up in Popery, in Idolatry, under a necessity of perishing their Souls forever, which is the worst of all? Will you have these Temples wherein we seem to worship God, will you have them and your Houses Burnt with Fire? — Do not say, here are many Good Christian. Do you think that God is beholding to you for your Religion? Surely not: For rather then He will preserve such as pro•ess His Name, and hate to be Reformed, He will ra•se up of these stones Children unto Abraham: He will rather go into Turkey, and say to them, Thou art my People, and I will be your God ▪ Thus speaks that Man of God. I find that ⟨p. 11⟩this Sermon of his is by a mistake, Published amongst Mr. Fenners works▪ as if it had been Preached by him. Probably, the Booksellers might find it in Mr. Fenners Study amongst his Manuscripts, and so sent it abroad into the world under his Name. Reverend Mr. Higginson (the most Aged Minister now living in New-England) was well acquainted with Mr. Hooker, as having been Educated under him, and he assures me, That after Mr.