A SERMON OF REPENTANCE. '349 liberty to deride religion ? Ifmen shall have leave to go quietly to hell themselves, let them not have leave to mock poor souls from heaven. The suffering to the sound in faith is as nothing; for what is the foaming rage of madmen to be regarded ? But that, in England, God should be so provoked, and souls so hindered from the paths of life, that whoever will be converted and saved must be made a laughing-stock,which carnal minds cannot endure ; this is the mischief which we deprecate. The eyes of the nation, and of the Christian world, are much upon you, some high in hope 's, some deep in fears, some waiting in dubious expectations for the issue of your counsels. Great ex- pectations, in deep necessities, should awake you to the greatest care and diligence. Though I would not, by omitting any neces- sarydirections, or admonitions to you, invite the world to think that I speak to such as cannot endure to hear, and that so honorable an assembly doth'call the ministers of Christ to do those works of their proper office, which yet theywill be offended if they do, yet had I rather err in the defective part than by excess, and therefore shall not presume tobe too particular. Only in general, in the name of Christ, and on the behalf ofa trembling, yet hoping nation, I most earnestly beseech and warn you, that youown and promote the pow- er and practice ofgodliness in the land, and that as God, whose ministers you are, (Rom. xüi. 4.) is a rewarder of them that dili- gently seek him, (lieb. xi. 6.) and bath made this a principal article of our faith, so you would imitate your absdlute Lord, and honor them that fear the Lord, and encourage them that diligently seek him. And may I not freely tell you that God should have the precedency ? And that you must first seek his kingdom and the righteousness thereof, and he will facilitate all the rest of your work ? Surely no powers on earth should be offended, that the God from whom, and for whom, and through whom, they have what theyhave, is preferred before them, when they should own no interest but his, and what is subservient to it. I have long thought that pretensesof a necessity of beginning with our own affairs, bath frustratedour hopes from many parliaments already ; and I am sure that by delays, the enemies of our peace have got advantage to cross our ends, and attain their own. Our calamities began in differences about religion, and still that is the wound that most needs closing. And if that were done, how easily, I dare confidently speak it, would the generality of sober, godly people be agreed in things civil, and become the strength and glory of the sovereign under God ! And though, with grief and shame, we see this work so long undone, (may we hope that God bath reserved it to this season,) yet I have the confidence to pro- fess, that, as the exalting ofone party; by the ejection and perse-' cuting of the rest, is the sinful way to your dishonor and our rum,
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