Chap. 2. An E cpafitíon upon the Book, of 1 O B. Verf: 8 269 the greater troubles are, the greater our humiliation ought to be. This,is one way of accepting.the puniffhment of our iniquities, and ofimprovi -ng prefent evils for our everlafting good. Confider whether this be not the work of this day. We have had the hand' ofGod upon the Nation in ]effer judg- ments hcretofore,we have had warning peecesfnot ofamongli usi but now we hear the_report of murthering-peeces every day, Di- vers years God made war upon us with the fwordof the Angel, 'by - whichthoufandshavefallen in our .ftreets; but now God hath put a (word into the hands amen. The former fword was a fa- vour compared with this ; thofe wounds a kifs, compared with this .Both David4nd experience refolveit thus.Many ofour dear brethren are lláin and fallen by -the Sword, their blood hath been fpilt like water, and their bones have been íèattered as whenone 2 Sam. 24., ,çl:eaveth or cuttethwood upon the earth. The fpoiled icry to us for bread, the lick and wounded for help andhealing. Many Towns have been plundered,many Matronsand Virgins have been ravifhed,many families have been fcattered,many wives and chil- dren deprived of their husbands and parents,màny pariflies bereft, offaithful Patiours, forceof our dwellings turned to afhes; and is it not time for us, not only to rent our- garments, but to fit - in attics?do not thefe things call us to eat allies likebrcad,and mingle our drink with weeping ?Is it not time for us not only to write but toad a Lamentation, and to fay,' For theii things I weep , -mine eye, mine eye sunneth clownwith water ? There Lis one thing yet, whichmay and ought to be a Lamentation tous, beyond all our own-futïerings, namely this ,.. God is dithonoured, his name is blafphemed, his peoplenare reproached. The enemies flrike this fword in their bones, a fcornful enquiry, Where is nomyontr Gob? Pfal. 42.10. Should not tears be our meat day and night (as they . were Davids)whi]e they faycontinualiy,W here is now your God? - Pf al.o2.3.Our not fitting in the allies for fuch things as ther:,wilt bring us unto allies s, and irwe will not fit upon the dunghilf of our fins in humiliation,our fins will bringus and our land unto a dunghill of defolation. In this day, as of old by Luis faithful Prophet(Ifa.. 22. i 2.)doth the .¡ord Godof Hofls call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldneJs, and' togirding with .fáckcloáth And not onely to thefe, but to jobs pollute of forrow, tting afhes ; the voice of the rod calleth to this : the voice of the trum- pet heard daily in our lireets, calls to this. WeA'have caufe to cry cut..,
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