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are not so wide, but that if animosities and prejudices were removed, they might, by amicable and fraternal debates, be closed up again.

2. The wing of righteousness,'-able, faithful, religious judges and magistrates, wholesome, healing, and righteous laws, are the vehicula of justice: by the sanctuary and prudence of these, your healing will shed itself abroad into all parts of the land.

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In one word, Go forth,' have your eyes in every place, Πολλοὶ βασιλέων ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ πολλὰ ὦτα. « Let the wheels of your providence have eyes on them. Grow up into splendor and perfection, and restore the collapsed honour of this august council in all parts of it. Tread down wickedness; make stronger laws than ever, against impiety and profaneness, against iniquity and unrighteousness. Keep Christ and his presence; keep godliness and the fear of his name in the midst of the land. Endeavour not a mere formal and superficial, but a substantial and spiritual reformation; and then assuredly the Lord will honour you, and make you his instruments of performing this gracious promise, "Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings:" and these wings shall carry your names and memories with splendor and renown unto all succeeding ages. "For them that honour him, the Lord will honour "b

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THE

MEANS AND METHOD OF

HEALING IN THE CHURCH:

Set forth in a SERMON, preached before the Right Honourable the House of Peers in Westminster-Abbey, April 30, 1660, being a day of Solemn Humiliation to seek God for his Blessing on the Counsels of the Parliament.

NOBILISSIMIS, HONORATISSIMIS, AMPLISSIMIS,

DOMINIS

IN

SUPERIORI DOMO

PARLIAMENTORUM

ARDUA REGNI NEGOTIA TRACTANTIBUS,
CONCIONEM HANC, CORAM IPSIS HABITAM,
IPSORUMQUE JUSSU PUBLICI JURIS

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If I shut up heaven that there be no rain; or if I command the locusts to devour the land; or if I send pestilence among my people;-if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

THE words are a gracious promise, made by the Lord unto Solomon, after he had dedicated the temple by fasting and

prayer for though there be no mention of fasting, yet if we consult the time, we shall find that it was in the seventh month; (2 Chron. v.3) and that the solemnity continued from the eighth to the twenty-third day of that month; (2 Chron. vii. 9, 10) and the tenth day was, by a statute, for ever appointed to be a day, wherein to afflict their souls. (Lev. xxvi. 29)

The parts are three; 1. A supposition of judgements, ver. 13: where, by the enumeration of three, any others may synecdochically be understood.

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2. A direction unto duties: wherein are two things to be taken notice of: 1. The quality of the persons who are to perform them; My people called by my name.' 2. A specification of the duties, which are these four, Humiliation, supplication, reconciliation, conversion.'

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3. A gracious promise of mercy, wherein are very remarkable four signal returns of grace in conformity to their duties. 1. They humble themselves under God's holy hand; and he humbleth himself to look down from heaven.' 2. They pray, and God hears their prayer. 3. They seek the favour and the face of God; and God forgives their sin, and is reconciled unto them. 4. They turn from their wicked ways; and God heals those evils which those wicked ways had brought upon the land; no duty undertaken in vain, but a suitable and correspondent mercy promised to encourage

them thereunto.

It may here not impertinently be asked, why these three judgements of 'shutting up heaven, sending locusts and pestilence,' are rather mentioned than any other? since doubtless the promise doth extend itself further. I take the reason to be, 1. Because these are irresistible; no counsel, no policy, no strength can prevent them. 2. Because they are inflicted by God alone, no second causes immixed in them: If I shut up heaven, if I command the locusts, if I send pestilence.'

1. If an enemy come,-counsel may hinder, strength may vanquish, treasure may bribe and divert, him. Our own policies and provisions may seem to contribute towards our help. But against an army of locusts,' no policy, wisdom, strength, embassy, can prevail. No power of man can open or shut the clouds; no gates or bars can keep out a famine, or a pestilence from a place.

2. If an enemy come, we are apt to ascribe that to the malice of men; to look outward to second causes, and not inward to our own sins, or upward to the justice of God; though it be certain, that there is no human hostility, without a divine commission. Men are God's rod, and sword, and staff. (Psalm xvii. 13. Isa. x. 5, 6. Ezek. xxi. 3, 5, 11) He, by his secret and holy providence, edgeth the spirits of men against one another; (as he sent an evil spirit between the men of Shechem and Abimelech, Judges ix. 23) and stirreth up adversaries against those that provoke him, as he did against Solomon. (1 Kings xi. 14, 23) And when he pleaseth to return in mercy, "he rebuketh the sword, and breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder." (Psalm xlvi. 9. Isa. liv. 17) These things, I say, are certain. But we are too apt to bite the stone that hurts us, and not mind the hand that threw it: whereas when wrath is from heaven only, we are forced to see God; we have no second causes to ascribe it unto.

So the meaning is, "If I send judgements immediately from myself, such as no human wisdom can prevent, or power remove; if then the people shall bethink themselves, and return, and seek my face, they shall find, that, when wisdom, policy, treasures, walls, armour, munition, are nothing worth,-prayer and repentance shall avail for healing." So here is a double combat between God and man.

1. Man provokes God with sin; and God overcomes sin with judgement.

2. Man wrestleth with prayer and humiliation; and God yieldeth in mercy and compassion.

I begin with the first general, the supposition of judgements, and from thence make two observations.

I. Judgements light not on a people casually, or by chance, but by the over-ruling and disposing power and justice of the command and commission of God. It hath not an earthly original: it grows not out of the dust; (Job v. 6, 7) but it comes from heaven, and is sent from God, to signify something of his mind unto us.

1. Sometimes, indeed, by way of dominion and absolute power, he destroyeth the perfect and the wicked; he laugheth at the trial of the innocent. (Job ix. 22, 23) Sometimes as a preparation unto intended mercy; as men

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plough the ground which they mean to enrich with precious seed, and carve the stone which they mean to put in the top of the building. Joseph's iron chain made way to his golden chain; and David's troubles seasoned him for his crown. As men put forth longest into wind and sun that great timber, which must bear the greatest burden and stress of the building. No such school to learn in, as the school of affliction. But most usually in a way of justice; "Because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee." (Jer. xxx. 15) Thou hast done right; we have done wickedly." (Nehem. ix. 33) "I have not done without cause all that I have done." (Ezek. xiv. 23) Personal chastisements may be for trial and exercise of faith and patience; but general and public judgements are ever in wrath and displeasure.

Such have been the dealings of God in this nation. The cup of affliction hath been given to all orders of men. We have seen princes on scaffolds, and in banishment; parliaments broken in pieces by their servants; peers and patriots divested of their honours, and secluded from their trust; dishonours poured upon the city, poverty on the country, blood on the land, scorn on ministers, threats on universities, consternation on soldiers; there is not any order or degree of men, which hath not been shaken with these earthquakes. O how deep is our stupidity, if we do not all of us analyze and resolve our sufferings into their proper principles, our sins, and God's displeasure! if we have only howled under them, and see not God's providence in them, ordering the sins of men unto our humiliation! if we know them only naturally by their smart to the flesh, and not spiritually, by their influence on the conscience! if we censure others, and absolve ourselves! if our sufferings harden and enrage us in animosities against men, but do not meeken and melt us under the holy trials of God!

Let us, therefore, labour to find out our sins by our sufferings, the cloud of wrath rising out of the sea of lust. Let us search and try our ways; and, since we are living men, not complain of the punishment of our sins; be not as adamants, rocks, oaks, which blows, waves, winds, break not, move not, bend not:-make use of our sufferings to review our sins, and to know our duty; what we should happily

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