v. 8.

c. 3. v.5. this Occafion. He tells us, that they belie ved God, and therefore they proclaimed a Faft. That they cried mightily unto the Lord, and that they turned every one from bis evil Way, and from the Violence that was in bis Hands. So that if we take our Meafures from the Ninevites, we must say that there are three things neceffary to make our publick Fafting and Prayer effectual to the Ends they are designed for ;

First, That our Fafting do proceed from a truly religious Principle, that is to fay, from a deep Senfe of our Sins against God, and the Punishment we deferve for them.

Secondly, That our Prayers for his Mercy be very earnest and importunate; that we cry mightily unto the Lord, as the Ninevites here did.

Thirdly, That our Fafting and Prayer be accompanied with ferious Refolution to reform our Lives, by turning from our evil Way.

Give me leave to speak very briefly to thefe three Things.

1. First of all; If we expect to have our folemn Fafting at this time effectual to the Ends it is defigned for, it is necessary that

it

it do proceed from a truly religious Principle; that is to fay, from a deep Senfe of our Sins against God, and the Punishment we deferve for them. Fafting, as it is a bare Abftinence from Meat, fignifies nothing in God's Account; nay, though we added Sackcloth and Ashes to it, no more than any other indifferent Action of human Life. That which gives it its Virtue, is the inward Humiliation of our Souls before God for our own Sins, and the Sins of the Nation; and the giving the best Expreffions we can, by thus punishing and afflicting our Bodies, that we are truly grieved and afflicted for having offended God, and are deeply fenfible of what we have deferved from Him upon that Account. We do hereby declare that we judge and fentence our felves, that we may prevent the Judgment of the Lord. This is the true Notion of religious Fafting. Without this, it is a Sacrifice without an Heart; nay, it is declared by God to be an Abomination to him. Is this, fays he, the Faft that Ifaiah 58. have chofen? A Day for a Man to afflict his·5. Soul? Is it to bow down his Head like a Bullrufb, and Spread Sackcloth and Afbes under bim? Wilt thou call this a Faft and an acceptable Day unto the Lord? No; if the Faft go no further than this, it is fo far from being acceptable, that he declares by the fame Prophet, that it was Iniquity, and c. 1.v.13.

the

the folemn Meeting of this kind, his Soul could not away with.

It would be well if all of us here prefent, who pretend this Day to keep a folemn Faft to the Lord, would a little examine our felves upon this Point. Do we really come with thofe Qualifications which are required to make a Fast a true A&t of Religion, and fuch as will gain God's Acceptance? Do not fome of us faft merely for fafting fake, being no more concerned what the State of their Souls is towards God, than if they were going to a Feaft? Do not fome of us appear here without any inward Senfe in the leaft either of their Sins, or of the Judgments of God, which hang over our Heads, defigning more by this their Fafting to fhew Refpect to the Queen and her Proclamation, than to take any Occafion therefrom to examine their own Lives, and to lay their Sins to heart, and seriously to repent of them for their own, and the Nation's Sake? If there be any here whofe Confcience cannot answer them that they come with better Designs and Difpofitions, they might as well forbear their Fafting at this time; for it is certain the Publick is likely to receive little Benefit from it. If we would observe a Faft to any Purpose, it is fit that we come to it with a great Zeal and Concernment. for the Nation of which we are Members,

and

and also with a hearty Sorrow for our Sins, and a juft Apprehenfion of the Wrath and Displeasure of God, that we have incurred by them. If we have any Concernment for our Country, it will fhew itself that way. We fhall not only be fenfible of our own Tranfgreffions, and the personal Guilt we have thereby contracted, but of the Sins and the Guilt in which we and the whole Kingdom lie involved. We shall fadly confider how we have abused God's Mercies, and how we have defeated the Ends of his Judgments. What ungrateful Returns we have made for all his Kindnesses, and how we have multiplied our Tranfgreffions against Heaven with an high hand. And we shall not eafily Speak Ezek. 13. Peace to our felves when there is no Peace, but being apprehenfive of what our Sins have deferved, we shall ftand in continual Fear, left God fhould vifit them upon us. And certainly we of this Nation have great Reasons for that Fear; not but that I hope, as bad as we are, we may be as good as fome of the other Nations, that we have now to deal with. Tho' whether this be true or no, God Almighty only knows, who alone fearcheth the Heart, and when the Iniquities of a People are at the height, knows how, or in what manner to visit them. But. I fay, confidering how long God hath fpared us, and how long we have enjoyed

10.

enjoyed the Bleffings of Peace at home, and all manner of Plenty and Profperity (tho' perhaps with many Fears and juft Apprehenfions of Danger) when most of our Neighbours have tafted the Cup of God's Fury, groaning under the Cruelties and Mileries of Wars, and Perfecutions, and Defolations; and confidering the great Privileges and Advantages we have for many Years enjoyed of a glorious Light of the Gofpel, and all the outward Means of Grace that could be defired for the eternal Salvation of our Souls, and that above any Nation under Heaven; and withal how unprofitable we have been under those Means, and what little Effect they have had upon us for the bettering our Manners or reforming us to a fober Chriftian Converfation: And confidering, laftly, how very wicked a great many of us are; what a World of open and grofs Sins and Impieties do reign among us; what a lewd, and profane, and atheistical Spirit feems to have gone out among us, and to prevail upon us; what a deal of Hypocrify is every where to be met with, Men making a mighty Noife with Religion, and being zealous, even to Bigottry, for that Mode of it which they have taken up, and yet not having one Drachm of inward Senfe of that which it obligeth them to; it being Merit enough to fanctify all their other

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