A SERMON PREACHED AT THE public FAST The Twelfth day of April. At St MARIES OXFORD,  
BEFORE THE MEMBERS OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS There Assembled;  
By Henry fern D. D.  
And Printed by their Order.  Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. MAT. 12.25. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed ye be not consumed one of another. GAL. 5.15. 
OXFORD, Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD, Printer to the university, 1644.   

Die Veneris 12. Aprilis. 1644.  
ORdered by the Members of the Commons House of Parliament Assembled at Oxford, That colonel Gamull, and Master Alestree, give Doctor fern Thanks for his Sermon, and desire him the same may be Printed.  
Noah Bridges.   
JUDGES 5. V. 15. For the Divisions of Reuben there were great Thoughts of heart ( or as it is Vers. 16.) great searchings of heart. 
A Song of Deborah and Barak, saith the Title of the Chapter, and out of a Song to choose you a Text for a day of Humiliation, may seem an over hasty providing for your joy, rather then a seasonable enforcement of your sorrow; Deborah and Barak are in their triumph, and well they might, God had delivered them, and restored their Peace: We are under the pressure, and if their joy svit not with our present condition, it will with our desires, with that expectation wee have of an happy Issue, in order to which we afflict our souls now, and hang down our heads this day, that God in his good time may lift them up.  
They that are truly thankful and glad upon a deliverance, do look back to dangers they have past, and can at once recount in what straits they were, and by whose default or treachery brought into them, and by whose aid they have escaped them. All this here. Divisions, and upon them great thoughts of heart, and again Divisions, and upon them great searchings of heart: a matter it was of dangerous consequence; Reuben and Dan and Asser are noted for them. It would have gone ill with Israel, had other Tribes forborn too, had not the Lord moved the hearts of some to come in to the help, and by them given the Victory.  
There were Divisions, & upon them great thoughts of heart; so they, in the joyful remembrance of what was past; There are Divisions among us, and upon them great heart-burnings, high swelling thoughts; so have wee cause to complain in the sense of our present Condition; and cause also to entertain other kind of Thoughts, such as make for Peace: Thoughts, and searchings of heart, why is it thus with us? what shall we do for the closing up of these Divisions? That wee also may come to the joy and triumph of this Song, in a grateful remembrance of what was, and what might have happened upon our Divisions. For the Divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts, great searchings of heart.  
The Text is short and quick, as usually the words of Conquerors are, and generally all the expressions of this song. It admits therfore several readings; the Chaldee Paraphrase renders the meaning of it thus, In seminibus Reuben multi insidiatores cordis, In the lines or families of Reuben there were many double hea ted, devling perfidiously. It is a truth indeed, that in hard and dangerous times( such as these were) there are always some by whose treachery and perfidious dealing Divisions are caused and fomented: some notorious above others, that deserve to have a mark set upon them, and to be Chronicled for it, as Reuben here; jerome reads it thus, Diviso in se Reuben, magnanimorum reperta est contentio, which gives us this sense, When a people fals into Divisions, there are always some great and hot spirits that inflame the contention, and make it not easily to be appeased. Other Interpreters red it otherwise. But least I seem to show you the Division of Interpreters rather then of Reuben, I find the most and best of them render it according to the original, as our Translation hath it, in, or, for the divisions of Reuben there were Magnae imaginationes, sculpturae or, decreta cordis; in the Hebrew, Chikkee; Thoughts of heart, in our Text; or Impressions, as in the margin. Then to insinuate the dangerous consequence of this, and how much they were to blame that were guilty of it, it's repeated again in the next verse with the change but of one letter for the greater elegancy of the song, Magnae investigationes, Chikree, saith the Hebrew, great searchings of heart, as it is in ours. The Reubenites were divided from their Brethren in the time of distress, and therefore great exceptions and resolutions were taken against them for it; For the divisions of Reuben, there were great thoughts, great searchings of heart.  
We will consider this first in the History, then as concerning us and our condition.  
Thrice I find Reuben challenged upon this point of division, and thereupon great thoughts, jealousies, and exceptions.  
First, in the matter of their lot and inheritance. In that they were divided from their Brethren, the River jordan was between them; & when they first desired it, Num. 32. v. 5. Let this land be given us for a possession, and bring us not over this jordan, great thoughts there were, and searchings of heart upon it, Moses is very hot with them upon a mistake of their intentions, as if they meant to separate from their Brethren, and not bear the common burden of the war with them: shall your brethren( saith he) go up to war, and ye sit here? vers. 6. wherefore discourage ye the hearts of the Children of Israel? vers 7. Thus did thoughts and Jealousies arise, till their harmless intentions were known; upon the clearing of which, Moses is satisfied, & upon the performance of them. Ioshua sends the Reubenites away with a blessing. josh. 22.6.  
They are no sooner quit of this, but they give a second occasion of Offence in the matter of Religion. In their return they build an Altar upon the banks of jordan, as if they meant to be divided in worship from their Brethren. So it is taken, and thereupon great thoughts and searchings of heart, Josh. 22. They are charged with Idolatry, is the iniquity of Peor too little? ver. 17. and are threatened with war for it, the whole Congregation gathered themselves together; to get up to war against them, vers. 12.  
Very nice and tender we find them in the point of worship, the raising of an Altar( and good reason for it) yet ready to receive satisfaction; their zeal is forward, yet not so heady as to run streight into Action, and use those arms they had taken, before they fully understood what their Brethren meant; lest peradventure it might be their own misgrounded jealousy, which they revenged upon their Brethren, and not any just offence given by them. Therefore Phineas the Priest, and ten Princes, from every Tribe one, are sent unto them to challenge them for it, and receive their answer, which is this: that the Altar is not raised for a Sacrifice, but for a witness and remembrance to what God and People the Renbenites belonged; and so wanot so much an argument of their dividing from, as a monument of their Communion with their Brethren in the same Religion and worship. All parts are pleased and God is blessed, vers. 33. Had the zeal of these daies been of such a temper, so capable of satisfaction, the business had not come to arms, but we had still agreed as Brethren, and had still cause to bless God for the continuance of our Peace and happiness.  
Lastly, we find Reuben with other Tribes charged here in this place, for dividing from their Brethren in a Time of distress, of which they cannot clear themselves, but must stand registered and noted to Posterity as guilty of great unfaithfulness, and not without cause. The danger was great, the distress urgent, it required all the power and strength their Brethren could make, For the high ways were unoccupied, Travellers walked through byways, vers. 6. The Inhabitants of the Villages ceased. ver. 7. war was in the gates, and yet scarce a shield or spear to be found among forty thousand, vers. 8. An hard case when the Enemy is in the Field, and Princes with the People adhering to them, are in such a condition, so unprovided.  
For this, Deborah calls Barak to blow the Trumpet, set up the Standard, to invite all, as they were bound, to come in with help. She blesses some for coming; My heart is towards the Governours of Israel, that offered themselves willingly, vers. 9. she notes others for not coming, curses others for more wilful forbearance. Reuben, Dan and Asser are noted for not coming; Reuben liked the bleatings of the flock better then the noise of the battle, vers. 16. Dan got himself into ships to fly from that Army he should have appeared against, and Asser stayed in his own ruinous breaches to defend what he had at home, vers. 17. All these were farther of, and had their private reasons of absence, yet ought they to have performed their duty to the public, though with their own loss and hazard; and because they did not, great thoughts and searchings of heart, great displeasure conceived against them.  
But Meroz is cursed, vers. 23. and that not out of stomach and a distempered desire of revenge, as we commonly vent our anger against those that answer not our expectation, but dicit Angelus Domini, the Lord will have them cursed, because being near at hand, within hearing of the battle, they came not out to help, could have no pretence but plain disaffection. Though she leaves not Reuben under a Curse, yet under a black note set upon him and others for so great unfaithfulness, by reason of which, if the Lord had not stirred up other Tribes to offer themselves willingly, it might have gone ill with Israel. And therefore, For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts, great searchings of heart.  
Thus in the History. Now red we the Text in ourselves & consider what we have to do, if we desire the happy issue, that Deborah & Barak had notwithstanding these Divisions. Look we therefore upon our Divisions how they stand; and then examine wee our Thoughts, how we are affencted upon these our Divisions.  
Thoughts and Divisions are the two hinges upon which this Text and all our distractions do turn. Thoughts beget Divisions, and these again produce greater Thoughts. Men are first divided in Opinion by mistakes and error, then in Affection, by Jealousies and displeasure; and being so partend, go farther asunder by greater misconceits, censurings and heart-burnings; and so it will be, so long as we consult with flesh and blood: for whence come Wars and fightings amongst you?( saith St Iam. 4.1.) come they not hence? even of your lusts that war in your Members? And while corruption breaths out our thoughts and Resolutions, divisions will not cease; there must be new searchings of the heart, for new thoughts and resolutions; not such as corrupt nature suggests upon divisions and discords, but such as better instruction, and a due sense of our sad condition may prompt us with.  
First, of our divisions, and of them not so much to tel you the miseries come upon Civill discord and division: what need I tell you what you feel? you know them too well by suffering; but of them so far forth, as may better conduce to the direction of our Thoughts, that every heart may know what it is guilty of, what it may sear, what it should seek for redress.  
If we look into State or Church, we may see in what condition we are. more Tribes stand divided from their sovereign & their duty, then are here noted by Deborah; nay the Reubenites themselves, the first born of the People, as I may call them, the heads of the Tribes are, have been long divided among themselves. Scarce any private Family, but it is rent, and torn, not any bond of duty and relation, which nature, or friendship, or policy, or religion has knit but it's broken by these Divisions: in a word, the whole kingdom divided by Faction, and the Church by schism, and every heart thereupon is full of thought and fear.  
Who they are that stand guilty of the dividing of a kingdom, Deborah here gives us to understand, by that duty shee expects from all the people to come in at her call, and by that charge she lays upon them for not performing; And if they, that came not in to the help when Barak at her command blew the Trumpet, stand guilty of the Divisions, how much more they that without Authority blow a Trumpet( as Sheba did) to draw the people after them? By this we may see that there are two sorts of Subjects found guilty of our divisions, they that are contrivers and authors of the divisions themselves, and they that stand off, come not in to help at the command of the sovereign in these times of distress.  
It is not a time this to accuse others so much as ourselves, nor are we met this day to search other mens hearts, but our own; yet sometimes this may be done the better, if that be done in some sort, and we may better know what to take to ourselves as our own, when we see what belongs to others. For this wee need not search other other mens hearts but actions, and that briefly and only according to the passages of this story, the Reubenites Lot, the Reubenites Altar, the Reubenites standing divided from their Brethren in times of distress.  
There was, as you heard, offence taken, that the Reubenites should have the first lot and inheritance, who seemed to refuse to bear the common burden of the war with their brethren; and you know who they were, that to give beginning to these divisions took offence, that the lot should first fall upon such, such should chiefly be respected in offices and preferments, that would not, could not( as they thought) bear the burden, but would intend their private interests, not the public: and you see what they have now done themselves, they have brought up their brethren armed against us, as if we were Canaanites to to be rooted out, and have designed them Lot and inheritance on this side the River, for bearing the burden of the war with them, if you think they have made no good application of this stroy, see if they make a better of the next.  
There was offence taken, as you heard, at Reubens Altar, as if it had been raised for a new worship, & arms taken to revenge the suspected idolatry; you know who they are that upon the like offence and suspicion, have put the people into arms, and do maintain the fact by that design against Reuben, as if their Jealousies and suspicions were good cause for arms, or they had the like authority and supreme power as joshuah had, who sent Phineas the Priest with other Princes, to call the Reubenites to account, and denounce war against them.  
Let me here by the way say thus much for the Established Ceremonies of our Church, as the Reubenites did for their Altar, they are not for worship, they are for remembrance, for testification, and outward expression of inward and invisible acknowledgements. And for the words Altar and Table, who knows not the indifferent use of them in the ancient Church? & how that schisms and divisions( the guilt of these men) were usually expressed by that phrase of raising Altar against Altar? 'Tis true indeed that latter Times have attempted to place a proper Sacrifice there, a just cause of offence but let the Church of Rome answer for that. I find that our first Reformers having cast out that Doctaine, retained the word Altar in our Liturgy according to the ancient indifferent use: but I do not find it there now; happily it was taken out, to take away all shadow of offence. And I could wish, that in these times especially when every heart is so full of thoughts and Jealousies, all causes of offence and exception were taken away: but I could wish also; that they who have abused this story to abuse the People into a rebellion, would sadly consider what they have done themselves, how they have raised Altar against Altar, brought in Sect upon Sect, every one of them to have their several interests in our divisions every one to have a finger in the sore, to keep it from closing; and what hope is left us, if Gods hand were not above all.  
Lastly, if we should go on to search into other mens ways, wee should find many accessary to our Div sions, if not for raising yet for the continuance of them; Such as deserv● to be noted with the ●e●ben●tes here, for standing d●vided from their brethren, not conmming in at the summons of sovereign Authority, but denying the help which the Church and kingdom 1. choir of them in these times of distresle. Had there not been such a general failing in so necessary a duty, these Divisions had not gathered such strength, nor we had cause to complain, as they here, That the high ways are unoccupied, Travellars pass through by ways; the ●nhabitants of the Villages do cease; Our Towns dispeopled, our Country wasted, our houses spoiled, 
Psal. 74 21.  our Churches profaned; Rapine and bloodshed in every place, and as the Psalmist, The whole Land is full of darkness and cruel habitations. Such is our condition; I need not tell you what you feel, you are sensible of what you suffer by reason of these Divisions. Let us now examine, How wee are affencted, what our Thoughts thereupon, which is my second general. The Thoughts and Impressions of heart, which are in us upon these our Divisions. For the Divisions of Reuben, there were great thoughts, great searchings of heart.  
What Thoughts and Impressions and searchings of heart are? what should be in us upon these our Divisions? that's now our present consideration, and indeed it's the chief work of the Preacher this day, not to raise some slight flitting Thoughts in your minds, as when you hear a quaint and nimble discourse: I have not now to do with the fancy but the Heart, and to have impressions made upon that, you must endure the rougher touch of a heavier hand. There is no heart sutely so hard, but if itself has had some remorse, some impressions from the consideration of our present condition; but because they are according to it's own temper, it is like they be not such as should be, not such as will any way help to mend the business; therefore Searchings of the heart there must be, that we may know what thoughts and impressions there are in our hearts, what there should be, upon the due sense of our present condition.  
Are they such as Esau had against his brother jacob? The dayes of mourning will come, then will I kill my brother: thoughts of revenge against those, that have supplanted, robbed, spoiled you? nor such Thoughts: or such as those stately ones had; Esa● 9.10. The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hew●n stores; the Sycamores are cut down, but we will ch●nge them into Ced●rs: Thoughts of Pride, of repairing more sumptuonsly what you have been spoyled of? Not such Thoughts neither: or are they such as those luxurious ones had, Esay 22.12, 13. of eating and drinking and making mirth, when the Lord called for mourning? Thoughts of pleasure, to ease your restraint, and drive away the remembrance of what you have lost? No, nor such Thoughts: or such as the Disciples had when they disputed who should be the greatest in the expected kingdom of their Master: Thoughts of Ambition, how you may attain to greatness, when the kingdom is restored? No, not such Thoughts; or lastly, have you Thoughts of purchasing your Peace at any rate, that may cost you least, how ever dear to others? Do you think of laying all the means of the Church in the gap to make it up? No, it's the way to make it wider; not any such Thoughts as these: not any Thought, whereby we seek ourselves in p●ide, or profit, or pleasure, or revenge in these times of distress; we must look at some higher hand then that which spoiled us, and be sensible of something else then our own losses.  
We remember now in the day of our affliction, as jerusalem did in hers, our pleasant things which we had in the dayes of old, Lam. 1.7. and know whom to blame for it, that we have them not now, the Adversary that hath spread out his hand upon all our pleasant things, v. 10. These thoughts much possess our hearts, but do we ever think of blaming ourselves for it? Are wee sensible of these pressures, or look we at our losses, in relation to Gods wrath upon the Land, and our sins provoking it? That's a Thought, may be is not in every heart, yet either such a thought as that, or no hope of redre●se.  
Thoughts and resolutions there must be, not such such as corrupt Nature usually breaths out, but such as a due consideration of our sad condition may suggest; Thoughts towards God, and Thoughts towards Man; all such as make for Peace, for a clos●ing up of these Divisions.  
First, towards God, as provoked to wrath, thoughts for humiliation; and again, towards God, as to be appeased, as able also to restore our Peace, and re-unite dis-affected hearts; thoughts for reconciliation. The poor penitent son, Lu. 15.17. as soon as he came to himself, and was able to think in what condition he was, sits down and communes with his own heart, I perish here with hunger, I will arise and go, &c. there he is thinking and resolving what to do, what to say, what to desire for the easing of his misery.  
There must be then, 1. Thoughts upon these Divisions and Miseries as Evidences of Gods wrath towards this Land; that through the Divisions which do sunder us one from another, we may discern another breach by which we are divided from God, and in the wrath of implacable men that contend with us, we may discover another wrath toward us, the wrath of a displeased God. It is with us as with judah and Israel, Esay 9. v. 21. Manasseh against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Manasseh, and both together against judah. Great divisions then, all in combustion; but see what Thoughts the Prophet prompts them with in the words following, Yet for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still, the wrath which they spent one upon another was his anger, and the wounds they gave one another were the strokes of his stretched out hand. And that we may see Civil dissension is a greater judgement than foreign invasion, and so an evidence of greater wrath, it is put here in the last place, as that which would bring them to utter Desolation, if means were not used to have that anger turned away, and that stretched out hand pulled in. They are first devoured by Syrian and Philistim, ver. 12. and the same words subjoined, For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still: to show they should be sensible of his anger in the fury of foreign enemies and feel his hand in their stroke; but because they did not, be lays an heavier judgement upon them, cause them to be devoured one by another, the most apparent sign of h s greatest displeasure.  
Many among us, I suppose, have carefully looked upon the beginning and progress of these divisions, how they were raised and fomented, by whom, and by what means, but all, perchance, in a prudential way onely; and have observed with as watchful an eye( as Elia'hs servant did) this cloud that hangs over our heads, how increased from small beginnings; but not considered, perchance, what influence Heaven has had upon the raising and enlarging of it, till it has now covered the whole Land with darkness. Get we then up to Mount Carmel,( as Eliah's servant there) by thoughts sequestered a while from things below, and look seven times, consider again and again, how by degrees it has made black the Heavens, & hangs over us as a fearful sign of Gods displeasure, often breaking down upon us in showers of blood; and then think we have cause to make hast, as Eliah adviseth Ahab, lest the rain, the inundation of Gods judgments stop us, lest his wrath through our neglect come to that height, there be no appeasing it.  
For hear what is threatened by the Prophet jeremy, c. 30. v●ult. The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return till he hath performed the intents( or as above, till he has executed the thoughts) of his heart; in the latter dayes ye shall consider it: He hath his intents and thoughts of heart in all this, such as concern the execution of his wrath: and our thoughts of heart should be accordingly, that all this which is upon us, is the execution of his wrath. In the latter dayes( saith he) ye will consider so much; Oh how much better were it for us to consider it at first, than in the latter dayes; when the Lord begins to execute his wrath, then when he has made an end, when indeed it is too late? It's the first thought we should have of these our Divisions and Miseries, as of signs and Evidences of God's wrath, which he has begun to execute upon this Land.  
2 Thoughts of Wrath provoked by our sin. Wrath for sin! Who knows not that? I do not undertake to tell you upon this Text what you know not, but what, perchance, you think not on so sadly as you should, Thoughts therefore of this Wrath for our sins; Ours, I say, who think( it may be) we have nothing to answer for in these Divisions: but can lay all the blame upon those we found guilty of raising or continuing them. They have indeed their special parts in them, and the more to answer for, and well it is that we are not to answer with them for the like guilt, as they are: but we, as we are punished by these Divisions, so have we deserved it, it is not without provocation on our parts.  
We see a grievous pestilence sent upon the People, 2 Sam. ult. and find the immediate cause to be David's numbering of them; he takes it to himself, What have these sheep done? vers. 17. but these sheep as innocent as they were of the offence of ●●●bring being onely passive in it, as we are this day in these Divisions, yet had they their Sins, which gave beginning to all this. David's numbering moved God to sand the Pestilence, but what moved God to move, or( as the margin notes it out of the Chronicles) suffer Sa●an to move David to number the People, but the number of the Peoples Sins? The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, vers. 1. They moved God to anger, and he thereupon suffers satan to move David to number the People, that they may be lessened, and both David and People made to know themselves.  
So now we see the sword drawn, and as many thousands fallen by it, as by that Pestilence; we know what hand first unsheathed that Sword: but we must also consider that all of us had an hand in moving that wrath that is executed by this Sword, in moving God to mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of the Land, 
Is. 9.14.  to suffer Satan to move a company of unquiet minds, and put such thoughts into their hearts as made for Division and disturbance; and thereupon think we, unhappy men are they that ever they should be such instruments of their Countries misery: nay, unhappy we( should we think) that we have been such causes of provoking Gods wrath against this Land.  
It is true that those unquiet Spirits stand charged with our divisions and Woes, and you know what they are guilty of at the bar of mans Justice, could they be brought thither: and that they must answer for it at Gods tribunal: but we must also consider, that every man there stands guilty of provoking this wrath, which is pow●ed out upon the Land through these divisions. Even with the whole Land has the Lord a controversy, as he had against his People. Hos 4.1. Every one to be called to the bar, and doth it not then concern us to be thinking what we have done, and what we shall say? Think it not enough to pled, I have been only Passive, a sufferer in these divisions, no instrument of them: but hast thou not been active enough in sin? I have been loyal to my sovereign: but hast thou not been rebellious against thy God? I hope I have a good Cause in hand: but dost thou think how thy sinful profaneness and thy neglect of Gods Service, as it did its part before in provoking, so still in continuing of this wrath, still fighting against that good Cause thou pretendest to defend.  
Searchings of heart there must be for this, not such as usually upon discord and contention, Searchings of other mens hearts, judgings, censurings; but of our own hearts. Not to say, what mean these men to do thus to imbrue a Land in blood? thus to cast off all obedience? thus to break all the bonds and ties, of friendship, kindred? but to search and say, what meant we by our former disobediences and Rebellions against God, to provoke his fierce wrath against this Land? what meant we to break and cast from us all the Cords and obligations he had upon us, stronger then any bond of relation or duty twixt us and those, that are nearest and dearest to us? nay what mean we still by crying sins to call down more Judgements?  
See, what the Lords thought and purpose is when he deals with a Nation in his displeasure, that we may know what our Thoughts should be; I hearkned( saith he) and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? jer. 8.6. God when he sends a Judgement to pled his controversy with a People, withdraws himself, stands as it were behind the curtain, the thick darkness, to harken and hear how they will dispute it with his Rod; that is, what Thoughts and purposes we have upon these Divisions, whether there be any that searcheth the heart to say, what have I done?  
The better to prompt us to such thoughts, the Lord doth usually so proportion out the punishment, that it bears some marks and remembrances of the sins that caused it: See then how in mercy he has dealt with us these many yeares, and how he now deals with us accordingly in punishment.  
He had long since made up those Divisiont, which rent this Kingdom through the competition of two Houses striving for the crown; and after that he united the two kingdoms which divided this I sland; which double Union together with the Sea, as a wall of brass, surrounding it, made it so entire in itself, 
Florus.  that( as the Historian speaks of a People enclosed with Mountaines) non videretur hostibus patere aditus, nisi è Caelo, aut ab inferis, venientibus: there seemed no way for Enemies to enter, unless they dropped out of the Clouds, or sprung up from Hell. How then is our Peace broken, our kingdoms disjoined, 
Micha 6.  our Church divided! hear the Rod,( saith the Prophet) the Rod that now scourges us has a voice, and tells us, we have not kept close to God, and therefore are distracted among ourselves; we have not sufficiently prized those many deliverances through which he has brought us to this time, and therefore he now leaves us to ourselves to be devoured one by another; we have not thankfully acknowledged, how he has planted us in this good Land, increased us, given us safety from foreign Enemies these many yeares and ages, theresore now he makes us to know what intestine Division is; what thoughts else can we have, but that so we have deserved to be so punished?  
More particularly we may remember, when God had blessed both Church and State with great means of a flourishing prosperity, how we were wantonly and needlessly then divided among ourselves, about the day of worship whether it should be divided, and part of it given to sports? about the place of worship, whether thus or thus to be odorned? about some gestures and Ceremony of Worship, whether thus or thus to be performed? and that to the engaging of Authority, and with such eagerness and heat, that the Division came to great thoughts of heart, great exasperations of mind. How is it now with us! The people fall off from the very established worship itself, and reproach it to the scorn of all Authority. What thoughts can we have upon this, but that it hath pleased the Lord to punish our Divisions with divisions?  
It is not long since we saw it in our great City as Saint Chrysostome complains it was at Antioch, when he preached there, the theatre was set against the Church, the applause in that louder then the psalms in this, and the confluence of the People to the Play more solemn, then the frequency of his Auditory. So have we seen our People divided between the Church and the Play-house, between a Sermon too and a mass; at the same time as great a multitude returning from the one as from the other. And can we marvel to see our People now divided in arms, and this Land made a theatre or Stage to act our present Tragedies on, as other Countries about us have been, for the neglect of Gods honour in the countenancing of virtue & Religion?  
again, our punishment is war, Civill war or discord; war is the breaking of our Peace and plenty, Civill war the breach of all bonds of kindred, friendship, justice. What now speaks the Rod? what thoughts doth it prompt us with? that our quiet is disturbed, our Peace taken away, because we improved not the advantage of it to his glory and Service; our plenty broken, because mis-spent; out property gone, because wee used what was his as our own, as he complains of his People, Hos. 2.8. that they took the Wine and corn and oil which he gave them, and prepared them for Baal, in providing offerings thereof for that idol; so we the plenty he gave us, and prepared it, to make provision for our lusts, therefore now are we spoiled of our property in what we had, by them that had no right unto it. What else can we think?  
Yea, but may some say, or think at least, I am free from those notorious sins of excess, upon which the blessings of Peace and Plenty have been mis-spent, drunkenness and riot, superfluity and vanity of apparel, chambering and wantonness; It is well if thou beest: yet so did the Pharisee justify himself, I am no extortioner, no adulterer, no profane person as this Publican; but what art thou man? Art thou as careful of performing the duty, as of abstaining from the 'vice? Or dost thou not divide the two Tables, and out of a conceit of keeping the second in thine honesty to man, cast off the first in a failing of thy service to God? or having some care of the Negative part of the Commandement, dost thou not neglect the Affirmative? Let a man search his heart by this double point of the Precept( the prohibition of the sin, and the command of the duty) and he shall quickly know the plague, of his own heart, as it is 1 Kings 8. ●8. and as every man is bound to do especially in these times of distress and humiliation; and he shall find, that if upon the first search he can say, he is free from the notorious crying sins of this Age; upon better searching of heart he will have cause to say; he is not free from having part in the provocation of this Wrath, which is powred out upon this Land through these wasting Divisions.  
For did the best of us examine how we divide our time between his service and our own occasions, nay pleasures and vain delights; how partially and unequally we deal with him; how much of that time which should be applied to the performance of holy Duties private and public, we take and employ as we list: we should not think it any marvel that we lose by these Divisions, when he loses so much by out dividing with him: or that we are false among ourselves, when we are not true to him; we have not harkened to his call, who would not be charmed by his Word, therfore has he sent serpents and cockatrices among us, that will not be charmed,( as and threatened, jer. 8.17.) implacable men, that will not hear of Peace. And as at first when Man divided from his God, he presently felt a Division and Rebellion within himself, the inferior or sensual denying obedience to the upper part of the soul; so because we have so much fallen off from God and divided with him, because from the highest to the lowest of us, there has been such a failing in our duty to our God, therefore do we now see a Division and Rebellion in the bowels of the Land: Men risen up that know no Duty, nor aclowledge obedience. What else can we think, but that so we have sinned, and so we are punished? Such Thoughts, such searchings of heart there must be; Thoughts of Wrath; of Wrath for our sins, Ours, that think perchance we have nothing to answer for in these Divisiont; and our sins, such sins especially, as you have heard; For our Divisions, let there be such thoughts of heart, Thoughts that make for humiliation.  
In the second place, Thoughts towards God for the diverting and appeasing of his Wrath; for making up of the breach, through which that Wrath has passed upon us, that the Divisions also among ourselves may be closed up; there is indeed 〈◇〉, a great distance that our sins have set us at from God, a great gulf which they have fixed between him and us: yet is there inter-course still to be had with Heaven, a passage still for our prayers if sent up with earnest desires, of which this dayes humiliation is the enforcement. He tells us for our comfort, Esay 55.8. That his thoughts are not as our thoughts, they are not upon our offences against him, implacable Thoughts, as ours are which we have against one another upon our Discords and Divisions.  
Then must our Thoughes be of a reunion with God, from whom we have been divided; a closing with him, that only can close up our Divisions; a making our Peace with him, that only can make Peace in our borders, and make them to be of one mind, that have now such disaffected hearts. It is not a joining with a foreign Power that can set us streight, not a Covenanting with Brethren of Cruelty, not a League with invading Svots, which they have dared to call, A renewing of Covenant with God; when as indeed it is no better than a bloody Sacrament, such as Simeon and Levi, Instruments of Cruelty, forced upon the Sechemites; 
Gen. 34.  or a sacrifice mingled with blood, so much worse than that which Pilate marred, Luke 13. because they do it themselves, and with the blood of their Brethren and Fellow Subjects. No way of Peace that: No, it must be a re-union with God a renewing of Covenant with him by new Thoughts and resolutions for obedience and amendment, of which this dayes humiliation is the public profession.  
That this may be done, there must be a dividing of the heart from that it cleaves to, when it divides from God; it cannot else be re-united to him. This is the rending of the heart, 
Ioal 2.  requited by the Prophet Ioel in our humiliation and return to God, it must be rent and divided in itself, that's by contrition, which breaks the heart in pieces by sorrow, for what is past; rent also and divided from the creature it cleaves to, that's done by self-denial, which takes off the affections from the inordinate love of things below.  
There must be a breaking of the heart for what is past, for it's aversion and dividing from God; Heart-burning Thoughts there are upon our Divisions among ourselves, and Heart-breaking Thoughts there must be upon our dividing from God. The heart so broken in pieces by Contrition, may the better every part of it be drawn off from the creature, and by a perfect selfe-dentall divided from what it did inordinately cleave to, and so re-united wholly to God: such a Thought there must be upon our Divisions and Distractions, a Thought of re-union with God.  
But not a Thought only it must be with full resolution, vows and purposes; that's the way to fasten the ●oule in it's re-union with God, that it may not so easily fall off and divide with him again. It is the engaging of the heart to approach unto the Lord, as jer. 30.21. It's the fixing of the heart in the Psalmists language, My heart is fixed, O God my heart is fixed Psal. 57.8.  
To bring us to this, it is Gods thought and purpose in the disturbing our quiet and peace by there Divisions, that upon the consideration of the uncertain condition of all things, upon a sense of this moriens saeculum, as Cyprian calls it, This dying age, these declining times, our heart may think it can fully and finally rest no where but in him. Thus was David in the 39 psalm, ver. 6.7. by the sense of his own frailty and vanity, and of the fading condition of all things else, beaten off from the creature, that he might fasten upon God, as he doth in the next verse, And now Lord, where is my hope? truly my hope is even in thee. While our heart is divided from God in the pursuit of these outward things, we do in vain follow after that which we know not whether we shall enjoy, seeking rest and satisfaction in that which cannot afford it: He therefore now divides us from all our pleasant things, puts a stamp of vanity upon them, shows us how easily they may be taken from us, or we from them, that being beaten off from them by a sense of ours, and their fading uncertain condition, we may every one of us return and say with the Psalmist, Lord, where is my hope? truly my hope is even in thee: and, as elsewhere, My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed.  
And as it is his Thought and purpose by these Divisions and Disturbances to bring us unto this, so is it what we ourselves profess by this dayes Humiliation, if we did but sadly consider what we desire, what we undertake now at this meeting.  
We desire the Lord would wholly remove his judgements from us and come home to us in mercy; should he divide with us in his judgements, yea though he gave us the choice, as he did David, whether a Famine, or Sword, or Pestilence, We should think ourselves in a great straight: Let our Desires then teach us our Duty, and tell us we must not divide with Him by our sinful pleasures, but wholly remove them, and come home to Him.  
And as our Desires may put us upon such Thoughts and resolutions, so would our professions this day, if we did but consider what we undertake by our present Humiliation.  
By your fasting your testify against your souls, that you are displeased with yourselves for dividing from God, and starting so often from Him to the pleasures of sin: and therefore you abstain now and divide yourselves even from a lawful use of every thing that may give you ease and pleasure, or refection to Nature; acknowledging thereby yourselves unworthy of the comfort of any of Gods creatures, which you have often abused, and unto which your soul has so much cleaved.  
By your presenting yourselves before the Lord in this posture of Humiliation, you profess you have entertained better purposes and resolutions towards God for the future. You have all of you, I suppose, in your trouble had vows and purposes of heart for holding closer unto God; I will not examine what fitting Thoughts those have been, how yet unperformed: onely now consider you come to speak them with your mouth, and to profess them openly before the Lord: O let there be Searchings of hearts now, that they be answerable to your outward professions this day, that they be engaged to make good what you have now undertaken before the Lord.  
What shall we then say to those we find desperately engaged in courses and ways plainly contrary to the duties which these times, this day requires? Whose hearts are filled with no other Thoughts, but those of pleasure, case, pride, and wantonness; What will you say, if you see a spotted, painted face upon the day of Humiliation? What can you say, but there's a heart that never thinks of the spots of the soul, a heart so far from melting, that it may not  shed a tear, for fear of spoiling a counterfeit face? If you hear of jollity and music rioting and excess, when Gods judgements and public calamities call for fasting and mourning; when Joseph is grieved and the cries of the oppressed found in every mans care. What can you say, but Desperate and hard-hearted men, that have no sense of Gods heavy Wrath, but dare thus provoke the Lord to anger continually to his face? as he complains, Esay 65.3.  
Should we look into Taverns and other places of public receipt, we should find. I fear, our People often divided between them and the Church, and their meeting there to make these Assemblies the less. Should we look after many that come up this morn to this place, and observe what they do when gone from hence, I doubt we should find they end the Fast with the Sermon; one going to his daily employments, and another to his pleasure: What have ye not houses to eat and drink in upon other dayes, that ye never need to run to the tavern for the Wine of excess? And have ye not Chambers and closerts to retire into this day, when ye are gone from hence, there to commune with your hearts, to search them for new thoughts and resolutions? We profess to observe a Fast, and to seek the face of the Lord: but we seek him, as if we cared not whether we found him; a seeking this of his face? no, itis a provoking of him to his face. 
1 Sam. 14.   
When I consider what followed on Jonathans tasting a little hony within the time appointed for a Fast; although that Fast was unseasonably enjoined, and that honey taken by hands that had wrought great deliverance that very day, and tasted by him that was ignorant of the injunction; yet would not the Lord answer because of that trespass: I tremble to think how the Lord might answer us in judgement, when as upon the day of Fasting appoynted by like Authority, and upon better grounds, not onely hands employed to work deliverance, the Souldiers hands are reached out to the honey, the comfort of refection the sweetness of sins pleasure this day, but those that scarce lay hand to labour any day, whose usual employment is case, pleasure, sports and game, cannot abstain themselves for this time of restraint.  
It is with us as it was with Moah, Jer. 48.11. Wee have been at ease from our youth, for many yeares, for a whole age at Peace and undisturbed; but it is worse with us then it was with Moab for the ill consequences of our ease and Peace; for therefore did Moab settle upon his Lees and hold his taste, because he was not emptied from vessel to vessel, never disquicted; but the Lord has shaken and disquieted us, has emptied us from vessel to vessel, removed us from city to city, from Country to Country, from our own houses to strange habitations; and wheresoever he places us, we settle on our Lees, fall upon our wonted pleasures, we will not be divided from them, we hold our corrup taste still; what remaines, but that the liquour should be powred out and the vessel broken?  
It is true, that the Lord hath wrought for us many deliverances, and that hand of his, which is stretched out for the execution of wrath, hath often reached out unto us the victory; then for the most part, when we had least means to at chieve it. Which he has done to witness the justness of this Cause, and by so many invitations to draw us to a return, and a more constant cleaving to him; but to convince our ingratitude and disobedience, he has again checked out hopes, and given strength again to the broken enemy for the continuance of out Divisions; and continue they will, so long as we stand so divided from him.  
I am no Prophet, to fore-tell what is determined against this Land, but onely tell you what my thoughts are upon our present Condition. When I see on the one side such wilful obstinacy in a seduced People to defend a Cause so apparently unjust: and on the other, that is on our part, such senslessenesse of Gods wrath provoked against this Land, such carelessness of using means to appease it. I cannot but think I see the visible signs of a Nation appointed to destruction, and must say, it will come to that, if not timely prevented, Make the heart of this People fat( saith the Lord, Es. 6.) and their ears heavy, & their eyes shut;( such is our condition,) Then said I, Lord, how long? and he answered me, Till the Cities be wasted and the Land desolate. To that it will come, if our Eyes be not in time opened to see, and our hearts mollified to receive new impressions and thoughts; Impressions of another stamp, Thoughts of another kind, then most men, as it appears have entertained: Such Thoughts and resolutions as are fit to have, upon a due consideration of these our Divisions.  
But persons of public place must have Thoughts and resolutions for the public, for reformation of others, as well as themselves. The Heires of restraint,( as they are called Jud. 18, 7.) not onely to abstain themselves from what is wicked and profane, but to repress others also; not onely to be ashamed of doing such things themselves, but to make others ashamed for doing so; It is my place and duty to speak it, yours to endeavour it more effectually: You, that have the honour to be called to consult of things making for Peace, and the closing up our Divisions, so to move in your several spheres, as may be most for the general benefit. I know not what compass of Authority you take to move in, but sure I am, you may have a powerful influence for correcting many distempers amongst us; that there may be a restraint put upon those mouths, that are so often opened in oaths and Curses: upon those expensive meetings held for chambering and wantonness, excess and riot in these times of public wants: upon those many neglects and contempts of this dayes Humiliation, a Duty so necessary for our present Condition. If you take not upon you to command a remedy for all this, yet you can move for it; and then it will appear( and not till then) that there is a due sense of Gods wrath, when we see Authority effectually engaging itself for redress of such wicknesse, as doth provoke it.  
And as against profaneness of life, so for Religion something must be done; the Vindication of it was commended to you, when first you were called together, and that not in a Paper, but, as Joseph said to his Brethren, ye saw whose mouth it was, that spoken it to you; and I speak it again unto you, not as if Popery were come to a public Exercise among us, as they falsely report abroad, or as if you should lay violent hands upon our Religion, as they have done: but that something be done to repress the seducing Priest, that is so busy to divide our People from us on the one side, and to stop the Calumnies of those seducing Spirits, that carry away the deceived People as madly on the other side.  
Your Thoughts and consultations have been much employed about the immediate means of our safety: we find the good effect of them, and aclowledge it to your praise; I make no question, but your hearts have been full also of good Thoughts and firm resolutions for the established Religion, and with a little seeking wee may find them expressed in your Declarations: but the business deserves something be done on purpose for it, that your Resolutions may be sufficiently declared, and authority effectually engaged against profaneness and superstition, for the advancement of virtue and Religion. 
1 Sam. 13.  Let the Hebrewes hear, said Saul, when he blew the Trumpet; and let the People abroad hear, say I, what you have done in this particular; and now that the Trumpet is blown to gather them to war, they will come in more readily, and God will sooner give the blessing. You in your place, and every man else for his own part, to entertain such thoughts and Resolutions upon the Consideration of our Divisions and present Condition, as may most make for appeasing Gods wrath, and our return to Him, from whom we have so many ways divided. For the Divisions of Reuben let there be such Thoughts of heart: such Thoughts toward God.  
If the breach, which sin hath made 'twixt God and us, and through which his wrath is powred upon us, were made up, that breach by which we are divided among ourselves, and through which we spend our fury one upon another, would not long stand open; But he that has learned to make his Peace with God( oh that we were come to such a Thought and Resolution) must also be careful how he behaves himself towards Men, even those that are Enemies of his Peace; which is the other general Consideration: Our Thoughts towards Man, towards those from whom wee are divided, they must be Thoughts of Peace, and yet Resolution for a necessary war.  
First, Thoughts of Peace, even towards them that make ready for war; and this is not to weaken your hands, but to set strait your hearts; for that man cannot go to war with a right heart, that has not first the thought of Peace settled in it. The Samaritan is propounded to us as an example of spending our oil and Wine, and money for the closing up of wounds; A Samaritan, one that seemed least concerned to do it, and to do it upon a Jew, that hated the Samaritans, and would have no commerce with them. Had there not been a condescension, Heaven and Earth had never met in the Union of reconciliation, nor out Peace with God ever been made, had not the party offended sought it.  
While I exhort to this, 
Psal. 34.  I speak to your praise, who have used all faire and honest ways to seek Peace and to pursue it. And shall I speak what I think of the Refufers? It had pleased God by some former success to heighten them into a contempt of Peace, to think all your offers far below them, that he might take them( as the Psalmist) in their pride, and make their fierceness speak to his praise. There wants nothing to the doing of it, but our care to make our Peace with him; and how should our longing after this outward Peace sharpen our desire of that with God and quicken us in the pursuit of it?  
But secondly, If no Peace can be had with the Refufers of Peace but upon unjust terms, then must I commend to you other Thoughts, to wit, Resolutions for a necessary war, and this not to cast out your thoughts of Peace, but in order to them; as the Sword must sometimes make the way for Peace, and the readiest means to stay blood, is to strike a vein for the letting of it out.  
If you cannot have Peace but upon Nahash his Conditions, to put out your right eyes, 
1 Sam. 11.  and come in blind-fold to them, against your knowledge, against your allegiance: if you cannot yield up yourselves to their mercy, but you must also yield up and sacrifice the Truth to their injustice, then learn Resolution in a good Cause from them, that can be so zealous in a bad. They, to join Peace and Truth together, can divide a kingdom, a Church, ( i.e.) They will have no Peace, except their truths be received; that you should not think of parting with Truth indeed, the ancient received Truth, the established Truth of this Church, to satisfy their unjust demands; but to put on a Resolution at least equal to their boldness; I know not how else you will answer the betraying of a just Cause.  
I should not have spoken thus much, though not much, to this point; but that it is too notorious how many, many abroad, many among us have their hearts divided between both, and their purses divided to uphold both, that they may be safe, as they think, which side soever prevail; such as deserve to be noted as Reuben was of great unfaithfulness, for holding off in times of distress.  
It will in the next age stand upon record, who they were that offered themselves willingly, as they did, vers. 9. that jeoparded their Irves, as Zebulum and Nephtali did, vers. 18. So likewise, who they were that stood divided, that came not in to the help, and so were indeed causes of the continuance of our Divisions.  
To conclude, thoughts and resolutions there must be, such as a necessary war requires: and this not to heighten you into high-swelling thoughts of revenge against them you are now divided from: no, those are thoughts which corrupt nature suggests upon our Divisions; but onely to quicken you in the pursuit of that way, which is left you for recovering of your Peace. When once the Sword of war( by Gods mercy) shall be sheathed, let no man have a thought of using his own for private revenge, that no blood be then  shed, but what the Sword of Justice shall draw for good example to after Ages. Wee are now though in the posture of war, yet in the condition of suitors, begging for mercy at Gods hands, and can we do it with reserved thoughts of revenge in our hearts? Wee ask forgiveness of Talents, 
Mat. 18.  can wee think in the mean time of taking our fellow-servants by the throat, when they are in our power, for a few pence? There is a satisfaction which the Law may afford, but in case that come not, there is a God to whom Vengeance belongs, and who can make the latter end of every patient Job better then the beginning.  
Let your moderation be known( saith the Apostle) 〈◇〉, 
Phil. 4.5.  your equity, your peaceable disposition: Had that been in mens hearts, they had not been so divided at this day; And when these Divisions shall cease, then also let your moderation be known, even towards them that have been Enemies of your Peace, and that because( as the Apostle saith) the Lord is at hand: the Lord, that came to die for Enemies, and is coming again, to take account of your hamelesse behaviour, and shall at that last Division separate the Goats from the sheep; The Goats, 
Mat. 25.  the Violent ones of this world, how-ever striving here for rule and pre-eminence, shall there be put to the left hand; and the sheep, the just and peaceable ones, shall follow the lamb: So he was called for his innocency, when he came to make himself a Peace-offering, and so still called through the book of the Revelations, for the peaceableness of his kingdom: They shall, I say, ever follow the lamb, never to be divided from God and their own happiness. Unto that blessed Estate, as our Thoughts have been hitherto directed, in the seeking of a Peace with God and man, so thither let our desires now be raised in the begging of that mercy, which onely can close up the breach that our sins have made, &c.  
LAUS DEO.  
FINIS.