so, though the work of reformation be carried on, the Canaanites may be left to be as thorns in your sides, until Christ come. Oh that we could lift up our voice and weep, that the place might be called Bochim.

When God breaks off in the way of his mercy, then his wrath breaks out; he does not turn out of the way of his mercy, but he turns into the way of his judgment. Why to a loving child this a very cutting word, Your father is angry with you; I may speak this to you, there is a stop made in England's mercy, and your Father is angry, this is much.

If there be a stoppage made in England's mercy though but present, there is an obstruction in all your comforts: you are sensible of the obstructions of your body, will you not be sensible of State obstructions, of Church obstructions? Suppose you were in Ireland begirt with the enemy, and were in danger to have your convoy cut off, that should bring you victuals and supply, would it not make you fear? Beloved, we have been begirt with enemies a long time, and God hath raised us up a convoy to bring us victuals; we do not know whether our convoy shall be taken away, though but for the present. Certainly there is a thief in our candle that does make our comforts smear out.

But what is that thief in our candle? It is apparent to us that there is a stop made in England's mercy, what are those sins, for it is a day of humiliation, that have made a stoppage in England's mercy?

This is that I especially aim at, that you may see what you are to be humbled for this day and others. Parallel our condition with others in Scripture, and we shall find six or seven things especially, that do make a stoppage in mercy coming to a people, and you shall find them in our land.

An unwillingness and backwardness to the great work of reformation, to the great work that God is now about, is one thing that doth make a stoppage in the proceedings of England's mercy. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, they groaned unto the Lord, God sent a deliverer to them, Moses, and they being vexed by their task-masters, after he came, they murmured, and for anguish of soul, hearkened not unto Moses; God bare with that, till he got them on the other side of the water carried them through the Red Sea, when they came there, though they did sin and murmur, God

did not swear they should not enter into Canaan, but at the last they made them a captain, and they would return back to Egypt; says God, seeing you are there, I swear in my wrath you shall never enter into my rest, but your carcases shall fall here; you shall neither go backward nor forward: we have a long time, the Lord look upon us, set under Egyptian darkness, and the Lord hath sent his messengers to you to draw you out, and you would not, or for anguish of soul you hearkened not; well, but now there is a tender of reformation made, and hath been lately if people say now, What need this reformation; were not things well before? This provokes the Lord, and causes him to say, Your carcases shall fall. And yet oh how hath this been among us, what ado is here, says one; what need this work; were not things well before? 2 Kings x. 32., " In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short." What days were those? They were in a way of reformation, and they cut short the reformation; and in those days the Lord began to cut them short of mercy. At verse 18., he got the worshippers of Baal by craft; at verse 25., he slays them; at verse 29., they break down the images in the house of Baal: howbeit at verse 29, "From the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not," &c. Then at verse 32., when they thus cut short reformation, the Lord began to cut them short. You know what our Saviour Christ says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not; behold your house is left unto you desolate." Beloved, when Christ comes to gather us, as certainly there is a time when Christ comes a gathering, and if the people will not be gathered, then behold thy house is left desolate. God hath made a tender of reformation lately, among you, this is one sin that hath made a stoppage in the proceedings of your mercy, people have been backward and unwilling unto this great work of reformation.

A tempting of God does also stop and hinder the proceedings of mercy. They tempted the Lord, and the Lord's mercy was stopped.

You find in Scripture, people are said to tempt God; either when they doubt of God's presence, after God hath especially appeared to them: " they tempted God, and said, Is God amongst us?" after God had appeared to them.

Again, when a man does not rely, and live upon God's allsufficiency, when God hath appeared in that way. It is said of the Israelites "they tempted God, and said, can God provide a table in the wilderness?" As Musculus observes well, The Israelites were not so silly, as to think God was not able; they knew God opened the rock, and brought them through the Red Sea, but this was the language of their conversation, I can God provide a table in the wilderness?"

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A man is said to tempt God, when he does tie and limit God unto ordinary means, when God is in an extraordinary way. And so it is said of Ahaz that he tempted God, and would not take a sign; what is the meaning of that? that is that he would go in an ordinary way" why (says he) should I tempt God, and require a sign," and go in an extraordinary way? I will go in an ordinary way: when as God is in an extraordinary way of mercy towards his people, to tie God to ordinary means is a tempting of God. Now I appeal to you, - whether or no, we have not tempted God, God hath appeared gloriously, oh yet we have said God is among us? how few live upon God's all-sufficiency, notwithstanding he hath appeared so gloriously; and we see no way and means for such a reformation as is spoken of, tying and limiting of God unto an ordinary way, when God is working extraordinarily. This is a second sin that hath made a stoppage in England's mercy, this tempting of God.

Abusing of God's instruments which he raiseth up for to do his work by, doth exceedingly provoke and make a stoppage in the mercy of God. There are two ways whereby his instruments are abused: either idolizing and deifying of them, or wronging, scorning and jeering of them, falsely accusing and condemning of them. The first way the Jews sinned, when they cried "the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord," and deified that; well, says Christ," there shall not be one stone left upon another." God raised up the king of Sweden, people idolized him, he was taken away and a stoppage was made in that way of mercy: on the other side scorning and evil speaking of the instruments of reformation, and falsely accusing them that God does set up, this makes a stoppage in mercy, Numb. xii., Moses was appointed by God to bring them into Canaan, mark how they speak against him verse 2., "And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Mo

ses; hath he not also spoken by us?" see what follows, verse 9, 10., " And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle, and behold Miriam became leprous," &c. Mark what a step is made, verse 15., " Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people journied not," only because they opened their mouths against this instrument of God that was employed in this work. So Numb. xvi. 1., Korah, Dathan and Abiram rise up against Moses and Aaron instruments that God employed in his service, you may see what became of it in the following part of the chapter, the Lord would have consumed the whole congregation, " And Moses said to Aaron, take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord." verse 45, 46. Oh, my beloved, I would to God we were not guilty here: the Lord hath raised up a blessed and happy parliament, and hath made them instruments of much good unto this kingdom; some idolize and deify them, others again have accused them as traitors, the great senators and judges of our kingdom, no less than traitors: thus have the instuments of the Lord been abused, and how can this but make a stoppage in our mercy?

What is this to us? we have not accused them, that is done above.

I pray do but consider the place diligently, Numb. xvi., it is said, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty princes, men of renown, rose up against Moses, but wrath breaks out upon the whole congregation, and the Lord would have consumed them all, why? because they were not humbled. And if upon all this evil that hath been done to the instruments of God, we have not been humbled, the wrath of God may break out upon us all, and justly it should be, that a stop should be made in England's mercy.

Carrying on the work of reformation, and the great affairs of the church, upon the shoulders of human prudence, will make a stoppage in the way of mercy. You know that when David brought back the ark, they were very cheerful, and went along withal, nothing fearing, at last Uzzah lays his hand upon the ark, and is smitten, a cloud ariseth, David is dismayed, a stop is made in the business, what is the matter?

upon

The text tells us, they carried the ark upon the cart, and it should have been carried upon men's shoulders. So when God is bringing back the ark, men set it upon a cart, and the shoulder of human wisdom; oh, says one, there is no government appointed in the church, it is a matter of human prudence, and so will you cart the ark of God? look that God will make a stoppage in mercy. And this is another sin that provokes God to make a stoppage in our England's mercy.

As prayer and humiliation do exceedingly further the work of God in the hands of his people; so the falling and slacking of the hands in those two works, doth make a stop in mercy, and hath done in our mercy. In 2 Kings xxiii., we read there, that good king Josiah went a great way in the work of reformation; the law is brought out, his heart trembles, the images are pulled down, he executes justice upon Baal's priests; yet notwithstanding all he had done, "The Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah," verse 26, 29, 30; he went out to battle with Pharaoh Necho, and Pharaoh Necho slew good king Josiah; oh, what a stoppage was made in Judah's mercy; what is the matter? let us enquire into that; here are two causes; at verse 26., you have mention made of Manasseh's sin, "The Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal;" the people were not thoroughly humbled for their father's sins: and good king Josiah goes up to war, and did not seek the Lord before, as he should have done. So that want of humiliation and slacking in the work of prayer made this stop. On the contrary, you shall read a notable place, Ezra viii. 21, 22, 23., when the Jews came out of Babylon to build the temple, they were way-laid by ther enemies, and in the midst of the field Ezra proclaims a fast; a strange kind of fasting and praying to be in the field, so it was then, in the field by the river's side they go to fasting and prayer: but Ezra might have had a guard from the king, why had he not? verse 22.," For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen, to help us against the enemy, in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying; The hand of our God is upon all them for good that