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It is a great hindrance to us, both of our humiliation and also of our comfort, that we do not consider of the ways of God, and of his providence towards us. And if so be that ye in this congregation would be stirred up to consider what the Lord is doing to you, and how his providence rules things concerning you, ye would see that ye have cause to be humbled, to look upon your by-past ways, to repent you of your sins, and to cry to the Lord for mercy and for forgiveness. Ye have sinned against God many ways. Ye have many a time neglected the days of your solemn humiliation, in fasting and prayer; and ye have also profaned the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. And therefore, when the rest of the country has been exercised in fasting and humiliation, has had two days for that, yet ye have not had one. And although that this could not be helped by us, being otherwise necessarily withdrawn, yet God has a providence in it in so disposing it towards us; and it fears me of judgment against you. Ye have many times received the sacrament without preparation, and unworthily, and yet it has not been at these times withdrawn from you. But now others about you has been, and are receiving the ‘sacrament, and at this season of the year ye were wont to receive it also; yet now the Lord he is closing his hands and holding that benefit from you, and is not covering his table to you, as he was wont to do, and is yet doing to others.
And therefore, howsoever the providence of God works otherwise for his kirk into this land, yet these things, they prognosticate ill and judgment to seize upon you, if so be that ye do not repent, and turn to the Lord. And therefore I exhort all of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that ye would take heed to the providence of God in disposing things towards you, and that ye will repent of your former ways, and resolve to take another course of life. Withal ye may see that the Lord has now promised to you temporal things in abundance. There are few who has seen such a sight of corns covering the face of the earth as there s to be seen at this time; and yet, for all that, these who has best skill in matters of that kind thinks that it will be but a false crop when all is done, and that there were never more false bolls nor will be this year.1 Even so also we never saw such a fair profession of religion as there is now, and the fields are no better covered with corn than the face of this land has seemed and yet seems to be covered with faith and repentance, and in renewing a covenant with God. But it fears me, it fears me, when the harvest comes, there shall be much hypocrisy seen to be in our doings, and that therefore all our actions shall be abominable in the sight of God. The prophet says, That the vine and the olive, they lied unto the husbandman, for they prom1sed much to h1m but they performed little: so there is a sort of hypocrlsy in the corns and the fruits of the ground, that is, when they make a fair show, but has not substance. And when the Lord makes the fruits of the ground thus to lie unto you, it is a token that ye have lied to him first, and has dealt in hypocrisy with him. And this is the worst sort of hypocrisy that can be, even hypocrisy in matters of religion, which is a very fearful thing. I am telling you now how God is recompensing your former ways, and your dealings with him; but I know by your very looking and your countenances that the most part of you knows not what I am saying now. But, howsoever, I will assure you that the l.ord is recompensing you for your former doings. Ye were wont, when God gave you the opportunities of fasting and solemn humiliation, not to be humbled then; and therefore God is taking them from you now. When ye had the benefit of receiving the sacrament, ye did not prepare yourselves for it; and therefore the Lord is not covering his table to you, as he was wont to do. And ye have lied to God in your covenanting with him—has not kept the promises that ye made then; and it is likely that he will make the corns to do so unto you. And therefore I exhort you yet to turn unto the Lord by repentance. There is no other way of remedy for you but only this; and whenever repentance comes, if it be true, it is not late, but will be accepted. And let us therefore, in the consideration of our sins, and the wrath that may come upon us because of them, humble ourselves before God, and beseech him to grant mercy unto us, through Jesus Christ.