(1) Aux Λιμῷ δικο TISOV Davey Prov.

Græc.

(m)With rugged hair,
pale face, and hol
low Eyes,
Pin'dlips,black teeth,
and every man e-
Spies

ring hand of this most cruel kind of Death (1)? They that be flain with the Sword, are better than they that be flain with Hunger, for thefe pine away ftriken through for want of the fruits of the field, Lament.iv.9. No fort of Death more painful, nor more lingring than this, wherein Nature is made a Tormentor,and an Executioner to it felf: No kind of Life more grievous than to be racked with an impatient Ap-petite,and to have nothing to allay it. The Life of fuch is worse than Death, for alas! how greedily do they defire and devour thofe loathfom things, the very Imagination whereof is enough to make us nauseate yet to the hungry Soul every bitter thing is Sweet, Prov. xxvii. 7. For Famine, as Antiphanes obferves, makes all things fweet, but it felf: Oh how fad a fpectacle is it to behold hundreds of trembling, pale, famished Creatures, like fo many walking Ghofts, or fome of the Inhabitants of the Grave fet loofe, the Images of Death, and the Copies of that Picture of Hunger, which the Poet of old did draw (m). For Famine fpoils the beauty of Youth, and the comeliness of Old Age, it weakens the force of the mighty,and employs all the wit of the most prudent to procure a fmall relief, And if it do leave either Policy or Strength, they are by this dreadful fury made to become Inftruments of vio

Her empty bowels
through her close
clapt skin
And Ribs, which to the
b.ck were bended

in i

No Belly did appear,
but a deformed
breaft
Did feem to hang over
her bollow Cheft;
The wafted flesh did
make her feeble
joynts

Seem strangely great
and ugly in all
poynts.
Ovid. Met.

lence

(η) Διμῷ γὰρ ἐκ οΐδεν ἢ ἀρετὴ σω xileda Procop. 4. Goth.

(o) Prov.xiii.8.Item Menander. Ayase is Λιμῷ γὰρ

.

ἔσιν

lence (n): For this will turn a City into a Wilderness, and make a man prey upon those of his own kind with a Cruelty unknown to the most falvage Creatures. It fpoils the management of Trade, and makes the rich a Prey to the poor, who are often by the neceffity of Hunger put upon the most defperate defigns; which made the wife Cato fo unwilling to undertake to speak to the multitude, who were enraged for lack of Corn, and threatned the ruine of the City, faying, It was very difficult to perfwade the Belly,which wanted Ears: And Solomon alfo informs us, that in this Cafe,the poor beareth not rebuke (o). And if any thing be yet wanting to exprefs the Mifery of this Judgment, we have a full Defcription of the aforefaid Famine in the days of Maximinus from the Pen of Eufebius, who might himself remember it,anno 314. In the Cities fo many daily dyed, that there was no room for their Graves; In the Country and Villages many Houses remained utterly defolate. Those who brought their Children to the Market to fell for mony to relieve their Hunger, dyed in the place before a Chapman came. Many fearching for Herbs and Roots, meeting those which were poisonous, eat them to their deftruction. Ladies of good quality were forced to beg their Bread: And those who walked the streets, were more like Images than Men, their Vifages black, their Eyes funk into their heads, trembling and ready to fall as they went, Some fo feeble that they were not able to ask an Alms,others Stretching out their hands to receive it,dropped down dead, ere they could take hold of it and if any of the richer were .difpofed to bestow his Charity,he was forced to defift,or be in danger to be preft to death with the multitudes and violence

of

of the neceffitous: Finally all the streets were full of dead Corpfe, nor was there any to bury them, fince the living expected every moment to die themselves.Eufeb.Eccl.hift.l.ix. c.8.It may be it is not yet come to this extremity among us,but how easy is it for the fameGod to bring the fame Evils on us, fince he hath either the fame or greater Provocations by the Iniquities of this evil Generation?

III.Therefore let us fear, and fly to him with early and earnest Importunities, for none but God can relieve us, and Prayer is the only means to obtain his help. The Famine of Ifrael could not be averted but by the Prayer of Elijah. And that grievous fcarcity in the days of Mauritius was at length allayed by the devout Celebration of S.Gregorie's Litany,though in the first recital thereof 80 perfons of the Company fell down dead. Paul.Diac.l.18. And the Oracles of the Heathens advifed to apply themfelves to their God's in this Calamity: for when the Arcadians were afflicted with a fevere Famine, the Oracle told them it was for neglecting the worship ot Ceres, whofe Rites being reftored,the Evil was ftayed, Paufan. in Arcad. The Eaftern Churches put this into their Prayers in time of Drought,the ufual Caufe of Famine there. The Latines have an Office peculiar for it: And that the Proteftant Churches make use of the fame remedy is evident from what is recorded in the Life of the famous Bullenger, who in a time when the Tigurine Church was vifited with extreme Famine, prevailed with the Senate to appoint that there should be folemn Prayers and Proceffions through the City, and the fields every third day,till the Evil were removed. Melch. Adam vit.Bul.an. 1571. So that our Church hath many Prefidents, and great reason to compofe thefe excellent Forms, to which there is nothing wanting but a devout heart to prefent them, as will more exprefly appear by the enfuing Tables and Difcourfes.

The

S.II. This Prayer hath three Parts.

Behold, we beseech

1. For Pity of our Mifery thee, the afflictions

Cof the Deople,

A Practical Difcourfe upon the first Prayer.

S.III. God beavenly Father, whole gift it is that the Rain doth fall, the Earth is fruitful, beasts encrease,and Fiches maliiply,]

It is our Saviour's obfervation, that if a Child ask bread of its earthly Father, he cannot deny it to him, Luke xi.2. How much more may we be fure to prevail, who in like neceffity go not to Man, but to God, not to an Earthly, but to an Heavenly Father? Our mortal Parents fometimes cannot help us, and it may be in this time of fcarcity have not enough for themfelves; but our Heavenly Father is alwaies provided, for of his gift all the ftore in the world comes: fo that we may juftly fay with the starved Prodigal, why do we perith with Hunger, when there is Bread enough in our Father's houfe? Luke xvi.17-Morcover,as his Relation to us may encourage us,fo alfo may his univerfal Power and Providence. If the Earth be dry he can command the Clouds to water it; if it be barren he can make it fruitful, if there be a want of any other provifion he can fup. ply that defect when he pleafeth. He first replenished both the Earth and Sea with all forts of Creatures, and appointed them to be our food, Gen.ix.3. And for our fakes he makes them multiply; wherefore,when we fuffer for want of these things, we must go to the firft Author and great Difpenfer of them, remembring how freely he gave them to us at firft, and how able he is to supply our wants of them for ever after. And when we lay the Providence and Mercy of God for our foundation, we may chearfully build our enfuing Petitions on them:for fo the Greek Church prays, Thou that coverest the Heavens with Clouds, and preparest Rain for the earth, Send