THE Book of Psalms is justly by one of the Ancients stiled [...]. Dionysius Hierarch. Eccles. c. 3.4. The Choice and Flow­er of all things in other Books is Epitomized and briefly contained in this, and (in regard of the Poetry thereof) more movingly ex­pressed. [Page 2]But although this due Character ought to be given of the whole Book in ge­neral; yet there are some particular Psalms written upon more solemn and remarkable occasions, which may more deserve and re­quire our attention. This Psalm bears a dif­ferent title in the front, Mictham, a word de­rived from [...] a Golden Song of David, [...] destroy not. By which is declared the summ of those petitions which are con­tained in Psalms that have such Titles as this is. David was now in some wonderful fear of death and destruction, therefore he prayeth unto the Lord, neither to destroy him him­self, nor suffer the Sons of wickedness to lay hands on him.

In this Psalm is contained both the Chara­cter and End of wicked men, and the just re­sentment the Righteous ought to have upon such occasions. In the sequel of this Discourse I shall not think it impertinent to reflect up­on the former part of the Psalm, and take no­tice how the Character of David's Enemies will suit with those sons of Belial, Children of Perdition, whose very principles are nothing but Rebellion and Destruction; ruin of Per­sons, and subversion of States makes up a great part of their Zeal and Religion, whose defeat and overthrow we this day joyfully [Page 3]commemorate: Our Souls have escaped out of their Net, and they themselves are caught in the same Snare they privily laid to entrap their honester Neighbour. Thus the Day and the Text suit well together; we have seen the vengeance, we have washed our feet in the bloud of the wicked, we may safely say, There is a reward for the Righteous; Verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth. Such Deliverances, and such remarkable Vengeance are as great instances of Divine Providence as any in the World. Such Discoveries as these come not by chance; wicked purposes so closely con­trived, could not be unravelled by Humane Strength or Policy. It was an Almighty Goodness that made bare his Arm for our rescue; it was the Lords doing, and it ought to be marvellous in our Eyes. It is not necessary I should recite the particulars of our Danger, it being a story so well known, that few here present can pretend to be ignorant of it; and of so known Truth, that there is none can endeavour to perswade men it was a Fable, only a trick of State to oppress an Innocent Party, but would willingly lead us blindfold to a like Snare, never let us perceive the Danger, till we are fatally involved in it; then they will acknowledge and triumph in their own Actions, call them not Cruelty or [Page 4]Injustice, but a due punishment for obstinate Hereticks. They who are resolved to keep no Faith with us, will have no Compassion on us: The Cruelties of Queen Mary's Reign are not yet thought all Lies; Such, and no better entertainment may we expect from them, if we come under their Power; especi­ally if we approve our selves true Sons of the Church of England as now Established by Law, and are obedient to that Doctrine and Discipline which they this Day endeavoured to overthrow.

I come now in a closer pursuance of the Argument in my Text (which also will be more proper for the Solemnity of this Festi­val) to take notice of the Nature and Quali­ty of David's Enemies, and see whether they be not Applicable to those who were most deeply concerned in this days Treachery. In the first words of the Psalm you may observe, whatsoever pretences they had to Righteous­ness and Equity, Justice and Upright dealing, yet they contrive mischief secretly; they keep it close, till they find a fit time to vent it; there was a Number of them too, a whole Congregation in Saul's Court, who sought to undermine and disparage David in all his actions and behaviour: Nay, to show the unaccountableness of these Mens Enmity, he [Page 5]saith in Verse 3. They are estranged from the womb, before any visible Cause or Provocati­on could arise, an Enmity entailed upon their Nature; it comes to them by Inheritance, they derive it from their Parents; and though they speak Lies, flatter and endeavour to deceive with pretences of Kindness, and shows of Friendship; yet they lurk in secret like a Serpent, and privily lie in wait to oppress the innocent Passenger, and their poison will soon appear; they cannot hide their Venome; they will be exercising mischief, although it returns upon their own head, and proves Fa­tal only to themselves. Nay, Verse 4. They are like a deaf Adder, that stoppeth her Ear, which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely: Whatsoever kindness or respect may be shown to them, whatso­ever perswasions or intreaties may be used, yet is their wrath implacable, and their ma­lice irreconcileable; nay, many times the more favours they receive, the greater op­portunities they take of doing mischief; like the Snake which the man in the Fable took into his house almost dead with cold, cherish­ed it in his Bosom, and revived it with the heat, yet at last it rose up against him, and had almost slain its Benefactor: And this I ac­count the first part of the Psalm. In the se­cond [Page 6]part he devoteth these his Enemies to God's Judgment, and heartily prays, that he would take from them their Instruments of Cruelty; that he would asswage their malice, and confound their devices; deprive them of the opportunities to do mischief, by restrain­ing their wrath, and diminishing their Power, by keeping them (as he doth the Devil, 2 Pet. 2.4.) in Chains of darkness, to be re­served unto Judgment; This is comprised Verse 6. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young Lions, O Lord, &c. And happy is it for us that God will hear such Petitions; that he will grant us Security against the subtle and undermi­ning Adversaries of his Truth, whose delight is in mischief; who take great pains, com­pass Sea and Land, run to and fro over the whole Earth, under pretence of making Pro­selytes, but in reality seeking whom they may devour. My Text I account the third part of the Psalm, wherein is described the good Man's behaviour, in such times of Vengeance as are here specified; he will rejoyce that God hath vindicated his Honour, and secured his Truth; that the Dispensations of his Pro­vidence are not now so liable to the Cavils and Calumnies of the Scorner: Not that we should imagine the Righteous Man here men­tioned [Page 7]to be (as his Enemies were before de­scribed) a Person delighting in mischief; that hath pleasure and satisfaction in anothers Ruin; that will rejoyce at his Neighbours downfal, though it contribute nothing to his own rise, though he received no benefit or advantage thereby. Whatsoever the Jews might pretend to this, by that Commission God himself had given them for the total destruction of his Enemies therein mention­ed, I am sure the Gospel allows no such Spirit, no such revengeful Temper, no Fire from Heaven to fall upon the obstinate and un­grateful Samaritans; therefore in the next words are contained the Reasons of this Joy.

1. That there is a Reward for the Righte­ous, that there is a Fruit of Righteousness, that it is an advantage and security to be Good and Vertuous; that though such Per­sons be oppressed for a time, yet they shall not totally be suppressed; but their Enemies shall fall before them, by hidden and unac­countable Methods of God's Providence; be consumed as Waters, which run continually, as a Snail which melteth, and be suddenly snatched away, as with a Whirlwind. There will a time come, when it shall appear to all Men, that the Judge of the whole World shall do Righteously. Therefore

[Page 8] 2. It is said, Verily, he is a God that judgeth in the Earth; we may safely trust in him. It is a great temptation to question Providence, when we see the wicked prosper, and all things in security about them, neither are they plagued like other men; On the con­trary, Just and Innocent persons are plagued all the day long, and chastened every morn­ing: It is natural to infer (as the Psalmist did, Psal. 73.13.) Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency: To what purpose is it that I have taken such pains to serve God? that I have aban­doned my own inclination to promote his Honour? that I have obey'd him with so great difficulty? Nay, the greatest cause of my trouble hath arisen from a strict adhe­ring to his Commandments, in that I have not swerved from his Precepts, or gone on in a way of wickedness and perverseness, as others have done: How comes it to pass that I am thus destitute and forlorn? The more I endeavour to please God, the harder measure I meet with in the World. This is very difficult to flesh and bloud, and but few can attain the meaning of it: The Righteous himself is ready to stumble, and his feet to slip, when he perceives such unequal distribu­tion of Favours here below, and can hardly [Page 9]recover himself, till he go into the Sanctua­ry of God, and there understand the end of these Men, Verse 18, 19, 20. of the fore-quo­ted Psalm; Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castest them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a mo­ment? they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. This the Poet excellently well expresseth, Claudian. when he describeth himself doubtful, whether there were a Supream Justice, as long as Ruffinus, a wicked and lewd person, was in such prospe­rity: But when he saw his overthrow, and was acquainted with his Destruction, Abstulit hos tandem Ruffini poena tumultus, Absolvitque Deos: It takes off the charge of Injustice from Divine Providence, and makes the Wicked and Profane, with horror and amazement, acknowledge that there is a God that judgeth in the Earth, that is able to exalt his Servants, and be fully avenged of all the implacable Enemies of his Kingdom. An easie Applica­tion will make out the Parallel I at first in­tended. We have almost every where in the Psalms, Prayers against, and Thanksgivings for preservation from attempts of this nature. David's Enemies were numerous, whole Con­gregations of them; and have not ours been [Page 10]so too? The best Men have been subject to most Trials; the maintenance of the true Re­ligion is a great eye-sore to all its Opposers; it causes Mutinies, Seditions and Rebellions, by those who cannot endure the least sence of Duty. David was a Vertuous and Pious Man, not only God's Deputy, but his Friend too; a great Souldier, and a gracious Prince; and wanted no accomplishment to oblige his Subjects to obedience and respect. Yet for all this did he find many Adversaries, his troubles were innumerable, both from the Enemies of Religion, and the ambition of his own Family: And have not our Kings been persecuted on every hand, ever since the Re­formation, only because they have been De­fenders of the truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith? This makes both Papists and Fanaticks conspire their overthrow; and all the mad Sects and Opinions in the World, however disagreeing in other things, yet con­center in this one Tenent, to raise all the Tu­mults and Disorders they can in a well-setled Commonwealth; and endeavour to break down the Hedge, that all the Beasts of the Fo­rest might enter in and destroy the Vineyard. This is that which only galls them, all other pretences are but frivolous and feigned, and till this grievance be removed, they will ne­ver [Page 11]leave Petitioning or Remonstrating against the miscarriages of the Government Give me leave to observe but one thing more be­fore I conclude this point. The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England was that which the Papists this day so wickedly endeavoured to overthrow: They knew we alone were able substantially and rationally to oppose them, by the Truth and Antiquity of what we maintain, Doctrines as Ancient as our Saviour and his Apostles; the Go­vernment confessedly prevailing in the Church since the first founding of it, till some preten­ces, contrary to it, were started in the last Age: These subtle contrivers of mischief knew all other Structures would fall, and like Babels, end in the confusion of Tongues, Quarrels and Division among themselves. I cannot but wonder how any of our Dissen­ters, who have endeavoured to destroy the same Establishment so lately, can excuse their Ignorance or Hypocrisie in giving God pub­lick thanks for the preservation of that which they openly brand as Popish and Antichristi­an.

2. But then as David's numerous and po­tent Enemies treacherously and secretly com­bined for his Destruction, so did the Ene­mies of this Day too: All Treasons and Con­spiracies [Page 12]are usually transacted in the dark, they are properly the works of darkness, they cannot endure the clear discoveries of light, for fear they should be detected. Was not this our case this Day? was there much more than a moment between us and Destruction? was not the Deliverance as remarkable as the Danger? We thought our selves secure from any contrivance of this Nature; our very Enemies seemed to behave themselves with modesty and moderation. But alas! they could not long hide their temper, like their Father, they must appear with their cloven Foot, the truest Emblem of Division and Dissention: They were not uppermost, and therefore must put the World into a Com­bustion; it was not enough for them to be the subjects of anothers mercy, unless they themselves had Power and Authority for do­ing mischief: This they contrived in secret places, in dark corners of the Earth; they properly thought to undermine us; their ma­lice was restless and active; an Oath of Secre­cy, and the Sacrament it self were their Prelu­diums to our Destruction. Their Design was formed under ground, nearer the confines of Hell, acknowledging the grand Adversary to be the Author of this device. The discovery of this contrivance was: highly remarkable, a [Page 13]Letter to secure one person, proved the safe­ty of the whole Nation, and that by an In­terpretation of the King himself, which seems little less than an Inspiration from God, whose Vicegerent he was. This plainly proves there are some who are God's peculi­ar care, as Signets on his Right Hand, who as publick Persons are reserved to be a pub­lick benefit. These are they, who are in Scripture stiled Gods: For though their mould be no more refined, and their End the same with other Men, yet their Character and Authority is Divine; who so slights them, slights God, and cannot expect to descend to the Grave without a full and remarkable Vengeance.

3. Once more and I have done; David's Enemies, though they did not indeed (yet seemed to) speak Righteously: No question they had fair and plausible pretences in their mouths: The vindication of the Truth, and the Catholick Cause, were the Traitors pre­tences this Day; They come with Religion in their mouths, but Rancor and Malice in their hearts. Most of the Rebellions and Cruelties in the World have been transacted under the notion either of Religion or Refor­mation: Holy Leagues, Solemn Covenants; Associations, and the like, have been the usu­al [Page 14]Prefaces to such undertakings. The bloudi­est of all projects have been ever coloured over with Godliness, because the worse any thing is, the better gloss it willingly would have. Men of these Principles, however they have been led themselves by the Spirit of de­lusion, or endeavour to delude others, are still very active and busie; they come in Sheeps clothing, pretending Peace and Friend­ship, a concernment for our Souls, and a ten­der regard for our Everlasting happiness, but within they are ravenous Wolves; would convert us (as they did the Indians) by Murther and Assassination: What can we say of such Men, who pretend this, not only Interest, but Conscience; not only Gain, but Godliness; not only propagating their own Grandeur, but vindicating that Religion our Saviour came to establish. If an honest Hea­then were to be Judge, he would surely esteem Christ's Doctrine (if it consisted in the Jesuits Politicks) to be far more uneasie than the Light of Nature: We were certain­ly more at quiet before, when we were left to our Natural principles, than by such a super-induced Revelation be bound to disturb So­cieties, kill Kings, translate Governments, and engage us in all the Broils and Tumults in the World; As if the Prince of Peace were a [Page 15]Title only to cheat Men into an opinion of his Dictates; and when they were once so far Trepan'd, to instruct them in all unheard of Villanies, and unallowable practices abhor­red by the more Religious, though more ig­norant Heathen; and however contradictory such practices are to the peaceable rules of the Gospel, yet they have still the impudence to stile themselves of the Society of Jesus. Good Lord! what a pass are we now come to? The honest and immediate Successors of our Saviour, (nay, and he himself too) were quite mistaken, they lived but in the Infancy of Religion, discoursed all things with plain­ness and sincerity, had no guile or reservati­on in their breasts: But alas good men, Pro­phets and other Pen-men of the holy Scrip­tures how wofully were they mistaken: A new Sect of Christians are sprung up in the World, who have received greater Light and improvement, who are of more refined Principles and subtle Policies, who contradict all you have been exhorting us to. But I hope all such pretences to Religion will now vanish, and the works of darkness be made manifest; such as Envy, Hatred, Variance, Uncharitableness, Wrath, Bitterness. And whosoever they are that own such principles of resistance and disobedience to their lawful [Page 16]Superiors, let them undergo the same pu­nishment with the Rebels of this Day, and be truly stiled Papists in Masquerade, while they own the most mischievous of their Opini­ons.

Thus have we seen all the Arts and Ma­lice of all the Adversaries of Truth and Re­ligion, conjoyned in the wicked purpose of this Day; it was contrived with Treachery and Perfidiousness, principles abhorred by all generous Spirits from the foundations of the World: Nay, they acted with Deliberation, had Consultations and Assemblies about it; it was not the product of a fresh and rash An­ger, which is commonly stiled a short Rage or Madness; they had revolved it often in their minds, their wrath was of long stand­ing and resolution, they consulted about it a considerable time, many Months before; they had Oaths of Secrecy and Seals of Confessi­on, nay, the Blessed Sacrament it self, that Cement of peace, is publickly profaned to the abetting those horrid Massacres they de­signed.

But (God be thanked) the Vengeance is returned upon themselves, their Counsels are defeated, their purposes disappointed, their Destruction did arise as suddenly upon them, as they designed it for us; and their unavoid­able [Page 17]ruin (the just reward of all Traitors) did tread close upon their heels, and punish­ment from God did seize upon them. This, methinks, should be enough to terrifie Men from attempts of this nature, if they did but consider, that God Almighty will take the matter into his own hands; and though the hands of Magistrates may be weakned upon Earth, their Power impaired, and their Au­thority lessened, yet he himself will avenge their Quarrel: No Traitor can exempt him­self from Destruction, one way or other; God who is Truth hath said it, and God who is Power is able to perform it; Though hand joyn in hand, the Wicked shall not go unpunished, Prov. 11.21. And who knoweth what their punishment shall be? inscrutable as to the beginning, it shall come suddenly, without observation, in the manner we know not what it will be, and in the end who knoweth how long it shall last; it may reach as far as Hell it self, and from thence I am sure there is no redemption. Now what is our duty, but to rejoyce in this Vengeance, which was so great and so remarkable; we may (as it were) wash our Feet in the bloud of those that would have destroyed us. (2.) We shall acknowledge the Providence of God, [Page 18]and the Rewards he affords unto the Righ­teous.

1. It is a pleasant and easie Task required of us, to Rejoyce; our Duty and Priviledge are so closely joyned together, that we can­not perform the one without being made partakers of the other. I shall not think it worth my time at present, to set forth the lawfulness of appointing set Solemn days of Rejoycing, as this is, especially when the days of Purim, and the Feast of the Dedicati­on (which our Saviour honoured with his presence) were not of God's immediate ap­pointment: And that which may sway most with us all, and convince us, it is not Con­science, but Obstinacy, and endeavour to lessen the Magistrates Power, that the Dis­senters thus Argue, when they themselves, besides (if not contrary to) Establishment, appoint set times of Humiliation and Thanks­giving; as if it were better, and more Or­thodox from a Disobedient Schismatick, than from the hands of a lawful Magistrate, whom God hath set over us. Taking it there­fore for granted, that such appointment of Festivals is lawful, let us see what we ought to do in them, to Commemorate and Rejoyce in God's Works. The Sabbath, and the [Page 19]Passover were commemorations of those great Works God had done for his People; and this Day the Destroyer past over our Dwellings, this is a Day of God's own ma­king. All days indeed are alike Created by the Lord, whether Fair or Dark, all alike made by Diespiter, the Father of Days; though times of anguish and perplexity are looked upon as if they were not, Job 3.6. Nights ra­ther than Days, as Job said in his hasty fit: Yet when the Sun shines clearly, and we are under the bright influence of his comfortable Beams; this is a Day indeed, a Day of Glad­ness and Rejoycing; and such is our Day, a Day of God's making, to which he hath a peculiar Title. We may well say as they in the Gospel, ( Luke 5.26.) We have seen strange things this Day. Nay, Ask of the Days that are past, and enquire from one side of the Hea­ven to the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it, (Deut. 4.32.) Psal. 126.1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zi­on, then were we like to them that dream; we were in a maze, knew not well what to think of it; it was none of Man's foresight or con­trivance, and at such times every Righteous person ought to Rejoyce. God by black [Page 20]Days calls us to mourning and lamentation, and it would be a Sin as ridiculous as odious in his sight, in times of War, Famine, Pesti­lence, &c. to appear with a merry counte­nance, in Feasting and Revelling, and all the outward indications of Gladness and Security: So here God by these Deliverances calls us to Rejoycing, no heavy burthen. The word in the Text [...] shall Rejoyce (saith Vatablus) may well be turned into an Optative, let him Rejoyce, which is much at one; for here is either the Practice of good Men, or the Du­ty couched in the Exhortation. If the Pro­phet had bid us do some great thing, should we not have done it? how much rather when he calls us to Triumph and Exult in his Mercies? Nehem. 8.9, 10. We have a pattern for such exercises: This Day is holy un­to the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep: Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet; and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepa­red; for this Day is holy unto the Lord; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord your strength. Our Joy must not only be inward, but out­ward too; we must show it in our counte­nances, and in our behaviour; we must pub­lish it unto the whole World, that we Re­joyce in the rock of our Salvation, and that

[Page 21] 1. By acknowledging and owning of it publickly in the great Congregation, con­stitute a solemn Day, in condensis, that we may stand so thick in the Church, as may fill it from the entry of the Door, to the ve­ry edge of the Altar; for so the Vulgar and S. Hierom's Translation of Psal. 118.27. seem to intimate, (Constituite diem solennem in con­densis usque ad cornu Altaris.) Open therefore to me the gates of Righteousness, I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord. It is not every Re­joycing will serve the turn, it must be a Spi­ritual Rejoycing; we come unto the Sanctu­ary, that is the first place we ought to appear in, and give publick testimonies of our Joy.

2. We are appointed not only a place where to meet in, but a Practice what we are to do when we are there; that is, Trust in the Lord that judgeth in the Earth, and be assured there is a Reward for the Righte­ous; if we do well, it shall be well with us; he that hath done such marvellous things for us already, will doubtless compleat his Mer­cy in our future preservation. We may be well assured the Daughters of the Uncir­cumcised would have made this a Day of Triumph; and we are delivered, not only [Page 22]to stand and cry out of the foulness of the Plot, or those Devillish Monsters Actors in it, or bless our selves for so fair an escape; No, we ought to serve God in sincerity, and persevere in our Duty. When we are under the apprehension of dan­ger, we are all Godly on a sudden; but our Goodness is as the morning cloud, as the early dew it goeth away, Hos. 6.4. is quickly scattered, and gone before the Sun be many hours high; but by our Obedience alone we shall preserve our selves. To day indeed is a joy­ful day, but who knows what the next day may bring forth? the implacable Enemies of our Peace are still working, the same De­signs carrying on; our Sins are as many, and daring as ever; let us therefore pray to God, that he may be to us, as Jesus is a Savi­our, yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever. If we can but truly pray, as the Church doth, O God, we have heard with, our Ears, and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them; it may very reasonably follow, O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour. Let us plead God's former Deliverances, and by them have hopes of future Security: Let us make God our Friend, [Page 23]be fearful only of our selves, and our Sins, which cry aloud to God for Vengeance, make use of no unlawful means, either of Perjury or Subornation, and think by that to be Secured: This is a sure way to appease God's wrath, and more required at our hands than all the Revels and Bonfires of the Night, or the late over officious and foolish Zeal of some, to burn the Pope in Effigie. Thus have I done with my Text, and show'd you both the Act and the Duty, Rejoycing, and Acknowledging, and Owning God's Providence in our own Preservation, and that just Vengeance he executeth upon the Wicked.