IT is not long, since we were As­sembled, on the fifth of this Month, to Bless and Praise God for his wonderful Mercies to this King­dom in the seasonable Discovery and Defeat­ing of our Romish Enemies most wicked and accursed Powder-Plot; which had it taken effect, all had been Entomb'd on a suddain in one common Ruine.

And now, upon notice publickly given, That the same kind of Agents are at work a­gain, [Page 2]in another way, to Destroy both His Sacred Majesty, and with Him our Liberties and Religion; we are, by the warrant of Au­thority, met together here this day, to call upon that God, who alone is able to protect and save us, and whose undeserved goodness we have had so much experience of hitherto, that he would be pleased graciously to conti­nue, yet to defend both our King and Coun­try, and bring to light, still more and more, all secret machinations against his Majesty and the whole Kingdom.

To which purpose therefore I could not think of any thing more pertinent and agree­able, both to Direct us in our present Duty, and Encourage us to the same, than the words I have read from the Royal Psalmist,

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be safe from mine Enemies.

This Psalm was a Publick Form of Devo­tion Composed, and appointed by King David for the solemn seasons set apart to Comme­morate his manifold Deliverances and Victo­ries; for all the dayes, wherein God had delivered him; as the Chaldee Paraphrast hath it. And it hath the Honour to be twice Registred in Holy Writ, with very little variation in the words [Page 3]of it. For you may read it in the 22 ^d Chap. of the 2 ^d Book of Samuel, as well as here in the Book of Psalms.

From whence we may plainly collect, That, however some of This Generation quarrel and except against set Forms of Divine Worship and Service, to cast dirt upon the established Religion, and make way for New-fangled Devices of their own, rather than Godly Edifying in Love and Unity; yet it was not so in the Church of God from the Beginning; but both a publick Form was wont to be pre­scribed, and upon like occasions one and the same Form was without scruple made use of. And that by the Counsel and Coun­tenance of no meaner a Person than King David himself, who is recommended to us as an eminent Servant of God, both in his private and Regal Capacity, Acts 13.22. a man after Gods own heart, as he himself hath testified of him.

So much we have sufficiently intimated in the very Title of this Psalm, which was inscrib'd to the chief Musician or Prefect of Musick, the Master of the Choire, to be sung upon publick Solemnities. — To the chief Mu­sician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, [Page 4]who spake unto the Lord the words of this Song, in the Day that the Lord deliver'd him from the hand of all his Enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said, See Dr. H. in loc. Viz. as followeth; that is, A Publick Form of Worship, or Religious Acknowledg­ment indited by David that eminent Servant of the Lord, in Commemoration of those many Preservations and Victories which God had vouchsafed him, and his now quiet set­tlement in the Kingdom of Israel and Judah, by the interposure of the Divine Providence in subduing the Philistines, Syrians, Moabites and Ammonites, that rose up against him; in quiet­ing the Rebellion of Absalom, his son Absalom, (soon after which it is recorded, 2 Sam. 22.) but especially in rescuing him out of the ma­licious bloody hands of Saul. This he com­posed, and committed to the chief Musician, as a suitable service for those solemn Dayes, wherein there should be occasion to comme­morate his Deliverances and Victories. And to that purpose it continues registred in the Book of Psalms, among many other, as a Pattern and Example unto all Posterities; and a Justification, as I said, beyond all con­tradiction, both of the lawfulness and expe­diencie of Publick Forms of Devotion, and [Page 5]the use or Repetition of the same Forms upon like occasion.

I shall not now go about to unravel the Contexture of the whole Psalm, because I would not divert your attention from that plenty of good and proper Meditations, which the Text alone suggests unto us. Wherein we have these two principal parts:

1. David's holy Resolution or Practice: I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. And,

2. The Motive he had thereunto from the assured success of it; So shall I be (saved or) safe from mine enemies.

Of which therefore now by God's help, I shall treat in order, as they lie.

And First of the Psalmist's holy Resolution or Practice; I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. Wherein we may consider, yet more distinctly, these three Particulars.

1. The Person whose Example we have before our eyes, together with the Circum­stances of his Condition, [I] King David, the Servant of the Lord, preserved and deliver'd by him from many potent Enemies already, and yet not without the Fear and prospect of others succeeding afresh, and growing up in the room of them.

[Page 6] 2. The Act or Practice it self resolved upon, Calling upon the Lord; which, as I shall take occasion to shew you, was all along his most Religious Custom, as well as Resolution in like Cases for the Future. And then,

3. The special Character here annexed un­to the Object of his Invocation, Worship and Devotion; The Lord who is worthy to be praised. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.

First, The Person here spoken of; the [I] in the Text. That is David, a pious and Re­ligious King, styled in the Title of the Psalm, The Servant of the Lord, as I told you.

Religion, we see, is not a vile or mean Performance; is not a thing below the High­est and most eminent Monarchs of the World; no disparagement at all unto their Greatness, but that which is indeed the chiefest Orna­ment in their Diadem and Crown of Glory. They have the same Essential Dependence upon God with other men, and He the same Right and Title of Soveraignty and Domi­nion over Them, being King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Nay, They have an Obliga­tion above others to serve and Honour God Almighty; not only as his Reasonable Crea­tures [Page 7]and Dependents like unto others, but as his peculiar Ministers and Servants, in their Sacred Office as Kings, exalted and upheld by him in that their Dignity.

Again, Their Necessity as well as place engageth them hereunto: for they are sur­rounded with those Dangers and Troubles, which none but God alone, the Supreme Po­tentate, can preserve or deliver them in and from. No sooner have they escaped one Plot and Contrivance of mischief, but another Snare is laying for them. The Hydra of Treason and Rebellion hath many Heads; and when one is cut off, another perks up in its stead.

Such was David's Condition. And we need not to look further than This Psalm for an am­ple proof of it. Here we read of the sorrows of Death and Hell compassing him: Verses 4, 5. The snares of Death preventing him: The Floods of ungodly men making him afraid. The Sons of Belial, men impatient of the Yoke of Government and Restraint, coming like a mighty Torrent upon him: Verse 16. Many waters threatning to over­flow and drown him; Blood-thirsty, powerful and malicious Enemies, such as hated him, Verse 17. and were too strong for him, Verse 39. rising up against [Page 8]him. And those not only of Forraign Nati­ons but amongst his own People. Verse 43. The strivings of the people; nor only making open Insurrecti­ons, but endeavouring private Assassinations by men of violence; Verse 48. and those too secret and un­known; Dissembling and False-hearted Sub­jects, Verse 44. such as yielded feigned Obedience, such as lied unto him in all their fair professions, and dissembled with him, as the old Translation hath it. Verse 6. No wonder therefore that we find him in his Distresse, and in a Day of Calamity; and as it were in Prison and Confinement, Verse 18, 19. in great straits; sometimes in a state of War, and at other times in great Perils.

Such is the condition of all Kings, especial­ly of Pious and Religious Kings. For the King is the head of Order, and the very life and soul of Laws, both Civil and Sacred. So many Enemies therefore as there are abroad, to a State or Kingdom, their level is chiefly, neither at small or great, but at the Head and Soul of all the rest. The Devil and his Agents are all Adversaries to Order, and Quiet, and Peace, with Piety and Virtue; and therefore must necessarily impugn and strike at the grand Conservator of all these. And then, in his own Dominions, if we reckon up, how many [Page 9]there alwayes be, that are in ill Circumstances themselves, and have their hopes only in a Change, in fishing, as we say, in troubled Waters; in disturbing all, that they may scramble for somewhat; How many Ambiti­ous of Rule and Power themselves, that would fain be uppermost: How many envious at all above them, who therefore are ready to pull them down or undermine them: How many thirsting for Liberty, unbounded Liberty, to do whatsoever is good in their own Eyes: How many cross'd in their undue Desires and Lusts, by the severity of good and wholesome Laws: How many whose Faith and Allegiance is easily corrupted by the popular insinuations and pretences of wheedling Demagogues, or to be bought and sold with Bribes and Pensi­ons: How very few of Courage and Ho­nesty enough to stick by a Prince in his low Condition: How many Powers, and Policies, and Devices he hath continually to watch over, and to struggle with: How many he must of necessity trust and imploy, whom he hath but little or slender assurance of: If we consider, I say, but these, and the like obvious Circumstances, we cannot but see the manifold Troubles, and Miseries, and [Page 10]Calamities, that every Prince, every good and Religious Prince especially, is beset withal. As David, we read, was.

But the greatest comfort is, He hath a Re­fuge and Sanctuary near at hand, notwith­standing all this, to betake himself unto; namely that of the Text. I will call upon the Lord. This we find upon all occasions was our Royal Psalmists stay and security. When He knew not what to do, nor whither to be­take himself, his Eyes were still unto God. God, Psal. 46. saith he, is our refuge and strength: a very present help in Trouble. Therefore will we not fear, &c.

Thus at Ziklag; 1 Sam. 30.6. David, saith the text, was greatly distressed: for the people spake of stoning of him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his Sons, and for his Daughters: (and when any thing goes amiss, or succeeds ill in Government, the blame and complaints usual­ly fix and center on the chief Governour) but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. He becalmed himself, as we read elsewhere, with such like expostulations as These. Psal. 42. Why art [Page 11]thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, Psal. 43. for I shall yet praise him, who is the Health of my countenance and my God. Observe therefore, by how many different Names and Attributes of security he calls God in the Verse before our Text, on purpose, as it were, to declare, That he was All in All in his account: My Strength, saith he, and my Rock, Psal. 18.1. and my For­tress, and my Deliverer: my Buckler, and the Horn of my Salvation, (that is, according to the He­brew Idiom, wherein Horn is used for Power and Plenty, my most Powerful and All-suffici­ent Saviour) and my High-Tower. In weakness, my Strength; against the Storm and Billows of Adversity, and that Ocean of Calamity, which beats at any time upon me, my Rock impregnable; against all manner of Violence or Assaults, my Fortress or Bul-work, my Shield and Buckler invulnerable; whatever Hosts or Armies invade me, my High-Tower and Castle; at all Times and in all Cases a most mighty and abundant Saviour and Deliverer. They are excellent words of the Prophet Habakkuk, Hab. 3.17, 18, 19. which I the rather men­tion, because the later part of them is taken out of this Psalm. Psal. 18.32, 33. Although the Fig-tree shall not [Page 12]blossom, neither shall Fruit be in the Vines; the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the Fields shall yield no meat; the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold, and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls: (that is, all visible help and relief shall fail) Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my Salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like Hinds feet, and He will make me to walk on my High-places— There can be no possible want of provisions to this High-Tower or Garrison.

We see, by the way, what an utter Enemy the profess'd Atheist is to all publick Govern­ments, and the best security of Kings and Princes [...]— [...]. D. Chrysost. in Psal. 143.2. & 10., who by denying God and Provi­dence takes away this most Comfortable Re­fuge and Sanctuary, which amidst all Perils and Dangers they are to betake themselves un­to. It is the Character of such profane ones, That they call not upon God themselves: Psal. 14. and that is not all the mischief of it, but thy seek to deprive others also of this blessed Privi­ledge; Psal. 53. whilest they say, either, There is no God, or that He sees not, hears not, regards not his Supplicants. It is therefore the undoubt­ed concernment of every State to suppress and banish Atheism, with all the Fautors of it.

But hitherto of the first particular the Per­son whose good Example we have here be­fore our eyes, That Religious and pious King David; who was always sensible of his Obli­gations to God, and how impossible it was for himself or any other Prince, to be safe and se­cure without the aids of Heaven.

In the Second place we are to consider fur­ther of him in Conjunction with the Holy Practice here resolv'd upon. I will call on the Lord.

Calling upon God is a Phrase sometimes put in Scripture for all Religion, as it is usual there for some signal act to stand for and expreress all the rest of the kind. But here we are to understand it in its most proper importance, viz. an Invocation by Prayer and Supplicati­on unto God, whereby he betakes himself to the Divine Protection, begging Safety and Deliverance from him. And the words are rendred by Interpreters in several Tenses.

As to the Time past, Invocabam; Piscator. I did call on the Lord, so was I saved from mine Enemies. And Thus we have it afterwards, Vers. 6. In my Distress I called upon the Lord, and cryed unto my God; He heard my voice out of his holy Temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. [Page 14]The effects of which audience are magnifi­cently set forth in the following Verses. See Verse 7. to vers. 16. & Dr. H. Par. How he express'd the Wrath of an All-powerful God, able to make the World to Tremble, nay to burn and consume it, interposing his hand as signally, as if he had descended in a black thick Cloud with a mighty wind, and the appearance of Angels in shining Gar­ments, with tempestuous showers of Hail and Fire; with Thundrings and Lightnings, as with Arrows and fiery Darts, and finally with the same Notoriety of his Presence, as when the waters of the Sea were driven back by a strong East-wind, and the Deep turned into dry ground for the passage of his People Israel.

Others read it in the present Tense: Jun. & Trem. Vatabl. Invoco, or Invocare soleo: I do call upon the Lord; This is my constant Practice and Custom. I call upon the Lord—so am I safe from mine Ene­mies. See the 142 ^d Psalm. The Prayer of Da­vid when he was in the Cave. ‘When he poured out his Complaint before God, and shewed him his trouble, How a Snare was privily laid for him in the way wherein he walked, and he had none that he could trust to for Refuge, none that regarded or cared for him; [Page 15]His Soul in Prison, and his Persecutors about him, stronger than he.’ But he betakes him­self to This his wonted Practice, vers. 5, &c. I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my Persecutors, for they are stronger than I; bring my Soul out of Prison, that I may praise thy Name.

Others again read it, as we do, LXXII. Vulg. Lat. both in our Old and New Translation, in the Future Tense. Invocabo, I will call on the Lord. And thus, what was his Religious Practice and Custom in times past and at present, becomes also his pious and holy Resolution for the Time to come; as we find it frequently else­where repeated by him. Psal. 55. Having spoken of the Hellish Plots of some, that had been his Intimates and Familiars, from which he hardly saw any humane possibility of esca­ping; I mourn in my complaint, saith he, because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. ‘The enemy crieth so, and the ungodly cometh on so fast; for they are minded to do me some mischief: so malici­ously are they set against me. My heart is disquieted within me, and the Fear of Death [Page 16]is fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath over­whelmed me;’ and I said, O that I had wings like a Dove! for then would I flee away, and be at rest: Lo, then would I wander far off, and re­main in the Wilderness; I would hasten my escape from the Fiery storm and Tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen vio­lence and strife in the City. Day and Night they go about it, upon the walls thereof; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an Enemy that reproach­ed me; (an open professed, and known Ene­my) then I could have born it; neither was it he that hated me, that did magnifie himself against me; then I would have hid my self from him. But it was Thou, a man mine Equal, (a Man according to my rank, as the Margin reads it) my Guide and mine Acquaintance: We took sweet Counsel together, and walked to the House of God in company. You see, what a copious and pathetical description he gives of his imminent Danger and Trou­bles. See now his Resolution under all This; the Sanctuary he betakes himself unto, vers. 16, &c. As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and Morning and at [Page 17]Noon will I pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice. He hath deliver'd my Soul in peace from the Battail that was against me; for there were many with me: [He reckon'd upon God alone as a mighty and strong Host, and from his former experience he concludes for the Future] Yea even God, that endureth for ever (the same God still) shall hear me, and bring them down, even to the Pit of Destruction. Again, Psal. 86. Bow down thine ear, O Lord, (saith he) hear me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my Soul, for I am Holy, (thine Anointed, one whom thou fa­vourest, as the Margin hath it) O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily (or, all the day); Rejoice the Soul of thy servant; for un­to thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. This, we see, was his devout Practice. Then, for his Resolution so to continue, vers. 7. In the Day of my Trouble I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me. I will turn you but to one place more, Psal. 116. which begins with an hearty Profession of his Affections to God from the sense of his Mercies and Deliverances; (as this 18 ^th Psalm doth,) I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplication; be­cause he hath inclined his ear unto me, (which suppo­seth [Page 18]his former practice of This Religious duty) Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live, (in my days, saith the Margin, viz. all the days of my trouble, distress, and calamity more especially.) And so he goes on to fortifie his Resolution by a further Commemoration of his former practice This way, and the blessed success of it. The sorrows of Death compassed me, and the pains of Hell gat hold upon me, (as we have it also in the 18 ^th Psalm,) I found trouble and sorrow; then called I upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my Soul. Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple, (the plain, honest, upright man, who reli­eth on him, when he is void of counsel to help himself) I was brought low, and He help­ed me.

There is nothing certainly more proper in a Time of Affliction, Calamity and Trouble, than this Religious practice of Calling upon the Lord. Jam. 5.13. Is any among you afflicted? saith St. James, let him pray. Psal. 50.15. Call upon me (saith God himself) in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me. Such therefore was the mes­sage of King Hezekiah unto Isaiah the Prophet. 2 King. 19.3, 4. This is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy, [Page 19]wherefore lift up thy Prayer for the Remnant that is left.

Even Nature at such a time of extremity prompts us to this piece of Religion. The Atheistical Poet acknowledgeth it to be the common Practice of Mankind;

Men in their Pains and Adversities are very apt to cry out, Lord help us! This the Pro­phet notes in a people that were otherwise forgetful of God. Lord, Isa. 26.16, 17. in trouble have they vi­sited thee; they have poured out a Prayer when thy Chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with Child, that draweth near the time of her delive­rance, and cryeth out in her pangs, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. You have many Instances together in Psal. 107. how men cry unto God in their troubles, and he delivereth and saveth them out of their Distresses; particularly of them who go down to the Sea in Ships; when the stormie wind ariseth, and they are at their wits ends, Vers. 27, 28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. Hence we have a common Proverb, Qui nescit orare, discat navigare: He that knows not to Pray, let him go to Sea; where the [Page 20]sight of so many Dangers, ready to swallow up and devour him, is supposed to be suffici­ent to teach him This Lesson. Unless he have contracted an unnatural Hardness, and senslesness both of God and Death, the Fears of Shipwrack will awaken him to Prayer. The Mariners, Jonah 1.5. we read, in the storm, cryed every man to his God, and the Ship-master comes to Jonah, and saith unto him, Verse 6. What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And we find them all afterwards, importunately at their Prayers. They cryed unto the Lord and said, Verse 14. we beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee. The Disciples in a Tempest awaken our Blessed Saviour, saying, Lord, Matth. 8. save us, we perish.

This, I say, is the natural and constant Practice of All that have any regard to them­selves or sense of a Deity, that have not sinn'd themselves into a blockish stupidity, past feel­ing, in the time of imminent Troubles and Dangers and Calamities, to call upon God. And this is urged by Salvian as a strong Con­viction against the Denyers of God Almighty's Providence. Lib. 1. p. 17. [ Cur ad coelum quotidiè manus tendi­mus? &c.] ‘Why stretch we our hands daily towards Heaven? Why seek we the [Page 21]Mercy of God by our repeated Prayers? Why do we run to Temples and Churches? Why do we supplicate on our knees before Altars?’ [Nulla enim nobis est ratio precandi, si spes tollitur impetrandi.] ‘We have no reason at all to pray, if we have no hope left us of speeding by it.’ And the Heathen Seneca, before him, managed this argument against the Epicureans, who allow'd of such kind of insignificant Deities, who neither heard nor regarded the Prayers of their Supplicants. [Nec in hunc furorem omnes mortales consensissent alloquendi surda numina & inefficaces Deos.] De Benef. l. 4. c. 4. ‘It is no ways likely or credible, saith he, that all mortals should consent together in such a point of Madness as this is, continually to call upon Deaf Gods, and such as can Do nothing for them.’

Nevertheless, it must be granted, that all who call upon God, do not speed in their Requests; because, as St. James hath it, Jam. 4.3. they ask amiss. Ye ask and receive not, saith he, be­cause ye ask amiss. And therefore it will be requisite, before I leave this subject, to shew you briefly what are the qualifications of such a Calling upon God, as we may be assured of the Good effects of.

These Qualifications now are reducible unto Three heads.

The First, concerning the Object of our Invocation, whom we are to call upon. That must be the Lord, and the Lord only.

Secondly, As to the Person Praying; He must be Righteous, at least in the Evangelical sence, that is, a True Penitent.

Thirdly, As to the Prayer or Invocation it self, That must be with Humility and Re­verence; with Faith; with Sincerity; with For­vency; with Charity; with Perseverance; with a due Submission to the Divine Will; tendred up to God in the Name of Christ; and attend­ed with Endeavours agreeable to our Prayers.

I shall little more than touch upon the par­ticulars, they are so many; (and I would not prevent my self in what else remains:) But yet it is plainly necessary, that I say some­what of them, because without attendance unto These things, our Prayers will certainly prove ineffectual, and vain Oblations. And as good, you know, not at all, as to no pur­pose.

First then, The Object of our Invocation must be the Lord Jehovah, the True and Living God, and none besides him. I will call [Page 23]on the Lord. Prayer is a piece of Divine wor­ship peculiar unto God, and which we cannot without peril of Idolatry give unto any other. And therefore it is one of the Arguments, used by the Antient Fathers as well as Modern Di­vines, to prove the Deity of our Blessed Saviour; because we are taught to Call upon his Name. So we read of St. Stephen, Act. 5.59. They stoned Stephen calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus receive my Soul! Saying, Lord Jesus, he called upon God. That is, owned his Deity. And this is the Paraphrase, whereby Christians were at first known. They that called on this Name. Act. 9.14-21. 1 Cor. 1.2. All that in every place call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Carmen Christo, quasi Deo, dicere secum invicem. As Plinie reports of them.) L. 10. Ep. 97. Whatso­ever we Religiously call upon, we either find or make a God to our selves, by that very in­vocation.

The Lord then is He, whom we are to di­rect our Prayers unto; the Living God, and not Dead Idols; the Lord of all, and not any of his Creatures, not the best of them, Saints or Angels.

As for Idols, you may remember what Eli­jah said to Baal's Priests, 1 King. 18.24. Call ye on the Name of your Gods, and I will call on the Name of the [Page 24]Lord. Verse 26. Accordingly, they called on the Name of Baal, we read, from morning even until noon, say­ing, O Baal hear, or answer us. But there was no voice, neither any that answered. And Elijah mocks them upon it. Verse 20. Cry aloud, for he is a God, he is talking (or meditateth, that is, in a deep study) or be is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked. Their Idols, Psal. 115. saith the Psalmist of the Heathen, are Silver and Gold, the work of mens bands. They have mouths, Psal. 135. but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; ears, but they hear not, &c. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. O Israel trust thou in the Lord; He is their Help and their Shield, &c. q. d. Aid and Defence is to be had from Him and from him only.

We must renounce all Confidence and De­pendence upon any other thing whatsoever. Psal. 20.7, 8. Some trust in Chariots, and some in Horses; but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. Prov. 18.10. The Name of the Lord is a strong-Tower; the Righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

God is offended, when we seek other Re­fuges: Hos. 7.10, 11. The Pride of Israel, saith the Prophet, [Page 25] testifieth to his Face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this. Ephra­im also is like a silly Dove without heart; They call to Egypt; They go to Assyria, &c. Jer. 17.5, 6, 7, 8. Thus saith the the Lord, Cursed be the man, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the Heath in the Desert, &c. Blessed be the man, who trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a Tree planted by the Waters, &c. It is the Character of the Ungodly; Lo, Psal. 52.8. This is the man, that took not God for his Strength, but trusted unto the multitude of his Riches See Psal. 62.8, 9, 10..

Neither may we call upon Saints or Angels to help us, Rev. 19.10.—22.9. for they are all God's Creatures and Servants as well as we; they refuse this Worship at our hands, and bid us give it unto God only, whom they together with us a­dore. I may here use the words of Eliphaz (which yet some of the Romish Church have been so absurd, Chamier Pan­strat. Vol. 2. l. 2. c. 2. as to quote for the invocation of Angels) Call now, Job 5.1. if there be any that will an­swer thee; and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn?

Secondly, As to the person invocating, he must be Righteous, at least in the Gospel ac­ceptation, that is, a sincere and hearty Peni­tent. [Page 26]For God heareth not Sinners, John 9.31. viz. Such as continue in a course of Sin. Prov. 15.8-29. The Prayer or Sa­crifice of the wicked is an abomination to him. Unto the wicked saith God, Psal. 50. What hast thou to do to take my Covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reformed? Prov. 1.28, &c. 28.9. To such he threatens; They shall call upon me, but I will not answer. He that turn­eth away his Ear from hearing the Law, his Pray­er shall be an abomination. To such he saith a­gain, Isa. 1.15, &c. When ye spread forth your Hands, I will hide mine Eyes from you: Yea, when ye make many Prayers, I will not hear. Your Hands are full of Blood. Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes: cease to do Evil, learn to do Well: seek Judgment, relieve the Oppressed, judge the Fatherless, plead for the Widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. That is, upon these terms, and no o­ther, Vers. 19, 20. we may meet as Friends. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the Land; but, if ye refuse and Rebel, ye shall be devoured with the Sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Seek the Lord, Ch. 55.6, 7. while he may be found: call ye upon him, while he is near; but to that end, let the Wicked forsake his way, and the Unrighteous man his thoughts, Ch. 58. [...]. &c. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer: Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here [Page 27]I am. If thou takest from the midst of thee the Yoak, Verse 6. &c. the bands of Wickedness before spok­en of. Jam. 5.16. 'Tis the Prayer of a Righteous man that availeth. This our Psalmist was very sensible of; Therefore, saith he, I will wash mine hands in Innocence, so will I compass thine Altar, O Lord. Psal. 26.6. The Eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous, —34.15. and his Ears are open to their Prayers. —66.18. If I regard Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord will not hear me. And in this very Psalm, Psal. 18.20, &c. The Lord rewarded me according to my Righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me: For I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not wickedly departed from my God; (or not departed from my God, as the wicked doth) for all his judgments are before me, and I did not put his Statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and kept my self from mine Iniquity. (Eschewed mine own wickedness.) Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my Righteousness, according to the cleanness of my Hands in his Eye-sight.

And yet this Psalm was most probably in­dited (if we keep to the series of the History, See Dr. H. in Loc. where 'tis first recorded, 2 Sam. 22.) after the Commission of those great Sins of Adultery with Uriah's Wife, making him Drunk, con­triving his Death, and Living for some consi­derable [Page 28]time, before Nathan came to him from God under this guilt. These many expressions therefore of his Universal Uprightness must be Interpreted and Understood, as the Scripture elsewhere speaks, with the exception of that matter of Uriah, 1 Kings 15.5. David did that which was right in the Eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And we are farther to remember, That, for that too, he had Repented before the Composure of this Psalm. And Repent­ance, when sincere, restores to God's Favour and Acceptance, as if we were Innocent.

Thirdly, For the Prayer or Invocation it self, that must be the Exercise of all sorts of Graces, and not the Labor of our Lips only. But, Isa. 29.13. more especially, this Holy Incense must have these following perfumes in it.

(1) It must be with Humility and Reve­rence. With Humility, in a deep sense of our Unworthiness and Distance from God, as Creatures, but much more as Sinners. No one loves a proud Begger. Jam. 4.6. 1 Pet. 5.5. Such God is said to look on afar off: But he giveth Grace, shew­eth Favour to the Humble. Psal. 9.12. —10.17. [...]b 22.29. He heareth the de­sire of the Humble, and will not forget their Cry, but will save them.

And then there must be a Reverence to That Majesty which we approach unto. That is a Due, we know, to all our Betters. [See Malachi 1.8.] Let us therefore have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, Hebr. 12.28. with reverence and godly fear.

(2) With Faith. Heb. 11.6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh unto God, must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So St. James directs. If any of you lack Wisdom, let him ask of God, Jam. 1.5, 6. who giveth to all men liberally; but let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering: where yet Faith seems to import rather a stedfast adhering to the Chri­stian Profession, See Dr. H. in loc. than a General Belief of God's Being, Attributes, or Promises.

(3) With Sincerity. Not out of feigned lips, Psal. 17.1. or Lips of Deceit; but in Truth. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, 145.18. to all that call upon him in Truth, or Faithfully. And this is that which the Prophet Isaiah expresseth by calling on God with all the heart. Then shall ye call upon me, Isa. 29.12. and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you; and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And St. Paul styles it, Calling on the Lord out of a pure (that is, 2 Tim. 2.22. an honest and upright) heart.

[Page 30] (4) With Zeal and Fervencie. For it is good alwayes, Gal. 4.18. saith the Apostle, to be zealously affect­ed in a good matter: But he that asks coldly, teacheth another to deny his Requests. We can never think or hope, that God will at­tend to those cold and drousie Prayers, which we hardly attend unto, or mind our selves in the utterance of them. 'Tis the fervent Prayer of a righteous man that availeth much. Our Blessed Saviour speaks a Parable, to learn us the Force of Importunity, both with God and Man, St. Luk. 18. We are to pray as those that are in good earnest, and sensible of the Great Concerns we call upon him about; and there­fore to excite and stirre up all the Powers of our Souls thereunto, that we be not among Those, of whom the Prophet complains, There is none that calleth upon thy Name, Isa. 64.7. that stirreth up himself to take hold on Thee.

(5) With Charitie; for without This we are nothing, 1 Cor. 13.1, 3. and nothing profits us. But Blessed are the merciful, Matth. 5. for they shall obtain mercie. With the merciful Thou wilt shew thy self merciful, saith our Psalmist. Psal. 18.25. But he shall have Judgment without mercie, Jam. 2.13. who hath shewed no mercie; With the same measure we mete to others, God will measure to us again. And therefore he saith, [Page 31] Give and it shall be given to you. Luk. 6.38. Forgive and it shall be forgiven. But if ye forgive not, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar; go thy way, first be reconciled to thy Brother, &c. Prov. 21.13. Whoso stoppeth his ears at the Crie of the Poor, he also shall crie him­self, and shall not be heard.

(6) We must continue our Importunity with Perseverance, without Fainting and grow­ing weary; not contenting our selves with having once petitioned, Psal. 25.5.37.7.86.3, &c. 123.2. but following on our Suit, and waiting patiently still upon God from day to day, untill he have Mercy upon us. To this purpose our Blessed Saviour spake a Parable, That men ought alwaies to pray, Luk. 18. and not to faint.

And yet, (7) We must pray with a due Submission of our selves unto God's Will and Wisdom, not confining him to any particular ways or methods of our own devising.

Remarkable was the Resignation of King Da­vid's Spirit unto God Almighty's pleasure. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. he will bring me again,— but if he Thus say, I have no [Page 32]delight in Thee; behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. 'Tis the Petition our Blessed Saviour hath taught us, Thy will be done; and such was his own Example to us: Father, if it be possible let This Cup pass from me. Nevertheless not what I will, (not as I will) but Thy will be done. We must own that God is Righteous in whatsoever befalls us, and be ready to apologize for his Providence. 'Tis of his Mercie alone that we are not consumed, and our only Hope is, That his Compassions fail not.

(8) We must be sure that we tender up our Requests unto God in the prevailing Name of Jesus Christ, his Beloved Son, our Great and only High-Priest, Mediator and Advo­cate; by whom we have received the Atonement, and who ever liveth to make intercession. Dan. 9.17, 18. Not for our Righteousness, saith the Prophet Daniel, but for the Lord's sake; [Propter Christum, as Casta­lio there notes,] so we are taught to conclude all our Prayers. The Direction and Encou­ragement comes from our Blessed Saviour him­self: Joh. 14.13, 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it.— Do all therefore in the Name of Jesus Christ, Col. 3.17. saith [Page 33]the Apostle, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Lastly, Our Prayers must be followed with suitable Endeavours. We must not only Ask, but seek and knock too; that is, enquire after the most probable and likely Means, and be diligent and industrious to remove the Impe­diments in our way; Mr. Hooker's Serm. in the end of Bishop Sandersons life. as a Reverend Person in­geniously Glosseth on Those words. We must be like the Good Pilot, that hath his hand to the Helm, as well as his Eye to Heaven. We must not be lazy and idle Petitioners; like the Countrey-man in the Fable, that content­ed himself barely with crying out to Hercules to help him out of the mire. Remarkable is That of Nehemiah: Nehem. 4.9. Nevertheless we made a Prayer unto our God, saith he, and set a Watch against them, (the Enemies) day and night because of them. 'Tis an excellent Rule of Hierocles: [ [...],] In Pythag. What we endeavour, let us pray for; and what we pray for, let us also endeavour. There must be all along, saith he, [ [...],] an union of Prayer and Endeavour; we must neither be for [ [...],] an Atheistical and Godless or graceless Endeavour, nor [ [...],] an Idle and inoperative Prayer.

Now having said thus much of the Gene­ral Qualifications, which must accompany our Calling upon God, to render it successeful: Let me yet annex Two more, that are very pro­per to our publick Devotion: And so our Prayers will still be the more prevalent, if attended

• (1.) With Fasting. And,
• (2) With Unanimity.

First, Fasting is to be added unto Prayer, both as a Means to render us more attentive and fer­vent in the same, and as a Testimony of our Humiliation before God in the Confession of our Sins, and judging our selves- unworthy to be any longer sustained in Life by God, chastening and afflicting our Souls in his presence, by vo­luntary Penance, for our manifold Transgressi­ons and Excesses. There are some Devils not to be cast out, Mat. 17.21. but by Prayer and Fasting, as our Blessed Saviour acquaints us. And we may well reckon the Devil of cruel Treachery and Perfidiousness in that number. This hath been the constant way of the Church of God in all great Exigencies, by Fasting together with Prayer to call upon God, as you may read in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Isaiah, Daniel, &c. Turn ye to me, Joel 2. saith the Lord by his Prophet Joel, with all your heart, and with Fasting, and with Weeping, [Page 35]and with Mourning; and rent your Heart and not your Garment, [that is, not your Garment only. Let there not be only the external signs of Humiliation and Mourning, but the Thing signified by them; both Sign and Thing sig­nified together;] who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a Blessing behind him? [This, to be sure, is the likeliest way of speeding:] He addes therefore, Blow the Trumpet in Sion, sanctifie a Fast, call a solemn Assembly; Gather the People, sanctifie the Congregation, assemble the Elders: Gather the Children, and those that suck the Breasts: Let the Bridegroom go forth of his Chamber, and the Bride out of her Closet: Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord. Where we find, That the Fast must be general, when we call upon God for a General Blessing; and all that are concerned in the Effect, should be also in the Means to it. And whatever some vain peo­ple judge of the needlesness or Indifference of Fasting, God takes it extremely ill, if any un­der publick Calamities comply not with this Prescription. In that day, saith the Prophet, Isa. 22.12, 13, 14. did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with [Page 36]Sackcloth; and Behold Joy and Gladness, slaying Oxen and killing Sheep, eating Flesh and drinking Wine.— And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts, surely This iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

Secondly, We are to call upon God with Consent and Unanimity, that we may be as joint Supplicants, besieging Heaven, as it were, with an holy Violence in our united Impor­tunities for Mercy. So the Prophet Zephaniah hath it, Zeph. 3.9. That they may call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent, or with one shoulder. And thus we read of the Primitive Christians; Act. 2.1. They were all [ [...],] with one accord in one place. And, when St. Peter was in Prison, Ch. 12.5.12. Prayer was made without ceasing (or instant and earnest Prayer was made) of the Church unto God for him.— Many were gathe­red together Praying. To such Assemblies now, as These, that Promise of our Blessed Savi­our reacheth with Advantage: Mat. 18.19, 20. I say unto you, that, if Two of you shall agree on Earth touching any thing that they shall ask,— For, where Two or Three are gather'd together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them. Much more then, where there are many Two's and Three's, a whole Nation at the same time upon their [Page 37]knees together (if other requisits are not want­ing) may they be sure of obtaining that thing, which they ask in particular, or somewhat better in the room of it.

This is the advantage of publick and com­mon Prayers, ( [...], Ignatius) calling upon God in and with his Church, that he would send both King and People help from his Sanctuary, and strengthen them out of Sion. Psal. 20.

And thus much now for the second point, the Duty or Practice here resolved upon, call­ing upon the Lord, with those several qualifi­cations which will render it most effectual and successful.

It remains in the Third place, that I add a few words also of the special Character an­nexed unto the object of our Psalmists invoca­tion, Who is worthy to be praised. I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised.

The word is capable of a double rendring, Who is worthy to be praised, or whom I praise. And accordingly Expositors render it differently; but both waies to a purpose very fit to be ob­served diligently by us [lxxii. [...] in 2 Sam. 22. but here, [...], and the Lat. accordingly, Invocabo Dominum laudabilem vel laudatum: & laudans invocabo.]

[Page 38] (1) I will call on the Lord, who is (Omni laude dignissimus) worthy of all Praise; the most lovely Object of Veneration. And so it trains us up to the highest thoughts of that Adorable Ob­ject we call upon. Worthy to be praised, is the Sum and Abstract of all his Perfections together; and therefore prompts us to Ap­proach unto him with Good and Valuable Thoughts of him: not as a cruel Tyrant, delighting in his Creatures Miseries and Tor­ments: not as an hard Master, with-holding from his Servants, more than is meet; but a most Gracious Lord, as willing as he is able to Help and Relieve us; a most Indulgent Fa­ther, as far above all Earthly Parents in Wis­dom, Power, goodness and readiness to hear, and supply his Childrens wants, as Heaven is above Earth.

And here I might observe to you farther, that it is the Holy Prudence of Pious Men, frequently exemplified in Sacred Writ, to call upon God under such Appellations, Titles, or Attributes as are most agreable to the matter of their present Petition, and fittest to Ani­mate and Encourage their Hopes of receiving from him. So doth the Psalmist here in ef­fect, I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be [Page 39]praised, viz. as for his Power and Wisdom and Goodness at all times, so for his abundant Mer­cy, which I have already had a frequent ex­perience of, &c.

(2) I will call upon him, whom I also praise, tendring up my Thanksgivings for mercies al­ready bestowed, while I offer up afresh Petiti­ons for renewed favours from him; and thus gathering encouragement, from what I have already received, to continue my Dependence chearfully upon him, and Faith in him for the future. There is a great consent of Interpre­ters this way. I will praise the Lord and call up­on him. So the Arabic. In a Song or Hymn I pour out Prayers. So the Chaldee. See Dr. H. & Vicars Decapl. in Loc. I will call upon him with Praises. So R. Sol. Praising him with Prayers. So Apollinarius. i. e. joyning of Praises and Requests, Doxologies and Letanies together. When I shall have praised him first for his past Benefits, I will then call upon him for those yet to come. So a Latin M. S. Having celebrat­ed the Lord with these Encomium's, (viz. of the precedent Verse) I will now call upon him. So Clarius. Invocabo laudatum. I will call upon him being praised, that is, in a Poetical Phrase, Dr. H. I will first praise him, and then call upon him. He signifies hereby, as Mr. Calvin Notes, [preces [Page 40]suas laudibus mistas fore] That his Prayers shall be mingled with Praises and Thanksgivings, according to that of the 116 Psalm, I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord, Vers. 13. And again, Offer the Sacri­fice of Thanksgiving, and call on the Name of the Lord, Vers. 17. So is the Apostolical Directi­on. Phil. 4.6. In every thing by Prayer and Supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. We are at the same time to testifie both our Gratitude and Dependence; and Thank­fulness for what we have received, is one ef­fectual way of obtaining what we want. I will therefore call on the Lord with a grateful ac­knowledgment of his former Goodness, gathering en­couragement from thence still to continue my Petiti­ons unto him, who hath already so well deserved of me. The Mercies he hath vouchsafed me hitherto are not only so many Essaies of his power and readi­ness to relieve me, Dr. H. Par. but also so many Pawns and Pledges for the future; and therefore to my Songs of Praise I chearfully add my most Humble and Ear­nest Requests: And, thus doing, never fail of a Gracious return from him.

Which leades us to the second part of the Text, namely, the Psalmist's motive to his Re­solution and Practice from the assured good suc­cess [Page 41]of it. So shall I be safe from mine Enemies. And this I shall little more than gloss upon.

Be mine Enemies never so Potent and For­midable; for Multitude, never so many; an Host of Devils and Sons of Belial; for Power, never so strong; for Malice, never so spiteful and cruel; for Policie, never so cunning; in their Assaults, never so violent; in their Confederacies, never so combined; in their Plots, never so secret: I shall, neverthe­less, be saved from them all, and remain se­cure by the Divine interposure on my behalf. Dwelling in the secret place of the most High, Psal. 91. I shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. There shall no Evil befall me, neither shall any Plague come nigh my Dwelling: for he shall give his Angels charge over me, to keep me in all my waies. He will Answer me, whensoever I call; will be with me in Trouble; will Deliver and Honour me; with long life will he satisfie me, and shew me his Sal­vation.

All Salvation is of the Lord, and he hath a peculiar regard in his saving Providence un­to Kings. Psal. 144.10. It is He that giveth Salvation unto Kings, that delivereth David his Servant from the hurtful Sword. And the like Acknowledg­ment we have in the close of this 18 ^th Psalm. [Page 42]Great Deliverance giveth he to his King, and sheweth Mercy to his Anointed, to David and to his seed for ever. [Even the succession of Anointed ones, the whole race of Kings throughout all gene­rations.] St. Chrys. Li­turg. They are [...] preserved by him, by whom they Reign. But yet God expects to be sought unto by them too; that they own and acknowledge their need of his Help, and put themselves into a capacity of receiv­ing it, in the most becoming posture, from him. That therefore is the Ground of the Psalmists Resolution, I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be safe from mine Enemies.

And, that we may all, in a proportion, ga­ther the like encouragement unto this Duty of calling upon God in our Distresses and Trou­bles, we are to remember, that he is stiled in general, Psal. 65. The hearer of Prayers, unto whom all Flesh therefore is to come; that he hath bid us Ask, Seek, Knock, with promise that he who asketh shall receive; and he that seeketh shall find, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened: That He hath assured, If we who are Evil know how to give good Gifts to our Children, much more will He, our Heavenly Father, give Good things to them that ask him.

Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall he saved; saith the Prophet Joel, Joel 2.32. Act. 2.21. Rom. 10.13. and it is thrice quoted for Confirmation in the New Testament. And the promise refers to as black and dismal Times, as we can well imagine, viz. such as attended the Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. When there were the dreadful Appearances of Blood and Fire, and Pillars of Smoke, the Sun turned into Darkness, and the Moon into Bloud; even the great and terrible Day of the Lord come upon them. Nevertheless, in these circumstances, the promise is left. Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord, shall be Delivered.

And for our farther Confirmation as to the publick invocation of God, with the Congregati­ons of his Saints in his Holy Temple, we may cast our Eyes on the several passages of King Solomon's Prayer at the Dedication of the Tem­ple, the House of Prayer which God himself testified his Acceptance of. Hearken then, 1 Kings 8. saith he, unto the Supplication of thy Servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray towards this place, and Hear thou in Heaven, and Forgive and Do, that all the People of the Earth may know thy Name to fear thee, as do thy People Israel, &c. We un­der the New Testament, to be sure, are nothing short of them in real Priviledges; nay, God [Page 44]hath reserved some better thing for us. For, though we have not their Temple, yet we have their God as near unto us in all that we call upon him for; we have the Holy Spirit, whereby we cry Abba Father, making inter­cession within us; and we have a most pow­erful Advocate at God's right hand, Jesus Christ the righteous, by whom we may come with Confidence to the Throne of Grace, Hebr. 4.16. that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace, [ [...],] for our most seasonable Relief in the time of need.

And now I have, with what brevity I could, run over the Text: It remains, that I apply it also briefly to the occasion of our present Assembly; which I shall best do by giving you first a short Account of Those sad and troublesome Circumstances, we are involved in; and then exhorting and encouraging of you together with my self, to practise accord­ing to this good example set before us.

But First, it will be requisite for us to see and take notice of our Danger. An execrable Plot is by God's Gracious Providence disco­ver'd and brought to light (whereof the King himself hath given notice to the Parliament, and the Parliament upon such witness as they [Page 45]had before them, have agreed to declare their Belief of it.) An execrable Plot, I say, to take away his Majesties Life, subvert the Govern­ment we live under, and that Protestant Re­ligion which we profess; And This Plot long in laying, and by the Complication of many Interests design'd at last to be brought to its Effect, through the Combination both of Foreign Powers and Domestick Treachery. A Plot, wherein we have the Venom and poyson of all former Plots in their Quin­tessence put together, and which, in its exe­cution, was like to have been attended with a General Massacre. A Plot, wherein our Adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, Nehem. 4. till we come in the midst among them, and slay them. And indeed they had found us altogether na­ked. We had been left without all manner of Protection and Defence, All Commissions expiring with the Kings Life; and the chief places of Trust and Importance both in Church and State predisposed of to our sworn Enemies. A Plot, the Discovery of which they sought to have prevented or discountenanc'd at its first appearance, by the horrid Murther of an Eminent Patriot imploy'd in the search after it. The Persons concern'd are all Ro­mish [Page 46]Agents, Priests and Jesuites, and others of that Communion, abetted with Foreign Powers, as I said, who are Enemies both to our State and Religion. These our Enemies are extremely formidable in their Number, their Malice, their Cruelty, their Confede­racy in Mischief against us, so linked toge­ther, that it will be hard to make a full Disco­very of them. Such they are as stand accu­sed for having had an hand in most of those publick and Tragical Calamities we have, ever since their defeated Powder-plot, groaned under. And, That which is most execrable, they act all in the Name of God, under a colour and pretence of Religion, and by ver­tue of the Principles of that Romish Faith, which baptizeth Rebellion, Faction, Sedition, Parricide and Murther by an holy Name and Title. They look on us all as a Body or pack of Hereticks, unfit to live, with whom no Faith or Fealty at all is to be kept, and whom it is but an Act of Penance, nay, of Merit, to sacrifice upon every Occasion, with the ut­most hazard, for the promotion of what they miscall the Catholick Cause. This is the summe of our Case; and, the greatest mischief is, we yet see not into the bottom of this Damnable [Page 47]Contrivance against us; only are left to ghess, if a little Fire is able to kindle a mighty Con­flagration, how dismal and amazing Flames so many Incendiaries at work are likely to produce, if not timely found out and pre­vented. Psal. 64. They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They commune of laying Snares privily; They say, Who shall see? They search out iniquities; The inward thought of every one of them and the heart is deep.

Now let us in the next place, I beseech you, take notice, what great reason we have to bless God Almighty, and to praise his Name, that This, so Hellish a Plot, is so far discovered already, instead of being made known to us only by the fatal Execution of it. The God, we This day call upon, is Worthy to be praised, and to be for ever praised by us, that he hath hitherto prevented, and brought to light This Diabolical Wickedness in so many Tracks and Footsteps of it. That He hath Thus far protected and preserved our most Gracious King and all his Loyal Subjects, in the freedom and profession of the True Pro­testant Religion, against them that, from the Youth up of our Reformation, have trou­bled us. The Wisdom and Goodness of Di­vine [Page 48]Providence is particularly to be adored by us, that what they meant and designed for a Terror to all, and so to quash the Disco­very of This Cursed Plot, (the Murder I mean of his Majesties Justice employed about Examinations,) hath been turned by God in­to the hopeful means of awakening others to enquire into it, and thereby to make known their most impious and detestable Villanies.

We are to praise God further, that he hath put it into the Heart of our Gracious Sovereign, upon this occasion, to summon us all together jointly to Call upon God, who alone can save us, for his Blessing upon these sinful and miserable Kingdoms; and to fur­nish us with so excellent a Form of Confessi­ons, Doxologies, Lessons and Prayers for the present purpose. That he hath incli­ned his Heart, in This Juncture, to give all the assurance that can be had from a Reli­gious Prince to a Loyal People, of his Ma­jesties Care and Zeal for the Protestant In­terest, and the Security of it, not only du­ring his own desired and happy Reign, but under all that shall hereafter succeed him to the World's end.

And now it remains, that we stirre up and encourage our selves and one another to Call upon God for the Time to come, both for his merciful Protection of our Gracious Sove­reign, and in him of all his Loyal Subjects; and for his Direction and Blessing in order to the farther Discovery and defeating of all these cursed Projects: To seek unto God, Job 5. and commit our Cause unto him, who doth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without num­ber; who setteth upon high those that be low, that they who mourn, may be exalted to safety.

We have good Warrant and Example set before us, as you have heard, in Holy Scrip­ture for our Imitation. Such as That of Da­vid in the Text; and that of Nehemiah read in the First Lesson for this Morning Ser­vice.

And we have the awakening Motive of our great Perils and Dangers to spur us on to follow these excellent Presidents. We have not only our own personal Interest lying wholly at stake, but That of our Families, nay, That of our Children's Children, and Posterities in all Ages yet to come; That, I should have said in the First place, of the Glory of God in the Continuance of the pro­fession [Page 50]of True Religion among us, to urge us hereunto.

Let us therefore be excited, I beseech you, with one consent to put our Shoulders to the work, with all Humility and Reverence, Fer­vency and Earnestness, Faith and Importu­nity to call upon God in the Name of his dear Son, that we perish not; to call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; who hath already done so great things for us, (wherein we rejoice, and for which we praise him:) That he would yet continue to be Merciful and Gracious unto us and to our Land: That He would shelter our most Re­ligious and Gracious King Charles under the wings of his Good Providence, and by the Guard of his Angels, from the bloody hands of Ishmael, Jer. 41. from the Sons of Violence, from the Approach of all manner of Evil: That he would manifest and bring to light the hidden works of Darkness, that They and Their Religion, and who are Abetters of them may be brought unto open shame and infamy: That He (who is never at a loss for ways and methods of bringing his coun­sel to pass, and can make the most despised and contemptible means effectual to humble [Page 51]the proud and mighty) would in This time of our need, perplexity and trouble stand up and appear for our Rescue and Deliverance: That He would disappoint the Devices of the Crafty, Job 5. so that their hands may not be able to per­form their enterprise: That he would take the wise in their own Craftiness, and carry the Counsel of the froward headlong: Psal. 64. That he would shoot at them with his arrows, and make their own Tongue to fall upon themselves; so that all who see them, may fear, and declare the work of God, wisely considering of his doing: That he would cause them to be ensnared in those very Traps they have laid for others, and make them either the Executioners of their own Ruine, as he did the Seditious and Rebellious Absa­lom, or bring them to the Gibbets, 2 Sam. 18. designed by them for the Innocent, as he did the powerful and revengefull Haman: That, Esther 7. as of his preventing Grace and Goodness he hath mercifully begun to Discover and make them to Fall, so he would vouchsafe to per­fect This work of Mercy to us, in their hearty Conversion and Repentance, if it may be, or in their utter Confusion.

And, that we may succeed in these our Pray­ers unto God, let us, I beseech you, Hum­ble [Page 52]our selves deeply and sincerely in his pre­sence for all our former Sins, whereby we have provoked him to Anger and Displeasure against us. Let us turn unto him with Fast­ing, and Weeping and Supplication, turning from all our Transgressions, which we this Day make Confession of; in particular our monstrous Ingratitude unto God Almighty for all the Miracles of his Mercy and Goodness to­wards us: our ill Returns and Requitals of all his signal Benefits from time to time conferr'd upon us.

Unless we are thus truly Penitent for our Sins past, and reconcil'd to Gods Favour, we are not fit Mediators for our selves or others in this Trouble and Distress. Nay, instead of A­toning God Almighty, and procuring Mer­cy from him, we partake with the Enemy in bringing down his Curse upon us, and the So­ciety whereof we are Members. They are therefore Rebels and Traitors, so farr, to their King and Country, who refuse this Day to Humble themselves under God's mighty Hand, and so to turn unto him, and to seek his Face; or, who allow themselves in the Practice of that Wickedness, whereby they may farther provoke Heaven against us; or [Page 53]who, Ahaz-like, 2 Chron. 28.22. In the time of this Distress Tres­pass yet more against the Lord.

But if we Confess and Forsake our Sins, we are in the certain way to obtain Mercy; Mer­cy for our selves, and Mercy for the Land of our Nativity; Mercy for this present Generati­on, and Mercy for that which is to follow. We may then be admitted to call upon God with grounded hopes of his grace and favour towards us. We have then Encouragement to depend upon Him and expect a Blessing from Him, as the success of this Days performance. For all things are naked and open to his All-seeing Eye, and none can dig so deep as to hide their Coun­sels from him: and his Hand can reach them too, wheresoever they are; his Power is in­finite. He is never to seek for waies and means to blast and defeat the most Malitious, and Politick, and Secret, and Combined Machi­nations of any in order to our Destruction. Nay, we may confidently rely upon his Word of Promise for it, that He will Hear and An­swer us, and so we shall be safe from all our Enemies.

Which God of his Infinite Mercy grant, for Christ his sake, &c. Amen.