I.

And first let us reflect upon our Dangers; and seriously consider what the Remembrance of them requires of us. To which if we apply our selves, these three things will immediately offer themselves to our thoughts.

First, That we ought to repent of those Sins, which brought us into them:

Secondly, Make good those pious Resolutions, which, it is to be hoped, we made in the time of our distress.

Thirdly, Abhor the Spirit of Popery, which turns the World up side-down, and to settle it self, puts all things into confusion.

For the first of these, it is very proper on such a Day as this, to call our selves to an account, and examine wherein we have any way offended God, that we may be humbled for it, and repent of it: because, as our Sins brought us into all the forementioned Dangers, and if they be not amended will throw us into new ones, which may prove our utter undoing; so [Page 11] the due Consideration of them will serve to mag­nisie the goodness of God and raise our thankful­ness unto him, who, notwithstanding our high Provocations, was pleased, of his infinite Mercy, to deliver us.

There is no Sin of which we have been guilty, but contributed more or less to our late dangers; but some Sins led us directly into them. I will mention a few.

First, our remissness in Religion: in which some among us were so far gone, as to say, they could discern no such great difference between us and Rome, that we need make a Contest about it. This was very comfortable News, no doubt, to those of the Romish Faction; and gave them no small incouragement, to attempt what our Eyes have seen.

2. And so did the coldness and carelessness which was too notorious, in many places in the Duties of Religion: Scarce an handful of People appearing in many Churches at Divine Service, when the Play-houses were crowded every Day with nu­merous Spectators. This I make no question, em­boldned their hopes of prevailing; for why should not any Religion serve those, who made lit­tle or no use of Religion?

As we love our Souls, or tender our wordly interest, let these things be amended. Let us grow more in love with our Religion; and let us express it, in greater Devotion, and more frequent attendance upon all the Duties of God's Worship and Service. For it is impossible to be eminent in any other vertue, if we be negligent in this. Necesse est virum bonum, summae ergà Deum pietatis esse, as Cicero himself truly resolves. It [Page 12] is absolutely necessary that a good Man, have the highest piety towards God; without which he cannot be good.

3. And this no doubt hath been the great Source of all the Wickedness, which hath aboun­ded among us; that Men so seldom think of God, and so little regard the solem Performance of the Duties belonging to his Worship and Service. I will not mention the infamous Debaucheries, that have been committed in many places; whereby our Religion was dishonoured and endangered.

4. There is another thing of which soberer Persons have been too guilty; in their extream severity towards those, who differed from them in some things; though in most they perfect­ly agreed. Which hath proceeded to such a a degree of Rage; that generally we were more kind to Papists, than we were to one another. This was the very thing that made them so bold and confident in their attempts upon our Religion and Liberties: Which they saw we our selves were destroying by our mutual hatreds.

These hatreds were the very Foundation, upon which they built their Hopes. These were the Engines which they managed, with all their arts to accomplish our Ruine. For the bitter strife and contention, which ensued hereupon, our zealous Endeavours to undue one another (even when we differed only about Civil, not Religious Matters) were strong Invitations, and manifest Opportuni­ties, to the common Enemy, to make their As­saults upon us: Seeing such a wide Breach opened by our selves, at which they might easily enter.

5. What shall I say of that base Selfishness which hath reigned among us? That inordinate Affection to Mens own Private Interest, separate from the Pub­lick Good and the Love of their Country? This mo­ved too many to go along with the Popish Faction, and lend them their helping hand in divers things; which they could not but see manifestly tended to our undoing: A Sin which the very Heathens ab­horrd: Who could not be tempted to betray their Country.

Lastly, That bad disposition of Mind, mentioned by our Saviour, in the conclusion of all those evil things that proceed out of the Heart of Man, viz. [...]; Foolishness, (we translate it) or Inconside­rateness, hath had no small hand in our Dangers▪ Mark VII. 21. From within▪ out of the heart of man▪ proceed evil thoughts▪ adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, FOOLISHNESS; these defile a Man. There is no Nation I know of, wherein this Vice of Inconsideration hath had greater Power than in ours. Where we have been so foo­lish (to omit other Instances, which I am loth to name) as to suffer our sworn Enemies to make us their Tools; and would not see how they ma­naged us, to work our Destruction by our own Hands.

For having taken great care, long ago, that our Divisions should not be healed, sometimes they courted one Party to fall upon the other: And then turned about, and courted the contrary Party to take their Revenge for it. Sometimes the Laws must be put in execution, with all ima­ginable [Page 14] strictness; and then this strictness must be condemned as Anti-christian Rigour against our Bre­thren.

Sometimes we were the Favourites; and after a short Courtship bestowed upon us, we were turned off, and our Brethren that dissent from us were complemented, as if they had been the only Dar­lings! Thus they play'd us one against another a long time, and we were so blind as not to see what they were a-doing. We could not, or would not understand, that they loved none of us; but de­signed the utter Ruin of us all. And this in the vi­lest and most infamous manner; by making us the Instruments of our own Destruction; unto which we contributed with all our Might, by our fierce Oppositions, and violent Clashings one against ano­ther.

Of which Folly we ought most heartily to Re­pent, together with all those other Sins I have men­tioned; as endangering the loss of two of the most precious things in the whole World, Religion and Liberty: But we do not truly Repent of these Sins, un­less we become more Zealous, both for our Religion and in it; more kindly affectioned one towards ano­ther in Brotherly Love; more publick spirited also, not seeking meerly our own things, but every one also the things of others, i. e. the Common Good; and be likewise at greater Unity among our selves, by Loving one another with a pure Heart fervently.

Of this let us take a special care, lest our Affecti­ons (which seemed to be disposed to Reconciliati­on) be again alienated one from another, by our present Differences. What? cannot we differ in [Page 15] Opinion, but we must declare War one against ano­ther? Or must we break off all Friendship and Kindness, yea, all Acquaintance and Conversation, and look upon one another as Infidels? Nay, I think we ought to have a greater Kindness for Infi­dels, than many of us had one for another, in our former Differences and Contentions. Which, for God's sake, let us not act over again. If we can­not Agree, yet let us not Quarrel; no, nor be An­gry; much less furiously bent against those who are not of our Mind; nor pass hard Censures on those, as Men of no Conscience, who (for instance) have endeavoured, by the best and most justifiable means, as they think, to preserve the Reformed Re­ligion, and the English Liberties. For such Censu­ring looks like Raving; and that's no good sign Men are in the right.

Let us learn at last, to be Sober and Wise, to Love one another, and to live in Peace; and the God of Love and Peace will be with us.

In the time of our Distress, I cannot but hope, we had very good Resolutions about such matters, and intended hereafter to be more moderate. Let us now therefore make them good.

II. Which is the Second thing I intended to press under this Head. It is scarce possible for a Man when he is in great Danger, not to consider his ways, and to resolve he will avoid those things which evidently brought him into it: Nay, to make Vows, that he will remember those Holy Resoluti­ons. There was great Reason, I am sure, for every one so to do. We were strangely false to God, and [Page 16] to our own Souls, if the Methods of his Providence wrought no such Pious Purposes in us: And if we do not now make them good, we are strangely false also to our own Promises and Vows.

If one might judge of all Places in the Kingdom, by some; one would conclude, that as our Coldness and Carelessness in Religion had brought us into great Dangers, so our Dangers had quickned many Souls to greater Fervency and Zeal. For we saw our Churches filled, our Communions thronged, with larger Assemblies; as if the Fear that was upon us, had moved us to flee to the Table of the Lord son Sanctuary, as Joab did to the Horns of the Al­tar. God forbid, that any such Souls should ever hereafter forget those Fears; or forget those Reso­lutions which their Fears created, of being more Di­ligent and Devout in God's Service. Take heed, I beseech you, lest you live to see the Day, when all the Apprehonsions you had of God, and of your Duty to him are vanished, and you are fall'n back into your former Remissness. For what can bring you out of it again, but some such Danger? And do you either desire or hope or fear to see such Dan­gers again, as you have lately seen? I am sure you do not, you cannot desire it: And you cannot hope for that which you cannot desire: And if you fear such a time may come again, it is because you re­solve to deserve it, by continuing those Sins, which brought you into such Distresses.

Consider, I beseech you, did we not, for instance, seem all inclined to be at peace one with another? Did we not, at length, begin to reflect with grief upon our zealous Folly, in our indiscreet behaviour [Page 17] (to say no worse) one towards another, upon the account of the differences that were among us? Did we not resolve to be Friends, upon some Terms or other, to forget what was past, and to joyn toge­ther heartily, for our mutual safety and preser­vation? And do we now break out again into the same Outrages, as if we had been wholly strangers to all such good Dispositions? Do our Spirits boyl up with Anger, at the very mention of Reconcilia­tion? As if we had no Resolutions, but to return to our former Animosities and Enmities; to rake into all Miscarriages; revenge all the Wrongs that have been done us; renew our ancient Strife and Contention, Wrath and Bitterness, and all the rest of those Sins, which brought us to the very brink of Destruction?

What can we think then will become of us; ha­ving, by the dangers into which these Sins threw us, seen such reason to reform them, as I hope we shall never see again? If they be not amended by what we have seen, we shall be in danger to pe­rish in our Sins.

For should we fall into new dangers of that kind, which we have already seen, they will not, in all probability, be intended to reform us, but to ruin us.

But I must prosecute this no further, because there is a Third thing, which deserves to be pressed lon­ger, than I have time for it.

III. Learn, I beseech you, by the dangers where­in you have been, to abhor the Spirit of Popery. Which, it is evident by what was lately acted among [Page 18] us, is void of all Truth, and of all Mercy; nay, of common Humanity. None can trust those safely, that are possessed with it, when they are in Power. No Obligations can hold them, (for they had the greatest to treat us otherwise than they did late­ly) no Promises, no Oaths, no Ties of Gratitude, are of any force to bind them; but this Spirit breaks through all, being the Spirit of Falshood and Violence, made up of Persidiousness and Cruelty.

Witness the Tragedy it hath acted in France (if you will not take the Character of it, from what your Eyes have seen at home) which hath been ac­counted the most moderate of all the Catholick Coun­tries, as they call them: But they have taught us, that there is no such thing as Moderation among them. For there they have not only violated the Faith of all Edicts, Treaties, Promises, and Oaths, but persecuted those of the Reformed Religion, in such an outragious manner, that their Cruelty can scarcely be matched in the History of the ancient Pagan Persecution of the Primitive Christians. And yet so little of common Honesty there is in that Spirit, where it prevails; so little of shame, they have had the face to publish to the World, that no such thing as severity hath been used there; but they have made all their Conversions, in the most gentle and sweetest Methods imaginable.

Be sensible, I beseecli you, of the infinite Good­ness of God, who hath prevented these gentle Methods here; in which, we have too much rea­son to think, they would have proceeded (had they not been seasonably stopt) without shame, [Page 19] without remorse, without any tenderness; even for those, who had been so foolish, as to assist them to undo themselves and others.

For we see they had the confidence, so far to abuse our late Soveraign, as to make him declare; That none of our Laws were violated, none of our Rights or Liberties invaded: When all the World saw them break through the very strongest Laws, which were purposely made, for the securi­ty of our most Holy Religion.

Let it be a warning to you, not to trust them; though they give never such goodly words, and engage their Faith to you in the most solemn Pro­mises. Have nothing to do with that Spirit; which will infallibly delude you, if you hearken to it, into your destruction. Suffer not your selves by any artifice, to be inveigled into a Belief, that they can be innocent and harmless. For whatso­ever Declarations they make to this purpose; they are mere Impostures, and most dangerous Snares, laid to entrap you: Persecution being of the ve­ry Spirit of the Church of Rome; by its Princi­ples, by its Doctrines, and by its Practices; which cannot alter.

This hath been so clearly, and so lately de­monstrated by those of our Church, that I shall on­ly briefly remember you:

Their Principle is, That we who stand separated from their Communion, are Hereticks; who must perish everlastingly.

Their Doctrine is, That the Secular Power ought▪ to extirpate all those, whom their Church con­demns, as Hereticks.

And their Practices are sufficiently known to be consonant to this: For where have they fail­ed, when they had Power, to exterminate those of our Religion?

Blessed be God then, should we all say, that this Spirit is, if not quite cast out of these Three King­doms, in a fair way to be utterly disabled from acting such Tragedies among us, as they were ma­nifestly preparing for us; What shall we render to the Lord, for his Goodness towards us? Can it be ever forgotten by us? And how can we remember it, without such Affections, as are suitable to such a remarkable Deliverance?

Which is the Second Part of this Discourse.

II.

We ought to reflect frequently upon our won­derful Deliveronce, from those apparent dangers, wherewith we were compassed: and consider what the remembrance of it requires of us.

There is no need, I hope to go about to prove that God hath wrought a great Deliverance for us. If any be so unhappy as to question it, they may soon be resolved, by asking themselves; would we be willing to be in the same condition wherein we were Three years ago, in the Power of our Popish Enemies, who without the help of our Deliverer, might have done what they pleased with us? No body sure can think of being in such a Condition, with any satisfaction. And therefore I must con­clude we all own the great Mercy of God to us, in a most seasonable Deliverance.

Let us see how we ought to be affected with it. Which is a Subject very large and copious: but it may suffice to suggest these Four things to your Christian Consideration.

First, We ought so to remember the Loving kindness of the Lord, as never to fail to bless and praise him for it, as long as we have a day to live.

Secondly, We ought to be very grateful to the glo­rious Instrument of our Deliverance.

Thirdly, Look upon our selves as preserved on purpose by God, that we may live to the Praise and Glory of his Grace and Mercy towards us.

Fourthly, And then we may learn hereby, to place our trust and confidence in the same Mercy for the time to come.

I. There can be no dispute of the first of these, that the Praises of God ought to be continually in our Mouth; for the great thing he hath done for us. Nothing can be more unbecoming, nothing more disingenuous and vile, than instead of this, to hear such undutiful murmurings, repinings and com­plaints, as too many Mouths are filled withal. Which would be quite silenced, if we would make it our business, as it is our duty, to think how much we owe to God, and what thanks we ought to be giving continually, for the Deliverance he hath wrought for us; and for all the Blessings which by that means we enjoy.

There is nothing can be more rational than this.

II. And one would think, there should be as little dispute, about the Second: That we ought to be highly grateful to the Glorious Instrument of our De­liverance. For whose coming all Men longed. The News of whose arrival, was every where welcom­ed with the greatest joy. Which I hope we have not already forgotten; nor suffered the Benefits we have received thereby, to slip out of our Mind. For we owe the happy Liberty we now enjoy, of worshipping God here together, according to the Rules of the Gospel, unto that Deliverance. Which hath been followed with a very long train of La­bours and Toils which His Majesty hath undergone, and of marvellous Successes God hath blessed him withal, for the confirming the Peace and Prosperi­ty, which is continued to us by his means. With how many Difficulties hath he wrestled? Through what Hardships hath he waded? And to how great Hazards hath he exposed his Royal Person, both this year and the last, that we might reap the peaceable Fruit of them in safety and ease? If it had not been for his Courage and Conduct, our Irish Bre­thren might have still languished under those hea­vy Oppressions, from which they are now freed. The Common Enemy might have still made greater ravages in our Neighbouring Countries, if he had not stood in the Gap to stop their Fury. Which we our selves might have felt long before this time, had not God raised him up to be our Deliverer, and strengthned his Hands to maintain what he had atcheived.

How vast are the Obligations, which by these things he hath laid upon us? Can we think, that we have ever done enough for him, who hath done and endured so much for our Preservation?

The ancient Heathens thought themselves so much indebted to the Deliverers of their Country: that they set no bounds to their affection, but honoured them as Gods. This was an excess of Gratitude to them. But had they given them all the Honour that is short of Divine, owned them for Gods up­on Earth; I mean for their Kings and Governours, they had not done amiss. For Nature hath ever taught Mankind, to pay all manner of Service, to such as saved their Lives, and redeemed their Li­berties, when they were in danger to lose them. Which was all I am apt to think, that the ancient Heathen meant, by calling such Persons their Gods: That is, their Kings, their great Benefactors: Which was the Name they frequently gave to their Prin­ces, especially to such as had been their Deliverers. Whom they honoured under that Notion, while they lived; and superstitious Posterity, pursued them with Divine Honours, when they were dead.

How could this Nation then do less, than own him for their King; who had been their Deliverer from Slavery, both of Soul and Body? This is no more than common Gratitude hath inclined all Mankind to do, for those who only preserved their Civil Liberties, when they were invaded. He that redeemed them, they thought had a good Title to them; and by rescuing them from their Oppres­sor, entred upon all the legal Rights belonging to [Page 24] him. This hath been the constant Sence of all Nations.

And every good Man among us, who is of a contrary Judgment, I would willingly believe, se­riously laments his infelicity, that he cannot ac­knowledge his present Majesty, with such Grati­tude, as is due to so great a Benefactor. Which will not suffer those who feel the least touch of it, to do, or to speak, or so much as think any thing, to the prejudice of him, who hath ventured his Life, many a time, to preserve our Religion and Liber­ty. Yea, we ought in Gratitude to him, as well as out of love to our selves, to give him the utmost as­sistance we are able, for the support and securi­ty of his Government: that is in truth, for the defence of our Country and Religion. Which is the only thing that he can be thought to design; unless it be the preservation of the Reformed Re­ligion every where, and of the Liberties of these Parts of the World which are in danger, by the Ambition of a Powerful Oppressor. And this is matter of Joy to us, and Thanksgiving to God this day, that however some particular Persons may be ill affected, the Body of the People, it appears by their Representatives, are unanimously disposed to grant His Majesty a Supply as large as his De­sires, for the carrying on what he hath so happily begun.

III. And if we look upon our Preservation, as a most special Providence of God, a kind of New-Birth of this Nation, a Resurrection from the Dead, or at least, a Recovery from a desperate Disease, a [Page 25] Marvellous Deliverance, wherein the Wisdom, Pow­er, and Goodness of God most seasonably appeared, for our Rescue from the most Dreadful Dangers; we cannot think He hath done all this for us, meer­ly that we may live, to eat, and drink, and sleep in safety; much less, to satisfie our sinful Lusts and Appetites: But that we may live to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace and Mercy towards us. For what else, should God concern himself in our Pre­servation? And therefore let us make that use of it, to live as becomes a People that are saved by the Lord; to serve him faithfully in the steady and constant Performance of our Duty, according to the Directions of our Holy Religion; which he hath continued to us, in its Purity, by this Deli­verance.

Such an extraordinary Obligation, manifestly Challenges some extraordinary Return of Duty. But what Return, I beseech you, have we as yet made, which may be thought in any measure suita­ble to the Benefits we have received? Nay, what have we not done, to provoke God to forsake us, after he hath been so wonderfully Kind to us? Is there any one Sin that we have amended? Doth not all manner of Prophaneness, doth not Hatred and Uncharitableness, abound as much as ever among us? When there hath been such a great Change, an amazing Turn of Affairs by the late Re­volution; are any of our Hearts changed, and turned sincerely to the Lord? Do not all Men go on in the old Tract, as if we had done Nothing amiss?

I am very loth to put any melancholy Thoughts into your Minds, upon a Day of Rejoycing: But assure your selves, as it was God's Intention in this Deliverance, to move and engage us to be a better People; so if we defeat his Intentions, by continu­ing as bad as we were before, we ought in Reason to expect that He will alter the course of his Pro­vidence towards us. And, as Moses elsewhere speaks in this Book, ( Deut. XXVIII. 63.) as he rejoyced over us to do us good; so he will rejoyce over us to destroy us, and bring us to nought. Let us not run this Hazzard, I beseech you, but endeavour seriously, to answer his Expectation, by learning from this Deliverance to fear the Lord our God, (as Moses speaks, Deut. X. 11.) to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and serve him, with all our heart, and with all our soul; to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which he hath commanded us for our good. And then will the Lord love us, and bless us; he will multiply his Mercy upon us, and make us a truly Great and Hap­py People. For he is our praise, he is our God, who hath done for us, these great and terrible things which our Eyes have seen.

IV. And hath taught us thereby, that did we that Remember his Mercies, in our late Deliverance, we might then hope in the same Mercy for the future: Yea, be confident, God will continue to prosper▪ Their Majesties Arms, and bless them with greater Successes, in the present War wherein they are en­gaged! Which we cannot but wish, unless we be in love with Calamities, or our Forgetfulness of former Dangers makes us fearless of any future; [...] [Page 27] our Discontents throw such a Mist before our Eyes, that we cannot discern our Friends from our Ene­mies.

Let me intreat you to consider, what Desolations threaten us here in a Protestant Country, if the French should prevail; when they have made such havock in Germany, among those who are as Catho­lick as themselves. Where they have laid the most Beautiful Cities in Ashes; only because they could not keep them any longer in their Possession. As if the World were made for them alone, and none else were Worthy to inhabit it; but every Place must be made desolate, if they cannot continue in it.

Unto what pitch of Proud Wrath, or rather Dia­bolical Fury are they arrived! Which may justly make us look upon them, not only as the Enemies of all Protestants, but of all Christians; nay, of all Mankind. Whose Interest it is to Unite all their Power to pull them down and chain them up; that they may not be able to make any fur­ther Ravage in the World, with their Infernal Troops.

It is manifest at what they aim, and how they intend to treat all those who become their Slaves: And therefore, as we have the highest reason to bless the Goodness of God this Day, for driving them out of the Kingdom of Ireland, where they designed, no doubt, to settle themselves, as a fair step to master us also; so it is the utmost degree of Infatuation to favour their Pretensions, or not vi­gorously to oppose the progress of their Arms: For it is to oppose Robberies and Rapes, hellish Cruel­ties [Page 28] and utter Devastations: It is to assert the Com­mon Right of Mankind against a Boundless Oppres­sor; who forges a Title at his Pleasure, to any Coun­try, which he hath a mind to invade.

And he hath invaded so many, that there are in­numerable Souls in several places of the World, who cry out continually, in the Anguish of their Spirits, as the Psalmist doth, O God, to whom vengeance be­longoth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thy self. Lift up thy self, thou Judge of the earth: and ren­der a reward to the proud. Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they speak so disdainfully, and make such proud boasting, &c. And he who Rules in all the King­doms of the Children of Men, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase; will at length hear the Sighs and Groans of those poor Wretches whom that Op­pressor hath made very miserable: And will dash likewise all the Designs that are against us here in those Kingdoms; if we be not so ungrateful to Him, as not to regard the works of the Lord, nor the operati­ons of his hands.

For when did the Hand of God appear more vi­sibly, than it hath done of late, in Defeating the At­tempts that have been made in these Three King­doms, upon our Religion and Liberties? And can we think that God intends they should rise up again, who have been so remarkably confounded? No, surely, if we be not so wickedly unthankful, as to forget the Hand that hath saved us, or slight his Mercies towards us. There's the remaining Dan­ger; and therefore let us take heed to ourselves, and [Page 29] keep our Souls diligently, lest we forget the things our Eyes have seen, and lest they depart out of our Heart all the days of our Life.

This is a thing which requires very great care, be­cause we are naturally forgetful Creatures, apt to be unmindful of Benefits; and in this particular Case, shall meet with many Attempts upon us, to make us (like the old Israelites) disgust our present Happiness, and, in effect, wish our selves again in Egypt. Which I have not time left to represent so effectually as it de­serves; but must only intreat you to be aware of this Danger, and watch your selves so carefully, that no­thing efface the sense of God's great Goodness to you, in the late Deliverance he hath given you.

And then he who hath hitherto heard our Prayers, will still fulfil our humble Petitions. He will hear the Cry of those miserable People, who are undone by a haughty Oppressor: Though he bear long, (as it is in the Gospel for this Day) he will avenge his own Elect; yea, he will avenge them speedily. And we may rationally hope he will also preserve us, from falling into his cruel Hands. He will stretch forth his Hand against the furiousness of our Enemies: and put them to shame that hate us. He will go on to disappoint them, and cast them down; and as the Psalmist elsewhere prays, reward them according to their Deeds, and accord­ing to the Wickedness of their own Inventions. Recom­pence them after the Work of their Hands; and pay them what they have deserved. In one word, break them down, and not build them up.

The Lord will perfect that which concerneth us: for his Mercy endureth for ever: He will not forsake the Work of his own Hands.

But we may take the boldness to sing on this Day of Thanksgiving, as the Church doth upon the like oc­casion, Psal. xlviii. 9, 14. We wait for thy loving kind­ness, O God, in the midst of thy Temple. This God (who hath done such great things for us) is our God for ever and ever; He will be our Guide unto Death. Amen.