THIS Psalm 'tis believ'd was compil'd by Esdras, and 'twas sung by Israel as a Thanksgiving unto God when he turn'd their Captivity; in which they devoutly ac­knowledge his Mercy, and joyfully celebrate his Praise. The Lord has don great things for us, whereof we rejoyce.

I shall not confine my Meditations on the Text to this pecu­liar occasion of it, but give it a larger extent, as consider'd ab­stractedly in its self: and in the handling of it, I will do only Two things.

First, To enquire what matter of rejoycing our God has af­forded us. And

2dly, To deduce some useful Inferences from the solution of this Enquiry,

[Page 2] Upon the holy Robe of Aaron's Ephod, there were Bells of Gold fix'd between the Pomegranates round about, Exod 28. 33. the mystery whereof by interpretation was, that for every single benefit we receive, we shou'd thankfully acknowledge God's goodness in giving it. And we find St. Paul prescribing the duty of Thanksgiving in the same Latitude, Ephes. 5. 20. Give thanks unto God always for all things; and in the 1. Ep. Thes. 5. 18 In every thing give thanks: The common Daily blessings bestow'd upon us, transcend the bounds of Numeration, and they justly Command a constant gratitude. But the rare and remark­able occurrences of Providence, do present unto us a more special season for the celebration of this Homage. Such extraordinary benefits do frequently happen to particular Persons, nay, there are I believe few but meet with them some time or other, and as oft as they do, they shou'd sound forth the Divine beneficence, by particular acts of Praise. And the collation of such Favours on a Nation or People, bespeaks and requires a general Thanksgiv­ing, and all that share in the Bounty, are oblig'd to joyn in the Sa­crifice. Of these publick Mercies. We have a great many to com­memorate, too many to be crouded into one Sermon, and there­fore I shall at present, only Recommend unto you these Four, viz.

• 1st The Restauration of our Peace at Home.
• 2d The good Success of our Affairs abroad.
• 3d The Preservation of our King from the manifold great Dan­gers whereunto he has been expos'd.
• 4th The happy Assembling of this August Senate.

1. Among worldly blessings, Peace has been always esteem'd the most valuable, partly because it comprizes many excellen­cies in its self, and partly because tis the Parent that bears, or at least the Breast that gives Suck to all other comforts and enjoy­ments, and so 'tis a kind of Epitome of good things. I shall not now recount the advantages of it, you know them by the Frui­tion. But if we recollect the grievous circumstances, wherewith we were lately encompass'd; or look back on those boysterous [Page 3] Seas, through which we have made our Port: 'twould justly heighten both our estimate of the Divine vouchsafements to us, and our thankfulness to them.

I should sin against the design of the Day, should I entertain you with the melancholy Scene of the miseries the War brought upon us. 'Twould be lamentable to tell of the Ruins and De­vastations, the Wrongs and Oppressions, the Rapine and Vio­lence, the Poverty and Complaining, the Blood and Slaughter that attended it. It stampt much the same impression upon our Land, that the Army of Locusts and Caterpillers did upon that of the Jews; it found it like a Garden of Eden, but left it a desolate Wilderness. And tho its wasts be to a miracle Repair'd, yet there are some Footsteps of it still Remaining, and I wish all its sor­rows were always so fresh in memory as to influence us to vow and perform perpetual gratitude to our Gracious Benefactor, to the Almighty God of Peace, who has so mightily rescu'd us from that dismal State of thraldom and distress. O how great has been his mercy towards us! O how Lovingly has He dealt with us! the manifestation of His marvelous loving kindness, exceeded our hopes as well as deserts, it fore-ran but crown'd our expectations. He put down our Enemies under our Feet, and pluct us from the jaws of Destruction; He chang'd our Grief into Joy, our Slavery into Liberty, our Want into Plenty, our di­straction into Quiet, and our Confusion into Settlement. And all this when we thought our selves Irrecoverably wrapt up in a mass of evil and misery for ever.

God has had a signal Favour unto these Nations, as at sundry other times, so especially in their late Redemption, from the Op­pression of a Popish, the worst of Tyrannies, and us particular­ly from the worst Branch of that, an ignominious hard bondage under our own Servants. Our deliverance came visibly attested with the divine Power in the Atchievment; the Line of its mighty Progress was chalk't out by the Finger of the most high, and the stupendous advances it made against the greatest difficul­ties and disadvantages speak the whole to be one great Miracle. [Page 4] 'Twas miraculous in our Eyes, and astonishing to our Thoughts, in so much that our joyfulness resembled that of Israel at their un­expected return from Captivity, out of a just Wonderment, We were like unto them that Dream. We know O Lord that this is thy Hand, and that Thou Thy Self hast done it. No Hand but that of Omnipotence could have Roll'd a Stone of that great Weight up the Hill, against the strong Inclinations and joynt Interests of a People, who had so much Power in their Hands, and so great Advantages on their side; and who were prompted to make the best use they could of both, by their Pride and Malice, by ill Nature and prejudicate Education, by the Guilt of base Ingratitude and barbarous Cruelties, by strict Commands & Powerful Encouragements from abroad; and indeed so they did with the most inveterate Obstinacy. Their Hands may be said to have been Mighty, if we consider their great Numbers and strong Holds; But alass, they found nothing unless it be an undoubted assurance of the Injustice of their Cause, and their insufficiency for the support of it.

They have so often attempted our Ruin, and always fail'd in the Execution of their imagin'd Mischief, that methinks they should at length be taught, even by Providence to give it over, and to take up the obstinate Egyptians Argument, Exod. 14. 25. Who by the unsuccessfulness of their frequent Attempts against Is­rael were Discourag'd, and said among themselves, Let us flee from the Face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians; Tho' our Egyptians shew themselves too unteach­able, or too self conceited, or too Malicious, to be convinc'd by any such Experiments. Many a time have they Fought against, and sore vex'd us from our Youth up, may we now say [...] and if the next Generation, not excepting the remains of this, does not play the same Game, 'tis not for want of good will, but for want of what I hope they will for ever want, Opportunity and Ability. How uppish are their Hearts? How chearful their Countenances? Nay, How Seditious their Words, upon the least Rumour of ill T [...]uings to us?

If they could have been oblig'd by Kindnesses, Theirs and Ours had long agon become one common Interest, and we had been united together by the bands of an unshaken Amity and Allyance; but to expect this now adays from Men of their disposition is to hope against hope, and to look for Grapes from Thorns. Where the Seed is very bad, and the Soil much worse, 'tis easie to guess at the harvest. They have been treated heretofore more like a free than a conquer'd People; they were Indulg'd beyond the allowance of the Law, and it seems beyond a consistency with our own safety. Ingratitude a­buses Indulgence, and Vipers sting those Bosoms in which they are cherish'd.

We may truly complain of them as holy David did of his deceitful Friends, they have hated us without a cause and re­warded us evil for good. 'Tis observable that their fairest preten­tions of Friendship, and professions of Fidelity, have prov'd a­like perfidious, and consequently most dangerous, their malice has like the Pestilence walk'd in darkness, and they are very conformable to Cardinal Mazarines Maxim, (which his Master also do's punctually practice) that no honest Man ought to be a slave to his word.

In short, the Experience of their constant behaviour ever since England first subdu'd them, gives us plainly to understand, that there is no safe relying on their candor and integrity, nor any great matters to be expected from their generosity, and it shou'd give us warning to walk more circumspectly among them for the future, and to cast about for effectual means to suppress the factious spirits below a capacity of putting us to the Ex­pence of another Conquest. Where People are sent forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves, they are to be as wise as Ser­pents. And indeed 'twould argue a stupidity equally Fatal and Unpittiable, if neither the word of Exhortation should instill, nor the smart of the Scourge inculcate wisdom.

If we be not wanting to our selves, we have good grounds of hope that our God will establish the Work he has wrought [Page 6] among us; and that as he has already deliver'd, so he will yet deliver us. That his Hand is not shortned, nor his compassion towards us exhausted: We have a farther evidence in the Prospe­rity of our Arms abroad. The Lord of Hosts has taught our hands to War, and fingers victoriously to fight: He has ena­bled us to reduce the strongest Fastnesses of the Enemy, even those they declar'd invincible; one whose Fortifications were hardly Demolishable, and another defended with an Army ra­ther than a Garrison, and commanded by a mighty Marashal as well as a skilfull Governour; to baffle their greatest Armies, to Lord it over their Fleets & their Coasts, and not only to assert, but extend our Sea dominion, even from Sea to Sea. And this is

2dly, A Second great Occasion of our general Rejoycing, because we are assur'd the Battle is not ours but Gods, and that Victory is his gift. I dare not so much as mention, express I can't, the unparalell'd Courage and Resolution of our Men, lest it might tempt us with the Assyrian Conquerors to arrogate Praise to our selves, or with the Scythian to sacrifice to our swords; 'tis certain we exceed the magnanimity of both.

Tho the War be remov'd far from us, yet we are all concern'd and interested in the success of it; the cause is the same still, and the same terrible Evils which we felt, or fear'd, would en­sue upon its miscarriage. Alass the distance would be no man­ner of security to us, the common ruin would soon cross the Seas, and invade our Islands; 'tis principally levell'd against us, and 'tis as miserable as the most ingenuous Cruelty can contrive it. The disguis'd Christian, and the Profess'd Infidel are friendly confederate against us, and would agree as well in the overthrow of our Religion and Government; as Herod and Pilate did in the Crucifixion of Christ. We lately set our selves to seek the Lord and his help in a general humiliation, and see­ing he was Graciously pleas'd to accept of that Sacrifice, and to grant our requests, the return of thankful acknowledgments is but the payment of a just Debt. We read in the 20th Chap. of the 2d book of Chron. that the House of Judah proclaim'd a [Page 7] solemn Fast, and humbly Implor'd the Protection and Assist­ance of their God, when the Children of Moab and Ammon came against them to Battle, and that as soon as they prevail'd over them, their next and immediate care was to Praise and Magnifie the divine Author of their Victory. To which pur­pose, they assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah near the place of Battle, and thence return'd to Jerusalem with Joy, and compleated their gratulations in the House of the Lord. And as we imitated their good Example in the observation of the Fast, so let us in that of the Festival, offering up as they did a Religious thankfulness, in regard that he has made us al­so to rejoyce over our Enemies.

There is no custome more ancient and common than this; for as all Nations have been wont to make their Addresses to Heaven for aid in time of War, so have they made their Obla­tions for their Triumphs and Conquests; not only Jews and Christians, but even barbarous ignorant Heathens, who so far ascribed victory to the favour of the Gods, that they erected stately Temples, sung gratulatory Hymns, and offer'd costly Sacrifices to such of them, as they fancy'd gave them the up­per hand. They were indeed out as to the object of their Praise, but were right as to the Substance of the Duty; they render'd a due Tribute tho to wrong owners, and their Pie­ty was commendable notwithstanding their error, because it corresponded with the nature of their Religion; Let our De­votion be as well proportion'd to our clear Knowledge, as theirs was to their blind Ignorance. Let us disclaim the Idolatry, but retain the pious Practice of giving Thanks. And as this is our bounden Duty, so is it our Advantage too, because God has promis'd to recompence it with the Continuance and Increase of His Blessings, whereas Ingratitude provokes him to suspend or withdraw them; and therefore if we would be Favour'd with future success, let us not fail to be truly grateful for what we have already had.

3dly, A Third great thing don for us, whereof we rejoyce is the preservation of our King, on whose safety under Gods own Providence depends ours. There are sundry considerations, which render his Life a special blessing : He is a Religious Wor­shipper of the true God, and a zealous Defender of the true Faith; He is a nursing Father of our Church and Countries, laying out all his care and pains, his time and strength, and exposing himself to all the dangers and chances of Seas and Wars, for the security and honour of both. He has been the happy Instrument of a most joyful Revolution to us, and in all probability, as the posture of our Affairs now stands, his fall (which God avert) would shake, if not subvert the Foundations of our Settlement. How sorely has the Church of God been perplex'd by the fury of the Heathen Persecutors of old, and of more barbarous Romanists in later times? How near the brink of Ruine was the Establish't pure Religion of the English Church, when our great Monarch undertook its Redemption? How greedy are the Beasts of Prey after the same Game still? And if Moses were remov'd out of the Gap, there is no appearance of any great Opposition to their pursuit : If the sence of our Vineyard were broken down, the wild Boar out of the Wood and the wild Beasts of the Field wou'd hasten to Root up and Devour it. He is the Soul and Union of the Alliance against the common Enemy, and the very life of the War; the ge­nerous asserter of Europ's Liberty, and the glorious Restorer of the English valour; the Terror of his Enemies, and the Joy of his own People; the glory of Crown'd heads, and the won­der of the Age. The Eyes of all are upon him, some out of Love, others out of Envy, and the rest out of Fear. How emi­nently conspicuous are the seriousness of his Counsels, the wise­dom of his Conduct, the unmatchableness of his Bravery, the intrepidity of his Mind, and the indefatigableness of his Di­ligence? These are most Eminent, even his Enemies being Judges.

But why shou'd a mean Orator attempt the Character of a Prince, whose Merits surmount the reach of Panegyrick? And a short dificient Praise is reckon'd a dispraise. His Royal vertues are not hid under a Bushel, that they need hear be displai'd; they shine brightly from a visible Hill, and give light unto the World. He is much more richly Adorn'd with this Apparel, than with that of his Imperial Purple, and he adds Greatness and Majesty to the Throne, rather than Receives from it. 'Tis indeed as needless to enlarge in his Commendation, as to speak well of the Sun, whose influence all Know, and all Ad­mire.

4thly, the Fourth great Occasion of our general Rejoycing is the happy Assembling of this August Senate, whose Wise Counsels, and hearty endeavours for the Service of the King and Country, promise a much fairer prospect, than we ever yet had, of an Establishment of our Safety and Happiness. 'Tis a migh­ty Priviledge in the constitution of our Government, that the Laws whereby we are Govern'd▪ can't be made or repeal'd but with our own advice and consent, and that we have freedom of Electing our Representatives, and they of consulting the Common good. But the infrequency of Parliaments here, or the want of such a one as this, has in great part depriv'd us of this benefit. This You, great Patriots, are thorowly sensible of, and thereupon Wisely strive to Redeem the time, in pro­viding with great dispatch for the Redress of past Grievances and Inconveniencies, and for the prevention of future Ones; in passing and preparing such Sanctions, as if duly executed, will tie upon the hands of our Native Enemies, and break all their Power of hurting us. And 'tis your great Felicity, that the Administration of the Government is in the hands of a Viceroy, who befriends Your weighty Proceedings, and delights to do Your Country good.

I will not presume to give any instruction to this Conflux of wise Counsellors; You well know and pursue the Tenour of your Summons, to advise de ardius Regni negotiis, and you are [Page 10] admonish'd every Morning before you enter upon business, to what ends You are to direct Your Consultations, viz. the ad­vancement of Gods Glory, the good of his Church, the safety, honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and his Kingdom. The promoting Piety and suppressing Profaneness, the preserving the Worship and the House of God, and the advancing the Dignity and Advantage of King and People, their Interest is one; these are the Mark of your aim, and the Lord guide your Endeavours thither, and Prosper you in the Progress.

And so you have heard the things God has don for us, where­of we Rejoyce, and they are Benefactions of so high a Nature, that it becomes us to be thankful for them, not only this Day, but all the Days of our Lives. And farther the Considerati­on of them ought to have upon us the Four following influ­ences which was

2dly, The Second particular, and shall with your Patience be dispatch't very briefly.

Frst, Then 'tis proper to engage us in a Godly Conversa­tion. This Samuel Taught the Israelites in the First Book 12. Chap. 24 verse. Fear the Lord and serve Him in Truth, for consider how great things He has don for you. Without this our Hearts can't be right with God, and the most solemn Pom­pous Thanksgivings are but an odious Hippocrisy. And surely we, who are so infinitely indebted to his Bounty and Goodness, cannot find in our Hearts to dishonour His holy Name, or contemn His reasonable Laws. One would think He has don enough to deserve our utmost Obedience. Moses his Caution to Israel, in the 6th of Deut. 12 verse, is very applicable to us, to be ware of forgetting the Lord their God, when they came to enjoy the Plenty of Canaan after their tedious march through the hungry Wilderness. How strange and irrational is it, that Men shou'd let God then slip out of their Minds most when He is most kind to them? And slight the Divine Indulgence for that very Reason which renders it most Esti­mable? This is to act like Swine, which trample upon Pearls, [Page 11] and devour all they get, without any acknowledgment of the Hand that feeds them: And besides our great Obligation of Duty, 'tis really our Temporal Interest, as well as Eternal, to give our selves up to the Service of our God. For Solomon tells us in express Terms, That 'tis righteousness exalteth a Na­tion, but that Sin is a Reproach to any People. Prov. 14. 34.

2dly, The same Consideration is proper to enforce an en­tire unmoveable dependance on our God. 'Tis holy Davids Affirmation in the 9 Pasl. 10 verse, That they who know Gods Name will put their trust in Him. And by this Rule no People perhaps in the World have greater Reason to confide in Him than our selves, because none have had more knowledge of His help in all time of Need and Trouble. And the natural consequent of this experience, is the flying to Him for Re­fuge and Protection and Deliverance in all future Exigencies and Distresses, nay, and for the continuance of our present Blessings, because He is the same Yesterday, to Day, and for Ever, without any Variableness or shadow of Turning.

3dly, The Consideration of the foregoing Blessings is pro­per to confirm us in a Dutiful subjection to King William, who Reigns over us by the special Deputation of the Almighty, and by whose Hands these great things are effected for us. I confess I need not press this here, where I find the deepest sense of the Obligations we owe him, and all possible forward­ness for his Service. He has no Rival in our Affections, we are quite out of Love with Romish Defenders of the Pro­testant Faith; we are Taught by bought Wisdom, that if Po­pery were in one scale of the ballance a Coronation Oath in the other, would be higher than Vanity it self. We have not those brangles that are hotly manag'd elsewhere concerning our Al­liance, and I am fully perswaded, if some would lay aside their humorous prejudice, and others their groundless doubts and jealousies, Non-Jurors to his present Majesty would be as rare to be found among Protestants, as Self-haters. 'Tis a Ridi­culous [Page 12] Paradox, that absolute Obedience should be due to a limitted Government. It cannot be imagin'd what they can propose to themselves who wish for a return of the late Law­less Power, unless it be to try what farther Improvements it has made in that most exact Foreign School of Tyranny and Treachery.

'Tis not my Province, nor am I willing, to undertake the shewing how far the Regal Authority reaches; for without more caution than I am Master of, it may be stretch'd or clip'd, there would be as much danger in the one, as ungratefulness in the other; but the great Veracity and Moderation of our Cae­sar will stablish it's just boundaries, these, we may well trust, he will never Try to pass, knowing that to be the only means of making him the most potent Prince, and his Subjects the most happy People. So that we are now in the proper State of our Obedience; we need neither fear that we shall obey to the violation of Conscience, or that we shall have any just occasion to disobey.

4thly, And Lastly. The consideration of the things where­of we Rejoyce is proper to Unite us in an affectionate Bro­therhood among our selves. This would be an acceptable demonstration of our true Love of God, who has been good to us all. He that loves God will love his Brother also, 1 Ep. St. John, 4. 31, Let it therefore work this effect upon us, even to heighten and perpetuat our Friendship; Let it Teach us to joyn hand in hand in the Maintenance of our Regain'd Li­berty and Property; Let it Teach us to forget our little pri­vate Interests, to mind and support this great one; Let it Teach us to bury all uncharitable Animosities in eternal Oblivion, that neither Church nor Government may hear more of them; Let it Teach us to Consider and Relish the Things belonging to this our Peace, and to lead peaceable quiet Lives in all Godliness and Honesty.

Si collidimur, frangimur, is an experimental Observation. Faction disunites and weakens any Community. When People [Page 13] are divided in their Counsels, or carry'd different ways of De­sign and Interest, they are neither able nor willing to Assist one another against the Fraud and Force of an unanimous Enemy. Greece of Old ow'd its Ruin not so much to the Sword of Philip, as the Dissentions of Athens, Thebes, and Sparta; nor was it so much the Power of Scipio▪ as the Factions of Han­no, and Hannibal that Subdu'd Carthage; and how near Home have we an Instance of this kind in the Conquest of England by the Romans, which was greatly facilitated by the intestine Broils, and separate Parties of the Inhabitants, and 'twas truly said dum pugnant finguli, vincuntur universi; where­as had they made a joint Defence, they might possibly have stood their ground, or at least lost it at a dearer Rare. And he gave a True character of England, who describ'd it a great Animal that can't be destroy'd by any other than its own strength. And therefore it is that the insinuating restless Bigots of the advers Party, have all along from the first Re­formation so industrously labour'd by all imaginable Artifices and Tricks to sow the seeds of Division, and to kindle Commo­tions among us, As the most effectual method of weakning our Cause, and ruining our Selves, and yet as if they were too unskilful in the Contrivance of their Stratagem, we have but too much endeavour'd by a misguided Zeal to forward the Execution of it upon our selves. And whilst we like over-hot Gamsters madly quarell'd about the trivials of the Game, the designing lookers on had well nigh swept the Stake. But I hope we shall ever hereafter be cau­tion'd by St. Paul. in the 5 Chap. Gal. 15. verse. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not Consum'd one of another.

Let it suffice that we have heretofore expos'd our selves both to Reproach and Danger by our domestick Feuds; Let us at length cast out from among us that evil Spirit, which has been a long time exceeding fierce, prompting us, like the possess'd Herd, to run our selves violently into the depth of Destructi­on; Let it be consider'd that we have a common Enemy to [Page] bend all our Force agai [...] and [...] Kingdom, or House de­vided against it self, is [...]; and if we have a­ny Regard to our own [...] Consideration alone will effectually pe [...]swade [...] Friendship and mutual Assistance. Differen [...] [...] there will be whilst there are Men [...] why s [...]ould that run out into destructive Strife and Quarrel? 'tis very possible that differing Judgments may be Reconcil'd in Love.

To Conclude, Seeing we are not Ignorant of Romes Devi­ces, let us prudently apply our selves to the disappointment of them and seeing [...] places her main Confidence in our Heats and Differences, let us endeavour all we can to heal our Wounds and close up our Breaches, and by an unviolable Uni­on of Brotherly affection and common Interest Oppose her black Designs. 'Tis not doubted but our grand Council will continue of this mind answerably to their unanimous and amicable beginnings, and 'tis highly probable the People will be a like minded in conformity to their Representatives. Your good Agreement in the furtherance of the Publick Welfare, as 'twill Defeat the hopes of your Enemies, so it may prove like the Ointment upon Aarons Beard, which ran down unto the skirts of his Cloathing, 'tis likely 'twill descend and influence all the lesser Societies of our Land,

I might easily have lengthen'd a Discourse on this copious Theam, but I chuse rather to Omit many Things, than be guilty of Tediousness, and therefore without any farther Ad­ditions, I shall commend what has been said to Your retir'd Consideration, and the Lord give You a right understanding therein, and in all Things, Amen.