THis is a Psalm of mercies, and of praises. A Psalm composed of victories, and of thanks­givings.

The holy Pen-man at the first verse, makes a generall invitation to the duty, up­on a generall ground, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; because his mercy endureth for ever. But because that which is every bodies work, is usually no bodies work; therefore (in the next words) he puts the duty into distinct hands, Let Israel now say, let the house of Aaron now say; let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy en­dureth for ever. The Church of the Jews fals here under a three-fold distribution.

[...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] First, Israel the body of the Common-wealth.

Secondly, The house of Aaron, the Ministers of the Temple.

Thirdly, All that fear the Lord, Converts and Prose­lites out of all Nations under heaven.

Having thus awaken'd and summon'd all to this duty, he begins a narrative of the speciall grounds and reasons of it; which appear in two branches.

First, The readinesse of God to hear and help him, from the 5. vers. to the 10. I called upon the Lord in di­stresse: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side, &c.

Secondly, The malice of his enemies in opposing him; who are described,

1. Their multitude, All Nations, ver. 10. That is, the Nations round about: such as are named ( Psal. 83. 7.) Gebal and Ammon, and Amaleck, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tire, &c. These have consulted together with one consent, they are confederate against me.

2. Their neernesse of prevailing, They compassed me about. David was never in such a straight, or so near the borders of ruine, as when Saul and his men compassed Him and his men round about to take them (1 Sam. 23. 26.) when an enemy charges both in front and flank, both van and reer, they look like Masters of the field.

3. Their frequency in renewing their assaults; They compassed me about; they compassed me about; yea, they com­passed me about; They compassed me about like Bees. Four times they compassed him about, and the fourth with an addition; the last charge was hottest, as setting their Rest upon it, to shew how restlesse and uncessant they were in their opposition.

4. He describes his enemies by the end which the [Page 3] Lord brought them unto, They are quenched as the fire of thorns (vers. 12.) Some read, They are kindled as the fire of thorns; both the Greek and the Chaldee translate so; and it is usuall in the Hebrew for the same word to signi­fie contraries, as to blesse and to curse; so here, to quench and to kindle. The sense amounts to the same, for that which is soon kindled, is soon quenched. Davids ene­mies were soon kindled as the fire of thorns, a small matter set them on fire: and they were quenched or consumed like thorns, which in a moment are both flame and ashes.

5. He describeth his enemies by the end which they in­tended him, or by their design against him, at the 13. verse, Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall; ruine was the project. Malice knows not how to go lesse then destruction, They thrust sore at him, that he might fall.

The Psalmist having made this report of his dangers and deliverances of his enemies rising, rage and fall, gives glory to God, vers. 14. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation. And all his people celebrate these mercies as well as share in them ( vers. 15, 16.) The voice of rejoycing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous. He, in whom they rejoyced, and who was the subject of their song, stands forth in the next words, The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly: The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly.

Davids joy now grows up to confidence, and from telling over the former mercies of God, he goes on to fore-tell those which were future, in the Text now read.

The words are a holy rapture or exultation of spirit; [Page 4] his faith was too big for his heart, he must vent it at his lips, I shall not die, but live, &c.

There are two parts in this verse.

• 1. Davids confidence of future mercy, I shall not die, but live.
• 2. Davids conscience both of a present and future du­ty, And declare the works of the Lord.

There is a double reading of the words.

Some thus, I am not dead, but alive; which translation is contended for, as the best, by a learned Interpreter; and then the sense hath a mixture of joy and thankfulnes, that he who could number so many enemies, and so many dangers, should yet passe the pikes untoucht and out-live them all, I am not dead, but alive, O wonderfull! Blessed be God for this.

We read, I shall not die, but live. And so the words carry the sense of an high acting faith, or of a faith raised up to a full-grown assurance. Having told the story of his passed sufferings and salvations, he believes above and beyond all possible sufferings.

But was David immortall? What man is he that liveth and shall not see death, and shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Psal. 89. 49. Is it not appointed unto all men once to die? And after David had served his ge­neration, did not he fall asleep? Read we not often of Davids sepulchre? How then is it that he promiseth thus much to himself, I shall not die, but live?

There is a two-fold death.

• 1. A Naturall death.
• 2. A Violent death

David doth not promise himself priviledge from the [Page 5] former, he waves not a submission to the law of nature. But David did believe God would protect him from the later: I shall not die, that is, a violent death, I shall not die by the hand of these men, I shall not die the death which they have voted me to in their counsels long ago.

Again, Death may be taken under another distinction. There is either, ‘A naturall, or A civil death.’

We may understand David of the later, I shall not die a civil death: as not a violent corporall death, they shall not take away the life of my body; so I shall not die a ci­vil death, they shall not take away the prosperity of my estate. The two witnesses are said to be dead ( Revel. 11. 8.) and their dead bodies to lie in the streets, when they were divested of all power and priviledge in holding forth the truth of the Gospel. The state of the Jews in their Babylonian captivity is represented to Ezekiel by a valley full of dry bones (Chap. 37. 1, 2.) A man may have breath in his body, and yet the man scarce alive. The Apostle speaks this sense, (1 Thess. 3. 8.) Now I live (that is, now I live comfortably, now I feel my self a­live) if ye stand fast in the faith. So here, I shall not die; that is, I shall not be miserable, I shall not be trodden un­der foot, or live at the curtesie and allowance of my e­nemies.

And when he saith [ I] we are not to restrain it to Da­vids person, he meaneth himself, and they who had ad­hered to him in that cause; I and my friends, I and the Common-wealth of Judah, I and they shall not die, but live. A good man never reckons his happinesse a­lone.

But how would David imploy that his present and pro­mised felicity? How would he bestow that life, that pro­sperous life?

He doth not say, I will now live merrily, I will eat and drink, and take my pleasure: he doth not say, I have got down mine enemies, I will now (as some perhaps slan­derously reported him) neglect my friends. He doth not say, I have got power over my opposers, now I will use this power to oppresse whom I please. David could easi­er have died or been miserable all his daies among his e­nemies, then to have lived and prospered to these ends.

Once more; He doth not say, I shall not die, but live; to declare my own great works: Now the world shall know how succesfull I have been in this warre; the Nations round about shall hear what my Generals and Chieftains have done; stories shall report to after ages, what gal­lant men Joab and Abishai have been. No, here is no menti­on of Himself or of These, his declaration runs all upon the works of God, I am not dead, but alive, or, I shall not die, but live; and declare the works of the Lord.

The summe of all is, as if David had said:

I well perceive that the design of my enemies was to take a­way my life, or at least the comforts of my life; they thought a being in the world too much for me, and they were resolved a wel being I should not have; but blessed be God, notwith­standing all their projects and oppositions, I am not dead: my life is whole in me still, and my state is well mended: my ene­mies have not had their wils on me, either to tear my soul from my bodie, or to violate the comforts of either. I am not dead, and more I am alive, I, and my friends, I, and they who have embark'd in the same cause and run the same adventures with me: We all thrive and flourish, we are alive and lives-like. And me thinkes from the mountain of this my present felicity [Page 7] I look upon the mercies of many years to come; my faith begins to prophesie, and my spirituall prospective draws before me the blessings of many generations, even blessings for the chil­dren yet unborn; as I am not dead but alive, so I shall not die but live; God hath not given me into the hand of these men, nor shined upon their counsels against me, and now I am con­fident that he will not. The sense and faith which I have of these things pleases me exceedingly, but that which is most content full to me, and the very project of my soul, is, that my life shall run out in the honouring of my God, that these victo­ries which he hath given me over mine enemies shall overcome me to his service that the greatest work of my reign shall be to make a declaration of what God hath wrought.

I shall now draw out some particulars from the gene­rall sense thus given. And first take an Observation rising equally from either reading;

That the design of malicious enemies is the ruine of their opposers.

When David saith, I am not dead, but alive; he inti­mates that the enemy sought his life; or, when he saith, I shall not die, but live; he implies the enemy would still go on pursuing his life. Jacob fore-saw no lesse danger from his malicious brother ( Gen. 32. 11.) I fear him (saith he) lest he will come and smite me, and the mother upon the chil­dren. Queen Esther in the sixth of that book, shews the malice of Haman, acting thus high, We are sold, I, and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish; If we had been sold for bond-men and bond-women, I had held my tongue, though the enemy could not countervail the Kings damage; but that's not the thing which will satisfie Ha­man, We are sold to be slain, and to be destroyed.

It is a vexation to malice not to do it's uttermost. Some of the Talmudists have observed, that the devil was as much wounded with that restraint which God put upon him, that he should not take away the life of Job, as Job was with all the wounds which the devil inflicted upon his body; See, he is in thine hand, but save his life. The devil would have gone to life, unlesse he had been stopt. Malice hath no bounds, and it keeps none, but those, which an insuperable hand prescribes or imposes. The children of Edom are not contented with defacing the beauty, with breaking down the battlements, or uncover­ing the roof of Sion, their cry is, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof (Psal. 137. 7.) As Antipathy is not against any one individuall, but against the whole kinde; so it is not against any one good of the individuall, but against all kinde of good which he enjoyes. Thus the Prophet describes the Babylonian cruelty against Jerusa­lem (Jer. 51. 34.) Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out. By that time all the lusts of wicked men are served, they sweep all away. That (as the Prophet speaks) which the Palmer-worm leaves, the locust eats, and that which the locust leaves the canker-worm eats: so we may say, that which ambi­tion leaves, covetousnesse takes; that which covetous­nesse leaves, cruelty takes; that which cruelty leaves, gluttony and drunkennesse take; and that which glutto­ny and drunkennesse leave, wantonnesse takes away, till all's gone.

Hence it is that the Lord is so severe against the ene­mies of his people, Revel. 16. 6. Thou hast given them bloud to drink, for they are worthy: they must drink bloud, [Page 9] for nothing would satisfie them but bloud. And ( Jer. 51. 35.) the Church is prophesied, imprecating like ven­geance upon Babylon, The violence done to me be upon Baby­lon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my bloud upon the inhabitants of Caldea, shall Jerusalem say. And again, O daugh­ter of Babylon who art to be destroyed, happy shall he be, who rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us. Psal. 137. 8.

In this glasse we may see the face of many of their hearts, out of whose hands, we rejoyce that we are deli­vered this day. It is nothing but the want of power which hath hindered the execution of utmost rage. And therefore where God giveth power, what should stand between justice, and the execution of it? I would not blow up revenges, but thus much I say, It is as dangerous not to execute justice, as it is to take revenge.

So much in generall, from the design of Davids ene­mies, it was death and ruine.

Take two notes from that reading, I am not dead, but alive. First, thus,

It is a mercy in times of great danger, to escape death, or to come off with our lives.

It is a mercy not to live in times, when God visits a people only to punish their sinne; and therefore some of the good Kings of Judah, were promised that they should die, before such troubles were borne: even Balaam (Numb. 24. 23.) prophecying of the sore calamities of divers Nations, breaths out in compassion, Alas, who shall live when God doth this? Who would desire to live in such a time? The righteous is taken away from the evil to come (Isa. 57. 1.) But to live in times, when God visits a people, for the purging of their sins, this is a great mer­cy. To live in such times, and to get thorow them, though but with an escape, is a mercy. But to get tho­row [Page 10] those times with a conquest, is a great mercy. It is an honour to live in troubles which overcome us, while we are contending for truth and righteousnesse: But to live in troubles, where contending for truth and righte­ousnesse we overcome, is our happinesse. To be in deaths often is an honourable life; but often to conquer deaths is an Heroicall life.

Right Honourable and Beloved, this is Englands mer­cy. Life is the richest commodity of this life. Life a­mong Naturals is next in value to the soul, and it is in va­lue above all Civils. Satans estimate may be taken in this point (Job 2.) Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life. Life is sweet, life is a treasure. And there hath been much digging for this treasure. We have gone thorow fire and water variety of dangers: we have walked for four or five years, not only in a valley of tears, but of bloud, in the very valley of the shadow of death, and yet we are not dead, but alive. What though it hath cost much to preserve these lives; (who would die to save charges?) what though estates be shortned, yet life is lengthned? what though some of the lading hath been cast over-board in this storm, yet the vessell is safe; We are not dead, but alive; We (if ever any) may say it with a mixture of wonder and thankfulnesse, England is not dead but alive. There were many who looked upon her as dying and gasping out her last breath: Many ho­ped and many feared England would have been in her winding-sheet before this time. How often have we (like Israel at the red sea) been talking of our graves? How often have we waxed strong in unbelief, and concluded (as David once did) we shall one day perish? yet we may say, England is not dead, but alive.

And what a mercy is it that we can read this text to the [Page 11] Parliament of England, Ye are not dead, but alive. The Parliament hath had death standing at their doors, death looking thorow the key-hole, scarce suffering the door to shut, lest (if called) it should not come in fast enough, and yet we may say, The Parliament of England is not dead, but alive. And which is most considerable (as in it's greatest swounings and convulsions it alwaies retained life in it self, and lived in the hearts and prayers of the faithfull in the land, so) it now liveth in the tongues and pens (I know not in what state it is in the hearts) of those with whom it was reckon'd among the dead. The Parliament of England hath been praied to death, cur­sed to death, drunk to death, devoted to death, and vo­ted to death (I am sure a civil death) in deepest consulta­tions, and yet it is alive, and lives in the mouths of ma­ny, whose throats were once an open sepulchre, to swal­low it up and bury it forever. Let this mercy be remem­bred, as that which is the mother-mercy, or the instru­ment, the parent of all our Nationall mercies. The Parlia­ment of England is not dead, but alive.

For the City of London, this great and renowned City, what a mercy is it that we can say, London is not dead, but alive? Death hath been hovering about your wals, death waited when it should be admitted to look in at your win­dows. Yea, the death of this City hath been breeding in it's own bowels. Some members have been contri­ving the death of the whole body, and have themselves justly died for it. And that which the Prophet speaks ( Lam. 4. 12.) concerning Jerusalem, The Kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not have be­lieved, that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem; may be inverted concerning London, The Kings and Nations about us would not be­lieve [Page 12] but that the enemy would have entred in at the gates of London before this time; yet notwithstanding secret underminings and open threatnings, This great Ci­ty (which holds much of the life of the whole Nation) is not dead but alive: This City hath not had so much as a mount cast up, nor an arrow shot against it.

Lastly, How many are there in this Honourable Audi­ence, who have gone forth with their lives in their hand, who have (as it were) conversed with death? Some (I believe) are here, who have led Armies in the field, who have been in the head of them in times of greatest dan­ger, and hottest assaults, who have seen pale death on every side, who have heard the groans and beheld the wounds of the dying; let them all blesse God, that they and we can say, They are not dead, but alive.

A great King (1 King. 20. 32.) made it his request, and would have been glad of the grant, I pray thee let me live. Esther makes the same suit to Ahashuerus (Chap. 7. 3.) Let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. And all that God himself promised some very good men (in a time of common calamity) was, That they should have their lives for a prey, as for great things they were not to be look'd for, Jer. 39. 18. & 45. 5. That we can say thus much, we are alive, is a mercy, if we could say no more.

But if we can say more; if we can say, we are not only alive, that is, numbred among livers: but we are a­live, that is, numbred among rejoycers, this would rise to a high prized mercy. That's a second Note, which I shall briefly touch.

For a people after they have runne thorow great dan­gers, to live enjoying great comforts and successes, is an a­mazing mercy.

Not to be dead but alive, is mercy, but to be alive and prosperous, what a mercy is that! This calleth as much for admiration, as thankfulnesse. It was much that the Bush burned, and was not consumed, Exod. 3. 2. but that a Bush should burn, and at that time blossom and bear fruit, how admirable were that! When Josephs brethren ( Gen. 45.) returned and told their father, Ioseph is yet a­live, had the report ended there, Iacobs heart had been exceedingly revived; but when they tell him, Ioseph is yet alive, and he is Governour over all the land of Aegypt; how did this amaze the spirit of old Iacob! He was ready to die with joy, to hear that his son was not only not dead, but alive in such an estate of honour.

This day is witnesse; This solemn meeting is a proof, That the Kingdom, the Parliament of England, the City of London, do not only live but prosper. Ye are not esca­ped only (as Job speaks, Chap. 19. 20.) with the skin of your teeth, but with your Ornaments and Honours, with your riches and priviledges. Ye have not only breath and a being, but strength and a wel-being; ye are en­compassed with blessings, and the Candle of God shines upon your heads. Though (as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 66. 12.) Ye have gone thorow much fire and water, yet God hath brought you to a wealthy place. Ye are not enjoying a life only, a life within one step or degree of death, but ye live your lives, ye have a life that hath abundance of life in it, such livelines, such vigour your affairs have not had since these troubles began.

What the Oratour spake with indignation of Catiline, a conspiratour against the peace of his countrey, Vivit, etiam in Senatum venit, the man hath honour, whose life is more then his due: The same may I say with much gratulation, of you, Noble Patriots, Vivitis, etiam in Senatum venitis, Ye [Page 14] live, and ye live still like Senatours. Your Honour is great in the salvation which God hath wrought: Your Sunne rises in the West; Your victories abroad are stupendious; Your union (which this daies apparance is a great de­monstration of) I say, your union at home is pleasant and harmonious, the Two Houses with each other, both with the City concentring in this solemn duty.

I would say this, from the sense of this great mercy.

Right Honourable, seeing the Lord hath given you your lives for a prey, and added prosperity to your lives, let the cause of God not only live but prosper in the land. Improve your utmost, that Jesus Christ may have, not on­ly a being, or a breathing in the land, and in your lives, but that he may raign & live gloriously both in the Land, and in your lives. The Apostle Iohn in his 3 ^d Ep. to Gaius, wish­es that his body might prosper even as his soul prospered; My wish is that all your souls, and all the affairs of souls, may live and prosper, as God hath caused your bodies and outward estates to live and prosper: My wish is, that all the Churches of Christ, may live and prosper, even as the Common-wealth prospers, The Church of Christ is the soul of that Common-wealth, where it is. Many Common-wealths have prospered where Christ hath had no Church at all, but (I think) there was never any Common-wealth that prospered where Christ had a Church, if that Church did not live up in the same de­gree of prosperity, that the Common-wealth did, I mean, if the Church had not a flourishing life in it's capa­city according to the flourishing of the State wherein it li­ved. I speak not of the Church, under the old notion of the Church-men, but I speak of the Church, as compre­hending all the Saints and servants of Jesus Christ, all the faithfull in the Land; let them all have, not only a [Page 15] life, but a comfortable life. This will answer the mercy of God, in giving the State, not only a being, but such a comfortable being, as it hath at this day.

I know, Right Honourable, it was farre from your thoughts, ever to have spoken like that Roman Tyrant, If I must die, let fire and earth mingle, let all go to confusion: if I must die, let all the world die too. I doubt not but you would have rejoyced (though your own lives had been the price) to have known, that England should live, it would have been your comfort, that the foundati­ons of mercy to a future generation had been surely laid, though in your own ruines: Though (as Iudah pleads with Ioseph for the return of Benjamin, Gen. 44. 30.) I ve­rily believe, that the life of the Kingdom of England, is bound up in the Parliament of England, and when this dies, that must, in the notion here intended. But I am sure ye are further off from the speech of that other Roman Ty­rant, who said, Let fire and earth mingle, so I may live and prosper, so I may have what pleaseth me, no matter what becomes of the rest of the world. I know ye abhorre to think, much more to resolve, Now we live and prosper, let fire and earth mingle, let justice and oppression mingle, let Christ and Belial mingle, let truth and errour mingle, let light and darknesse mingle, let good and evil mingle, let con­fusion and disorder appear in the face, and live in the body of the whole Nation, if they will. Therefore as the Lord hath given us in this mercy, that you are not dead but alive, so let it be, I humbly beseech you, your care in answer thereunto, that the work of God, that all who fear God, that the cause and people of God, that the flook of Jesus Christ, may not only not die, but live prosperously with, and under your Government.

I now come to the second reading, our reading of [Page 16] the Text, I shall not die, but live: So it is a voice of holy confidence, and it yeelds this plain Observa­tion.

That, The experience of former mercies and successes is a ground of hope for future and continued mercies and suc­cesses.

Faith turneth this experience, I am not dead, but alive, into this confidence, I shall not die, but live. Hope is the first-born of experience ( Rom. 5. 4.) The Apostle argues so (2 Cor. 1. 10.) He hath delivered us from so great a death: A great death; all death in it self is of one size, but the waies of death, and the dangers of death are of different sizes and dimensions, He hath delivered us from so great a death (deadly dangers) and he doth deliver us; what of that? And we trust that he will also deliver us. What God hath done and doth, is easily believed he will doe. The people of Israel being got thorow the red Sea, kept a day of Thanksgiving, and we finde that they grew confident of getting into Canaan presently, Exod. 15. 13, 14. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people, which thou hast redeemed; thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation: the people shall hear and be afraid, sorrow shall take hold of the inhabitants of Palestina, the Dukes of E­dom shall be amazed, &c. Israel had set but a foot (as it were) beyond the red Sea, and yet now they tryumph, as if they had a footing in Canaan. Was not Moses too forward in this, and were not the people over confident? No, they had a just ground of hope, that God would carry them thorow that Wildernesse, because he had brought them thorow that red Sea. David saw Goliah vanquished in the victory he obtained over a Lion and a Bear, this uncircumcised Philistime shall be as one of them.

I beseech you let your faith grow thus vigorous, and turn experiences into confidences, Because ye are not dead, but alive; believe that ye shall not die, but live.

I would not invite you to build Castles in the air, nor would I nurse up presumptuous thoughts in any. I know that Babylon shall be as confident, as confidence it self, im­mediately before her destruction, Revel. 18. 7. I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow, and yet all her sorrows shall then come upon her. I know the people of God may over-act their faith, and be confident without cause, as the Prophet speaks (Jer. 2. 37.) The Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them. But though I would not, yea, I dare not be o­ver-bold or presuming, yet I would not have any distrust­full or unbelieving. God is a Rock, and his work is perfect: We are sure he hath begun a work, why should we not believe he will bring it unto perfection?

It may be, some abroad will object, as Rabshakeh once did against Hezekiah and the Jews (2 King. 18. 19.) Thus saith the great King, the King of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? Thou presumest thou shalt be deliver'd from the invasion of Senacherib, What is this confidence, saith Rabshakeh, tell me thy strength? Pos­sibly thou wilt say (but they are but vain words) I have coun­sell and strength for the warre. Or, if thou hast not strength of thy own, yet thou hast friends and confederates to as­sist thee. I wonder where. Tell me? Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? If thou wilt not discover the lock wherein thy strength lies, then I will doe it for thee; Now behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this brui­sed reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into a mans hand, and pierce it: So is Pharaoh King of Egypt unto all that trust on him. Thus he sleights his con­fidences [Page 16] [...] [Page 17] [...] [Page 18] in men: And because he knew Hezekiah and the Jews had a reserve, when the arm of flesh was bro­ken, therefore hetakes them off from that too (vers. 22.) But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God; Is not that he, whose high places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, ye shall worship before this Altar in Jerusalem? As if he had said, Doe ye build your confidence in God, when ye have done God such a disservice as this, the defacing and demolishing of his Altars? Are ye so audacious as to believe that God will help you, when you have thus dishonoured him? Can you expect his aid should be the reward of your sacriledge? Be ashamed of these hopes, make not your God a protectour of your impieties. Some (I say) from abroad may thinke to cut the sinews of our confidence by such an argument; What is your confidence to prevail, or that the Parliament should pro­sper? Are not they the men, who have pull'd down Al­tars, and abolish'd Prelacy? Have not they turned out the old Liturgy, and dash'd the Ceremonies? Have not they done these things by their authority, and shall they live?

To such Objecters I say, our confidence gathers life from this Objection. These (Right Honourable) are splendida peccata, shining sins indeed, and holy impieties. If these be your faults, they are glorious ones, and we may fatten our faith by such doubts cast in from these without. We may rather build upon it, that you shall prosper, because God hath enobled your spirits, to doe such things as these: even as Hezekiah prospered in those works, which yet the railing Rabshakeh supposed his cer­tain ruine.

There are other Objections against this confidence, which are more weighty and sad. I will name but three.

First, What? so confident that we shall live, and yet the Kingdome so abound with sinne? When there is so much life in sinne, shall such a people live? Live and prosper?

I acknowledge, that when we consider the sins and profanenesses, the wickednesses and blasphemies, which are in the Nation, we have just cause in reference to them, not only to rejoyce with trembling, but to tremble with­out rejoycing. These may give us cause to fear, that all the troubles we have hitherto had, are but the beginning of our sorrows; And that the Lord, in stead of turning back our captivity, should turn us back into captivity. We may have cause to fear, that even the great and solemn meeting of this day, upon (as I may so call it) this moun­tain of our present felicity, should be but like Moses his going up to Mount Nebo, or the top of Pisgah, in the later end of the book of Deuteronomy, from thence to view the Land of Canaan, which himself should never enter into: The Lord may make this happy spectacle, but as a short view, a transient glimpse of those glories and comforts, of those blessings and mercies, which peace and union in a setled estate bring forth to a Nation: and the word might go out against us all, even against Moses and Aaron, Magistrates and Ministers, even against those, who have been most faithfull in the carrying on of this great service and most industrious, even against those, who have shed most tears, and have laid up most prayers, even against those who have sweat most, or bled most, Ye shall all die on this side Jordan. Your sins shall▪ consume your carcases in this wildernesse; this is acknowledged, and what ever the issue be, let God be glorified.

But the Lord doth not account, as man accounteth, neither are his thoughts as mans thoughts. Take but two [Page 20] instances. The one, Psal. 106. 6, 7. where the unbelief and provocations of the people of Israel are reported, We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked him at the Sea, even at the red Sea. Yet, he comes in with a non obstante, at the 8. verse, Neverthelesse he sa­ved them for his Names sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. If God will save for his names sake, what people is there whom he may not save?

The other Scripture is (Isa. 57. 17.) For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth, and smote him, I hid me, and was wroth: What did this smiting effect? It follows, He went on frowardly in the way of his heart; he went on sin­ning, while God was smiting; what could any one ex­pect now, but that the Lord who smote him before, should at the next blow destroy him? Yet hear, O mi­racle of mercy! I have seen his waies (vers. 18.) What waies, repenting waies, reforming waies, holy waies? No, his waies, the waies of his own froward heart. And what will God doe? Doth he say, I will strike him down in his waies, I will kill him in his waies? No, I have seen his waies, and will heal him. I will heal the for­mer wounds instead of making new wounds; There is more mercy, yet, I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners. God doth not usually heal the wounds of judgement, till the wounds of sin are heal­ed: yet sometimes he doth. And what know we but the Lord may once again make a parallel mercy to that pro­mised his ancient people, and restore comfort to those hearts, Who goe on (as this Objection charges) frow­ardly in the way of their hearts?

Secondly, Others may object, what? so much confi­dence [Page 21] of a succession of mercies? Look to the Church, and to the matter of the worship; Superstition is gone, but prophanenesse stands at the door; Prelacy is gone, but A­narchy is feared: and can we yet be confident? Sure to invite to a day of rejoycing, when we are in such a condi­tion, is but like bidding the sons of Zion to sing one of their songs at the waters of Babylon.

I acknowledge, there is little reason to rejoyce in the light of this world, whilest the Gospel is under a cloud; that there is very little reason to take warmth at the heat of any Sunne, while Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse is e­clipsed by the interposition of any sublunary interest whatsoever.

But must we despond, and give all for lost, because light hath not (supposing that it hath not) that free and kinde entertainment which we desire? Must we resolve that Christ shall lose his right (suppose it so) because he hath it not, or because he hath it not by the day set in our Kalendar? Possibly, the Kalendar of Heaven hath a post­date to ours. A woe belongs to those who neglect to finish the work of the Lord (like them in the Prophet) upon this surmise, The time is not come, the time that the Lords house should be built: Yet a woe lies not against those, who conscientiously endeavouring to build, cannot finish it. Christ accounts those his enemies, and cals them out to destruction, who say, We will not have this man to raign over us: But they may be in the roll of Christs friends, and he may be preparing salvations for them, who being seriously upon that design, yet fail in advancing his raign. If that be not our case, I grant, there is no reason any mans faith should have life, that we shall live.

But if it be (as I believe it is) our faith hath reason to hold up in life and strength too, that we shall live: For [Page 22] we know Christ works by degrees in the hearts of his people. Light comes not in all at once. In the prophecy of Ezekiel, The waters of the Temple were first but to the ancles, and then to the knees, and then to the loins, and then it was a river of waters to swimme in, a river that could not be passed over. We must give providence leave to go it's own pace. Things are still under consideration, The plummet is still in the hand of Zerobbabel, and who knows to what perfecti­on the work may be brought in a short time? It is not the doing of what comes short of the minde of Christ, but a resolving not to do the minde of Christ, which makes a people hopelesse.

When Christ was in the world, he was not received presently; Did he therefore fire the world presently a­bout their ears, and destroy those places which received him not? When some perswaded him to doe so, he tels them, Ye know not of what spirit ye are. There's many a good man, who, if he knew his own spirit, would be a­sham'd of it. Christ is not so fierce as many Christians are. It's true, his anger when it burns is infinitely fierce, and who can abide it? But we know he is patient, and he is patient very long, even unto those who knowingly abuse him; much more toward those who are sincerely seeking after him. He is patient to those who abuse him, and patient so long, that they take occasion (cause they have none) to scorn and mock him, Where is the promise of his comming? And, Let the Lord hasten his work that we may see it. Much more will he be patient towards those who are praying, consulting and enquiring, though as yet they should not come up to give him the honour due unto his name.

When the Jewish worship was cast out, and the Ceremo­niall Law abolished; the Apostles themselves being alive, [Page 23] and preaching it, Christian worship was not received in a day or in a year: the Apostles were long working it into the hearts of believers. And we may read in the 14 ^t• Cha­pter of the Epistle to the Romans, how much bearing there was exercised, and how much forbearing towards those who were not yet come up to Gospel heights, either of their dutie, or of their priviledge? Therefore (I say) though this Objection should stand a while in the letter of it, yet we need not fall in our hopes; though we are not where we should be either in worship, or in Govern­ment, yet Christ will bear, while we are seeking and en­quiring with sincerity that we may. Christ will at last break those, who wilfully break his bands, and cast a­way his coards from them. And all they who in upright­nesse pray and endeavour that his Government may be set up, shall be heard and blessed, though perhaps, not in their own way.

A third Objection lies thus. But there are many er­rours, and strange opinions amongst us: Tares grow up, and are like to overgrow the wheat: sores and sicknesses over-run many mindes. Can a people thrive, who have such diseases upon them? Can the Physitians who behold these distempers, offer us any hope that the pati­ent shall live?

I think no fore-head can deny that there are errours a­mongst us: and some very dangerous destructive and damnable, perverting souls, and wasting the vitals of re­ligion.

Errours are not to be sported with. Who can love Christ and errour too, much lesse plead for, and give it patronage? Christ is truth. And though persons erring may have our charity, yet no errour ought to have our love: though many who erre may have much of our [Page 24] patience, yet there is no errour (how small soever) should any of our have countenance.

But to this sad Objection, I answer.

First, Possibly there are more errours named then are. All is not errour which every one thinks to be errour. We know who spake it, After the way which they call heresie, so worship I the God of my fathers (Act. 24. 14.) and they were no mean, no unlearned men who called that way he­resie. And I shall never believe all Heresiographers for his sake, who put Aerius into his Catalogue for opposing Pre­lacy. There may be an errour in taxing somewith errours.

But secondly, Whatsoever is an errour, or an heresie, whatsoever is contrary to wholesome Doctrine (such o­pinions are knowable, else all rules about dealing with them were vain) Whatsoever (I say) is an errour or heresie, let all the penalties which Christ hath charged upon it be executed to the utmost: If we favour errour, I know not how we can with confidence lift up our eyes to Christ for favour. If Christ would not have had errour to be op­posed, vvhy hath he left us means both for the oppositi­on and suppression of errour? As he hath given a compleat Armour to every Christian wherewith to fight against the vviles and temptations of the devil; so he hath given a compleat Armour to his Church, vvherewith to fight a­gainst all the errours and unsound doctrines of seducers. Therefore search the Magazines of the Gospel, bring out all the artillery, ammunition and weapons stored up there, look out all the chains and fetters, the vvhips and rods, vvhich either the letter of the Gospel, or the everlasting e­quity of the Law hath provided to binde errour vvith, or for the back of heresie: let them all be imployed, and spare not. I hope we shall never use (I am perswaded vve ought not) Antichrists broom to sweep Christs house with, or his [Page 25] weapons to fight against errours with. Christ hath formed and sharpened weapons for this warre; we need not goe to the Popes forge or file. We (saith the Apostle) have weapons in a readinesse to revenge every disobedience; They are ready made to our hands; vve have them in a readinesse, saith Paul, let these be sheathed in the bowels of every errour, and corrupt opinion: and the event will shew (a thought that it will not, were an infinite disparagement to the wisdome of Christ, who hath appointed them) the event, I say, will shew that these weapons of our war­fare are not carnall, but mighty through God; not a wooden dagger, or spears of bulrushes, no pot-guns, or paper­shot, as some (at least in consequences) blaspheme, but mighty through God to the casting down of strong-holds, and the bringing of every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And when errours are more the erroneous (tu­multuous or blasphemous) the generall rules of the word will shew us expedients, fit to meet with such distempers. If we thus prosecute and oppose the errours of these times (which I conceive no man is hindered from doing in his sphear, though all the sphears wherein this may be done, are not in a desired motion) If, I say, we thus prosecute errour, and contend for truth, we may keep our hopes alive, that as vve are not dead but alive, so we shall not die, but live; that, yet Counsels at home, and Armies abroad shall prosper; that, this shall not be the last Thanksgiving day, which this great Assembly shall keep for received victories; that, God will yet go on to crown this Nation with so many mercies as shall fill both the present age and posterity with books and declarations of what God hath vvrought. A service, to which David engageth himself in the next vvords of the text, I shall not die, but live; and declare the works of the Lord.

The generall issue of vvhich vvords, as considered in conjunction with the former, is,

That all received mercies should be designed to the glory of God.

This is the design of the Saints, when they pray for mer­cies (Joel 2. 14.) Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behinde him; For vvhom? for you? Nay, Even a meat-offering, and a drink-offering to the Lord your God. The captive Jews vvere taxed, because they fasted forthemselves, and not unto God ( Zech. 7.) It must be the project of prayer and fasting, that we may receive mercies to honour God with: and it should be our project in daies of praise and thanksgiving to honour God vvith the mercies vve have received. So much of our lives is as lost, and so many of our mercies are as buried, with which the name of God is not lifted up and advan­ced. To seek our own glory, is not glory; or to deal vvith God, as the Story speaks of one, who vvrote the found­ers name that had been at the cost and charge of a curious fabrick upon the plaister of the vvall, but cut his own name in a marble stone underneath: While vvorldly men bestow outward thanks on God, Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling place to all generations, and they call their lands after their own names, Psal. 49. 11. To give God a day of vocall praises, and to reserve the chief, the fattest of the honour to our selves, is to mock God in stead of praising him, and to commit sacriledge, while we are offering holy things.

But I cannot stay upon that generall. Take this in speciall.

That to declare the works of the Lord, is the debt of honour and duty, which we ought to pay him for all the work he is plea­sed to do for us.

The works of God are his counsels acted, Psal. 31. 19. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee? The goodnesse of God is laid up; in what Storehouse doth God lay up this goodnesse? Surely, in his own brest: there he laid up the creation of the world from all eternity, and there he laid up the redemption of man, and wrought it in the fulnesse of time: There he laid up all the deliverances which at any time he hath wrought for his Church. O how great is thy goodnesse which [...]hou hast laid up! (then follows) which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sonnes of men. The works of God are the goodnesse of God made visi­ble, they are as so many beams or raies of the power, wisdome, faithfulnesse and justice of God. God declares himself in his works, The invisible things of him from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternall power and God-head, Rom. 1. 20. The vvork of Creation declares much of God, but the works of Providence declare more. And as God declares himself in his works, so we must declare the works of God. But how shall we make this decla­ration?

There is a five-fold declaration of the vvorkes of God.

The first is an Arithmeticall declaration; the originall vvord in the text primarily signifies, to make a catalogue or an enumeration of things, and so of the works of God, setting them down by number. Thus God himself de­clares his works (Judg. 10. 11, 12.) Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the chil­dren [Page 28] of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites did oppresse you, and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Here is nothing but the bare names of deliverances set down, se­ven in number: So many you have received from me, saith the Lord. As if we should write now, The battell at Kein­ton one, The battel at Newbery two, The battel at Chereton-Down three, At Marston-moor four, At Nazeby five, At Langport six, At Torington seven, & the disbanding of the late Army in the West without battell, which may go for many victories, &c. And this is a declaration which beco­meth us; some pens have done this to my hand already; there is an Arithmeticall declaration of our mercies and victories in the Field, and over Strong-holds this last year, newly set out and printed, and I think the number is ninety and one, besides some remarkable ones given in since: we may conclude this declaration with that of the Psalmist, Many, O Lord, are the wonderfull works, which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us ward, They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee, if we would de­clare and speak of them, they are more then can be numbred, Psal. 40. 5.

Secondly, There is a logicall declaration of the works of God, when we shew the severall kindes of them; as, the work of Creation, the work of Redemption, the work of Providence; and distribute these into works of mercy, or works of justice; into those works wherein God pro­tecteth his people, or wherein he destroyeth his enemies; and those either in defeating their Counsels, or in over­throwing their Forces. Many such divisions, and subdi­visions, differences and properties also of the works of God may be set forth in a logicall declaration.

Thirdly, There is an historicall declaration, when be­sides [Page 29] the severall kindes and differences of the works of God, we declare the persons acting, the places, the times, the counsels, the managing of the severall a­ctions, the events and successes, the issues and fruits, the effects and consequences of every undertaking. Such considerations as these make up the history of the works of God.

The fourth is, a Rhetoricall declaration; when besides a bare narrative of the facts, &c. (which is proper to hi­story) we labour to finde out the severall circumstances and aggravations of every work, which may raise up our spirits, and warm our hearts in considering of, and look­ing over them. It is our duty to make more then bare narratives and histories, we must clothe them with elo­quence, and make oratory doe homage to the honour of God. The holy Pen-men have been admirable in this, read the Song of Moses (Exod. 15.) The Song of Deborah (Judg. 5.) The Song of David, in the day that the Lord bad delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul (2 Sam. 22.) and you will finde them over-matching all Poets and Heathen Oratours in depth of conceit, exactnesse of stile, and flowers of Rhetorike, as much as the Sunne doth a Candle, or the spirits of wine the dregs of it. Thus should we polish and gar­nish, embroider and bedeck the works of God, not with vain ostentation of wit, not with affectation or pedan­tick pomp of words, but with sobriety and holy gravity: Not, as Austin I remember censureth a passage in one of his own Confessions; it was, saith he ( Declamatio levis) alight declamation, not ( Confessio gravis) a sober confes­sion. Some bestow too much rhetorike upon confession of sinne. There may be pride in our confessions of re­pentance, and so there may be in our confessions of [Page 30] praise. Our confessions therefore or our declarations of the works of God, must not be tainted with wantonnesse and vanity, lightnesse and curiosity, we must not flourish and word▪ it only with God, but we ought to make as solidly rhetoricall declarations, as any ability that God gi­veth us, can reach unto.

For as it is not enough to make an Arithmeticall confes­sion of sins, to tell God how many they are, how many in number as neer as we can; or, to make an historicall decla­ration of them, to set down the time and place, when and where we sinned; but it is our duty to make rhetoricall confessions, to aggravate our sins against our selves, to shew the Lord not only our sinne, but the iniquity of our sinne, the filthinesse of our lewdnesse, the abomination of our provocations: That (as the Apostle speaks) Our sinnes may become exceeding sinfull, Rom. 7. 13. So here, the Lord must have more then a naked history of his works; or, a superficiall declaration, that This and That was▪ done; our hearts and heads should be busied in searching things to the bottom, and in giving an accent to every circumstance. For, as a small fact committed a­gainst God may be a very huge sin: so a small work done by God may be a very huge mercy. I shall give a few hints towards this Rhetorical declaration of the works of God.

First, Consider them in reference to the way which God takes to bring them about. He works sometimes immediately by his own hand, and then his work is mi­raculous. He works at other times by weak and impro­bable means, and then his works are marvellous. He often makes oppositions, and crosse counsels serve his ends, he makes a Table out of a snare, and what was in­tended for our casting down, the occasion of our standing, wounds heal us; losses enrich us; divisions unite us; [Page 31] our being overcome gives us the victory, and then his works are glorious.

Secondly, Consider the strength of opposers, their helpers and abettours, their heights and former successes, their resolvednesse and rage, their pride and confidences. From all these learn how vast a mercy it is to be delivered from them.

Thirdly, Consider the time when God works for us. The season is as much as the mercy it self. We have had re­markable heightnings of mercie, from the dates of our mercies. What a remarkable mercy for the season was the Expedition to Glocester, when we were, as it were dy­ing, and giving all up? What a seasonable mercy was the victory at Nazeby, in the beginning of the last year, when we vvere despondent, and sinking in our spirits? You may finde the like seasonablenesse of many other mercies, As words spoken, so actions done in season, are like Apples of gold in pictures of silver. With divers such golden Apples, and silver pictures, God hath at once fed and delighted us.

Fourthly, Consider, for whom God works. When for persons undeserving, and disoblieging him continually. This is a mercy-raising consideration indeed. As Job, (Chap. 7. 17.) speaks in generall, What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him, and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him? So we should say at this time; What are we, and what is the Nation, that God should magnifie us? a Nation against which there are so many objections, up­on which there are so many sinnes, a Nation which hath so many waies disoblieged God; what are we, that God should work such wonders for us? When David offered Mephibosheth great kindenesses, restoring him all the lands of his father, and enviting him to eat bread at his Table [Page 32] continually; Mephibosheth who was but a lame man, and one that had mean thoughts of himself, stands amazed, What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog, as I am? (2 Sam. 9. 8.) Though he was a man of honour by his birth ( Jonathans sonne) yet he speaks thus low of himself (who am I?) at the offer of so great a favour. What then may we say of our selves, that God should respect us, vvho may be called dead dogs be­fore him? A people lame in his service, unanswer­able to former mercies. When God must work as much for his own name, as by his own power; when God re­members to work for those who have forgotten his works; when God is faithfull to those who have di­strusted him, how do these considerations of our lownes, heighten our mercies, and render our deliverances as so many wonders? Thus glory comes in to God by our a­basement: for, as in confessing the circumstances of sinne, some speciall sinfulnesse of our hearts breaks forth upon every one of them, to humble us. So in confessing these specialties of Gods works, some beam of his Wis­dome, Justice, Power, Patience or Goodnesse breaks forth and irradiates all the mercies which we receive from him. Therefore be very carefull in making these Rhetoricall declarations: let not God have history and naked relations, but be diligent in finding, and eloquent in describing every, even the least passage of his provi­dence. The Rabbins have a saying, that there is a moun­tain of sense hanging upon every Apex of the word of God; I as­sure you, the least Apex in the works of God, may have a mountain of goodnesse and mercy hanging at it, did we but search them out.

There is yet a fifth Declaration of the works of God, which I would rather presse, and it is more necessary [Page 33] then all these fore-mentioned, more necessary then ei­ther your Arithmeticall, or your Logicall, or your Histo­ricall, or your Rhetoricall declarations, and that is a de­claration purely theologicall, or a practicall declaration of the works of God.

Right Honourable and beloved, God will bear with us, though we should be somewhat out in our Arithme­tike, and indeed the works of God exceed our Arith­metike, they are innumerable; God will beare with us though we are not such exact Logicians to methodise his works, to give their descriptions, definitions, kindes differences and properties: God will beare with us, though we are but mean Historians, but flat, feeble and lan­guide Orators, if yet we come up in this last act, and make him a full, a hearty, a pithy declaration of his works, by ours. The Lord is better pleased with the lan­guage of our hands, then with the language of our tongues; and we honour God more with the words which our works speak, then with the words which our mouths speak. I beseech you therefore make this declaration as full as may be; Let your feet declare, and your fin­gers speak to the whole Nation, yea to all the world, what God hath done for us. It will be a very sad thing if declarations of the works of God should be made only in sermons, or written in books, and none found writ­ten in our hearts and lives: If it should be so, mercies will be our burdens as much as judgements have been, and the heavier burdens too. The Baptist exhorts, (Matth. 3.) Bring forth fruit meet for repentance: I exhort, bring forth fruit meet for mercies, for victories; bring forth fruit meet for dayes of thanksgiving. And give me leave a little to drive this point more home, and to [Page 34] fasten in more distinctly upon your spirits.

First, I would bespeak the whole Kingdom of England. O England, becarefull to make this practicall declarati­on of the works of God. God appears as unbending his bowe, and putting his arrowes up to his quiver, as sheath­ing his sword, and repenting of those evils of punishment which he determined against thee; make hast to de­clare this work of the Lord, by repenting of thy evils of sinne, and by turning to God in duty, from whom thou hast departed, and whom thou hast provoked by thine iniquity. God hath given the Armies of thy ene­mies into thine hand, and he hath caused their strong holds to submit. O England, declare this work of the Lord, by preparing a new war against those Armies of outragious lusts which encamp in all places, and fight a­gainst the soul; by planting batteries against the strong holds of foolish customs, and vain practices, received by tradition from our forefathers. The Lord hath broken the yoke of thy oppressours, and taken their burthens from off thy shoulders. O England, declare this work of the Lord, by thy willingnes to put thy neck under what­soever is the yoke of Jesus Christ, and thy shoulders to his burthen. God hath much purged, and still pre­serves the Ordinances of his worship, he still continues the Gospel to thee, and many faithfull Ministers to di­spence it. O England, declare this work of the Lord by prizing pure worship, by improving the Gospel, and ho­nouring the dispensers of it, by saying, how beautifull are the feet of these, who bring thee the glad tidings of everlasting peace? God hath shewed that he worketh freely, he hath wrought beyond all obligations. O England, de­clare this work of the Lord: Be faithfull, seeing thou art [Page 35] under so many obligations; perform cheerfully and sin­cerely all the Vows and Covenants which are upon thee, to the utmost of thy power and opportunities.

Lastly, God hath shewed himself a friend to thy friends, and an enemy to thy enemies. O England, declare this work of the Lord. Do not thou by unkindnes or hard usage, sadd the hearts of any of Christs friends, or by thy flatteries and unworthy complyances give his enemies occasion of rejoycing.

Let the Honourable Houses of Parliament be perswa­ded to make. This declaration of the works of the Lord. He shines upon your counsels, and hath exalted you in them; Declare this work of the Lord, by exalting and set­ting up his name in all your counsels: make it appear to all the world, that you are so far (which possibly may have been the jealousie of some) from not admitting Christ petitioning at your doors, that you are daily pe­titioning him to command in your hearts, and over all your waies. God by works of wonder hath maintain­ed your priviledges, your honours, and your houses: declare these works of the Lord, by maintaining the honour and priviledges of his house, and by the advancement of his service. God hath done justice and judgement in the land to admiration; he hath wrought terrible things in righ­teousnes: declare this work of the Lord by the exactnes of your justice, by your streamings out of righteousnes to­wards all the people of this land, and by cloathing your selves with judgement: Let it be as hangings about your walls, as a crown and a diadem upon your heads: break the teeth of oppressours, be eyes to the blinde, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, Fathers to the poor, and the cause which ye know not, search ye out. And whatsoever [Page 36] ye doe in the cause of God or of his people, doe it with all your might, for the Lord hath wrought with all his might in your cause.

Let this renowned City be exhorted carefully to make this declaration. God hath been as a wall, as a wall of fire, as a place of broad rivers, as gates of brasse and barrs of iron to this City, to keep out the enemy. O declare this work of the Lord, by letting your Heart-gates stand open continually to truth and holines. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in. God hath blessed you in your costs and charges, in your counsels and correspon­dencies, &c. for and with the publique interests. Declare this work of the Lord by continuing stedfast to that inter­est; Be not unwilling to venture for the time to come, (if the like occasions should call for it) either in your persons or purses, God having made you so good a re­turn both in City and Nationall blessings for your form­er adventures. God hath wrought graciously in preser­ving your City from fire, your estates from plundering, your persons from slavery; declare and shew forth these works of the Lord by improving your estates, your power, your lives and liberties to make this a City of Refuge for the oppressed, A solace to the Saints, A mart of righte­ousnes to the Nations round about. God hath not suf­fered violence to enter your streets, let not deceit and guile lodge in your streets: God hath not punished you with famine or want of bread: let not fulnes of bread be your sinne. God hath preserved commerce and trade for your bodies: Declare this by making more voyages (like royall Merchants) to the port of Heaven, by trading more for your own souls, by trading more for the souls [Page 37] of others within your line. There is a good work in hand, for the helping, not only of poor bodies, but of poor souls, I mean of those who are destitute of dwel­lings and unimployed, whether elder or younger, men, women or children. This is a noble work, a work well becomming not only the Magistrates of this City, but the Parliament of England. Disorderly poor (who live not only without government, but without God in the world) being so great a scandall both to this City, and to the whole Kingdom.

Lastly, let all the faithfull Ministers in the land set a­bout the study of this Theologicall declaration: the great­est part of the work lies upon us, our whole work lying in Theologie. It is not our books or sermons, but our lives and works in the whole discharge of our Ministry which reach this duty. We, by our painfulnes, by our patience, by our zeal, by our humility, by our watch­fulnes, by our earnest desires of maintaining union and unity in the Churches of Christ, and among all estates in the land, we by being an example of the beleevers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity, should declare what God hath wrought. God seems to aim at the reconciling of hearts, at the healing of breaches, at the atoning of differences; He seems to be bringing in peace among us. Let not any of us make new divisions and rents, or make the former wider and lesse curable then they are. God hath freed us from many burdens, from that sore bondage under which many of us groaned and complained bitterly both to God and man, and gave both no rest, till they gave us ease. Let us declare this work of the Lord by our sensiblenes that others may yet be burdened, and by our care that they [Page 38] be not; Let us desire that no burden may be laid, but of necessary things, of such things as the wisedom of Christ hath made necessary: we should know the heart of one oppressed in conscience, seeing we our selves were but lately so oppressed, and are now releeved.

God hath appeared to us as a workman that needs not be ashamed: Let us all (according to that counsell of the Apostle to Timothy) behave our selves as workmen (in the service of the Gospel) that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Thus I have epitomized and contracted the great vo­lume of our practicall declaration of the works of the Lord into some few overtures, essayes and offers about it. I beseech you stay not in any of the former, how exactly soever they may be framed, (I hope you will have them more exactly framed before you go hence But stay not in them) give God his glory in this which is the last, and highest declaration of his works: give him glory in all, but chiefly in this.

But may we not (in dayes of thanksgiving) make men­tion of any, but of the works of the Lord? Doth the Lord work alone? Or have his hands only brought all these things to passe?

In the work of creation God did all alone, and in many works of providence God only works; He keeps state in some works, no man acts with him. But in most of his works, and in those we are this day declaring, he acts (as I may so speak) in consort with the creature; it is seldom that God hath an immediate attingence with ef­fects; He useth and delights to use the service of men. Atheists of old scorn'd at the work of creation, and asked ( Quibus machinis) with what tools or instruments, with [Page 39] what engines, ladders or scaffolds the Lord did set up this mighty frame of heaven and earth? but in the works of providence we may soberly ask, ( Quibus machinis) with what tools and instruments, by what hands or counsells hath he done these things? His hands are visi­ble, his tools are plain before our eyes in most of these works: yet because the whole effect, or the effectualnes of all instruments is from his co-working and concur­rence; therefore little mention is to be made of instru­ments, all must, be ascrib'd to him. God will have us use means, as if he were to do nothing; and he looks to be honoured, as if means had done nothing.

Yet means and instruments may be remembred, yea, instruments must be remembred in their place. The Lord is so jealous of his great name, that he permits not any to come in competition with him; yet he is so zeal­ous of his servants good name, that he is willing they should have honour in a subordination to himself. Hence we finde, that though David saith, I will declare the works of the Lord: yet the Lord takes care for, and makes a declaration of the works of David, and of his worthies. In the second book of Samuel ( chap. 23. 8.) we have a catalogue of Davids worthies, and of their exploits set down in particulars. Though the story of the Bible be the most exact and compendious that ever was vvritten, yet God vouchsafeth faithfull and vvorthy instruments a place in that.

And therefore, though the fatnes and the strength of our Eucharisticall sacrifice, ought to be bestovved upon the Lord, yet be not unmindfull of those, whom the Lord hath used as his tools and instruments, as his sword and buckler to do these great works for us, and to fight [Page 40] our battels. Let not any of those Honourable names, who from the beginning of these warrs and troubles, have valiantly interposed themselves, and set their bodies and estates in the breach between us and danger, be forgot­ten, or slightly remembred. Let it never be charged upon the Parliament or Kingdome of England, that they have been unmindefull of, or ungratefull to any of those Heroes, whom God hath used as their Saviours, and Pro­tectours; Let them all receive, and enjoy rewards both of honour and of bounty. And let those by whom God is now acting, and vvhose most memorable successes in action, give the occasion of this dayes joy and solem­nity, be acknowledged, and acknowledged, thank't and thank't. I am perswaded t'is both honour and reward enough to many of them, that they do God and their countrey service; but God requires that they vvho serve us, should have reward and honour.

Let not England discourage valour, faithfulnes, and unwearied industry in Any, or in These, vvho have given not promises only, but proofs of these Three martiall ac­complishments. To despise the instruments of our civill, as well as of our spirituall salvation, is to despise the God of our salvation.

And to all the Members of the Honourable Houses of Par­liament, who have faithfully staid by, tended and watcht with this troubled, sick and languishing Nation these five or six years past, the whole Kingdome of England is obliged to speak their thanks; and to say concern­ing them, as Christ ( Luk. 22. 28.) once did to his Disciples, Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptation; As a reward of which pains and patience, Christ in the next words tell them, And [Page 41] I appoint unto you a Kingdom: Though we have not a Kingdome to appoint you, yet we ought to wish you the best and fairest portions in the Kingdome, A Jacobs blessing, even the Dew of Heaven, and the fatnesse of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine, all as the gift of God. And that the people of the Land (in the capacity ye are now in) may serve you, and the Nation bow down to you. Thus it becomes us to blesse our Helpers, and to blesse God for our Helpers, lest our unthankfulnesse and murmurings, cause the Lord (as he threatned Israel, Isa. 3.) To take away from England the stay and the staffe, not only the stay and the staffe of our Naturall lives, Bread and water (vers. 1.) but the stay and the staffe of our Civil and Spi­rituall lives (verse 2, 3.) The mighty man, and the man of warre, the Judge and the Prophet, and the prudent, and the An [...]ient; The Captain of fifty, and the honourable man: And give children (froward men) to be our Princes, and babes (weak and impotent ones) to rule over us.

And now let the Preservers joyne with the preser­ved, They who have laboured, with Those who eat the fruit of their labours, in blessing and praising the Name of God, by whom it is, That we are not dead, but alive, by vvhom it is that vve and our friends are not only alive, but (as David once complain'd about his enemies ( Psal. 38. 19.) lively and strong, or, (as another translation hath it) live and are mighty. Let us all joyne in praising God, vvho hath given us hopes for the future, That we shall not die, but live, and hath given us this present opportunity, To de­clare the works which he hath done; These wonderfull [Page 42] works in keeping us alive and lively, in filling us with good hope, that we shall live to declare more and greater of his works then these. That, as at this time it is, so likewise it shall yet be said in our English Israel, WHAT GOD HATH WROVGHT.