IN the two former Psalms, the holy Psalmist doth celebrate the mighty Acts of God in the deliver­ance and preservation of his Church. In this Psalm he contemplates the wonders of Providence towards all Mankinde: For after he had in the beginning of [Page 2]the Psalm finished the mention of his mercy and loving kind­nesse to his Red [...]emed, in the eight first Verses, he descends to take notice what God doth.

For the Hungry, Vers. 9.

For the disconsolate and afflicted, Vers. 10, 11, 12 13, 14.

For the sick and languishing, Vers. 17, 18 19, 20.

F [...]r Sea-men and such as travel upon the waters; from the 23 to my Text.

He takes notice what he doth in the great turns of Provi­dence, turning plenty into famine wherein his Justice is magni­fied, V [...]rs. 33, 34.

And (back again) famine into plenty, wherein his Mercie is advanced, Vers 35.36, 37 38.

What he doth in breaking the power of mighty Princes turned Oppressors and Tyrants, in making them contemptible, and [...]ain like, Vagabonds to wander up and down in desert and hungry places, Vers. 40.

And in lifting up the heads and restoring the habitations of their poor oppressed Subjects and People, Vers. 41.

Upon each of these admirable Turns of Providence the Psalmist sets a Crown of glory, breathing out his enlarged and repeated desires, that when men have the comfort, God might have the praise of all his wonders of Providence. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse &c. It is the burden of the Song; Oh that men would praise the Lord!

My Text is the fourth repetition of this gracious breathing, poured out over the fourth work and wonder of Providence; namely. The admirable and even stupendious deliverances which God vouchsafes Mariners and Sea-men in many a black, dreadful, furious, death-threatnin [...] storm and tempest, exprest to the life in the 23, 24, 25, 26 27, 28, 29 Verses.

I shall not meddle with the D [...]liverance it self, though, if I should, it would be neither impertinent nor improper for the work of this day: for certainly a man might easily run a parallel between the state of the Mariner in th [...] storm, and the condition of this poor and yet bleeding Church and State.

In Ireland and England.We that have gone down into the Sea, this Red-sea of Blood, and have had our businesse now for these four or five yeers in [Page 3]these great waters of Civil war; surely we have seen the works of the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep: Verse 24 If ever peo­ple saw the works, the wonders of the workings of Jehovah, we have.

We have lived (I think I may safely speak it) in the greatest Age of wonders that ever the Church knew.

We use to say Miracles are ceast; but truely, if men have ceased to do Miracles, God hath not; and yet he hath done them by men too, in this Deep of Englands, and Scotlands, and Irelands troubles and [...]fflictions.

For he commandeth and [...]seth up the stormy winde, Verse 25. which lift­eth up the waves thereof. Surely all the storms and tempests that have beaten upon these three Kingdoms, have not come by chance and fortune; this af [...]iction hath not risen out of the dust: but as it was with Sol [...]mon, af [...]er his heart began to de­part from God, it is sa [...]d, 1 Kings 11.14. The Lord stirred up an Adversary unto Solomon, Had [...]d the Ed [...]mite, &c. And (Vers. 23.) God stirred him up another Adversary; Rezin the son of Eliadah. Ad­versary after Adversary, and all stirred up by God. So hath it been and is yet with us; Storm after Storm, Tempest after Tem­pest; one cloud of blood and wrath after another, Eccles. 12.2. (The clouds have returned after rain) and all raised up by God, in his righ­teous Judgement upon these sinful backsliding Nations: We have (as it followeth) been mounted up to heaven, and then hurl'd down again into the depths.

Oh the various changes that have been upon us I Somtimes up, and somtimes down; somtimes raised up as high as heaven, by wonderful Deliverances and glorious Victories, anon cast down even as l [...]we as hell, As in the West, &c. by sad breakings of our Armies and losse of our Strong-holds.

Surely our souls have been melted because of trouble. Our hopes have been melted, and our hearts have been melted. Oh how oft have I seen palenesse in mens faces, the very shadow of death upon mens countenances I how oft have I seen men with their hands upon their loyns, while fear hath taken hold upon them, and sorrow, a [...] pain upon a woman in travel? Have we not been in the day of sad tidings from the West, and other places in the Kingdom, Vers. 27. like drunken men full of the fury [Page 4]of the Lord, and rebukes of our God, reeling to and fro in our spirits, and staggering in our Councels; at our wits end: Par­liament at their wits end, and Citie at their wits end, and Ar­mies at their wits end; [...] All their wisdom swallowed up, as the Hebrew signifies; nonplust and lost, not knowing what to do next; unlesse it were, with the Mariners in my Text (for the most part the profanest of men) to go and cry to God in our trou­ble; Vers 28. betake our selves to our fasting and prayers; when God hath shewed himself easie to be intreated, 2 King. 20.12. very gracious at the voice of our cry, and hath brought us out of these distresses and straits wherein were, calming the storms, and stilling the waves, the pride and rage, Verse 30.the power and policie of our devouring Adver­saries.

Thus hath the Lord done, as often heretofore, so now won­derfully of late at Dartmouth and Plymouth, at Hereford, at Belvoyre, and at Chester, the Wonder of mercy which we this day celebrate.

Thus you see if I should pitch upon the Deliverance it self, here would be a foundation upon which we might build a Dis­course not unseasonable, or unsutable to the work of the day.

But it is not the Deliverance it self, but the Return, which hath called out my thoughts, and now humbly calls for your attention.

And this Return is Twofold:

• 1. What they do: Then are they glad, &c.
• 2. What they should do: O that men would praise the Lord, &c.

And to hold you in the porch no longer, though many Ob­servations might be raised from the words, I shall onely from the comparing of these two together, sc. What men do when mercies and deliverances come in, They are glad; with what they should do; O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse, &c. hold forth to you this Point of

Doctrine:

Every man in the world can be glad of mercies and deli­verances: but the duty that God expects, is, that men should praise him for his mercies.

Then are they glad: I, but that will not serve the turn; it is [Page 5]a Return of an high nature which God looks for: Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse, &c.

Or thus, if you please.

There is a great difference between Gladnesse and Thankful­nesse.

It is one thing to be glad of a mercy or deliverance; it is another thing to be thankful for it.

What that difference is, and wherein it doth consist, is all I intend to do upon the Doctrinal part of this Truth.

They differ in these four things▪ sc. in respect of their

• 1. Nature.
  The difference between Glad­nesse and Thankfulnesse
• 2. Rise or ground.
• 3. Duration.
• 4. Operation.

1. In their Nature.First, Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse differ in their Nature. Gladnesse or Joy is but a natural affection. Some of the Sto­ick Philosophers have defined or described it to be [...], Chrysippus and other Stoicks. Elatio animi propter aliquid quod optandum esse videatur; it is the lifting up, or widening, or enlargement of the heart upon the coming in of any sutable and desirable good. And it is found not onely in Psal. 105.38. Lam. 1.21. natural men, but even in the bruit creatures; even these, you see, do expresse in their way, a great deal of gladnesse and contentment when they meet with that which is sutable to their natures and dispositions.

But now Thankfulnesse, which is here commended, is a di­vine grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, whereby the heart is drawn out towards God in gracious and holy desires and endeavours to praise and exalt the Lord, who is the Author and Donor of the Mercie, as here it is expressed by this chiefest and highest act of Thankfulnesse: Oh that men would praise the Lord, &c. Let them exalt him, &c.

And therefore this is to be found onely in the Saints: Psal. 33.1. Re­joyce in the Lord, ye righteous; for praise is comely for the upright.

Let the Saints be joyful in glory; Psal. 149.5, 6. let them sing aloud upon their beds: let the high praises of God be in their mouthes, &c. they be the [Page 6] Righteous onely, the upright, the Saints, in whose bosoms this grace dwells, and who can manage this Spiritual service and duty of rejoycing and praising the Lord in a right manner.

Indeed the holy Psalmist doth often expresse the workings of his heart upon the receipt of great deliverances and mercies, under the notion of gladnesse, all over the Psalms: but you are to take it as a Synonymon, or t'other expression of thankful­nesse; not a meer stirring of natural joy and complacency in and for deliverances and mercies; but the Spiritual movings and sparkling of his aff [...]ction towards God; in witnesse whereof, you shall never sinde that notion stand single, but (like the 1 Cor. 6.17. Spirit of the holy man himself) joyned unto the Lord, either as the Author or as the Object of his Gladnesse.

I will be glad and rejoyce in thee. Psal. 9.2. And

Be glad in the Lord, Psal. 32.11. ye righteous. And

Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy work, Psal. 92.4. &c. to shew that his gladnesse was sanctified and spiritualized into the grace of Thankfulnesse.

And indeed Grace is nothing else but the natural affection baptized (as I may so say) and regenerated by the holy Ghost and the Blood of Christ, faced and pointed upon God as its pro­per and highest object. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Coloss. 3.2. Set, and Set not: the affection is not chan­ged in the matter of it, but in the object.

So natural sorrow and grief, spiritualized and set upon the right object, sc. upon an Mich. 7.9. offended God, is the grace of [...] Cor. 7.9. Repen­tance. And Anger sanct fied and faced upon Gods dishonour, is Zeal. And Love fired with a flame from Christ, and carried up in that flame to Christ, is no longer the affection, but the grace of Love; & sic in caet. And thus natural joy and gladnesse hea­venlized and set upon God, 2 Joh. 4.19. is the grace of Thankfulnesse.

And this is the first difference: Gladnesse or Joy is but a natural affection Common to good and bad, to man and beast; but Thankfulnesse is that affection sprinkled with the Blood of Christ, proper onely to the Saints, because (like the Saint himself) it is made partaker of the divine Nature. 2 Pet. 1.4.

Secondly, they differ in their Rise or Ground.

Second diffe­rence, Rise or Ground.The Rise or Ground of Gladnesse (as it is a meer natural affe­ction) is meerly the poss ssion of some sutable desirable Good which comes in, whether National, or Domestick, or Personal; toge­ther with those natural fruits and improvements which arise and grow upon it. As here in the Text, Then are they glad; what is the Rise? Because they b [...] quiet [...] they are now out of those fears and dangers which made their hearts work as tem­pestuoussy as the Sea it self. Safety and rest are the ground of their joy: glad, the storm is over and they safe in the Haven.

And so you may proportion it in your thoughts in other deliverances and mercies National or Private.

Gladnesse riseth not higher then the bulk and body of the Good it self; as the rich fool in the Gospel lookt upon his heap of wealth, and glads his soul in it, and in the advantages he promiseth himself from it:

Soul, here are goods l [...]id up for many yeers; Luke 12.19. he shall need to take no more care or thought as long as he lives; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merrie.

The Grounds of Thankful­nesse.But now the Grounds and Rise of Thankfulnesse they are of a more generous and divine Nature; such as these:

1. A Spiritual Title.First, a Spiritual and Divine Right to mercies; a Scripture­title. What is that? Why the Saints have

Fi st, a Right of Sonship. The wicked have a Right to what they have, not onely a civil right before men, but a divine right b [...]fore God; but it is but a Right of Creation; they have a right To the Creatures, but it is but a right Of the Creatures: But now th [...] S [...]ints have a right of Sonship; If children, Rom. 8.17. then heirs of God, and joynt heirs with Christ. Whatever mercy or deliverance they have, it is part of their childes portion: though they are not joynt-purchasers, yet they are joynt-heirs with Jesus Christ: they have all by inheritance: Heb. 1.2. as Christ is Heir of all things; so they in him;

All is you [...]s, and you are Christs; and Christ is Gods. 1 Cor. 3.22, 23.

And thus [...]eing Children and Heirs, they have a

Seco [...]d Right, and that is a Right of Promise or Covenant; and therefore Believers are call'd The children of promise, Rom. 9.8. because they be both 2 Pet. 1.4. begotten and 1 Tim. 4.8. m [...]int [...]in'd by promise: whatever they have, they have by promise: Godlinesse is profitable for all [Page 8]things, having the promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come. Others are fed out of the Common basket of Provi­dence; they are fed out of the Ark of the Covenant, which is the great List of the promises. Every childe of God, be he never so poor, is served in Plate: The words of the Lord are pure words, as Silver tried in a furnace of earth. He speaks of the word of promise. Psal. 12.6. So that if it be but bread and water, yet it is ser­ved in to a childe of God in the silver and golden vessels of the Promises: And this affects them more then all the bulk and heap of mercies and comforts which they do possesse, or that worldlings do possesse.

Thou hast put more gladnesse into my heart then in the time that their corn and their wine encreased. Psal. 4.7. How? Why, by the shines of his face and favour, as Vers. 7.

This is the Rise of a gracious Joy and Thankfulnesse, That what he hath, he hath not onely by Gods leave, but with Gods love; not by Creatureship onely, but by Sonship; not by pro­vidence onely, but by promise. With the men of the world, the Principal is more then the Interest: but every childe of God accounts his Interest more then the Principal. Therefore you shall finde the Church glorying in this, That all her de­liverances and mercies are Covenant-mercies. If God destroy her enemies, she looks upon it as a fruit of the Covenant.

He is the Lord our God; his judgements are in all the world.

She triumphs in the execution of Gods righteous judgements upon the enemies of the Church; Psal. 105.7. but upon what ground? It follows,

He hath remembred his Covenant for ever, &c. It was a deli­verance of Promise as well as of Providence; a Covenant-mer­cie; in that she rejoyceth: Vers. 8. yea, if it be but bread and water, as I said before, she looks in what it is served.

He hath given meat to them that fear him: Why?

He will be ever mindful of his Covenant. Psal. 111.5.

Her meat (how course soever) was served in in the great silver Cha [...]ger of the Covenant. And this was the rise of Thankfulnesse in the Churches Grace; q. d. Blessed be God that hath fed me with bread of promise, that hath commanded his Cove­nant to bring me in provision.

And so for her deliverances and redemption from enemies temporal and eternal. He sent Redemption to his people, Verse 9. he hath commanded his Covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his Name. It was a Covenant-victorie and Redemption, and for this she bows her head, and adores the Name of the Lord.

Now carnal people never look after these things, they be dry and empty notions to them; give them meat, so it be fat and dainty; give them Deliverances and Victories, so they be full and gallant; be it by promise or providence, come they in by sonship or creatureship; be it the Covenant that helps them, or Fortune, it is all one, they know no difference; and therefore rise no higher in their joy and gladnesse then the possession of their desirable good things. This is the first Rise.

Second Ground, Re­turn of Prayer.A Second Rise of Thankfulnesse is, The Return of Prayer.

The children of God, when they have pray'd, do not forget their prayers, as carnal people do: but when they have prayed, they look after their Prayers. Psal. 85.8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak, &c. when he had done praying, he begins hearkning. And so again, In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, Psal. 5.3. and I will look up. A childe of God looks after his prayers, and he knows them when he sees them again, and says, Oh here comes the answer of such a prayer, the return of such a day of Humiliation: and this affects his heart, and this raiseth up his soul in the love and praises of God. Psal. 116.1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplication. Yea, and for this he calls in help to this great work of praising God (as the disciples beckoned to their fellows to come and help them when they had taken such a great draught of fishes, that their ship began to sink again: so I say the Psalmist upon a great draught of mercles, which even sinks him again with the weight of them, calls in the Saints to his help: Come neer, all ye that fear God, Psal. 66.16. and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. Why, what was it? He tells you: I cried unto him with my mouth, Vers. 17. and he was extolled with my tongue. A speedie return of Prayer; q.d. I kept a day of prayer, wherein I sought him for such ahd such mercies and de­siverances, and anon after he gave me occasion to keep a day of Thanksgiving for being found of me: and this endears his heart to God more then the mercy it self, whatever it was.

Blessed be God that hath not turned away my prayer, Vers. 20. nor his mer­cie from me.

This is the second Rise.

A third Rise or Ground of Thankfulnesse, whereby it differs from meer natural Gladnesse, A third Ground, Spiri­tual advan­tages. is

Spiritual Advantages.

If National and Publike Mercies and Deliverances, the Saints eye the Spiritual part of them.

Surely salvation is nigh unto them that fear him. Psal. 85.9. When we were nigh to perishing, our God was nigh to save; to save us in such a Battel and in such a danger; to give up such and such a strong-hold out of which the enemies did vex and plague us, because he had a people among us that feared his Name. I, but now there was a Spiritual part in this Deliverance, and that follows:

That glory may dwell in our Land: What is the glory of a people, but the Ordinances of God? The glory is departed from Israel, cried that dying Saint when the Ark of God was taken: 1 Sam 4.12. why so now, the Church looks upon the socuritie and improvement of the Ordinances of God, as the fruit of this deliverance, and that is the ground of her triumph.

And so if they be personal mercies and deliverances, the people of. God enquire what portion will fall to the souls share, what improvement for grace they can finde in their mercies. The living, the living shall praise thee, as I do this day; so sings Hezekiah.

Have mercie upon me, Isa. 38.19. O Lord, consider my trouble which I suffer, Psal. 9.13, &c.

14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion; so prays David: both, single out the Spiritual part of the Deliverance: in the mouth of it, they finde food for the grace of Thankfulnesse to feed on: That I may shew forth thy praises; and that they make the ground or rise of their rejoy­cing. Yea, the Prophet David is so intent upon the matter, that whereas with carnal hearts the lean kine eat up the fat, the earthly part of a mercy devours the heavenly and spiritual; with this man after Gods own heart (and if ever he was so, it was in this) the spiritual part devours and swallows up the earthly, where he doth encourage his soul: Psal. 42.1. Hope thou in God; for I [Page 11]shall yet praise him, &c. He was waiting for a Deliverance from the persecutions of bloody Saul, and he hath forgot and lost both it and himself in the heavenly-soul-part of the mercy: he saw it would be fuel for the grace of love and thank fulnesse, and that so takes up all his thoughts, that he can speak nothing else but praise, praise: not, I shall yet be delivered: but, I shall yet praise him, &c. Oh happie Losse indeed I to lose Earth in Heaven I to lose the Creature in God I lose the mercy of God in the God of mercy I Surely he that so loseth a mercy, findes it with infinite advantage.

I might instance in more particular graces; but I must leave much to your own enlargement.

But there is yet an higher Rise then all these of the Saints

Thankfulnesse for Mercies and Deliverances; and that

Fourthly, is, that God is exalted. The fourth Rise, Gods exaltation. Exod. 15.

Thus if you will peruse that song of Moses, Exod. 15, from the first Verse and so forward, you shall finde that which most affects him and the children of Israel, in the drowning of Pharroh and the Egyptians in the Red-sea, was not so much their being freed from the fear of the Egyptians pursuit, as that thereby God was exalted: I will sing unto the Lord; Vers. 1. for He hath triumphed gloriously.

The Lord is my strength and my song, my fathers God; Vers. 2. and I will praise him. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the Sea: not so much that it was done, as that God did it.

Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: Vers. 6. thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed the enemies in pieces.

And in the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee. Vers. 7.

The blast of thy nostrils, &c. Vers. 8.

Thou didst blowe with thy winde, &c. Vers. 10.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods! And The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. Vers. 18.

Thus they lift up God, because he hath lifted up himself. And so the Saints in the Revelation, when they repeat this Song (for it is said, Rev. 15.3. They sang the song of Moses the Servant of the Lord) they harp upon this string, Great and marvellous are thy works, Vers. 4. Lord God Almighty: who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorifio thy Name?

In a word, you have three Psalms almost together; Psalm 93, 97, and 99: what the Victories and Deliverances were, I cannot tell you; but this is the triumph in all, The Lord reigneth.

This is the last and the highest Rise of pure Thankfulnesse and Praise, That God sets himself up above his enemies: That the Lord gets glory and greatnesse to his own Name:

Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thine own strength; so will we sing and praise thy power. Psal. 21.13.

I come now to the third difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse, which is this;

They differ in their Duration. Third Diffe­rence, Durati­on.

Gladnesse for the most part is but a present impetus of spirit, a sudden impression upon the first arrival of un-expected, or long- [...]xpected desires, overspreads the heart; but stays no longer then the sense of the good rejoyced in is fresh upon the spirit.

As on the contrary, Nullum violen­tum est perpetu­um. you see there be some sudden gusts and irruptions of grief which like a land-flood lays all under wa­ter, but are quickly gone.

Mercies and Deliverances to a carnal heart are like flowers that upon their first cutting smell very sweet, and they are put then in the bosom: or like Tulips, which upon the first ga­thering are very betutiful and delightful to the eye, and serve a day or two to discourse on; but anon after, they grow stale, and out they go to the dung-hill.

The holy Ghost hath compared this kinde of Gladnesse to the crackling of thorns: As the crackling of thorns under a pot, Eccles. 7.6. so is the laughter of a fool. I think I do carnal people no wrong in expounding this Text over their joy; for in Scri­pture-sense, all natural men are fools, and their gladnesse and joy shews them to be so; there is no solidnesse nor duration in it; it is like the crackling of thorns, is makes a great noise, but is quickly out.

But now Thankfulnesse or Spiritual rejoycing is longer li­ved by far; and therefore you shall finde God charging the memories of his people with the keeping of all the passages [Page 31]of his love and providence; Deut. 8.2. Thou shalt remember all the way wherein the Lord thy God led thee these fourty yeers in the wilder­nesse, a great work certainly, we see it is no easie matter to remember all the way wherein the Lord hath led us these four yeers; what is it to remember the mercies of fourtie yeers! yet as great as it is, as God doth charge it upon his people, so David chargeth himself with it:

Blesse the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

One ingredient into Thankfulnesse, is a good memory, Psal. 103.2. which like the Ark must preserve the rod, and the pot of manna, and the Law; the Fatherly Corrections, the Miraculous Provisions, and the glorious Ordinances where with God blesseth his people.

And it seems David studied his charge so well, that in answer thereunto he undertakes with God: I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being. Psal. 104.33. his Thankfulnesse is as long lived as himself, it knew no other termination then life it self: yea, life must not bound his praise; I will praise thee for ever; Psal. 52.9. that is his engagement to God; and if that be too narrow, he will put an ever at the top of that ever; Psal. 145.1. I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever; nothing short of eternity shall terminate his Thankfulnesse: the Reason is, because (as you have seen) Thank­fulnesse takes its Rise from durable and unchangeable grounds; the Covenant of God, and his glory, which like himself are eter­nal, and immutable: He hath commanded his Covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his Name, and therefore it self is unchange­able and eternal.

This shall suffice for the third; I come to the fourth Dif­ference.

They differ in their Operations or Returns.

Truely as the Rise, Fourth Diffe­rence, Opera­tions. so the Operations of meer carnal joy and gladnesse are lowe, earthly, sensual; like culinary fire or smoke, which seems to aspire and ascend up to heaven, or, the element of fire; but gets not above the first region of the air: or like a lazie thick fogg, which if it move upward a little, it falls pre­sently down again with its own weight to the earth, from whence it arose: So it is with natural joy and gladnesse: For,

First, either it is bounded and terminated within it self, Carnal joy sets up 1. Self. whilest upon the coming in of some desired or desirable good, [Page 14]it doth hugg it self, Hab. 1.16. and blesse it self: It sacrificeth to its own net, and burns incense to its own dragg; i.e. ascribes to its own power, and policy, and wisedom, what is done, like the Babylonian Ty­rant; By the multitude of my Charets am I come up to the height of the mountains, and the sides of his Carmel, &c. and I have digged and drunk water, and with the soles of my feet have I dried up all the Rivers of the besieged places. Here is nothing to be heard but I, and mine; and so all the Returns are dedicated to self: put on fine apparel, dresse as brave as the Sun, eat the fat, drink wine in bowls, dance to the instruments of Musick, set open the Cellar-doors, drink so many hogs-heads empty, and their own full; this is an Oxford-day of Thanksgiving, and I would such days were onely kept there; I would this were onely the Thanksgiving of Cavaliers.

But secondly, 2. Instruments if a carnal heart go out of it self, it is not upward; it is but forward to the Creature: it looks no high­er then the second causes; it eyes the Instruments, and cries up Commanders and Souldiers, and puts the bays and garland upon their heads; Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. God hath little or no share in the triumph.

Or thirdly, 3. Rests in du­ties. if carnal Joy keep a day or Thanksgiving as the very Philistines did so much, when that strong Garison, Sam­son, was surrendred up into their hands, and offered a great Sa­crifice to Dagon their god, Judg. 16.23. &c. I say, If Carnal joy go into the Temple, hear Sermons, sing Psalms, lift up the voice in Thanks­giving, in all these it gets no higher then the dutie. The dutie looks upon God, the heart doth not: or if God be propounded, God is not exalted: When ye fasted, &c. did ye at all fast unto me, Zech. 7.5. even unto me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat to your selves, and drink to your selves? In fasting and feasting, that is, in days of Humiliation and in days of Thanksgiving, they rested the in duty: self was uppermost in both: God was the object of the duty indeed, but self was the end: Ye did eat and drink to your selves.

And when the dutie is done, all is done: the Fasting of car­nal people is but the holding downn the head like a bulrush for a day, and their Thanksgivings are but the holdi [...]g up the head like a reed for a day.

Nothing outlives the day or the dutie. Publike Duties are are the end of the carnal mans rejoycing: they are but the Me­dium of the holy mans rejoycing, that serves to advance him for further and higher Returns.

Springs, we say, will rise as high as they fall; and so doth the Saints Thankfulnesse: as it is a grace which comes down from heaven; so it is a grace that ascendeth up back again to heaven, True Thank­fulnesse works it self out, and carrieth up the soul with it thither: and that

1. In exalting God.1. In high admirations and exaltations of God. I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up: thou hast lifted me up, and therefore I will lift thee up; Psal. 30.1. and he calls in others to help him in this great work; O magnifie the Lord with me, Psal. 34.3. and let us exalt his Name together. And this is the duty the Psalmist here commends to the sons of men; O that men would praise the Lord: Let them exalt him also in the Congregation of the peo­ple, and praise him in the Assemblie of the Elders.

He would have God more exalted, and man lesse.

Secondly, it works heaven-ward and God-ward in holie prayer: David got safe to the Crown thorow all his wars, 2. In Prayer. and troubles, and persecutions, resolves by way of Render, Psal. 116.13. I will call upon the Name of the Lord: and, to binde the Sacrifice with Cords to the horns of the Altar, he doubles the engage­ment upon his own soul, Vers. 17. I will offer to thee the Sacri­fice of Thanksgiving, and call upon the Name of the Lord. One would have thought he might now have given over praying; God had put an end to his troubles, and he might put an end to his prayers: nay, but that is the note of an Hypocrite, to cease praying when troubles cease. What is the hope of the hypocrite? &c. Will he always call upon God? No, Job 27.10. there be two times when the Hypocrite will not call upon God: First, when troubles are too heavie: Secondly, when troubles are re­moved; despair will not suffer him to pray then, and lazinesse will not let him pray now. With the truely-thankful it is other wise: as prayer begets deliverance; so deliverance begets prayer; and so he shews that it is not necessitie makes him pray onely, but love. Love to prayer, and love to the God of prayer.

That is a third thing wherein his Thankfulnesse operates, 3. In love. sc. [Page 16]Love; it carries out the heart in exceeding love to God. I will love thee, Psal. 18.1. Title. O Lord my strength, &c. so sings David, in the day that the Lord had delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And this Love the Saints expresse in these three ways especially:

1. In labouring to know more of God: after God had done so many miracles and wonders for Israel, Moses presents God with this Petition:

I beseech thee shew me thy glory. Exod. 33.18.

He had seen much of the wonders of God; now his love is fired with desires of seeing the God of these wonders. He would fain be acquainted with that God which did all those wonders.

2. In labouring to enjoy more of God, to have him for their God. Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: I, but that will not serve the turn: Psal. 86.10. Teach me thy way, O Lord, unite my heart to thee to fear thy Name: Vers. 11. he would know the way to God, that he might enjoy more communion with God. Ʋnite my heart, &c. not the things of God, but God himself, will con­tent a thankful heart; as Luther profest to God when the Prin­ces and States of Germanie sent him a whole Table full of Plate; Lord, saith he, thou shalt not turn me off with these things. A gracious heart could take little comfort in Victories and Deli­verances, and other comforts, unlesse the God of those Victo­ries and Comforts were his too.

And therefore thirdly, this love doth expresse it self in glorying in God: So the Church in that Psalm of Thanksgi­ving, Psal. 48, Psal. 48.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13. when she had told all the world the great Vi­ctories God had given by Land and Sea; how he had routed mighty Kings and Princes, and made them glad to betake them­selves to their heels; they came, and so went home again: af­ter she had led the Spectator round about the Line of Commu­nication, and invited him to behold the beautie and strength of her Towers and Fortifications; she concludes the Psalm with this triumph, as that which infinitely transcended all the rest: This God is our God for ever and ever; Verse 14.

The God that hath done all these wonders, is my God. She glories not so much in the Victories God had given her, as in in­terest in the God of those Victories.

Well, that is the third thing wherein Thankfulnesse acts, Love to God. The

Fourthly, Self-denial.Fourth is, Self-denial for Gods sake: And after all this is come upon us, since our God hath punisht us lesse then our iniquities deserve, and hath given us such deliverance as this; Exra 9.13.14. should we again break thy Commandments? so argued thankful Ezra. I tell you, Sirs, there is more Thankfulnesse in one act of Self-de­nial, then in twenty days of Thanksgiving.

Fifthly, in Payment of VowsFifthly, true Thankfulnesse works God-ward, in payment of vows: What shall I render, saith David? I will pay my vows. And again, vers. 18, I will pay my vows; to shew he would be much, and watchful, Psal. 116.14. and exact in that Return of Thankful­nesse: And doubtlesse it is as proper a return as any; for all the mercies of God to his people, whether National or Personal, whether Victories or Supplies, they are all the making good of his Covenant to them, as I have shewed Vide pag. 8. before: He will ever be mindful of his Covenant; and therefore the sutablest Return that we can make, is the making good our Covenant to God; the payment of our Vows to him: Thy vows are upon me, Psal. 56.12. I will render praises eo thee.

Sixthly, in Be­lieving.Sixthly, in believing: Let God deliver a thankful heart, and it will trust him another time: And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, Exod. 14.31. and the people believed the Lord, and his servant Moses: that was a thankful Return indeed: a people or person cannot more honour God, then by believing on him. Abrabam was strong in faith, Rom. 4.20. giving glory to God. God did this great work upon the Egyptians, on pur­pose that they might believe him ever after. The Psalmist ob­serve it; Thou breakest the heads of the Dragons in the Waters; Psal. 74.14. Thou brakest the head of the Leviathan in pieces. Who was that Leviathan? who were these Dragons? Surely none other but Pharaoh and his Armie, as huge as the Leviathan, as fierce as Dragons: Oh they had stings in their heads; I, but God brake their heads, and quencht their stings in the waters: To what end? Thou gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting in the wildernesse. What, did the Israelites powder up the carcases of these Leviathans and Dragons, the Egyptians, to serve them for Victuals while they kept Lent in the Wildernesse? No, he [Page 18]gave them to be meat; not food for their bodies, but food for their faith; that as long as they should travel in the wilder­nesse, where they should meet with innumerable multitudes of nonplussing oppositions and dangers, they might remember the Dragons and the Leviathan (as David after did the Lion and the Bear) and their faith might be strengthned when it had fed well on the remembrance of that wonder of salvation. And so it was for the present; Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians; and they believed the Lord and his servant Moses: a blessed frame of heart and fruit of Thank­fulnesse, would it have held: but there was their folly and un­thankfulnesse; they would not feed upon this experience, and it became their sin and their ruine in the wildernesse. How long will this people provoke me? Numb. 14.11. how long will it be ere they be­lieve me for all the signes which I have shewed them in the wilder­nesse?

In this Wildernesse they shall wander, Verse 33. and there they shall die.

But to proceed.

Seventhly, in ordering the conversation. Psal. 50. ult.A Seventh operation of Thankfulnesse is, A well-ordering of the Conversation: He that offereth me praise, glorifieth me: but to him that ordereth his conversation aright, &c. It is a kinde of honour done to God, to keep a day of Thanksgiving, to hear two Sermons, to sing Psalms, to pray and praise, &c. but the main work is the ordering of the Conversation, or, as the Hebrew signifies, disposing of ones way aright. Thankful lips do well, but thankful lives do better. A day of thanksgiving is somwhat, but a life of thanksgiving is all.

Eighthly, in desires that others would praise God.Eighthy a thankful heart is fill'd with enlarged desires that others, that all would be thankful. The holy Psalmist here cries out to all that receive mercies, that they would return praise [...], &c. He observeth how much men take in from God, and how little men lay out for God, and is troubled at it. He cries out as a man in pain and grief of spirit, Oh that men would praise the Lord! He would not willingly have God be a loser by any of the wonders he doth for the children of men: and surely this an high expression of Thankfulnesse, when the heart travels with holy desires that all the world might come in and be tributary to the glory of God: it is the designe of the [Page 19]148 Psalm thorowout, the thankful Psalmist engageth heaven and earth, Angels and men, the whole Creation to come in and help him keep a day of Thanksgiving. A gracious heart doth not think it enough to praise God alone; though it would be prai­sing God, were there none in heaven or earth to bear it company.

To that end,

Ninthly, Ninthly, in talking of Gods works. sal P. 145. 10, 11, 12. a thankful heart delights to be talking of the won­derful works of God. Thy Saints shall blesse thee, they shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, to make known to the sons of men thy mighty acts. And the Psalmist doth not intend to binde this burden upon others, that he might might withdraw his own shoulders; no, he looks upon it as a priviledge as well as a dutie, and therefore engageth himself: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majestie, Verse 5. and of thy won­drous works. A gracious heart delights to be spreading and publishing of the wonderful works of God, repeating and reckoning up all his loving kindnesses: I will mention the lo­ving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, Isa. 63.7. according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on me, and the great goodnesse re­wards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them, accord­ing to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses: so sings the Church, Isa. 63.7. And this the Saints do, to the end that they may not onely provoke one another to set forth his praises, but that they may render their God glorious to all the world, and propagate and perpetuate the memory of his wonderful works to all generations: One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mightie acts: that is, one generation shall make over the report and memori­al of the glorious cts of God unto another; that so he may have the glory of what he doth in one age, in all the suc­ceeding ages and generations of the Church to the end of the world: Psal. 78.5. This was the testimonie which the Lord established in Jacob, and the Law which he appointed in Israel; That they should make known to their children the strength and the wonder­ful works which God hath done; to what end? That the ge­neration to come might know them, Verse 6. even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children, &c. according to this Law your may finde them acting, Vers. 2, 3, 4.

Verse 2. I will open my mouth, I will utter darksayings of old,

Verse 3. Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Verse 4. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the gene­ration to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

They had received the memorial of the wonders of God from their fathers, and they will hand it down to their chil­dren, that the wonders of God might be as eternal as the God of those wonders. And to that end,

Tenthly, in longing to praise God in heaven.Tenthly and lastly, gracious spirits, in laid and enamel'd with Thankfulnesse, because they can live but a while to praise God on earth, and their generations too shall not continue after them for ever, to do this work, therefore they breathe after hea­ven, where in the presence of God their praises shall be perfe­cted and perpetuated here, they are weak, weary, full of natu­ral and sinful mixtures and defilements; there, they shall be vi­gorous, active, pure, perfect, as unchangeable, as interminable as eternitie it self.

They rest not day and night, Revel. 8.4. saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almightie, which was, and is, and is to come.

Thankfulnesse is a pure flame of a restlesse motion, ever mounting upward till it come to its element, the Quire of Saints and Angels in heaven, where it shall sing everlasting Hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb; where it shall keep a day of Thanksgiving that shall never know an evening.

And thus have I done with the fourth and last difference between Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse, sc. their operations, and so with the whole Doctrinal part of my Discourse.

I should now come to improve it to Ʋse and Application; two ways especially:

• 1. By way of an Examination,
• 2. By way of Direction.

But truely the very opening of the Doctrine unto you, hath done both these already to your hands, or at least furnisht you with materials upon which you may do both your selves.

Take this Model or Platform of true Thankfulnesse, lay it before you, operate upon it in your serious and impartial [Page 21]thoughts; and if you would know whether you are a thankful peo­ple or no, you may easily resolve into an Ʋse of Examination, while every branch under all these four heads of differences will serve you as Note of Trial, whereby you may make some Judge­ment upon the question Whether you do more then others of the world, in this great work of Thankfulnesse. And if you would know how you might be thankful, set this Model in your eye, and it will serve you as Directory, wherein every branch (again) will be a Rule whereby you may form and proportion your Thankfulnesse according to the Word, and the example of those Saints who have excell'd in this grace and duty of Thank­fulnesse.

Truely, Honourable and Beloved, you had need to do it, and to do it with your best and purest intentions: for I professe to you, the most, not most of men onely, but of Christians, do wofully mistake both this duty and themselves too.

The world, yea, the greatest part of the Gospel-world, is ex­tremely out in this great businesse of Thankfulnesse. It is sad and fearful to observe, with what skins, and shadows, and (almost) mockeries God is turn'd off, in stead of this pure, holy, spiritual, active grace and duty of Thankfulnesse: God looks for praise, and we turn him off with a natural, lazie, selfish Gladnesse. Some haply go not so far, but like the elder Brother in the Go­spel stand murmuring & quarrelling without, whilst in our Fathers house there is feasting and musick. Many malignant spirits there be who fret, and repine, and gnash their teeth at the glorious Successes wherewith God hath been pleased to crown the out­goings of his servants and people in these later days.

But truely that sads not my spirit so much, as to see a people whom God hath strived to endear unto himself by so many mi­racles of preservation, Deliverances and Victories, to mock God out of his praise, and themselves (at length) out of their mercies. Surely we may weep over our Deliverances, and turn our days of Thanksgiving into days of mourning and lamentati­on, to consider how we dally with God, and put him off with a few empty, formal Complements, in stead of that real, and spi­ritual, and vital dutie which he expects and deserves at our hands.

And therefore I said, when I heard I was designed to the ser­vice of this day I will not stand to analyse this mercie, nor take in pieces this work of God, the surrender of that strong im­pregnable Hold of Chester, though very great, and worthy to be sought out by all them that take pleasure in the works of the Lord; but I will tell the Parliament, and tell the Kingdom, what it is to be thankful, that they may see how much they are mista­ken, and what wrath hangs over our heads for the carnality, rottennesse, hypocrisie of our rejoycings over all the wonders which God hath done for England.

And therefore, Noble Senators, and all you that stand before God this day, or to whom the words of this day may come, sit down I beseech you, seriously examine your selves by, and compare your selves with this Model of Thankfulnesse held forth to you this day, and see whether indeed you do come up to the Law of that Service, which all the wonders that God hath done for you, doth call for at your hands; and what course you are to take for the preventing and averting of that wrath which I am afraid is gone forth against us for this thing.

I cannot stand to convince you by each particular in this Model.

Give me leave to single out but one branch, and to deal faithfully with you in that particular; it is a main one, and such as will include many other.

It is the fifth branch of the fourth head of Difference be­tween Gladnesse and Thankfulnesse: namely.

Paying of Vows, or keeping of Covenant with God.

Noble Patriots, and all you that come hither to keep a day of Thanksgiving to God this day; come on, set up tribunals, and place Conscience thereon as an impartial Judge, to keep a little day of Judgement in your bosoms this day: We must all appear before the Judgemedt-seat of Christ one day; 2 Cor. 5.10. and how soon, the Lord onely knows: Come, start not back; better judge our selves then be judged of the Lord: If we cannot stand before our own Consciences, how shall we be able to stand before that Judge who is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things; 1 Joh. 3.20. the great-heart-maker, and the great-heart-sear­cher.

Come on then, I say, and see whether in this one branch of Thankfulnesse we can approve our selves to God to be a thank­ful people.

I will not ravel into your bosoms to enquire with what dispositions of spirit, upon what grounds and interests; to what ends and references you entred into the Solemn League and Co­venant; though I wish with all my heart that you would; per­haps you would finde a pad in the straw; in your entrance into this Covenant, possibly you may discover rashnesse in opposi­tion to judgement; hypocrisie, in opposition to truth and since­rity; it may be, base, lowe, carnal ends and aims, in opposition to Righteousnesse, which are the Qualifications of a religious Covenanter; Jer. 4.2. perhaps such workings of heart as sometimes brought the Sichemites into Covenant with the sons of Jacob; Gen. 34.23. Shall not their cattel, and their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours? &c. perhaps the gaining of such an office, securing the estate, the keeping of such a Living, was in the eye, &c. Oh let the Kingdoms enquire into this, and let every man look into his own heart: for if it were so, know of a certin, that this was first source and fountain of all that sin and mischief which hath broken in upon us since the day of our Covenanting with God and with one another. But this I leave: the thing that I would close upon with your Consciences, is this: How have you kept your Covenant with God?

Men and Brethren, have ye paid your vows unto the Lord, the Vows which ye uttered in this place in the day wherein you lifted up your hands to the most high God?

If you shall say, Yea, we have paid our Vows, and (with Saul) We have obeyed the voice of the Lord; let me demand, with Samuel, What means then the lowing of the oxen, and the bleating of the sheep in mine ears? What means that brutish, and beastly noise of Heresie, and Schism, and Profanenesse in mine ears?

Did ye not indeed Covenant with God the preservation of Religion in the Church of Scotland, &c. and the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, in Do­ctrine, Worship, Discipline and Government, according to the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed Churches? [Page 24]Oh what is the reason then that to this day, the House of God lieth waste? in some places there being no Ministery for want of Ordination; in others, indeed in all places, there being no Discipline or Government for want of a Rule according to the Word: no Discipline, I say, unlesse it be amongst those whose impatient zeal suffers them not to wait for your civil Sancti­on. Will ye say The time is not come; Hagg. 1.2. the time for building the Lords House is not come? I cannot give you the Prophets an­swer; I must confesse you have not spent your time in building your own houses, and ceiling them; nay, some of your houses have been pull'd down to the ground, and the ceiling destroyed with axes and hammers, in the Psalmists language: But this I pray with all my soul, that you have not said so, long; The time is not come, the time is not come, we are not yet in a fitting po­sture, (Oh, my soul trembles to speak it) till God say The time is past, The time is past: Because I would have purged, and thou wast not purged; Ezek. 241.3. thou shalt not be purged; thou shalt not be purged from thy silthinesse any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. Oh, if the Lord should speak such a word against us, England is undone for ever. I am much afraid, if you time it out sse any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. Oh, if the Lord should speak such a word against us, England is undone for ever. I am much afraid, if you time it out a little longer, you will have no mate­rials to build the Lords house withal, unlesse you will build it with the shrubs and thorns of the wildernesse.

But further, how comes it to passe, I beseech you, since you are under the Covenant of God, to reform according to the Word, and example of the best Reformed Churches, that some are so startled at the very mention of such a Clause, According to the Word of God, and example of the best Reformed Churches, as if they saw a monster, some hideous apparition which had in it the face of Treason and Blasphemie?

But I must proceed. Have you not Covenanted to extir­pate Superstition, Heresie, Schism, Profanenesse, and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godli­nesse &c.? How comes it to passe then that these abound more then ever they did, and that under your Noses? while there is such a numerous encrease of Errours and Heresies, as I blush to repeat what some have affirmed; namely, that there be no Isse then One hundred and eighty several Heresies propagated [Page 25]and spread in this neighbouring Citie, which hitherto hath been so famous for soundnesse of Doctrine and the power of godlinesse: and many of them also of such a nature, as that I may say, in Galvin's language, The Errours and Innovations under which we so much groaned of later yeers, were but tolerabiles ineptiae, tolerable trisles, childrens play, compared with these damna­ble Doctrines, Doctrines of devils as the Apostle calls them: Polygamy, Arbitrary Divorce, Mortality of the Soul, No Mini­stery, no Churches, No Ordinances, No Scripture; yea, the very Divinity of Christ and the holy Ghost questioned by some, deni­ed by others: And the very foundation of all these laid in such a Schism of boundlesse liberty of Conscience, viz. Believe what you will, and preach what you believe, and such lawlesse Separa­tion of Churches; and all these not onely whispered in corners, but preacht on the house top, yea, published in Print before your faces with so much virulency and impudence, that I ve­rily believe no Age since the Apostles times could ever pa­rallel.

Fathers and Brethren, Acts 18.17. how will you call this Keeping of Co­venant with God? Had we a Parliament of Apostate Julians, August. Epist 166. of whom it is reported, that at what time he opened the Tem­ples of the Heathenish gods, he set open the Christian Churches; call'd home all the Christians whom he had banisht, both Or­thodox and Heretick, and gave them, as we call it, Liberty of conscience; but as Austin more truely phraseth it, Libertatem perditionis, Liberty to destroy themselves; Eo modo putans Christianum ne­men posse perire de terris, &c. for that was his po­licie and end, namely, by liberty of all Religions to destroy the true, and the professors thereof too: or had we a Parliament of carelesse Gallio's, we should not wonder: but for a Parlia­ment of Christians, Protestants, Professors, the choisest, the most active that could be cull'd out of a Christian State, the like not under heaven; that these things should be done, and you hold your peace, and be able to keep your places, and not to put on righteousnesse as a brestplate, Isa. 59.17. and the garments of venge­ance for your clothing, as it is said of God; this makes the Chur­ches abroad to wonder what England's Parliament is a doing; and all at home that love the Lord Jesus Christ more then their own interests and notions, to be fill'd with unspeakable trem­bling [Page 26]and astoshnishment, to wit, what God means to do with this poor bleeding Church and State. But further:

Have we not lifted up our hands to the most high God, to amend our lives, and each one to go before another in the example of a real Reformation? Ah God, where is it to be found? Is not the drunkard a drunkard still; and the swearer a swearer still; and the adulterer an adulterer still? &c. and Oh that I could but say with the Apostle, Such were some of you. Yea, what an improvement of wickednesse is there in the Kingdom? as if the Covenant had blasted mens consciences, not their corrupti­ons.

But, that which is yet worse then all this, is, that this holy Covenant is become amongst many, a brand of infamy, a Cain's mark almost: Would ye stigmatize a man (in some places) to purpose? call him a Covenanter: He, he will take the Cove­nant. Ah Lord! it is able to make ones hair stand upright, to see what dirt and mire is cast into the face of this holy Cove­nant: Surely never was Covenant so abused, scorned, and trampled under foot as this is: and happie were we, if it were by the wicked and profane malignant party onely. Ah how many have dealt with the Covenant, as the Scribes and Pharisees of old did, and the Antinomians of this age do with the Law of God, make it void, through their distinctions and glosses which they have put upon it? How many deal with it as the Papists do with the Scriptures, make it a nose of Wax and [...] Leaden rule; a two-faced picture, an Any thing to serve their own turns? Do we thus requite God, Oh foolish peo­ple and unwise!

Well, Sirs, we pray for the King's conversion, and talk of his coming home; but there is a place of Scripture sounds dread­fully in mine ears: For now shall they say, We have no king. When should Israel say so? Hos. 10.3. Surely when Zed [...]kiah was carried Captive into Babylon; of which you may read, 2 King. 24 15, 16, 17. and Chap. 25 7. They slow the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters of brasse, and carried him to Babylon. Then did Israel cry We have no King: Alas, alas, they have put out the eyes of his Majestie, and carried him away captive: our King is in Babylon, among [Page 27] Idolaters and Murderers: We have no King, and it is just with God it should be so, because we feared not the Lord; we first cast off God, before our King did cast off us: we would not have God to be our King, and therefore he would not suffer our King to be our god: We have no King, because we feared not the Lord. And wherein did this fearlesness of God appear? It fellows, Vers. 4. They have spoken words swearing falsly in making a Co­venant. What Covenant was that? Vers. 4. Some refer it to the Pro­phecies of the false Prophets, who though they prophesied lyes to the people, a vision of their own head, yet they were so sacri­legiously impudent as to father their lyes upon God, by setting his seal to their Prophecies, the form of oath which God him­self did use, As I live, saith the Lord.

Others refer these words to the Covenant which God threa­tens to disannul, The Covenant they made with death and hell. Isa. 28.18.

But I conceive with others, the words do relate either to the Covenant which Zedekiah and the people made with the King of Babylon to serve him, and become his Vassals, of which you may read, Ezek. 17.12, 13, 14. The King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the King thereof, Ezek. 17.12, 13, 13. &c. and made a Cove­nant with him, and hath taken an Oath of him, that the Kingdom might be base, i. e. be in subjection to the King of Babylon. This Covenant Zedekiah, and the Princes, and the people had solemnly confirmed both by Oath, and by lifting up or striking hand, vers. 18.

Or else the words may relate to that other Covenant which Zedekiah, the Princes, the Priests, and the People of Judah had made with God, while this Captivity was yet threatned, Jer. 34.2, 3, 14, 15, 19. concerning the letting of their servants go free at the end of Seven yeers, according to the Law: Exod. 21.2. And ye were now tur­ned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a Covenant before me in the house which is called by my Name. I say, To either or both of these Covenants, may the words refer; for in both these they sware falsly, not in regard of the matter of the Cove­nant [...] for it was lawful and good: but in respect of their ma­naging of it: Thoy have spoken words swearing falsly: there was nothing but words to be found in their covenanting; they were [Page 28]not real and substantial with God in this solemn Service; they brake their Covenant assoon as they had made it; that was their swearing falsly: so you may finde it laid to their charge in the former places: Jer. 34.16. Ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, &c. but ye turned and polluted my Name, and caused every man his servant and every man his handmaid to return, and brought them into subjection. Ye were turned, but ye turned: here is one turn too much: In the first turn, they made a Covenant with God; Verse 18. in the second, they brake it: I will give the men that have transgressed my Covenant, which have not performed the words of the Covenant which they had made before me.

And no better dealt they in the Covenant they made with the King of Babylon, Ezek. 17.15, 16. to become his servants: He rebelled against him, &c. He brake the Covenant; He despised the Oath, and he brake the Covenant. And so again, vers. 18.

And the breach of both these Covenants is aggravated from the Author of this Service; Deut 6.13. it is a part of Divine Worship: Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his Name; and by the object or witnesse of the Covenant: as God is the Author, so he is witnesse; thou shalt swear by his Name: God is call'd in, as a righteous Judge to take vengeance on the party that shall prevaricate, Vers. 19. in both which respects God calls it his Oath: Surely mine Oath which he hath despised, and my Covenant which he hath broken. Jer. 34.18.

As also, it is aggravated in both places, from the solemnity of the making of the Covenant; as in that place in Jeremiah: They have not performed the words of the Covenant which they had made before me, when they out the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof. And so again, vers. 19. The people of the land which passed between the parts of the calf: which kinde of Ceremony or Sanction, was taken from Gods own command to Abraham when he made a Covenant with him, Diodorus Tar­sensis. Stabani & caesa formaban [...] foede­ra porca. Gen. 15. from whence also even the Caldeans and Ro­manes borrowed it, as they had other parts and parcels of Reli­gion; by which Ceremony they did as it were silently impre­cate this Judgement upon themselves, that they might be so divi­ded as those beasts were, if they did violate their Covenant: from [Page 29]this solemnity, as from the other in Ez [...]kiel, &c. giving the hand, Ezek. 17.18. or as with us, lifting up the hand to the most high God, doth God aggravate their Covenant-violation; when lo, he had given his hand! God speaks with indignation, as of an eminent and remarkable treachery and persidiousnesse: When lo! he had given his hand.

And for this indeed now they begin to judge themselves: We have no King because we feared not the Lord; that is, because we have not feared the Oath of the Lord, but have dealt falsly and treacherously in the Covenant: it is just with God we should have no King, that our King should break Covenant with us, that have broken Covenant with our God: yea, they judge themselves not onely for what is past, but unworthy to sinde mercy for the time to come: not onely We have no King, but, What then shall a King do to us? q. d. We deserve never to see the face of our King any more, but to be left to per [...]sh in our Confusions and Divisions, while every man doth what is good in his own eye: or if our King should come back out of Ca­ptivity, What should he do to us? Can we expect a King should do us any good, while our God is angry with us for our Covenant-wickednesse? No; if he should come out of Baby­lon again, God might make him a curse in stead of a blessing, a plague and a snare to our destruction.

Men and Brethren, this I take to be the sense of the place; and I need say no more. Surely every one of you here before God, have with trembling hearts prevented me in the Appli­cation: onely let me adde this: If God were so angry, and threatens so furiously the breach of a Covenant made with an Heathenish Tyrant, an Infidel (with whom the other Babylon, Mystical Babylon, teacheth no faith is to be k [...]pt) because it was made before God, and by the Name of God; shall he prosper? shall he escape that doth such things? Jer. 17.19. or shall he break the Cove­nant and be delivered? As I live, mine Oath that he hath despi­sed, and my Covenant that he hath broken, even it will I re­compence upon his own head, &c. Oh how shall she escape? yea, of how much sorer punishment shall we be thought wor­thy, if we be found guilty of so high a perjury in breaking and despising a Covenant made not onely before God, in the Name [Page 30]of God, but with God himself. In so solemn and sacred a manner, with Fasting, and Prayer, and Sermons, and lifting up our hands to the most high God.

Oh that as we have sinned with this people, and beyond, in­sinitely beyond the line and measure of their transgressi [...]ns; so we would judge our selves with them, in the bitternesse of our spirits; We have no King, because we feared not the Lord; speak­ing words, swearing falsly in making a Covenant; and what then should a King do to us?

We hope an end shall be put shortly to these bloody desola­ting wars; and we cry to the Sword, Oh thou Sword of the Lord, Jer. 47.6. how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thy self into thy scabbard, rest and be still: but the Sword will not obey our voice; and no wonder; for we have not obeyed the voice of the Sword; we have not heard the Sword, and who had appointed it: and therefore meth [...]nks I hear the Sword replying, How can I be quiet, since the Lord hath given me a charge against Eng­land? Vers. 7. Yea, methinks I hear God renewing the Commission of the Sword in the words of that threatning: I will bring a sword upon yo [...] that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant. We keep now a day of Thank [...]giving for the surrender of a strong Hold in the Kingdom, Levit. 26.25. and God hath sent us in the glad tiding of a great Victory in the West, to fill up our joy, and to bespeak more days of Rejoycing and Thankfulnesse; but for my part, I fear that for these things the Sword hath yet a Commis­sion to come up to London, to passe thorow the Kingdom; and that we shall hear ere long, as fast of Losing Cities, and Castles, and the strong Garisons of the Kingdom, as now of gaining them; and read our Catalogue of Deliverances and Victories backward with sad hearts: Chester lost, Hereford lost, Dart­month lost, & sic in caet.

If you would prevent so sad a turn of things, give me leave humbly to commend to you these two short Advices.

1. Proclaim, I beseech you, a solemn Fast, wherein we may professedly humble and afflict our souls for our Covenant-viola­tions, whereby God is so deeply provoked; and wherein (if it might seem good to your wisdoms) the Covenant might be renewed in a more solemn and serious manner with our God: [Page 31]that as Samuel called the people to Gilgal to renew the Kingdom upon Saul; so you that are England's Samuels, 1 Sam. 11.14. might call the people together to this Galgal (where the Lord first rolled away our reproa [...]h, by bringing us into the bond of the Covenant) to renew the Kingdom upon our Lord Jesus, whom God hath ap­pointed to be King in his holy Hill of Sion. Psal. 2.6.

For think not, Brethren, I beseech you, that because we have broken our Covenant with God, therefore we are disobliged from our Covenant: that were an easie way to get loose in­deed, if when we are weary of our Vows, it were but to go and sin against them, and then we are disengaged: But it is with the Covenant as it is with the Law; there is a two­fold obligation; the one to duty, the other to a curse; and if we break the one, the other will hold us fast enough. Did not my words take hold upon your fathers? How? Zech. 1 6. Surely not in the commanding power of them, but in the executionary power; they took hold on them with a vengeance: And therefore our way is to bring our selves again under the commanding power, that we may not lie under the condemning cursing power of the Co­venant. Indeed the Covenant is then broken, and not fully till then, when a people will not own their Covenant with God: and therefore Oh that the Lord would help us in this our day to consider the things that belong unto our peace, before they be hid from our eyes.

2. To that end, studie real Thankfulnesse: To you that sit at the Stern, guiding the Ship of this Church and State in this troublesome Sea; let me commend unto you but this piece of Thankfulnesse: Set up God; Vers. 23. Exalt him in the congregation of the people, by setting up the Ministery of the Word: Let this be your wisedom and honour, that when God hath given up the strong Holds of the Kingdom to you, you would render them up back again to God, by placing able and faithful Ministers in those eminent places of the Kingdom, that may undeceive the poor mifled people, and to season them with Principles of Re­ligion and Loyaltie, to which they have been so long strangers. To that end, hasten I beseech you your Ordinance for Ordi­nation: it were a sad thing that the strong Holds of the King­dom should be taken for God, and kept for the Devil; for want [Page 32]of Pastors according [...]o Gods own heart, and that may feed them with knowledge and understanding.

Vers 32.Secondly, Pra [...]se him in the Assembly of the Elders, by setting up Church-Government according to your Covenant. What it is, I need not tell you; enough hath been said about this mat­t [...]r; and you are wise.

I will not, I need not ask you, Whether you intend really and cordially to go about this Work, this greatest work where­with God and the Kingdom have entrusted you: I know you do intend it; and if you do, Why not now? when the Lord hath so miraculously broken the power of the enemie, and (in so great a measure) subdued the Kingdom before you, as if God of purpose had created you an opportunity to give demonstration to the world, that you are in good earnest. Onely let me say thus much to you, in that plainnesse you give the Ministers of the Gospel leave to use:

Jesus Christ will not always wait upon States and King­doms; he will not always come a begging, as it were, to Par­liament-doors. He that bids his Servants shake off the dust of their feet, Matth. 10.14. in case of refusal of their message, knows how to do it himself, Psal. 2.12. should he be angred out of his patience. Time is coming when Kings and Kingdoms would be as glad of Christ, as he would be now of them: When in their fears and dangers, when enemies be upon them, and ruine and desolation at their gates, then, Isaiah, lift up a prayer; then, send the Lamb to the Ruler, with supplications, Lord Jesus, come thou and rule over us: But as the Scotch-man said of the English-mans Will, "Imprimis, I bequeath my soul to God, &c. I but, said he, Will he tak it man, will he tak it? so may I question concerning such tenders of Thrones and Kingdoms, Will Christ take them, will he accept of them? when haply they shall be surrendred upon no better terms then a desperate King would deliver up his Crown to any of his Neighbours, Vortinger, &c. even to a Stranger that would come and help him against his prevailing enemies; what Christ would do in such a case, jude you. And therefore Oh kisse the Son lest he be angry, Psal. 2.12. and ye perish from the way: when his wrath is kindled but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Happie Parliament, happie State, happie People, [Page 33]happie Person, that makes Christ their choice, and not their ne­cessity.

I have done: Onely suffer me one word more.

Take heed, I humbly beseech you, of setting your selves down at the upper end of Christs House and Table, and of suffering Him to be thrust down to serve as an underling at the lower and, to have no more then the lusts of some, and the humours and fancies of others, can spare him. But you have not so learned Christ: and therefore, to all you that stand before God this day▪ and to as many as desire to be a thankful people; let me adde a word to close up all. Here is a Model, let it be your wisdom and honour to mould and form your Thankfulnesse for this days, and for all your mercies, upon it.

1. Give all diligence to possesse your selves of the grace of Thankfulnesse, as well as of the affection of Joy and Gladnesse: to that end, ply the Throne of Grace, and plead the accomplish­ment of that promise: A new heart will I give you, Ezek. 36.26. and a new spirit will I put into you: That is done, when all the natural af­fections have a divine, spiritual impresse stampt upon them; when as they have born the image of the earthly, so now they bear the image of the heavenly.

2. Studie, I beseech you, Spiritual Grounds and Rises from which your Thankfulnesse may take flight heaven ward; as,

First, Scripture interest; studie rather a good Title, then great Possessions; namely, to enjoy what you have, by Sonship as well as Creatureship; by co-inheritance with Jesus Christ; by pro­mise as well as providence; with Gods love, as well as by Gods leave. Studie the Covenant well; and then count thy interest better then the principal. I tell thee for thy comfort, if thou canst do so; if Scripture-interest can bring in more content and satisfaction to thy soul, then all earthly possessions; if Cove­nant-title can draw out and endear thy heart to G [...]d, more then all the deliverances and provisions cast in by providence; fear not, thou art a childe of promise.

Secondly, observe the Returns of Prayer: if thou hast been a praying Christian all this time of Englands trouble, and art such a one as lookest after thine own prayers, knowest them when thou seest them again; if the hearing of thy prayer can [Page 34]endear thy heart to God, more then the bulk of thy mercy, whatever it is (of these visible treasures) I pronounce the a man or woman that hast more cause to rejoyce then if God had given thee this days surrender, the City of Chester, solely and entirely to thine own share.

Thirdly, be critical to spie out soul-advantages, the Spiritual part of every mercy; and wear them as the richest piece of all thy possessions.

Fourthly, eye the Exaltations and liftings up of God in all his works, especially such as this day brings in to us, and let them lie neerest thy heart; they will keep it warm with an heavenly influence.

3. Be careful to maintain a faithful Remembrance of the mercies of God in your heads, and a setled constant frame of Thankfulnesse upon your hearts: for know this, The mercies of God cannot perish alone, but thou shalt perish with them: if thou forget them (that is, with a carelesse gracelesse forgetful­nesse) God will forget thee: if thou cast the mercies of God out to the dung-hill, God will throw thee after them. O be of­ten charging thy soul, Psal. 103, 2. with David; Blesse the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

4. Designe out for God the choisest and most spiritual Returns; such as you have beheld.

First, set up God in your thoughts, exalt him in your admiring facultie: Psal. 66.3. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies submit them­selves unto thee.

Secondly, engage your selves and others in Prayer to God: say, Psal. 63.2. O thou that hearest Prayer, to thee shall all flesh come: Be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in this work of the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. ult. forasmuch as you see your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord: He never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. Isa. 45.19.

Thirdly, let your Thankfulnesse work it self into pure flames of Love to God, and expresse it by labouring

To

• Know more of God.
• Enjoy more Communion with God.
• Boast and glory more in God.

Fourthly, studie Self-denial; let there be but one will be­tween God and thee, and let that will be Gods. He is a thank­ful man indeed, that in doing and suffering can say, Father, not my will, but thine be done.

Fifthly, pay your Vows: If ever England, or thou prosper, it must be by ke [...]ping of Covenant, Ezek. 17.14. Be often roll­ing, that in thy soul: Psal. 56.12. I will render prai­ses unto thee.

Sixthly, Give glory to God by believing: by all the wonders that God hath done, learn to trust him in the n [...]xt strait; if faith have not produced these Deliverances, let these Deliverances produce faith: If happie they that have not seen, and yet belie­ved; what shall become of them that have seen, and yet be­lieve not?

Seventhly, look to the ordering of your conversation, the dispe­sing of your way aright: The thankfulnesse of the life, is the ve­ry life of Thankfulnesse.

Eighthly, widen your hearts in enlarged desires that others may praise God: go a begging from door to door thorow the whole Creation for praises for thy God.

Ninthly, to that end, declare among the people his doings: Psal. 9.11. Psal. 66.2. Sing forth the honour of his Name, make his praise glorious. It were a good becoming Solemnitie on these days of Thanksgiving, if Christians in their private meetings together to feast and re­joyce before the Lord, would make it a Law, that every one in their turn should remember and repeat some special eminent Victory or Deliverance wrought by God either for the Nation in general, especially since the coming together of this happie Parliament, and the beginning of these unhappie Wars; or for themselves in particular. Such conference as this would keep out vain and unprofitable discourse, preserve the memorial of Gods Loving kindnesses, exceedingly honour God, and adorn your Christian meetings together: surely such praise were comely for the upright. Christians, take all the ways you can, that Gods praise may live when you are dead.

Tenthly, be continually breathing after heaven, where the praises as well as the spirits of just men, are made perfect [...] use Austins Contemplation with a little variation: O Lord [...], says [Page 36]he, can no man see thy face and live? then let me die, that I may thy face: Say thou, O Lord, can no man praise thee and live? then let me die that I may live to praise thee for ever.

And let me speak this one word to the comfort of all you who can spread, or (as the Hebrew signifies) measure your Thankfulnesse upon this Model, as Elijah spread himself upon the Shunemites dead son, 2 Kings 4.34. mouth to mouth, eyes upon eyes, and hand upon hand; limb upon limb, and part upon part; yea, that do make it a businesse so to do: you have begun your heaven on earth; die when you will▪ you may change your company, but not your work: you have begun an everlasting day of Thanksgiving: you have the Word of God for it;

Who so offereth praise; Psal. 50. ult. glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God.

AMEN.