THis Psalm was compos'd by the Royal Pro­phet King David, after his translation of the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem; the place which God had appointed for his solemn worship and adoration, and whither all the Jews, wheresoever in­habiting, were oblig'd by the testimony or law gi­ven to Israel, to go up thrice every year, to com­memorate the mercies of God towards them, and to offer up unto him the sacrifice of praise and thanks­giving. Thither the Tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord according to the testimony or commandment, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord, v. 4. there also are set thrones of judgment, even the throne of the house of David, v. 5. that is, there is the supreme judicature of the Nation, there is the administration of justice and judgment, the great Court for the decision of the highest matters, for the conduct and management of the most important affairs. Thus at the time of this Psalms composure, there was a re-establishment [Page 2] of Piety and Religion, Justice and Judgment, Liberty and Property; the Sun had once again dazled the rays of prosperity upon the Jewish Church and State; and for this, in the be­ginning of the Psalm, we find Holy David in a tran­sport of joy and exultation: I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem, v. 1, 2. and here in the Text he passionately excites and calls upon his subjects, upon all good men, to express an ardent love, a sincere affection for Jerusalem, to pray to God for its happiness, for a continuance of the great blessings, of the many precious advantages which it then enjoy'd: and as an argument to in­fluence and perswade them so to do, he assures them that it tended to their own inexpressible inte­rest and advantage, to their temporal and eternal fe­licity, that in the peace thereof they should have peace: that upon the peace of Jerusalem depended the peace and prosperity of the whole Kingdom. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee

And here, what thus concern'd the people of the Jews doth no less concern us Christians. We of this Church and Nation have as strong reasons, as nervous arguments, as powerful motives to pray now for the peace of our Jerusalem. Praised be the [Page 3] Lord, great and inestimable are the blessings which we enjoy: We have the true Religion established amongst us, a pure, an easie and substantial Religion, which infinitely transcends that of the Jews: We have the blissful prerogative of peaceable publick Assemblies, we are not debarr'd from coming in­to the Courts of the Lord. We have liberty and ease, justice and judgment, plenty and abundance, peace and tranquillity in a great measure here at home, and the Almighty hath lately made us victorious and triumphant abroad, thro the in­comparable conduct and heroic valour of our Glo­rious Prince, whose hands God hath taught to war, and his fingers to fight. Now all this great happi­ness lies at stake, now seems to be the Crisis of our affairs both Ecclesiastical and Civil, the peace and prosperity both of this Church and State seeins to depend upon the peace and unity, upon the har­mony and concord of that August Assembly which is nigh at hand; for which reason I thought it not improper to call upon you to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. A word spoken in due season, how good is it? saith Solomon. Prov. 15.23. All our happiness, I say, seems to depend upon the unity and con­cord of that August Assembly which is nigh at hand.

A Multitude of Counsellors, in them is our safety, if they prove worthy Patriots, if they employ and [Page 4] unite their counsels together for the publick good, if they be such as fear God, men of truth and hating covetousness, if their hearts be truly English, in­flam'd with love and affection for their Country's interest, for the present Government, and for the Protestant Religion, for the honor and glory of the Nation, for the grandeur and reputation of our Prince, then may we promise to our selves Halcyo­nian days, then shall we have a charming Prospect and a comfortable assurance of a more compleat and established felicity. When such wise and pru­dent men govern affairs, what can be the effect but all temporal bliss and prosperity? if such Pi­lots are plac'd at the Helm, the Ship must sail in an Ocean of peace and tranquillity. Oh! there­fore let us make it our important business, at this time especially, to pour forth our prayers and sup­plications to the God of Heaven, with ardor and zeal, with fervency and devotion, for a blessing upon all their consultations: that their hearts and minds may be as uniform as the graceful build­ings of that Metropolis, whither they are going, where is the seat of Judgment, where is our Prince's Throne O my Brethren, let me beseech you in the affectionate words, in the passionate language of the Royal Prophet, King David, to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. O pray for the peace of Jeru­salem.

[Page 5]From which words I will endeavour to shew you

1. The importance and signification of Peace.

2. What method we must of necessity take, what means we must make use of to enjoy the Blessings of Peace. But first, in the first place I will endeavour to shew you the importance and signification of Peace.

In the lively oracles of God, Peace is a word of a large extent and signification; it comprehends all kind of happiness and prosperity: Sometimes it imports a freedom from inward sorrow and trou­ble, a satisfaction or contentment of mind; a hap­piness which such are possest of, as come into the house of the Lord, and worship him there in the beauty of Holiness, as keep his Sabbaths and reverence his Sanctuary, as serve the Lord with fasting and prayers night and day.

Nothing but a good and religious life can secure to a man that thing which ought to be valued by him above all the things in this world, namely, the inward peace and tranquillity of his mind: such only can have this great peace as love the law of God▪ as sincerely endeavour to live up to the precepts and obligations of the Gospel. A vertu­ous man hath peace and an Heaven in his bosom; the greatest transports of joy possess and surround his breast, such a man is satisfy'd from himself, Prov. [Page 6] 14.14. hath quietness of conscience; this is the thing which gives him abundant satisfaction: for there is such a natural principle as conscience which God hath implanted in every man, this is the Angel-Guardian which God and Nature hath plac'd within every ones own breast, this is the scale which impartially weighs all our actions, all our works, whether they be good or whether they be evil: when we do the good, it creates in us delight and pleasure, complacency and satisfaction, it entertains us with this sweet and grateful Eccho, well done good and faithful servants, you shall enter into the joy of your Lord: When we do the evil, it lashes us, fills us full of regret and trouble, shame and disgrace. It is this natural principle which is the great repository and Magazine of all those plea­sures, which can afford any solid refreshment to the soul: When there is a calmness and serenity in the conscience, then a man properly enjoys all things, and what is more, himself; and nothing can make a mans conscience to applaud and comfort him, but a life conform to the Divine Laws, a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards men. There is no pleasure comparable to that which springs from a good conscience; all other pleasure is tran­sient and momentary, vanishes and is gone immedi­ately after its fruition or enjoyment, and generally [Page 7] leaves a sting behind it; but the pleasures and sa­tisfactions which flow from purity and holiness; these fan the mind, entertain the conscience with sweet and comfortable, with durable and lasting reflections.

But the case is far otherwise with a wicked man; such a one is a great stranger to inward peace and tranquillity of mind; because of his evil deeds, his conscience flashes in his face, casts abroad its thun­der, and strikes him the greatest terror and af­frightment. A life of ungodliness is always tor­menting, and the expectation of a future Judg­ment is always terrible; his conscience tells him that in the world to come, he shall have such a punishment assign'd him as is proportionable to his vicious life and immoral conversation. The Holy Scriptures compare a wicked man to a troubled Sea, Isaiah 57.20. a wicked man is like a troubled Sea! how? he is always working, restless and uneasie; and when he comes within sight of the port of eternity, what storms and tempests are then rais'd in his Soul? he is seiz'd with the great­est anguish and horror, with sadness and confusi­on of Spirit. No, if we will believe the Lord our God, there can be no peace to the wicked, v. 21. No, this is only the good Man's portion, it is he alone who hath peace and tranquillity of mind, [Page 8] it is he alone who hath a comfortable expecta­tion of the life to come, his conscience only, as a glass, represents to his sight the Beatific Vision, the ineffable pleasures and the endless joys of eter­nity. But

2dly, By Peace may be understood a deliverance from War, from strife and contention both in Church and State; and this is the proper import and signification of peace in the words of my Text. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

And indeed, it is this Peace which is the greatest tem­poral happness: this is the peace which makes a Nati­on glorious and flourishing: this blesseth the people with affluence of prosperity; this gives them richly all things to enjoy; without this, riches and honors, the greatest plenty and abundance is but a dubi­ous and an uncertain felicity. And this sort of peace we of this Church and Nation are compara­tively blessed with, beyond many other Nations in the world. The greatest part of Europe lies now a bleeding, involv'd in blood and confusion: how doth fire and sword, distress and persecution rage in several places beyond the Sea? how many Ci­ties are there by War laid waste and demolished? how many noble structures are turn'd into ruinous heaps? how many thousands abroad are in trou­ble and sorrow, detain'd from the comforts of [Page 9] Gods solemn worship, fed with the bread of weep­ing and have nothing but plenteousness of tears to drink? When, in a great measure, the beauty of our Church and State is as yet unsullied; when we sit under our own Vines; when we have the true Religion, and can come into the Courts of the Lord; when we can appear before the pre­sence of our God without disturbance or molestati­on. It is true indeed, we are engag'd in a charge­able and expensive, in a very bloody war; but still we are happy in respect of other Nations, because it is a War nor at home but abroad: A War that is absolutely necessary, we can have no prospect of happiness without it; and if we will but so exercise our selves as to engage the Lord of Hosts to be our God, we may see it shortly produce an honorable and lasting Peace, durable tranquility. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem. But

3dly, Peace, in the Holy Scriptures, not only imports a good conscience, satisfaction or content­ment of mind, not only a deliverance from war, from strife and contention both in Church and State, but also it signifies all kind of temporal hap­piness and prosperity: and according to this com­prehensive signification we enjoy Peace in a great degree.

[Page 10]We are blest with the best of Princes and the best of governments, with a most incomparable consti­tution: we live in the most temperate part of the temperate Zone: our habitation is encompassed with the Sea, as a Wall of defence to us on every side. ‘Et penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos.’ And we enjoy a Government as temperate as the Climate itself; the beams of Soveraignty are nei­ther so perpendicular over our heads as that they can scorch us, nor yet so oblique, but that they are able to warm and cherish us; there is nothing but what enjoys the auspicious influence, the comfor­table heat thereof. A government which made our fore-fathers happy at home and famous a­broad. If you consult such as are men of wisdom and experience, as have seen many things by tra­velling foreign Countries; read but the accurate remarks and curious observations of such under­standing persons, and they will tell you that no Polity is more amiable and lovely, more graceful and glorious than our own. If any Nation under Heaven can, we may justly say that the lot is faln unto us in a fair ground: let us therefore humbly beg of God a continuation of these his Blessings. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

[Page 11]And this leads me to the second observable, namely, what method we must of necessity take, what means we must make use of to enjoy the blessings of peace.

And here, the Text chalks us out a method, prescribes us such means, as, if rightly made use of, will effectually procure us the blessings of peace; and that is Prayer. We must pray for it. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

The time would fail me to tell of the virtue and efficacy, the force and energy, the wonder­ful strength and power of prayer. Such cannot be ignorant of this as believe the Holy Scriptures, as are conversant in the lively oracles of God. What strange and prodigious things are recorded there, unto which prayer hath given an accomplishment and perfection? how many Victories hath it ob­tain'd? how hath it stay'd the course of the Sun and Moon? how hath it made those glorious Lu­minaries to stand still in the midst of Heaven for the space of a whole day? how hath it brought down rain from Heaven to refresh and enrich the parched ground? this important truth is illu­strated by several Examples in the Sacred Records. We find there, that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much; that God is graci­ously pleas'd to be prevail'd upon, and overcome [Page 12] by prayer; that this is the way to storm the Man­sions of Eternity; that by this artillery, if well planted the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent, the obstinate suppliants, take it by force. If therefore such be the virtue and effica­cy, the force and energy, the wonderful strength and power of prayer, O pray for the peace of Jeru­salem.

But 2dly, Prayer, as well as peace, is a word of comprehensive signification. Prayer, which is the necessary means for the obtaining the blessings of peace, implies a putting our trust and confi­dence in the Lord our God. If we must pray un­to God for peace, it supposeth that we must place all our hopes in him; for in vain should we pray unto him, if we did not make him the object of our hope, if we did not put our trust in him. No, when we pray, we must say, with the Royal Psalm­ist, Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us, like as we do put our trust in thee, Psalm. 33.21. Or in the words of our excellent and incomparable Liturgy, O Lord, let thy mercy be shewed upon us, as we do put our trust in thee. O therefore not only pray unto, but put your trust in the Lord for the peace of Jerusalem.

Alas! in whom shall we trust, in whom shall we re­pose our hopes for the peace of Jerusalem but in the [Page 13] Lord our God? Shall we trust in our Naval Force? Vain are all these helps without God our defence. Our Ships may be consum'd by fire: such a sur­prizing and terrible tempest may arise, as may drive the Walls of our Nation upon rocks, or else they may be dash'd in pieces with the violence of the waves. They that go down to the sea in ships and oc­cupy their business in great waters, do see the works of the Lord, and behold his wonders in the deep; such men frequently see the sad and dismal effects of a rough wind and a tempestuous sea; for at his word the stormy wind ariseth which lifteth up the waves thereof, they are carry'd up to the heaven and down again to the deep, their soul melteth away because of the trouble; they reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end, but when they cry or pray unto the Lord, when they trust in him, he delivereth them out of their distress. O there­fore pray unto, and trust in God, for the peace of Jerusalem, whom the winds and the seas obey. Shall we trust in prudent Politicians? Alas! God by a secret and irresistable power can stop or counter­mine the deepest projects can split the closest coun­sels, and smite the most refined policy with frustra­tion and a curse: God can infatuate the wisdom of the wise, and turn all their counsels into folly, as he did the counsels of Achitophel.

[Page 14]Shall we trust in the strength of tough, well-disciplin'd and veteran Troops? God can strike a terror into their hearts, He can make them hear a a noise of Chariots, a noise of Horses, even the noise of a great Host; He can fill their hearts with such a fear as shall put them all into disorder and confusion, as shall enforce them to decamp and fly: Thus He did with the Host of the Syri­ans. 2 Kings 7.6.

Shall we trust in the power and friendship of our Allies? Shall we depend upon the strength of Leagues and Confederacies? God can dissolve and break such chains in sunder: God can set Ephraim against Manasses, and Manasses against Ephraim, and both against Judah. No; let us pray unto, and trust in the Lord our God for the peace of Jerusa­lem. Tho here, mistake me not, I do not declaim against a Naval force, against prudent Politicians, against a well-appointed Army, or against the pow­er of Leagues and Confederacies: No, these are ne­cessary as well as Prayer, as well as a trusting in God; tho not in the same height or degree: it must be our prime and supreme care, our principal study, we must in the first place have our recourse to God by prayer and supplication; for all is in vain, if God goeth not forth with our Fleets and Armies; without Gods favour and loving kind­ness [Page 15] we must not expect the blessings of peace. Thus, I say, a Naval force, a well appointed Army. Leagues and Confederacies, are necessary as well as Prayer, tho not in the same degree; for, such is the dispensation of Divine Providence in this sublu­nary world, that it requireth humane means, our own labor and indefatigable industry in conjuncti­on with it; we must not expect Miracles at this time a day. You know the Fable in Anianus; A Country man, that had laid his Waggon fast in a Slough, did nothing but call upon Hercules to help him out of the mire; no, set your shoulder to the Wheel, and then is your time to pray; and this is emblematical of our duty and obligation: We must not lie with our fingers in our mouths, no, we must exercise all our powers and abilities, we must not expect the gracious assistance of Divine Providence, except we set our own shoulders to the work: So that it is necessary to fight, to have good forces both by Sea and Land, as well as to pray for peace, for our temporal bliss and felicity. And here how happy are we, who have a Courage­ous Prince to head his Armies, to fight our Bat­tels; a Prince of a sound and steady understand­ing, of a great spirit and heart, who runs upon the very mouth of the Cannon, for the peace of Europe. That unfortunate Gentleman (Mr. God­frey) [Page 16] was slain by a Cannon-ball, when standing very near his Majesty in the Trenches, in the late famous Siege of Namur: Thus has He expos'd him­self in places of greatest danger, and is still ready to charge through storms and tempests of flame, for our happiness and prosperity. It is He whom God hath made the happy instrument of our pre­servation: it is He who gives the miserably har­rassed and disturbed part of Christendom a glorious prospect of its former peace and tranquillity. Let us pour forth our supplications, let us heartily pray to God for him, that he would be pleas'd to protect his Royal Person, and crown all his enter­prizes with success.

But this is not the whole of our Duty. Let us serve him with our lives and fortunes, let us cheer­fully and willingly contribute to the support of his government proportionably to our respective abilities. Money is the nerve, the strong sinew of War; without this what peace can we expect? without this, as well as prayer, how can He break the power of the ungodly and malicious? how can He humble the troubler of Israel? A Denial of this takes off the Chariot wheels, and makes things drive on not vigorously but heavily, and then what can [...] for but an inundation of misery and di­stress [...] let us not imitate the foolish and in­considerate [Page 17] Constantinopolitans of old who, tho they were the richest Citizens in the World, yet, when their City was besieg'd would find nothing to give their Emperor for its defence and security, tho He im­plor'd it of them with the greatest importunity: But when once the Ottoman Power became its in­sulting and triumphant Conqueror, then those nar­row hearted Citizens, who before had nothing to give, had more than enough to lose. We had bet­ter give the greatest part of what we have, than be expos'd to the plunder and rapine, to the ra­vage and fury of the common enemy and oppressor.

Blessed be God we have now a King, who leaves nothing unattempted for our peace and quiet, for our ease and repose, for the security of our go­vernment and the Protestant Religion, even to the hazard of his own sacred Person; and shall we be wanting in any thing to so noble an enterprize, to so glorious and heroic an atchievement? No, let us serve him with our lives and fortunes, and pray fervently for the peace of Jerusalem.

But 3dly and lastly, in order to all temporal bliss and happiness, and that the God of heaven and earth may hear your prayers for the peace of Jerusalem, I humbly offer to your consideration these two things, and I beg of you to observe and practice them; and they are

[Page 18]1. To dwell together in unity.

2 To glorify God by purity of life and holiness of conversation.

And first I humbly beg of you to dwell together in unity. Behold how good and joyful a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Psalm 133.1. to this the Lord hath promised his blessing and life for evermore, v. 4 Alas! what peace can we ex­pect if we dwell not together in unity? A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand. What was it that facilitated the conquest of the old Britains by the Romans but their civil Factions? and what ex­poseth this nation now to such a conquest, but our deplorable dissatisfactions, schisms, and religious dissentions? O pray for the peace of the Church, they shall prosper that love her.

Let us be all of one heart, one mind, and of one religion, the excellent religion of the Church of England, a religion which is first pure, then peacea­ble, which is wisdom from above; a religion which may be easily prov'd to be primitive and Apostolical, to be the faith which was once delivered to the Saints. Oh that we could justifie our lives as well! Oh that we would make it our business to live up to the precepts and obligations of this incomparable religion! then would God hear our prayers for the peace of Jerusalem. But alas! how many are [Page 19] there that refuse fellowship and communion with us? that have particular places to meet in, and a singular way of worship to themselves? What rea­son can be assign'd for their disunion, but a leaning too much to their own understanding? a spirit of ob­stinacy and contradiction? Can they object against the substantials of our worship? Are we defective in any essential part of Religion? No, they cannot deny but our Religion is substantially true and pure, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, holy and without blemish. Can they object that our way of worship hath the Roman complexion, that there is in it any thing of Popery and Superstition? No surely, if they have understanding and inge­nuity, they must be convinc'd, they must confess that our Church hath no inclination at all to Pope­ry: Her admirable deportment and gallant behavi­our in the late Reign must satisfie any reasonable man, that she is the most strong and standing Bul­wark of Protestancy, and hath been so ever since the Reformation. In the late Reign how did her Dove like innocency appear? when the weather was hard and severe, when the season was tempestu­ous, when the rain descended and the floods came, when the winds were strong and boystrous and vehemently beat upon her, she did not, like a subtle Serpent, creep into a hole, but bravely show'd her [Page 20] self upon the face of the earth, and vindicated her principles with such a mouth and wisdom as all her Adversaries were not able to gainsay nor resist; and stood, like a Rock, impregnable against all the as­saults made against her. The charming voice of an­tiquity speaks in behalf of our Religion: What then is the matter? What occasions Nonconfor­mity? What just reason is there of complaint and dissatisfaction?

There are some Ceremonies which they cannot away with. As for her Ceremonies, there is no­thing in them but what is harmless and innocent, discreet and primitive, in number few, in use de­cent, peaceable in regard of conformity, and high­ly conducive to Devotion. I am sure, our Holy Mother the Church treats her Children with all ima­ginable tenderness and moderation, she commands nothing but what very well suits with St. Paul's Ca­non, let all things be done decently and in order. That there should be Ceremonies, it is of absolute necessity; no outward work can be performed without ceremonial circumstances, and that there should be constitutions concerning them, it is neces­sary, tho not simply and absolutely as the former, yet necessitate convenientiae. If this were not, then every man might have his own fashion by himself, and so consequently there would be nothing but in­finite [Page 21] distractions and horrible confusions in the Church. No, the Holy Apostle hath taught us better things, God is not the Author of confusion but of Peace, 1 Cor. 14.33. and 1 Cor. 11 16. If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the Churches of God. But it is a Jesuitical Artifice to promote Separation. Nothing can bet­ter advance the interest of Rome: It is their busi­ness to delude, to break the peace of the best con­stituted Church in the whole World. They are highly sensible that enmity amongst our selves is the only gate that can possibly give Popery an en­trance into this Kingdom. O let us then in time unite, and see the things which belong unto our peace. Let us meet all together with one accord in one place, let us live together in Love and Unity. Upon this vertue of Unanimity, our Riches, our Honors, our Laws, our Religion, our King and our Coun­try all our hopes depend. Then shall we see hap­py days, and peace upon Israel. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

But 2dly and lastly, Let us glorifie God by pu­rity of life and holiness of conversation. This we must of absolute necessity do, or else the Almighty will not hear our prayers for the peace of Jerusa­lem. It is infallibly true which we read in several places in Holy Writ; thus Prov. 28.9. He that [Page 22] turneth away his ear from hearing the law, he that hearkens not to the Lord his God and obeys not his laws, the prayer of that man is an abomination. Thus Psalm 66.18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but Psalm 34.15. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. Thus in the ninth Chap­ter of St. John's gospel verse 31. we read, that God heareth not sinners. Yes, God hears and sees what­soever is transacted upon the stage of this World. God is a witness and spectator of all mens actions; not so much as a thought can escape him, neither can any word be hidden from him: to him all hearts are open, all designs are known, and from him no secrets are hid; every mans heart is as pellucid, as clear to him as Crystal, he knows what is done in the inner rooms of the heart. The eye, indeed, of the Adulterer, the Thief, the Murderer, waiteth for the twilight, for the evening, for the black and dark night, saying, no eye shall see me; and disguiseth his face. Alas! he la­bours under the grossest mistake and delusion: the night, with God, is as clear as the day, the darkness and light to him are both alike. Oh, that such men would but consider that God is the Author of their frame and constitution! It is he who hath enriched us with the noble powers and excellent faculties of hearing and seeing. It is by him that [Page 23] we are thus fearfully and wonderfully made. Now what man of sense or understanding can imagine him to want any power or excellence which He a­lone hath imparted to his creatures? If the effect be so glorious, what is the cause? surely he hears, he sees, in a superior degree, in a more eminent manner than we can possibly comprehend, his eyes must be ten thousand times brighter than the sun. He that formed the eye, shall not he see? He that plant­ed the ear, shall not he hear? Psalm. 94.9. God heareth not sinners. These words were spoken by the man who was blind from his birth, and whose eyes our Blessed Saviour had opened; such an asto­nishing miracle as confounded the Pharisees, as made them fly to opprobrious language and Ex­communications such a credential, such an infallible testimony as illustrated his Divinity, as sufficiently evinc'd and prov'd his divine original and authori­ty. God heareth not sinners! That is, God patro­nizeth no sin, God worketh no miracle to authen­ticate or justifie the mission of a sinner: Wicked men are always hateful to God, he rejecteth and refuseth the prayers and requests of sinners, that is, such as live in a state of impenitency, such as run on in sinful and debauched courses with the greatest boldness and presumption, such as affront him by avowed wickedness and impiety. Nothing [Page 24] will endear the God of heaven to us but purity and holiness: the God, with whom we have to do, is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; this will certainly make a separation betwixt him and us, this will enforce him to withdraw from us the light of his countenance. If we continue in our sins, then when we cry, He will not hear; when we call, He will not answer. O then let us lead holy and exem­plary lives, let us live with especial regularity and strictness of conversation; let us glorifie our Hea­venly Father by works of meekness and humility, charity and patience, sobriety and temperance: thus if we perfect holiness in the sight of God, we shall then have evident demonstrations of his power and audience; he will graciously hear us when we pray for the happiness and prosperity both of Church and State for the peace of Jerusalem? God will then direct the consultations of the High and Honourable Court of Parliament now at hand to the advancement of his Glory, to the good of this Church, to the safety, honour and welfare of our So­vereign, and his Kingdoms. We shall than have a comfortable hope that all things will be settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, the Pro­testant religion, and true Christian piety will be esta­blish'd among us for all generations.

[Page 25] Which God of his infinite mercy grant, for Jesus Christ his sake, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed of us and the whole Church, all power, glory and praise, now and for evermore. Amen.