THe sudden and great Deliverance which it hath pleased our most gra­cious God to work for us, when we were even as a dry ground and barien wilder­ness; as it hath filled our hearts with admi­ration of his gracious Providence, so doth it also fill our mouthes with praises: So that we may now say contentedly with blessed Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servants depart in peace, for our eyes have seen thy righ­teousness, as well as our salvation.

This will therefore something excuse the [Page 4] discomp [...]sedness and indeliberate contents of this Gratulatory Address, being no more then the Extasie and Raptures of our thankful acknowledgements of this most Transcendent Mercy, our present grateful thoughts on these blessed Dispensations, which our most serious & intense thoughts cannot sufficiently commend to our high­est and purest Devotion.

That the despised Cause, & the afflicted Churches of Christ, our contemned, vilifi­ed Function and Persons, our most Solemn League and Covenant traduced and aspersed with hypocrisie and fraction, should not onely be vindicated and asserted from the violence of Heresie and Schism, as well as from the insultings of Superstition and Prophaneness; but also openly and avow­edly be countenanced, the Gospel held forth in its purity, the Ministery encoura­ged and maintained, our Covenant justified and cleared, and by it the interest of the Reformed Churches abroad, promoted and advanced, is such a marvellous work in our [Page 5] eyes, that we may well say with the Pro­phet David, As the Heaven is high above the earth, so is his meecy toward them that fear him: The Lord hath done it, and with a strong and mighty hand hath he redeemed his people Israel.

What a dismal dark cloud had over­spread the three Nations? in what a Chaos and Confusion were we? The Anabaptists like locusts, were upon all our green things, even our hope, they had almost swallow­ed us up, the precious Ordinances of our Saviour accounted superfluous and unne­cessary, to give way to Revelations and de­ceits of Satan; the fury of that boundless Heresie reaching both our Temporal and Spiritual Estates, and prostituting us as the worst of men, to the derision and scorn of the world: But our soul, and the delight of our soul (Gods Sacred Ordinances) is escaped as a Bird out of the Snare of the Fowlers; and so unexpected was this our Redemption, that when the Lord turned the Captivity of Sion, we were like men that dreamt.

Indeed such a weight of humble thank­fulness lies upon our spirits, which this merciful and indulgent favour, hath raised from a sinking and low condition, that we think we can no way better advance the duty of praise, then by a reflecting eye to consider of our distress, and in thinking of that, to look back and b [...]wail our sins and miscarriage, that have provoked the holi­ness and justice of our God to so great a displeasure against us: Certainly we have dealt perversly, and it will now become us to return and amend our errours, that the Lord may delight to perfect the glorious work he hath begun in the midst of us, that his Gospel may now at length run freely, and be glorified, and the mouthes of these gainsayers may be stopped, and their de­signs frustrated, and that it may be unto them, as when an hungry man dreameth, and behold he eateth, but he awaketh, and his soul is emptie: So let the multitude of the Nations be that fight against Sion.

Our souls long after the full and thorow [Page 7] Reformation which we have so long con­tended for, that God would please to make and grant it as the reward of our patience, since he saw it not convenient to bestow it on our Arms, or to lay such a glorious Foun­dation in blood. To that purpose we do excite you as our dearest Brethren, to use your utmost endeavours at the Throne of Grace in behalf of our Governours, that God would give them that prudence, and wise conduct of affairs, That the Ages to come and present, may call them Blessed, the Restorers of our Breaches, and the Liberators of their Countrey, and, Let the Lords Remem­brancers never give him rest, until he make Jerusalem a praise upon the earth.

For our own parts we trust we shall not be found wanting in this day, nor let slip such a precious prize, as the peace and pro­sperity of Sion, through any remisness of our duty either in publick or private, no way doubting but that all the Lords people engag'd with us in Covenant (remembring how fearfully God hath in justice punished the Breakers and Violaters of it) will una­nimously [Page 8] endeavour the same; that by our Prayers and Repentance we may recover the Honour and Tranquility of these di­stressed Nations, which our iniquities hi­therto have justly withheld from us, we commit you to Gods most holy Protection, and remain,