WHEN the Grecians were set free by Fla­minius the Roman General, 'tis said, their Joy was too big for their Hearts; they scarce believed their own Ears, when the Cryer pro­claim'd their Liberty, but bad him say over that sweet Word Liberty again, and look'd upon one a­nother with wonderment, Velut somnii vanam speci­em: Somewhat like hereunto was the case of the [Page 2] Jews, upon the deliverance acknowledg'd in this Psalm, When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream: So great was the Salvation brought unto them, that they could hardly believe it; but when they saw 'twas a real thing, then (say they) our M [...]th [...] were [...]ll'd with laughter, and our Tongue with singing; yea, then they own their Deliverance to the Honour of God, and say, The Lord hath done great things for us.

Hence then we are to make this Observation, that God is pleas'd to work in a very eminent manner for the welfare of his People; and when he doth so, its their duty to take notice of it. So great was this deliverance, that even their very Enemies could not but acknowledge it; then they among the Heathen said, The Lord hath done great things for them. Yea, so wonderfully hath God appear'd for his People, that their Enemies have seemingly come over to them; we read in the Book of Esther, that God so disppointed their designs, that many of them became Jews. And so mightily did God shew himself for David, that even Saul could think fit to speak him fair; yea, God so settled him in the Government, and so prosper'd him, That a Peo­ple whom he had not known, offer'd him service, and strangers submitted themselves unto him, Ps. 18.44. Indeed, prosperity-Proselites are not to be presently trusted, for fear the sting should still be in then, and that safety and opportunity might encourage them to thrust it out; but yet, however, such for­ced (tho' feigned) submissions, shew the greatness of a Deliverance, and how wonderfully God is pleased to own his Servants. But we need not go further for the proof of this, then our own late Experience will carry us: What a dismal condition [Page 3]was the Nation in, when it was a dangerous thing to be truly Religious; nay, indeed, truly Moral, when he that parted from iniquity, made himself a prey thereby? When all the desires and attempts by just and due methods to make us happy, were fru­strated, and the struglings of honest Men were but like those of Slaves, which ended in a more cruel Bondage; in short, tho' we had then to do with those, who went under the Name of Protestants, yet were our Lives and Liberties in the Hands of vio­lence and oppression. And to help forward the glo­tious design of Popery and Slavery, we were desi­red to believe, that all must be submitted to the dis­cretion of the Prince, and so even life it self (which is not in our own Power to dispose of) must be tamely given up to the barbarous Will of ano­ther. And according to this preparatory Work, our most Holy Religion, was soon after, ready to be overwhelm'd with Popish Superstition and Idolatry; our Nation swarm'd with Priests and Jesuits, and Irish Cut-throats; and why should we think they would have slipt such a merritorious act, and lost such an excellent preservation against the pains of Purgatory, as the murdering multitudes of us, if God had not most miraculously put a stop to their fury? Surely if the Lord himself had not been on our side when they rose up against us, they had swallowed us up; the proud Waters had gone over our Soul: But blessed be the Lord, he hath not gi­ven us as a Prey unto their Teeth; our Soul is escaped, as a Bird out of the Snare of the Foulers; the Snare is broken, and we are delivered. Deliver, did I say? Yea, not only so, but we have now a Prince set o­ver us, who designs good unto us, even the glori­ous Instrument of our mighty Deliverance; A Prince, [Page 4]who is alone in qualifications, for such an Heroick undertaking: A Prince endued with great Wisdom, and undoubted Courage, and whom all Men justly admire in the Exercise of both; and unto whom all Europe stand ready to pay their respects and duty: A Prince, by whose Hand, God hath not only led us out of Egypt, and given us a sight of Canaan, but whom God hath enabled also to conduct us in­to the Land of Rest. And who (maugre the grea­test efforts to the contrary) is the Instrument of an honourable Peace; a thing which our Enemies laugh'd at our expectation of, and when actually concluded, yet did think incredible. These are proofs sufficient, that God is pleased to appear in a very eminent manner, for the welfare of his Peo­ple. The other branch of the Doctrine. That it is their Duty to take notice thereof, is also so plainly in the Text, and doth so naturally result from the former, that I need not enlarge in the confirmation of it; he must be strangely lost to e­very thing that is manly, and not have one rational thought about him, that will not argue from Mer­cy to Duty, from Deliverance to Obedience: Yea surely, if God hath delivered us out of the Hands of our Enemies, 'tis highly reasonable that we should serve him without fear of them, in holiness and righteousness all the Days of our lives.

And so much for the Doctrinal part of this Dis­course, I shall now pass on to that which is plain­ly Consequential of what hath been said; And,

• First, Are these our Mercies, and this our Duty; Then, according to our Duty, let us ascribe our Mercies to him, from whom they came: Let us own God the Author, of every wise Resolution taken for us, of every proper Method us'd for our God, and [Page 5]of all the Advantages that have accru'd to us. 'Tis true, we are bound to love, and honour also, the blessed Instrument of our Enjoyments; and to hate that unworthy Carriage, to think of dealing with him, as the Traveller doth with the refreshing Foun­tain, who kneels down to it when he is thirsty, and in Want, and turns his back upon it when his Turn is serv'd. This, in our Case, is a very base Tem­per, to be abhorr'd by all: But yet we must remem­ber that no Man hath an Heart, or an Hand, Skill, Will, or Ability to do us good, but from God.
• 2. Hath God done Great Things for us? Then let us take heed of Uneasiness under his Grocious Dis­pensations towards us; an unworthy Temper, ve­ry incident to our fickle and unconstant Natures. The Israelites were a very strange Example herein; they repented them of their Complying with their Deliverance, and had a Regret that they were brought out of
  Charnock, on the Aarie butes of God.
  Egypt; they were angry that they were Free-men: Nay, such a Distraction had seiz­ed them, that they spake of taking Moses from the Place where God, by an extraordinary Providence, had set him for their Benefit, and of returning to their Egyptian Tyrants. Now this is a very stu­pid, ungrateful Demeanour, which we are to avoid. And on the contrary, and in the
• 3 ^d Place, If God hath done Great Things for us, let us be truly thankful to him. Blessed be God, if he hath not asswag'd the Malice, yet that he hath abated the Pride, and confounded the Devices of our Enemies. Indeed, God suffer'd them to have a Day, and we beheld the Wicked in great Prosperi­ty; but, blessed be God, Light hath sprung out of Darkness, and we have now, a very Comfortable Day shining upon us. Indeed, Taxes have been, [Page 6]and are, great; but, truly, after all, an easie Com­position for the Security of the whole, even all that is dear unto us. Blessed be God that our Li­berties were not Finally Subverted, nor we Depriv'd of our most Holy Religion. We know not what Dragooning is, any further than by Report: We quietly profess God's Sacred Truth, and possess the Rights and Inheritances of our Fathers. And, bles­sed be God, we have also a King, of whom it may be said, he came to seek the Welfare of us all: A King, that sets up no Interest, separate from that of his People's; and of whose Actions, not a single Instance can be given, that looks not like his de­signing Good to the Nation, the making of us tru­ly happy, and the securing of it to our Posterity. And, Oh! what Praise is also due unto God, as for the Giving of him to us, so for the Merciful Preservation of him! How eminently hath God ap­pear'd herein? Indeed, he suffer'd the Sons of Be­lial to contrive his Destruction; but even that bar­barous Design it self, was not only most graciously defeated, but also so over-ruled for our Good, that it (perhaps) prov'd the Means of saving the Na­tion. How seasonably did it awaken us, and give us to consider a-new, how much our Interest lies, in the Preservation of the King? What a fresh and most convincing Argument also had the King immediate­ly, of the Nation's good Affection to him? And how opportunely did it shew the World, the Parlia­ment and People's due Zeal for his Person and Go­vernment? And put the Parliament upon making such Laws for our Security, as, perhaps, would not else have been thought of; and without which, it may be we might have been undone. Thus hath our gracious God, even turn'd our Enemies Swords in­to [Page 7]their own Bowels, and their Artillery on their own Breasts: Let us then be thankful unto him.
• 4. If God hath done Great Things for us, Then let this induce us to a firm Reliance on him; yet so, as not to neglect the Means for our Security. Jeho­shaphat's Eyes were towards God, and he excited his Subjects to Confidence in the Almighty; yet he did not neglect the Security of Outward Means. To rely on God, and to cast off Humane Help, is, to trust his Power, against his Command; and to pretend to glorifie his Strength, against his Sove­reignty. God's usual Way is, to exercise his Power in giving Life and Success to Second Causes, and Prudent Endeavours: And in this Way it is, that we are to depend upon him.
• 5. If God hath done Great Things for us, Then let us remember the Churches abroad, who are perse­cuted for Righteousness sake; the Thoughts where­of should strike deep into our Hearts, and our Bowels ought to be towards them: And while they write Lamentations to us, we should send up La­mentations to God for them. We find it thus char­ged as a very great Fault, in Amos 6.7. They drink Wine in Bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief Ointment, but they are not grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph. Let us seriously think hereof, and know that we are bound to do what we can for them; and that the least we can do, is, to cry mightily unto God, that he would graciously vouchsafe un­to them the like Mercies and Deliverances to what we do enjoy.
• 6thly, and Lastly, If God hath done Great Things for us, Then what do we do for God, and for the Continuation of what he hath done for us? And here I crave Leave to suggest two Things, [Page 8]which I humbly conceive are very proper herein: The First is, A Thorough Reformation: And the Se­cond, That some effectual Course be taken for the Uni­ting of us. Indeed, these are Things that tend much to the helping forward one another, Reformation-Union, and Union-Reformation; and both of them very much our Duty, and as much the Nations Inte­rest. I begin with the

First, A Thorough Reformation. Of this, in Church Matters, I shall only at present say, Oh that God would purge all his Churches from their Dregs; and I easily persuade my self, that every good Man will readily join with me herein: When, O Lord, when shall it once be? Oh that it might be! But that which I shall urge and press here, shall be the Re­formation of Men's Lives and Conversations: I mean, That some speedy Course be us'd, for the Sup­pressing that Drunenness, and Uncleanness, Swear­ing, Perjury, Prophanation of the Lord's Day, and the like, which hath over-spread the Nation; and for encouraging of Piety, and Holy Living. Some­thing of this nature, I hear, is done in some places, as also by some in this County, to their great Ho­nour: And God's Blessing upon their Hearts for it. Such are the Men that are likely to serve their Coun­try; and such are Persons that we are to have a Va­lue for. But, alas! What hath yet been done, is by so few, that still the Practical Language of the greater Number among us, is like that of Pharaoh, Who is the Lord, that we should obey him? Many live as if they question'd his Being, and more his Authority: Such Provocations are common with us, as even dare God to his Face; as if Men took En­couragement from the Influences of his Goodness, to mount to a greater Degree of Sin; after a fair [Page 9]Sun-shine of Mercy, to entertain more unbridl'd Resolutions; and to pass forward with more Licen­tiousness, to bind themselves stronger to their Ini­quity, by that which should bind them faster to their Duty. Now, When will all our Magistrates be pleas'd to take notice of this; and to the utmost Ex­tent of their Power and Influence, (as they are in Duty bound,) put a Stop to it? I know they will assuredly say unto us that Proverb, Physicians heal your selves, and first do your Parts herein. And I most readily own, that to be Ensamples to our People, is very much our Duty; and to let them know that Sin is the Ruin, as well as the Reproach, of any Nation; and that for these Things, the Wrath of God cometh, on the Children of Disobedience: Nay, to bring off our Hearers, from all such Doctrines as but tend to the upholding them in their Evil Ways; to deliver a wary and sober Sense of the Efficacy and Benefit of the Sacraments; to warn them a­gainst taking up with Church-Privileges, like those who cry'd, The Temple of the Lord, and bless'd them­selves in their being Abraham's Children, tho' they minded nothing less than the treading in the Steps of Abraham's Faith and Obedience; of satisfying them­selves with being within the Pale of the Church, and a bare Performance of the outward Duties; of thinking their Attendance on the Lord's Day, a Li­cense to live loosly all the Week after, and a quit­ting Scores with God for what was past. In short, That he that will acquit himself like a Christian, must give himself to the Lord, 1 Cor. 2.8, 5. That is, (as our Church expresseth it most excellently,) See the Com­munion-Office. He must offer and present himself, his Soul and Body, to be a Reasonable, Holy and Lively Sacrifice to God; The General Thanksgiving. giving up himself to his Service, and walking before [Page 10]him in Holiness and Righteousness all his Days. All this, with all the Encouragement we are able to give to Pious and Godly Living, I acknowledge to be incumbent upon us. But then there is also much ly­ing before Magistrates, in this good Work; and this (with Submission) I take to be their proper Busi­ness, who are to be a Terrour to Evil-Works, Rom. 13.3. And were but one half of that Vigour ex­erted, for the Suppression of Prophaneness and Im­morality, which was formerly express'd by some others, for the punishing of Men in the Matters of their God, we should soon see a blessed Alteration. Shall I then speak freely of two or three of the fore-mention'd Evils? (tho' not of them with De­sire to exclude or abate your Zeal against any of the rest, of the same kind.) There is Cursing, and Prophane Swearing; 'tis very sad that it should be so found among us, and Parish-Officers not most strictly requir'd to take notice of it: And whoever observes how carelesly and impudently Oaths are taken, (especially if to serve a Turn,) and what is frequently given in Evidence at such a time as this; and what Oaths to discharge Offices are often swal­low'd, and how little, if at all, regarded; will soon be convinc'd how needful it is to observe very strictly when any come within the Verge of Perjury, and to punish it according to its due Merit. And then, for the Prophanation of the Lord's Day; 'tis plain that it is not only the thing that be-dwarfs Men's Religion, by cramping the Advantages to be gotten by the publick Ministery, but is a great Cause why the Attendance on it is so much neglected.

And now, Right Honourable, and much Ho­noured; the King tells us once and again, that he doth most earnestly desire, and shall endeavour a [Page 11]general Reformation in the Lives and Manners of all his Subjects; 'tis obvious then where it must stick, if it be not effected. Be up then, be up and a doing in this good Work, (I most humbly, but earnestly beseech you,) and the Lord be with you.

And here will the Learned and Reverend Judges of the Nation, allow me one Word to them in parti­cular? Why, then, it is this; That they would be pleas'd to remember, that there is much expected from them in this Matter, not only from their High and Honourable Stations, (for they are always the same,) but from those high Thoughts the Nation hath of them, and the mighty Veneration that is justly entertain'd for them. There is no Man but will own, that God exceedingly bless'd the Nation, in directing the King to such an excellent, and very extraordinary Choice of Persons, when he fill'd those great Places. Now, as Nehemiah argu'd, from his Place of great Trust, and from the Gra­ces and Gifts of the Spirit of God in him, saying, Shall such a Man as I flee? Thus we are all ready to say, Such Judges as the Nation is now favour'd with, will go a great way in this Work. Yea, let every one do his part herein, there is none so mean, but may set an Helping Hand to this; if not otherwise, yet by Family or Personal Reformation: Every one is a King, a Priest, and a Prophet in his own Fa­mily; and the Neglect of Parents and Masters, (especially of such as have any way the Addition of Outward Greatness,) in setting good Examples, and commanding their Children and Houshold to keep the Way of the Lord, is the Rise and Conti­nuance of all Prophaneness. What a brave Change is it then, in the power of such, to make in the [Page 12]World? And as for Personal Reformation, every one, in this Case, hath a Corporation within him­self, and hath Authoriry to arraign and execute every Rebel against God, and the Peace of his Soul. And if he wants Help against his Trayterous Lusts, he may call in the Divine Aid; and if he will but be directed by it, he will not fail to cut off the Heads of those Uncircumcised, and to lay all those Sons of Anake flat. Stir up your selves then, stir up your selves in this manner, against Sin. Yea, let those that profess above the common Rate, see what is amiss: see their Coldness and Formality in Religion, their Compliances with the sinful Hu­mours of the Age; their making themselves free to all Companies and Customs, their Loosness, their Earthliness, the Decays and sad Declinings in Reli­gion that are to be found in them; truly reform these things, and be always upon their Guard for the future, even till they see every Egyptian dead upon the Shoar. This is that which God expects from us; and this is the way to have him go on to do us good.

And so I pass to the other Thing which I pro­pos'd, when I began this use, which is, That some offectual Course be taken for the uniting of us; and the more to dispose unto this heavenly Work, I beg that these following particulars be considered.

• I. That Infallibility is not lodg'd with any Men; we all know but in part; and to bring it home to what I am speaking to, let me use the Language of a Reverend Person before the King; speaking of Dissenters,
  Dr. Wake in a Sermon at Hampton-Court, in 1689 p. 21.
  We (saith he) suppose them to be mistaken in the Things wherein they differ from us, and per­haps they are so; but yet we must consider, that we our selves also are but Men, and therefore may [Page 13]err; and they as verily think us in the wrong, as we do them: and for ought I know, we must leave it to the Day of Judgment to decide the Contro­versie, which of us is in the right. Amen, good Lord, Amen.
• II. Consider the temper of the Gospel, requir­ing Meakness and forbearing one another in Love; when the Disciples were so fierce, as to suspend one who was working a Miracle in Christ's Name, on­ly because he did not follow them, our Lord imme­diately order'd a relaxation. And for our Apostle, we find the same mind was in him that was also in Christ, Rom. 14. which whole Chapter, if it were well consider'd, would be of great use in this busi­ness; and here let me give you the thoughts of a Right Reverend Divine of ours; There is scarce (saith he) a more unaccountable thing to be imagined,
  The Bishop of Sarum, in his Preface to that excellent Book called, The Life of God, in the Soul of Man.
  then to see a company of Men professing that Religion, a great and main Precept whereof is mutual Love, For­bearance, Gentleness of Spirit, and compassion to all sorts of Persons, and agreeing in all the Essential parts of that Doctrine, differing only in some less material and more disputable things, yet maintaining those differen­ces with a Zeal so disproportioned to the value of them, prosecuting all that disagree from them with all possible violence; and if they want means to use outward Force, with all bitterness of Spirit. This (saith he) must needs astonish every Impartial Beholder. But,
• III. If we are indeed what we esteem our selves to be, the strong in the Faith; then let it be remem­ber'd, that it is to such as we are that St. Paul ad­dresseth himself, Rom. 15.1. requiring us not to please our selves; and in the seventh Verse of the same Chapter, to receive one another, as Christ also receiveth us to the Glory of God. And in the third of Phil. [Page 14]seems to intimate, that wherein any differ'd from them, to leave them to God; and as far as they were agreed, to walk by the same rule, and to mind the same things. ver. 15, 16.
• IV. Consider the Mischiefs the want hereof brings; the publick is deprived of the Labours of many Learned and Godly Men; and upon this ac­count also is it, that instead of Loving one another, as our Lord hath given us Commandment, the one side crys out, Persecutors, and Men of cruel and bitter Spirits; the other Schismaticks, and as if Men of another Religion; and no sooner is either side heated with this Coal, but like a burning Candle, whose Tallow is mixt with Brine, spit up and down the Room. And what advantages hath the com­mon Enmity got by these Feuds? And where are they so like to have an after-Game, as from our Di­visions?
• V. And Lastly, let the Things which are and have been the matter in Difference be well consider­ed, are they Things of absolute necessity to Salva­tion?
  Dr. Wake in the formentic­ned Sermon.
  Is Heaven at stake? Indeed, we must not de­stroy the Principles of Christianity, out of Zeal to enlarge the Communion of Christians; but it is al­ways owned, that these are Things that do not at all concern the Foundations either of Faith or Wor­ship. Let's all then, in what's proper for our places, shew a publick Spirit, and contribute towards an Union, yea, he that can do no more, yet by his Prayers for it. And, O Lord God, help, and give Men Underderstanding to consider the necessity of it; I confess, prudence must accompany our Zeal herein, otherwise, like ill order'd Physick, it may exasperate the Disease, rather than remove it; but while we pretend Prudence, let us take heed of [Page 15]Lukewarmness, and indifferency herein: There is too much Neutrality amongst us, directly opposite to the temper of our Lord, whose Zeal for Godli­ness and Purity of Worship, even eat him up. O that this were well considered by us! And that we might also see Mens Zeal for Religion, overpoise Ambition, Secular Designs, and Worldly Grandeur, then would Christianity soon be reduced to this its Primitive temper. And then the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, nor Judah yex Ephraim; but they shall flee upon the Shoul­ders of the Philistines towards the West, and spoil them of the East together; they shall lay their Hand upon Edom and Moab, and the Children of Ammon shall obey them; and the Lord shall utterly destroy the Tongue of the Egyptian-Sea; and then Glory shall dwell in our Land, all Hearts, Heads, and Hands shall be at Work, to promote the welfare of the Nation, utterly to root out Popery and Pro­phaneness, and to countenance real Piety and Good Living. Yea, the Kingdom to the dear Son, O Lord, will then come, and all his Enemies be made his Footstool; Come then, thus, O Blessed Jesus come quickly.