SERM. 5. And are not ours fuch? are they not much like to X. thofe of which the Pfalmift faith, They know not, neither Pfal. lxxxii. will they underfland; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of courfe? or like those of which our Lord fpake, when there was upon the earth (2 Kings diftrefs of nations, with perplexity; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which were coming on the earth? Luke xxi. 25, 26. xix. 3.) 27. Are not the days gloomy, so that no human providence can fee far, no wisdom can defcry the iffue of things? Is it not a very unfettled world, wherein all the pub lic frames are fhaken almoft off the hinges, and the Pfal. cvii. minds of men extremely discomposed with various paffions; with fear, fufpicion, anger, discontent, and impatience? How from diffenfions in opinion do violent factions and feuds rage; the hearts of men boiling with fierce animofities, and being exafperated against one another, beyond any hopes or vifible means of reconcilement! Pfal. cxxix. 5. lxxxiii. 5. Are not the fences of difcipline caft down? Is there any confcience made of violating laws? Is not the dread of authority exceedingly abated, and all government overborne by unbridled licentiousness? How many adverfaries are there, bearing ill will to our Sion! How many turbulent, malicious, crafty fpirits, eagerly bent, and watching for occafion to fubvert the Church, to disturb the State, to introduce confufion in all things! How many Edomites, who fay of Jerusalem, Pf. cxxxvii. (both ecclefiaftical and civil,) Down with it, down with it even to the ground! 7. Have we not great reason to be fearful of God's just displeasure, and that heavy judgments will be poured on us for our manifold heinous provocations and crying fins; for the prodigious growth of atheism, infidelity, and profaneness; for the rife practice of all impieties, iniquities, and impurities, with most impudent boldness, or rather with outrageous infolence; for the extreme diffolutenefs in manners; the grofs neglect or contempt of all duties; the great stupidity and coldness of people ge nerally as to all concerns of religion; for the want of re- SERM. ligious awe toward God, of charity toward our neighX. bour, of respect to our fuperiors, of fobriety in our converfation; for our ingratitude for many great mercies, and incorrigibleness under many fore chastisements, our infenfibleness of many plain warnings, loudly calling us to repentance? Is not all the world about us in combuftion, cruel wars raging every where, and Christendom weltering in blood? and although at prefent, by God's mercy, we are free, who knows but that foon, by God's juftice, the neighbouring flames may catch our houses? In fine, is not our cafe palpably such, that for any good compofure or reinstatement of things in good order, for upholding truth and found doctrine, for reducing charity and peace, for reviving the fpirit of piety, and bringing virtue again into requeft; for preferving State and Church from ruin; we can have no confidence or reafonable hope, but in the good providence and merciful fuccour of Almighty God; befide whom there is no Saviour; Ifa. xiii. 11. who alone is the hope of Ifrael, and Saviour thereof in time of trouble? we now having great cause to pray with our Lord's difciples in the ftorm, Lord, fave us, we perish. Hof. xiii. 4. Matt. viii. 25. Upon fuch confiderations, and others whereof I suppose you are fufficiently apprehensive, we now especially are obliged earnestly to pray for our King, that God in mercy would preferve his royal person, and inspire his mind with light, and endue his heart with grace, and in all things blefs him to us, to be a repairer of our breaches, and a Ifa. lviii. 19. reftorer of paths to dwell in; fo that under him we may lead a quiet life in all godliness and honesty. I have done with the first duty, (prayer for kings ;) upon which I have the rather fo largely infifted, because it is very seasonable to our prefent condition. II. The other (thanksgiving) I fhall but touch, and need not perhaps to do more. For, 1. As to general inducements, they are the fame, or very like to those which are for prayer; it being plain, that whatever we are concerned to pray for, when we X. SERM, want it, that we are bound to thank God for, when he vouchsafeth to bestow it. And if common charity should dispose us to resent the good of princes with complacence; if their welfare be a public benefit; if ourselves are interested in it, and partake great advantages thereby; if in equity and ingenuity we are bound to seek it; then, furely, we are much engaged to thank God, the bountiful donor of it, for his goodness in conferring it. 1 Kings i. 48. Pfal. xviii. 46. lxxxix. 92, 23. 2. As for particular motives, fuiting the present occafion, I need not by information or impreffion of them farther to stretch your patience; feeing you cannot be ignorant or infenfible of the grand benefits by the divine goodness bestowed on our King, and on ourselves, which this day we are bound with all grateful acknowledgement to commemorate. Wherefore, inftead of reciting trite ftories, and urging obvious reasons, (which a small recollection will fuggest to you,) I shall only request you to join with me in the practice of the duty, and in acclamation of praise to God. Even fo Bleffed be God, who hath given to us fo gracious and benign a prince, (the experiments of whose clemency and goodness no history can parallel,) to fit on the throne of his bleffed father, and renowned ancestors. Bleffed be God, who hath protected him in fo many encounters, hath faved him from fo many dangers and fnares, hath delivered him from so great troubles. Bleffed be God, who in fo wonderful a manner, by fuch miraculous trains of providence, did reduce him to his country, and reinftate him in the poffeffion of his rights; Pf.xcviii. 2. thereby vindicating his own juft providence, declaring his falvation, and openly fhewing his righteousness in the fight of all people. Pfal. cxxvi. 1. Bleffed be God, who in him and with him did restore to us our ancient good conftitution of government, our laws and liberties, our peace and quiet; refcuing us from lawless ufurpations and tyrannical yokes, from the infultings of error and iniquity, from horrible diftractions and confufions. Ever bleffed be God, who hath turned the captivity of Sion; hath raised our Church from the duft, and reefta- SERM. blished the found doctrine, the decent order, the whole- X. fome difcipline thereof; hath restored true religion with its fupports, advantages, and encouragements. Bleffed be the Lord, who hath granted us to continue these fixteen years in the peaceable fruition of those bleff ings. (If. xxx. 20.) Praifed be God, who hath not caft out our prayer, nor Pfal. Ixvi. turned his mercy from us. 20. Praised be God, who hath turned our heaviness into joy, Pfal. xxx. hath put off our fackcloth, and girded us with gladness. 11. Let our mouth Speak the praife of the Lord; and let all Pfal. cxlv. Alefh blefs his holy name for ever and ever. 21. The Lord liveth, and blessed be our rock; and let the God Pfal. xviii. of our falvation be exalted. 46. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, who only doeth won- Pfal. Ixxii. drous things; and blessed be his glorious name for ever; 18, 19. and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and amen. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, from everlasting to Pfal. cvi. everlafting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord. 48. xli. 13. xxxix. 59. lxviii. 34. On Nov. 5, 1673. SERMON XI. ON THE GUNPOWDER-TREASON. 3. SERM. XI. PSAL. Ixiv. 9, 10. And all men fhall fear, and fhall declare the work of God; for they fhall wifely confider of his doing. The righteous Shall be glad in the Lord, and fhall truft in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory. If we should fearch about for a cafe parallel to that which we do now commemorate, we should, perhaps, hardly find one more patly fuch, than is that which is implied in this Pfalm and if we would know the duties incumbent on us in reference to fuch an occafion, we could scarce better learn them otherwhere than in our text. With attention perusing the Pfalm, we may therein obferve, that its great Author was apprehenfive of a desperate plot by a confederacy of wicked and spiteful enemies, with great craft and secrecy, contrived against his safety. Pfal. Ixiv. They, faith he, encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying fnares privily; they fay, Who shall See them? That for preventing the blow threatened by this defign, (whereof he had fome glimpfe, or fome prefumption, grounded upon the knowledge of their implacable and active malice,) he doth implore divine protecPfal. Ixiv. 2. tion: Hide me, faith he, from the fecret counsel of the wicked, from the infurrection of the workers of iniquity. That he did confide in God's mercy and justice for the seasonable defeating, for the fit avenging their machina Verse 7. |