God's free Mercy TO ENGLAND. Presented as a precious, and powerful motive to Humiliation: IN A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemn Fast, Feb. 23. 1641.  
By Edmund CALAMY, B.D. and Preacher at Aldermanburic London.  JOEL 2. 12, 13, 14. Therefore also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rent your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil: Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meat-offering, and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God? 
Published by Order of the House of Commons.  
LONDON, Printed for CHRISTOPHER MEREDITH, at the Crane in S. Paul's churchyard, 1642.   

TO THE honourable house OF COMMONS Assembled in Parliament.  
AMong all the Mercies which God hath vouchsafed to bestow upon this kingdom by your help, the procuring of a monthly Fast, from his royal Majesty (during the wars of Ireland, and the unsettled condition of England) is not the least. For by this means the Churches of England are set in a monthly posture of war to fight with Prayers and tears (which are the church's weapons) against all the enemies of our peace and prosperity: And may very fitly resemble the Tree of Life, mentioned Revel. 22. 2. which yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations. I doubt not but through God's blessing, this monthly Fast will prove an England-and-Ireland-healing Fast, if it be celebrated as it ought to be, with weeping, mourning, and brokenness of heart for sin, and from sin. Great is the efficacy, and omnipotency of prayer and fasting: So great, 
Vincit invincibilem ligat omnipotentem.  as that it would require rather a large volume than a short Epistle to express it. And therefore I purposely wave it, as a theme in which a child cannot want eloquence, & in which I should sooner know where to begin, than where to make an end. As the Jews had their monthly Feast, which they called their New moons, in 
2 King. 4. 23. Amos 8. 9 Numb. 29 〈◊〉 H●…b Antiqu●…ty.  which the Word was preached, their shops shut up, & special sacrifices offered up to God: And as they had their Feast of Trumpets, in which they blowed their trumpets all day long (especially in their first New moon) from sunrising, till night: So, Blessed be God, we now enjoy our Christian New moons, and Evangelical Feast of Trumpets. We have not o●…ely our monthly Sacrament Feast to refresh our souls withal, in most of our congregations, (which would be as the hidden Manna, Revel. 2. 17. an unspeakable consolation to the Religious party, if you would be pleased (most, noble Senators) to appoint by your authority some spiritual rails (as you have taken away other kind of rails) to keep away all dogs and swine from polluting that holy Ordinance) but we have also our New moon F●…st, in which the Word is preached, trading ceaseth, and Sacrifices of prayer, praises, and alms, are tendered up to God, in the name of Jesus Christ. We have our Feast of Trumpets, in which our godly Ministers throughout the whole kingdom lift up their voices as a Trumpet, and all the whole day▪ are either the mouth of the people to God, or God's mouth to 
Esay 58. 1.  the people, showing unto England their sins, and to the people of this Land their transgressions, and calling them to humiliation, and reformation. From hence it comes to pass, That (if England's just fears, and Ireland's miseries should so long continue by reason of our sins) we are likely to be blessed by the providence of God, bringing good out of evil, with twelve national, solemn, public Fasts every year, which (if rightly kept) will be as the twelve Gates of the New Jerusalem, spoken of, Revel. 21. Every fast will be as a Gate to let us in, into a part of the New Jerusalem of Mercy, and happiness promised to the people of God, here upon earth. And there is one thing more, which adds much to this new monthly mercy, and that is, That notwithstanding your most weighty and important affairs, you are pleased to keep this Fast, yourselves in your own Persons, after a most solemn and religious manner every month. Which pious example no doubt will be a notable encouragement to all the kingdom to follow so good a precedent, and a mighty provocation to the religious and solemn observance of it. It is said expressly of the King of Niniveh (though a Heathen) that he came from his Throne, laid his robes from him, and that his Nobles and people from the greatest of them to the least put on sackcloth. And, as Chrysostom well observeth, Their sackcloth prevailed more with God, than all their purple robes: Quod non poterat Diadema, id saccus obtinuit. Such a famous example do you hold forth, who are the chiefest of our Tribes; to which I doubt not but the lowest of our people (Unless they will be worse than Heathens) will cheerfully conform.  
This ensuing Sermon was preached at your last Monthly Fast, and it is now by your command exposed to public view. There is nothing in it, that makes it worthy the Printing, but only your kind acceptance of it; which is as a royal stamp upon some inferior metal to make it currant. It is the property as of God in Heaven, so also of all earthly gods who are truly noble, not only to give great gifts worthy of the givers, but also to accept of poor and small gifts, though unworthy to be given, when given with a thankful heart, as of a 
* 〈◊〉 Art●…xes.  handful of water, a cup of cold water, a poor widow's mite, a little goat's hair, and semblably of this following discourse, which now becomes public under your Patronage. The Lord grant it may accomplish that for which it was Preached! That England's mercies may be a motive, and a means of England's humiliation and Reformation. And that by confessing our sins with a happy confusion of face (as the Text requires) we may prevent that unhappy confusion, which is otherwise likely to come upon us. The same Almighty God multiply all his gifts and graces upon you, be a sun and a shield unto you, appearing always in the Mount of straits, causing all mountains to become a plain before you, & enabling you to consummate all those good things which you have begun to do for this Church and State.  
So prayeth your much obliged spiritual Servant, Edmund CALAMY.   

Die Veneris 25. Febr. 1641.  
IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons, That no man shall Print the Sermons Preached at the last Fast day before the House of Commons by Mr. Calamy and Mr. Martial, besides themselves, for the space of these two months, without the particular licence and approbation of the said House of Commons.  
H. ELSYING Cler. Parl. D. Com.   

These are to give notice, that I appoint C. Meridith to Print my Sermon.  
EDM. CALAMY.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT A FAST Before the honourable House of COMMONS.  EZEK. 36. 32. 
Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.  
WE are here met this day to keep a day of humiliation, to outcry the cry of our sins by the cry of our Prayers, and tears, to wrestle with God, with our hearts, and with the devil: With God for a blessing upon England & Ireland; with our hearts, to get and keep them in a frame suitable to the work; with the devil, lest he steal away the benefit of this day. Now as the 
Prov. 27. 1  Wiseman saith, Who knows what a day may bring forth? Who knows what a mercy such a day as this may bring forth? Who knows what a rare success this day may have throughout all England? The Lord give a blessing unto it.  
To help you in the work of this day, I have chosen this Text. It is the skill of a workman, not only to make good work, but fit work. A garment is not well made, though never so good, if not fit made: This hath been my care to choose a fit text. It cannot be denied but that God hath done much for England, and that England hath done much against God. Now my purpose is to lay the sins of England against God in one scale, and the mercies of God to England in the other scale, and to call upon you this day to be humbled, and ashamed, and broken in heart before the Lord, that ever you should sin against such a God. There are but two ways to break a stony heart: As there are two ways to cure a stone in the bladder: either by cutting out the stone, or by dissolving it with soft medicines; So there are but two ways to cure a stony heart: either by the heart-cutting threatenings of the Law, or by the heart-melting mercies of the gospel; I have this day chosen the latter way. I will not carry you up to Mount ebal, or Mount Sinai: But to the Mount of Blessings. And I shall labour by the heart-dissolving mercies of the gospel to break your stony hearts: It is the duty of a Minister to follow God in his providence. When God sends judgements upon a Nation, then must we preach judgements to that Nation; But when he sends mercies, then must we preach mercy: Now God hath brought England into the school of mercy, and hath placed it in the highest form, and hath made it captain of the school. And it is my duty to teach you what lessons you are to learn in this school. This Text holds forth one lesson, which is the proper lesson for this day, and that is, to be confounded and ashamed, that ever we should sin against such a God. I read in the second of Judges, that there came an angel of the Lord from Gilgall, to the people of Israel in Bochim, and preached a Sermon of mercy, in which he commemorates, First God's kindness in bringing them out of Egypt, and into Canaan; and secondly, Their unkindness in disobeying of God: And all the people when they had heard this Sermon, lifted up their voices and wept, in so much as the very place was called Bochim, that is, Weepers. This angel was not an angel properly so called, but a Minister, as most think: And therefore he is said to come from Gilgall, not from heaven: The rabbins say it was Pbine has the son of Eleazar: God hath sent me hither this day as his angel upon the same Embassage, I am to remind you of God's merci●…s to us: And of our ingratitude against him: O that it might have the same effect: That we may all of us lift up our voices and weep, and that the Church may be called a Bochim, a place of weepers!  

In the words themselves we have four parts,  
1. A mercy supposed: in these words, I will do this: which intimates, That God had promised to do something for the house of Israel.  
2. The Author of the Mercy proposed: in these words, I will do this saith, the Lord God.  
3. The false reason of this mercy deposed, by way of proclamation in these words, Not for your sakes do I this, be it known unto you O house of Israel.  
4. The true use of the mercy imposed: in these words, Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.   
1. The mercy supposed: I will do this: If you look back into the Chapter you shall find, that God promises many rare 
Part. 1.  and great mercies to the house of Israel, Mercies in Folio, Mercies unspeakable: God promises to gather them out of all Countries: 
Vers. 24.  And to bring them back to their own land; To cleanse them from Idols: And from all filthiness: To sprinkle clean water upon 
25. 26. 30.  them: To give them a new heart, and a new spirit: And to take away their hearts of stone, and to give them a heart of flesh: And to multiply all outward blessings upon them, &c. Observe from hence;  
That God doth sometimes show mercy to a Nation when it 
Doctr. 1.  least deserves it, and lest expects it.  
This is apparent out of the text: When Ezekiel wrote these words, the house of Israel was in the house of bondage, Captive in Babylon. Their condition was so desperate in regard of their misery, that Ezekiel compares them to dry bones in the grave, chap. 37. And God demands of Ezekiel: Can these dry 
Ezek. 37.  bones live? He answers: O Lord God thou knowest: for my part I know not. Their estate was hopeless, and helpless: And it was as desperate in regard of sinfulness, as appears in the 17, 18, 19, 20. verses of this Chapter: When they were in their own land, they were as abominable before the Lord as the uncleanness of a menstruous 
Vers. 17.  woman: And when they came into Babylon, they were so wicked, as that the holy name of God was profaned by them while the Babylonians out of scorn & contempt said, These a●…e the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land: And yet behold God doth here promise to perform rich and unexpected mercies to such an undeserving Nation.  
My desire is that this Doctrine may be a looking-glass for this Nation, in which we may behold the several miracles of mercy that God hath bestowed upon us: A Nation not worthy to be beloved, and yet beloved above all Nations of the world; God hath made us like Saul, taller by the head in mercies than all other Nations: There was indeed a time when this Island was called Albion, ab albis Rupibus; but at that time it was black, and defiled, worshipping of stocks and stones, even the devil in stead of God: We had our druids, our Flamines and Archiflamines; We offered our sons and daughters alive in sacrifice, Non ad honorem, sed ad injuriam religionis: Our religion was Tristissimum superstitionum Chaos, as Cambden saith: but it pleased God, presently after the death of Christ to send the Christian Religion among us: Christ made haste to convert England; Some say that James the brother of John, some S●…mon Ze●…tes, some that Peter and Paul, but all agree that Joseph of A●…imathea preached the gospel here, and here he died: And that which makes much for the mercy of God to this happy Island; the first Christian King that ever was in the world, was King Lucius a Britain; and the first Christian Emperor was borne in England, even Constantine the Great: And when we came afterwards to be woefully drowned with Popish heresies and Idolatry; the first King that ever shook off subjection to Antichrist, after he was discovered by Luther, was King Henry the eighth; and the first King that ever wrote in Print that the Pope was Antichrist, was King James of famous memory; God hath made us not only Protestants, but reformed Protestants; We have enjoyed the gospel of peace, and the peace of the gospel for almost an hundred years: In this Century God hath multiplied deliverances upon deliverances; we have had our 88 and our Gunpowder deliverances, but as Benjamins mess did exceed all his brethren's, and as Joseph's shease was lifted up above the sheaves of his brethren; so the mercies of these two last years do far exceed all the mercies that ever this Nation did receive since the first Reformation, mercies that deserve to be engraven in every one of our hearts: And if Achilles was happy in Alexander's judgement, because he had a Homer to record his fame: It would no doubt be a great honour to this kingdom, if it had a better Homer to Chronicle the passages of these late years: Give me leave to name, and but to name some few of them.  
First, The bappy Pacification between●… Scotland and England; God hath freed us from civil wars, which of all wars are most uncivil; from intestine wars, wars that would have eaten out our own bowels; from wars of Protestant with Protestant, which of all wars are most cruel: Odia proximorum sunt acerrima.  
Secondly, The mighty turn that God hath made in this kingdom for the better; for we were all upon the Tropics turning to Popery, as some that are most moderate do now confess: The ill affected party had got a mighty faction, men in authority & power; pits were digged for the Righteous; gallows provided for Mordecai, because he would not bow to Haman; dens of Lions for Daniel, because he would not leave praying; fiery furnaces for the three children, because they would not worship the golden Image; dungeons for Jeremy, because he would preach the truth with boldness; We were like firebrands in the fire; like birds in the snare; but God Almighty hath made a blessed turn of things for the better: the enemies are thrown into the dens & dungeons they prepared for the godly, the pits they digged for others they themselves are fallen into; the enemies of the Church hang down their heads, and the godly begin to lift them up; Our Isaacs are delivered, and the rams are caught in the bush, and as the Wiseman saith, The Righteous 
Prov. 11. 8  is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead; The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressors for 
Prov. 21. 18  the upright.  
Thirdly, The Protestation against all Popery and Popish Innovations; next to that Protestation from which we bear the name of Protestants the greatest mercy; God hath brought a great deal of good to this kingdom by it.  
Fourthly, The great hope we have of a reformation of the Church and State. We may now say in some good measure, as it is Canticles 2. 11. The winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come: You know the birds sing early in the morning at the break of day, and the flowers appear at the beginning of the Spring; Blessed be God, here is a fair spring towards, the day begins to dawn, Reformation begins to blossom, and we hope that the winter of adversity is past and gone, unless our new sins do provoke God to repent of the good he intends to do unto us, as he dealt with Saul for his new transgression, after he had thought to have established him King, 1 Sam. 13. 13, 14.  
Fifthly, The many grievous yokes that God hath freed us from, so many, as that the day would hardly suffice to repeat them: God hath delivered us from civil yokes, and from spiritual; from Monopolies; from the late Canons mounted up against all good men, but now turned against themselves; from the Star-Chamber, and from the terrible High Commission, that wrack and torture of conscience, and conscientious men; which was appointed like the dogs in the Capito●…l, to scare away thieves, but hath for the most part barked only at honest men; from those two terrible oaths, the Oath ex Officio, and the Oath of the late Canons, whereby the prelatical party thought for ever to rivet themselves into the Kingdone, and to be above the hurt of the King and Parliament; this Oath is now made the great Canon to shoot them down.  
Sixthly, The discovery of the secret underminers that have for these many years laboured to blow up our Religion, and under the name of Puritan to scare all men from being Protestants: God hath done to us as he did to Ezekiel, he hath opened a door in the wall to behold all the treacheries that are plotted in secret, & there is nothing devised against Church or State, but God raises up one E●…isha or other to discover it; in so much as we may say of England, as Balaam of the Israelites, Surely there is no ●…nchantment against England, neither is there any divination against the Houses of Parliament. Here are six mercies: Now there are also divers circumstances with which these mercies are apparelled, that are as remarkable as the mercies themselves; as we say of some things, that the curious workmanship of them is more worth than the things themselves, (as in a Watch or clock) so these circumstances are as glorious and as observable (if not more) than the mercies themselves; and these are likewise six.  
First, for God to do all this for England, and to do it in a legal way, in a Parliamentary way. This is the first Circumstance. It was that which our enemies did much threaten that we should never see Parliament more, but blessed be God, we do see it to our great joy and comfort. It was the happiness of England that in her first reformation she was acted by authority: Our reformation began from the head, and not from the feet: And it is now no little blessing, That this second reformation begins from the heads of our Tribes in the old and good way of a Parliament, and not by a popular tumult.  
Secondly, to do it in a peaceable way: It is with us as it was in the building of Solomon's Temple; Here is no noise of hammers, or axes, but all in a quiet way: Whereas other Nations have travailed through blood to a reformation, All things are managed among us without bloodshed, blessed be God.  
Thirdly, to do it in a praying way; not by the weapons of war, but by the weapons of the Church, Prayers and tears; In stead of fighting, we have Fasting, and in stead of the enemies drums, we have Aaron's bells sounding in our ears: Our people have prayed up a reformation.  
Fourthly, to do all this for us, when we were in a most desperate condition; when all our faithful Ministers with one lip preached desolation and destruction, when thousands had left us as Rats & Mice do a house when it is ready to fall, when we 
Psal. 63. 13.  lay among the pots sullyed with superstition; for God then to begin to make us, as the wings of a Dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold; to make us a glorious Church, to purge out our dross, and whatsoever gives just offence, and to make us white as the snow in Salmon; (It is reported of Salmon, That it is 
Psal 63. 14.  an high hill shadowed with trees, dark, and full of pits, but when the snow is upon it, it is white. Our condition was like the hill of Salmon, we were in dark and dismal condition, full of pits and snares, but God is making us white as the Snow in Salmon, and all on the sudden contrary to all expectation is opening a door of hope for us, when we were in the valley of Achor.) This is an admirable circumstance.  
Fiftly, to do all this, for such a sinful Nation as England: a Nation which hath engrossed all those sins for which God hath destroyed other Nations, as namely, Contempt of the gospel, Countenancing of Idolatry, loathing of Manna, Crying down Preaching 〈◊〉 the idol of England, preaching against Preaching: Teaching for good doctrine, That Bishops and tithes are Jure Divino, and yet the Lord's day is but Jure human●…: crying up the holiness of Churches, and at the same time crying down the frequency of Preaching in these Churches: exalting the holiness of places, and at the same time depressing the holiness of persons, and the holiness of the Christian Sabbath: A nation guilty of apostasy, Opposition to Reformation, bitterness against the people of God, loaded with blood-guiltiness, blasphemies, adulteries, oppression, drunkenness, covetousness, and such like sins.  
Sixthly, And to do all this for such a Nation, and not for other Nations; Not for Germany, not for Ireland. Although we drink as deep of the cup of sin as they, yet that God should give us no cup, but a cup full of mercy to drink off; to make us like Goshen, when all other Protestant Nations are plagued as Egypt, O what a rare Circumstance is this!  
These mercies, and these circumstances are so great and so wonderful, as that, if I had as many tongues as hairs on my head, they would not all suffice to set out the praises of God for them: And indeed I can hardly forbear from turning this day of humiliation, into a day of thanksgiving. Surely God requires a thousand thousand Hallelujahs; And that we should bless him upon a thousand stringed Instrument: Here is fuel enough. The Lord kindle a great fire in every one of our hearts, to burn out all our lusts: to infiame our cold hearts with the love of such a God: and to make us ashamed and confounded that ever we should sin against him.  
The second part of the Text is the Author of these mercies, 
2 Part.  in these words: I will do this saith the Lord God. Here I observe, That the deliverances that come to a Nation, come from Jehovah Adonai. National mercies come from the God of Nations; And that all 
Doctr. 2.  the world may take notice that mercies come from God, he ordinarily doth two things.  
First, he delivers Nations at su●…h times, and when they are in such straits, as that none but a God can deliver them. Thus he delivered his people out of Egypt, when they were in their worst estate, come duplicant●…r lateres, tunc venit Deus: thus he delivered his people out of Babylon, when they were as dry bones in the grave past hope; this is a time fit for a God to work, as it is Deut. 32. 36. The Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut up, or left.  
He delivers Nations by such ways and such means that 
2.  none but a God can do.  
First, By little means: Thus he tells Gideon, The people that are 
Judg. 7. 2.  with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me; and therefore he brings the Army from 32 thousand, to ten thousand, and from ten thousand, to three hundred; and afterwards delivers them without the help of these three hundred, by Trumpets, Pitchers, and Lamps: Thus he delivered Israel from a huge host of Philistines, by the help of Jonathan and his Armor-bearer: 
1 Sam 14.  And in 2 Kings 3. 22, 23. he makes a fancy to be the foundation of a great victory, the Sun shines upon the water, and the Moabi●…es conceive it to be the blood of the Israelites, and by this fancy were vanquished.  
Secondly, By unlikely means: Thus God preserved Noah by an A●…ke, wherein he was buried, as in a dark sepulchre; dwelling among wild beasts, floating on the waters without a Pilot to guide him; only the Text saith, God shut him in, and by his 
Gen. 7. 16.  power kept him from sinking: Thus God made the jailor (an unlikely Instrument) to wash the stripes of Paul and Silas, and 
Act 16  Revel. 12. 16. he makes the earth to help the Woman, that is, the basest and the most unlikeliest of the people.  
Thirdly, By contrary means: Thus Jonah was preserved from drowning by a Whale, and was kept vivus in sepulchro; thus Joseph was made Lord of Egypt by being cast into prison, and the blind man cured with clay and spital, a way more likely to put out his eyes than to cure him.  
Fourthly, Without any means at all: And thus God delivered his people out of Babylon; For when God turned again the captivity 
Psal. 12●…▪  of Zion (saith David) they were like unto them that dream; now men know not what they shall dream of when they go to bed; we dream of strange things, we do not study our dreams; such was their deliverance out of Babylon, a strange, uns●…ught, 〈◊〉 for deliverance, just as a dream: now God doth all this, that it might appear, that deliverances come not from secondary causes, but from his own arm and power.  
Let this Doctrine be an other looking-glass for this Nation; England's mercies come from the God of England, we may truly say with David, If the Lord had not been on our side, if the Lord had 
Psal. 126.  not been on our side when men rose up against us, they had swallowed u●… up quick, and the streams had gone over our souls: There is not only the finger of God, but the hand, even the right hand; the a●…me, even the strong arm of Jehovah, the only wonder-working God in England's mercies; and this will appear, 

If either you consider the mercies themselves;  
Or the time when we received them;  
Or the manner how we received them.    
First, If we consider the mercies themselves, they are so super-superlative, as that we may say of them, as Protog●…es did of a curious line which he saw drawn in a painter's shop; None but 〈◊〉 could draw this line; so none but a God could do such great things: These mercies declare the glory of God, and these deliverances s●…ew forth his handy works; works worthy of a God.  
Secondly, If we consider the time when we received them, for God suffered us to be at the very pits brink, and between the very teeth of the Lions, as Daniel was, and like Isaac ready to be slain even Tantum n●…n, and then he came from heaven to help us, O beatos articulos temporis! O happy articles of time! When my enemies came up against me, saith David, then (and not before) God fought for me.  
Thirdly, The manner how God hath brought about these mercies is so rare, as that we may not only say (as David to the Woman) Is not the hand of Joab in all this? but we may certainly conclude, The hand of God is most conspicuous in all England's mercies; Never since the first day of the creation of the world, when God brought light out of darkness, hath God more appeared in the works of his providence in bringing good out of evil, than in these last years, wherein he hath suffered the enemies of the Church and State to dig pits, and then he hath caught them in the pits that they themselves have digged; In the net which they bid is their own 
Psa●…. 9 16  foot taken; the wicked is snared in the works of his own hand. Higgaion. Selah. As Christ whipped out the buyers and sellers by a whip made of their own cords, which they brought to tie their beasts withal; so God hath whipped out the enemies of this Church and State, by whips of their own making; He hath taken them by their own iniquities, and hath held them with the cords 
Prov. 5. 22.  of their own sin: Goliath is killed with his own sword; H●…man hanged upon his own G●…llowes: All that our enemies have done these many years hath been but as the weaving of a spider's web, 
Esay. 59  and the hatching of Co●…atrice eggs, for they have consumed their bowels by what they have weaved, and they are destroyed by the eggs which they have hatched; God hath delivered us not only by little means, by unlikely means, but by contrary means; he hath brought unity out of division: The endeavours to divide the Nations of England and Scotland, have been the means of their farther union: (we have indeed a saying, Omne malum ab Aquilone; but we may well turn it, and say, Omne bonum ab Aquilone, for Scotland hath been the cause of a great deal of good to England) God hath brought liberty out of oppression: If things had not been so bad, they would not now have been so good; if man's wickedness had not been so evident, God's goodness had not been so transparent; God hath made our enemy's Preservatives, to be their Destructives, and hath ruinated them by what they thought to be established; their very rising hath been their ruin; and by endeavouring to bring themselves too high, they have overgrasped themselves, and almost lost all; In all those things wherein they dealt proudly, God was above them: God hath made all 
Exod. 1●…. 11.  our Destructives to be our Preservatives; and by those ways by which they thought to destroy us, they have preferred us; and all this hath been done not so much by the wisdom of the parliament, nor by the graces of his Children, as by the very lusts and pride of the Adversaries: This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes: and we may safely say with David, Surely the 
Ps. 67. 10.  wrath of man shall praise thee, and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Give me now leave (right Honourable) to make two uses of these two Doctrines: If these mercies come from God,  
Let God have the glory of all his mercies. 
use. 1.   
And glory with all his mercies. 
use 2. Use 1. P●…al. ●…15.   
Let God have the glory of all his mercies; let us say with David, Not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name we give the praise: Not unto us, because not by us; let us give the praise, and the whole praise to God: The nature of man is wonderful prone to sacrifice to his own net, and to ascribe the glory of deliverances to himself; Nebuchadnez z●…r spoke and said, Is not this great Babel that I have built, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majes●…y? and Moses himself spoke unadvisedly 
Dan. 4. 30.  with his lips, when he said, Shall we bring water out of this rock, & c? as if he had done it by his own power: and therefore let us take heed of this sin. There are two things in every mercy.  
First, the comfort and benefit of the mercy.  
Secondly, the praise and glory of the mercy. Now God giveth us the comfort and benefit, but the praise and glory he reserveth to himself: this is like Potiphar's wife, that Joseph must not meddle withal: Z●…latur Deus propter gloriam. This I speak the rather, because I preach to them whom God hath made one of the Instruments of all our mercies; You are the golden pipes through which these mercies come to us, and you must be as golden pipes, in suffering the praise to pass through you, not reserving any to yourselves: you must sing the angel's song, Glory be to God on high, in earth peace; and say with Bernard, Mihi plaeet distributio Angelica, Gratanter accipio quod re●…inquis, relinquo quod retines, abjuro gloriam, ne amitterem pa 'em. It was that which the King of Sweden did often complain of, and much bemoan, saying, That God would surely take him out of the wor●…d before his work was done, because people did idolise him and ascribe too much unto him.  
May we not give praise and thanks to the Parliament that 
Quest.  hath taken such indefatigable pains for our good?  
Yes certainly, but not as to the first Authors and fountains, but 
Answ.  only as to the Messengers of the good things we e●…joy; as when a great Lord sends a gift by his servant, we may thank the servant for his pains in bringing the gift, and give him a reward for his pains, but the whole praise for the gift is to the Lord that sent it; so it is here, the great God hath made you (right honourable) his Servants, and ambassadors to bring great blessings to us; And we thank you for your cost, and care, and pains, and the Lord reward you a thousand fold; But the mercies are not yours, but Gods; And therefore, Not unto you, not unto you, but unto God be all the praise. You must be as careful to appropriate all the glory to God as Joab was to preserve the glory of David, when he sent for him, to come to Rabbah and take it 
2. Sam. 12. 28.  lest if Joab had taken the City, it should have been called by his name. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord. It was the last speech of dying Chrysostom; Glory be to God from all creatures. Let the Jesuits at the end of their books subscribe; Laus Deo, & beatae Virgini; Praise be to God, and the blessed Virgin; Let this be the badge of the Beast: But let every true Protestant subscribe; Soli Deo gloria, to God only be praise; for so Christ hath taught us, Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory; And therefore to him only be glory.  
And as we must give God the glory of his mercies, So we must 
use 〈◊〉  give glory to God with all his Mercies. We must improve England's mercies to the glory of the God of England; England is an Island encompassed about with four Oceans: An Ocean of water: And of late years an Ocean of dangers: And now I am sure with an Ocean of sins; and an Ocean of mercies. O let us add one Ocean more, an Ocean of service, and obedience; as God hath done singular and extraordinary things for us, so let us do some singular and extraordinary service for God. He hath made England a miracle of mercy; let England be a miracle of obedience: A Christian in England must not only servire Deo, sed & adulari, as Tertullian saith: He must be rich in good works as God hath 
England's mercies must be made, Moti●…a obedientia.  been rich in mercy. We must eight ways improve England's mercies.  
First, let us make these mercies, Motives to obedience and service. As God made the deliverance out of Egypt a motive to the keeping of the ten commandments, I am the Lord which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, therefore thou shalt have none other Gods but me: Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven Image, &c. So let us make England's mercies a Motive to the keeping of God's commandments. I beseech you by the mercies of God offer up your bodies a living ●…rifice, holy 
Rom. 12.  and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonab●…●…vice; ●…et the great turn of times move us to turn to God: Let us not take God's name in vain, after so many mercies; Let us not profane God's day, commit whoredom, make our lusts our laws, our money our God, after so many mercies.  
Secondly, let us make these mercies, as so many cords and bonds 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉  to tie us fast to God and his will. God's mercies, saith Austin, are like to a Needle, that sows two pieces together that are rent and torn asunder. Man and God by nature are separated, but his benefits and mercies must be used as Needles to sow them together, and to knit them to God in obedience. It is God's promise, I will draw thee unto me with the cords of love. Now God hath reached out many cords of love to this kingdom, O let these golden cords draw us unto him: Let us not be like Samson that burst all his cords in sunder. I read of a man in the gospel whom no cords could bind, but I read also he was possessed with a devil: It is a sign that the spirit of the devil is in you, and not the Spirit of God, if these Cable robes of mercy will not draw you to the obedience of God's will.  
Thirdly, let us make these mercies as so many Memorandums to put us in mind of our duty: As Ahashuerus on a certain night when 
Memorandums of duti●…. Ester. 5.  he could not sleep, called for the Chronicles, and there was read to him a good deed that Mordecai had done, and presently he asked what honour and dignity had been done to Mordecai for this? So must we make a Catalogue of God's mercies, and keep them by us, and be ever and anon reading of them, and saying What honour hath God had for all my honour and riches and other mercies received from him? And when we begin to forget a duty, then run to our Catalogue. As God commanded Moses to keep the pot of Manna, for a Memento to put the Israelites in mind of his great mercy in giving them Manna: so must our hearts be as the ark to keep God's mercies, to put us in mind of God, and our service to him when we are ready to forget him.  
Fourthly, let us make these mercy's Looking-glasses to see God 
Specula 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉  in, and not walls to separate between us and God: God never appeared more in his wisdom, power, goodness, and mercy then in these days: And not to see God in good works of his providence, is a curse, and will bring a curse: That it is a curse appears Jeremy, 17. 5, 6. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord; for he shall be like a heath in the desert, and shall not see when good ●…mes: And that it brings a curse appears Psal. 28. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands; he shall destroy them and not build them up.  
Fiftly, let us make these mercies as so many footstools to raise us up 
footstools of obedience.  to higher mercies; Let us use these mercies reflexively: not terminatively: And say as good Fulgentius did, when he saw the glory of Rome, Sitalis est Roma terrestris, qualis est Roma caelestis? If God's mercies be so rare here in the valley of tears, what are they in the mountain of joy?  
Sixtly, let us make these mercies as so many bridges to lead us over to better mercies: to such mercies, which are at God's right 
Bridges to obedience.  hand, and in his right hand; and which are the mercies of his right hand. All temporal mercies are the mercies of God's left hand, which he gives to many whom he will put at his left hand at the day of Judgement. spiritual mercies are the mercies of his right hand, and mercies in his right hand, For his right hand is full of righteousness: Let us be earnest Petitioners for those mercies, 
Psal. 48. 10. Psal. 16. 11.  which whosoever hath, shall be placed at the right hand of Christ, at the day of Judgement; and shall be made partakers of those everlasting pleasures, which are at God's right hand. Let us not be like that woman, that when ●…er husband sent her a jewel as a token of his love, to put her in mind of him, fell in love with the jewel and forgot her husband. Let us not make these mercies our God, but bridges to lead us over unto God.  
Seventhly, let us make these mercies as so many Cordials to 
cordials of comfort  comfort us in all distresses: and if God at any time should bring this Nation into new straits and dangers; Let us say as Manoah's wife did unto Manoah, If the Lord did intend to destroy England, 
Judge. 13. 23.  surely he would never have bestowed so many mercies upon England.  
Eightly, let us make these mercies as so many means, and instruments 
Media & instrumenta obedientiae.  of service; Let us serve God with our health, wealth, and parts; Let us serve him, cheerfully, liberally, thankfully, fruitfully, lest God send upon us that curse threatened, Deut. 28. 47, 48. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things: Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, in want of all things: And he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he hath destroyed thee: Let us rend our hearts and not our garments, and turn to the Lord, for he is gracious: 
Joel 2. 13.  O give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever: There 
Psal. 137.  is mercy with thee O Lord, and therefore thou art to be feared: Let us fear to sin against a God of such mercy; Let us admire these mercies, and admire him for his mercies: And say with David, Who am I O Lord, and what is mine house that thou shouldest bring me hitherto? and is this the manner of man O Lord God? And let us pray that excellent prayer, Domine da gratitudinem cum misericordia, 
〈◊〉 Sam. 7. 18.  nolo misericordiam sine gratitudine; Lord give us thankful hearts with thy mercies, Lord give us obedient hearts with thy mercies, Rather let us be without mercy, than not to have grace to glorify thee with thy mercies.  
The third part of the Text is, the false reason of the mercy deposed, and that by way of Proclamation; Be it known unto 
Part 3.  you O House of Israel, that it is not for your sakes that I do this; Nec per vos, nec propter vos; Neither by you, nor for you; It is I, that do it, saith the Lord; and for my own names sake I do it; Not for your sakes. This Proclamation is very often inculcated for fear lest men should ascribe mercies to their own merits, which all are very apt to do. It is said in the 22. verse of this 
Ezek. 36. 22.  Chapter; Say unto the House of Israel; Thus saith the Lord, I do not this for your sakes O House of Israel, but for my holy names sake, which you have profaned among the heathen whither you went; Thus Ezekiel 20. 44. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doing●…, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord; Thus also, Deuteronomy 9 4. speak not thou in thine heart (for many will think so in their hearts, though ashamed to speak it with their tongues) after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me to possess this Land; But for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee; This is repeated again at the 5 verse, that it may not be forgotten; Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart dost thou go to possess the land, &c. This is also again repeated verse 6. Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness, for thou art a stiffnecked people; And in the 7. verse he calls upon us to remember it, and not forget it. Hence observe,  
That national mercies come from free grace, not from free will; 
Doct. 3.  Not from man's goodness, but God's goodness. My desire is, that this Doctrine may be a third looking-glass for England. If any shall ask, How it comes to pass, that England hath been like No●…s A●…ke, safe and secure, when all other Nations have been drowned with a sea of blood: Why England is like Gideon's dry fleece, when all other Nations are like his wet fleece bedewed with miseries and lamentations: No other answer can be returned; but God's free grace and mercy: I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy: May I not do what I will with mine own? May not a man that hath two debtors equally indebted to him, spare the one and not the other, as he pleaseth? Be it known unto you, O house of England, It is not for your sakes, for you are a stiffnecked people, but for my holy names sake.  
But doth not God indent and Covenant with a Nation, upon its repentance, to show mercy, how then is God's mercy free? 
Quest.   
Repentance itself is of God's free grace, 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meekness instructing them that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will 
Answ. 1.  give them repentance. Repentance is God's free gift, and therefore Christ is said to be exalted by God, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for 
Acts 5. 31.  to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.  
Repentance is not the cause for which God spares a Nation, 
2.  but only a qualification of that Nation which God will spare: Repentance denotes the Persons whom God hath freely promised to pardon, but not the c●…se for which he promises to pardon; as the Gnomon in the dial is not the cause why the clock goes right or wrong, but only an Indication whether it go right or wrong.  
If England's mercies come from God's goodness and not our 
use. 1.  righteousness, let us not think ourselves more righteous than Ireland, because we are not wallowing in blood as Ireland; think you, saith Christ, that those eighteen upon whom the tower in 
Luk. 13.  Silce fell, are sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you nay: I that am the Judge of the world, I tell you nay. The nature of man is prone to censure Germany and Ireland as horrible sinners above others, but I tell you nay, saith Christ. When the Barbarians saw the Viper skip upon the hand of Paul, they concluded presently, Sure●…y this man is a murderer; but they were 
Ac●…. 2●….  Barbarians, and in this they acted the part of Barbarians. It is a barbarous action to censure them that are punished by God, to be the greatest of sinners. Judicia Deinm sunt t●…mere discutienda, sed formidoloso silentio vener and a saith Gregory. Be it known unto you, O England, it is not for your righteousness you are spared, not because you are better, but because I love you better; not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord, for if Ireland be sinful, England hath a great share in this sinfulness, because it hath taken no more care to bring those Popish Rebels to the knowledge of the Gospe●… of Jesus Christ. Let England say as Lysima●…hus did, (who was on a sudden called forth out of a house, where he was at supper, (by his good Genius, as the Heathen say,) and as soon as ever he was out of doors, the house fell down and killed them all which were within) Good God, saith he, to what evil am I reserved! So let Eng●…and say, Good Lord to what super-transcendent judgement am I reserved, if I repent not. And this makes way for the second use.  
If England's mercies come from free grace, let not England presume upon God's mercies, as i●… entailed upon them and their 
use. 2.  posterity: for it is as free for God to take away his mercies, as it was free to give them; And thus Christ tells the Jews in the forementioned place, I tell you n●…y, but except ye repent ye shall likewise perish; and so they did within forty years after, with a severe destruction. And so do I say to England, Except England repent, England also shall perish; let not England be high minded but fear. God hath a devouring sword for England, as well as Ireland: And therefore let England this day humble itself in dust and ashes, for though God defer England's judgement, longer than Ireland's, or Germany's, yet as sure as there is a God in Heaven, unless we repent, we also shall perish: God's forbearance is no acquittance: It is one thing to forbear a debtor, and another thing to acquit a debtor: The longer God is fetching about his hand, the heavier will the blow be when he strikes. What so calm as the Sea? but yet when a storm comes, what so tempestuous? What so blunt as iron? but when it is sh●…rpned, what more sharp? None so patient and merciful as God, but yet when he begins to strike, and his anger is kindled, how unexpressible is his fury? Consider this you that forget God, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.  
If free grace hath preserved England, let England bless God for free grace, and say, as it is Lament. 3. 22. It is the Lord's mercy 
Use 3.  that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not; not because our sins fail not, for our sins are as many as our mercies, but because his compassions fail not: It is the Lord's mercy that we sinful men and women are not consumed; O give God the glory of free grace, as it is expressed, Malachi 3. 6. I am the Lord, I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed: Not because you have not changed your God, not because you are good and righteous, but because I am unchangeable, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Let us say as David, We have not got our 
Psal. 44. 3.  peace and plenty by our own sword, neither hath our own arm saved us, but thy right hand, and thy arm, and the light of thy countenan●…e, because thou hadst a favour unto us. If thou art converted, bless God for free grace: For who made thee to differ from another? and what hast thou which thou hast n●…t received? and if thou didst receive 
1 Cor. 4. 7.  it; why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? Let us ascribe all our Deliverances and all our mercies, the mercy of the Pacification, the mercy of Reformation, the mercy of the Union of both Houses of Parliament, the discovery of all plots and treasons against this Church and State, our freedom from all our yokes, and all the good things that God hath done for us unto free grace, and say as God to Zerubbabel, Not by might no●… by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain, before Zerubbabel? thou shalt become a plain, and he shall 
Zach. 4. 6, 7.  bring forth the head stone thereof with shouting, and crying, Grace, grace unto it: Let grace, grace be our constant acclamation.  
If free grace hath preserved England, not free will, Let England 
Use 〈◊〉.  maintain free grace above free will. I find in history, that Pelagius the greatest enemy to free grace that ever the world had, was borne in England; and I am sure that England of late years hath been too great a friend to Pelagianism, under the name of Arminianism. Bradwardine an Englishman complains of his time, (as Jerome before had done of Arianism) That almost all the world was gone after the error of Pelagius, and he cries out, Exurge Deus, & judica causam tuam: I am confident, that this complaint, and this prayer might justly have been taken up in reference to England these few years past: for there was A mighty faction risen up in the Church (so I dare now call it, blessed be God) who advanced free will above free grace, and subjected the power of grace to the power of free will: which faction prevailed so far, as that whosoever was not an Arminian, was e●…mine, A doctrinal Puritan (as he was then termed.) The Universities were poisoned with this doctrine, and all, preferment stre●…med this way. We were come to that height, that the doctrine of Arminianism was accounted the doctrine of the Church of England. And therefore, I beseech you (right Honourable) to take this into your most serious consideration: Place free grace in its throne; advance free grace, that hath so much advanced you: root out Arminianism; settle our doctrine (not only our discipline) that there may be no shadow of plea in it for an Arminian. King James of famous memory, in a Declaration written to the States of Holland, calls Arminius, the enemy of God: and a book of Bertius, of the apostasy of the Saints, A blasphemous book, whose very Title makes it worthy the fire: and he persuades the Low Countries betimes to root out those heresies and schisms, which if they suffered to have the reins, would bring the curse of God upon them, infamy through all the Reformed Churches, and a perpetual rent and distraction in the whole body of their State. I speak to wise men, consider what I say. And certain it is, if temporal deliverances be the fruits of God's free grace, much more are spiritual and eternal. Therefore we are said to be justified freely by his grace, and to be Elected according to the good pleasure of his will; and whereas the 
Eph. 2. Eph●…. 1. Rom 6 23.  Apostle saith, that the wages of sin is death, he doth not add, the wages of grace is eternal life, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is not free will, but free grace that puts the difference between Jacob and Esau; It is not of him that 
Rom 9  willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. It is an excellent saying of Augustine, Timeo ego animae meae salutem aliqua ex parte libero arbitrio committere, Iam afraid to commit the least Jota of my salvation to free will: and the same Father doth much and often commend a saying of Cyprian, In nullo gloriandum, quoniaem nostrum nihill est, We must glory in nothing, because nothing is ours. Bernard most sweetly, Horreo quicquid de meo est, ut sim meus, I abhor whatsoever is mine, that I may be mine. Bucer likewise hath these words, Si v●…l tantillum boni a Deo non est, Deus non est, if the least beam of holiness be in us without the efficacious work of God's grace, he is no longer a God. Now surely the act of assenting to the offer of grace, is the chief work of conversion; And the Arminians deny this to be effectually, inseparably, and inevitably from God, which is to ungod God, in the opinion of Bucer.  
If England's mercies come from free grace, let England serve God freely. God loves a free people, a freewill offering: let the 
Use 5.  service of God come freely from us; God gives us freely, let us give freely to Ireland, The Papists upbraid us Protestants (I know not how truly) that there was never any Law made for rates for the relief of the poor, till the reformation of Religion; in times of Popery they gave freely without compulsion. It is for the hardness of our hearts that there needs such a law: let us be ashamed to ●…e out-striped by Papists in our free serving of God. I deny not, but that it is lawful for a man with Moses to have an eye to the recompense of reward; but there is a great deal of difference between Amor mercenarius, and amor mercedis, between mercenary love, and the love of the reward: mercenary love is to serve God only for reward, this is meretricious love, this is to serve ourselves, not God; this is to make use of God, to enjoy ourselves; but the love of the reward, is to make Heaven a motive of our service, but not the last, nor the greatest. A right Christian loves Heaven for God, not God only for Heaven. He that loves God only for heaven, loves God for that which is inferior to God. Chrysost●…me hath an excellent saying, If God should command me to obey him, & afterwards throw me into hell, yet I would obey him. This is my Heaven to be obedient, this is my meat and drink to do the will of God. Merces amoris amor, He that loves God, that loved us freely, will love him freely.  
The fourth and last part of the Text, is the true Use we are to 
4 Part.  make of God's mercies, contained in these words, Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways O house of Israel. The words in the Hebrew are both of the same signification; be ashamed and ashamed. Erubescite & rubore afficiamini, So Junius: blush for shame, and be confounded with shame, for your own ways, that is, for your own evil ways, and for your doings that are not good (as it is expounded in the former verse) O house of Israel. Give me leave to alter the persons, and in stead of the House of Israel to put in the house of England, and so it will suit most excellently to this Assembly here gathered together this day. For the House of Commons is the house of England representatively. Let us then read the words thus: Be ashamed and ashamed, for your own evil ways, O you house of England.  
That the contemplation of God's free mercy to Nations and 
D●…ct. 4.  persons ought to be a mighty incentive, and a most effectual argument to make them ashamed, and ashamed, ashamed for sin for the time past, and ashamed to sin for the time to come.  
This is a motive that the Prophet Ezekiel doth often use, nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant, then shalt thou remember 
Ezek. 16. 61, 62, 63.  thy ways, and be ashamed, &c. That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord of hosts. That is, when I shall be graciously reconciled unto thee in Jesus Christ, than thou shalt be confounded and ashamed for thy evil doings. As also Ezek. 20. 41, 42, 43. I will 
Ezek. 20. 41, 42, 43.  bring you out from among the people, &c. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring ye into the land of Israel, &c. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that ye have committed. So also in the verse before my text. Then shall ye remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight 
Ezek. 36. 31.  for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Then: that is, when I shall bestow my mercies upon you, Tken shall ye loathe yourselves for your iniquities.  
And this is the argument (Right Honourable) which I spread before you this day to help forward the work of humiliation. It is a day of deep mourning and lamentation, a day wherein it is no hypocrisy to appear to men to weep. It is no sign of an effeminate man, but of a penitent man to weep this day. It is not vain glory, but God's glory to be heard sighing and groaning. This is sweet music in God's ears. Woe be to that man that is not humbled in a day of humiliation: woe be to us if the day break up before our bearts be broken! Now the motive which I will bring to persuade you to loathe yourselves for your abominations, and to be ashamed and confounded for your own evil doings, is from  
The many rare and great mercies that God hath bestowed upon the Nation in general, and upon our persons in particular.  
And there is great reason why the mercies of God should make us ashamed for sin, and ashamed to sin.  
Because to sin against God after mercy is a sin of such a crimson die, as that it must needs make us blush, if any grace be in our hearts. The greater the sin is we commit, the greater is our shame to commit it. Now it is a sin of a very high nature to sin after mercy, for these reasons.  
Because every new mercy we receive from God, is a new kindness; 
Reas. 1.  and the more kindness we sin against, the more unkind it is to sin, and the more shame to be so unkind to that God that is so kind to us. Caesar took it very unkindly at the hands of Brutus, upon whom he had bestowed so many favours, when he came to stab him: What thou my son Brutus! God takes it very unkindly when a Nation upon whom he hath bestowed great mercies, commits great sins. And therefore he expostulates 
Jer. 2. 5.  with the Jews; What iniquity have your Fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, &c. Why are your Fathers so unkind? Neither say they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt? Thus also he complains, Jerem. 31. 32. They have broken my covenant although I was a husband unto them. 
Jer. 31. 3●….  It is a self-confounding sin, to be unkind to a kind God.  
Because every new mercy is a new obligation to obedience; and 
〈◊〉 2.  the more obligations we sin against, the more shame it is to commit the sin. As to sin against a man's father and mother, is a greater sin than to sin against a man's brother and sister, because we are more obliged to our parents than to our brethren and sisters. He that kills his father (saith Cicero) commits many sins in one, he kills him that begat him, and brought him up, &c. So to sin against God after mercy, is to commit many sins in one: it is to break as many bonds, and to sin against as many obligati●…ns, as we have receiv●…d mer●…ies.  
Because every new mercy we receive from God is a new talon, (for mercies are talents, betrusted with us by God as stewards, 
〈◊〉. 3.  for which we must give a severe and strict account at the day of Judgement) and the more talents we sin against, the greater is our sin, and the more shame to commit it. To whom much is given, of him much shall be required. If the man that had but one talon, when he came to give up his account, was confounded & made speechless, and bound hand and foot, and cast into hell fire for not improving it; What shame and confusion of face, and how many hells do they deserve that have received not only one, five, or ten, but many hundred talents of mercies, and do not only not improve them, but misimprove them to the service of sin and Satan?  
Because to sin after mercy, is a sin of formal unthankfulness; 
.  There is mat●…riall unthankfulness in all sin, because every sin is committed against God that is our Creator, Preserver, and Rede●…mer; but to sin against mercy, is to be formally unthankful. Now unthankfulness is a sin that will make any ingenuous man ashamed to be guilty of it. Indeed it is the Epito●… of all sin. Ingratum si dixeris, omnia dixeris. The whole duty of man saith Augustine, consists in this, Vt anim●… non sit ingrata Deo, to take care that our souls be not unthankful to God▪ and therefore an unthankful man neglects the whole duty of man. unthankfulness is a sin that mak●… th●… times perilous. It is a sin for which God gave over the 
〈◊〉 T●…m 3 1 R●…. 〈◊〉. 21. 27.  Heathen to a reprobate mind: Because when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, but became unthankful, &c. theref●…e God gave t●…em up to their own hearts lusts, &c. And if God dealt thus with the Gentiles for sinning against the mercies only of creation, how severely will he punish us that sin against creating mercies, redeeming mercies, and against mercies of all kinds? For it is a certain rule, The more mer●…y we receive from God, the greater is the unthankfulness to sin against such a God. The Romans made a Law, that if a Master did free a servant from bondage, & afterwards that servant proved unthankful, the master had power to reinslave ●…im. The great God hath freed this Nation from Egypt, and Babylon, from the gunpowder treason, and from many slaveries. Now if we prove unthankful after all these mercies, we may justly expect to be reinslaved.  
It is a sin of formal injustice; for every deliverance doth 
〈◊〉. 5.  bind over the delivered, to the service of the deliverer; so saith the Apostle, You are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, 
1 Cor 6. 19  therefore glorify God with your bodies, and with your spirits, which are God's; and so also, Luk. 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, &c. Among the Romans the parties delivered, were the servants of the deliverers. And therefore to break God's commandments after deliverance, is to be guilty of the horrible sin of injustice. Thou art not only unthankefu●…l, but unjust, which is a brand that will confound any man.  
It is a sin so great, that God himself stands amazed at it, that 
R●…s. 6.  any man should be so impudent as to commit it. Esay 1. 2. hear O Heavens, and give ●…are O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me; The ox knows his owner, and the ass his Master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people do not consider; Ah sinful Nation, a people laden with iniquity, &c. This is a sin that makes us worse than the ox or the ass: A sin that makes a Nation that is guiliy of it, not only sinful, but laden with iniquity, as an ass with a burden. Thus also God calls to the Heavens, Jeremy 2. 12. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye ve●…y desolate, saith the Lord; Why? what is the matter? For my people have committed two evils, they have forsaken m●… the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that will hold no water. This is a sin that breaks the very heart of God: and it had need break our hearts to commit it. I am broken, saith God (of 
Ez●…k. 6▪ 9  his people Israel) for their whorish heart. If God be broken with it, it is time for us to be broken with it.  
It is a sin so great, as that it puts a great aggravation upon every 
R●…as 7.  sin; It makes the least sin of us in England, greater than the greatest sin of the Heathens; of the Christians in Germany, and Ireland; yea than the sin of the devils themselves.  
1. Greater than the sins of the Heathen, because we sin against greater mercy; Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that 
Rom. 2●….  doth evil, first upon the Jew, then upon the Gentile: Why first upon the Jew? Because the Jews received more mercies than the Gentiles. I may justly add, First upon the Christian, then upon the Jew, then upon the Gentile, because the Christian hath received more mercy from God, than either Jew or Gentile. You only have I known of all the Nations of the earth, therefore I will punish 
〈◊〉 3. 2.  you for all your iniquities; because you sin against more light, more grace, and therefore your sin is more ungracious.  
2. This makes the least sin of us in England greater than the greatest sin of Germany, or of Ireland, because God hath dealt more mercifully with us, than with them: therefore Christ saith, Woe be to thee Chorazin, woe be to thee Bethsaida; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, 
Math. 11. 21, 22.  they would have repented long ago in dust and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tire and Sidon at the day of of judgement, than for you. If Bohemia, and the Palatinate had had the mercies and deliverances, that we have had, they would have repented in dust and ashes, therefore it shall be easier for them at the day of judgement, than for us. And thou Capernaum which h●…st been exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, &c. God hath listed us up in mercies to heaven; therefore we must look for the lowest hell, if we abuse them.  
3. This makes the sins of England greater than the sin of the Devils, though not simply, yet in three respects.  
1. The Devils never sinned against the blood of Jesus Christ; Christ never died for them, but he died for us. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 
Heb. 2. 16.   
2. The Devils never sinned against God's patience. God was not patient towards them, but as soon as ever they sinned, he cast them into hell. Deus non expectabat Angelos, as Bernard saith: but we sin against the blood of Christ, and the patience and long-suffering of God, which is very great towards mankind.  
3. The Devils never sinned against any example. For they were the first that sinned, and were made the first example; but we have had divers examples of God's wrath against sin, the example of the Devils, and of the punishment of the old world, of Sodom and Gomorrah, & many hundred such like, and yet we sin notwithstanding all these examples. In these three respects to sin against the mercies of God, is more than diabolical.  
It is a sin that takes away all excuse, and will so confound a 
Reas. 8.  man at the day of Judgement, that it will make him speechless. This is excellently set out in the 9 chapter of Ezra, the 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10. verses, O my God, saith Ezra, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, O my God: for our iniquities are in●…reased over our heads, &c. For we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy to us, &c. And now O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments. What excuse shall we bring? What shift shall we plead? What shall we say? That is, we have nothing to say. This interrogation is an emphatical negation. Had I not come unto you, saith Christ, ye had had no sin, but now ye have no excuse. Had not God shown such mercies to England, it might have had some Apology to plead for its contempt of the Gospel, for its pride, for its adultery, and drunkenness, but now it hath no excuse. To sin after mercy shuts up all defence. What shall we say after this, O our God? for we have forsaken thy commandments.  
This Doctrine is a black bill of indictment against all those that 
use 1.  are not ashamed to sin against God, notwithstanding the mercies they have received from God. God hath done mighty things for this Nation, he hath heaped deliverance upon deliverance; We have had more deliverances than there are commandments. And yet notwithstanding are there not many of us that sin in the midst of mercies? That are like the Horse and Mule that have no understanding? psalm 32. As a Horse, the more it is pampered, the more it kicks against the rider; so there are many, the more they are fed to the full with mercy, the more they rebel against the God that feeds them; Like unto the thick vapours, which are first exhaled by the sun, and afterwards when they come into the air, stop the light of the sun from shining upon us. There are many such vapours whom God hath exalted, and lifted up in ●…nour above others, that make no other use of their honour, but to darken the glory of God, and to hinder the light of God from shining upon us. Let conscience speak; Are we not as proud, as covetous, as blasphemous, as adulterous, as ungodly as ever, notwithstanding all that God hath done for us? May I not say to you as Moses to the Israelites; do ye thus requite the Lord, O ye foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy father 
Deu●…. 32. 6  that bought thee? Hath he not made thee, and established thee? Is not he the God that hath multiplied mercies upon us? The Lord humble us this day for this sin.  
There are divers sorts of men come under this reproof.  
1. Such as sin notwithstanding mercies.  
2. Such as sin under mercies, at the same time when God is showing mercy unto them. Of these David speaks, Our Fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembered not the multitude 
Ps 10●…. 7.  of thy mercies, but provoked him at the Sea, yea even at the Red Sea. This was a great aggravation. They sinned at the very place where they were delivered, and at the very time when they were delivered, at the Sea, even the Red Sea: And as it is at the 13. verse, They soon forgot his works; the word in the Hebrew 
Ps. 109. 13  is, they made haste to forget his works. This is our condition: God hath brought us into the school of mercy, but are there not many among us that turn this school of mercy into the school of iniquity? that remain irreformable in a year of Reformation, that not only hate to be reformed, but hate the very Reformation itself? that sin under mercies, even under mercies?  
3. Such as sin with the mercies of God, that like the Spider, suck poison out of those flowers out of which a Bee sucks honey; that suck their damnation out of those mercies, out of which the godly suck their salvation; that make a golden calf of the jewels of mercy, and sacrifice their sons and daughters unto devils; that turn the grace of God into wantonness; that improve their honours, learning, wealth, parts, to make themselves more active to sin against God, to be Ingeniose nequam, facundi, sed malo publico. As Basil saith of Eve, That God gave her to be a 
{non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}.  helper to Adam, and made her of the rib of Adam, but the devil took this rib, and made a dart of it, and with this dart shot at Adam's heart, and wounded him to death, Per costam petit cor, so God hath bestowed mercies upon us to help us to serve him more cheerfully, more liberally, but there are many that play the devil's part, and that take these mercies, and make darts of them to shoot against God, and his cause: Non ho●… quae situm mun●…s in us●….  
There are thousands in the world that are worser for the mercies they receive from God, that are like unto a dunghill, the more the sun of mercy shines upon them, the more they stink and putrify in all sin. And as the clay is hardened by the sun's shining upon it, so there are many, the more health, the more wealth, the more honour, the more mercy they receive from God, the more they harden their hearts against God; like Eli's two sons, the kindlier their father dealt with them, the worser they were; like Absalon, that as soon as ever his Father received him into Jerusalem, than he began to conspire against him. Of these David 
Psal. 55. 19  speaks, Because there are no changes in their lives, therefore they fear not God, because they meet with no crosses; and Psalm. 73. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Because they are not plagued like other men, therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain, they have more than ●…eart can wish, therefore they speak wickedly and loftily, and set their mouths against the Heavens, &c. like Dionysius, that because he prospered in his voyage by sea, after he had robbed a Temple, boasted and said, Behold, how the gods love sacri●…edge! I beseech you (Right honourable) let us examine whether we be not guilty of these sins, ●…or they are such sins which we are all very prone to commit. Hezeki●… though a good King, yet he sinned after mercy; when he was recovered of his sickness, his hea●…t was lifted up with pride. 
2 Chro. 36 22.  Lot's Wife also, as soon as ever she was delivered out of Sodom, began to Apo●…tize. N●…y L●…t himself after he had received so great a mer●…y, and had seen so fearful a judgement, yet when he came to Z●…r he was drunk, and committed incest, which he never did while he was in Sodom. And Noah also when he came out of the A●…ke was made drunk, which he never was when he lived among the wicked in the old World. And David also, when delivered from all his enemies, than he said in 
Psal. 30. 6.  his prosperity he should never be moved, and then he lay with Bathsheba, and murdered Uriah. And therefore if we be guilty of this sin, Let us be deeply humbled for it before the Lord this day.  
There is no sin that doth more provoke God to anger, or sooner cause him to destroy a Nation, and to destroy it utterly, than this sin: To sin after mercy▪ under mercy, and with mercies. So it is said Ezra 9 13, 14. Seeing thou O God hast given us su●…h a deliverance as this, should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? To sin after mercy, and with mercy, procures universal and utter destruction. Because I called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, 
Prov. 1. 24  I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh, &c. God is never more angry than when he laughs. Quod Deus loquitur cum risu, id tu legas f●…etu. We have never more cause to weep, than when God laughs. Zach. 7. 13, 14. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried and they would not hear, so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts, but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the Nations, whom they knew not; thus the laud was desolate after them.  
There are divers reasons (besides the reasons before named) why this sin (to sin with the mercies of God) should be such a God-provoking, such a Land-destroying sin; which I the rather mention, that they may be forcible helps to humiliation, which is the proper work of this day.  
Because mercy in itself is so rare and excellent a jewel, bestowed 
Reas. 1.  upon England purposely to serve God withal, that to abuse it to the disservice of God, must needs be a God-provoking sin: for these rules in Divinity are very clear.  
1. The greater the person is we sin against, the greater the sin; as to offer an affront to a King, is a greater offence than to injure a common Gentleman.  
2. The better the person is against whom we sin, and the more good we expect from him, or have received from him, or the more need we have of him, the greater is the offence to offer wrong unto him. Now mercy is the greatest and chiefest of God's attributes. In themselves God's attributes are all equal, but in regard of our necessities, as oil swims above all other liquours, as the Eagle is the chief of birds, the Lion of beasts, gold of metals, so mercy is the chief of all God's attributes, and therefore to sin with mercy must needs be a horrible sin. Mercy is an attribute that we all stand in need of; the best of men need mercy as well as the worst of men. Mercy it is the best friend we have, & indeed the only friend in God's bosom to plead for us, it is the only Orator, and ambassador to intercede for us, it is the only fiery chariot to carry us up to heaven. When Justice pleads against us at God's bar, we have no refuge but to his Mercy-seat. And therefore to abuse so dear a friend as mercy, and so great a friend as mercy, and such a precious friend, and such a necessary friend, must needs make us ashamed, if not past shame, and must needs provoke God to anger, though he be full of mercy; especially if we consider the superlative mercies that God hath bestowed upon England; for this is another rule in divinity: The more elevated, and the mo●…e distinguishing any mercy is, the greater the sin, to abuse it to sin. Corruptio optimi pessima, the best things abused, prove the worst sins.  
Because he that sins with the mercies of God, fights against God 
Reas. 2.  with his own weapons, which must needs provoke God. Suppose a man should come into a smith's shop, and take up the Smiths own hammer, and knock him on the head, this were to commit a double sin, not only to kill the Smith, but to kill him with his own hammer. Such a double sin are they guilty of, who the more wit they have, the more they plot against God, and the more health, and honour, and wealth, the more they despise God and his commandments, with their wealth and honour. If a Chirurgeon should freely bestow pains and charge to cure a man of a lame hand, and he should as soon as ever he is cured kill this Chirurgeon with his cured hand, this were a horrible ingratitude, and a provoking sin. Thus do they, that when they are delivered from sickness and made whole, fall presently to sinning against God with their health. This sin is so great, that the Apostle cries out, Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an Harlot? God forbid; the word in the Syriac is, God forgive: God forbid, God forgive, I should be so vile and wicked.  
Because he that sinneth with the mercies of God, turns the greatest 
Reas. 3.  good into the greatest evil, and brings darkness out of light, which is a work proper to the devil. It is God's work to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, but it is the devils work to bring evil out of good. Now to sin with God's mercies, is to bring the greatest evil out of the greatest good; To bring the darkness of sin out of the light of mercy. It is to act a devil, which God must needs abhor, and which will certainly bring u●… to the devil.  
To sin with mercy is to make mercy to be our adversary. And if 
Reas. 4.  mercy plead against a Nation, then look for speedy destruction. Mercy is our best friend (as you have ●…eard) but when we sin against it, we turn our chiefest friend into our bitterest enemy, and mercy itself cries to God against us, and the cry of mercy cries louder against us than the cry of justice. As poison when it is mingled with sweet Wine, the Wine puts strength into the poison, and makes it more powerful: so the sweet mercies of God, when they are mingled with our sins, put strength into our sins, and make them more powerful to destroy us. In the tenth of Judges 11. God brings in his deliverances to plead against the people of Israel. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, and from the c●…ildren of Ammon, and from the Philistines, the Zidonians also and the Amalekites? &c. Yet you have forsaken me, therefore I will deliver you no more. When justice pleads against a Nation, there is mercy to fly unto: but if mercy (because it is abused to sin) become our enemy, there is no way but everlasting ruin.  
To sin with the rare and choice mercies of God (such as the 
Reas. 5.  mercies of England are) is a sin of such transcendent unkindness, as that God cannot but destroy su●…h a Person, 〈◊〉 such a Nation that is guilty of it. When David was used unkindly by Nabal, upon whom he had bestowed many courtesies, how did this unkindness provoke David to anger? in somuch as he said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing 
1 Sam 25. 21, 22.  was missing of all that appertained unto him, and he hath requited me evil for good: so, and more also do God unto the enemies of Da●…id, if I leav●… of all that pertain to him by the morning light, any that pisseth against the Wall. Thus is the great Jehovah enraged when we sin with his favours. God will say, In vain have I adorned thee with all the Jewels of my mercy, which thou as a swine hast trampled under thy feet. In vain have I given thee learning, and riches, and my gospel, &c. for thou hast requited me evil for good, therefore in destroying I will certainly destroy thee.  
Thus also we read in the 2 Sam. 10. When David sent a kind Embassage to King Hanun, to comfort him after his father's death, and he despised and abused the messengers, shaving off the one h●…lfe of their beards, and cutting off their garments in the middle, &c. this did so far incense David, as it made him destroy them all after a rigid manner. God's mercies are like David's messengers messages of love. God looks we should improve these messages to his glory. But if we despise them, and abuse him with them, he will utterly destroy us. O consider this, you that forget God, You that undervalue his mercies, You that contemn his mercies, You that sin with his mercies. How angry was Christ with Peter, because he would not suffer him to wash his feet? he seems to be more angry with him than when he denied him, because he refused an act of Christ's love. Christ took it unkindly, at Peter's hands. When God comes in love to us, and offers to wash us, and to reform us, if we refuse to be washed, and choose rather to wallow in the mire of sin and superstition, this will provoke God more than if we did flatly deny him. We would have healed Babylon, 
Ier. 51. 9  but she is not healed, forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country, for her judgement reacheth unto Heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. Which words tell us, That those that sin with mercies, shall be lifted up as high in judgement as they are in mercy. Thus it is likewise said Ezekiel 24. ver. 13. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. Oh that the Lord would give us hearts to lay these things to heart! Oh let us be ashamed and confounded, ashamed, and ashamed, that ever we have sinned, after mercies, under mercies, and with mercies.  
And indeed when I consider seriously how the mercies of England are abused by England, I am possessed with exceeding great fear, lest all our mercies should be but forerunners of some greater miseries, and all our preservations, reservations to some greater destruction. For though the times are changed, yet our people are not changed; though the times be better, yet the men that live in these times are not better.  
The Sodomites were delivered by Abraham, but because they sinned 
Gen. 14.  after their deliverance, their preservation was but a reservation for a greater destruction by fire and brimstone. Lot's wife was delivered out of Sodom, but because she looked back towards Sodom, her preservation was but a reservation to be turned to a pillar of salt. Pharaoh was often delivered by the prayer of Moses, but because he hardened his heart after deliverance, his preservation was but a reservation, till he was drowned in the Red Sea. The people of Israel had deliverance upon deliverance, but because they continued to sin after deliverance, God at last destroyed them with a woeful destruction. The Lord open our eyes to consider these things, and to be confounded and ashamed for our evil doings, and to loathe ourselves for our former abominations, and to be humbled exceedingly for our sins against mercy, that God may continue his deliverances to us, and our posterity after us, as long as the Sun and moon endureth.  
Seeing God hath done such rare things freely for this Nation, Let us be exhorted to subscribe to the obedience of this Text, and not 
●…se 2.  only be hu●…bled for what is past, but ashamed and confounded for the time to come, to sin willingly against so merciful a God. Let an argument from mercy prevail with you. It is a great objection against some kind of Preachers, that they preach nothing but hell and damnation. This Objection cannot be brought against me this day. Behold I come with an Olive branch of Peace in my mouth. I come as a Barnabas, not as a Boanerges, as a Minister of the gospel, all apparelled with rich mercy. It is a great mercy that we have mercies to break our hearts withal. What would Germany give, if they had these mercies? What would Ireland do for God, if they had these mercies? O let mercy melt us. This was Nathan's argument to David, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I 
2 Sam. 12 〈◊〉, 8, 9  anointed thee King over Israel, and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy Master's house, and the house of Israel, and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou, for whom I have done so much: Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? This made David cry out, I have sinned against the Lord. Me thinks I hear God saying unto us here present, I have delivered you from many dangers, I have recovered you from many sicknesses, I have heaped many favours upon you, and if this had not been enough, I would have done such and such things, wherefore have you rebelled against me? O that this might affect our hearts. Observe how David's mercy wrought upon Saul, 1 Sam. 24. 16, 17, 18. David had gotten Saul at an advantage, and spared him when he might have destroyed him, this did so work upon Saul, that he lift up his voice and wept &c. Nothing ever moved Saul so much, as the kindness of David towards him.  
So when we consider how near we have been to destruction, and how often God hath spared us, when he might have destroyed us; let us lift up our voices and weep for our sins against such a God. Observe how Mephibosheth was affected with David's mercy, in 2 Sam 9 David had cause to be revenged upon the house of Saul, but he freely showed kindness to Mephibosheth, restoring him all his father's lands, and causing him to eat bread at his Table continually. And this Mercy did so melt his heart, that he cries out, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead Dog as I am? O let the contemplation of God's love towards us, make us to loathe ourselves for our abominations, and say, What am I, a dead Dog, an impure Swine, an unclean Leper, that the Lord my God should do so much for me! Beloved in the Lord, it is my comfort that I preach this day to those that are Noble and ingenuous. My humble suit is, That you would appear to be such indeed and in truth. An ingenuous spirit is more wrought upon by love, than fear. This Fast might have been in blood, the Land might have been in confusion this day. Let the goodness of God drive you to repentance. Let the love of Jesus Christ constrain you to obedi●…nce. There is a constraining power in love. Though a stubborn and slavish spirit is more wrought upon by judgements than mercies; yet a gracious and godly heart is more wrought upon by mercies than judgements. And indeed in its own nature, Mer●…y works more powerfully, more kindly, more inwardly and deeply than judgements.  
1. Mercy works more powerfully than judgements. And therefore 
Rom. 12. 1  the Apostle Paul, beseecheth us by the mercies of God; he doth not say, I beseech you by the judgements of God: And in 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all the defilements both of flesh and spirit. He doth not say, having these threatenings, let us cleanse ourselves, &c. Let a Cart loaded go over a River frozen with Ice, the Cart breaks the Ice, but it remains Ice still; but let the sun shine upon the River, and it will melt the Ice, and dissolve it into water, so as nothing of the Ice shall remain. The Judgements of God may break a hard heart, but it will remain hard still, as a rock broken in pieces remains a rock; But the sunshine of God's mercy, and the consideration of God's love to us in Christ will break the heart to powder, and make it not only a broken heart, but a soft and contrite heart. Have you not seen a Malefactor at his condemnation and place of execution, when without hope of mercy, carrying himself desperately, and obdurately in sin, and afterwards, when informed that there was a pardon provided for him, hath been exceedingly melted and broken in heart, at the consideration of the graciousness of the King towards him?  
2. Mercy works more kindly and sweetly than judgements. As a thick Cl●…ud that is melted by the Suns shining upon it, distils down sweetly into a fruitful shower, but the cloud that is broken with a thunderbolt makes a mighty crack, and tears the cloud in pieces: So the mercies of the Gospel do kindly work upon the heart, opening it, as it did the heart of Lydia, and sweetly melting it into tears after a blessed and comfortable manner: But the thunderbolt of God's judgements makes an earthquake, and a heart-quake, as it did upon the Gaoler, Act. 16. As the blustering winds tear up the Trees by the roots: So do the judgements of God rend and tear the heart quite in pieces, but mercies will kindly dissolve it.  
3. Mercies will work inwardly. Take a piece of gold, beat it with a hammer never so much, and yet you shall never separate the dross from the gold by beating of it; but put the gold into the furnace, and the fire will separate the dross from it. The hammer of the Law will batter and bruise the soul, but the dross still remains in it; but the fire of the gospel, the furnace of God's love will separate a man and his lusts, and purge out the filth that is inwardly got into the soul. The Sun by its hot beams made the Traveller, (as it is in the Fable) put off his cloak, when the blustering wind made him gird his cloak faster about him. Thus you see how mercy works more powerfully, more kindly, more inwardly. Oh that it might appear in our hearts this day, that this doctrine that I preach, is true. I read that Caesar upon a certain time with a book in his hand was hearing of Cicero pleading, and was so taken with his eloquence and listened so attentively, that he let fall his book.  
Oh that the Lord would so affect you with the consideration of England's mercies, that your sins may fall away from you, as Caesar's book did from him. That you that write, may blot your books with your tears, and you that look upon me may look with tears in your eyes. Let us shed penitent tears this day, for the sins of many years.  
Let us study the duty of this Text, let us be ashamed and ashamed for our sins. There be many men, saith Chrysostom, that are ashamed of what they should not be ashamed, and not ashamed of what they should be ashamed: are ashamed to confess their sins, but not to act their sins, not ashamed to be seen at a playhouse, but ashamed to be seen at God's House upon a week day, ashamed of Christ and his cause, ashamed to be accounted precise, but not ashamed to be wicked and ungodly. And as the same Author saith, many men are not ashamed to sin, but ashamed to be known to sin, not ashamed to commit adultery, but to be known to commit it, not ashamed to be sinners, but to be called sinners, not ashamed to be covetous, but ashamed to be called covetous. This shame comes from the devil, and will bring us to the devil. Let us pitch the act upon the right object. Let us be ashamed of our evil (and not of our good) doings. Shame is the daughter of sin. If there had not been sin, there never had been any shame. But God hath appointed the daughter to devour the mother. As the worm eats up the tree that bred it, so let shame devour sin. There is no creature capable of sh●…me but man. Bruit beasts are capable of fear and sorrow, but not of shame: God forbid any here present should be so brutish as to be past shame. To sin and not to be ashamed of it, is Limen inferni, the next door to damnation. The Heathen hath a saying, Erubuit, salva res est. As long as there is shame, there is hope. O let us be confound●…d and ashamed, and let Mercy be the Midwife to bring forth this shame and sorrow. The Apostle commands us, That if our enemy's hunger, we should feed them, if they thirst, we 
Rom. 1●…. 20.  should give them drink, and in so doing we shall heap coals of fire upon their heads. The meaning is, That this mercy will be like a heap of hot coals, either to melt their hearts and make them our friends, or if they persist in their enmity, to add fuel to thei●… torments in hell. God hath heaped many hot coals of fire upon our heads, O let this fire burn up our dross, and melt our hard hearts lest if we continue obstinate, these coals of fire serve to add to our burning in bell. I read in the ninth of Daniel: When Daniel saw that 
Daniel 9  the time was come wherein God had promised to deliver Israel out of Babylon, this mercy made him fast, and mourn, and confess his sins with shame and confusion of face, &c. We hope the time is come, yea the set time, wherein God intends to show mercy to England; O let us pray, and mourn, and weep, and take shame for our scarlet abominations.  
If we were sure that God would perfect what he hath begun 
Object.  and consummate our hopes, this would mightily dissuade us from ever sinning against God.  
It is an argument sufficient that there is a possibility, though not a 
Answ.  certainty. This was enough to work upon the Ninivites: Let us cry mightily to God, and every man turn from his evil way. Who 
Jonah 3. 7 8, 9  can tell if God will turn, and repent, & c.? Who knows but that God may rear us up a glorious Church? E●…ra blesses God, that 
Ezra 9 ●…0  be had given them a little reviving in their bondage. We must do as the servants of Benhadad: behold (say they) We have heard 
〈◊〉 Kings 20 31, 32, 33.  that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings, let us put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes upon our heads, per adventure he will save thy life, &c. And when they came to the King, they did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch at it, &c. So must we diligently observe and catch at the very first appearance of mercy, and lay hold upon the very first opportunity; I read, Zach. 4. 10. Who hath despised the day of small things? The Prophet speaks of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which at the first was so small, that Sanballat, Tobiah, and the rest of the enemies of God's Church laughed them to scorn and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they make an end in a 
Neh. 4. 2, 3  day? will they revive the stones, out of the heaps of the rubbish which are bu●…nt? even that which they build, if a fox come up, he shall even break down their stone wall, &c. Yet notwithstanding they did go on, and build, and finish the work, and all the mountains of opposition, became a plain before them; And therefore let us not despise the day of small things. It is with the friends of the Church as with the enemies of the Church, when the Churches enemies begin to fall before God's people, they shall certainly fall. As Haman's wise men told him, if Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, 
Ester. 6. 13  before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. (Mark those words; if he be of the seed of the Jews, that is, of the people of God.) And when they fall, they fall by degrees, as it is, Exod. 14. First, God troubled the Egyptians, than he took off their wheels from their Chariots, than he drowned them in the Red Sea. So it is with the friends of the Church. If they begin to rise before the enemies of the Church, they shall certainly rise, and be advanced higher and higher. And therefore when a little crevice of light appears, when God doth but begin to look towards us, as he did upon Peter, let us weep bitterly, that ever we should sin against such a God. When a Cart is in a quagmire, if the Horses find it coming, they will pull the harder. God is now drawing near to us in mercy, we have been in a deep-quagmire, like Jeremy in his Dungeon, and God is beginning to pull us out. O let the free mercy of God, and his unparalleled love, break our hearts for, and from sin.  
If this be true, than all our Ministers will be found liars, for 
Object. 2.  they have prophesied the certain ruin and desolation of England.  
Jonah was no liar when he preached, Yet forty days and Niniveh 
Answ. 1.  shall be destroyed, because he was to be understood conditionally. So are all our threatenings to be understood with an, If, &c.  
We Ministers preach what God in his ordinary way is wont to do, 
Answ. 2  & what God in his word hath threatened to a Nation guilty of such sins as ours are. But God hath dealt with England, not according to his ordinary rule, but according to his Prerogative. England (if I may so speak with reverence) is a Paradox to the Bible. The Bible tells us what sins will make a Nation ripe for destruction, and we find these sins in our Nation. But if God will leave his ordinary road, and except us from the general rule, and miraculously save us by Prerogative, and free grace, who can hinder a free agent? This is a rare act of his Prerogative, & the more mercy there is in it, the more ought we to be confounded for our apostasies, whoredoms, abominations, and rebellions against this God.  
Men, brethren and fathers, if all that I have said this day, will not work upon your hearts, give me leave to name some other kind of mercies unto you. For I am all for mercy this day.  
1. Consider, What a mercy it is for God to make you men, when he might have made you toads. I doubt not but you have heard the story of the two Bishops, that being riding to the council of Constance, and espying by the way a poor Country man weeping, turned towards him, and asked him, why he wept, he answered, I weep to see t●…is toad (that lay upon the ground before him) because I never blessed God sufficiently, for that he made me a man and not a toad. This answer made them go away astonished and ashamed for their own unthankfulness. And it may justly work the like effect in us.  
2. Consider, What a mercy it is to be not only a man, but a rich man, a Gentleman, Knight, or Lord, &c. There is none here, but such whom God hath lifted up above thousands in outward mercies. What a shame is it for a poor cobbler to do more service for God, than it may be some of you do, that have received so much from God. May not Christ say to you as he did to the Jews? I have done many great works among you, for which of these do you stone me? I have done many great things for you, I have given you health, wealth, credit, wit, and honour, and for which of these is it that thou blasphemest my name, and despisest my Sabbaths, and refusest to obey my commandments? It is said of Heliogabalus, that he provided silken halters to hang himself withal, and ponds of sweet water to drown himself withal, gilded poisons to poison himself withal. O let not your honours and riches, &c. be silken halters to strangle your souls! let not your pleasures be ponds of sweet water to drown your souls! let not your preferments be gilded poisons, to poison your souls! Say as Nabal did (but in a better sense) shall I take my health which God hath given me, to sin against my God with it? God forbid. Shall I take the wit that God hath given me, to plot against God and his cause with it? God forbid.  
3. Consider, the patience of God towards us. This is an argument that should drive us to repentance, Rom. 2. There is no sin, but it is committed in the very bosom of God. For God fills Heaven & earth, and sees all your curtain abominations. And he is able to destroy you, he is just, and must wound the bairy scalp of those that go on in their wickedness, and he is a holy and a pure God, that hates your iniquities from his very heart. And yet behold how patient this God is towards you! At such a time, when thou wert in the act of adultery, he might have sent thee to hell in the very act, he might have made thy tongue to rot, the last oath thou sworest. Nothing withheld him but pure mercy. O let this melt our hearts. What a mercy is it to be out of hell? Many in hell have not sinned the sins that we have done. It is his free grace that we are delivered. We might have been weeping in hell at this instant: And then our tears should have been our hell, but now they will prove our heaven, if God work them in us.  
4. Consider, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his love in dying for thee. If thy heart be as hard as an Adamant, the blood of this 'scape goat will soften it. There were five men met together, that asked one another what means they used to abstain from sin. The first answered, That he continually thought upon the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time of death, and that made him live every day, as if it were his last day. The second meditated of the severe account, he was to give at the day of judgement, and of the everlasting torments of hell, and this kept him from sin. The third, of the vileness and loathsomeness of sin, and of the excellency and beauty of grace, and this made him abhor sin. The fourth, of the everlasting rewards and pleasures provided for those that abstain from sin, and this prevailed with him. The fifth and the last, continually meditated of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his love, and this made him ashamed to sin against God. This last is the greatest motive of all. If the pacification between the two Nations of England & Scotland will not affect us, let the great pacification that Christ hath made for thee between God and thy soul move thy heart to be ashamed to offend God. It is the greatest argument I can use, to say, For Jesus Christ his sake be ashamed and confounded for your evil ways.  
5. Consider, the long enjoyment of the Gospel, the powerful and plentiful preaching of it, joined with peace and plenty. And let us mourn for our Gospel sins for our unprofitableness, and unfruitfulness under such fruitful means, that we have been like a barren ground which no ploughing will make good. Let us mourn for our unbelief, and impenitency. Let Gospel sins produce Gospel sorrow. tears are made only for sin. If we mourn our eyes out for worldly losses; we cannot profit ourselves. But if we weep for sin, this will quench the fire of hell. There are 2 sorts of sins, and 2 sorts of curses: legal sins & Gospel sins, legal curses and Gospel curses: legal sins will bring legal curses; But Gospel sins (Unless there be Gospel sorrow) will bring a Gospel curse, which is above all legal curses. Of this curse the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha: that is, accursed for the present, & reserved for the vengeance which Christ will render to all unbelievers, when he comes to judgement. This is curse upon curse. And this is the curse due to them that abuse mercies. The Lord deliver us from this curse.  
6. Let every man consider the personal mercies that God hath bestowed upon him in particular, & take all these mercies, & lay them to his heart, & they will dissolve the stone in his heart; let our hearts be as wax, & these mercies as the sun to melt them into godly sorrow.  
Make a double Catalogue: One of thy sins; The other of God's mercies to thee, & bind them about thy heart to bring it into a religious frame. Thus I have named six other mercies. My humble suit is, That you would p●…nder & consider seriously what hath been said unto you. Consider what I say, saith the Apostle, and the Lord give you understanding. The Thessalonians had never understood 
2 Thes. 4.  what Paul had said, if they had not considered it. No more shall we profit by this Sermon, if we do not consider what hath been said. And this consideration must have four ingredients.  
1. We must consider these mercies distinctly, and deliberately. If a man hath a sweet cordial in his mouth and swallow it down whole, he will not taste the sweetness of it, but if he chew it by degrees, it will be very pleasant to his taste. So these mercies will do us no good, if we swallow them down without serious meditation. But if we chew them and consider them distinctly and deliberately, one mercy after another, they will exceedingly affect us.  
2. We must consider them with reflection upon ourselves, and application to ourselves. As it is reported of Plato that when he did walk in the streets, if he saw any man disordered in his speech, or any other way he would say to himself: Num ego talis? Am I such a one as this is? So must we say, Num ego talis? Have I abused these mercies? Have I sinned with these mercies? And as the Apostles severally asked Christ, Master, is it I? So m●…t we ask our hearts, Am not I the man that ought to be ashamed, and ●…nfoundid for my sins against mercies?  
3. We must consider these mercies in as near a propinquity as we can possible. It is a true saying of the philosopher, Things that are seen far off, are as if they were not: A great man a far off seems little or nothing: An enemy a far off, or a serpent a far off, doth litt●…e trouble us. So it is with mercies. If we look upon them at a distance they will seem little, and little affect us, but if we take them near to us, they will seem (as they are) very great, and will mightily work upon us.  
4. Consider these mercies devoutly with prayer unto God to make them heart-melting mercies. Pray to Christ to look upon thee, as he did on Peter; The Cock crew once and Peter wept not, the Cock crew twice, and Peter wept not, because (saith Ambrose) Christ did not look upon him. But as soon as ever Christ looked upon him, than he wept, Aspexit Christus & flevit. We Ministers are as the crowing of Peter's cock, we cannot make you ashamed and confounded for your evil doings, unless Christ look upon you. The Lord Jesus in his mercy cast his eye upon us this day, that we may all of us go out and weep bitterly, as Peter did.  
The very brute beasts have been wrought upon by mercy. Some write (though others contradict it) of the Elephant, that because it wants joints it cannot kneel, & if it once fall it cannot rise, and therefore when it sleeps it sleeps leaning upon a tree. Now the huntsman observing upon what tree it sleeps, desirous to take it, comes in the day time, and saws that tree almost asunder, and when the Elephant comes to lean upon it, the tree falls, and the Elephant with it; Then comes the huntsman, and lifts up the Elephant, which he takes so kindly, that ever after he follows the huntsman where ever be pleaseth.  
This story may be applied divers ways. When we were all fallen in Adam by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, unable to rise again, Jesus hath lifted us up from hell: O let this mercy melt us into obedience. When we were all fall'n of late years in this kingdom into a desperate condition: God by the King and Parliamant hath raised us up to a hope of better days. O let us be ashamed to be disobedient to this God. There is another famous story of one Androdus dwelling at Rome, that fled from his Master into the wilderness, and took shelter in a lion's Den; The Lion came home with a thorn in his foot, and seeing the man in the den reached out his foot, and the man pulled out the thorn; which the Lion took so kindly, that for three years he said the man in his den. After three years the man stole out of the den, and returned back to Rome, was apprehended by his Master and condemned to be devoured by a Lion. It happened that this very Lion was designed to devour him; The Lion knows his old friend, and would not hurt him. The People wondered at it, the man was saved, and the Lion given to him, which he carried about with him in the streets of Rome. From whence came that motto, Hic est homo medicus leonis: hic est lo hospes hominis. Beloved in the Lord, the great God by the help of you, and the House of the Lords hath plucked many thorns out of our feet. O let us not now bring forth thorns and briers. Let not our hearts be dry and barren as the thorny ground. Let us not kick against God with our feet while be is plucking out the thorns that trouble us. Let us not be worse than the brute beasts. But if all this will not prevail, suffer me I beseech you to remind you under new expressions of what hath been before said, and to offer some new motives unto you.  
1. If the beginnings of hope that now appear, and these inclinings of better days will not work upon us to bumble us for, and from sin: God will take away all our hopes, & all his mercies from us, and give them to a Nation that will make better use of them. And as I said in my last Sermon which I preached before this Honourable assembly) he will repent of the good things which 
Jet. 18. 10  he intended to bestow upon us. Remember what I hinted before of Saul, that if he had tarried for Samuel, God would have established 
1 Sam. 13. 14.  the kingdom unto him, But now, saith Samuel, thy kingdom shall not continue. How do we know but that if we humble ourselves, and enter into covenant to be G●… people, and seek the Lord with all our heart, but that God may establish us to be his choice people for ever? But if we harden our hearts against God and his ways, God will say unto us t●…is day, I thought to have made you a happy kingdom, but now your happiness shall not continue.  
2. When God hath done much for a Nation, and that Nation sins with his ●…ercies, God will not only take away his mercies, but will send curses instead of blessings. For so it is said, Josh. 24. 20. If ye seek the Lord, and serve strange gods, then will he 
Josh. 24. 20.  turn and do you hurt and consume you, after he hath done you good. God may out of his free mercy prorogue, and demur our ruin, but be will never remove it, till our national sins be removed.  
3. If God should heal us, help us, and lengthen out our tranquillity, and make a reformation among us, yet it would be but a lame cure, if we be not confounded and ashamed for our evil ways. It will be but a skinning over of our disease, and a daubing of us up with untempered mortar, a smothering of the fire, which will break out the more afterwards. But a perfect cure can never be expected from God, till th●…re be a national humiliation, and refo●…mation.  
4. Add lastly, if God should show us mercy, this mercy will be accursed unto us, if we be not humbled and reformed. A mercy abused is no mercy. Mercy turned to sin, takes away the comfort of the mercy, and turneth the mercy into a curse; As the rain, that falls upon the Sea, is made salt by the salt water. And that which falls upon moorish grounds, breeds Toads and Serpents: So all the goodness and mercies of God falling upon wicked, impenitent, and irreformed hearts, breed nothing but the ver●…●…f sin and iniquity. Mercy is like the water of jealousy, of which ●…e read Numbers the fifth: If the woman was innocent, it made her fruitful, but if guilty it made her rot. So the mercies of 
Num. 5.  God if we be good, make us more fruitful. It is Maximum & aptissimum motivum & medium obedientiae. But when they fall upon a wicked spirit, they make him the more rotten, and the more wicked. The Lord bless these considerations unto you.  
For the conclusion of all, I will do two things.  
1. I will name some particular sins, which are most opposite to the mercies God hath done for England, and beseech the representative House of England, to be confounded and ashamed to commit such sins any more.  
2. I will name some special and heroical Uses which you are to make of God's mercies, besides this in the Text.  
1. I will name some particular sins, &c.  
1. Be ashamed, O house of Egland, to forget the mercies you have received from God. It is a great mercy that we have mercies to remember, and if we refuse to remember God's mercies, God will take order that we shall have no mercies to remember. Let not the brand of the chief Butler be justly fastened upon us, Yet did not 
〈◊〉 ●…0 23  the chief Butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.  
2. Be ashamed, to contenme and despise the mercies you have received from God. There are many like the Israelites in Babylon; that liked their habitations in Babylon so well, that when Cyrus gave them leave to go to Jerusalem, they would not leave Babylon to go to Jerusalem. So there are many that like their former condition under the innovation so well, that they had rather continue in Babylon still, than accept of the reformation offered. That begin to say of Mannah, We have nothing but this 
Num. 14.  Mannah; and to wish for the garlic and Onions of Egypt again. This is a grievous abomination. God was very angry with the Israelites for this sin, he sent plagues upon plagues among them for it. And when at last they brought an evil report upon the land of Canaan, and (as David saith, Psal. 106) despised the holy land, refusing to go into it, God was so provoked with this sin, 
Psal. 106.  that he would not pardon it, but set them back again 40. years, and destroyed their carcases in the wilderness. Would to God I could not say, that there are some among us, that raise up an ill report upon the reformation intended, as if the Parliament had a purpose to bring in an anarchy, to reduce every thing into its first Chaos, to leave every man to do what is good in his own eyes, as when there was no King in Israel: And upon this false rumour they despise the blessed Canaan that we are going into. Oh let us be ashamed and confounded to commit this sin. This will make God carry us back again to the wilderness.  
3. Be ashamed to distrust God and his power in time of great difficulty, having received so many and so great deliverances. We are for the most part like the children of Israel, who although they were by a mighty hand brought out of Egypt, and through the red Sea, &c. yet upon every strait they began presently to murmur, and to think of making a captain to return to Egypt, never considering the iron bondage they endured in Egypt. God hath brought us out of the Egyptian bondage, and carried us through a red sea of dangers, and yet when we meet, though but with the news, of any Giants or Anakins, we begin presently to distrust, and to say: Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? can God make a way through the hosts of the Phi●…istines? And some of us begin to wish that things had remained as at first. This is a horrible sin after so many mercies. As Austin saith of Jesus Christ, He that will not believe in Christ after so many miracles, without a new miracle, he himself is a great miracle. So he that will distrust God, after so many miraculous mercies, is himself a miracle of unbelief. How often hath God appeared in the mount these two last years, as if he had resolved to take up his dwelling there? How many mountains of opposition have melted before you, as mountains of snow before the Sun? Be ashamed, be ashamed O house of England, to distrust God after so many mercies.  
4. Be ashamed to be cowardly and faint hearted in the cause of 
Neh. 6,  God, that hath so mightily appeared for us. I remember the story of Nehemiah, Chap. 6. It is there said, That when the enemies heard that the work of the building of the Temple prospered beyond their expectations, th●…y accused Nehemiah of treason against the King, and when that plot did not succeed, they bore him in hand as if some Assassinat had conspired his death. And all this was done to make him afraid. But he was above all fear (shall such a man as I fly? (saith he) shall such a man as I fear?) and finished the work, insomuch as that when the enemies heard thereof they were much cast down, for they perceived that this work was wrought of God. Remember that the fearful are 
Rev. 21. 8. Act. 12.  put, not only among unbelievers, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, Idolaters, &c. but in the forefront of them all. Be not afraid to encounter difficulties. When Peter came up to the iron gate, it opened to him of its own accord.  
5. Be ashamed to abate and cool in the work of the Lord. God will spew out a lukewarm Christian. When Moses let down his hands Amaleck prevailed; if you cool but a little, the adversaries will wax hot. There are many that labour to cast water upon your zeal, but remember the cause is God's, and say with David, It is before the Lord, I will be more vile still. The people of God will honour you, though Michol scoff at you. It is a great mercy that God hath kept us from blood. God hath left our blood in our veins, let it boil up in the cause of God.  
6. Be ashamed to injure the instruments by which God conveys these mercies unto us. When Corah and his company rebelled against Moses and Aaron, then came the plague. As we must not idolise, so we must not injure the golden pipes, through which these mercies flow unto us.  
7. Take heed of being ashamed of the cause of Christ. God hath not been ashamed to appear for us, let us not be ashamed to appear for him. Remember that thundering speech, Mark. 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, in this adulterous 
Mat. 8 38.  and sinful generation, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father, with the holy Angels. It is not enough not to be ashamed of Christ in a good generation, but we must not be ashamed of him in an adulterous and sinful generation.  
8. Let us neither pride ourselves in our mercies, nor wax wanton in our mercies. It is recorded in the French History, that when the Protestants of France began to grow wanton of their peace and prosperity, and began to affect a vain and frothy way of preaching, the●… came the cruel massacre upon them.  
2. I will briefly name some special and heroical Uses, which we are to make of God's mercies, besides this use in the Text.  
1. Do something, O house of England, for the honour of the Lord's day, which hath been much profaned, not only in our practices, but in our Doctrines. Christ Jesus hath two days, The day of the Lord, which is the day of judgement, And the Lord's day. If you look to appear with comfort at the day of the Lord, honour the Lord's day; There is a day of the Lord, for those that abuse the Lord's day. Do something to make this day more honourable by way of spiritual satisfaction.  
2. Do something to purge the Land more and more of the innocent blood of the Martyrs in Queen Mary's days, by the laws that were then established. Oh that in our public Fasts a clause might be interlaced, To command the Land to be humbled for that bloody sin, that so the Nation might be freed from the guilt of that blood. This will be an heroical work, worthy of a people endeared to God by such mercies.  
3. Do something for the reformation of God's house. Mistake me not, I do not forget to remember with thankfulness, what you have already done, but go on, I beseech you, to perfect what you have begun to do. And consider what some say of Solomon, That it was his great fault, that he bestowed more time in building of ●…is own house, than he did in building the house of God. He was but seven years in building the house of God, and thirteen years in building his own house. And it is observed he never prospered after. The Scripture seems to give a little hint of this. For it is said in the 1 King. 6. 38. So was he seven years in building the house of the Lord. And in the next verse it is added, 
1 King. 6. 38 1 King. 7. 1.  But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years. This (but) may seem to be a secret kind of reproof. O let not the like blame be cast upon you! Make haste to repair the ruins of God's house. And be sure to repair it according to the Word of God, not according to human policy. Let me desire you never to forget the story of David, who when he went to bring home the ark▪ with great joy, because he brought it not home in due order, but suffered it to be carried in a Cart, when God had commanded it should be carried upon the priest's shoulders, there was a great breach made, and a great stop of the work. As it is expressly said, 1 Chr. 15. 13. Because he did it not at the first, therefore 
1 Chr. 15. 13.  the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order. A reformation made according to the rule will abide, when all others will molder away, and the blessing of God will be upon it, and upon the maker of it.  
4. Do something for the setting up of a Preaching ministry throughout the kingdom; That the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ may shine in the dark corners of the Land. And provide a competent maintenance for the ministry, for fear lest scandalonus Livings, make scandalous Ministers.  
5. Do something to purge out all the defilements that are in the pure worship of God, that the pure and holy God may be worshipped with pure worship, purely, by pure worshippers.  
6. Do something for bleeding Ireland, pity Ireland that 〈◊〉 the mercies we enjoy. Pray for Ireland. Underwrite for Ireland. This design now on foot is a work of great piety, a means to root out Popery for ever out of Ireland, and it may prove as profitable as pious. Send speedy aid, and the Lord bless it when it is sent.  
And thus I have finished my Sermon. It is reported of Ignatius, that when he heard a clock strike, he would say, Here is one hour more now past, that I have to answer for. Give me leave to tell you, you have heard a Sermon of two hours, and therefore you have two hours more to answer for. The Lord enable us to give up a good account of this day's meeting. Let us pray down●… a blessing fro●… heaven upon what we have heard. For though the mercies of God be most free, as I showed you in my third Doctrine, yet God must be inquired of by the house of England, to do●… these mercies for them, as it is expressly set down in the 3●…. 
Ezek. 36. 37.  verse of this Chapter. Prayer doth not merit mercy, but fits us fo●… mercy. If we will have mercy, we must bring vessels to hold it, and no vessels will hold mercy but broken hearts. This is a paradox in nature, but not in grace. Deus non infundit oleum misericordi●…, nisi in v●… contritun●…. And where should we go for a broken heart, but to the heart-maker? Let us pray unto God to fit ou●… Nation for more mercies, and then to bestow them upon us.  
FINIS.