GOD's CALL TO ENGLAND, For Thankfulness after gracious DELIVERANCES: Wherein is showed, That our DELIVERANCES, Not answered with Reformation, Will be followed with Sorest Destruction.  
By Thomas Gouge.  JOSH. 20. 
If ye forsake the Lord— he will turn and do you hurt, after the good he hath done you.  
Gratiarum ●essat discursus, ubi recursus non fuerit. Nec modo nil augetur ingrato, sed & quod ascipit vertitur ei in perniciem.  Bern. Serm. 1. cap. Jejunii. 
LONDON: Printed for john Hancock, at the three Bibles in Cornhill, entering into Popes-head-alley. 1680.   

A PREFACE, Pressing to the great Duty of Thankfulness for Mercies.  
THE eminent Appearances of a Divine Hand delivering this sinful Nation in its plunges of woeful Distresses, have been such remarkable Testimonies of Infinite Goodness and Patience, as are s●●rce to be parallels in any Age of the World, in any Nation under Heaven. So numerous are the Expressions of Mercy to a People daring Heaven with their Impieties, that whoever shall review the Catalogue of them, will be amazed to see one more superadded to the former so abused and slighted, as wickedly they have been by many of us. Yet Prerogative Mercy, which acts beyond expectation and desert, conquering all Difficulties and Discouragements, hath not stepped aside to give way to Justice, but hath continued its progress towards us: Had it not been for this, we had certainly seen more direful Effects of our Enemy's Projects, than yet we have beheld. Had it not been for this, we had been as deeply involved in Misery, as we are in Sin. Hence in our great extremity, after all his forgotten favours, he hath spoken in his Love, as in jerem. 16.21. I will this once ca●●● them to know, I will cause them to know 〈◊〉 hand and my might, and they shall know my Name is the Lord. This once will I cause them to know my Mercy, to understand my unwillingness to destroy them: and hence it is, that England has not been forsaken of the Lord, although it is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel, jer. 51.5.  
Now what hath encouraged, what hath induced the Lord to express thus much favour to such, as so provoke the eyes of his Glory? It is only because He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, Rom. 9 Be it known, O People of England, 'tis not for your Righteousness that the Lord hath done this, for ye are a stiffnecked People, Deut. 9.6. Our works and ways deserve nothing but utter ruin, and perpetual desolation. For his Names sake has be done all this, and that he might make his mighty Power to be known, Psal. 106.8. his super-transcendent Goodness hath wrought out these sweet Deliverances for us. And for this end hath he done it, that we might remember our evil ways, and our doings that were not good, and might loathe ourselves in our own sight, for our iniquities and abominations, Ezech. 36.31. And now shall we be a happy People, if Mercies shall so prevail upon us, as to effect this blessed frame and disposition in us. For this end hath the Almighty tried us with another Deliverance, because he hath said, It may be they will present every one their Supplications, and return from their evil ways, jer. 36.7.  
Oh, what expectations hath God to see a repenting, reforming, holy, obedient carriage, upon our receipts of such wonderful favours from him! He looks that we will appear another manner of People than we have been, after these eminent, frequent, seasonable, and Miraculous appearances for us. Oh therefore, since the Lord hath not forsaken us a sinful People, but stood by us, and redeemed us, when appointed to Death, Let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten, jerem. 50.5. Let us offer up ourselves to the Lord as a whole-burnt-offering, in the ascending flames of purest Affections. Let us not occasion the cessation of Heavenly Kindnesses, by a wicked regardlesness of them. Let it be our employment, to applaud and improve the Infinite Love of God in all his Mercies.  
Come, let us view the sudden and sweet Dispensations of God's heavenly and holy Providence, and fix our thoughts on his surprising Benefits, till our hearts are enamoured with the Author of them, and transformed into the likeness of that loving God that gives them: let us trace him in his ways of Mercy, till we are sweetly brought into the ways of Duty: Let our Souls be drawn up to the Centre of Heaven, by the Golden Chains of Mercies let down from thence unto us. Let us continue a leisurely Meditation on our gracious Deliverances, till our Affections are sublimated, our hearts inflamed, and a Thankful frame produced. Let us behold our most precious Lives preserved, our inestimable Liberties secured, the conspicuous and glorious Light of the Gospel continued, the Life of his Sacred Majesty defended: I say, let us contemplate these things, till our health shall sound Melodious Praises to that Almighty Power that hath done all this.  
Now, Courteous Reader, what doth the Lord require for all this Kindness, but a truly thankful Heart and Life? And what less canst thou give to God than this? Thou canst present the Almighty with no such pleasing Offering, as a grateful Heart: For God hath sufficiently expressed his esteem of such Presents, by appointing the Altar of Incense, which was for Thank-Offerings, to be encompassed with a Crown of purest Gold: for though the most odoriferous Incense is nothing in his account, the thank-ful heart that presents it as a Testimonial of unfeigned Gratitude, is highly esteemed by him. Neither is there any thing more consonant to the Dictates of Reason, than that we express all manner of kindness to those that oblige us by their large Munificence: for, Quisquis magna dedit, voluit sibi magna rependi. The Donors of great favours, expect answerable requitals. And however we may forget what we give, we must not forget what we receive: And therefore I may say as Bernard, cum amat Deus, nil aliud vult quam amari; when the Lord expresseth love, he designs to be loved. And verily, a grateful reflection of honour to God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our highest and lowest Divinity, the highest pitch of attainments, is but Love; the lowest return can be nothing beneath it, if any thing at all. The only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or Requitals we can render to God for his richest Favours, are only Testimonials of Thankfulness, by extolling his holy Name with unfeigned Praises, and reflecting Honour on his blessed Majesty by cheerful Obedience to his sacred Commandments. Now therefore as the piercing Rays of the glorious Sun, though passing through the transfluent Air with an imperceptible motion, yet meeting with a Solid Body rebound with an increasing lustre; so should our Hearts and Lives reflect the honour of all our Mercies on our Heavenly Benefactor. And unless the Bounty of Heaven gains so far upon our obstinate Hearts, as to effect this work, we shall gain little by the greatest Mercies: the sense of which caused a holy man to pray, Domine, da Gratitudinem cum Misericordiâ; nolo Misericordiam sine Gratitudine. Oh Lord, give me a thankful heart with thy Mercies; Lord, I desire not Mercies without a grateful heart to improve them. And we shall find it true, that Mercy unregarded, Deliverance not improved, will render our condition more desperate and dangerous, and our end more miserable. But, Oh! How much is it to be lamented, that a Virtue so applauded for surpassing excellency, a Duty enjoined with such indispensable Necessity, is so much unseen in all, and unpractised by most! How are the Mites of men's Bounty more regarded than the Mountains of God's Mercy! Of the Ten Lepers that our Saviour healed, but one returned to glorify God, Luke 17.17, 18. How few of a whole Nation delivered from the barbarous hands of bloody-minded men, from the complicated Contrivances of Romish Agents, have returned deserved Praises to our blessed Redeemer? How are both private and public Mercies buried in the Grave of Unthankfulness? which is the reason of that Unprofitableness which lays us under the greatest Curse.  
Yet an Ungrateful temper is extremely odious in the thoughts of all men. It receives a black doom even from such as may justly be condemned for it. Ingratitude is that sin which Lycurgus a Heathen-Lawgiver accounted so prodigious, in humane, and abominable, that he thought it was so impossible for reasonable men to be guilty of it, that it would be superfluous to enact a Law to condemn it: And 'tis reported of the Egyptians, that those among them that wanted Humanity to return Kindness to Benefactors, underwent no lesser Penalty than to be disabled from having a Posterity to survive them, that the world might not be pestered with an ungrateful Progeny. But if the contempt of humane kindnesses gives such offence to mortal men, and receives such Punishments; What punishment doth it merit, what hatred doth it deserve, when the guilt is infinitely raised, by the consideration of that infinite Glory that is affronted by it! The just Threats of the Eternal God against such Offenders, express its provoking nature, Deut. 8.19. If ye at all forget the Lord,— I testify against you, ye shall surely perish. If such Severity be to those that at all forget, what will be the portion of such as altogether forget the Mercies of God? But oh! which of us hath not suffered Divine Favours to slip out of our minds? What less in our thoughts than how much God hath done for us? Will not Vengeance fall upon us with a witness, if we proceed in such ungrateful courses?  
Now therefore, to use the words of Judas, I will put you in remembrance, how that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them that believed not, jude 5. Such will be the portion of all those, we may fear, who will neither love nor obey the Lord, after all the great things He hath done for us: but accounting them small things, deny those respects they ought to show to him that did them, Who is wise in Counsel, and excellent in working. But shall we be worse than the Ox or Ass, that know their Masters, and serve them? Shall we be more ungrateful to God than we are to Men? The People of Israel told Gideon, judg. 8.22. Thou shalt rule over us, seeing thou hast delivered us from the hands of the Midianites. Shall we not say to God, O Lord, since in thy infinite Mercy thou hast delivered us from the hands of our enemies, we will now submit unto thee, and thou shalt rule over us? Oh how pleasing would this be to God? How happy should we be under such acknowledgements of God's Deliverances? But to persist in sin is very unreasonable: Mic. 6.3. Oh my people, testify against me: What have I done to thee?— vers. 4. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, etc. Oh, my people, says God, remember what great Deliverances I have wrought, what Miracles my arm hath performed for you; and will ye sin after all this? Oh England! Remember what God hath done, what Deliverance from a heathenish condition, what an escape from Popish darkness, what Redemptions from Romish Conspiracies, God hath bestowed; and then let Conscience speak, whether you do well or no to sin against such a God as this. This will never be tolerated long by a Holy God. This will make him say, as Ezek. 21.3. Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. The Sword of justice sheathed by Divine Patience, will be drawn out to avenge the abuse of Mercies. Will not contempt of Goodness bring the fulfilling of that Threat upon us, Ezek. 44.25. I will not watch over you for good, but for harm? Providence hath hitherto been watchful over us to secure us from ruin; but miserable shall we be, when God shall watch opportunities to ruin and destroy us.  
Now I must tell you, whatever our apprehensions of things may be, there is nothing will prevent our destruction after Deliverance, but a serious Repentance, and hearty Reformation. 'Tis not our Policy or Power, 'tis not our Courage or Undauntedness can possibly secure us; but except we repent, we shall surely perish. Our Profession and Privileges are insufficient to give us safety. Jerusalem, the holy City, is now a ruina●ted heap: a place of strength, so that the Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the enemy and adversary should enter its gates, Lam. 4.12. and yet it is made a perpetual desolation by the fire of God's wrath kindled against it.  
Neither may the Greatest in our Land, if living in sin, think to escape by or in wickedness. The hand of God will find out his enemy, though never so potent, though guarded with all humane securities. And certainly, if God shall at last for our sins suffer our enemies to prevail, Prince and Peasant shall suffer alike; Royal, as base blood, will be a Drink-offering. And if in Policy they spare a while, yet in Cruelty they will slay at last. The dainty Dish is reserved for last. The best blood and the best wine are brought forth at last; the courser blood runs out before that pure blood that flows from the heart is drawn forth. Let none therefore flatter themselves in sin, because exalted to eminent degrees of Honour in a sinful Land.  
But if in sincerity we turn from our sins, the Lord shall be our Security, and appoint Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks. This shall be a sign, we shall still escape when we shall be mourning for, and leaving off those sins, that have brought us into danger. Ezra 7.16. Those that have escaped shall escape, for they shall be on the Mountains as Doves in the Valleys, mourning every one for their own Iniquity. Were there such an universal Mourning for our particular sins, we should soon ●ee Providence scattering the threatening Clouds that hang over ●ur heads, and raising a foundation for our further hopes of ●scape. Oh than that Charity to ● ruining State, that Compassion ●o the languishing Church of our Lord jesus Christ, that our Gratitude to a gracious God for his Mercies, or that our dread of a confounding Majesty, and hastening Misery, may make us break off ●n! God calls, as jer. 14.17. I ●ave seen thy abominations; Woe ●nto thee, oh jerusalem, wilt thou ●ot be made clean? when shall it ●nce be? Oh when shall we leave ●ur sins, after so many years of Patience- tiring, justice-daring Provocations? When shall it once ●e, after so many lesser Judgments ●ounding warnings to us to prevent ●ur ruin? Oh when shall it be, ●fter all the miraculous engaging Deliverances God hath given? Oh let this be the time.  
Now to this end I have presented thee with those Considerations, that may be Inducements to all, to learn to live more holily, after such rich enjoyments of Mercies; and prevent the abusing of them to sin. For as Hermes after Wine was wont to take a grain of Mastic, to prevent its Coagulation into destructive Tartar; so should we wisely fortify ourselves by weighty Considerations, so to prevent those sins we are naturally pron● to commit after the receipt o● Mercies. And especially, because when Satan by his Instruments hat● attempted our destruction, and ou● gracious God hath prevented their designs by delivering, not suffering the gates of Hell to prevail against us; our vigilant Adversary, seein● he cannot destroy us, will exercis● all his wylès to deprive us of th● benefit of Deliverances given t● us, by endeavouring to divert our mind from considering them, and ●ent●cing us to a wrong Improvement of them. Let us also believe our future condition is like to be according to our carriage under Gods present gracious Dispensations. And I may say of Mercy, as the Heathens of Fortune, Nec cultores praeterit, nec haeret contemptoribus. It slights not its Worshippers, neither will it stay with its Contemners. So those that are grateful for Mercies shall never want them, those that are abusers shall not long enjoy them. Continuance in son will be so great discouragement to God in ways of Mercies, that we shall have just Cause to despair of future relief from him. 'Tis reported of Alphonsus' King of Spain, that a Noble beggared by his wickedness, seeking relief, was denied, with this Answer, If thou hadst ●pent thy estate in my Service, there were reason to provide fo● thee; but since you have foolishly wasted it, thou shalt live i● thy wants without my relief. S● although God will deliver thos● whose dangers arise from serving of him, yet he may justly deny deliverance to those that involve themselves in miseries by sinning against him.  
Now, Reader, if thou wonderes● so important a Subject as this, i● undertaken by so weak a hand a● mine; know, that gratitude raise● the price of the meanest presents And this is certain, God doth no● choose means because effectual, bu● means are effectual, because God chooses them. Young Samuel was chosen to carry a message to Ol● Eli, who did not contemn him fo● his youth, but received the message the Lord sent by him. And 〈◊〉 though I am the meanest of Saints my weak endeavours may be prosperous with the blessing of an Almighty God.  
There is such a pruritus scribendi in this diseased Age, that would force me to make some plea for exposing this small Treatise to public view. But Apologies commence so low, that they are rather believed to be flatteries than truths; and (as one saith) should the highest Protestations of my humble intentions be entered, I know men will take the liberty to believe or question at pleasure. Therefore all I shall say is only this; The subject and Treatise is peaceable, not mingling with the intemperate and preternatural heats of the Christian, or rather unchristian Gladiatours of these days. The Treatise is also practical, designed to reduce the lives of persons to better order; and not stuffed with nice speculations, to gratify men's itching ears and wild fancies. I believe also you will say 'tis plain, if not too uncouth. But I shall not affect the vain Pedantry of plausible ostentation; for I reckon the simplicity of sober well-meaning hearts, need no such curious embellishments: And I shall be willing to be judged by any, whether it be not seasonable; and so I shall depend upon the Lord to accompany it with his blessing to the Souls of those who shall vouchsafe to peruse it; whose Prayers I shall desire, that I may spend my days to the glory of God, and in promoting the public welfare; and so remain,  
Chelmsford, Octob. 8. 79. An unfeigned Wellwisher to the public good, THOMAS GOUGE.   

God's Controversy WITH ENGLAND, FOR Contemning Deliverances.  Ezra 9 13, 14. 
— Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a deliverance as this: Should we again break thy Commandments?  
— Wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?  
SInce one effectual means to promote the deserved honour and transcending glory of the Sovereign Governor of Humane Affairs, is by a suitable Improvement of his various Providences to us; an industrious inquiry into the blessed designs of his providential dispensations, in order thereto, will be accounted no unnecessary work to such as intend that Religious improvement of them. Of these providential occurrences, which may not be pretermitted without some serious Meditations on them, some are of that sort which we call common, from the frequent enjoyment of them, (of which kind is our daily Preservation, Provision, Gubernation) although they are special, considering our unspeakable misery without them; and these (I say) cannot be slighted and disregarded, without an unworthy disparagement of infinite mercy, and contempt of Sovereign Majesty.  
But besides these ordinary works of Providence, there are oftentimes extra-ordinary works presented to our view, attended with special displays, and bearing some eminent impressions of Mercy or Justice; which are not to be overlooked in a cursory way, or dispatch with a single glance, but require a deliberate Meditation, a fixed inspection, and a singular improvement. Such unusual dispensations from the Almighty's hand, have frequently been known, both in ways of Mercy and Justice in our sinful Nation, which hath been a Theatre for the mixed displays of these Glorious Attributes for many years; and especially of late, our long-suffering God hath stamped most illustrious impressions of mercy on many of his eminent Providences to us; of which our Miraculous Deliverance in part vouchsafed to us, is an apparent testimony; and requires the most faithful improvement, that finite creatures can make of the doings of an infinite God.  
The Deliverance I mean was that, when the supreme Overseer of created beings in all their operations, cast an unmerited eye of pity on our sinful Nation, languishing with undiscerned distempers: when the boundless goodness of the Eternal God, made a timely stop to our hastening ruin: when the heavenly witness that is conscious to the secret actions of unmindful Mortals, detected the vaulted contrivances of the undermining Moles of our Commonwealth; when the Almighty God, who places bounds to the roaring waves, and says to the raging sea, Hitherto and no farther, took off the Chariot-wheels of our furious Enemies: when he unto whom belongs the issues from death, as by a glorious Resurrection, rescued us from the jaws of destruction, who bore the Image of death upon us: when the faithful God discovered the unfaithful dealings of perfidious Plotters; and by a glorious ray of infinite goodness shining on our clouded Land, hath made us a Land of Goshen, who were near to be made a miserable Golgotha. This is the Deliverance never to be forgotten, the wonderful work with such impressions of mercy, which is to be beheld with most fixed intention.  
Now can we cast our eye on this magnificent masterpiece of mercy, but our eye must needs affect our hearts, and ingenerate such motions as were in the heart of thankful David, Psal. 116.12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercy?  
Can we pass by this Heavenly favour, without a pious inquiry into the gracious designs of our blessed God in bestowing of it? Hath this unexpected deliverance continued the choicest of blessings to us, and shall we dis-appoint the expectations of God, who is looking for signal requitals of it? Surely such a glorious work as this, wherein hath appeared the immediate hand of Almighty God, the most wonderful goodness of his sweetest nature, the highest testimonies of his enduring patience, can never be over-looked by us; unless we design to affront his mercy, disdain his kindness, and dare his justice.  
But oh miserable Nation! oh ungrateful people! Where are the tokens of thankful respects for unmerited favours? What notice is there taken that such a work hath been done amongst us? Who lays to heart the operations of his hands? Where are the lips that praise him, the lives that honour him for it? The Idolatrous Philistines could assemble and sacrifice to their Dagon, for delivering Samson their Enemy into their hands, judg. 16.23, 24. But when have we assembled to offer the sacrifice of praise to our God, for delivering us from the hands of our Enemies? Oh regardless people! if talking of Deliverance be recompense enough, we have paid it; if cursing our foes be sufficient reward, we have given it: but if repentance of disobedience be the only return, we have yet omitted it: if reformation can only be regarded as a suitable requital, we are without it. What have we seen but unchanged conversations in our changed condition? What have we given to the Lord, but a doubled measure of Impieties, for his doubled mercies? What have we done, but endeavoured to revenge ourselves on the mercy of God that hath spared us?  
Oh undeserving Generation that we are! how do we enjoy mercies, and never improve them? How do we comfortably reap the profit of Deliverance, and unfaithfully rob the Lord of the glory of it? How do we bless ourselves in escapes, and forget the Almighty that gives them to us? We are solicitous wanters, but careless enjoyers. How are we joyful when getting out of danger; but how little careful then are we to be getting out of sin? Methinks the Moon that is often changing and still keeps its old spots, is a plain Emblem of our wicked Nation: when all things are ruining, sin remains unruined; when enjoying escapes from ruin, still sin remains to be again a cause of ruin. Oh what unchangeable Ethiopians are we in our sins? How like are we to the hardened Mariners, who escaping the fatal dangers of a threatening storm, remain secure till another Tempest hangs over their heads? What succession of mercies do we promise ourselves, in the vilest continuance in destroying iniquities!  
But is there no hope● that the consideration of delivering Mercies may overpower us from going on in our wicked courses? Were they pressed upon our Consciences, would they not prevail to effect some reformation? It may be a word that will suit to the works of the Lord amongst us, may make some impression, effect some conviction, and produce some amendment. Behold then a Word enough to melt our hearts with the reading of it; to dissolve us into tears by meditating on it; to make us reform by applying of it.— Seeing thou hast given us such a deliverance as this, should we again break thy commandment?— Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us? etc.  
In these words are contained, 

1. A thankful acknowledgement of the undeserved mercy their gracious God had exercised towards them; consisting in these two things. 

1. He had punished them less than their sins deserved. They admire the Clemency of Almighty God, that when their iniquities were wonderfully great, their punishments should be mitigated with so much mercy. The Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used, signifies (1.) Cohibere se, to withhold one's self. And so the sense is elegant, Thou hast withheld thyself from doing what our iniquities deserved from thee. Thou wouldst not suffer thy direful anger to break out against us to the utmost, but didst refrain thyself from making an irreparable ruin amongst us. Hadst thou proportioned thy destroying judgement, to our daring provocations, and thy wrathful dealings to our vast deserts, we had not been a people at this very day: but thy mercy detained the hands of thy Justice; and thou didst not so much design to consume us, but only to correct us. The like acknowledgement have we cause to make, having had experiences of the same clemency: for when our provoked God hath come out against us with wasting Wars, destroying Plagues, devouring Flames; yet he restrained his wrath, and suspended the greatest part of the judgements we deserved from him; and although when he began, there was cause enough to make a full end of us all, yet in the midst of Justice he remembered mercy, and graciously desisted from ruining of us.  
2. The word signifies Cohibere aliquid, to restrain any thing else. So the sense is, Thou hast restrained, kept down our sins from rising up in judgement against us; for had they appeared against us, we had utterly been ruined.    
2. This Mercy was expressed to them, by the working out for them so great a deliverance; Since thou hast given us such a deliverance; implying how merciful, how seasonable, how undeserved a deliverance that was they received; and such is ours, that the Almighty God hath vouchsafed to us.  
2. You have here the deep sense of duty that was upon his heart; which duty was to break off sin, which only can be a just return to God for his goodness.  
3. You have his sense of danger, if sin was persisted in after such a deliverance; Wouldst thou not consume us? etc.  
4. You have the aggravation of that destruction under such heinous sinning, Till there were no remnant nor escaping.    
The general Heads I shall insist upon, which are immediately contained in, or may serve to explain this Text, are these.  

1. That the great design of God in bestowing merciful deliverances on a people is to reclaim them from sin.  
2. That such is that wickedness that is in the most of men, that they are prone to wax worse after deliverances.  
3. That sinning after Deliverance, is the most heinous sinning.  
4. That sinning after Deliverance, hath a peculiar influence to hasten destruction.  
5. That Destruction for sins after Deliverance, will be the most dreadful destruction. Now I shall endeavour, Deo juvante, to speak something to each of these in order.   

PROPOSITION I.  
The design of God in delivering a people from eminent dangers of ruin, is to oblige them to forsake all sinful and wicked practices. The intent of delivering mercies, is to cause us to repent of our destroying iniquities. The main end of Gods exercising goodness towards us, is only to effect some goodness in us. The design of special mercies, is to make us a special people. The Almighty God delights not to reduce a people from sinful courses, by laying them under such heavy judgements as may render them incapable of committing those sins, which otherwise their wills incline them to; but the way of his pleasure is to confer such mercies upon them, as may sweetly conquer their stubborn hearts, and gain their averse minds to himself. Hence when the sin and folly of an obstinate people hath reduced them to inextricable straits, the eternal God doth not suffer his destroying wrath to break forth against them, saying, I see them helpless and past recovery, now therefore will I ease me of my adversaries, and avenge me of my enemies; but compassion being kindled in his merciful breast, Now says the Lord I will lend a helping hand, and give them that experience, and those evidences of my goodness, that shall for ever oblige them to me, and win them from proceeding in ways of rebellion against me. Thus all our deliverances lay us under perpetual obligations to devote ourselves to the blessed work and service of our delivering God.  
Our mercies are not beautiful Tombs in our way, wherewith we may delight our eyes; but Chariots to carry us on with more pleasure and cheerfulness in the ways of our gracious God. The end of deliverances is plainly seen, Luke 1.74, 75. That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies, may serve him without fear, in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our lives. We are not delivered from enemies, to continue enemies to God; but an escape is given us from the hands of enemies, that we may resign up ourselves into the hands of our God.  
When God prevents our becoming miserable preys to unmerciful foes, 'tis to oblige us ever to praise him with thankful Hearts and obedient lives, Psal. 105.37. He brought forth that people with silver and gold; spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night, v. 39 He brought quails, and satisfied them with bread from heaven; he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness, v. 43. And what was the design of all this favour? v. 45. That they might observe his Statutes, and keep his Laws. Although our mercies are Gods gifts, yet they greatly raise our debts. The favours we receive from our gracious God, are not as payments given to servants to discharge from work, but like the encouragements tender Parents give to Children, to increase their dutiful service and obedience. 'Tis promised. H●s. 3. u●. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness; or, ob tantam D●i beneficentiam, Grot. they shall serve and obey him for his goodnesses, in returning and restoring of them: that wonderful kindness was for this end, to ingenerate obedient love, and induce to constant loyalty to so blessed a Redeemer.  
Now had not these blessed intentions and gracious designs been in the heart of our God, he had never exercised his Almighty power for our help and relief, as of late he hath done: but he designing to reclaim us from sin, hath restrained his wrath, and revealed our danger; that so by giving us the advantage of such a mercy, we might render to him the glory of it. And what can be more reasonable, than to give God the glory of that, whereof we have the profit? What more unjust, than to cross such gracious designs as these? And therefore unless we design to debar ourselves from future mercies, it concerns us greatly to answer God's design in these; unless we intent by our incorrigibleness to bring irreparable ruins upon ourselves, it highly concerns us by this goodness of God, to be led to that Repentance and Reformation intended by it. For to what end hath this grace of God appeared, but to teach us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we might live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world?  
I shall now propose some few Reasons, why the glorious God condescends to strive with Man with thus much goodness, rather than reduce him by forcible coactions, and destroying judgements; why he doth not ease him of his Enemies by his Almighty power, but endeavour to make them friends by obliging favours.   

REASON I.  
Because this way and method is most suitable to his gracious nature. Rough spirited men in reducing offenders, will use nothing but harsh severity: but such whose nature is tempered with amiable meekness, abhor such wrathful means; and will make experiment what clemency and kindness will do, before they proceed to powerful compulsions. Thus the great God having declared himself to be most gracious, will experience how far he can prevail by the exercise of goodness, before he proceeds to the displays of his justice and greatness. So good is our God, that he is ready to make proof of the efficacy of a thousand smiles of mercy, rather than of a single stroke of Justice. The titles of honour which discover his nature, do mostly set out his abounding goodness, Exod. 34.5, 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in truth and goodness. The whole world is embroidered with infinite impressions of goodness. Among his blessed Attributes, his grace is uppermost; and though he be equally just as good, yet he exercises his goodness more than his justice. This is the fairest flower in the garland of Majesty; the brightest ray that issues from that un-approachable light; the height of his immensurable and Imperial glory. Now if we consider his readiness to mercy, and his slowness to anger; his frequency in displays of goodness, and the rarity of amazing judgements; his resolvedness in ways of grace, and reservedness in ways of justice; we may easily see 'tis most agreeable to his nature, to accomplish his designs by clemency.   

REASON 2.  
Because this merciful method is most agreeable to the nature of man. The most powerful Engine to attract the will of man, is the good will and mercy of God. Man being of a generous spirit, is more easily drawn than driven, persuaded than forced. Murdering severity may force a slavish fear, but never produce any loving obedience. Dipping in the sweetest oil of mercy, is most effectual to soften the hardened hearts of men. Parisiensis relates a History of a stubborn sinner, that nothing would reclaim; but God heaping up favours upon him, at last he cries out, Vicisti benignissime Deus indefatigabili bonitate: Oh kindest God, thou hast conquered me with thy unwearied goodness. Were a man to relieve an inveterate enemy in a perishing condition, it could not but effect a change, and make him become an intimate and constant friend. Sullen, peremptory, and imperious commands, have little influence to sway obdurate Enemies. The kindness of conscientious David in sparing Saul his mortal Enemy, melted his stony heart, and made him promise eternal friendship, 1 Sam. 26.21. I have sinned, says Saul, I will do thee no more harm, seeing my life was precious in thy sight. And will not the most refractory sinner be ready to come to terms of peace, at the receiving such kindness from the hand of God? will he not say, Ah Lord, I have been an ungodly Enemy, and impudent Rebel against thee; thou hadst me in thy hand, and mightest have suffered my bloody Enemies to have cut me off; thou mightest have dispatched me to eternal Torments: but since thou hast been so gracious to spare and deliver me thy Enemy, henceforth I shall ever be thy friend, and never offer to rebel any more.   

REASON 3.  
God proceeds in these gracious methods, because of the experienced ineffectualness of destroying judgements to effect a sincere Repentance, and produce an unfeigned obedience. Mercy hath ever prevailed more with sinners than wrath. Severity in exercising judgements, may curb a headstrong sinner from outward enormities; but the bent of his will, and the inclination of his heart still remains to commit it. These usually have no farther influence, than to render men like roaring Lions confined by Iron grates; like ravenous dogs restrained by heavy chains; only making an impediment from acting, not an amendment as to the will to act. A lock may stop a Thief, yet it altars not his mind.  
This ineffectualness of judgements, hath often been evidenced in the devilish behaviour that hath appeared in many under them. How many in blasphemous enraged passions, have belched out most execrable Oaths and reproachful speeches against Heaven, and the instruments of Divine vengeance, Et quem oderunt perire cupiunt; wishing the destruction of the God that destroyed them? As the Cilicians made War against Mount A●tna, spitting out sulphureous flames upon them: with such madness do rebellious wretches contend with the Almighty, consuming them by the fire of deserved vengeance.  
How often do men bid defiance to God heaping up plagues upon them! and stopped in their sinful courses as Balaam by the Angel, still will spur on in despite of God himself.  
Zeph. 3.5. Every morning be brings his ●udgments to light, but the wicked know no ●hame. Sins were continued under continual judgements; so jer. 5.3. They were smitten, and did not grieve.  
And if at any time judgements have affected a sinful people, by reason of the extremity of them: yet all those appearances of Devotion under them, have been mostly delusions; being only the workings of nature, expressing a sense of suffering, not the effects of grace, declaring a sorrow for sinning: hence hardened Pharaoh un●er the distress of miraculous judgements, is seemingly moved with Repentance. Thus thousands are beautiful in pangs, but 'tis only the operations of judgements on the body, not their impression on the heart. But this ineffectualness of destroying judgements, ●s declared abundantly by the following carriage of the sufferers by them. For how many have we known, after the wea●ing off the smarting sense of vengeance, have proved the grandees and Imperialists in provoking wickednesses? and the storm of judgements being a little over, have rid on with a full career, and un●ridled chase, in their unlicensed courses. Since then this way effects so little, God will rather make use of mercies: since horrid desolations will make no mere impression, God will make experiment what deliverance will do. So then, to conclude this head, God uses these means, because as Sola misericordia deducit Deum ad homines, so Sola misericordia reducit homines ad Deum: As mercy only brings down God to man, so mercy only brings back man to God.   

PROPOSITION 2.  
Such is the wickedness of our corrupted hearts, that we are prone to proceed in sin, notwithstanding the Lord is using these means with us to reclaim us. We are apt to make use of our deliverances to further our sins, rather than improve them to the forsaking of them. For as the red Sea drinks in the River jordan yet is never the sweeter; and the vas● Ocean all other Rivers, yet is not th● fresher: so we receive the most excellent mercies, and yet are but little the better. So entire is our cursed affection to ou● espoused Lusts, that whoever be dis-engaged, and whoever be displeased, we ar● too much resolved to continue in them. Hence the mercy's God gives for encouragements to serve him, we turn to be instruments of sinning against him. When God doth most for us in ways of mercy, we are prone to do most against him in ways of sin. 'Tis reported of the Leopard, that 'tis most savage to those that do most for it. Too true it is of us; we are wretchedly most unkind, to those that show most kindness to us. Felicitate corrumpimur, outward felicity makes us abound in iniquity. After the receipt of special favours, we often loosen the reins to Impiety, and run more extravagantly after our own inventions. How many become more nimble in the feats of iniquity, by being anointed with the oil of mercy? Men nurse the hateful brats of their devilish lusts, at the breast of Divine bounty. Our envenomed natures extract food for the nourishment of abominable sins, from the singular favours of a gracious God.  
As when the season grows warm, by fructifying rays of the Sun, the weeds spring up; so by the increase of mercies, there is often the abounding of iniquity, Hos 10.1. Israel is an empty vine: or, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vitis luxurians; a wild vine: according to the multitudes of his fruits, he hath increased the altars, i. e. Quo res habuit pr●speriores, eo magis indulsit Idololatriae, Gro● The more prosperity, the more Idolatry. 'Tis observed of the Spleen, the greater it grows, the less the body is: the more Temporal mercies, the less heavenly spirits and holy obedience. Host 4.7. As they increased, they sinned against me. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut multiplicari eyes, as I multiplied to them; or, as I increased deliverances, honour, riches; so they sinned against me. As judgements will not bridle us, so mercies will not break us off our sinning. Isa. 26.10. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. In the former verses the Prophet shows, that the people of God would serve him even under afflictions; but as for the wicked, neither mercies nor afflictions work upon them. Mercies are messengers to instruct us our duty; but although for many years we have been called upon by them, yet how little have we learned to love, serve, and obey our God by them? Noah miraculously delivered, is abominably drawn into sin. He that had the highest proofs of the mercy and justice of God, mercy to himself, justice to the world, lies drunk in his Tent; preserved from waters, overcome by wine: behold, you may see him guilty of the sin for which he saw the world condemned; you may see him to be rebuked for the sin he so often had reproved: and he that was so holy before, now becomes a pattern of uncleanness, and example for future wickedness: thus prone are the best to sin after deliverance. Thus holy Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.24, 25. God delivered him from death, but he rendered not to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up, not with thankfulness, but haughtiness; not in praises, but with pride. Deut. 32.15. jeshurun waxed fat and kicked, then be forsaken the God that made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Deliverance had made way for his promotion; and he being promoted, God was rejected. Righteous Lot by distinguishing favour escaping the flames of Sodom, fell into the fire of sin. The ashes of Sodom, the pillar of salt, made him not wise enough to shun the drunken bed of Incest. Who could have thought Lot should fall into such Impieties, upon the receipt of such mercies? but thus prone are we to abuse goodness, and ready to slight the greatest kindness: how often do we turn our Physic to poison?  
How often do we make our Mercies Commeatus peccandi, Inlets to sin? 'Tis said concerning Eve, that God designed her an helper to Adam, and made her of his rib; but the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, took his rib, and made it a fatal dart. So God gives Mercies with good intentions, but Satan siding with our corrupt inclinations, makes use of them to our great disadvantage.  
I shall now consider how it comes to pass, that Deliverances have no more Influence upon us, and how we become so prone to sin after them.  
(1.) It arises from the mighty Power that accustomed sins have upon the heart. When highest Reasons are obliging to leave sin, the force of Custom prevents their operation. When men are soaked in Sensuality, fleshed in Villainy, thorough-paced in Rebellious courses, what is able to change them? Hereby the heart is so direfully hardened, the Devil's Kingdom so invincibly fortified, and sin itself so much endeared, that there is unspeakable difficulty in conquering of it. Ezek. 16.4. When delivered from Egypt 'tis said, Their Navel was not cut. The Navel is that whereby the Child is supplied with nourishment in the Mother's Womb. So this expression means, Israel was still drawing in Egyptian Manners and Superstitions; being accustomed to them, they still hankered after them, notwithstanding their great deliverance.  
And although for a while a deliverance may seem to make some impression, yet as the water heated, redit ad ingenium, grows cold again: so affections to God wear off, and men are hankering after their former Lusts. So Ezek. 23.8. Neither ●eft she her whoredoms brought from Egypt. Difficile est ab usitatis desinere: Accustomed ●ins are hardly deserted: sins often renewed, are hardly reform; sudden mercies, ●hough never so great, will hardly wear ●ut continued sins.  
2. The reason why our Deliverances work no greater Reformation, is, because ●e fix our Eyes too much upon second cause's, and inferior Instruments, without a due acknowledgement of the hand ●f God. Hence we are prone to conceive ourselves more obliged to Men than 〈◊〉 God himself. How wickedly do ma 〈◊〉 ascribe more to Humane Policy, and Heathenish Fortune, than to infinite power and Heavenly favour? Host 11.3. They knew not that I healed them. Nescire dicitur qui gratiam non refert: He is ignorant who neither observes nor answers the merciful hand of God.  
Attributing Deliverances to man, hinders the performance of duty to God. The reason why mercies are not seconded with obedience to God, is, because we look too much to second causes; so those Hab. 1.16. Their portion was fat, and they sacrificed to their nets, and burnt incense to their drags. Thus the Assyrian proudly ascribed all to himself, Isa. 10.14. By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent. How can the mercy of God be answered, if it be not owned? How can we requite God for delivering, if we deny the receipts of deliverance from him? If we look not upon our mercies as given by God, we shall give God nothing fo● his mercies.  
3. Deliverances are no more influentia to reclaim from sin, because of our unreasonable oblivion of them. Our greatest mercies are but nine days wonders present impressions made by deliverance are soon worn off by neglect of future consideration. The sense of our Engagements to Obedience wearing off, our inclinations to sin make head. When mercies are new, how frequent is our remembrance of them? Whilst employed in our daily labours, our minds are admiring delivering love: When waking in the night, these are the objects of Meditation; when conversing with friends, these are the Themes we discourse of. Now somewhat must be done to requite this kindness; but too sudden a forgetfulness anticipates and prevents the performance of our acknowledged obedience. Deut. 32.17, 18. they are charged with abominable sins; and it stands as a reason, because they forgot the God that form them, and the rock that begat them. Did we not forget our mercies, our Consciences would force us to forsake our sins. Were our hearts more but Repositories for God's favours, so much Iniquity would not be lodged in them. Forgetting Gods mercies, is not only a base unworthy sin, but a breeding sin: many desperate sins arise from despising the kindness of our God. And oh, how unspeakably strange is it, that we can forget him, who doth so much to be remembered? That we can suffer his mercies to pass out of our mind, whose mercies are new every moment? How impossible would it be to live in unlamented sin, did we live in the sense of undeserved mercies! Hence it is we are so prone to sin after deliverances, because we are so apt to suffer them to slip out of our labile memories.  
4. This continuance in sin after deliverances, arises from persons bolstering up themselves with sinful presumptions that the dangers of destruction are past. When men begin to apprehend all things are well, they are apt to take occasion to do ill. When men are conceiving the bitterness of death is past, they little mind to reform the baseness of their lives. They care not how little they live to God, when they presume they shall live long. Eccles. 8.11. Because sentence is not speedily executed, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in themselves to do evil, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. roboratur: their hearts are strengthened, emboldened in them to go on in evil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Because of this delaying judgements, they go on with a full confidence, they sin with courage. This is as wind to their sails, that drives them on briskly in sinful courses. With this did the wicked Jews under Divine comminations hearten themselves in their ways, Ezek. 11.3. saying, It is not near. God's abstinence from judgements, was made an encouragement for continuance in sin. So Ezek. 12.21, 22. The days are prolonged. Carnal persons are willing to go on in sin as long as they can: and when dangers are a little gone off, they more boldly go on in desperate sinning.  
5. This proneness to sin after such mercy, arises from flattering expectations, that in renewed returns of Distress, they shall ever meet with the same deliverance. How do men argue from their present safety, to their future security? How fond do men conceive that God will be ever merciful, because of his present mercies? Did men wisely consider after deliverance, how soon they may stand in need of the same helping arm, how soon they may want the same mercy, they could not be so audacious as to slight and contemn it, left the next time they be deprived of it. God's present deliverances are evidences of his power to deliver us again, but not assurances of his Will to do it. 'Tis a groundless Supposition men go upon, who think Mercies are entailed upon them, and inseparably annexed to them. We shall experience, if we do not leave off sinning, God can leave off delivering. If we can still forsake God, he can at last forsake us.  
6. We are thus inclined to sin against God after deliverance, as we being delivered, our hearts are brought off from their dependence on God, and we are magnifying ourselves instead of God. When God hath given us our precious lives from the hands of devouring Enemies, we imagine we can live of ourselves, and thence are regardless of living to God. Host 13.6. They were filled, and their heart was exalted, therefore have they forgotten me. Their outward fruitfulness caused their sinful forgetfulness. Our hearts are apt to be set upon enjoyments, and not on the God that gives them. Host 4.11. Whoredom and wine take away the heart. The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies auferre, to take away by force; so did those things take away their heart from God by force; or occupare, to occupy. They occupy and take up that room in the heart God should have. Thus we having worldly enjoyments continued by deliverances, our hearts are detained by them, that we mind not God, care not how we go on in sin against him; mind not how little obedience we yield to him, as if we could live well enough without him.  
7. This proceeding in sin is partly caused by persons apprehending themselves to be innocent, and their courses to be harmless, from the deliverances God gives to them. Carnal persons are apt to reckon their ways to be lawful, because they are spared and unpunished in them. Host 12.8. Ephraim said, I am become rich, I have found me out riches; in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me, that were sin. As much as to say, Were my courses unrighteous, they would not be prosperous; whatever the Prophets charge me with, it appears by the dealings of God with me, that my doings are good; if I were so sinful, I should not be successful. Thus corrupted persons will vainly argue from Gods delivering; were I so wicked, were my actions so displeasing, God would not have spared me, but delivered me to destruction. But oh how vain are these reasonings! God bears with long-suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction; out of his mercy he gives a space to repent of thy sins. And who so wicked to conclude, that because God exercises patience, therefore they are no offenders? This is a sign of God's goodness, but not of thine.   

PROPOSITION 3.  
Sinning after Deliverance, is the most heinous sinning. It renders sin exceeding great, to commit it after great mercies. It is a great sin, to count any sin small, that is committed against a great God: yet sin hath its aggravations, and admits of degrees, according to the circumstances under which 'tis committed. There are two things which render a sin most abominable; when sin is committed against light, and against love. They are no little nor light sins, that are aggravated with convictions by light: nor are sins against love of an inferior nature; nothing more intolerable to Man or God, than to have ill will for good deeds. 'Tis sinful to render evil for evil to man, much more to render evil for good to God. What more provoking sight can be beheld, than a man impudent in evil under judgement, and barren in good under mercies? Affronts to love, are more unsufferable than Rebellion under displays of wrath. The highest unkindness, is the highest sinfulness. The sin of David is aggravated by the recording God's kindness to him, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8, 9 I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house— And if that had been too little, I would moreover have given thee such and such things. Wherefore then hast thou despised the command of the Lord, to do this evil in his sight? To sin in the face of God when smiling upon us with unmerited mercy, is one of the greatest contempts can be cast upon God. To manifest our sinfulness, when we enjoy the greatest testimonies of goodness, is the height of madness. To withdraw our necks from an uneasy galling yoke, to rebel under the severities of a cruel Tyrant, to cast off the service of an imperious Master, may admit some excuse; but to wax wanton under mercies, to despise the clemency of Heaven, to deny obedience to a loving Father, is an offence indefendible, a crime unpardonable. When God would lay a people under a conviction of the heinousness of their crimes, he repeats his gracious dealings to them. jerem. 2.20. Of old time I have broken thy yoke, i.e. When thou wert in Egyptian bondage under intolerable slavery, I set thee free: And thou saidst thou wouldst not transgress, yet thou hast slighted my favours, and broken thy vows; and under every green tree thou wanderest playing the harlot. And v. 22. this is noted for an indelible sin; such sins as these are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not written, but engraven: they are of the deepest die, and most permanent stain: Host 7.15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. It hath an allusion to men with broken bones; Oh what would they give for a healing Chirurgeon? what price would they give to be free from pain? so these in distress would promise any thing to God for deliverance: but, says the Lord, though I bound them up and cased them, though I strengthened them against the destructive assaults of their enemies, yet still with the highest wickedness and unkindness they imagine mischief against me: the more I did to engage them, the more they have done to dishonour me.  
The people of Israel were charged with their sinning at Gilgal above all other places, Host 9.15. All their iniquity is in Gilgal. The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render all, signifies summum, praecipuum, i.e. their highest, chiefest, most notorious si● was at Gilgal; why there? because there it was they received abundance of mercies. Here was the great circumcision, when the reproach was rolled away, after they had passed over jordan, and arrived to the Land of Canaan, josh. 5.7. here joshua pitched the twelve stones, the everlasting memorial of their wonderful deliverance out of jordan, josh. 4.20. here was the beginning of the rest promised to them in the Land of Canaan. Now to be involved in sin, when encompassed with so many mercies; to be forsaking God after such late experience of his goodness, this was the highest crime imaginable.  
Now I shall lay down some particular aggravations of sins after deliverances, that so you may lament those you have committed, and labour to prevent them for the future.  
1. Such sins most wretchedly cast a blot upon the most Holy God, as if he were a countenancer of sin, and a patron to persons Impieties, rather than a severe avenger of them. Christ was accounted a friend to Publicans and sinners, for showing kindness unto them: and will not Atheistical wretches be ready to asperse the glorious God as a friend to sin, for improving his power to deliver such persons as improve his deliverance only for sin? 'Tis reported of one profane Dionysius, that when by his covetous pilfering he had preyed on a Temple's glory, and enriched himself with its Sacred Treasure, and after transporting his Treasures, escaping a fatal Shipwreck of which he was in danger, with the greatest impudence cries out, How do the God's love Sacrilege! Because he presumed they delivered him a Robber, he imagined they loved Robbery: Psal. 50.21. Because I kept silence, thou thoughtst me altogether such an one as thyself, i. e. Quod tuis maleficiis delector, Muis. God's patient forbearance, made him reckon God unrighteous as himself. To go on in sin when delivered from ruin, is practically to say, I am delivered to sin. Such an Impiety was charged on the Jews, jerem. 7.10. Will ye steal, and murder, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? They were not come to that height of profaneness, to declare it in so many words; but by their ungodly courses after his gracious deliverances, they did as much as say it. What is this but to make God an unholy God? What greater aggravations of our sins can there be, than to cast dirt on the holiness of God, which is the aggravation of all his glory? Certainly, if God suffers dishonour by his exercising goodness to us, we shall suffer destruction for our abusing of it. God will show no favour to those, who make him a favourer of sin.  
2. Such sinning is so abominable, because 'tis a justification of all our former sins. This is in effect to say, We have done well enough in sinning; God is not angry with us, therefore we will still go on in our former courses, and follow our old wickednesses. How provoking must this needs be to God? when instead of a humiliation for sins, he sees a justification of them: instead of a contrite lamentation for our evils, he finds an audacious approbation of them. How can a holy God bear this at our hands? We cannot justify the best of our actions before the Lord, how abominable then to justify those that are apparent evils? It was very displeasing to God for jonah to say, I do well to be angry. And shall we say, We did well to be proud and profane, to be drunkards and swearers? and what else is our persistence in sin, but a testimony of our allowance of it?  
3. Such sinning, implies a daring provocation of God to destroy us. To despise God sparing and delivering, is to dare him to smite and destroy us. Not to care for deliverance, is as much as to say, we do not fear destruction, Isa. 5.19. Let him hasten his work that we may see it. This impudent expression either respects God's power, q. d. let him do his worst, we fear not, as men that had overgrown Divine Justice, and become too big and too strong for the Almighty's arm; or it may be spoken in respect of the Truths and threatenings declared by the Prophets challenging God to the accomplishment o● them. But will God suffer himself to b● dared by worms? can you daunt his unalterable courage? can you hold the Almighty's hands, or lay bonds on his judgements, that they shall not destroy you Will God suffer his creatures to insult ove● him? are we out of his reach, that we fea● no ruin? can we match him with equa● forces? sure we are nothing to him. How then can he endure a challenge from us How can he suffer our sins after mercies? By these sins we are like those, job 15.25, 26. Who stretch out their hands against God, and strengthen themselves against the Almighty, etc. But who ever contended with him, and prospered? It will be dreadful to fall into the hands of a living God. And this will certainly be the portion of those that affront him with such daring provocations.  
4. These sins are so heinous, as by them the delivering mercy of God is horribly undervalved. What is our Rebellion after the reception of such mercies, but to declare we account not ourselves obliged to God for them? What is this but to disown the greatness of the favours God bestows upon us? What greater dis-ingenuity can be expressed, than to diminish the greatest favours of God, in love to our devilish lusts? Every mercy that comes from so great a God, must needs be great: but to undervalue the choicest blessings and highest mercies, must needs be a point of the highest wickedness. Was it a small mercy, that by our late deliverance so many thousand lives have been continued, such multitudes of Souls have been kept out of Hell? Is it nothing in your eyes to be delivered from Popish slavery? to have the glorious Gospel continued amongst us? Is the security of Church and State, the miraculous preservation of Privileges and Liberties a contemptible kindness? shall all these things have no notice taken of them? shall they all be disregarded? will you say 'tis not worth while to leave sinning for these? dare you declare they deserve no obedience? let your Conscience speak, would not this be horrid Blasphemy? could you bear such undervaluing of kindness from fellow-Creatures? how then can God from you?  
5. Those Sins are the testimonies of the highest Ingratitude conceivable. Ingratitude is the worst of Sins; and sinning after Deliverance is the worst Ingratitude. This is unkindness that pierces the heart of God, to rebel against him, dealing with us as the dearly beloved of his Soul. How ungrateful is't to assassinate a Prince, to whose care we owe our Lives and Fortunes? To rip open the bowels of her, to whom we owe our being? So is it to dishonour a God, that is both our Protector and Benefactor, our Preserver and Deliverer. David was greatly incensed at the Ingratitude of churlish Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.21. Surely in vain have I kept all this fellow had in the wilderness, and he requites me evil for good. Will not the Almighty thus complain of an ungrateful people; Surely in vain have I kept them from the hands of their bloody Enemies, in vain I have delayed the execution of Judgement, since all my return is Dishonour for Deliverance, sinning for saving of them? May not God speak to us, after the manner our blessed Saviour spoke to the Jews? For which of my good works do you stone me? For which of my good Works do you sin against me? Will you oppose me, because I appear so often for you? Will you hate me, because I help you? Will you rebel, because I relieve you? Is this the fruit of my Goodness? The Lord was greatly offended with his Vineyard, Isai. 5. because after all his care to make it fruitful, it brought forth wild grapes. I looked it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. When God bestows any Mercies upon us, his eye is upon us to see what improvement we are making of them: He looks to see what ●hou dost with thy Time, thy Talon; His eye is upon thee, to see what use thou makest of Means, Deliverances, and all thy Enjoyments: And when he uses good means, he looks for good fruit; and if we ungratefully bring forth wild Grapes, we shall highly provoke him, and to our disadvantage displease him. How intolerable a Sin must it needs be, to fight against God with his Goodness? to mischief his Honour with his Mercies? Should you be an instrument of raising a decayed Friend, and he turn your Enemy, and use the estate procured by you, to manage mischievous designs against you, would you not count it intolerable baseness? Now what less, yea how infinitely more is your abusing the Mercies of God, to the disadvantage of his Glory, and dishonour of his Name? Should a● neighbourly Physician freely endeavour the relief of a helpless Beggar, and after his cost and care, when this man is restored, he should make it his work to study the death of this worthy Friend, how intolerable Ingratitude would this be accounted? What else is our sinning against God, on his sparing of us? What is it but the destroying the Honour of him, who saved us from destruction? Deut. 32.6. Do ye thus requite the Lord, ye foolish people and unwise? When ungrateful Brutus was among those that came to destroy Caesar, he pathetically cried out, Etiam tu Brute! What, thou my Son Brutus! Wilt thou stab me? May not God cry out upon us, What ye, oh People of England, will ye still be enemies? You whom I have so delivered? You whom I have so often preserved, shall I meet with these dealings from you? Of all people you are obliged to love and serve me, and will you improve all my Mercies against me?  
6. By sinning after Deliverance, we most unjustly deny to Go● that which is ●is Right and due fo●●●livering of us. Deliverance is the price of God for our Lives and Services. God redeeming of us, we remain no longer our own, but are especially obliged to be his. What can we give to God for preserving our Lives, less than 〈…〉 and that's an unanswerabl● 〈◊〉 for the exercise of ●is Wisdom and Power 〈◊〉 delivering of us. Can we then rob God of his due, without 〈◊〉 height of Injustice? Is not this the most ●●tolerable Sacrilege? The Mercies of God are to hire us to Obedience. Will a Master suffer a Servant to be engaged in the work of another, when he hath hired him for his own? Is it not a provoking sin, for you to be employed in the service of the Devil, when God hath hired you into his? The Apostle pressing the Corinthians to Obedience tells them, They are not their own, but are bought with a price. Thus may we be persuaded to Obedience, by considering, God hath bought our Lives, by saving us from Death.  
7. Sinning now is so heinous, as hereby God is frustrated of his designs in granting such favours. What may God expect, when stretching out his hand to help us, but tha● than we will incline our hearts to honour him? What are th● designs of God in displays of Mercy, bu● to raise up Glory to himself? He exerciseth Goodness to promote his own Interest in the world, not the Devils. Wi● God exercis● Mercy to his own disadvantage? Will a ●ational man put Weapons into the hands of those would slay him with them? Would you deliver ● man to destroy you? Surely the Lord may justly expect Love for his Kindness Duty for his Mercy, Obedience for hi● Deliverance. Isai. 63.8, 9, 10. He said, Surely, they are my people, children that will not lie; so he became their Saviour. This verse contains a kind of Expostulation that might be in God; Why should I save such a people as this? I have enough against them to destroy them. I have found their unfaithfulness to their promises, their unanswerableness to my gracious Providences, why should I deliver them? Then God comes to a Resolution, Mercy turns the scale, Goodness prevails; I will try them once more; they are my people, children that will not lie; I hope they will not frustrate me any more: I may take this opportunity to cut them off, but I will make experiment once more. But proving unfaithful, he became their enemy, and fought against them. How heinous a sin ●s it to cross God's ends, to walk contrary to him!  
8. Sinning now is so heinous, as 'tis not only a neglecting Duty, but despising Remedy. There are Peccata contra officia, and contra remedia; Sins against Duties in omitting things commanded, and sins against remedy, slighting and opposing ●he means which are designed for recovery from former evils. And now what sin can be greater, than to despise the means that are used to cure our bleeding wounds? what aggravates the sin of unbelief, and makes it the destroying sin, but because 'tis the contemning of that blessed Remedy which is provided for miserable sinners? Hence this sin binds on the sinner's guilt with an eternal bond, and makes Salvation impossible. Thus also slighting deliverance is the highest sin, as thereby we bid open defiance to all means of recovering of us from sin & destruction. Neglecting Salvation hath a most provoking influence on the wrath of God: Heb. 2.3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation? Will the Lord bear this affront to his mercy, that when he is willing to save, we declare we regard no Salvation? This will be an unpardonable crime, there will be no escaping for us. To sin with deliverance, is no less than to throw away the healing balm that mercy provides, and resolve to make our wounds incurable.   

PROPOSITION 4.  
Sins after deliverance have a peculiar influence to procure and hasten destruction. Our present safety is no security against future Judgements: destruction deferred by God's deliverances, will be hastened by our sinning after them: those whom undeserved mercies can't reclaim, incensed justice will speedily ruin. The Monuments of greatest mercies, have been made examples to declare the severity of Justice for the abuses of them. Such have experienced the most direful suffering, to whom the Almighty hath been most long-suffering. Witness the deplorable state of the hardened jews, to whom the most singular favour was extended of any people on earth; yet now who more miserable than those rejected wretches, for their abusing favours? Justice will frown most sharply upon the disdainful affronters of mercy. No people are nearer an utter desolation, than those who heap up sin, when God is heaping up mercies. Although the Lord be most willing to smite, yet he knows not how to spare when provoked in this manner. jer. 5.7. How shall I pardon thee for this.— When I had fed them to the full, than they committed Adultery, v. 9 Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? shall I not be avenged on such a Nation as this? These sins put God to a stand; he knows not how to go about a pardoning act, although he delights so greatly in it: how shall I pardon, Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parcam: how shall I spare thee any longer? I can't withhold the hands of my justice, I can't defer the punishment of these transgressions. Thence, v. 10. God gives a Commission to enemies, Go upon the Walls and destroy, etc. delay no longer: let those feel the smarting impressions of Justice, that despise the sweetest expressions of mercy.  
This wrath of God against despisers of goodness, appears, 1 Sam. 12.24, 25. Consider how great things the Lord hath done: but if ye still continue to do wickedly, ye shall be consumed both ye and your King. When once a people rise to that height of Impiety, that the most obliging kindness Heaven can show, can't win their hearts to obedience; what can be expected from Heaven, but the severest vengeance an Almighty arm can bring upon them? Will not the Lord soon rush out upon a people with wonderful plagues, when they are knocking at the door of justice by such impenitent courses? The most gracious Prince would dispatch that man, who should impudently persist in traitorous designs against him, after a deliverance from death by his pardoning of him. Thus will the King of Heaven miserably destroy delivered sinners rebelling against him. Divine patience sheathing the sword of Justice, will at last desist its pleading for the abusers of it; and impatient justice by its revengeful arm will avenge the quarrel of despised mercy: Ezek. 16.43. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth: q. d. the kindness and favour I then extended to thee; the deliverances thou hadst from me: Behold, I will recompense thy ways upon thy ●ead. Thou hast grieved me with sin, I will grind thee to pieces with judgements; thou hast recompensed me with hatred for ●ove, I will recompense hatred for your hatred. Thus will God deprive those of mercies, that deprive him of the glory of ●hem. 2 Kings 21.13. God there threatens to wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a ●ish, q. d. He would take away all their delicate enjoyments, as meat is thrown ●ut of a dish. They shall feed on judgements, who were wanton when fed with mercies: but the Hebrew signifies, Delebo jerusalem sicut deleri solent tabulae. As impressions on tables are wont to be wiped out, so shall my impressions of goodness upon them: the former inscriptions of honour and prosperity shall no more be seen, but the prints of destroying judgements shall be found upon them. It shall no more be written, These are a people delivered, but, These are a people destroyed for abusing deliverance. This fatal consequence of despising favours, may be illustrated from the words of God, Host 6.4. Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away. Many interpret your goodness, the goodness bestowed on you, or your mercies. So the sense is, My goodness that I bestow upon you, is but like a morning cloud, that is dissipated and scattered, and doth no good to you, you are not the better for it. And as the early dew it passeth away, i. e. Gratiam & misericordiam meam malitia vestra absorbetis: You soon wear off the impressions of my mercy, as the moistning of the early dew are soon dried up by the earth; therefore v. 7. I have hewed them by the Prophets, my judgements are broken out upon them: or otherwise, The tokens of my mercy make but short impression on you; your goodness fades away, you soon return to sin: what now shall I do to you? I am resolved to try no more mercies; I have made you grow with my kindness like flourishing Trees, now will I hew you down; because you are so unprofitable, I will be unmerciful to you.  
Here it will not be amiss to consider, how this persistence in sin after deliverance, promotes and hastens the destruction of a people.  
1. Hereby that peculiar respect that God hath for one people above another, is made to cease; and they are looked upon no otherwise, than the vilest of people in the world. In God's providential dispensations, he bears some singular favour to some, beyond what he doth to others, although these may be nothing more deserving than other Nations; and from this favour he confers singular Temporal Blessings upon them; and these he ●alls his people, as especially cared for, preserved and provided for by him. But 〈◊〉 these despise his kindness, and con●●mn his goodness, he than un-peoples' ●●em, and casts them out of his favour; ●nd then they become as liable to judgements, as the greatest abjects in the world. Thus was it with the people of the jews, the Lord separated them from all the world for his care and charge: hence he did mighty things for them; but continuing long in their sins, notwithstanding his mercies, Host 2.9. he bids the Prophet tell them, Ye are not my people, I will not be your God; and this rejection made way for that ruin now upon them. In the 9th of Amos, the Prophet is threatening judgement against that sinful people, against which they fortified themselves with presumptuous boastings of their being God's people, chosen by him, & so often owned by deliverances; but for their abusing mercies, God tells them, v. 7. Are ye not as the children of the AEthiopians unto me? saith the Lord, i.e. Non pluri● vos facio quam AEthiopes, Grot. You are now no more to me than the vilest people.  
You have been under my care, and now ye are under my curse: ye remain unchangeable in your sins, as the AEthiopians in their colour, and therefore ye shall b● of no more account with me than they● What though we have been more to God than any people on earth, and received more blessings than any Nation● near us, insomuch that we might be called his chosen people for his care over us? Will not despising mercies, sinning after deliverances, make him say, as Host 9.15. I will love you no more? What shall we be more to him than the AEthiopians, if we be like them in sin? Ezek. 15.2. What is the Vine-tree more than another? i.e. If the Vine bring forth no fruit, what is it more than another tree? why should it not be burnt? Whatever we have been, if we be fruitless and ungrateful, why should we not be punished? If we be not bearing trees, may not God make us burning trees? If we be not bettered by deliverance, why may we not be destroyed?  
2. Hereby the Lord is made in a manner to repent of delivering a people: when men have gratified their fellow-creatures with signal favours, and after such expressions of respect have nothing but ungrateful returns; it makes them wish they had never bestowed their love on such unworthy persons. Thus the Almighty God, unjustly requited for mercies, is said to repent him of his conferring kindness on a people. But we must observe that golden rule; Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo tribuuntur, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debent intelligi: Those things which are attributed to God after the manner of men, must be understood as become the Majesty of God. So Gods repenting is an improper allusive term, expressing not a change in God's mind, but in his action: not implying such an affection in God as repentance, but alluding to the effect of such an affection in man, Gen. 6.6. It repented God that he made man, and it grieved him to the heart. This implies God's wrathful indignation at man's miscarriage, but no disturbing alteration in the mind of God, who is ever the same. But to speak after the manner of Men, when a people continue in sins after deliverance, God may say, Oh! it reputes me that I have delivered a people thus to dishonour me; it reputes me to do so much for a people, to do thus much against me. Oh! how near are such a people to destruction, of whose deliverance God reputes him! How soon will they be involved in ruin, of whom God may be provoked to say, as David of Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.21. In vain have I kept all this man hath in the wilderness; In vain have I preserved the lives and liberties of this people, since the fruit of all is only to be rebelled against and dishonoured by them. If we thus make the Lord grieved at the heart for bestowing mercies, God will grieve us to the heart by destroying judgements.  
3. Hereby God is provoked to stop all proceedings in way of deliverance, and leave a people to successless shift for themselves: judges 10.12, 13. Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites? yet ye have forsaken me; I will deliver you no more. Sinning after deliverance, dis-engages God from appearing any more for us. And what can be more dreadful, than to hear God say in his wrath, Oh ye ingrateful people! I have once and again improved my wisdom and power on your behalf, to prevent your ruin; but since ye go on still to provoke me, whatever your condition is hereafter, you must never look for help from me; whoever be your enemy, you must not look for me to be your friend: I will never stand up for such Rebels, nor dishonour my Name in delivering you to sin against me. We cannot want comfort whilst under promises of Divine assistance, and help from Heaven in our dangers; but if God stands off, we must inevitably fall into the hands of our enemies, and become preys to their greedy lusts. If God says I will add no more deliverance, there is none can promise deliverance to us. Oh miserable people, whom God thus forsakes in anger! we shall never see another deliverance, if the Lord should resolve I will add no more. We shall never outlive the dangers we daily live in, if God should determine to leave us to them.  
Corruption in our ways under mercies, will cause a cessation of them. So it was with the people of the jews, Host 1.6. Call her name Lo-ruchamah, for I will not add any more to the house of Israel, but I will utterly take away. I will add no more days of prosperity, years of plenty; no more gracious deliverances, or pledges of mercy, but I will utterly take away: I have been filling, but now will I empty you; the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies obliviscendo, obliviscor, in forgetting I will forget them. I will no more be favourable to them, but forgetful of them; though they perish, I won't remember them; they have not minded my mercies, I will not mind their miseries. Thus God puts a stop to the streams of mercy, locks up the store-house of blessings, and adds no more. David prays, Psal. 36.10. Oh continue thy loving kindness, etc. Hebr. signifies, Pertraha, draw out, lengthen out the tokens of thy love; but this will be only to those that are drawn to God by them. They may call every mercy a Ios●ph, which signifies, God will add more. But 'tis not so with ungrateful sinners, God will make an end of bestowing mercies, unless they make an end of abusing of them: God will cease deliverances, unless we cease dishonouring him with them.  
Yea, although a deliverance may be begun to a people, whereby they appear in a happy way to escape; yet persisting in sin, God will carry on the work no farther, but leave them to ruin. Hence then, what especial care should be used to reform our lives, and renew our repentance, lest our deliverance should be left unperfected? we are in no better capacity to finish it now begun, than we were to begin it, if God stands off. Our proceeding in sin, will hinder our God from proceeding in mercy. Indulging our provoking lusts, will endanger our precious lives. These merciful buddings of Providence may easily be knipt. This small glimmering light may soon be overclouded; our door of hope may soon be shut. Shall we provoke a gracious God to say, I will add no more? Shall we make him complain of being weary of delivering? What makes a stop to our deliverance, but our continuance in sin? This makes God in the posture we read of, jer. 14.9. As a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save. Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pavidus, as one afraid of us, astonished at our iniquities. A man astonished doth walk up and down this way and that way, knows not what course to take; so our sinning whilst God is delivering, makes God at a loss what to do. Sometimes he goes forward with deliverance, sometimes it seems to stand still, another while it looks as if it were set back; and all this, because we amaze God with our daring sins. God told the people of Israel, admiring he went not on with deliverance, Isa. 59.1, 2. My hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor my ear deafened that it cannot hear; but your iniquities separate between you and your God, etc. We drive God from us by our sins; and how then can our Salvation be carried on? Shall we make God go back and repent of the good he hath seemed to design for us? our sinning will do it: jer. 18.10. If it doth evil in my sight, I will repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit it. Shall we not repent of sinning, rather than provoke God thus to repent of his purpose to deliver? Why will you blast all your hopes of escape, and wither that flower that's springing up? Oh then, if you desire a farther deliverance, desert your former sins! or else God will resolve to add no more. By this most abominable persistence in sin, the Lord is provoked not only to stop deliverances, but to step into ways of judgements, and that with unalterable resolutions to destroy. Instead of enabling people against enemies, he enables enemies against them. Instead of delivering from cruel adversaries, he justly delivers them up unto them. Hereby his saving arm becomes a smiting hand, and mercy it s●lf is made an enemy. Hereby our greatest friend becomes an implacable foe; and whereas oftentimes before he had graciously sent Commissions from Heaven for deliverance, now in his wrath he dispenseth commands, and issues out Writs to destroy.  
This severity to a sinful people you may see, Isa. 63.9, 10. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit, therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and fought against them. Now how can they hope to escape, that have a victorious God to oppose them! How miserably will those be ruined, that by despising Gods helping pity, convert it to destroying enmity? Oh, that the terror of Divine displeasure for such transgressions, thus exemplified in others, might have that suitable influence on our hearts, as to prevent them in us! let others corrections be our admonitions; let Gods vindictive judgements on others, be instructive warnings to us: Rev. 15.4. Who will not fear thee, thy judgements are made manifest! Let others confusion be a subject of our consideration; and know, if we continue Enemies to God, after his friendly, fatherly dealings, he will soon become our enemy, and fight against us; then the deepest policy, the highest power can be no security to us.  
But that which is the most direful consequence of this horrid sinning, is, that it brings the Eternal God to unmoveable resolutions, to accomplish the destruction of such a people. He will not be prevailed with to deliver those, whom his mercies could not prevail with to desist from sin. If we grow incorrigible under mercies, God will grow inexorable when under judgements. If a deaf ear be turned to God, when by mercies he calls for duty; he will turn a deaf ear to us, when we in misery invocate his mercy: whatever hopes we may flatter ourselves withal, we shall meet with no help from God, when thus provoked. Although such is the goodness of God, that he often reputes before he destroys; yet such provocations will make him weary of repenting, and resolve to ruin: jer. 15.6, 7. Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou hast gone away backward; therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, I am weary of repenting. I have long indulged you, but I will now spare no longer, but avenge your sins: Some render it, Laboravi rogans, etc. I have taken pains entreating you to repent, till I am weary; but now ye that have wearied me with your sins, shall be wearied with judgements: So v. 7. I will fan them with a fan in the gates: that is, I will scatter them about as the chaff is scattered with a fan; I will bereave them of children, and destroy my people, sith they return not from their ways. Thus impenitent sinning brings unavoidable judgements: and Divine vengeance will infallibly pursue such as persist in these heinous sins. No Sanctuary shall shelter these ungrateful wretches from the hands of justice; nor shall flattering entreaties prevent the ruin of such unrepenting sinners.  
The deserved judgements that belong to these inhuman offenders of mercy, will be threatened with unalterable certainty. Thus you may see them denounced against an incorrigible people, Ezech. 24.13, 14. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged till I have caused my fury to rest upon you. Because I have purged thee, q. d. I have endeavoured to persuade thee, and oblige thee to leave thy filthy sins: Verba quae effectum notant, saepe de conatu intelliguntur: Estius. So God is said to do what he requires, desires, permits, or persuades to be done. Thus God had been inducing of them to obedience, reducing of them from sin; but under all, they were unspeakably obstinate; which caused these desperate resolutions in God against them. He would make his fury rest upon them: and their doom is confirmed with the highest asseverations conceivable, v. 14. I the Lord have spoken, i. e. I that am of undoubted faithfulness, and cannot lie; of infinite power, and can execute my pleasure; I have spoken it, and it shall come to pass; whatever evasions you think to make, however secure and careless you are, it shall come to pass, and I will do it. I will undertake the ruin of such as rebel against my mercies, and abuse the greatest instrument of raising my honour, viz. my patience; I will not go back, neither will I spare or repent. When I begin, I will carry on my work; I will not break off my judgements, since ye will not break off your sins; the sentence is irrevocable, you must expect no reversion of it, nor deliverance from it. Now surely vengeance threatened with thus much certainty, will fall upon a people with intolerable severity. When judgements are thus punctually determined, it cannot be expected they should be a long while delayed. What hopes now can we have, if persisting in sin after our many merciful escapes? Will not this grave-stone be laid upon us? Will not a consumption be decreed from the Lord of Hosts against us? What though we are spared this once, after all our former evasions? Are we now out of danger? Are there no instances to be found of a people preserved, delivered, as often as we, and at last the Writs of destruction were issued forth? What think you of that example, Amos 7. In the vision of the Prophet, the judgements of God on that people were shadowed by various destructive things: v. 1. by Grass-hoppers, meaning the Army of the Assyrians, which were ready to invade them; but God from his infinite clemency prevented their ruin by them: v. 3. The Lord repent for this, and said, It shall not be: V. 4. this people are threatened with another consuming judgement expressed by fire: whereby was signified either a drought, or the devastations of their Cities, by that unmerciful enemy and Element; or the ruining calamities which they were near involved in by Teglathphalasar; yet now again he delivers them: v. 6. This also shall not be. But this Language is too good to hold always to unbettered sinners: now therefore, v. 7. God will wink no longer at their ungrateful sinning, he now is weary of repenting. The Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb-line in his hand: A Metaphor from those that build walls, they use a line to proceed exactly. Thus the Lord declares he would no longer tolerate their abuses, nor use his clemency to deliver, but would exercise strictest justice till they were ruined: Hence v. 8, 9 a miserable destruction is threatened, I will pass by them no more, etc. Enemy's shall now prevail, judgements shall effectually take place; I will use nothing but strictness and severity. Now this leads me to the fifth Proposition.   

PROPOSITION 5.  
Destruction for sinning after deliverance, will be the most dreadful destruction: what can be more clear than this, from the words of my Text? Should we again break thy commands, wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? That is, no common calamity would then fall upon us; no ordinary punishment would be our portion; but we exceeding the common measure and degree of sin, thou wouldst exceed the common degree of judgement: E dulcissimo vino acerrimum fit acetum; The sweetest wines make sourest vinegar; the strongest perfumes are fatal as poisons; abused mercy will be avenged with unusual miseries. No mercy is to be expected in judgement, when mercies are despised that kept off judgements. Kindness not effecting an answerable reformation, will abundantly aggravate revengeful destruction: Isaiah 29.1, 2. God threatens Ariel, sc. jerusalem, that wonderful distress should fall upon it; and it should be to him as Ariel. Ariel was the Altar for whole-burnt offerings, Ezech. 43.15. Now to avenge their abuses of mercies there, God would make their City, once the richest of their mercies, an Altar on which their blood should be offered as a sacrifice to justice. Thus our mercies abused, may become knives to open our throats; our Cities and Towns so often delivered, may be as Altars, about which our lifeless bodies may be heaped as sacrifices about the Altar. The quintessence of all judgements, the substance of all Plagues, shall be mingled in one cup, with all the dregs of wrath, for the despisers of clemency and mercy. Mercy is sweet that is extended to us in midst of judgements; and judgements severe, when executed on a people abounding with mercies. A deliverance cannot bring so great mercies, but sinning after it will usher in as dreadful judgements. By how much the greater the deliverance is we receive, so much the greater will be the destruction for sinning after it. A thick cloud hath been over our heads, and the favourable gale of mercy hath partly dispersed it; but the ascending of sinful vapours will cause the Lord to return our sins upon our heads, with overwhelming inundations of judgements; slighting the gales of mercy, preventing ruin, will bring most dreadful storms of vengeance. Our float of goodness may be turned into floods of misery. Our sun may set at noonday; and our cisterns, now filled from the boundless ocean of unmerited benignity, may soon be filled from the vials of wrath, with the waters of Marah. Our destruction adjourned a while, may return with unexemplifyed terror. The Lord threatened the backsliding jews, Deut. 4.25, 26. That if after his kindness in conducting them from Egyptian slavery, with infinite mercies through a tiresome wilderness, to the blessed land of Canaan; (I say) if then they should sin against him, although they had remained a long time there, they should not prolong their days upon it, but utterly be destroyed from off it. Thus notwithstanding our sinful Nation hath many years been like an Eden, a Palace of Royal glory, a Canaan flowing with milk and honey, a Theatre of mercies, an unparallelled monument of many deliverances; yet continuing in sin, will deface its envied glory, and render it a stage for destroying judgements, and lay it waste with storms of successive plagues; and than it shall be said, This is the Nation that would never leave sinning, till it forced the Almighty to make it a ruinous heap, a Land desolate and not inhabited. What high time is it then to depart from sin, left an Ichabod be wrote upon us! which signifies, Their glory is departed.  
With what terror may we look on those words? Psalm 68.20, 21. Unto God belongs salvation, but he will wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin: Though he will multiply salvations to such as serve him the more for them, yet will he glorify his justice in destroying such as go on in sin after them. The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies altè imprimere; God will make a deep impression of the hands of justice on all such incorrigible persons. The heaviest judgements will fall on the contemners of the highest mercies. Judgement will be with most amazing terror, on the contemners of the Almighty's favour. As God's resolutions against such sins will make destruction irrevocable, so his wrath backed with unlimited power, will make them intolerable.  
Now here I shall endeavour to show you for what reasons destroying judgements will be thus heightened by provoking sins after deliverance.  
1. Because the longer judgements are coming, the greater severity they are attended with, when falling upon us. The longer a blow is fetching, the deeper impression is made by its force. If God tarries long before he punishes, the greater terror will be in his punishment. The destruction of the old world was delayed for many years, but at last it was accomplished with the greater severity. Deus tardus est ad iram, sed tarditatem vindictae gravitate compensat. Whilst sinner's ruin is deferred, God is putting himself into postures of judgement, whetting his glittering sword, sharpening his terrible arrows feathered with our sins, that so he may make the more sharp and sudden destruction. There is Crudelitas parcens, sparing cruelty, as well as misericordia puniens, punishing mercy.  
The longer the cloud is gathering, the more dripping shower is expected when it falls. So the greater provocations are treasured up in the days of God's patience, the more miserable destruction will be in the days of his vengeance: Isa. 42.14. A long time have I held my peace; I have been still and refrained myself; now will I cry like a travailing woman, I will destroy and devour at once. You shall know I have not lost my power, though I have exercised my patience; though yo● have shared so much in my mercy, I will at length proportion the severity of my justice, to the clemency of my mercy. I will destroy you at once; I'll give no more alaruming warnings, awakening calls, or monitory afflictions; but now will I bring ruin on a sudden, with unavoidable calamities: job 21.31. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; there will be a murdering day for rebellious malignants, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. The Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we Translate brought forth, signifies, Cum mora & pompa deducere, Mer. To lead them to it with delay, to bring them to it by degrees, and also with some pomp and splendour: but what is it they shall be brought forth to? What are they going to with their pomp and glory? oh 'tis but to a day of wrath; ad diem furorum, a day of wraths and fury; a day majorum poenarum, of greater punishment. When the wrath of God for every sin shall consume them, and increase their deferred torments. Sinners are brisk because judgement is delayed; but alas, sinners, though you go on with security, yet far from safety, the day of wraths will come. jer. 12.1. we read the wicked prosper; why are they not stopped in their courses? They take root, Hebr. pergunt, they go on: Non posuit Deus prohibitionem: Vatab. God doth not hinder them; are they happy therefore? will this always continue? No, v. 3. They shall be pulled out like sheep to the slaughter, they are set apart for the day of destruction. When a day is set apart, some eminent thing is intended in it. When a day is set apart for destruction, an eminent destruction is employed by it: a day is coming when sinners shall feel the smart of Divine vengeance for abuses of patience. This is called their day, as deserved by them, as peculiar to them: Psal. 37.10. The Lord knows their day is coming: Chald. dies calamitatis ejus: The day of his signal and dreadful calamity is approaching; and the longer this day is coming, the more horrible it will be. As eternal condemnation will be nothing the less for a present reprieve upon earth; so temporal destruction will be nothing the more tolerable, for a patient toleration and continued delay before it comes. We are little aware what is coming upon us, now our dangers are a little over; but whilst we are insensibly sinning after the expressions of unmerited favour, the bottles of wrath are filling, and the clouds of vengeance gathering; and who knows but suddenly they may ease and unburden themselves in a deluge of ruin upon us an undaunted people? Will not the punishment of sins continued against light and love, distress and deliverance, so many years as we have enjoyed them, be of that nature that might make our hearts tremble to conceive it? will not the vials of wrath be unspeakably full, and the storm of vengeance most horrible, which hath been so long in gathering? Sinning after deliverance, renders the destruction dreadful, as they make it in a peculiar manner our own. Now destruction lies at our own door, and ourselves only are to bear the blame of it. In mercy God begins first, but in miseries we make the beginning. And what can be a more dreadful aggravation, than to have cause to say, Mercies are gone, God is departed, Enemies prevail? and what may we thank but our pride and profaneness, our ingratitude and ungodliness, after obliging mercies? what makes up the endless and intolerable torments of damned Souls, for ever banished from the comfortable presence of the excellent glory, but this, that all that misery was procured by themselves? 'Tis observed of some Birds, that the lime is made of their own dung that is used to destroy them: The lime-twigs of God's judgements, are made of the dung of our own sins. Our sins are the feathers, whereby ●he fatal darts of judgements fly unto us. Propriis conficimur alis, wounded with our own weapons, with Arrows made from ourselves: we do ill unjustly, and then suffer ill deservedly. All the judgements that spring up, are but from seeds of our own sowing. The Garment is ruined by the Moth bred in ●t, and we by enemies of our own breeding. It was great aggravation to the misery of the jews, that God told them, jer. 4.18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee. I have delivered you, rescued you from miseries, and these now coming on you, you pull down upon yourselves. This is thy wickedness; lay it not to enemy's power, think not me unrighteous; this is all thy own. How miserable a condition is this, to have no other comfort in calamities than this, to have God tell us this is our own? How sad when distressed to think, this is my slighting of mercy, my abusing patience, my persistence in drunkenness, Sabbath-breaking, when I was delivered! Oh that I should be such an enemy to God and myself! Oh that I should bring such miseries on myself, by despising mercies! Nothing makes the condition of a people more hopeless, than their bringing themselves into a helpless condition. Host 13.9. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself: Thou wonder'st at thy destruction, when it is from thyself. But in me is thy help. Learned Drusius translates the Hebr. ● alioquin; that is, otherwise thou hadst bad help from me. Had enemies ruined thee, I would have relieved thee; but since thou hast involved thyself in misery, thou mayst expect no mercy from me. I will not be the author of deliverance to them, that are so wilfully authors of destruction to themselves: you shall perish in the evils of your own procuring.  
3. Destruction now will be greatly aggravated, because a people thus sinning, deserve to be exposed to the naked fury of incensed justice, without the least mitigation of their miseries by the interposing of abused mercy. If we with ungrateful carriages contemn the help of mercy, we justly deserve to be utterly forsaken and cast off by it. And now, oh how dreadful will it be to drink the cup of Gods destroying fury, without any mixtures of relieving mercy! If mercy itself delivers us up to the cruel hands of inexorable justice, what then shall we experience, but vengeance without clemency, punishment without pity, and destruction without delay? Oh how sad will it be for helpless creatures to lie under the displays of vengeance, and none to cover them? to have innumerable iniquities crying for judgements, and none to plead for them? to have invincible enemies opposing of them, and none to assist them? If mercy be dis-engaged, however fiercely the storms of wrath may be poured out upon us, there can be no shelter from it. Whatever wounds are made, there will be no salve to cure them. If merciful deliverances cannot prevail upon us to reform us, will not mercy cease pleading for us? will it not say as Christ, john 17.9. I pray not for them? I will put in no more entreaties for their salvation: Justice, take them, destroy them, ruin them, I have nothing to plead for them. How often doth mercy plead, as the merciful Vine-dresser did for the cumber-ground figtree, Luke 13.7, 8. Lord, let it alone this year also: let not thy wrath yet break out, let not thy fury ruin them, but spare them this time; try what they will do with one deliverance more? but when nothing is successful, mercy gives over; and what but intolerable vengeance will then lie upon us?  
But who can speak the dread of destruction, that unmixed anger involves a people in? How dreadful will it be to fall into the hands of God, when armed with nothing but destroying indignation? How can our hearts endure, or our hands be strong, when all the Attributes of his glorious Majesty shall conspire together to make us miserable? When infinite wisdom shall be exercised in contriving, and infinite power shall be engaged in executing the miserable destruction of a sinful people, it must needs be intolerable.  
Here I shall take occasion to show you the misery of a people, when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them; that so we may be fearful of depriving ourselves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it.  
1. Mercy dis-engaged, all miseries endured are pure wrath. Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell, whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture. The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings, consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them: when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense, they refresh themselves with delightful objects, then visible to the eye of faith: Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delight my Soul. But mercy disengaged, there is no cordial to support us, no sugar to sweeten the bitterest cup enforced upon us: Ezek. 7.5. Behold, an evil, an only evil cometh. God never sends judgements alone to such as he favours; but designing the utter destruction of a people, he mixes a potion of only fatal poisons for them: then he sends an only evil.  
2. Mercy being dis-engaged, the loudest cries, and most importunate prayers that a people can put up, will be denied and rejected. God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them. The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins, to avenge them; 'tis mercy hears the voice of our prayers, to answer them; or all the answer we shall have, will be by terrible things in righteousness. But mercy dis-engaged, we are deprived of that unspeakable priuliedge of Audience with God; and then we may swelter in our miseries, roll in our blood, despair in our torments, without a redress.  
Should we by our impudent continuance in sin, make mercy our enemy, our most urgent cries would prove unsuccesful; and though joined with floods of tears, would be unprofitable: for this will bring us under the doom of those, Zech. 7.13. Because when I called you would not hearken, therefore also when you cry unto me I will not hear. How just a retaliation was this from God, although a most dreadful affliction! not to have the merciful ear of God in affliction, is the worst of afflictions. It is dismal now to find our hearts so strangely shut up, as not be able to pour out prayers: but how miserable then shall we be, if when involved in sinking troubles, God should shut out our prayers, & not be prevailed with by them? Oh ruining state, when we in distress shall be crying, Save Lord, or we perish, and then receive no other return, but, Perish you may, and perish you shall, for all the help you shall have from me. These sins so much overcome his mercy, that our prayers will never overcome his anger. And as it is an argument of the greatest sinfulness in man, not to pray; so of the greatest anger in God, not to hear prayers. These iniquities are so intolerable a slighting of him, that he will unmercifully slight all we do. Oh what will become of a Nation, when that key which was wont to unlock the Treasuries of bounty, the store-house of blessings, can do nothing? when that Ambassador that was wont to prevail for a gracious Treaty, shall be denied? when that successful friend shall be denied admittance to the Court of Heaven? when that omnipotent engine can attract no compassions? Whither now shall we go, when access is denied to God? where shall we have supplies, if our former store-house be shut up? whither can we turn, when he turneth away our prayers? Will not our furious enemies prevail over us, when our most fervent prayers cannot prevail with God? What a shaking commination was that, jer. 11.11. I will bring an evil upon them, they shall not escape; and though they cry, I will not hearken. God will take no notice of their cries, who would take no notice of his kindness. What can be said worse to a people than this, I will not hear? If he will not hear, he will not help; if he gives no audience, he will give no assistance. This speaks the sum of all evils in one. The root of all miseries lies here, in Gods not hearing. This effectually seals men up for destruction. Ezech. 8.18. I will deal with them in my fury; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear. As lazy prayers will not prevail now, so the loudest Prayer shall not prevail then. Thou mayst then spend thy breath, that now thou spendest worse, and not speed. Thou mayst stretch out thy hands, and yet receive nothing: but disengaging Mercy may suffer like those, Isai. 1. When ye stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes; and when ye make many Prayers, I will not hear. Audire Dei est concedere, i. e. I will not grant what you ask. In the days of my Grace ye might have prevailed, and did not pray, or did it formally; and now in the day of my fury ye may pray, but shall not prevail.  
Neither can the Prayers of the greatest Favourites in the Court of Heaven prevail for a people under such circumstances. Should the dearest Servants plead with greatest fervency, they must be denied when Mercy is disengaged, jer. 15.1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my heart could not be towards this people. Standing is the Posture of Praying. Though these should endeavour to draw out my Affections to them by their importunate cries, yet they should never gain my heart: I cannot love them, I cannot yield it to them. Tantum mediocriter malis ob pios interdum parcitur, non ita contumaciter flagitiosis. God only spares those that are indifferently wicked for the sake of the godly, not those that are obstinately flagitious and ungodly. Ezech. 14. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were here, etc. they should prevail only for their own Souls. Oh, says God, you think the cries of your Prayer shall drown the voice of your Sins; you imagine your earnest calls will make my bowels yearn to you; or if you cannot prevail alone, you will engage others: but I tell you, neither ye, nor my greatest friends that can most prevail, shall persuade me to spare so ungodly a people as you; they and you shall not effect your desires with me so.  
3. Mercy disengaged, the wrathful blows of Divine Vengeance will be (to speak after the manner of men) inflicted in a careless manner on a Mercy-contemning people. The Vine-dresser is most exact and curious in abscinding the luxuriant branches of a fruitful Vine, but hacks and hews the unfruitful tree in a careless manner. Thus the Almighty God measures out and limits the Judgements that are out of Mercy to a fruitful people, to increase their fruit; but regards not how he strikes a barren generation, that are only to be hewed down as cumber-ground trees. Whilst tender Affections remain in the heart of God to a people, he limits the proceeding of enemies, he restrains the rage of their foes; he afflicts pondere & mensura, with weight and measure: But when Justice only is exercised in Judgement, the worst of times, the most fierce enemies, the most astonishing manner is chosen in afflicting. When we are regardless of a man's life, we say, Let him eat, drink, do what he will, I will be no hindrance to him: Thus Mercy disobliged says, Let enemies wound, massacre, slay whom and how they will, I shall not help, I will not hinder. God permits enemies to do their worst, to go as far as they can, when he designs the ruin of a people. The Prophet prays, Jer. 10.24. Lord, correct me, but with judgement, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. In thy correction use moderation, for the anguish of thy anger is intolerable; the blows of thy wrath alone will bring us to nothing. The fatherly Anger of God is dreadful, but the fierceness of his Anger is fatal. If God doth not moderate his anger, we can never sustain the dreadful terror of it.  
4. Mercy disengaged, we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means. If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away, miseries must needs flow in. Whither shall the poor creature go, if Mercy be gone? If we resort to creatures for help, they all say, It is not in me: If God affords you no help, I cannot; if God withdraws his merciful influence, I have no efficacy. Psal. 3.8. Salvation belongs to God. 'Tis the honour of God, that he can easily save without any else, and that none else can save without him. However suitable means may be to relieve us, unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them, they prove ineffectual. Creatures can never help us in distress, if Mercy stands off. There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents, that may obstruct their success: there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts: there are intercurrent Causes, and unprovided-for Accidents, that may be unconquerable hindrances to their endeavours. The most suitable instruments voluntatem habent, non potestatem, have only an impotent Velleity or Will, but no effectual Ability to help us. A Nation deserted by Mercy, is like a diseased, dying man, Head a king, Heart fainting, Wits confounded, Spirits consumed, given over by Physicians, Friends stand behind the Curtains sobbing and sighing, weeping and bewailing; willing to relieve, not able. Thus 'tis with a Nation when Mercy is disengaged, 'tis bleeding to Death, gasping for Life, its Friends dejected, their Hearts melted; but die it must, die it will, none can help it. Let men be never so solicitous, most unspeakably industrious to help a perishing Nation, they will be successless without mercy, for they are but media deferentia, non operantia, means of conveyance, not of efficience.  
Mercy disengaged, there can be no binding the hands of Justice, no obstructing its fatal Blows, no stopping the floods of Vengeance, no persuading to spare, no prevailing to stay, no hindering its arrests, no opposing its violence; but destruction will be unavoidable. The highest profession, the richest possessions, the strongest fortifications; will be no security; no shelter on earth, can secure from the vengeance of Heaven. The united forces of all Creatures, can no ways impede the actings of their Sovereign Creator. Job 9.12, 13. He taketh away, and none can hinder him. If God will not withhold his anger, the proud helpers must stoop under. However great the Patrons of our Cause may be, whatever Allies may consociate with us, whatever Assistants shall appear for us, yet they can never prosper to protect us, or succeed to deliver us from the hands of resolved Justice. Our helpers must have the assistance of God, or they cannot procure deliverance for us. Had we thousands as strong as that world-bearing Atlas, they could never uphold us: had we a world of Confederates, they could never preserve us, if Justice designs our ruin. The most potent Friends can never deliver those, who have the Omnipotent God to be their enemy. If Mercy will not help us, we must needs be helpless. Job 27.22. God shall cast upon him, and not spare; he would flee out of his hands. ●ugere cona●itur, sed non effugiet. He shall strive to get out of his hands, but shall not escape. Neither Policy, Power, or Prayer, can prevail with, or succeed against God, when not seconded with the aid of Mercy. Dan. 4.35. There is none can stay his hand. None can deliver from the destroying hands of Justice, but victorious Mercy. What need then is there to be careful, that we disoblige not Mercy? What grateful carriage should we have under Mercies, lest we make them our enemies? And if Mercy be once against us, all things will work against us.  
5. Destruction after Deliverance will be exceedingly aggravated by that self-confounding desperation that will be in our Souls, when God shall come out against us to vindicate the quarrel of abused mercies, to avenge the contempt of former deliverances. Then we shall not only have God against us, but Conscience also will direfully torment us: the reflecting on former deliverances, will cause as great terror as present dangers. The very thoughts of contemned deliverances, will damp and destroy the confidence of the Soul in renewed Miseries. How can a man lift up his face before God to desire a mercy, that hath turned his back upon God when he obtained a mercy? How can he go to God for fresh supplies of Mercy, who getting a mercy, hath gone away from God? When God hath lifted thee up from a low condition, and thou hast gone on in a wicked life, with what face canst thou look upon God again? Canst expect a good look, when thou lookest to him? What canst expect but a denial from him, when thou hast denied obedience to him? Oh how will Conscience fly on thy face, and check thy Soul! Remember when you were in distress before, thou didst cry to God, and he delivered thee; but thou never didst love him the more, serve him the better for it. Then wilt thou imagine with thyself, Oh how can I go to God again! How can I think he will try me with further Mercies, who have been so unfaithful under those I received? How can I expect he will be prevailed with to prolong my Life, when I have heaped up provocations, after his former prolongations of it? Oh what heart-fainting and failings will a sense of despised Mercy produce! What a Hell of Misery will this be to all thy Torments, that thou durst not approach to God? Will not inward troubles be a dreadful increase of distress in times of Judgement? And what inward trouble more heavy than this, to find our hearts condemning of us, and to be clogged with the sense of abused Mercies? Wilt thou not fear God will tell thee, thy Prayer is an abomination? Wilt not dread lest he say, as jephthah to the Elders of Gilead, after they had expelled him, Judg. 11.7. Are ye now come unto me, when ye are in distress? What, are you so impudent after all your unkindness to me, to seek kindness from me? What, do ye think I will shelter such enemies as you? Will not God say thus to us, when fleeing to him in distress? What, do ye that have forsaken me so long, flee to me now? Do ye that despised my former Deliverance, come to me for another? Will not God say, Be gone, I'll admit you no more, I'll hearken neither to your Prayers nor Promises? And then we may cry out as Salu. Quid dignius, quid justius? non audivimus, non audimur; non respeximus, non respicimur. What more merited, what more just? We have not heard God, and we are not heard; we have not regarded, and we are not regarded. What confusion will this fill our faces withal? What a Calamity will this be to all our Misery? Oh take heed then of incurring any further displeasure from God, by abusing deliverance; lest when renewed dangers come upon you, thy mouth should be stopped, thy confidence dampt, and thy conscience thus checking of thee. But put Iniquity far from thee, and then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; then shalt thou have access to the Lord in thy troubles: and if destruction should come, thou mayst cry for deliverance, and have gracious returns. Destruction for sinning under these circumstances, will be aggravated by that pitiless frame that shall be not only in God, but in man, to those that are involved in such deserved destruction. God will not pity, but be strangely hard-hearted to such hardened Sinners. Misery calls for pity; but there can be no pity, where there is no mercy, or where Mercy is disengaged: Ezech. 5.11. Neither shall my eye spare, neither will I have pity. He laid aside his tender compassions; his bowels of mercy were shut up, and now he hath no tender affections to them.  
Thus men also that may be preserved from our calamities, will have just cause to be pitiless to us. It was said of Vitellius, when going to Execution, with his Hands bound, divested on Robes, that men had no pity of him, Nam deformitas vitae misericordiam abstulerat, Tacitus. The impiety of his Life, had taken away men's pity for his Death. Will not our sinning after Deliverance give such cause of abstaining from pitying of us? Will not men say, They deserve to be miserable, that will not desist from being sinful. Oh dreadful aggravation of misery, to have all bowels shut against us! Extrema est miseria, cum nemo miseri vices dolet. 'Tis extreme misery, the height of distress, when we are not only destitute of Help, but destitute of Pity. Jer. 22.18. Shall not say, Ah, my brother, or ah, my sister: They ●hall not lament for him, saying, Ah, Lord, ●● ah, his glory.  
I shall now endeavour to make some particular Uses of what hath been spoken.  

Uses from the 1. Propos. Use I.  
Is it the great design of God in delivering a people from imminent dangers, to oblige them to break off sin? Let then the remarkable Deliverance that the Almighty God in abounding goodness hath lately bestowed upon us, effect this blessed change in our lives and conversations. With what face can we trample on the just and sacred Commands of our merciful God, whilst he smiles upon us with such unmerited favours? Can our Hearts be so damnably obdurate, so insensibly hardened, as not to be melted by such an unexpected Deliverance as this? Should we again break his Commandments? What pretence can favour such Impieties? What profession can cloak such Wickedness? What Allurements can entice us against Conscience, Reason, and Religion, to obviate and oppose the righteous requests and demands of such a patient God?  
Should we again return to our Flesh-pleasing security in sin, the Fountain and Spring of our greatest misery? What but our belluine and besotting stupidity involved us in our direful dangers? and shall we return to our former posture, not regarding the rousing alarms the late discoveries of misery have sounded to us, nor minding the awakening calls to prepare for Judgements, or turn from the Impieties that deserve them? Would not this be an unpardonable crime, and a means most infallibly to ruin us? Should we again dishonour this delivering God, by profane, licentious courses? filling our Land with the hateful noise of our crying Iniquities, when God hath filled it with the blessed sounds of unspeakable Mercies? What an unworthy, ungrateful, unanswerable carriage would this be deemed by all that bear the title of Christians?  
Would Heathens offer to do such things to their feigned Gods, or offer such affronts unto them, could they but do such favours for them? And shall we, to affront the Majesty of Heaven, belch out abominable Oaths, and account them as pleasing Ornaments of Language? Shall we show our despite to our God, by blasphemous Expressions against inviolable Truths concerning the nature and being of God? Shall we, to express how little we value his kindness, provoke the eyes of his Glory by Noonday Drunkenness, Rioting, and Debaucheries? Shall we witness a cursed contemning of him by impudent profanations of his holy Sabbaths, as before we have done? Shall not his Kindness courting us to amendment, prevail? Shall not his Goodness endeavouring our betterment, operate upon us? Is it not impossible to be so wicked, after such wonderful expressions of Love?  
Should we again with greedy minds pursue the perishing enjoyments of this alluring world, neglecting the profitable exercises of Religion, and required Devotion? Did the Almighty prolong our expiring Lives, to spend them thus? With what conscience can we allow ourselves those large dispensations from holy Duties, for the sake of our worldly employments, after we are purposely delivered, to augment and increase our deserved Obedience? Will not our days be yet shortened, if we remain so straitened in Duties still? And if we cannot spare a little of our strength to work for God, can we think that God will improve his mighty strength, to work out any further Salvation for us? If our houses that might have been without People, still remain without Prayer, may we not expect an angry God will soon unpeople them? If now we shall cast off Duty, will he not suddenly cast off us?  
Should we again be rending and tearing one another by ravenous Oppression? and ruining one another by unhappy Divisions? Should not this wonderful Love excite such bowels in our softened hearts to one another, that we should no longer be maintaining with unreasonable rigidness one another's assumed Opinions, to the unspeakable prejudice of Church and State? But rather be sodering together into a perpetual Harmony, by mutual condescensions and compliances; thereby ending our unprofitable janglings in indissolvible Unity. Shall not we, who have partaken of this favour together, live always together in the beauty and glory of undissembled Friendship, and unfeigned Love? And if this effect shall not follow our being delivered together, 'tis to be feared, the effect of such disorders will be no other than to be destroyed and cut off together. Oh then let the Kindness of God to us, sweeten our tempers to one another; and let us be so fully united together, that all our Affections may make but one channel of Love, that so the God of Love may dwell among us. For as this sincere adherence to one another by Love, would be most effectual to prevent the designs of enemies against us; (who delight to see and sow our Divisions) so it would be so grateful an improvement of deliverance, that God would more readily continue it to us. What then remains? But that we should lay aside Pride and Prejudice, and Self-designings; and standing to the complete and unalterable Rules of Worship, and Principles of Religion, laid down in the blessed Word, henceforth (I say we should) dwell in most beautiful Unity, and worship our God as far as can be, in a most desirable Uniformity.  
Should we again become formal and hypocritical in our solemn Worship of the great God? Were this a suitable return for Gods delivering, to mock him with dissembling Services, and weary him with heartless Offerings? Are Ordinances continued, and the glorious Sunshine of the blessed Gospel preserved unclouded; and shall we requite the Lord ●o otherwise, than by profaning and busing of them?  
Oh the price we should set, the value we should have of our Ordinances! What are these but the Wells of Salvation, the Conduits of Grace, the Ensigns of eternal Glory, the Food of immortal Souls, the Pledges and Models of eternal Loves, the blessed Mounts of Glory; in which are the clearest Resemblances of Heaven, the sweetest Refreshments on Earth, the most lively stamps of Divine Majesty, and the most blessed Appearances and comfortable Visits of Christ? And can we contemn such Enjoyments, without abominable Ingratitude? Are they given to us by a new deliverance? let us show our esteem by a new improvement. Never be so backward to attend them, so careless under them, so unanswerable to them hereafter. Let God see that his kindness is not lost, his cost is not in vain, but that you endeavour a faithful return to what he doth for you.  
But into what a large Field am I entering? Let all sins be reform, let all holiness be embraced; be universal in reformation of known sins, though I cannot be particular in the enumeration of them; mind every particular duty, though I can name them but universally; let the love of God in delivering, constrain you: And that the deliverance may have greater influence upon you, I shall lay down before you in a few particulars the greatness of it.  
1. The greatness of our deliverance is manifest and apparent from the consideration of the Enemies from whose hands an Almighty power hath rescued us. The managers of the designs for our ruins, are the Race of murdering Cain, the bloody Offspring of devouring Cannibals; whose monstrous cruelties are divulged in every corner of the world, recorded in innumerable Histories; experienced in many Nations, known in Germany, felt in Paris, found in Ireland; and we are woefully acquainted with them in England.  
The most barbarous Inhabitants of the world can't parallel their inhuman Massacres: the most desperate wretches in Hell can't exceed their practised Cruelties. These Hellbred Salamander's delight only in ruining fires; these patrisating Children of the grand Murderer, love no drink like the fulsome liquor of Innocents' blood; these Apostates from humane nature, can solace themselves with no pleasures like the tormenting butcherings of harmless Saints. How cruel are their tender mercies! how savage is their sweetest carriage to those that submit not to that burdensome yoke that neither we nor our Fathers could bear! What love can answer the kindness of our God in giving escapes from these merciless Lions, from these pictures of malicious Satan, and fire-breathing Dragons of the infernal Pit? Can we do less than make ourselves complete Holocausts by the flames of ascending affections, to our gracious God, who hath delivered us from being Sacrifices to these most cruel beasts of prey? Had not these men been thus degenerated from merciful Humanity into belluine Ferocity, they could never have attempted the confusion and ruin of such innocent unmeriting a People as we.  
But these empty Pretenders to Christianity could never have accomplished their sincere designs of destroying us, had they not impudently laid the ground of all this wickedness with the Orient colour of specious Religion; and so preserved deluded Souls from the disturbing flashes of unstupified Conscience. But the Principles of their avowed Religion warranting its Patrons in such Impieties, and defending such damnable Courses, hath animated their cruel minds with mighty expectations of renowning Merit by such bloody Exploits.  
Thus they transforming themselves into Angels of Light, have seduced a blinded Multitude, and by this powerful Engine have gained innumerable Allies to promote a Design most diametrically opposite to Reason and true Religion. Thus Religion is used to destroy the Religious; and Policy clothing itself with the title of Piety, insinuates unspeakable Vigour into infatuated Mortals in the pursuit of gainful designs through greatest difficulties. And had not the Almighty discountenanced such Religion by blasting designs promoted by it, their Religion had brought our ruin, and the shadow of Religion had consumed the substance of it. Now what favour have we found with God, that he should disappoint a Contrivance managed by those who had gained in so many Confederates by the deluding Pretences of Religion? which is also to make its seduced Zelots do more than the greatest Allurements imaginable.  
Hence were the wonderful incitements to that unwearied Industry now visible among them, to confound and destroy us. Some drops of their Blood they could undauntedly part with, that they might drink some draughts of ours. What Charges could seem too burdensome to them, to discharge the world of such Heretics as we are accounted by them? How were their Breasts like threatening Thunder-clouds, whose Vapours never leave working till they vent themselves with amasing Terror to the trembling world? How have their Heads, Hearts, and Hands, been willing, contriving, preparing for many years? How have they been, as is said of the Princes of Israel, Ezek. 22.6. Every one to their power to shed blood? No Harmony, no Help, no Hearts, no Hands, no Power, no Purse was a long while wanting in attempting this Murdering Achievement. What greater Deliverance was ever bestowed on a People than this, when all the Forces of Hell and Ro●e with its Allies, are defeated?  
How might I make this appear from the wonderful height of Power they were by all their endeavours arrived at: From the greatness of the danger, as most wickedly kept secret by means of inviolable Obligations and Oaths, which laid those that were conscious to it, under the greatest incapacity of revealing of it: From the familiar Converse our fatal Enemies had among us: From the abominable Engaging of rotten Members to destroy the body they belonged to, and cut off the Head that was over them: From Assistances foreign Enemies provided and promised against us! But what hath been spoken, sufficiently speaks the greatness of our Deliverance, with respect to the persons contriving our Destruction.  
2. It appears from the consideration of that miserable Destruction we were appointed unto, all these subtle heads and bloody hands are not at work to accomplish a petty Destruction. Their Throats, enlarged as Hell, would never be satisfied with Personal Revenge; no less than a Nation, yea, Nations of Protestants, can make up a single Meal for these savage Bloodhounds. These tyrannical Nero's are for the cutting off the Necks of all Christians at a blow. No less Bonfire would serve their turns, than the horrid Conflagration of a whole Nation. A Dioclesian Persecution was nothing to this hellish Enterprise and attempted Destruction. How fain would Antichrist have waded to an usurped Throne to the neck in the blood of opposing Martyrs!  
Had it not been a Destruction none like unto it? Had not Rome outdone its former Cruelties? Had not this dreadful day been a None-such? Come, and see. What should you have seen? Had this Design been perfected, you had seen or heard, if alive, innumerable Troops of frightful Warriors, fierce in Countenance, more in Carriage, breaking forth, like the Plunderers of Troy from that fatal Horse, from the Bowels of our Land: You had seen the disguising Vizards of dissembling Friends thrown off, and the distinguishing Mark of the Beasts company, worn by thousands of our unsuspected Inhabitants: You might have seen the multitude of profane ones turn Popish, and the Neutralists become absolute Papists: You might have seen an astonishing Force of foreign Idolaters admitted to enter our English Coasts by the treacherous hands of mercenary Subjects: You might have seen the horrid Instruments of undreaded Death brought from their unsearched hoards, ready to be proved on thy own body. Ah, dreadful day, none like it! When those unthought-of Enemies had shown themselves in warlike postures, armed with invincible Power, winged with speedy Fury, resolved with undaunted Courage, assisted with large Auxiliaries; what then had been the Work? Come and see. Then had the Streets been died with a Sea of Crimson-bloud, the Channels ran down with the Lives of massacred Christians: Then had our bolted doors in nocturnal silence been forcibly opened, and our sleepy Bodies dragged from their resting Beds, and butchered by cruel hands: Then had our mangled Carcases been strewed in our peaceless Streets, to be trampled on like dirt by our Foes: Then had our Weapons, prepared for our defence, been murdering pieces for our Enemy's service: Then had there been some fleeing in amaze, some fight in confusion, some turning out of fear, some tortured for not turning. Oh, black and gloomy day! Then had our stately Buildings become a Prey to the fiercest of Elements, as well as we to the fiercest of Men: Then had the desire of our eyes been taken away with a blow, we ourselves not escaping: Then had the noise of bitter Lamentation, though nothing prevailing, been heard in our Streets; the Shrieks of the wounded piercing our hearts, the sight of the Dead amazing our spirits. Oh, what had they done? Come and see. How had the places of shelter been places of greatest dangers! how had it been in vain for unarmed men to oppose a furious Crew of well-equipaged Soldiers! How fruitless had it been to flee, when dangers were unknown! How sad had it been to behold tender Infants rend from the bodies of their rifled Mothers, and cast into their Flames! Who could have endured the sight of Sucking-babes snatched from their Mother's breasts and dashed against destroying stones? Who could have seen them sprawling on the tops of Pikes and hurled into cruel Flames, without bleeding hearts? Oh the ghastly visages of the once most beautiful Objects, that then had been marred with deforming wounds! Oh what a deliverance is this, to be thus far freed, to be thus long delivered from such a Destruction! Oh let this Mercy obtain its design, lest the things we have feared should come upon us.  
3. The greatness of this Deliverance will appear on the consideration of the condition we were in, who were designed to be destroyed. Consider we but the daring provocations we have given the Almighty to forsake us, it appears a Mirror of Mercy that he should spare us. Might he not justly have said, Now will I ease me of my Adversaries, and avenge me on my Enemies: Now will I make known the dread of my unregarded wrath, for their impenitent sinning: Now will I show how bitter a thing it is to abuse my patience by rebellion, and my goodness by offending? But now behold, his bowels wrought in him; he delivered us rebels, rescued us sinful wretches: and who can but lay to heart this mercy?  
How helpless had we been in such a dismal Surprisal? the mighty men would not have found their hands, the valiant would have lost their courageous hearts, and we should have been but Magor missabibs, terror round about.  
But the misery of our condition had lain in our unreadiness to have encountered the King of Terrors, to have followed that amazing Messenger to the dreadful Tribunal of the Eternal God. How unfit had we been to die at a moment's warning? How miserable had thousands been to whom all space of repenting had been ended, whose present misery had been the beginning of eternal torments, whose unprepared Souls had been sent to the place prepared for the devil and his angels? Oh than that now we could lay to heart these Riches of Grace that continues a preparing space: Patientia poenitentiae expectatrix: His Patience expects Repentance. Let not our prolonged days be spent in provoking him any longer; let us not now be treasuring up wrath to the day of wrath.  
I might show you the greatness of this Deliverance, by the nearness of the Destruction; it was in articulo mortis, all was almost concluded, our Passing-bell rung, the day was presumed to be their own, and now delivered, as Daniel, è faucibus perditionis, from the very jaws of Destruction, from the very mouths of our Enemies. Oh wonderful goodness!  
And most fitly might I mention the means of our Deliverance.  
una eadémque manus vulnus opémque feret.  
How did this sweetest Honey come from the Lion's carcase? Men of their own Party must impart it to us; those of their own Conclave are means, under God, to deliver us from their own Counsels. Oh the wonderful Authority of God, that wrought on their Consciences so long benumbed! Oh the Wisdom of God, that works by contrary means! No Violence constrained them, but what the Almighty used with them; no Policy induced them, so much as Divine Power.   

Use 2.  
Is it the design of God in delivering, to reduce from sin, and oblige to Holiness? Let us then examine ourselves, whether we have answered these holy designs of our gracious God. Oh Reader, faithfully ask thine own heart, Have I not been as lose and profane, as vile and vain, as carnal and formal as ever I was before? What inducement hath this gracious preservation been to the reformation of my Life? What Sin have I faithfully forsaken? what displeasing Lust have I unfeignedly left? what spiritual Obedience have I closed withal, since I enjoyed this unspeakable Mercy? Doth not thy Conscience accuse thee of thy regardlesness of it? Doth not thy heart smite thee, for not observing the Duties thou art obliged to by it? Abasuerus would know what was done to Mordecai, for the good deed he had done for the Kingdom. Ask thyself, What good hath been done to God for all the good deeds he hath done for thee? What hath been done to him for his delivering of thee? Hast thou not sinned the more against him, and turned his Grace into wantonness? Is that a meet requital for his kindness? Are Pride, Drunkenness, Sensuality, fit Votive Tables for our merciful escapes? Oh let not this Mercy be lost for want of improvement, lest you never enjoy such another. Remember, exoneratio supplicii est oneratio officii; the laying off and freeing thee from punishment, lays obligations upon thee for dutiful Obedience. Mercies are to be like showers on Valleys, making them fruitful; as a grain of corn sown in the tilled earth, bringing forth a plentiful crop of expected fruit. God hath sown the seeds of his Mercies, let not the Devil reap a crop of Sin. Oh how might I plead with you, as loving jonathan with hard-hearted Saul, 1 Sam. 19.4. Let not the King sin against David, for he hath not sinned against thee; and because his works are good. Oh let not us sin against God; let us not rebel against him; he never dealt unjustly with us, but his deeds are good. He is ever working for us. He is ever heaping up Mercies, shall we sin against him? It will be better not to receive a Mercy, than not to be bettered by it. Oh come now and consider with yourselves, say with thyself, Hath God in his Providence made me a freeman from Popish Slavery, and shall I make myself a Slave to Lusts, and a Vassal to the Devil? Shall God continue my Life, and shall I cast it away as worth nothing? Oh examine yourselves how you have acted. Plato, seeing any disorderly, would say, Num ego talis? Am I such an one? Thou seest many go on in sin, ask thyself, Am not I such an one? Do not I go on in sin? What a folly is it in us, that we utimur perspicillis plusquam speculis, use spectables to see other faults, more than looking-glasses to see our own? Learn the Art of Self-reflection, and that is the way to Self-reformation.   

Use 3.  
Is it God's design and desire to reduce us from sin by these merciful methods? Then let us not foolishly cause the Lord to use more forcible and fearful means, to effect this in us. Let us not force a gracious God out of his delightful ways of Mercy. Why should we make him be doing his works of Judgement, since he declares his unwillingness to it? Shall we turn his Sceptre into a Rod? Shall we drive away those precious Mercies by sinful courses, which, with mournful hearts and wring hands, we shall be glad to be recalling? Shall we make our Showers of Mercy end in Floods of Vengeance? Shall we wrest the Sword of Justice out of the Sheath of Patience, and violently pull down Vengeance on our own heads? Will you tell the Lord, you are weary of his Mercies, and will never regard them? Will you declare in the presence of God, that if he will not pour out his Vengeance, and display his Justice, and make your Plagues wonderful, that you will not fear him, nor break off sins? Is your strength so great to stand before his Anger, that you are resolute in provoking of him? Will nothing serve your turn but destruction, and desolation, and undoing judgements? You must either cease sinning, or God will cease waiting, and give over favouring of you. God speaks, Ezech. 6.9. how the Jews had broken him with their whorish heart; that is, he tells them, they should remember Eum quasi objecta quadam violentiâ à proposite abductum, & invitum planè adductum essë eorum persidia ut interrumperetur cursus misericordiae, Calv. That he was turned from his gracious purposes, with the violence their sins offered to him; and that it was by their perfidiousness he was brought to break off the course of his mercies. Thus God is broken off from ways of mercy, by our not breaking off our ways of sin.  
The holy God is resolved to make us leave off sinning one way or other: if his goodness cannot gain us, if his mercies cannot induce us, his justice will come out against us, and by his mighty power he will rule us. Ezek. 20.33. As I live, saith the Lord, surely with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you. God will bring us into subjection by mercies or judgements; his fury shall do that his favour will not. But why should we cause the Lord to be so severe unto us? we weary man, but will ye weary God also? Let us be constrained to amendment by his love, or else he must curb us by tormenting punishments. It was said of Israel, Psal. 81.11. Israel would have none of me. Shall it be so said of England, that we refused and slighted what God gives, and what he doth in way of mercy? Shall it be said we will have none of his mercies, none of his deliverances? shall we not then have his judgements, and feel his vengeance?   

Use 4.  
Is this the design of God in delivering? then wisely make use of this as an Argument to invalidate all future temptations to sin. When sinful occasions offer themselves unto you, damp the hurtful influence of them by objecting to thyself the unreasonableness of sinning, after such mercies conferred upon thee. Thus joseph did invalidate the eager assaults of his wicked Mistress, Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? He did not rashly admit the temptation, but consulted Conscience, and repelled it with this weighty Argument: How can I sin against a God that hath of late been so favourable to me, hath delivered me from death, and advanced me to honour? Oh I cannot slight so much kindness, to please a sinful humour: I will never do it. When then thou meetest with allurements to sin, take to thyself this corroborating dissuasive from it, and courageously oppose all unworthy motions to Rebellion by pondering on it.   

Inferences from the second Proposition concerning our proneness to sin after Deliverances.  
1. Hence we see the absolute Necessity that there is of Divine Power, to render any means effectual to bring us from sin. However probable means may be to effect this end, they are not powerful enough without the cooperation of an Almighty arm superadded to them. If rational Arguments were sufficient, such as are drawn from infinite Mercy might be enough to charm our Wills to a loyal Obedience to our God; but we see that outward Mercies, not conferring inward Grace, cannot accomplish such difficult work. The chiefest engine that draws the heart of man from sin, is Mercy; but 'tis the arm of God must fasten it to the heart of man, and Divine Power that can only attract him by it. Mercies are only cords, which Divine Power uses to draw men from sin. If Moral Persuasions were so wonderfully effectual in converting Sinners, as some would have them, it is strange men cannot overcome themselves to forsake their sins, by the consideration of the merciful Preservations, and gracious Deliverances the Almighty bestows upon them: Strange it is men cannot be persuaded to cease provoking God to Judgements, by the declaring his unwillingness to them by the experiences of deliverances from them. But how do we experience the ineffectualness of outward Mercies, whatever valid motives may be drawn from them! What need then is there to apply ourselves most frequently to the Throne of Grace, for heavenly Influences on earthly Blessings?  
How should we earnestly crave the concurrence of God's Omnipotency, for the bettering of us by the confluence of Mercies bestowed upon us? Isai. 48.17. The Lord teaches to profit. In the greatest abundance of Means and Mercies, we shall have no profit, without the aids and assistance of God; He must teach us to improve Deliverances, to gain by his Goodness. When cords of Mercy are put into our hands, let us lift up out hearts to the Father of Mercies, and cry, Draw us, and we will follow thee. When Mercies are sown like precious seeds most plentifully amongst us, let us implore the showers of Divine Blessing to make us fruitful by them. When such invaluable Talents are put into our hands, let us seek to the Almighty for strength to work with them. Plead with the Lord to deliver thee from sin, by his Deliverances; to give thee the incomes of his Grace, to improve thy Life miraculously continued to thee. Leave not the Throne of Grace, till Grace is given thee to leave thy sins: Cease not to importune the Almighty's help against thy sins, till he hath delivered thee from them, as he hath done from thine enemies. Acknowledge thine own weakness, and so thou wilt engage the strength of God: Tell him with holy boldness, that now he hath given thee his Mercies, thou canst not be content without his Blessing with them. Let temporal Deliverance edge thy appetite after spiritual and eternal. Thou hast but half a Mercy, till thy Soul is bettered by a Deliverance, whether it be from Enemies, or Sickness, or any other distress or danger.  
2. Are we so prone to sin after Deliverance? Then hence be warned to be very watchful upon the enjoyment of such a Mercy. Oh that we, who enjoy so eminent escapes from danger, might use our greatest industry to prevent our proceeding in sin! Let us fortify ourselves against such an evil practice. Make conscience of what you do in a delivered condition. Let us no longer carelessly run on in our sins, but seriously consider the inducements we have to a holy Life.  
Now in order to prevent our proceeding in sin, admit this serious counsel, and observe these Directions:  

1. Make frequent Reflections on the great Deliverance in part bestowed upon us. When the Creator of the ends of the Earth surveyed his glorious Works, he saw they were good, and delighted in them; and he greatly delights that we should be frquent in Meditations of his glorious Works of Creation and Providence, and live in perpetual admirings of them, applauding the shines of his Power, Wisdom, and Mercy in them. The least of Gods Works deserve the admiration of the greatest Angel in Heaven. Inconsiderate Persons gain little advantage by the most considerable Mercies. Were our hearts more thankful, we should make a particular Computation and exact Chronology of daily and yearly Mercies. The forgetfulness of Mercy is the ground of our forsaking God after them. 'Tis mighty effectual to ballast our hearts against our impetuous inclinations to sin, to be much in considering what God hath done for us.   
Hence the people of Israel were admonished to be frequent in reviewing their sad condition in Egyptian bondage, with the blessed escape given them from it. Deut. 26.1, 2.5, etc. When thou art come into the land— thou shalt speak and say, A Syrian ready to p●rish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and became there a great nation,— and the Egyptians entreated us ill,— and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, etc. Thus they were to make a frequent commemoration of their miserable state, and merciful escape. In like manner it were necessary for us to look back on what we lately were, and say, A little while since I was at the gates of Death, by the subtle contrivances of Popish Enemies; a little time passed I had near been devoured by the jaws of those preying Lions: Some few months are passed since the Nation was in danger of being involved in incomparable Miseries; it hath almost been made a Stage for the acting a bloody Tragedy, an Altar on which had been sacrificed innumerable precious Lives, a Prey to Roman Fury; and now behold (blessed be the Lord) the Scene is changed, the Curtains of Secrecy that covered the nasty vault of Popish Conspirators, is happily drawn aside; the God of our lives, by his over-awing Majesty, hath influenced the hearts of Enemies to detect the Snare they once did endeavour to lay. Should we not then argue, Should I that was so lately in such danger of losing my precious life, now squander it away as a contemptible thing? Should I thus lately experiencing mercy from God, manifest myself by wicked courses to be a rebellious Enemy to him? Should not the thoughts of the death, danger, and miserable calamity God hath brought me from, bring me unfeignedly to love him, and constantly to yield obedience to him?  
Let us therefore, to prevent proceeding in sin, reflect on the kindness of God: Seriously think how miserable thou hadst been without the Deliverance. Oh miserable state, had it not come! Enemies raging, if not reigning; Gospel corrupted, if not removed; Lives endangered, if not destroyed. How had we been fleeing on Mountains, hiding in Dens, or burning in Flames, tortured with Racks! How had we been without Bread to eat, Houses to lodge in, or else all robbed by those pilfering Papists, if not burnt by their horrid malice, which is enough to put the whole Universe into miserable Conflagrations! How should we meditate how seasonably Deliverance came! we helpless, careless, and ignorant, then was it that his mighty arm brought a blessed Salvation to us. Behold, how unworthy we were of such a Mercy, of such a Deliverance! A sinful rebellious people, for us to partake of so much favour, is the greatest Mirror in the world. Now can we forget this goodness? If we have no memories to retain Mercies, we soon may have no Mercies to retain in memory. Or can we sin in the sight of such kindness? We shall never see such a glorious Deliverance, if we sin in the face of this. Oh let us often say as those, Numb. 23.22. What hath the Lord wrought among us! Oh what a glorious Work was this, embroidered with Mercy, set forth with the shines of Wisdom, and illustrious by the impressions of infinite Power! Oh forget not this Work! If we forget Deliverances, God may forget to deliver: Isai. 17.10, 11, They were made desolate for forgetting the God of their Salvation. 'Tis known that the breasts that afford the sweetest Milk, will dry up, if not drawn; the breasts of Mercy will be certainly dried up, if no benefit be drawn from them by a serious remembrance, and faithful improving of them. Prayers and Tears are the best means to obtain Mercies, and a thankful remembrance will be the best way to have them continued to us.  
2. To prevent thy proceeding in sin, think with thyself what Promises and Obligations, what Pleas and Arguments you would have made to the Lord, and urged him with, to have induced him to have given such a Deliverance as this. Would you not have promised, that if it should please him to exercise his Power in saving of you, you would engage, that to the utmost of your power you would serve him? Oh what great obligations would you willingly have laid yourselves under, to be freed from so dreadful a Destruction as you were appointed to? What obedience, service, love, and respects, do sinners vow to God on a Bed of sickness, languishing to death? What would we have promised then, when no less than a whole Nation was languishing, and every Enjoyment ready to give up the Ghost? Oh what solemn engagements to all possible obedience would then have been made! Would you have promised these things, and will you not perform them? Let the readiness of God to do it without these engagements, make you more ready to do those things than if you had engaged to do them.  
Consider also what pleas thou wouldst have used with God to spare thee; think what arguments might have prevailed with him to deliver thee; and let them prevail with thee to forsake sin. Thou wouldst not have said, Lord▪ spare me to go on a while longer in rebellion against thee; cut me not off till I have dishonoured thy glorious Name a little more; give me my life to be a Drunkard, Swearer, Liar, Sabbath-breaker, yet a while longer. Thou couldst never have the impudence to plead thus, thou couldst never imagine these Arguments could prevail; therefore use the considerations of Arguments which thou thinkest would prevail to curb thy heart from sin, as thou thinkest would have been proper to prevail with God to deliver thee. And what are those? Oh spare me, that I may prepare for death! Oh give me space, that I may repent of my sins, and reform! And let thy carriage be such now in part delivered, as may answer such motives as these, which would have been used with God to deliver thee.  
3. Consider how thou wouldst carry to man, if receiving a thousand times smaller kindnesses from him. Oh the thanks that shall be returned to man for a small favour! What readiness to do for man, when doing for us? Should a man but save us from perishing, how grateful, how serviceable should we become unto him? And shall kindness from sinful creatures make such impressions on our hearts, and the abounding goodness of the glorious God be disregarded? We love man loving of us, and shall we not love a loving God? We devote ourselves to the service of our earthly Benefactors, and shall we be so devilish as to deny obedience to the great God, under all his benignity to us? Shall God have worse dealings from us than men? Wouldst thou not offend an earthly Friend, and wilt thou offend a heavenly Friend? Wilt make nothing of displeasing God, when he gives thee such Mercies as all the men on Earth cannot bestow upon thee? Oh let but this be considered, and surely thou canst not persist in sin.   

Use 5.  
See here the unconquerable stubbornness of man's heart. Oh how do our hearts stand out against God under all his dealings with us! We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, an unperswadable generation. Oh wonderful obstinacy, that the sweetest Melody of mercy cannot charm us! Oh what hardened souls are in us, when the pleasant distillations of showers of mercy upon us, cannot soften us! Oh what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, strong holds, have sin, that the cords of mercy can't draw us from them! Oh how hard is it to gain a Victory over corrupted nature and accustomed sins! Oh strange affections that we have to sin, that the strongest engagements can't bring us from it! Such is the stubbornness of unchanged souls, that whether God walks in ways of Mercy, or paths of Judgement, they will go contrary to him. Oh the hardness to be lamented, that appears among us! Though the Almighty hath done thus much for us, we have not to this day been duly affected with what he hath done. We have gone on frowardly, when God hath dealt most kindly by us: we go on to provoke the eyes of his glory, when he hath made so much of his glorious goodness pass before us. Oh stubborn souls, that will not regard the melting kindness of God but do as it were resolve, whatever God doth, they will sin against him. Though he seek reconciliation, they will follow rebellion: though he strives to outdo their Rebellion with mercy, they will not lay down their Arms, but be avenged on his many mercies.   

Inferences from the third Proposition concerning the heinousness of sin after deliverance.  
1. Is sinning after deliverance such heinous sinning? Behold then what crying sins are to be seen amongst us! Have we not sins of the greatest magnitude, who have mercies of the highest nature? Are not our sins worse than Sodoms, when our mercies are abundantly more than that enjoyed? Sins in England, are greater than sins in other Nations, that have not partaken of such signal favours as we. We wonder God bears with Antichristian Rome, with foreign Idolaters; Alas, their sins are not of that nature that ours are. Our sins it may be are minoris infamiae, of lesser infamy, but majoris reatus, of greater guilt than theirs. Our sins are double; and the more our mercies increase, the more abundant aggravations belong to our sins. Are we not sinners above all, that have favours beyond any? Our sins that are small in abstracto, considered abstractly, are great in concreto, considering the circumstances of them. If small sins will not startle us, here are great sins then to amaze us. Oh let our sins that we have committed be more before us, that so the sense of their greatness may prevent our proceeding in them!  
2. Hence see what need we have of great Repentance; an ordinary sorrow will not answer our extraordinary sins. Gravissima peccata gravissimis lamentis indigent. Greatest provocations call for greatest lamentations. Oh what tears and lamentations can be great enough for our horrid sins? What sighs can be deep enough for a Nation so deeply involved in sin? Should not our mourning be as in the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the Valley of Megiddon, every family apart, every person apart? Should not Ninive be our precedent? Should not our England become a Bokim, and our Island be overflown with tears? Oh what floods of tears is there need of, to wash away our abominable pollutions! Oh what wailing and weeping should be in a Nation living and wallowing in such iniquities? Aut poenitendum vel pereundum. Repentance only can prevent our ruin; Repentance only can make justice to retreat; Repentance only can deliver us now delivered: But where shall we find it? Where are the weeping eyes, the mourning hearts? Oh that repentance might appear among us, lest judgements appear against us! Oh that we could lay ourselves down at the feet of mercy by humiliation, that we may not be laid down in a dreadful desolation, by the hands of justice! Oh that a hearty repentance might prevent our hastening ruin! Oh that we might lie in breathing sweats of Godly sorrow, that we may not lie sweltering in our blood! Our sins reach up to Heaven, let our sorrow reach to heart. Oh that each part of unfeigned repentance might be really acted by us!  
Let us make a strict inquiry into our fins, common with our hearts; let us go the Circuit of our hearts and lives, and see the abominable sins to be condemned there. Let us read the Book of Conscience, and see what sins we there stand indicted for. As Letters wrote with the juice of Oranges, are not to be read but by the fire; Thus some have their sins written, and will not read them now; but shall at last read them by the fire of Hell. Lam. 3.40. Let us search and try our ways. Oh we are senseless of our sins; but aeger non sentiens periculosius laborat; a senseless sick man is most in danger. Oh open your eyes then, and see what disorders in heart, what wickedness in life! refuse not a sight of thy sins now; one day God will set them before thy eyes.  
Disown not the Charges that are against thee, without reason. Let us no longer sew Fig-leaves on our sins. The impartial Judge of Heaven and Earth knows our crimes. Let us therefore return and say, Father I have sinned. Thus did those, Lam. 5.16. Woe be to us, we have sinned. David yielded the case to Nathan, I am the man: mayst thou not justly say, I am the man that have been nothing the better for deliverance; I am the man or woman have gone on in Pride, Sensuality, without repentance, reformation? Defend not thy sins by excuses, but own them; be convinced without further demur, and condemn thyself as a guilty malefactor. Then let us pour out our tears, and open the Floodgates of Godly sorrow; and if we would escape, let us be like those, Ezek. 7.16. Who were like Doves in the Valleys, mourning every one for their own iniquity. Oh that our proud hearts might yield to this work! Our dry eyes be filled with tears. Let us fill God's bottle with our tears! What is weeping good for, but to testify our sorrow for sin? it cannot recover a dying friend, it may a dying Nation: it cannot stop the course of death, it may the coming of judgements. Open then the windows of Heaven, and break up the deeps, and let us make us a hearty weeping, as may prevent the heavy judgements our great sins are calling for.  
Then let us make a holy resolution, in the strength of the Almighty, to cease from our sins. Say as holy job, Job 34.32. If I have done evil I will, do it no more. With holy indignation reject thy former villainies. Oh let our souls be raised to a deserved hatred of these great iniquities, and let nothing content us, but the utter ruin of our ruining sins. Let us not be dismayed at the difficulty attending that blessed work: 'Tis hard to destroy sin, but will it not be harder to be damned for it? If it be hard to bear the launching of those rankered wounds, what will it be to bear the smart of the envenomed arrows of divine justice for ever? Know also, thou may'st do all things through Christ that strengthens thee; then carry thy sins with the solemnity of penitential tears, to their eternal funeral. And unless this reformaon shall attend thy repentance, thou repentest with an absurd contradiction. Optima poenitentia est nova vita: The best repentance is a new life. This is the repentance our heinous sins require; and all this is to be done in a more than ordinary way, because of the greatness of our sins.  
3. If sins after deliverance are so great, hence▪ see how near judgements may be unto us, because the measure of our iniquities will be so suddenly ●illed. The patience of Heaven will soon be worn out with these daring provocations. As we are heaping up Sin, the Almighty is heaping up Wrath; and the greater sins, the sooner the treasures of wrath will be full. The more fuel we bring, the sooner the fire will be kindled to consume us. The Lord in his mercy is waiting to be gracious, backward to judgement; but such iniquities will soon waste his patience, and provoke his wrath.  
We read, Gen. 15.16. that the Lord delayed punishment, because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. The measure of sin and wrath are often filling many years; and according as sins are aggravated, judgements approach faster or slower. Thus joel 3.13. God calls for Sickles to be put in, because the harvest was ripe, the pressës were full, and the fats did overflow. God will suffer sinners to stand till they are come to their full stature in sin, and then he cuts them down, and makes an end of them. Thus Christ speaks to the Scribes and Pharisees, Mat. 23.32. Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers. i e. Ye will be filling up the measure of their sins, till the Lord comes and measures out judgement to you, according to the measure of your sins. Oh than what cause have we to fear, lest the Vials of wrath should suddenly be poured out upon us! Is not the harvest of sin almost ripe? or will not these showers of mercy suddenly ripen it? And then the sickle must be put in; a bloody enemy let in among us, that shall cut us down as the reapers do the corn. Oh let us dread the approaches of vengeance under the increases of sin and wickedness! The measures of wrath have been long a filling; the iniquities of our fathers are laid up for us, and may be rewarded on our heads when the measure is full. We ripen apace for judgements now; destruction may be at the door ere we know.   

Inferences from the fourth and fifth Propositions concerning the destructive nature of Sinning after deliverance. Use I.  
May destruction come after deliverance? Then hence we may learn, that present impunity can be no evidence of our future safety. Mercies are not so inseparably entailed upon us, that justice cannot deprive us of them. Present prosperity may have a mournful ending in dismal adversity. National, as personal salvation from present dangers, may end in destruction. The wings of our feathery confidence had need be clipped, when we fond presume the Almighty to be ever bound to deliver such a people as we, because he hath once more graciously done it. 2 Pet. 2.9. God reserves the unjust to judgement. The bird that escapes the fowler's net for once, may be afterwards caught: we that are wonderfully preserved from the snares of hellish Plotters, may at last be made a prey, if we grow no more watchful. Our cloudy Heavens threaten new storms. The world is very full of great and unexpected mutations: The turnings of the wheels of Providence are very swift and various. We may now as suddenly be destroyed, as we have often been delivered. jud. 5. After delivered, God destroyed those that believed not. The ship that evades the dangers of the Sea more than once, may be swallowed up in its Sands, or shattered by its Rocks at last.  
The reprieved malefactor may justly expect his deserved execution, after a little space afforded for preparation. And in truth, the relief our offended God hath given us, seems more like a Reprieve, than a Deliverance; and cause we have most seriously to fear, that ere long we shall experience that Justice can destroy, as Mercy can deliver. Our impunity is not from God's impotency, but patience; and that may soon be expired. We have cause to dread that awakening word, Josh. 24.20. If ye forsake the Lord, then will he turn and do you hurt, after all the good he hath done you. Our not returning under good, will make him turn to do us harm. Proceeding in sin will interrupt the course of mercies, and introduce successions of judgements. You may be surprised with sudden miseries, in the midst of your feigned safety. God will not always draw with cords of love. Host 11.3.4, 5. I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love; that is, I dealt with them in the most gracious manners, striving to draw their rebellious hearts into subjection; but since I cannot prevail, v. 5 They shall not go down to Egypt, they shall have no shelter there, but the Assyrian shall be their King, and the sword shall abide in their cities, and devour his branches. Thus may the dealings of God be changed, and cords of love be turned to chastising rods, to lash the backs of stubborn fools. We cannot ensure the continuance of mercies, but by our compliance with the designs of God by them. That which was spoken to Ephraim, may fall upon us, Host 9.11. As for Ephraim, his glory shall flee away like a bird. We imagine we have mercies sure as a bird in the cage: but as the door being opened the bird flies away, so mercies will take their wings, and be gone from a sinful people. Trust not then to your present freedom, you may be enslaved; flatter not yourselves in hopes of perpetual deliverance, destruction may come at last.  
3. Will this persistence in sin hasten such certain and miserable ruin! Then see what reason there is to shake off our pleasing but hurtful security, admitting some fearful thoughts, and affecting our hearts with apprehensions of our eminent danger. Unwilling we are to admit of such Truths near our decoying hearts, which may affect us with fear or grief: But 'tis far from the nature of wisdom to flatter ourselves into ruin; or to fancy ourselves secure in a glorious Paradise, till we be miserable in a desolate wilderness. Three things, says Luther, will undo a Nation; Oblivion of Mercies, Politic contrivances, and Carnal Security. Well will it be, if these prove not our ruin at last.  
Oh what a fearless Age do we live in? we sleep on pillows stuffed with the fire of divine vengeance: We cry, Peace, Peace, and destruction is coming. How do we stupefy our Senses, fear our Consciences, lock up our Understandings, to keep out all fears in the midst of most dreadful dangers? What stupifying Opiums hath the Devil persuaded us to swallow, that makes us so mindless of approaching miseries? How do we fortify ourselves with most fond presumptions against the threats of vengeance denounced from Heaven? Can fancied safety deliver our Nation from Enemies, when we have nothing else to secure us? Can empty boastings of conceited ability to defend ourselves, prevent the assaults of Enemies, or deliver our Land from the ruin designed? Will security in sin be sufficient guard to preserve us from all Conspiracies? can neither God nor man do us any harm, whilst we imagine ourselves out of danger? Oh nos miserrimos! Oh miserable England! how do we surfeit with mercies, and wax sick with the kindness of Heaven, and yet say, It shall be well with us? How do we wound ourselves, when the Lord is healing; and destroy ourselves, when the Lord is delivering, and yet say. The Lord will go on to deliver? What Prosperity do we promise ourselves, whilst God is threatening our ruin? What Halcyon-days do we vainly expect, though Miseries are ready to seize us? Oh the dreadful Dooms that are threatened to so stupid a people in the Word of the Lord! Oh the sad Calamities have come upon a people in this condition!  
Is not this the posture our Enemies so greatly desire to find us in? What is their work, but to lull us asleep, and then to be butchering of us? What is the great contrivance at this day of the Papists, and such as affect them, but to suppress our fears by cheating devices? knowing our deepest security will be their greatest advantage. They know, our Throats will lie open to be cut by their cruel hands, when once we have emptied our hearts of solicitous thoughts of destruction. Hence, hence it is, instruments are active to inform us deceitfully, that we are sufficiently provided against them: for this they instruct theirs and the Devils Martyrs to obtrude on the world the highest Protestations of Innocency: For this they strain their throats to swallow renouncing Oaths, which they will as certainly keep as ever they intended, which I fear was not at all. Hence they force themselves to a Parish-Church, that we may certainly think they cannot belong to the Romish Mother; and that we may fancy, they cannot go thence to contrive our miserable ruin. Oh than if this be their plot, how have they got us by it? How do we please our enemies, and promote their designs, by our sinful Security? But shall we not fear the Hammer and Nail will cleave our Pates, when Sisera-like we are drolled into sleep with a Lordly Dish of Butter and Honey? You may certainly believe this stupifying Opium will be like the poison of Asps at last.  
Is not this the Posture most have been in, when Judgements came upon them? What was there but careless and senseless doings, when that dreadful Deluge surprised the world of old? Mat. 24.37, 38. How unexpected was the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrha? How incredulous were the Jews of their sad Captivities, and of their utter Desolation at last? Observe we but the frame of persons when Judgements have been reigned from Heaven upon them, and we shall find they were fearless of any storms, and conceitedly secure from any miseries. When the Massacre broke forth in Paris, the cruel butchering was acted in Ireland, the ruining Persecutions and Distresses fell upon Germany, they were all involved in Lethargical Distempers, besotted with fatal Security. This is the time the beasts of prey have ever gone out to glut themselves with fattening blood. This hath been the season ever selected to manage the overthrow of Kingdoms. Yet examples do not warn us, but we foolishly seem resolved to gratify our enemies with a suitable season to ruin us. Is not this the posture that God hath severely threatened in his Word, to which he will ever be faithful? Isai. 22.13, 14. In that day the Lord of Hosts called to mourning and weeping, and behold joy and gladness: and it was revealed in my ears— Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die. Nothing urges Justice more to confound a people with floods of Vengeance, than Epicurean stupidity under awakening Alarms. Hath not the Lord threatened, Prov. 29.1. He that being often reproved, and still hardens his neck, shall be destroyed suddenly, and that without remedy? Why then do we flatter ourselves, and cry Peace, peace? Shall we say as those? Zeph. 1.12. The Lord will do neither good nor evil. Will not God then say, as v. 13. Therefore your goods shall become a booty, and your houses a desolation? Whatever may be the foundation our Security is builded upon, so long as provoking Sins are heaping up Wrath, Security doth but hasten our Misery. 'Tis possible we are incredulous that Judgements can ever destroy a People renowned in Profession as we; but since our Profession is but as Samuel's mantle, under which are shrouded most devilish sins, or as a carpet cast over the mouth of Hell, it can never be a shelter for us, but stirs up the Lord to vengeance. Outside-Holiness and mocking Formality renders our condition the worse. Micah 3.11, 12. They leaned upon God in ways of sin, and said, Is not the Lord among us? do we not profess him, and worship him? Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountains of the House of the Lord, as the high places of the forest. The Ark of the Lord could not save the Israelites sinning; Zion will be no shelter for Hypocrites. 'Tis in vain to flatter ourselves with conceits of safety in an outward show of Godliness; that hay and straw can be no fence from the ruining flames of Divine Vengeance.  
Awake then from brutish security, and fall to work to prevent the threatened ruin, by repentance and amendment. Fancy not yourselves beyond the reach of judgements, but tremble in yourselves, that you may have rest in the day of trouble. Make the Almighty your friend, that he may not be a terror in the day of Evil. Be afraid of all his judgements, For if you will not learn to fear that great and dreadful Name, the Lord thy God, then will he make thy plagues wonderful, Deut. 28.38. Is not destruction coming after deliverance? Are not dreadful days approaching to us? Consider these few particulars following, and you will see what cause we have to shake off security, and prepare ourselves to meet the Lord in ways of judgements, who have so long enjoyed the shines of mercy.  
1. May we not justly fear our ungrateful carriage towards God, will hasten his formidable departure from us? Unkindness shown to friends coming to us, will certainly discourage them from abiding with us. The happiness of a Nation consists above all, in the fruition of the favourable presence of God; and if by a regardless carriage, or displeasing behaviour, we provoke him to depart, our sudden ruin will be the consequence of his deserting of us. Host 9.12. woe also to them when I depart from them. There is that absolute necessity of the presence of the Lord with a people, to conduct them by his Counsel, to protect them by his Power, to succeed them by his blessing in use of saving means, to deliver them in unconquerable dangers, that if he withdraws it from them, none of these things can be done by another hand. Hence the Lord, unwilling to ruin jerusalem, with bowels of compassion cries out, jer. 6.8. Be instructed, O jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, and thy land becomes desolate and not inhabited. The soul of a man is the vivisick principle, on the separation of which from the body, there ensues a death; all strength, counsel, beauty, leaves the body. Thus when the Lord departs, the soul of a Nation is gone, and then the Nation is only a mouldering heap, and as a liveless carcase. We certainly lose all good, when the presence of God is withdrawn from us. If we by our sins make the Almighty go away, he for our sins will take away all kind of Mercies from us. Deut. 3.1.17. I will forsake them. The regardless Atheists of our age will say, Let him go, and what then? Oh, says the lord Then shall ye be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon you; so that they shall say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because the Lord is not amongst us?  
Now may we not fear God will depart from a people that behave themselves so unkindly as we at this day? We slight his presence, abuse his kindness; can we think to be blest with his presence long? We read, Host 8.3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good. The Hebr. is only, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repulit à se bonum, i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, beneficium, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Praeter quem non est bonum. So Rivet, Grotius, and others: that is, Israel hath driven from it God the only good, hath made its kind Benefactor go away. Oh have we not done thus? have we not been driving God away from us; as weary of his Ordinances, tired with Gospel-proffers, nauseating Mercies, and despising Deliverances? How can we think God, can walk with us any longer, when we walk so frowardly and contrary to him? Amos 3.3. How can two walk together, unless they be agreed? thereby God shows them how impossible it was for him to continue in ways of mercy to them, since they refused to walk with him in ways of duty; which is the sweet harmony God expected from them: says the Lord, You would have me to walk with you, and bless you, yet ye depart from me, and blaspheme my Name. How can I longer walk with you? Thus the Lord threatens a people, Leu. 26.21. If ye walk contrary to me, I will walk contrary to you. v. 24. I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you, according to your sins. Oh how perversely have we walked! How contrary is Disobedience to Deliverance, Sinning to Salvation, Cursing to Blessing! and may not God justly leave us to ruin, and suffer our destruction who deal thus unanswerably with him?  
2. May we not justly fear that our provoked God in justice will set the wicked over us, who have despised his righteous and blessed Government? August. says, God sets up wicked oppressors, cum judicat res humanas talibus dignas dominis; when he judges a people meriting such masters. When Religion is counted an intolerable yoke, under a Government that decrees the observance of it, we may with terror expect a yoke to be laid upon our necks that shall be so heavy, that we shall see our unspeakable folly in accounting the service of God a slavery to him. Have we not cause to fear that dreadful word? Deut. 28.47, 48. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart in the abundance of all things: Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and in want of al● things; and they shall put a yoke upon thy neck, until they have destroyed thee. Our wanton spirits under sometimes-a-prosperous Rule, may be humbled by the severities of either foreign Princes prevailing or home-enemies reigning. God punishing the iniquity of a people, is said, Host 13.11. To give them a king in his wrath. When God sets the wicked over a people, 'tis a manifest indication of his anger. God often sets the worst of Governors over the worst of people. As a holy man pleading with God about one Phocas made an Emperor, Cur Domine Phocam Imperatorem constituisti? responsum datum accepit, Quia non inveni pejorem. Why Lord hast thou made Phocas an Emperor? he was answered, Because I could not find a worse.  
May not our hearts then dread the fatal effects of removing our present King? (whom God preserve.) Should God in anger do it, what bloody confusion may follow in this nation? and will not our sins in the abundance of mercies, make him destroy both us and our King? Prov. 28.2. For the transgression of a Land, many are the Princes thereof: that is, the continuance of Kings on this account is stortned, and for the punishment of their villainies the lives of their Kings are abbreviated, and one is set up after another; which great mutations are often attended with great confusions, and innumerable calamities.  
3. May we not justly fear, the Lord may suspend his divine influence from the Counsels of this Nation, that since we have little regarded what he hath done for us, the ablest Advisers, the most politic Counselors, may be disabled from doing those things which may be profitable for us? How often have the Counsellors of a Nation deserted by God, been unprosperous in their enterprises and undertake for a people? Notwithstanding the care our vigilant Sovereign hath taken or may take to suppress the growing power of Popery by his Royal Proclamations; and although the hearts of our Parliament may be filled with sincerest intentions, to act for the advantage of the Nation, yet they may fail in the means, and be disappointed of the end, if God should desist from concurring with them.  
What if their Counsels shall not have acceptance? What if their advice may seem unsafe, and others must needs be chosen? Will not the Enemies of our Nation be working all this while? Will not our Foes be contriving and hastening our ruin, ere we have counsel to prevent it? Would not this be a heavy Judgement? And may not this be feared by us, who have seen how hard it is to give acceptable counsel in these difficult and dangerous times?  
What if the Lord should do to us, as to the Counsellors of a people of old, Isai. 19.14. He mingled a spirit of perverseness in the midst of them: Hence they became as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit. They staggered about, were always unfixed, ever unstable, but reeled this way and that way, not knowing what to do, or where to go. Should this Spirit of division be mingled with ours, what shall we find but the breach made wider, the distress made greater? Private animosities would be the destruction of public advantages: The Blessing that hath been promised to the godly, hath been wanting to Councillors in our age, Psal. 1.3. Whatsoever he doth shall prosper. But hath not a miscarrying Womb, and dry Breasts, been the Curse of the Lord upon us?  
What if the Lord should suffer them to mistake the means of our recovery, or fall short in what they do? Sometimes it hath been known that Governors have been too sparing to the wicked, to their own ruin. The King of Israel lost his life, for sparing Benhadad that should have died, 1 Kings 20.41. Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. It seems Ahab had too great a kindness for Benhadad, who deserved to die, being an implacable enemy to them: And are there not such enemies to be destroyed at this day? He also held by Tyranny places belonging to the Israelites, and therefore deserved death: And are there not those who are seeking to possess what belongs unto us, that aught to be cut off for their malicious erterprises? He was also one that God did manifest his displeasure against, by destroying 100000 Footmen of them, whereby he might understand God's displeasure against him. Now for him to spare this enemy, to entreat so honourably this public Adversary, when given into his hands, brought him under this threatening. Should our enemies be even spared like him, should we not suffer after this manner? And will not this be a bad exchange, to give our lives for theirs? Will this be a worthy deed, to spare a thief from the gallows to cut our throats? See 1 Sam. 14.21, 23. There is little trusting such enemies, whatever pretences they make. judaeo baptizato, & lupo domestico, non est credendum. We must not trust a baptised jew, being an inward enemy to a Christian; nor a house-wolf, that will still make murder among the sheep.  
Sometimes in the world it hath been known, that as men have been too sparing to the wicked, so too cruel to the godly. The rod hath been laid on the wrong back, as the Poet said,  
Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. The innocent Doves are censured, whilst the ravenous Crows are pardoned. The Christians in former days have been clothed with Bears-skins, and then baited. Some persons are misrepresented, and then more severely reprehended than those a thousand times more guilty. We read in Scripture how Ahasuerus, that mighty Prince, was brought to decree the ruin of the jews, by the aspersions Haman cast upon them, as if they were a people not fit to live, and that it was not for the King's profit to suffer them; and by this means this innocent people had utterly been destroyed, had not a wonderful Providence prevented. Hence sometimes it hath been experienced, that a poor afflicted people have born the punishments designed for and deserved by others, only from the misprisions of prejudiced persons. Should it then be ever thus with us, how soon would our ruin come upon us? How would the hands of enemies be strengthened, and the Nation disabled from helping itself?  
4. May we not justly fear our enemies have now set forward, by their doubled diligence, that design which was set back by the discovery of their accursed Plot? Our enemies may be like the Devil, qui surgit armis quibus dejicitur, rises by the weapons by which he is cast down: So these politic Wretches may improve the discovery of their designs, to make for the advancing of them, by laying their Plots more cunningly. We have often heard of repulsed Armies gaining force, and at last become triumphing Conquerors. Our enemies may yet be rallying upon us, and that with a more invincible fury. The Fowler often removes his snares, understanding the birds perception of it; our enemies may change or remove their snares, and yet be as nea to slay and undo us as before. And when we are most secure from it, we are nearest to it. The dreadful battle was against Gibeah, when he knew not such an evil was near him, Judg. 20.34. Those Serpents will not die because their tails are cut off. Those grand Politicians can contrive more ways than one. 'Tis possible their fainting hearts have had some Cordials from Rome to revive them. France can help them at a dead lift: and their Ghostly Father will prevent the ruin of his cursed brats, if all he can do can ruin us. May we not fear things are brought to be statu quo, as they were before, or rather worse, if that be possible? I fear every gap is not yet stopped, whereby our enemies may possibly invade us. I think it may be feared our enemies are not yet so much impaired, but that they are able to recover their loss of some Arms they had to spare, and some men they will not miss amongst their thousands. Do they not cry in the stoutness of their hearts and pride of spirit, as Isa. 9.10. The bricks are fallen down, we will build with stones; the sycomores are cut down, we will build with cedars? We have been too remiss this once, but now we will be more invincible. The water cast upon their fire, may make it burn the more fiercely, and vexatious disappointments will make them more diligent.  
5. May we not justly fear the relief that we have, may be no other than a faint cheering before a miserable death? How often do we see men labouring under deadly diseases, revive a little, and give up the Ghost? How often do we know a whist calm, before a raging storm? A people may get a little heart immediately before their ruin. 2 Kings 17.4. compared with Host 1.8. When Lo-ammi was born, the ten tribes that before were dispirited, and by presents did homage to the King of Assyria year by year, begin to be jolly, and hope to cast off the yoke of bondage, and bring presents no longer; but joined in confederacy with Egypt, which was immediately before their rejection. God begins to save with a little escape, but it may be but a little lightning before death. The Dolphin sports much before a storm. Men in jolly and fearless condition, is a dreadful presage of a ruining storm. So true it is in maximâ fortunâ minima licentia. In the greatest prosperity, we are not allowed the least sinful liberty. God threatening to bring down judgements upon Israel, says, he will feed him as a lamb in a large place, Host 4.16. To enlarge a people's bounds, is in Scripture taken to free them from troubles; so God designing great distress, would a while free them from troubles. 'Tis a metaphor taken from Butchers, who about to slay their Cattle, first put them into large pastures to fatten them; so God about to destroy a people, often gives them a freedom from distress, and leaves them to fill up apace the measures of their sins, and then brings them out to slaughter: Hence Merc. on the place; Nunc Israelitas copiosè pascet, ut mox saginati hostibus dedantur trucidandi. He feeds the Isralites most plentifully with mercies, that being fatted up, they may become a prey to their butchering enemies. Oh how fast do we fatten! How soon shall we be ready to be sacrifices to our enemies?  
6. May we not justly fear, that as God in his wrath hath dealt with others, he may deal with us? When Judgements on others are not made use of as warn, they become but examples and patterns of our own destruction. Luke 13.3. Except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. The Sword of Justice is not so blunted by wounding others, but it can wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin. The Arrows of Divine Vengeance are not yet spent, there may be many in reserve to pierce our obstinate, hardened hearts. God is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; the same to love, protect and secure his obsequious people; the same to ruin and destroy rebellious sinners. Ezek. 20.36. Like as I have pleaded with your Fathers, so will I plead with you. The punishments of sin other Nations have experienced, may at last be inflicted on us. The Vengeance of God on others, is a sign to us, Jer. 7. 12-14. Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel; and now because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, therefore will I do so to this house, etc. May not the dealings of God with others, prognosticate his dealings with us? May not the sore Desolations in Germany, the distresses of Protestants in France, the ruins of the Churches we read of in John's Revelations, cause us to fear we at last shall experience the same Miseries, and drink of the same cup of Astonishment that hath been given to them? 2 Pet. 2.5, 6. If God spared not the old world, shalt thou escape his judgement? What have we more to secure us? Why should we not be made as Sodom by judgements, that parallel it in sins? Let us take the caution God gave to Israel, Deut. 24.9. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, when he brought thee from Egypt. Mind what God hath been doing to other Nations. The Inscription on Senacherib's Statue may be written on all ruined Nations, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Beholding me, learn to be godly. But especially when distresses fall on a people near us, we are greatly to regard them. The Protestants in France are already involved in unspeakable trouble, and as the Poet said,  
— Tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet. Thou art greatly concerned when thy Neighbour's house is in flames. The Cup passes from one to another.  
7. To conclude, Although we may have an escape from final Ruin, and glorious Times may succeed our unhappy days, may we not justly fear, that our Mercies may be ushered in with a great deal of Misery, and that a black Storm will precede our glorious Sunshine? The approaches of Mercies may be attended with amazing Terror. Great distresses may justly be expected, before our great Deliverance.  
The shorter the time of enemies reigning is, the greater will be their rage. A Cloud ushered in the presence of God to the Tabernacle; Christ's coming to redeem his people, appears in a cloud. The darkest hour is a little before the dawning of the glorious day. The sorest conflicts Israel had, was on their entrance into their blessed and promised Canaan. Mercies of greatest excellencies, have proportioned difficulties. Joseph's pearled Crown, & Chains of honour, had answerable links of trouble. We have just cause from God's promises to expect some glorious days, but certainly a gloomy day will be first. The earth will be shaken when Babylon shall fall. Before we can be happy, the filth of England must be washed away with the spirit of judgement and burning. We may be dealt with as is spoken of the jews, Zech. 13.8, 9 Two parts may be cut off, and the third refined. I may confidently assert, God will bring more glorious days than yet the world enjoyed; but as Balaam said, Alas, who shall live when the Lord does this? Numb. 24.24. Thou or I may be cut off, with millions more; and seeing this time is at hand, be not secure. The only way to secure any future deliverance, is by improving this. The way to have future salvation, is to make use of this you enjoy, to mortify sins. For the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those that turn from iniquity in Jacob, Isa. 59.20. So then let us no longer abuse the patience of God; but since he is an indulgent Father, let us become obedient Children; that so we may hope, that he that hath delivered, and can deliver, will still be continuing deliverances to us.  
SOLI DEO GLORIA.    
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
PREFACE. Page 6. line 14. for health read hearts.  
BOOK. Page 21. line ult. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 22 l. 10. r. multiplicavi. p. 47. l. 24. for willing, r. unwilling. p. 59 note, that at the twelfth line begins a fourth head. p. 73. note, l. 5. begins a second head. p. 90. note, l. 13. begins a fourth head. p. 100 l. 26. for also, r. able. p. 103. l. 3. for usurped, r. envied.   

Books Printed, and are to be sold by John Hancock, at the Sign of the Three Bibles in Popes-Head Alley in Cornhill.  
TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Tho. Brooks, late Preacher of the Gospel at Margaret's New-Fish-street.  
1. Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers Sores: being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ.  
2. Heaven on Earth: Or a serious Discourse touching a Well grounded Assurance of Man's Everlasting Happiness.  
3. The unsearchable Riches of Christ held forth in 22 Sermons.  
4. Apples of Gold for young Men and Women, or the happiness of being good betimes.  
5. A String of Pearls: or the best things reserved till last.  
6. The Mute Christian under the smarting Rod, with Sovereign Antidotes against the most miserable Engines.  
7. An Ark for all Gods Noah's in a stormy Day.  
8. The Crown and Glory of Christianity, in 48 Sermons on Heb. 12.14.  
9 The Privy Key of Heaven: or a Discourse of Closet-Prayer.  
10. An heavenly Cordial for such as have had or escaped the Plague.  
11. A Cabinet of choice Jewels, or a Box of percious Ointment: containing special Maxims, Rules and Directions, in order to the clearing up of a man's Interest in Christ, and his Title to all the glory of another World.  
12. London's Lamentations.  
The Godly Man's Ark, in several Sermons. To which is added Mrs. Moor's Evidences for Heaven: By Edmund Calamy, B.D. at Aldermanburic.  
Christ's Communion with his Church Militant: by Nicolas Lockyer.  
Sin the Plague of Plagues: by Ralph Venning.  
A true Narrative of those two never to be forgotten Deliverances. One from the▪ Spanish Invasion in 88, the other from the Hellish Powder Plot, Nou. 5, 1605: by Mr. Sam. Clark. To which is newly added a brief account of the late Horrid Plot, discovered 1678, with a Relation of other Popish Cruelties, hear and beyond seas.  
The Accurate Accountant, or London Merchant: being Instructions for keeping Merchants Accounts: by Thomas Brown Accountant.  
Short Writing, the most Easy, Exact, Lineal and Speedy Method that hath ever yet been obtained, as thousands in the City and elsewhere, can from their own Experience testify: by Theophilus Metcalf.  
Also a Book called a Schoolmaster to it, explaining all the Rules thereof.  
A Word of Advice to Saints; or a choice Drop of Honey from the Rock Christ.  
A Coppy-book of the Newest and most useful Hands, with Directions for Spelling and Cyphering.  
Bridges Remains, being Eight choice Sermons: by the late Reverend Mr. William Bridge of Yarmouth.  
A Dissuasive from Conformity to the World: also God's severity against Impenitent Sinners: by Henry Stubbes Minlster of the Gospel.  
venning's Remains, belng the substance of many Sermons: by Mr. Ralph Venning, prepared by himself for the Press a little before his death.  
The Poor man's Family-book: by Richard Baxter.  
Luther's 34 special and choice Sermons.  
Comae Berenicis, or the hairy Comet: being a Prognostic of malignant Influences from the many blazing Stars wand'ring in our Horizon.  
Gospel love, Heart purity, and the flourishing of the Righteous; being the last Sermons of that late Eminent Divine Mr. josept Caryl.  
The Young man's Guide to Blessedness, or seasonable Directions for Youth in their unconverted estate: by R. Mayhew, Minister of the Gospel.  
Causa Dei, or an Apology for God: wherein the perpetuity of Infernal Torments is evidenced, and both his Goodness and Justice defended: Also the Nature of Punishments in general, and of Infernal ones in particular displayed: by R. Burthogge.  
The Legacy of a dying Mother to her mourning Children, being the Experiences of Mrs. Susanna Bell: published by Thomas Brooks.  
King james his Counterblast to Tobacco: To which is added a learned Discourse touching Tobacco, by Dr. Maynwaring: wherein men may see whether Tobacco be good for them or no.  
Strength in Weakness: being a Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mrs. Martha Brooks, late Wife to Mr. Thomas Brooks, Minister of the Gospel: to which is added some Experiences of the Grace and dealing of God, observed and gathered by a near relation of the said Mrs. Brooks.  
An Excellent Catechism by the late Reverend Mr. jeremiah Burroughs.  
A Discourse of Christ's coming, and the Influence which the expectation thereof hath on all manner of Holy Conversation and Godliness, By Theophilus Gale.  
The Shepherd's Legacy, or forty years' experience of the Wether.  
The Young Man's conflict with and Victory ovea the Devil by Faith; Or a true and perfect Relation of the Experiences of Thomas Powel, begun in the fifteenth, and continued till the seventeenth year of his Age.  
Christ's certain and sudden appearance to Judgement, By Sam. Malbon.  
A brief Dlscription of New York, and the places thereto adjoining; with Directions and Advice to such as shall go thither, By Dan. Denton.  
A Cry for Lahourers in God's Harvest, being a Sermon preaceed at the Funeral of Mr. Ralph Venning, By R. Bragge, Minister of the Gospel.  
Christian Directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long, By Tho. Gouge.  
Conscience the best Friend upon Earth, or the happy effects of keeping a good Conscience, By Henry Stubbes.  
Mr. Stubb's Directions for making peace with God, and his true last Speeches.  
Patience and its perfect work under sudden and fore Trials, by Tho. Goodwin, D.D.  
Orthodox Paradoxes Theoretical and Experimental, or a Believer clearing Truth by seeming Contradictions. With an Appendix of the Triumph of Assurance over the Law, Sin, World, Wants, etc. To which is added, The New Command Renewed, or Love one another. With 10 Rules for the Right understanding of Scripture, by R. Venning, A.M.  
An Awakening Call from the Eternal God to the Unconverted, with seasonable Advice to them that are under Convictions, to prevent their miscarrying in Conversion, by Samuel Corbin, A.M.  
The Triumgh of Mercy in the Chariot of Praise: a Treatise of preventing secret and unexpected Mercies, with some mixed Reflections, by S. Lee.  
The best Friend standing at the Door, or Christ's awakening and affectionate Call, both to Professors and secure Sinners, for Entrance into the House, in several Sermons, by john Ryther.  
Israel Redux: Or, the Restauration of Israel; An Essay upon probable Grounds that the Tartars are the Ten Tribes of Israel, by G.F. With some Scriptue Evidences of their future Corversion and Establishment in their own Land; together with two Discourses on the mournful state of the Church, with a Prospect of her Dawning Glory, by Samuel Lee.  
Beams of the Spirit Enlivening, Enlightening, and Gladding the Soul, Imp. jos. Caryl.  
The absolute Accountant, or London-Merchant, containing Instructions and Directions for a methodical keeping of Merchant's Accounts, after the most exact and concise way of Debtor and Creditor. Also the Memorial, vulgarly called a Wast-book, and a Cash-book, with a Journal and a Leaguer; and at the end of the Leaguer a Balance. Likewise Accounts of the Rents and Profits of several Estates mentioned to be mortgaged, with the Deductions for Taxes respectively. As also a transaction and carrying on of a Trade Foreign and Domestic, for above one whole Year; with many Varieties of Demonstrations, to please, profit, and delight those that desire to learn, and will take the pains to examine the said Account; very plain and easy to be nnderstood by any of an indifferent capacity; and expedient for all Schoolmasters that teach, and all thaes desire to learn to keep Merchants Accounts, by Thomas Brown Accountant.  
An English and Nether Dutch Dictionary, composed out of the best Authors.  
An English and Nether-Dutch Grammar, easy to be understood.  
The Sole and Sovereign way of England's being saved, humbly proposed by Robert Perrot, Minister of the Gospel, in London, from Psalm. 80.19. With an Epistle to the Reader, by Mr. joseph Caryl and Dr. Manton.  
Theological Treatises; being Eight Theses of Divinity; viz. 1. Production of Man's Soul. 2. Divine Predestination. 3. The true Church-Regiment. 4. Predictions of Messias. 5. Christ's two Geneologies. 6. The Revelation Revealed. 7. Christ's Millenar Reign. 8. The World's Dissolution, by Rob. Vilvain.  
The Poetical History, being a complete Collection of all the Stories necessary for a perfect understanding of the Greek and Latin Poets, and other ancient Authors, by Mareus d' Assigny, B.D.  
Memoires of Mr. Des Ecotais, formerly styled in the Church of Rome, The most Venerable Father Cassianus of Paris, Priest and Preacher, of the Order of the Capucines, or the Motives of his Conversion; in two Parts. I. That the Doctrine of the now Roman-Church is not grounded upon the Scripture. 2. That the Church of Rome is not the true Church. In French and Euglish. In Octavo.  
A Description of the Nature of fourfooted Beasts, with fourscore large Figures engraven in Copper. Written in Latin by Dr. john johnston; translated into English by I. P.  
The Complete Clerk; containing the best Forms of all sorts of Precedents for Conveyances, and Assurances, and other Instruments now in Use and Practice; with the Forms of Bills, Plead, and Answers in Chancery, as they were penned and perfected by eminent Lawyers and great Conveyances, both Ancient and Modern.  
The true Intellectual Systeme of the Universe; wherein all the Reason and Philosophy of Atheism is Confuted, and its Impossibility Demonstrated, by R. Cudworth, D. D.  
The History of the Church and State of Scotland, beginning the year of our Lord 203, and continued to the end of King james the Sixth of blessed Memory, in seven Books, by I. Spotswood.  
The Memoires of the Lives and Actions of james and William Dukes of Hamilton and Castleheruld, etc. in which an account is given of the Rise and Progress of the Civil Wars of Scotland; with many Letters, Injunctions, and other Papers written by King Charles the First, never before published, by Gilber Burnet.  
An Epitome of Essays, containing Six Classes of 1. Theologicals, 2. Historicals. 3. Heterogeneals. 4. Bruto-Anglicals. 5. Miscellaneals. 6. Mutuatitials; besides a fardel of seventy six Fragments, by Robert Volvain.  
The true and only way of Concord of all the Christian Churches, the Desirableness of it, and the Detection of false dividing terms opened, by Richard Baxter.  
A true Believers Choice and Pleasure, instanced in the Exemplary Life of Mrs. Mary Cox, the late Wife of Dr. Thomas Cox: Preached for her Funeral, by Richard Baxter.  
A Narrative, and Impartial Discovery of the Horrid Popish Plot; carried on for the burning and destroying the Cities of London and Westminster, with their Suburbs, etc. Setting forth the several Consults, Orders, and Resolutions of the Jesuits concerning the same. And divers Depositions and Informations relating thereunto, never before printed. By Capt. William Bedloe, lately engaged in that horrid Design, and one of the Popish Committee for carrying on such Fires.  
A Narrative of unheard-of Popish Cruelties towards Protestants beyond Seas: or, a new Account of the Bloody Spanish Inquisition. Published as a Caveat to Protestants. By Mr. Dugdale.  
FINIS.