A SERMON Preached in the Parish-Church OF St. PHILIP and JACOB, IN THE City of Bristol, ON Wednesday the 15th of July, 1691. BEING THE MONTHLY-FAST. By THOMAS CARY, M. A. Vicar of the Parish of St. Philip and Jacob, in the City of Bristol. London: Printed by F. C. for Thomas Guy, at the Oxford Arms in . 1691. To the Right Honourable, Charles Earl of Maclesfield, Viscount and Baron of Brandon, Lord Precedent, and Lord Lieutenant of the Principality of Wales, and Lord Lieutenant of the Counties of Gloucester, Hereford, and Monmouth, and of the City and County of Bristol; and one of the Lords, of Their Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council. My Lord, YOUR Approbation of this Sermon, when it came from the Pulpit, gives me Confidence to Present it to your Lordship, now it comes from the Press, what had the Honour of your Acceptation when it was Private, humbly claims your Patronage now it is Public; I should not however Presume to Prefix your Lordship's great Name to this mean Discourse, did not your Goodness dispose you to accept of a mean Offering, especially when it comes as the Expression of a grateful Heart; although I am sensible, your Lordship is so far from being taken with Flattery, that you cannot bear to hear your Due; yet I cannot but Congratulate your Lordship's hearty Zeal, and indefatigable Industry, in that high Orb, in which you Act, for the Support of that Government, which God by a Train of Remarkable Providences hath Established among us! May your Lordship Live, to see it fixed upon such solid Foundations, that it may never so much as shake, much less tumble down. My Lord, I have one Advantage by this Dedication, which I confess I am fond of; that is, an Opportunity to give your Lordship a public Acknowledgement, for the great Obligations you have laid on me, and to let the World know how much I value myself on the Character of My Lord, Your Lordship's Most humble Servant, and Chaplain, Thomas Cary. EZRA IX. 13, 14. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this. Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? THE words are a part of Ezra's Prayer, the time when he Prayed was after the return of the Jews from the Captivity in Babylon, and the free Exercise of their Religion, after the second Temple was finished; the deliverance here mentioned, is their liberty to return and to set up God's public Worship in Jerusalem; the Sins he here mourns for, and prayeth God to Pardon, are the Idolatry of the Jews, and their Intermarriages with the Heathens, after God had given them so great a deliverance. This good Man feared the Consequence of their great Ingratitude, he saw God's end frustrated, and therefore expected greater Judgements; he observed no Reformation after such a signal Providence, and therefore had just Reason to believe, that God would bring them back again into that Captivity, out of which they lately escaped. He acknowledgeth it is but fit, that God should inflict more severe Judgements, when his Mercies do not draw to obedience, the design of the whole, is to persuade the Jews to Repentance and Reformation, as a suitable return to a gracious God, for their late Deliverance. The words contain these five Propositions: 1. That Sin is the cause of all the Miseries that do befall the Church and People of God; And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass. 2. That God doth not punish his Church and People, according to the Merit of their Sins; Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. 3. That the Deliverances of the Church and People of God come from him; and hast given us such Deliverance as this. 4. That great Deliverances do call for great Reformation, by way of Thankfulness and Gratitude; This is employed throughout the whole: 5. That Disobedience after a great Deliverance, doth highly provoke God to inflict more terrible Judgements. Should we again break thy Commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? I shall all along apply these Heads, in order to persuade Men to Repentance and Reformation, for the great Deliverance, we of this Nation have lately received. 1. That Sin is the cause of all the Miseries that do befall the Church and People of God; And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass. It was Sin, that carried the two Tribes Captive into Babylon for seventy Years, destroyed their City and Temple, slew their Princes and Nobles, and laid their Country desolate. Zedekiah did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled 2 Chron. 36. 12, 13. not himself before Jeremiah the prophet, speaking from the mouth of the Lord; he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel: Moreover, all the chief of the priests, and the people transgressed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord which he had allowed in Jerusalem: Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword, in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. All these evils came upon the Church of the two Tribes, for their evil deeds and for their great trespass, for their Idolatry in Worshipping strange Gods, for their immoral Practices, in living worse than the Heathen, for the corruption of their Hearts, and profaneness of their Lives. And now to apply this home to ourselves; It was for the Sins of this Nation, that we were brought so near unto Destruction, God shook his Rod over us, to show us what Punishment our Sins deserved, although in Mercy he did not lay the Axe to the Root of the Tree; it was for contempt of God's Word and Worship, for profaning his Holy Day, dishonouring his sacred Name, by Customary Swearing and Cursing, for Drunkenness, Adultery, Pride, and Dissolute living, that we were likely to lose our Religion, our Liberties, and our Properties; we deserved these Judgements as much as ever the Jews did their seventy Years Captivity in Babylon; the more reason than have we to praise God for our late Deliverance: This brings me to the second Particular. 2. That God doth not punish his Church and People according to the Merit of their Sins; Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. God temper Mercy and Judgement together, he doth not proportion the Stripes to the Offence, he Corrects in Love, when he might justly Destroy in Wrath: the obstinate Jews deserved, that God should utterly forsake them, their Sins cried for a longer Captivity then of seventy Years; but it pleased God to restore them again to their Native Country, and to erect a second Temple for his public Worship: Yet many Neh. 9 30, 31. years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless, for thy great mercy's sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a Gracious and a Merciful God. And now to apply this to ourselves; God hath certainly punished us less than our Sins deserve; it was not for any Righteousness in us, that God hath so Graciously delivered us, for we are a Rebellious and an Unthankful People, our Sins were clamorous for greater Judgements than those, from which God hath in Mercy rescued us, God may justly say to us, as heretofore to the Jews: Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed Ezek. 36. 32. and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. God hath spared us to magnify his Grace in our Deliverance, he hath miraculously preserved us, to Demonstrate to the Antichristian World, that we profess his true Religion, although we do not live up to it; it was more for the Sins of the Papists, then for the Righteousness of the Protestants, that God so providentially Appeared for us. O what great Reason have we then to celebrate God with Praises! O how thankful should we be for this unexpected Deliverance! God hath done great Things for us, and shall not we rejoice in God? He hath Magnified his Mercy, and shall not we Admire his Love? O give Thanks unto the Psal. 118. 1, 2, 3. Lord, for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever. That the Deliverances of the Church and People of God come from Him; and hast given us such deliverance as this. The return of the Jews from their Captivity in Babylon, was God's Act; he put it into the Heart of Cyrus, to issue out his Proclamation to rebuild Jerusalem, and to Erect there a Temple to the Lord; God brought them down to Babylon, and brought them up again. And thus our Deliverance from two intolerable Evils, Popery in the Church, and Slavery in the State, is God's Work; we may truly say of it, what the Magicians of Egypt did of the unimitable Miracle, this is the Finger of God; we have great reason to apply the Words of the Psalmist, this is Psal. 118. 23. the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes. If ever any Deliverance had plain Characters, of a remarkable Providence stamped upon it, this hath; God so managed the whole, that every one may discern his Hand in it, that doth not affect wilful Blindness, it was so contrived in every part of it, it came in such a time of Extremity, and was brought about by such Unlikely and Improbable means, all things did so Conspire together for the good of this Church and State, that if ever God hath wrought Miracles in any Age, since that of the Apostles, than was the time. Let us not then impute our Deliverance to Chance and Fortune, or to our own Wisdom and Endeavours, or to the Policy and Craft of Statesmen, or to the renowned Instrument of it, that Illustrious Prince (whom God hath in Mercy to us, Exalted to the Throne) but wholly to the Providence of the Almighty: Let us say with Daniel, Blessed be the Name of God for ever Dan. 2. 20, 21. and ever: for wisdom and might are his, and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. Here certainly we may apply the Words in the Song of Moses; How should one chase Deut. 32. 30, 31. a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their Rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. Let us then regard God, as the sole Author of our Preservation, let us not so much consider second Causes as the original Cause; let us conclude this Point, with the Words of the Psalmist: If it had not been the Psal. 124. 1, 2. Lord, who was on our side, may Israel now say: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men risen up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. That great Deliverances do call for great Reformation, by way of Thankfulness and Gratitude; This is implied throughout the whole. Beloved Brethren, the late Deliverance of this Nation, is Great and Remarkable, it should not only be Recorded in our Chronicles, but Written on our Hearts; he that hath no sense of it, hath no regard for God or Religion; it deserves to be Proclaimed with the loudest Praises, our Hearts and Lives should concur together, to demonstrate our Gratitude for it. God intends his Mercies, as Obligations to Obedience, they are Arguments very proper, to work on all that have any Ingenuity. Let us then live up unto that holy Religion God hath preserved among us; now being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies, let us serve our God, with humble and obedient Hearts; now we are secured from the Fears of Popery, let us live as doth become the Protestant Profession. Let us not be more zealous for the Rites and Ceremonies of Religion, then for the Substantial and Indispensible Duties of it; let us not waste our Zeal upon Trifles that cannot profit or edify Souls, and in the mean time lose those essential Graces, without which we cannot be saved; let us not contend about the Shell and part with the Kernel, the Life and Spirit of Christianity, the Love of God and our Neighbour, let us all endeavour to exceed one another, in practising the substantial Duties of Piety, Justice, Sobriety, and Charity, and then we shall not differ much about indifferent Things. Peace and Unity, are the Glory of a Christian Church; this excellent Character is given of the Primitive and Purest: The multitude of them that believed, were Acts 4. 32. of one heart, and of one soul: Love is the inseparable Badge, of a true Disciple of Christ. By this shall all men know that ye John 13 35. are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Internal Holiness, is absolutely necessary to Salvation, because without it no man shall Heb. 12. 14. see the Lord; let us then live in Peace, love one another, and honour the Gospel with holy Lives, and then we shall answer God's end, in our great Deliverance: when God promiseth Blessings to his People, he foretells them what Returns he expects; then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and Ezek. 36. 31. your do that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Let us consider the greatness of our Deliverance, that we may understand what Obligations are laid upon us, to Repentance and Reformation. God hath preserved us from Captivity, under a mystical Babylon, from the Roman Yoke, a Burden so Intolerable, that neither we or our Fathers were able to bear it, we are secured from Egyptian darkness, and all those Oppressions the faithful People of God would meet with in that Land. We are Delivered from a Church, whose Doctrines contradict common Sense, the most evident Principles of Reason, the plain Rules of Morality, and the known Laws of Christ; a Church that Magisterially imposeth upon men's Consciences, makes as many new Articles of Faith as it pleaseth, and binds all under the Penalty of Damnation, to an implicit Faith and Obedience to all its Decrees and Rules. A Church that pretends to an Universal Monarchy, to have Power to dispose of all the Kingdoms of the World, to pardon Sins by Absolution, and to give leave to Sin, by Dispensations. A Church Idolatrous in the Worshipping of Images; the Adoration of a piece of Bread; the Invocation of Saints and Angels, and veneration of holy Relics and Crucifixes. A Church that would Rob you of one half of the Sacrament, take one of the Commandments out of the Moral Law, deprive you of the holy Scriptures, the Key of Knowledge, impose Prayers in an Unknown Tongue, and take much pains to increase Ignorance (as they call it) the Mother of Devotion. A Church that teacheth Doctrines not known in Scripture, that choke's Religion with numerous and insignificant Ceremonies, and encourageth Sin by Pardons, Indulgences, easy Penances, and Dispensations. A Church whose Principles are Inconsistent with Human Society, and whose Religion is as bad as none at all; because it indulgeth Sin, gratifies Carnality, and makes Internal Holiness unnecessary. A Church made up of Fraud and Cruelty; whose Arguments to propagate their Faith are Prisons, Faggots, and Missionary Dragoons, that keeps no Faith with such as they call Heretics, and think's it a meritorious Act to destroy them. A Church that allows the most wicked Methods, to carry on its own bad Cause, among whom Murderers, are reputed Saints; and Men of Blood have their Names in their Rubrics. A Church that would in time, have devoured your Estates, seized your Lands, corrupted your Blood, and enslaved you in Soul and Body. Blessed be God, that he hath preserved us from such a Church, he suffered Popery to come to the Doors of our Churches, but would not permit it to enter in; he suffered our Enemies to make a great Progress, and then blasted all in a Moment; he delivered us 2 Cor. 1. 10. from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust, that he will yet deliver us. That Disobedience after a great Deliverance, doth highly provoke God to inflict more terrible Judgements: Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping. God hath indeed been very Gracious unto us, he expects an impartial Reformation from all orders and degrees of Men among us, his Mercies should engage us to walk more Humbly and Religiously. But if God's end is frustrated, if his Mercies are abused, if we still dishonour our Holy Religion, by ungodly Practices, than the Mercy of God will be converted into fury, he will Deliver us no more, but cast us off for Ever. It was a lasting aggravation of the Sins of the Jews, that they rebelled against that God, who had brought them out of the Land of Egypt, and from the House of Bondage; it was a great aggravation of David's Sin, that God had done such and such things for him, and yet he offended in the matter of Vriah: it was an aggravation of King Solomon's Sins, that he forsook that God who had Appeared to him twice, and it will be a terrible Aggravation of our Sins, that such a great Mercy, such a wonderful Deliverance hath not reduced us to Obedience; God may justly say to us, as he did to the Incorrigible Jews; You only have I known of all the Families of Amos 3. 2. the Earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. Let us not think ourselves past all Danger, let us not put far from us an evil Day. Alas! they are never safe, who are secure in their Sins; he who hath Miraculously Delivered us at one time, can easily Destroy us at another, if we Repent not. O let every one take up the Resolution of Holy David, I have sworn, and I will Psal. 119. 106. perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgements: let us all answer as the Children of Israel did Joshua; The Lord our God Josh. 24. 24. will we serve, and his voice will we obey. God by his Providence speaks now to us, as once unto the Jews; O that there Deut. 5. 29. were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandments always that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! O that my people had hearkened Psal. 81. 13. 14. unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their Enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. I shall conclude all with the Profession and Exhortation of Samuel, Moreover, as 1 Sam. 12. 23, 24. for me, God forbidden that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth, with all your heart, for consider how great things he hath done for you, but if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed both ye and your king. To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be Honour, Praise, Love, and Adoration, henceforth, and for ever more. FINIS.