THE PRISONERS PRAISES FOR THEIR Deliverance from their long Imprisonment in Colchester. On a day of public thanksgiving set apart for that purpose by the Gentlemen of the Committee of Essex, who for their fidelity in serving their Country were surprised by the Enemy at Chelmesford. In a Sermon upon the sixth, seventh, & eighth, verses, of the CXLIX. PSALM. Preached at Rumford Septemb. 28. 1648. By SAMUEL FAIRCLOUGH, Pastor of the Congregation at Ketton in Suffolk. EZRA. 9.8, 9 We were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken us in our Bondage, but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of our enemies, and hath given us a reviving. PSALM. 102.19, 20. God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth: To hear the groaning of the Prisoners, and to lose them that were appointed to death: That they might declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his Praise in Jerusalem. LONDON Printed by John Macock, for Lodowick Lloyd, and Henry Cripps, and are to be sold at their shop in Pope's head Alley. 1650. To the Right Worshipful Sir William Massam, Baronet, Sir William Roe, Knight. Timothy Midleton, John Eden, Robert Smith, Col. Thomas Ayloffe, Arthur Barnardiston, Samson Sheffeild, Major Langley, and Robert Crane; Esquires. The Gentlemen of the Committee of Essex, that for their fidelity in the Service of their Country were surprised by the Enemy, at Chelmsford, and imprisoned in Colchester. GENTLEMEN, I Conceive it will not be accounted any presumption to present that unto you, which without injustice, and breach of promise, I cannot detain from you; for howsoever when I heard you had designed me to this solemn Service; of being God's mouth unto you, on the day of your public ; the consciousness of mine own weakness, caused me to entertain the message with fear: yet when you were pleased to give life and encouragement to this plain and unstudied Sermon: First, by your cheerful and affectionate attention in hearing, and then by your earnest importunity, That it might be made public, when you had heard it: I must confess I was overcome (contrary to mine own inclination) to promise, that if my reverend Brother, who joined with me in the work, did send his Sermon to the Press before, that mine in due time should follow after: in performance whereof, and in answer (if not satisfaction) to your desires therein, I have tendered it unto you without addition or alteration of one material passage, that was then delivered unto you. I was intended to have added a Doctrinal Explanation, of the remaining part of the Psalm; with Scripture Resolutions, to some Questions that may serve to be obvious therein, before this mangled and imperfect piece had come to your hand: but upon the advice of some godly judicious friends, I have suspended the same (conceiving it better to speak enough, then to speak all) accept it therefore as a testimony of my compliance, rather to your pleasures, than mine own will (who am not so great a stranger to mine own weakness, as to think any thing of mine worthy of public view) wherein if mine obedience shall appear better than my sacrifice, yet this is my comfort, That the same candour of Spirit, and ingenuity, that put me on the Service; and gave so undeserved approbation, unto the weak performance; Knows also, how to pardon my weakness, and imperfection, with acceptations: than which indulgence, as when I reflect upon myself, I dare desire no more; So when I look upon you I can hope no less: All that I would further say unto you, you shall receive at large expressed in the Book; which I will not anticipate by any earnest solicitation of your forward minds, to raise up themselves by the reading of it to wel-grounded determinations, and constant resolution, daily to act and practise accordingly; only this I must add, That the Subject is so excellent, that it is as worthy of your daily remembrance, and deepest consideration; as my Pen is unworthy of so excellent a subject: and withal, That as your desire of publishing of it, hath obliged me to present it to the world; so hath it engaged you also to walk more answerable to the Intents, and directions of the same, before the world. The Discourse is yours, the Duty therein is yours, and my uttermost Endeavours, Service, and Prayers, are yours; which shall speak that unto God for you, which (to avoid the appearance of flattery) I dare not speak unto you. The most high God, that hath highly honoured you, with his highest dispensations, enable you all jointly, and severally, with his grace and blessings, to honour him again, with your highest praises and thanksgivings; which shall be the constant Prayer Of the lowest and most unprofitable of all Christ's Servants, SAMUEL FAIRECLOUGM THE PRISONERS PRAISES FOR THEIR Deliverance from their long Imprisonment in COLCHESTER. PSALM 149.6, 7, 8. Let the high Praises of God be in their mouths, and a two edged sword in their hands; To execute vengeance upon the heathen; and punishements upon the people. To bind their Kings with Chains, and their Nobles with Fetters of Iron. SO great and thick is the cloud of Interpreters commenting upon this Psalm, that instead of enlightening, Introdu. they darken the Text; for the Occasion, Analysis, Argument, and Scope, is rendered by them so various and different, as that it would swallow up the whole time allotted to both our exercises, to rehearse their opinions, to dispute their grounds, and to make choice of the best amongst them; I shall purposely wave them all, and only hint unto you that wherein they all concur, viz. that this Psalm is one of them which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, gratulatory Circles, where, by the cast of your eye upon it, you may perceive the Centre in the middle, the fift verse to be the Glory of God, the circumference on all sides the Praises of God, beginning and ending with Hallelujah; the several verses as so many radii, or right lines, Piscator Mollerus. either ascending from the Centre of divine Goodness, to the Circle of the Church's Praises, (holding forth the Beams of God's Mercies to his People,) or else descending from the Circumference of the Church's Praises, to the Centre of divine Love, (expressing the People's duties to their God.) Observe the words of the Text, with their relation to the Hallelujah in the end of the Psalm, and what I have said will be manifest to you, they containing these two generals: First, The text analysed. A prescription of duty to be done. Secondly, A description of the duty how it is to be done. 1. The prescription of the duty to be done, is the high Praises of God. 2. The description how it is to be done, in all the following words to the end of the Psalm, where we have, First, The Instruments. Secondly, The Execution. The Instruments, by which the high Praises of God and to be performed, are two: First, The Mouth, that they may be expressed verbally; Let the high Praises of God be in their mouth. Secondly, The Hand, that they may be performed really; And a twoedged sword in their hands: A sword of two mouths, or edges, as well for God, as to God; as well defensive for his Truth, as offensive against Error, These are the Instruments. The Execution follows, where we have, 1. The Sufferers. 2. Their Sufferings. 3. The Rule of Execution. 4. The Reward. The Sufferers, by this twoedged sword, are of four sorts: 1. Heathen, swallowed up with Infidelity. 2. The People, the meaner sort and Commonalty. 3. The Kings, in supreme Authority. 4. Their Nobles, the highest of their Nobility. The next thing is their Sufferings, which also is four-sold, according to the different condition and quality of the persons to suffer. 1. For the Heathen Vengeance. 2. For the People Punishments. 3. For their King's Chains. 4. For their Nobles Fetters of Iron. The third thing is the Rule of Execution, either of the Vengeance upon Heathen, or Punishments of People, or Chains on Kings, or Fetters on the Nobles; and that is the Judgement written, Janius. Amesius. no more, no less, no other, and by no other persons than is expressly written, and declared by the great Judge of Heaven and Earth in his Word: The Sword of men, of Saints, against the worst of Heathen, must not exceed one jota, the Sword of the Spirit, the written Word of God. The fourth, the Reward of this Execution, is Honour: This honour have all his Saints. Where first we may observe what the Reward is, namely, this Honour; that is, first, To have high praises of God in their mouths, and this twoedged sword in their hands. Secondly, To be guided to execute no Judgement but that which is written, upon any: This is Honour. Secondly, Who they be that are thus honoured, to have praises in mouths, and execute Judgement written, namely, his Saints, such as God hath made, and by his Word accounts Saints; not such as are Popish Saints, or canonised by themselves, or Satan, or their Flatterers, but such as show themselves Saints, by having their minds and hands bound by the written Word from executing any thing further, and otherwise, than God hath appointed; these, and no other, are his Saints, and therefore to be honoured; yea, God to be honoured by them, in them, and for them, which is determined in the uttermost extent of this laudatory Circle in the end of the Psalm, Hallelujah, Praise ye the Lord. Every observing eye may clearly perceive what a large field is laid open in the Text for my discourse to walk in, and how many Clusters of divine matter, seasonable, and apt for our times, and present occasion, do offer themselves to my hands; but I am resolved to let all pass, and to take hold only of one, and gather it for a Peace-offering to the Lord, in applying it only to your present occasion, and it shall be that one that groweth upon the very top of this Tree of Life in my Text, and furthest from the shadow of those Collections that may be found on the under boughs, namely, The prescription of the duty to be done, The high Praises of God; where every one may take notice, 1. The subject of duty, Divided. to be praise, yea Praises. 2. Object of duty, to be God, praises of God. 3. Their property to be high, High praises of God: Which word alone needs a little Explication, because so variously rendered by the most Interpreters; some rendering it only, Exaltations of God; others, Praisings exalting God; others, Songs exalting God; others, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expounded Sublime Praises of God; others, Praises highly uttered unto God: the Reason whereof is, because the word Romemóth in the Text signifies sometimes actively, and then it notes the height, exaltation, Psal. 71.19 Prov 24.7 and lifting up of any thing to the observation of others; and sometimes passively, and then it notes the height, worth, excellency of the thing that is exalted, or lifted up, in itself: But the scope and nature of the duty prescribed in the Text, necessarily comprehends both, as well the high acts for which God is to be highly praised, as the high Praises to be given unto God for those high Acts, but especially the latter, namely, the height and excellency of the duty of praise to be performed for those high Acts of God, as appears both from the whole Argument of the Psalm, merely laudatory, as also from the Instrument wherewith these high Praises are to be performed, namely, the mouth, The high Praises of God in their mouth, showing the height herein mentioned is a property of man's duty or work in praising God, and not only of the work of God, for which he is to be praised; but in the Observation I shall from hence propound unto you, I will comprehend both, and all the particulars in the duty prescribed besides, which is this: The Praises of God are of an high nature, Doctrine propounded. and high performance: OR, The duty of praising God is a high duty, which must exalt and lift up the high God in it. This truth I shall labour to demonstrate, 1. From the Object. 2. Demonstrated. The Effect. 3. Their Price. 4. Their Performance: Or to use the School terms, they are high, 1. Objective. 2. Effective. 3. Oppretiative. 4. Perfective. First, The Praises of God are high in relation to their Object, 1. From the object, being peculiar to God. which is none other but the most high God, and that in the consideration of his transcendent height and Sublimity over and above all other things or persons, so the Psalmists resolution intimates, Psal. 7.17. I will praise the Lord according to his Righteousness, which he expresseth in the following words, To sing praise to the Name of the Lord most high; and Psal. 92.1. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praise to thy Name, O thou most high: In which places, and very many more in the Scriptures, it is evident, That the Lord, considered in his highest Sublimity, is the object of high Praise, and that by most special and peculiar approbation of them unto himself, and none other: Isai. 42.8. I am Jehovah, that is my Name; I will not give my Glory to any other, nor my Praise to graven Images: See how the Lord appropriates and owns it, yea specially doth reserve it; It is my Glory, my Praise, and so mine, that I will not part with any of it to any other, how high soever they be, it is too high for any but myself: The Lord will and doth give the highest of all things else, in the whole Creation, to others, as the Heavens, how high soever above them, and the earth, and all the works of his hand beneath them, hath God put in subjection under man's feet, and made him to have dominion over them, Psal. 8.6. Nay, he gives the Services of the highest Angels, in the highest Heavens, to many others, Heb. 2.14. Yea, the highest Felicity, and Joys of Heaven, even the Master's Joy, Mat. 25.23. Yea, he will give his Son, his Spirit, and all his own Excellencies and Perfections, besides his Glory, to be the portion of his People; but his Praise and Glory is so peculiar to himself, as that he will not give the least part of it to any, how dear and beloved soever they be unto him. I confess, this high God permitteth and alloweth some kind of praises in the Scriptures to some special Instruments of his Praises, but he alloweth no high Praises to any, Distinguished from the praisepermitted to men, which are, first, Relative. but only low Praises, and those bounded & refracted with many cautions and limitations to distinguish the low Praises, which are communicated to men, from the high Praises peculiar to the most high God. As first, All praise to men is relative, not absolute; praise to man relates to no virtue or power essential in himself, but derived and borrowed from God: Acts 3.12. Why look you on us as if we by our own power and holiness had done any thing? 2. All praise permitted to men, 2. Transient. as it is relative for mere borrowed and received worth; so is it not immanent in them, but transient through them unto God, in so much, that when it is most abundantly given unto him, it is most fatal and sacrilegious to let the least degree of it abide with them, or to be terminated upon them, as the example of Paul and Barnabas, Acts 14.15. and Herod, Acts 12. demonstrate: Now who seethe not that relative and transient Praises, Praises for borrowed things that must not be received or kept, are but low Praises, and yet such are the highest Praises the Lord allows to be given or taken by any of his Instruments, by whom or for whom he works; I say, to any, even the best and choicest Instruments of his Glory, because there be many Instruments by whom, and for whom, the Lord doth many high Acts and Works, to whom he will not have any of this low relative, transient praise be ascribed. As first, 3. Limited John 9.6. To no dead Instrument; who will give any praise, of the blind man's receiving his sight, to the Clay which was put in his eyes? 2. To no irrational Instrument, though living; who will give any praise to the Locusts, Grasshoppers, Lice? that were Instruments to overcome Pharaoh, Exod. 8.9. and force him to let the Israelites go free from his Tyranny, to serve the Lord in the Wilderness? 3. To no dissallowed Instrument (though rational in himself, and permitted of God,) Matth. 26. what praise is due to Judas, for being Instrumental in the work of Redemption, who acted from his own lust and covetousness, to empty his master's bags, and fill his own? 4. To no Instrument that is allowed in his work, and approved of God, if he intends not God's end in the work, as well as the performance of the work itself: For what praise is due to Ashur, the Rod of God's Anger, and the Staff of God's Indignation? who was sent and approved of God against an hypocritical Nation, to spoil, prey upon, and tread them down as mire in the street, if yet he thinks not so, nor intends God's end in so doing, but rather to strengthen his own hand, and to cut off Nations not a few; for instead of any praise therefore, the Lord saith, Isai. 10.11, 12. When be hath performed upon Jerusalem, and mount Zion God's work, God's whole work; Gods whole work (alone) without other help and assistance, that then he will punish him therefore, yea, and not only him, but the fruit of his stout heart, and proud looks? Seeing then, that no praise at all is due to many Instruments, by whom, and for whom God doth perform many glorious Acts, both in subduing the Foes of his People and Church, and redeeming his Church from Vassalage, Tyranny and Bondage; and the Praise, that he allows to be given, or taken, by the most holy and choicest of Instruments, in the Service of his Church, is but relative, and transient, low praise: It is manifest, that the Praises of God are so high, that they are not to be communicated to others, but peculiar to himself alone, whose glorious Name is exalted above all Blessing and Praise, Neh. 9.5. In the second place, 2. From the Effect. The Praises of God will appear to be of a high sublime nature, from the high Effect, the genuine and proper fruit they produce, viz. That although their Object, to whom they are peculiarly appropriate (I mean, the Lord himself) be in his own Nature, and of himself, most infinitely high and transcendent, yet by the Attribution and performance of praise unto him, doth he account his Name, his Power, his Wisdom, and Justice, and himself to be exalted and promoted thereby; yea, accepts of those inward conceptions of his Glory, and those outward honours we do him, in ascribing high Praises unto his Name, as additions and augmentations of his highest Excellencies, who was (notwithstanding) before, God over all blessed for ever: What else do those expressions in Scripture imply, wherein it is asserted. That by this high duty of praise the high Jehovah is exalted, Psal. 107.32. His sublime Perfections to be extolled and lifted up, Psal. 68.4. His great Name to be magnified, Luke 1.64. His infinite Majesty to be glorified? Psal. 50.23. Oh how high must that duty, that adds height to the high God, that magnifies the great God, and glorifies the God of Glory, and makes him higher, greater and more glorious than he was before: Not that men's praises, Not internally, how perfectly and fully soever ascribed to God, add any thing to the essential and inward perfections of the Almighty, which can neither be enlarged or decreased, but the Lord would show unto us thereby. That these high Praises, added unto him, But externally. do therewith make as great an addition to the external splendour and lustre of his Glory, as the most flagitious and exorbitant practices of wicked men do darken and detract from the same, which practices of theirs (though they do not, neither can, or ever shall diminish the least grain of the Immensity of his internal Bliss and Glory, nor injure, or harm, in the least degree, those infinite perfections of his Immutability, or All-sufficiency, yet) by withdrawing and detracting from God, those external good things, which are due unto him, which he requires to be given unto him, and declares himself much delighted in the receipt of them; they are said in Scripture to disgrace, dishonour, contemn God, and despise him; even so these high Praises, rendering unto God that Honour, Praise and Glory which he both commands and entertains with highest delight and pleasure, do therewithal render him to all the world more conspicuous in Beauty and Glory, than he would be without them: For though the Sun would shine most gloriously in itself, though all the world were blind, or all the clouds in the air did hid his face from us, yet when its beams are interposed, and lustre overclouded, we account it to be in a suffering condition; so the inward Perfections of God, without the duty of Praises, are as it were in a suffering condition, and like a rich Diamond or Jewel hid in a dark corner; but by the duty of high Praises the lustre and beauty of his Wisdom, Power and Goodness are openly produced, and made conspicuous to the observation and admiration of all Beholders and Spectators, for which cause they are called in the Text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltations of Jehovah, rather than Sing unto his Name, because according to his Name so is his Praise, Psal. 48.10. therefore his Name being most high, his Praise must be also most high and proportionable thereunto. Thirdly, 3. From their value discerned. The Praises of God are high, and of high nature, appretiatiuè, in respect of the high estimation and value the Lord him-himself hath them in, and sets them at, which appears two ways: 1. By the high Price wherewith he purchaseth them. 2. By the high Delight he takes in them, after he hath procured them. First, 1. In their procurement. The price, wherewith God is willing to purchase them, is very high: For not only the expense of all his wisdom, power, and goodness put forth in Creation, nor only the layings out of all his counsel, care, love, and faithfulness in Providence and Preservation; but also the rich Treasure of his Promises, Covenant, Grace, yea, the precious blood of his own Son, in our Redemption, is given freely, absolutely, intentionally, and ultimately, for no other thing, but the purchase of high praises to God, Ephes. 1.5, 6. All that God doth and giveth, all that Christ doth and suffereth, is for no other end, but the praise of the glory of his Grace: I confess, consider men's highest praises of God, as they are man's performances, they are poor and inconsiderable things: but consider them as they are the Testimonies and expressions of a believing heart, declaring and making known the unspeakable wisdom, faithfulness, bounty, and excellencies of God, exercised in his works in this notion; The Scripture declares the heart of God so to be taken with the desire of them, that he is willing to give Heaven, Earth, Himself and Son to poor men for the praises of their hearts, hands, and tongues; and accounts himself abundantly satisfied therefore, when his People will speak good of his Name, speaking well of him in the Dialect of Angels-notes, the high praises of God, which most strongly and undeniably demonstrates the high worth of the Duty of high praises, when the most high God will purchase them with the expense of Himself, Son, and all he hath: Give me praise, and take my Christ, Self, and Kingdom (saith God): When a profane and foolish Esau will purchase a mess of pottage with the price of his birth right, (a mean and contemptible thing with a great price,) we rather undervalue the wisdom of the Purchaser, then esteem any thing the better of the Purchase: But if a wise Merchant, that is certainly and undoubtedly known to have perfect understanding and deep insight into the worth of the things he deals for, if such a one sells all he hath, and takes up what he can elsewhere procure, to purchase a pearl or field, we then conclude the hidden worth of the Purchase from the high price given for it by the knowing and wise Purchaser, Now then, must it not undeniably advance the height and worth of high praises, when we see the omnipotent and infinite only wise God, that regards not Gold, Silver, Kingdoms, Honours, but yet knows how to prise and value his own contents and pleasure, doth dispense and lay out all that Heaven and Earth is worth, solely and purposely to purchase to Himself the highest praise of his Glory and Grace? Secondly, 2. In their Enjoyment. The high value that God hath of high praises, will be evident, by the high delight and pleasure God takes in them thus purchased: for skilful Artists, and high principled, elevated understandings, never take pleasure, or delight, in any thing, or work, which is not answerable to their highest principles, and proportionable to their uttermost skill and desire: Now the Lord, who is the most perfect understanding, and deepest skill and knowledge, declares himself to take infinite delight in his People's Praises; It is his solace and pleasure to be attended with them, either in Earth or in Heaven, by men or Angels; and his Soul is ravished with the thoughts and contemplation of them. This was it which was typed by the Feasts, Psa. 148. Leu. 6.7. Num. 29.12. and rejoicing in the peace offerings, by the sweat Odours and Incense in the Encharistical Sacrifices; by the melodious Tunes, dilightful Sangs, Harmony, Music, Organs; Timbrels, Cymbals, Harps for exaltation and triumph, in the solemn Feasts and days of Thanksgiving; the Scripture intending thereby to declare (not only) with what cheerfulness and delight these gratulatery S●rvi●●t were to be performed by men: but also how ancentable and pleasing they are unto the Lord, as sweet savars and odours in his nostrils; as Angelical music and heavenly airs in his ears, as wine and divine delicatias to his taste: yea and if in Heaven itself, the Lord of life and glory receives any additional exaltation from the glorified Saints and Angels, besides what is exernally enjoyed in the Circle of his own perfections, it cannot be concluded, from any thing expressed in Scripture, to proceed from any thing else, but the everlasting acclamations and benedictions of the glorified Saints and Angals, giving glory, honour, and praise unto him that site on the Throne, and to the Lamb; whose Hallelujabe are nothing else but the highest of these high praises of God in their hearts and mouths. 4. From their performance requiring the exercise of greater measures of Grace then a public day of Humiliation. Doth not then this height of God's valuation in their Procurement, and the height of the Lords satisfaction in their Enjoyment, set the high Praises of God upon the highest top of the transcendent Sublimity of divine worth and excellenty. In the fourth place, The Praises of God are high, and of a high nature perf●●ti●d, that is, in respect of the high measure of Grace they are to he attended withal in their per●o●●●●●; the Lord requiring the duty of high Praise (especially in a public Day of Thanksgiving for any remarkable and high mercy) should be performed with a great measure of Scripture-light, with a higher degree of effectual Faith, and with a more ample proportion of practical Holiness, than any other of the most solemn Exercises of of his public Worship. For the more full and clear demonstration of which particulars, I mean of the singular measure of Light, Faith, and Holiness, which the Lord requires should be exercised in solemnising of a day of Thanksgiving above any other part of his Service, I conceive will be no way unprofitable to insist somewhat largely, either for the better observing this present day, or more acceptable discharge of our duties unto God in days of the like nature for the future. In the demonstration whereof, I shall make choice to instance in that Ordinance, and Exercise of Religious Worship, which the Scripture requires to be performed with more extraordinary degrees of Sanctity and Piety than any other, besides a day of Thanksgiving, I mean a day of public Humiliation, observed according to God's Institution. 2. I shall show, That the duty of public Joy and Thanksgiving, is by God's Institution to be performed with a greater measure of Light, Faith, and Sanctity, than a day of Humiliation. Which may be collected from the Scriptures thus: Which appears, 1. From the titles. First, From the different names, titles, and adjuncts the Spirit of God in the Word is pleased to them withal: As first, a day of public Fast is called a day of restraint, Isai. 58. or day of afflicting the Soul, Levit. 23. or day of mourning and weeping, Joel 2. But on the other side, a day of Thanksgiving is called a good day, Esth. 9 they must keep the days of Purim for good days, very holy days: Neh. 8.10. Weep not, for the day is holy to the Lord; intimating therein, That by how much the exercise of goodness and holiness (which are the high Attributes of God himsef) is more heavenly and spiritual than the exercise of sorrow, weeping, and affliction, (the inseparable offspring of misery and sin,) by so much a day of Thanksgiving (rightly performed) is better and holier than a day of Humiliation; which is yet more manifest in the Levites Inhibition, Weep not, for the day is holy: The tears there shed by the people, and forbidden by the Levites, were Tears of godly sorrow for their sins against the Law of God, which are most expressly commanded on a day of Humiliation, and are in their performance, the splendour and glory of the day: But these Tears are forbidden on a day of Thanksgiving upon this ground, because they are not holy enough for the Services of it; Weep not, for the day is holy to the Lord; Oh how transcendently holy is that Exercise, where the pearl of a Tear of godly Sorrow is a blemish! Unto this more general demonstration of the point in hand, 2. The end. let me entreat you to take notice of that expression of the Holy Spirit, in Esth. 9 Vers. 31. when the days of Purim, or Thanksgiving, are said to be the matter of the fastings and cries; that is the success and fruit of their former days of Humiliation, mentioned in the fourth Chapter of the Book: Now who knows not, That the End is the perfection of the Means? and in that respect more excellent; as Faith is better than Hearing, because Faith is the End of Hearing; Christ better then Faith, because the End of Faith is to bring to Christ: So a day of Thanksgiving is better and higher than a day of Humiliation, because Fasting is but the subservent Means, leading to a day of Thanksgiving; and a day of Thanksgiving is the End and Perfection of a day of Humiliation. As these different Titles of a day of Thanksgiving and Humiliation, in the Scripture, declare their high excellency of one above the other in the general; 3. The particular graces: which are 1. Scripture Light in 3 particulars. So it is yet more manifest from the different degrees and measures of Light, Faith, and Holiness, required in the observation of a day of Thanksgiving above a day of Humiliation in particular: As first, In the observation of a day of Thanksgiving there is required exercise and practice of more heavenly knowledge; In the second of Joel, the Lord requires a day of public Humiliation should be performed, not only by men, women, Priests, and Levites, that are supposed to be persons of knowledge; but also even babes and sucking children (that are known to be in a condition of ignorance:) Yea, and the people of Nineveh, Jonah 3. who cannot be conceived to have had any art, or speculative understanding and skill, in the form, nature, or order of observation of a Fast, according to Scripture, (being Heathens, and having had the means but three days amongst them, yet) they were called to that Duty, and their performance of it was accepted of the Lord, because the Lord requires little art, or skill, in confessing our sins, or sorrowing for them: But now in the Duty of our return of thanks and praises, there is an express injunction of the exercise and use of special skill and understanding, as Psa. 147.6, 7. Oh sing praises unto our God; sing praises, sing praises to our King; Sing praises, for God is King of all the Earth, sing praises therefore with understanding. And Psa. 119.171. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. And Vers. 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart; when thou hast learned me thy Judgements. All which Scriptures evidence, That how upright soever men's hearts be to God, yet there can be no acceptable performance of praise, except also that upright heart be an understanding heart, that hath learned the Statutes and Judgements of God from the Lords teaching: and therefore in the Solemnisation of that Duty of Thanksgiving, which was so holy that they might not shed a Tear in it, Nehem. 8. it is expressly said, There were none of that great Congregation that were gathered, either of men or women, but such as could hear and understand, Neh. 8.2. And the observation of God's mind, expressed in other Scriptures, will certify us of the special degree of Heavenly skill, required to be in such as offer high praises of God, namely, Knowledge, First, Of the form of the Service. Secondly, Of the blessing for which the Service is undertaken. Thirdly, Of the matter to be returned. First, 1. The form. Of the manner and form of the Service prescribed of God, not minted in our brains, as is most evident, first, from the description of days of Thanksgiving, Esth. 9 where the form, and manner of observation of the same, is prescribed in every particular, even to the appointment of their meat, drink, apparel, and looks on that day: And secondly, from Nehemiahs and the Levites reproof and Inhibition, Neh. 8.10. rebuking and blaming the people for their varying so much as in shedding a Tear, contrary to the same. Secondly, 2. The matter. There is required special understanding and knowledge of the nature and worth of the mercy, for which the Duty is undertaken; for God will not be praised confusedly, but distinctly and proportionably to his Dispensation, Psa. 150. Praise him according to his wondrous works; which is to be the prime and peeper matter of their high praises, even his more proper and peculiar high acts, then to be remembered, as is largely expressed in Moses praise for the particular mercy of coming safe through the red Sea; Exod. 15. and Debora's high praise, for deliverance from the host of Sisera, Judg. 5. where the chiefest and highest part of the celebration, and exaltation, of God in his praise, consists in the declaration and commemoration of the particulars of Gods special goodness, in their present deliverance: And to come near to ourselves, in respect of the Nation in general. Who in all the Kingdom can observe that anniversary day of Thanksgiving (never to be forgotten, on the fifth of November) that was near acquainted with the name, nature, and intentions of the proceed of the Traitors in contriving, and the Lord our God in defeating, the Gunpowder-plot: Nay, to come to yourselves in the particular, for which you have set apart this day, Who amongst you can give high praises to God for yourselves? Or, of all the Auditors, can join with you therein, that is ignorant either of the means, cause, and place of your Imprisonment, or the glorious passages of divine providence in your enlargement? Thirdly, 3. The return. Neither is there required, in the exercise of high praise, knowledge only of the mercy for which praise is to be rendered, but also of the lawfulness of the matter, or peace-offering, that by way of thanks is to be returned: In no Service is the Spirit of God more particular in prescribing, or exact in expecting punctual observance, then in offering the thank-offering, or sacrifice; because in our praises (being the sole return we can make unto him for all his cost upon us) he expects we should pay him with no coin, but what hath his own stamp and superscription upon it; if it be the price of a profane dog, or the reward of an unclean whore, the Lord abhor it: How strict the Lord is in acceptation of nothing, in a day of Thanksgiving, but the matter of his own appointment, let the sad consequence of gideon's Ephod, Judg. 8.27 and 9 11, 1 Sam. 15 Jephtha's. Vow, saul's sparing the best of agag's anathematised , (all for peace-offerings) be a watchword and warning to you all this day, and all others hereafter, to take heed what they do in the day of their Thanksgiving, viz. That nothing be done, or returned, in way of thankfulness to God, which proceeds not from an understanding heart, instructed in the form of the Service, the nature of the blessing, and the lawfulness of the matter, that they manifest their thankfulness withal. Secondly, A day of Thanksgiving as it requires the exercise of more Scripture-light; 2. Grace, effectual Faith in 3 particulars. so also the use of a greater measure of more effectual Faith then a day of public Humiliation; which I conceive may hence be manifest, The Ninevites fasted acceptably to God, and profitably for themselves, and had Faith to believe the threatening of God against them; but their Faith, in the promise of mercy towards them, was very weak, expressed in these words, Who can tell if God will repent? And David fasted acceptably, 2 Sam. 12. when in the sense of God's anger against himself, and sin in the sickness of his Child, he humbled himself before God: But in the return of high praise, in a day of Thanksgiving, besides saith in God's threaten, is necessarily required the exercise of Faith in the promise, and besides the habit of Faith (without which it is impossible to please God in any Service) in this, a threefold special actings of Faith upon God is required, as manifesting himself reconciled unto the person who hath received the mercy, and is therefore now performing the duty. First, By Faith to apprehend in himself some sense and feeling of the love and grace of God manifested to his Soul; for seeing high praises are to be performed with love and joy, yea, exaltation in God, who ever did or can return thanks to God, with spiritual joy, for any mercy, when he apprehends still the angry countenance of God frowning against him, and hiding his favour from his Soul? Secondly, It is necessary, in a Thanksgiving for a mercy, to have faith to see and know he hath title in Christ, as well as by common providence to the benefit of the mercy for which he is thankful; for else there will be more cause of sorrow for the want of title by Christ, then of joy in the partaking the mercy without Christ. Thirdly, So much exercise of Faith is necessary, as to see Christ to be willing to return their-praises, and mix his odours with them, in presenting them unto God; as to see him conveying unto them their title unto the blessing, by his purchase and satisfaction; faith having as much need of an Altar and Mediator to offer up acceptable praises, as prayers; and this is done by acting faith upon Christ therefore, as is evident Heb. 13.15. By him therefore let us offer unto God continually the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name. Thirdly, A day of Thanksgiving requires a greater proportion of practical Holiness than a day of most solemn Humiliation, Grace, practical Holiness, in two particulars. which I conceive may in these particulars (at least) be evidenced. 1. God calls men to fasting, prayer, and mourning, when they are held captive under the violence of some prevalent corruption and temptation, as Paul and others, 2 Cor. 9 I beat down my body, and bring it under subjection, by extraordinary fasting; but God never calls any to joy, and rejoice, or keep days of Thanksgiving, that lie under the power of their lusts, and bondage of corruption prevailing over them, but only such, who, besides their general uprightness, are conscious of their own actual innocency, Psal. 26. I will wash mine hands in Innocency, and so will I compass thine Altar; yea, and able, in some measure, to make profession of their actual subjection to God, and join it as a ground of their praises; as Psal. 116.16. Oh Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid; thou hast broken my bonds (of all sorts;) Therefore I will offer up unto thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the LORD: which ability, to be able to profess their present subjection unto God, in the consciousness of their Innocency, is a greater measure of practical Holiness, then is required of such as observe days of Fasthing; which will yet be further manifested, in that God calls such to fasting, and those that are so called, may fast acceptably unto God, who can but procure their hearts before they fast; or in the day of Fasting, sincerely to purpose, covenant, and vow, reformation of their heinous transgressions, (though there be no antecedent or present actual reformation or satisfaction on the day) as is manifest in the Fast observed by Ezra, and the rest of the people, when they fasted acceptably, before they had put away their strange wives, or taken off all the oppression of their burdens; yet upon their Covenant, and Vow to do it, they were accepted; But in a day of THANKSGIVING, God requires not only a purpose of Reformation consequent, but actual performance of Vows and Covenants of Reformation for present, as David in Psal. 116.18. I will offer praise, and pay my vows, now in the presence of all his people, even in the Courts of God's House; which made our Saviour enjoin an antecedent actual reconciliation, and satisfaction, before the offering a gratulatory gift, as if an intention of it afterward would not be sufficient: God rejects all the Solemn Feasts of his people, Isa. 1. Upon this ground, They had not before put away the violence in their hands: but they were still full of blood: a day of Thanksgiving is not a day of running into more debts by future Covenants, but a coming out of debt by present payment, in which respect more practical holiness is required to be exercised in a day of Thanksgiving, then in a day of Humiliation. Having thus confirmed to your Judgements the duty to be high by way of Demonstration, suffer me now to improve it on your consciences by way of Application, wherein I shall look no way, but to the sanctifying of the Name of our God in relation to your present occasion, who have for that end & purpose called me hither, and that first by way of Information; 2. Exhortation; 3. Direction. And for the first, let me inform you, and by you all other, Use of Information of the excellency of the work. concerning the great and high Work which ye have undertaken to perform, in setting a day apart for this high Service, in delivering you from your late restraint and Imprisonment, a duty of so transcendent nature, as requires the abilities of the Angels in Heaven, rather than of any persons (Gentlemen, or others) in earth, and a far more suitable work for a glorified Saint above, then poor sinful souls beneath; you have herein undertaken to return this day unto God all the splendour both of the virtue and beauty of his Glory, which hath shined forth in this work of your deliverance, to carry him home, to day, the crop and fruit of all the passages of his divine providence, exercised for you, or dispensed unto you therein, which is more prized, and is dearer to him, than any thing else in heaven and earth: You have undertaken to perform that service unto God this day, that shall exalt him that is the highest already, to magnify him that is greatest already, and to glorify him that is already most glorious; yet how high, great, and glorious soever before your service began, when it is once done, he shall thereby be rendered to all Spectators more glorious than he was before, in raising higher thoughts of God, his power, faithfulness, and graciousness, as well in their as your own hearts. Yea, and you have undertaken to make the day a good day, and more holy than any other days whatsoever, by exercising a greater measure of Scripture Light, effectual Faith, and practical Holiness then ever. Yea, to perform that Service, which being rightly performed, will ravish the divine thoughts and heart of the Almighty with highest delight and satisfaction, as with Incense and sweet Odours in his nostrils. I note this, Applied 1. for Encouragement. first, to raise the value and estimation of this duty in your hearts, and to stir up and quicken your endeavours and resolutions in the observation of the same, (being simply and absolutely the most sublime and perfect part of God's Service under Heaven,) wherein the conscientiousness of men, in observing such days, according to rule, discovers more sincerity of love to God, and obedience to his Will, than all other duties, either of doing or suffering for God besides, if this be neglected, because necessity, fear, self-love may drive us to fast, pray, and extort other duties from us, but only sense and feeling of God's Love to us, and our delight in him, can draw us to this so high a Service, which is so pleasing to God, that he declares himself to be pleased in no other duty of his Worship, whatsoever it be, further than it is gratulatory, and done in way of thankfulness unto him, and make for the exaltation of his praise. I note this in the second place, Applied 2. for Caution. to discover the odiousness and heinousness of their sin that shall neglect, contemn, or abuse this so high a Service, as celebrating Gods high Praises in conscientious observing the days of Thanksgiving, which is then perpetrated when they are appointed, and also performed rather as a Ceremony, then in sincerity; rather as a matter of pomp and state in relation to men, then as a duty of highest devotion and conscience towards God, where men turn the days of Thanksgiving to God, to days of liberty and licentiousness in themselves, to days of inordinate eating, Exod. 32. and excessive drinking, as if, with the Israelites, their days of Thanksgiving to God, were directed only to worship the golden Calf, in sitting down to eat, and drink, and rise up to play; and their practice therein the same that the wicked Jews observed in their Feasts against our Saviour, to let lose a Malefactor, Mat. 26. and crucify the Son of God; by which means it comes to pass, that whereas days of Thanksgiving should be of all other the holiest, these men (by their wickedness) change them into the profanest; possibly some of these men make some conscience to prepare themselves with some devotion when they come to the duties of hearing, praying, fasting, etc. but when they come to observe days of Thanksgiving, their care is about nothing else but to put on their richest apparel, to get ready a Thanksgiving dinner, to be jovial with their carnal friends, in carnal ways; which done, God must rest himself contented, thus to be glorified; but Oh ye foolish people, Deut. 32.8 and unwise, do you thus requite the Lord? Will you call this a day of Thanksgiving? and giving high Praises to God, to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and then being thereby waxed fat, and pampered, with Jesurun, to kick up your heel against God by your profaneness, whom you pretend to extol by your high Praises? What is this observation of days of Thanksgiving unto God, but to do therein unto God as the Soldiers did unto Christ? first to bow the knee of their profession by praise to worship him, and then, by their irreligiousness and excess, to spit on his face and buffet him; and instead of putting upon his head a crown of high Praises and Glory, to crown him with the thorns of their profaneness and infamy; and could our Lord Jesus' voice be heard in the midst of their confused jollity, they would hear him say unto them as he speaks to the Jews, John 10.32. Many good works have I done for you, (for which you pretend to serve me,) for which of them do you thus stone me? I expected bread to day, & you give me stones; I looked for fish, and you give serpents; I looked for high praises, and you have brought me high reproaches and disgraces. Bell-joy, Table-joy, Musick-joy, and Bonefire-joy in a day of Thanksgiving, without the exercise of a greater measure of Scripture Light, effectual Faith, and practical Holiness, in giving him high praises, is but to do with our God as the fisherman in Plutarch with his, 2 Use of Exhortation to heighten Praises, because God requires, who for blessing him with a great draught of fish, promised to give his god half, but paid him by taking out all the fish for himself, sent the shells to his god. For prevention of which abominable sin against God in the observation of this your day, let me now by way of Exhortation entreat you (Gentlemen) in the Name of that great God, who hath of late so graciously heard and answered so many of your own and others prayers speaking for you, now to hear, and also obediently to answer the Counsel and Exhortation of God in this truth you have heard speaking unto you, which is this, That seeing the Praises of God are and aught to be high Praises, that then both yourselves, and all others that would join with you, to answer God in thankfulness for this or any other mercy received, be careful and studious to raise and heighten their praise before they be returned: The things that the Lord hath done for you all are not small and low, but many great and high Favours; be careful therefore that the thanks you return him to day be not formal, common or ordinary, but many, great, and raised praises, unto which your hearts will the sooner be convinced to yield obedience in raising and heightening your praises, if you consider with me these two things manifest in Scripture: First, That whensoever God requires praise to be returned for any mercy, 1. Proportionable Praises. he doth not only require it to be returned in kind, but also in weight, measure and proportion, and that according to the greatness of his love manifested either in himself, word, or works towards them: So Psal. 29.1, 2. Give unto God you mighty (that is, men of place and power,) give ye unto God glory and strength; that is, your highest and uttermost strength in giving him glory; and why? vers. 2. Because this is his due, from you that are mighty by way of proportion, therefore give him the Glory due to his Name, give him his full due, in worshipping him in the beauty of holiness; and Psal. 66.2. the Spirit of God doth require of all Nations not only to sing forth the honour of his Name, but to make his Praise glorious, raise it to the height of beauty and greatness, make his Praise as great as himself, proportionable to his own greatness: So Psal. 145.3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and because the Psalmist adds, that his Greatness is unsearchable, he also infers, that men must wonderfully, gloriously and abundantly praise him in proportion thereunto, from vers. 3. to 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and declare thy greatness, even proportionable to the excellency and height of it, Psal. 150.2. Praise him in his mighty acts, and according to the excellency of his greatness. Thus you see the first thing that God looks for proportionable praise, great praise for a great God, doing great things, and high praises for a high God, doing high things. The second thing I would have you observe to move you to raise your praises for the mercy received, before they be returned, 2. Proper Praises. is this, That that goodness of God in delivering you out of prison (wherein you were unjustly detained) is a mercy of that nature, that God in his Word hath required, and expressly and particularly declared, that he expects proper and special thanks and praise for the same; as Psal. 107.10. Such as sit in darkness, being bound in affliction and iron; these prisoners cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress, and broke their bands asunder, Vers. 13. What then doth the Lord expect from these praying and now delivered prisoners? see Vers. 15. Oh that they would praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare his wonderful works (in their deliverance) to the sons of men, because he broke the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron, in which they were restrained; by which you see, That the Lord expects, amongst all other mercies, express praise for delivering men out of bonds, which made David, Psal. 142.7. when he was imprisoned, and shut up in the Cave, and had the Army of Saul round about him seeking his blood, use this as the strongest motive he could use to obtain his liberty, That if God would grant him the same, and set him at freedom, he would then praise his Name; Bring my Soul out of prison, that I may then praise thy Name, which I cannot do now so fully and freely as I would, being in bonds: And as he here promised praise unto God for liberty, if he might obtain it; so we see him as faithful and careful to perform it, when he did enjoy it, Psal. 116.16. Lord I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid, and thou hast broken my bonds, and set me at liberty, and therefore I will offer unto thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving; my thanks (which I will return for my liberty) shall be a Sacrifice without blemish or imperfection, the first, the best; no low, mean, formal, but high and masculine praises, by which (Gentlemen) you may both be strengthened and justified against all gainsayers in this your action, in setting this day apart for this public way of thankfulness unto God for your late enlargement, seeing the Lord looks and expects it specially and proportionably therefore, and also be now throughly incited, seeing God looks for special praises, for the mercy received, to heighten your praises before they be returned; 3Vse, direction how to raise them. which leads me to the third and last Use intended, namely, Direction, from what hath been spoken, how to raise your thanks, and make your praises high praises before and in their delivery, which you shall effect, if in relation to the high praises you are to give for this your special mercy in your enlargement, you be careful to perform these two things: 1. To raise their conception in your hearts inwardly. 2. To heighten their expression in your lives outwardly. For the first, 1. Inwardly. High praises must be heightened in womb, and conceptions of the heart inwardly, they must be of high descent, and noble birth, and therefore the heart (which is the spring and fountain from whence high praises must arise) must be enlivened and quickened with the seminal virtues, from whence all high praises take their original, which are these three especially: 1. 1. By the deep sense of the danger in 4 particulars. From a clear understanding and apprehension of the greatness of your misery under which you were enthralled. 2. From an enlarged affection, from the sense and feeling of God's Love, by which you were delivered. 3. From the actings and exercise of faith, in seeing God the sole Author of your mercy, and making the Lord Jesus the sole Mediator to receive your praise, and present your duty. Wherefore, that I may help your heart to breed and beget these high praises, let me first of all stir up your hearts to praise God from a true understanding and apprehension of the depth of the danger and misery from whence you are escaped, which being duly considered and weighed, will appear no small or single calamity, but a thraldom and bondage, compounded of many ingredients of bitterness and aggravations of extreme perplexity. As first, The violent and sudden deprivation of you from all your dearest enjoyments together, to be carried away, and separated (against your wills) from all the comforts of families, wives, children, friends, estates at once, seems to be misery raised with the highest and most kill aggravations: As the Amalekites, at Ziglag, took all David had, wives, children, , and drove them away from him; so these Amalekites at Chelmsford took you, and drove you away from all these: That affliction made David weep, whiles he could weep no more; and surely had you fountains of tears, you might have had occasion to have shed them all in this your captivity, had not the Lord wrought your deliverance, being thus suddenly and unexpectedly carried from all at once, and that without so much liberty as verbal salutations, or time, or space to take your leaves of them, (which the Martyrs, not only in their prisons, but even at the stake, were permitted to do,) the want whereof struck the churlish heart of Laban so deep, that he complains of it as a great wickedness and injury in Jacob, that he had not suffered him to take his leave, nor salute his sons and daughters before their removal from him: You were surprised and snatched from all your dearest relations, as Joseph from his father Jacob, when he was sent to visit his brethren, who for his conscience to his father's command, and courtesy to them, was by his false brethren first stripped, then cast into the pit, and afterward sold as a slave to the Midianites and Egyptians; so were you by these Midianites and Egyptians, that carried you up and down whither they pleased; the meditation of this cup of bitterness will become one spark to heat your hearts, and inflame them to a higher heat of thankfulness, especially if unto the consideration of that part of your misery, whereby at once all your comforts were unexpectedly removed, You add the meditation of a second part of it, I mean the woeful subjection under which you were enthralled, you were become the servants of Satan's vassals, under the power and society of your own and Gods deadly enemies, amongst whom you might truly and properly have had cause to cry out daily, We unto us, we are constrained to dwell with Mesheck, and have our habitation in the tents of Kedar, where your righteous Souls were of necessity grieved and tormented, from day to day, to hear and see the uncleanness and profane conversation of the wicked, when those (whose prisoners you were, and carried you away captive) daily insulted over yourselves, Cause, and Religion; must it not of necessity pierce your hearts with sorrow, and compel you like captive Jews in Babylon, to hang up your Harps, forget your Songs, and lift up your voices, and weep, when you remembered the Zions' either of your own or God's Houses, whither you had gone with your multitudes? but now you saw not your signs, neither was there any Prophet left to tell you when your misery was like to end, but still one deep called upon another, until all the waves went over your heads, and these ploughers ploughed what they pleased upon your backs, which was bitter enough for the present, but much more aggravated from that which you might probably expect further from their rage and malice, and your impotency to make any resistance against the same, for when their rage was irritated by the closeness of the siege, continual repulses of their Forces within, frustration of all hopes of relief from abroad, what could rationally be expected, but that they would have made your blood (if not the rescue, yet) certainly the revenge of their own? You only (of all their enemies) were in their hands as lambs among wolves, and as sheep under the hand of the slaughterman, where you had nothing to defend yourselves but silence, patience, equity, and innocency, all mediation of your own or their greatest friends for your deliverance rejected, all offers to redeem you by exchange denied, and into what desperate condition soever, either their own wickedness, or weakness should bring them, from it your lives and estates must secure them. (Gentlemen) If you would this day, by meditation, recall your former thoughts and sad apprehensions, think those thoughts over again which were conceived in your distracted hearts and heads when you were carried in the long march to Colchester, and were in hazard of the violence of the Soldiers all the way: if you would lay yourselves down in the same condition of sorrow and grief by contemplation, from which the Lords own outstretched hand hath freed you; if your Souls have that night in remembrance, when they sent you word in the evening to prepare for death in the morning, surely the the deep apprehension of the great danger, from whence (by the favour of God) you have been delivered, would prove a singular help to heighten and raise the praises of God in your hearts before they be returned. Especially if, In the second place, 2. The true apprchension of God's presence with them discovered in four particulars you shall add hereunto the enlargement of your affections, which will certainly arise in your hearts from the serious consideration of the high and singular Love of God flowing out unto you, in taking this yoke of your enemies from your necks, in opening the prison doors for you, and breaking your bands in sunder; for first of all, when the comforts of your nearest relations failed you, Lover and friend stood far away from your trouble, when you were destitute of all other Society, (besides your fellow Prisoners mutually bemoaning and declaring each others losses and sufferings,) when you looked to the right hand, and the left, but there was none to help from either of them; then the Lord appeared amongst you, nor was there one day, in all your restraint, wherein he forsook you, but every hour discovered his presence with you: as the Angel was with Daniel in the Den of Lions, Dan. 3.25 as the Son of God with the three Children in the Furnace, Gen. 39.21 as the Lord himself was with Joseph in his prison; so both the Lord himself, his Son, and Angels, may seem to have been all resident with you, and that not only as Spectators, to visit you in your Trouble, but as most glorious Actors, to comfort you in, and deliver you out of your Trouble: which appeared; First, In binding the hands of them that bond you, and in the stopping of those Lion's mouths, in whose Den you were, and were wide open against you, by calming their spirits in such a manner, that he suffered not any one of them to do you harm, or pull one hair from your head, or to increase the tediousness of your restraint, by their incivilities, which was the Lords doing, and aught this day, and ever, be marvellous in your eyes; yea, it is your Duty, from thence, to conclude undoubtedly, That the divine providence did so awe, and overrule their intentions, as if you had heard him vocally from Heaven give your Enemies the charge in the Psalm, Touch ye not these my Servants, Ps 105.15 and see you do these Prisoners no harm. Secondly, His glorious presence discovered itself, in that he did not only protect you from their rage, but also turned their hearts to favour you, in being civil and courteous to you so far, as to suffer you (their Prisoners) to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, when many of themselves starved, and others suffered very much, by their more unwholesome diet, and infected provision: They sent you out freemen the same day they yeeled themselves to bonds: To give you your lives, when they resigned their own to death, this was not their good nature, or any sweetness in them, but the singular love of God to you, that made their stern and angry countenances to become your Mirrors, wherein you might (with Jacob) see the manifest smile and aimable countenance of God himself: I confess freely, when I saw some of you spectators at the execution of some of the principal Leaders, whose prisoners you were the day before, I could not but conclude, Jehovah-Jirch, apprehending myself to be with Abraham in the Mount, and to behold Isaac delivered from the knife and fire; and these sacrificed Rams first snarled in their own briers for your deliverance. Thirdly, Was it not a clear discovery of God's gracious presence with you, (and such an one as should this day raise your hearts to high praises) that you had the invaluable benefit of so many prayers all the time you were in restraint? Whence could it proceed, but from the unspeakable love of God to you, that so many thousand were stirred, in their most earnest prayers, to speak unto God for you? multitudes, not only of your friends and acquaintance, but of strangers also, (that never saw your faces, or heard of your names before you were Prisoners) were so constant and instant with God in their petitions for you, as if they had been seeking the Salvation of their own Souls: In every public meeting, and private family duty, the Prisoners at Colchester were still the subject of a great part of the exercise: I am confident the prayers of the Church, mentioned Act. 12. that were made for Peter's enlargement, did not exceed those which were made for you, either in fervency or constancy, so cordial and affectionate (even unto Tears) were the expressions that were poured out to God for your liberty and safety, that for my part I am persuaded, that few prisoners of your circumstances, since the world began, had the like, for number and vigour; which evidenceth far greater love of God unto you, than the gift of Kingdoms and Empires: for (though tyre prayers of the wicked are abomination to the Lord, nor are they so beneficial unto men as one crust of Brend, yet) the prayers of the righteous prevailed much for you, jam. 5.16 and were effectual, not only in preserving you from base dispondency of spirit, in the time you were in custody; but also in making your yoke easy, and your bonds light, above your own, and others expectation, until the time of your delivery; which love of God to you (being seriously pondered) will so warm your hearts, and raise your affections, that withal, your praises proceeding from them will be heightened in yourselves before they be returned to God; Especially, If you take into your hearts the consideration of a fourth Discovery of God's especial Love into you, in the time of your Imprisonment, which was the sweet society and fellowship, both in temporal and spiritual mercies and duties, that was permitted unto you, until the very day of your enlargement; you might meet together, prey together, confer with one another, and comfort each other in your bonds, by reading, singing, and brotherly obligations, whereby your Prison was turned into a Temple and Sanctuary, as the Gaolers' house, and other prisons, was by Paul and Silas; Act. 16.27. Phil. 10. Col. 4. in one prison they convert the Gaoler, in another Onesimus, in a third they receive comfort and mutual edification from the Churches, from Epaphus Aristarchus, and other their fellow Prisoners; for this fruit of love Paul gives many thanks in divers of his Epistles, Go you and do likewise; make the comfort of your mutual edification, whiles you were confined, an argument to raise the conceptions of your praises to God, from whom it was received, until the womb of your hearts grow pregnant with the high praises of your God. Thirdly, The exercise of Faith. But yet nevertheless when your praises are first quickened by the meditation of the greatness of the danger under which you were enthralled, and secondly strengthened and confirmed by the renewed sense and feeling of God's Love so many several ways difcovered, they will not withstanding prove abortive, die in their conception, and appear liveless issues, if the hand of your Faith doth not first being them forth of the place of conception; and secondly, being brought forth, carry them up, and present them to the most high God: The acting and exercise of your Faith in the duty of Thanksgiving will raise your praises so high, that of low moral conceptions in men, they will become evangelical, high Sacrifices and Oblations to God; adding a further degree of excellency, first, to their Conception; secondly, Production; thirdly, Acceptation. First, 1. The Conception of praise. The exercise of your Faith will heighten the Conception of your high praises, by enabling you both to see and acknowledge, that the mercy, which is the ground and subject of your praises, proceeded from an high, from no lower original than the most high God, that the most high God was the author and sole efficient of your deliverance, whosoever were the instruments: see this in Peter, Act. 12. he there praiseth God for liberty from imprisonment, as you do here; wherein this exercise of his faith is most observable, That both in the meditation of it himself, and declaration of it to others, he still acknowledgeth God to be the sole efficient of it; first in his own meditation by himself, Act. 12.11. Now I know for a truth, that God hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the waiting-for of the people of the Jews: Secondly, In his declaration of it to others, Vers. 17. He beckoned with the hand, and declared unto them, how the Lord had brought him out of the prison; and said, Go show these things to James and the brethren: Whence you may learn (if you will faithfully return due praises unto God for your liberty) You must never think on it by yourselves, nor speak of it to others, (much less in your solemn Thanksgiving to God for the same) but you must believe and acknowledge the Lord alone to be author and essicient of it: so als doth the Tune of David's Psalm of praise, for liberty, run in this high Tone, Psal. 116.16. (I mean in the exercise of his Faith, by acknowledging the Lord the sole author of his enlargement,) Thou, O Lord, hast broken my bonds, and therefore I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of Thanksgiving: So doth good Ezra, in the like cause, go before you, in returning praises for his own, and the Church's freedom from the Babylonish Thraldom; whose words and expression (Ezra 9.8, 9) I desire all of you would print them on the tables of your hearts, and make them as frontlets before your eyes; yea, that you would write them in your Note-books, on the walls of your Studies, and Bedchambers, where you must lodge in the night, or converse by day, that you may acknowledge, and confess with him as long as you live, saying, We were bondmen, yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy to us, in the sight of our enemies; and hath given us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah, and in jerusalem: Thus lifting up the eye of your faith to the most high God, seeing and acknowledging the height of his wisdom, goodness, and mercy working your deliverance, will raise the conceptions of your high praises. Secondly, The Production. So will the exercise of your faith heighten your production also, by showing and causing you to confess, that as God was the efficient, so the Lord Jesus' sufferings was the meritorious cause procuring this deliverance from your temporal as well as spiritual bondage; It was the blood of Christ that brought all of you (that are true Believers) out of this house of bondage also; That was the red Sea in which your liberty came swimming to you; he was once bound, that you might be now free; Joh. 8. and if the Son make you free, then are you free indeed: For as by his stripes ye are healed, so by his bonds are you loosed; he died in custody, Isai. 53. under the hand and power of Heathenish Soldiers, that none of these Heathenish Soldiers (in whose custody you were) might have any power to lay violent hands upon you: Mat. 27. he was taken from his prison and judgement, that you might be taken from yours also; and when he ascended up on high, he led not only his own, but your Captivity captive: when you shall thus act your faith in beholding the Lord Jesus meriting this your dismission, Eph. 4. and coming along with your discharge, and delivering it unto you as a fruit of his sufferings for you, then will your Souls be enlarged, and your affections extended to a more ample production of the high praises of God. Thirdly, As you must, by the exercise of your faith, The Acceptation. heighten the production of your praises from yourselves; so their acceptation with God also: Faith will not only demonstrate God alone to be the original, and the Lord jesus the procurer of the mercy; but also be an effectual instrument to work high acceptation and respect to this your duty, whiles it will direct you to return all your high praises to God, by the hand of Christ alone, as their Altar and Presenter, Heb. 13.15. By him therefore let us offer up the Sacrifice of praise unto God; who as he is a Mediator, and praying Saviour, for the supply of our wants; so is he a praising Saviour, in the return of our thanks: His oders and incense alone must sweeten and presume the oblation of our praises: as well as prayers: your highest praises, if they be not presented by his hand, will be rejected in anger; if offered through his mediation, will be accepted with love and welcome, as the Philippians bounty, Chap. 4.18. an odor of a sweet smell, and a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. Let me now therefore conclude the first part of my Direction, for the heightening your praises in their conception inwardly, with the words of the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2.5. above and besides all that you have heard for that purpose before, approve yourselves, by this exercise of faith, to be Living stones, built up together into a spiritual Temple, and an holy Priesthood, to offer these spiritual sacrifices of highest praises, acceptable to God, by the mediation of jesus Christ alone. The conception of your praises being by these means thus raised inwardly, The outward expression of praise. proceed also to heighten their expression outwardly; let their birth be answerable to their conception, and their production to God as high as their birth in men; which will be effected, and the external expression of your praises much heightened, by a twosold gratulatory practice: First, In your words; Secondly, In your lives: The words of the Text lead me to this distinction, by holding forth not only the duty of high praises, that they are to be performed, but their manifestation also, how they are to be expressed; namely, first, by the mouth and tongue, the instrument of speaking: secondly, the twoedged sword and hand, the instruments of action; whereby the Psalmist doth manifest most evidently, that these high praises, that are conceived in the heart, must be expressed in the tongue and life: First then, Let the high praises of God be in your mouth, or in your throat, (as the Text hath it,) to note the extension of your voices in their expression, which is that which is commanded in the former verse, when the Saints are enjoined to sing aloud upon their beds, and Psa. 148.2. to praise God in the heights; that is, not only in high places to exalt his Name above the Heavens and Earth, but also in high expressions of words and voices, and therefore, Psa. 150.5. the Spirit of God requires that the Lord be praised not only on a well sounding Cymbal, or (as the Text is) a Cymbal of hearing, but also upon a high sounding Cymbal, that is, notes of highest exaltation and shoutings: All which Scriptures call upon you, as well as my Text, to let the praises of God be high in your mouths, publishing them in the highest expressions of his glory, and that principally these two ways; First, In a thankful celebration of them before others: Secondly, 1. By the tongue in celebration before men. Psa. 78.4 In a thankful commemoration of them between the Lord and yourselves. First, You must heighten them by your tongues, in an high celebration of them to others, by making joyful and perpetual confessions, professions, and declarations thereof to your brethren, and the Congregations of his people; that all you fathers make them known to your children, and they also make your deliverance and praises to be remembered by future generations: This is punctually prescribed to be observed in uttering praises for deliverances from bonds and imprisonment, Psa. 107. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, viz. for being the Author of their liberty, and declaring his wonderful works, in their deliverance, to the children of men; which also is in like manner observed in Peter's praise for his escape out of prison, Act. 12. where, besides the thankful confession of it to God, Vers. 17. he both declares it to the Congregation of Saints himself, and also requires the Church to make relation of it to others, and especially to James and john, who (being public persons) he knew would cause the praises of God to be remembered and celebrated therefore, in all the assemblies of the Saints, wheresoever they came; in conformity to whose practice, let me exhort you also to go tell your johns, and james, and other brethren, how great things God hath done for you in this your enlargement; so that, as the Spirit of God in your very case requires, Psal. 102. 18, 19, 20, 21. it may be written for the generations to come; and the people that shall be created, may praise the Lord for you and with you, saying, God looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth: To hear the groaning of us Prisoners, and to lose us that were appointed to death, That we might declare the Name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the Kingdoms to serve the Lord. Secondly, Heighten the verbal expression of your praises, 2. By Commemoration unto God. by a thankful Commemoration of God's great mercy in your deliverance, between the Lord and yourselves; the practice whereof I would have you learn from the Psalmist, Psal. 136. where he praiseth GOD with high praises; First, for the work of Creation, unto the tenth Verse; and then for the deliverance of his people from the Egyptian bondage and thraldom, Vers. 18. In both which he heightens the praises of GOD these two ways: First divides the total sum of GOD'S goodness into the several parcels and particular remarkable passages of his providence therein: Secondly, He multiplies and reiterates the expression and attribution of his praises, according to the nature and number of the particulars observed in his antecedent distinction; this is the method he observes in the first part of the Psalm, unto the tenth Verse; where he praiseth God for works of Creation, dividing the mercy, and multiplying the praise, according to the number of the special. Attributes and Actions of God observed therein. First he observes the attribute of Goodness of God, and then praiseth him for that; Oh give thanks unto the Lord, because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: Then observes him as God of Gods, Vers. 2. and praiseth him for that by itself; Oh give thanks to the God of Gods, for his mercy, etc. Then as Lord of Lords, Vers. 3. Then takes notice of his wonderful Power, By diviving the mercy. That alone doth great wonders, Vers. 4. Then of the attribute of his Wisdom in making the Heavens, Vers. 5. And having thus observed the distinction of Attributes in God, and multiplied Praises according to the number, of them, he than proceeds to the division of the total of his work into the principal parts of it, and multiplies his Praises according to the number of them; As first, His stretching out the earth above the waters, Vers. 6. Then the making great Lights, Vers. 7. The Sun to rule the day, Vers. 8. The Moon and Stars to rule the night. And as he observes this method of division of the mercy of Creation, and the multiplication of praises for it; so in praising God for their deliverance from bondage and their slavery in Egypt (which is more properly your case,) he first in the beginning of each verse doth distinctly observe the several parts and circumstances of their deliverance, as that he smote the firstborn of Egypt, and brought Israel from amongst them, and with a strong hand overthrew Pharaoh, and smote great Kings, and famous Kings, Sihon King of the Amorites, and Og King of Bashan; and unto every one of these particulars, adds a particular reiteration of the praise of God for the fame in the end of each verse, still inculcating and concluding, That his mercy endureth for ever; which is written for your learning and instruction, that you also, in praising God for your liberty, should particularise the total sum of your safety, and then to multiply and reiterate the expression of your praises accordingly: And multipliing the praise. Come therefore and sing unto the Lord a new Song, and praise him this day, in the Congregation of Saints; and with good Ezra, Heman, and Asaph, Ezra 3.10, 11. Praise ye the Lord after the Ordinance of David King of Israel; singing together by course, praising and giving thanks unto the Lord your God, because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: To the God of Gods, that stood by us when all other comforts sailed us, For his mercy endureth for ever: To the Lord of Lords, that hath subdued our Enemies under us, For his mercy endureth for ever; That rescued us from anger and rage of the multitude, when they first apprehended us at Chelmsford, For his mercy endureth, etc. That preserved us in the long march from Brantree to Colchester, For his mercy endureth, etc. That suffered not our Enemies to do us any harm, For his mercy, etc. That turned their hearts to be civil to us, For his mercy, etc. That secured us from the bullets that were shot through our chambers, For his mercy, etc. That made our society so comfortable whiles we were in custody, For his mercy, etc. That did provide for us meat and drink, plentifully, when our Enemies starved, For his mercy endureth etc. Who by his Spirit stirred up so many to pray for us, For his mercy, etc. And in his faithfulness answered those prayers, For his mercy, etc. That caused our Enemies to give us life, when they yielded themselves to death, For his mercy, etc. That after so many week's imprisonment brought us home with Honour, Safety, and Freedom, For his mercy endureth for ever. Thus if you shall begin to particularise your mercies, and then proceed in multiplying your praises, you will raise the expression of them, to be high praises of God in your Mouths, verbally, unto which the Text requires another and higher expression of them to be added: Namely, An actual raising them in your lives, The real expression of praise heightened. with a twoedged sword in your hands; which twoedged sword in your hands is not your own sword, but the Sword of the Lord, even the Sword that proceedeth out of his Mouth, the Word of God, which Word of God must be born in the hand of all those that have the high praises of God in their months, that both hand and tongue, celebration and action may concur in the expression of God's high Praises: Two ways were the expression of your praises verbally, viz. by Celebration and Commemoration; and two ways you must heighten them actually, namely, by the acts of Obligation and Vindication; and these two are written on the twoedged sword in your hands, I mean, the Word of God, which directs you actually to heighten your praises for your liberty. First, By acting with one edge of this Sword, in fight therewith for God and his glory. Secondly, By acting with the other edge of it, in fight therewith against Satan, and all his rout and company, whether they be Heathen, Vulgar, Kings, or Nobles; the former is accomplished in making your liberty a bond & Obligation upon you to promote the worship and glory of God; the latter by improving your liberty for due suppression and vindication against the Enemies of God. First, 1. By way of obligation to God. Therefore convert your broken bonds and chains (whereby you have been loosed from men) into cords of love, to bind you faster to glorify God; thus David actually expresseth his praise unto God for granting him liberty from men, Psal. 116. Because thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling; I will therefore walk before the Lord in the Land of the living: And thus the Lord himself teacheth the people of Israel, Exo. 20. to show their thankfulness for being brought out of the house of bondage, by making the consideration of it an Obligation to observe all his Commandments; I am the Lord thy God that took thee out of the house of bondage, therefore thou shalt have none other gods but me, nor bow down to any other, nor take my Name in vain; but sanctify my Sabbath: So argue your hearts unto real thankfulness for your freedoms, by making it an overpowering argument, and a prevailing motive to engage you to every duty which the Word of God shall call for at your hand; when no other reason can persuade, or motive induce you to be accurate and exact in walking with God, or be strictly cautelous and abstemious from the occasions and appearance of evil, then let the remembrance of your deliverance from prison, out of Colchester, overcome you to, and resolve with David, and declare, That because when the snares of death, and the sorrows of bondage did encompass you, in so great extremity, the Lord your God did so graciously and wonderfully deliver you, therefore you will wholly give up yourselves to do his Commands all the days of your lives, under the engagement of the strongest bond and Obligation. Secondly, 2. By way of Vindication against his enemies. Raise the actual expression of your praise with the twoedged Sword of God in your hand, by improving your liberty by way of Vindication, in executing vengeance upon the Heathen, punishments upon the People; by binding their Kings in chains, and Princes in fetters of iron; that is, to execute the Judgement written, according to the Rule of the Scripture (in your Callings and Places) to bring to condign punishment all the Enemies of God and his Church, of what rank or order soever they be, which you shall perform three ways, Origen: Ecumen: Chrisost: Moller. (according to the variety of Interpretations that are made of this act of Vindication and Execution of the Judgement Written, mentioned in the Text,) 1. Morally. 2. Instrumentally. 3. Politically. 1. Morally in your own persons, as you are distinct Members of Christ in yourselves, without relation to others. 2. Instrumentally in the Church, as you are joint Members of Christ's Church in fellowship with others. 3. Politically in the Commonwealth, as you are Magistrates, and in place of Government over others. First, As you are distinct Members of Christ, 1. Morally. so show your thankfulness in executing the Judgement written against the Enemies of God Morally: In your own bosoms are heathenish, popular, potent, reigning Enemies of God; against your heathenish sins execute the vengeance of penitential revenge, and the punishments of self-condemning and self-judging against your popular sins; the iron fetters of fasting and prayer, and the spirit of mortification upon your potentate and predominate sins. Secondly, As you are joint Members of Christ's Church, 2. Instrumentally. show your thankfulness in executing the Judgement Written Instrumentally; as God hath taken the chains and fetters from your feet most graciously, so do you in thankfulness therefore show your uttermost endeavours to take off the bonds and chains that are upon Ordinances, the Worship, the Messengers of the Gospel ministerially; so reasons and concludes Ezra, God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath showed us mercy, that we might set up the House of our God, and repair the desolations thereof: It cannot be unknown unto you what desolations hath been made, in the House of your God, in his Worship, against Christ Ministerial and Sacramental, by heathenish, popular, royal and powerful Enemies: I may truly say in the words of the Apostle, Ephes. 6. Flesh and blood, principalities and powers, worldly Governors of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places, have taken away the liberties thereof, and subjected it to heathenish, popular and royal bondage: It is your duty, and should be your work, to be Instruments (like Peter's Angel) to open the brazen gates, and unhinge the prison doors, that Christ Ministerial may be enlarged, and that the Gospel may run and be glorious, so shall you Instrumentally execute the Judgement Written upon the Gospel Enemies, for by it the Kingdom of Christ shall be exalted, the Heathen by the preaching of the Gospel converted from their Idolatries, the People by Scripture conviction and reproofs reduced from their profaneness and Heresies, the Kings and Nobles bound in chains and iron fetters, restraining their vices, and bringing their persons under bonds and subjection to the Gospel. 〈…〉 are Magistrates and Members of the Commonwealth show your thankfulness in executing the Judgement Written Politically, where also you shall meet with many heathenish, popular, royal and potent Enemies to lawful Government and Magistracy, whilst they are abettors and actors for Tyranny, Injustice, Oppression and Cruelty, do you execute the Judgement written upon these, and cast the chains and fetters of your power upon them, by restraining them from evil, by executing, preventing Justice on some, and by executing the vengeance of vindictive Justice upon the evil demerits of others; so that, as far as lieth in you, all may be brought to condign punishment that manifestly and wilfully break those bonds asunder, and cast away those cords from them wherewith and whereunto they were bound by our solemn League and Covenant: God hath made many of you Magistrates in your respective habitations and divisions, and so hath put chains and fetters into your hands, wherewith to hamper and fetter, to restrain and chastise the malefactors of all sorts and rank that are brought before you; it will be a most acceptable Sacrifice to God, and a real expression of your high praises to God for your own liberty, to execute lawful, political vengeance upon them, and with your chains and fetters to overcome them, by which means these your bonds shall become famous, your praises for your liberty become glorious, and God himself become propitious to you all, in perpetuating your liberty, and augmenting your felicities, and thus the Lord himself by your high praises be exalted, magnified and glorified, and you yourselves be rewarded and honoured, even with this honour, that is peculiar to all, and only his Saints, to have the high praise of God in their mouths, and a twoedged sword in their hands. FINIS.