BERACHAH, OR, England's Memento TO THANKFULNESS, BEING An Hymn or Spiritual Song setting forth the Praises of God, and extolling the wondrous works which He hath wrought for the Church of England a late, drawn forth from the Scriptures, especially those Songs made upon the like occasion, and composed together, to draw out our hearts the more in Praises. PSAL. 66. 2. 3. Sing forth the honour of his name, make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible are thou in thy works? through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. JER. 10. 16. The portion of jacob is not like them, for he is the former of all things, and Israel is the Rod of his Inheritance, the Lord of Hosts is his Name. Robert Earl of Essex his Exellence Lord General of the Parli mts: Army etc: The most Excellent S Thomas Fairfax Captin General of the Armies etc: Hallelujah. a Exod. 15. 1. etc. COme, let us sing unto the Lord, for gloriously hath he Triumphed, horse and rider both thrown down together be. The Lord hath been our strength, and he therefore shall be our Song. He hath become still unto us, salvation all along. note 1 He is our God, haste to prepare note 2 his habitation. Our Father's God, Come let us then exalt him every one; note 3 The Lord he is a man of war, jehovah is his name. b Psal. 68 17. His Charets twenty thousand are and he amidst the same, c Exod. 15. 6. etc. Thy right hand Lord hath shown itself in power gloriously, In pieces Lord thy right hand hath dashed the Enemy, And in the greatness of thine own excelling ex'lency, Thou hast o'erthrown, against thee, who themselves did magnify. Thou didst send forth thy wrath, and it consumed them suddenly, Like as the fire doth consume the stubble that is dry. d Dan. 4. 37. so confessed that great Monarch. Who walk in pride, thou able art full low for to abase: And such who are despised canst raise, And set up in their place. Let all thy people unto thee O God our God give praise, Let every one speak well of thee and bless thy name always. e Exod. 15. 11. O Lord among the mighty ones what one is like to thee? f Psal. 89. 6. Or who in earth, or in the heavens with thee compared may be? Who is like thee so glorious in holiness, and in note 4 Praises so fearful, wonders great still every day doing? g Psal. 92. 5. O Lord how glorious are thy works! thy thoughts are very deep: h Psal. 77. 13. In the Sanctuary some refer it to heaven, in the Sanct: (i. e) high and excellent above our apprehension; or in the Sanct: (i. e.) hidden from the eyes of the world, etc. Thy way is in the holy place thou secret it dost keep. i Psal. 92. 7. For when the wicked sprang as grass, note 5 and when did flourish all The workers of iniquity, together did they fall. Selah. k job 20. 5. God's enemies triumphing's short, when like the Cedars tall, They spread and lift aloft their head, as dung they perish all. l Exod. 15. 9 This especially was the insulting language and carriage of the enemy after the taking of Bristol, Bolton, Leicester, etc. The Enemy said, I will pursue, them overtake will I, I will divide the spoil, on them my Justice will satisfy: I will my sword draw, and my hand at once them now shall slay, Thou didst but speak the word and they forthwith were swept away. Selah. m judg. 5. 41. Thy foes which are implacable so perish in thy sight, But who thee love be as the Sun when marching in his might. Let all thy people unto thee O God our God, etc. n Psal. 68 20. Our God he is the God to whom salvations do belong, Of life and death he doth dispose his enemies among. note 6 o Mounts of prey, or the Mountains of the Lions & the Leopards (i. e.) the Kingdoms of this world which are full of rapine and extortion, and make prey and spoil one of another like wild beasts, but the Lamb on Mount Zion excels them all in power and gl●ry. Glorious art thou, more excellent than all the mounts of prey: The stout in heart are spoiled, have slept their sleep, their hands have they Not found, who are the men of might, O thou art to be feared, Even thou, for who could stand before Thine anger when't appeared? o job 12 21. Thou powr'st contempt on Princes high, and weak the strength dost make Of mighty ones, and in their crafts note 7 p job 12. 13. the subtle ones dost take. Higgai●n Selah. Their close and hidden purposes thou dost defeat likewise, So that their hands cannot perform that which their heads devied. q 1 Sam 2. 2. 3. There is none holy as the Lord, besides him there is none, Nor rock unto the Lord our God like is there any one. Let not the enemy then talk so high, nor be so stout, Neither let arrogancy still forth of their mouths come out. For why? the Lord he is a God of knowledge, and doth try men's actions, and the hidden things of darkness doth descry. Selah. note 8 Let all thy people, etc. r Psal. 148. 13 Let us exalt his name, his name alone is excellent, His glory is above the earth above the firmament. O who is like to Zions God who dwelleth so on high, s Psal. 113. 5. 6. That in beholding things in heaven himself humbleth thereby. t Neh. 9 5. His Fame is more glorious than tongue of men and Angels can express. Come let us bless the Lord this God for ever more always: And blessed be his glorious name which is above all praise. u Psal. 76. 12. jun. Vindemial: gathereth as grapes, The destruction of the mightiest to him is but as the nipping of a bunch of grapes with men, etc. The spirit even of Princes he cuts off at once, yea he Is terrible to Kings on high or great so they be. w 1 Sam. 2. 8. etc. The Pillars of the earth they are the Lords, and he hath set This world upon them, he will save his Saints, and who shall let? The adversaries of the Lord in picaes shall be broke. And those who will not stoop to Christ but still resist his yoke, In darkness they shall silent be, their hearts for fear shall fail: For there is none that shall by strength of potency prevail. x Psal. 116. 12. Gen. 32 10. What shall we render to the Lord? or what can render we, For all his benefits, ourselves, less than the lest who be? Let all thy people, etc. a (i. e.) The Lord is there Ezek. 48. 35. jehovah Shammah, Taunton we note 9 many call for God was there. Selah johovah nissi, Gloucester, note 10 For he their banner were, b (i e.) The Lord my banner Exod. 17. 15. So was he the banner of that place and people, in a most glorious, gracious, wonderful and never to be forgotten manner: in enabling such an unlikely place, but an handful in comparrison, to stand it out so long, when no relief could be had, against such a potent and numerous Army, who having taken Bristol were so flush, that they thought presently to have swallowed up all before them, etc. But unto God the Lord belong the Issues from death. c (i. e.) The Lord will see or provide, as it is said, to t● is day, even to this day, our days, in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen: yea the Lord hath oft been seen in the Mount of late, we might call many other places so, he hath still made his people's extremity, his opportunity. And he appears in the mount, that so he might be seen, and his people take notice the more of his glorious workings for them. But especially he appeared in the behalf of a despised army at Nazeby; O that never to be forgotten victory there! How sad had our condition been? What had become of the associated Counties had not the Lord appealed in that nick of time? Pride there being a highest forthwith fell, and could never since recover itself again. Halleluiah. johavah jareth, Nazeby. said we likewise well may call. For there i'th' mount the Lord appeared, and lofty ones did fall. Selah. Let them confess then, greater than all gods, the Lords to be. d Exod. 18. 11. For wherein they dealt proudly, him above them they might see. e Psal 93. 3, 4. The floods did there lift up their waves, the waters high did roar. But they forthwith began to ebb, and could prevail no more. Selah. And now the wondrous works O God since done for us by thee, f Psal. 40. 5. So many are, in order none note 11 can reckon them to thee. g Psal. 145. 5 The generation yet to come thy works shall celebrate. And eke declare the mighty acts which thou hast wrought o'late. h Psal. 34. 3. Come let us magnify the Lord, and let us every one Exalt his Name together, and for ever call upon i Psal. 45. 19 His Name, for he hath not unto the Seed of jacob said, Seek ye my face in vain; but hath full good his promise made. note 12 k berachah (i. e) Blessing and Praise. 2 Chron. 20. 26. 〈◊〉 our heart breathe our months yea our whole lives speak nothing but praise and thanksfulnesse, that so we may show forth, yea ●…use to 〈◊〉 forth the praises, the praises of Him, who hath so abundantly and apparently shown forth his salvation for us: Let the Church's name in Engla●d be called the Church of Berachah, Blessing and praise to all generations. 2 Chron. 20. 26. Berachah to the Lord our God both hearts and mouths now be, Yea, our whole lives, Berachah, yea Berachah, wholly we. Halleluiah. Unto thee O God do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks for that thy Name is near, thy wondrous works have declared. Psal. 75. 1. Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God: for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. The Lord buildeth up Jerusalem, etc. Psal. 147. 1, 2. (1) As often before, so especially more eminently, and frequently, since this Parliament began. Nou. 3. 1640. first in making way for it, yea in commanding it again even beyond our expectations, after it was once dissolved, and the Sun of our hopes as instrumental seemed to be set, and in removing, what might impede the continuance of it for the future. Secondly, in preserving Parliament, City, and Kingdom, from utter ruin ever since: notwithstanding all the hostile power, Machiavilian policy, Achitophelian counsel abroad, and secret plots, and subtle and crafty undermine at home. Look bacl to the demanding of the five honourable Members after an hostile manner, etc. Jan. 4. 1641. The preserving of Hull, and that notwithstaning Sir John hotham's since proving treacherous, etc. The great victory at Edge-hill, Octob. 22. 1643. Nowberry, Nampwich, where Byron with that bloody, barbarous, and cruel enemy, had a very great defeat, and was utterly touted, and where besides other remarkable passages, there were taken an hundred and twenty Irish women with long Skeans. And so I might pass on, but for a more exact relation of these and others, see that List lately printed of the many victories under his Excellency the Earl of Essex, etc. and his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax. (2) When God is rebuilding our houses, than we should hasten especially to build his house Hag. 1. 4. Those many and great victories vouchsafed of late call for, yea impose this charge on those especially, it most concerns, so much the more to hasten the preparing and finishing his habitation, Ezra 1, 2. The more he doth for the Kingdom, the more should be done in and for his Church, etc. (3) A man of war, Hebr. ish milchama, vir belli, Nomen viri hic cum adjectione nihil, aliud significat quam praestantiam virtutis qua Deo tribuitur, & vicem habet adjectivi quasi, quis diceret, bellator fortis, animosus, praestantissimus aut magnanimus, a most excellent warrior. (4) Fearful in praises, Hebr. Nora tehilloth, terribilis laudibus, terrible in praises, Jun. reverendus, quasi maxima reverentia landandus: we should fear when we praise him, because we cannot praise him as is meet, His glorious name is exalted above all praise and blessing. Neh. 9 5. or, who by thy excellent and famous works causest thyself to be feared. (5) Several times, and in several places, as at Edge-hill, Namptwich, Marston Moor near York, but especially at Naseby. Tolluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore cadant. And how suddenly did that blazing Comet in the North, which seemed to portend such direful things, when at highest, fall down to the earth, and was trodden under foot? I mean Montrosse and his Confederates, O how marvellous, how seasonable, how sudden, was that turn of things, Sept. 16. 1645. a time never to be forgotten, in which our Brethren had as it were a resurrection from the dead, Micah 7. 8. rejoice not, etc. and ver. 10, etc. (6) Unto God the Lord belong the issues from death, or go out from death. How often have our brethren in several parts of this Kingdom of late been in the very valley of the shadow of death, and there seemed to be no issue, nor passage out, nor escaping, yet the God who keeps all the ways and passages, that lead out from death, hath opened them, let them out thereat, and delivered them. We might see the truth of this wonderfully confirmed formely in 88, when the enemy had (as it were) environed this Island with (as they called it) an invincible Armado. In the fifth of November remember, who could then have let us out of death, had not the Lord himself unto whom belong the issues from death, etc. So more lately and most especially, at the Town of Lyme so long besieged, and as it were surrounded: and that by such a formidable Army, stormed twelve several times, and much of the Towneburnt, and yet let out from death. So likewise at Taunton, Gloucester, Marston Moor, etc. it was apparently seen, that unto God the Lord alone, and not to our enemies belong the issues from death. (7) Neither power, nor policy, neither strength, nor stratagems, nor all the wisdom and craftiness of man, can stand before the Wisdom, and Power of God, Prov. 21. 30. He breaks their power, and takes them in their craftiness, yea he turns their crafts and politic counsels against themselves; He destroys them not only in their, counsels, but by their counsels; makes their own weapons wound them. This hath been a visible truth, and frequently obvious in these our days, so that he who runs may read it in the Book of God's wonderful providences of late. Thus the Lord comes to be known by the judgement which he executes, the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands, Higgaion Selah, rem meditandam sum, Jun: Mark and meditate, Psal. 9 6. (8) How many hidden things of darkness in these few years hath the God of glory been pleased to bring to light, and those horrid designs which lay so low under ground, and were carried on in such a clandestine way, hath he discovered and made visible before the Sun, and manifest in the eyes of all: (To give you only one hint) the discovery of the plot, contrived by Waller, Tompkins, Challener, etc. The surprising that Cabinet of letters at Naseby, & many other letters intercepted both before & since. The Irish Cabinet taken in the carriages of the Archbishop of Tuam, etc. Job 12. 22. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. Jun: rem abstrusissimam, That which is most secret and seems to be buried in eternal ignorance, Hallelujah. (*) Who shall let? This in a special manner appeared at Lyme; The Lord preserving that poor people there against Prince Maurice, and all that formidable Army, notwithstanding so long a siege, and storming the same at least 12. several times and burning much of the town: yet after all they could do, this potent and formidable Army being, mouldered (as it were) quite away was forced to raise their siege, and to return with shame of face, as once Senacherib, 2 Chron. 32. 21. Here the bower of the mighty men were broken. And they that stumbled were girt with strength, 1 Sam. 2. 4. Halle lujah. (9) In the glory of his power, goodness, and mercy in enabling such a poor people to withstand so many long Sieges, and fierce assaults of a potent enemy, and in sending them relief several times still so seasonably, and raising the siege wh●n in extremest distress. How hath the Lord there, as also at Lyme, Gloucester, Naseby, etc. shown his people the power of his works, He sent redemption to his people: He hath made his wonderful works so honourable and glorious for ever to be remembered: The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Hallelujah. Psal. 111. 4. 6. etc. (10) Where after the surrendering of Bristol. His Majesty in Person with all his formidable Army drawn off from thence, and other garrisons, did lie in siege at least a month, and yet could not prevail, but upon his Excellency the Earl of Essex with the City forces approach withdrew, and after had a very great defeat at Newberry never to be forgotten: where the City brigade did most honourable and gallant service. By strength shall no man prevail: O for ever let it be remembered what our condition was at the surrendering of Bristol, and how gloriously and graciously the Lord then wrought for us when no Army in the field. We have seen the go, even the going, of thee our God, and our King: Thy wonderful gracious providence in enabling that garrison so long to hold out at such a time abroad, and in preserving the City and other places at home. Digitus hic Dei. Hallelujah. (11) See a List lately printed of the victories obtained under the Command of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, containing 120, besides a list before that of the victories obtained under the Command of his Excellency the Earl of Essex containing 175. in all 295. These are most worthy our reading, due observing, as also ever reserving by us, Psal. 40. 5. Many are the wonderful works O Lord our God which thou hast done etc. Our meditation of thee shall be sweet, we will be glad in the Lord, Psal. 104. 34. (12) Take only one instance, and that long ago, to omit later which are very many, which myself observed, when our forces lay in siege before York, 1644 and Prince rupert's, and the marquis of Newcastles Armies, with all the scum of Lancashire, both Atheists and Papists, were combined and gathered together, and ready to engage with our forces. That week their was extraordinary seeking to God by fasting and prayer in the City. There were at least four days set apart in public. And at the closure of the last, w●ich was kept in Milk-street being Friday, came joyful news of that wonderful overthrow given to that cruel and bloodthirsty enemy at Maston Moor, which was so much the more welcome news, because our hearts were sadded a little before at the report of our siege being raised before York. But God turned all for the b●st: and indeed there were many remarkable passages in that victory, (as there have been likewise in others) which deserve to be written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond, and to be graved upon the table of our hearts, and that one was none of the least remarkable, that it being the counsel of many of their chief Commanders to have marched into the associated Counties, it pleased the Lord (unto whom for ever be the praise) to frustrate that counsel; because he had a purpose of bring evil upon that Popish Arm: there being slain there of them on the place 4500. and taken 1500. 2 Sam. 17. 14. And Absolom and all the men of Israel said. The counsel of Hushai the A●chite is better than the counsel of A chirophell: for the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Achitophel, (wicked in itself) but good (i. e. wise and effectual for the attaining Absoloms' end) to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absolom. Psal. 65. 1, 2. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that bearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Exod. 17. 11. And it came to pass, that when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed. By R. P. Minister of God's Word. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy. London Printed by M. S. for John Hancocke in Popes-Head Alley. 1646. FINIS.