Mistake not here, I call you not to rejoice in the miseries or ca- lamities that are upon any this day, much less at the calamities c^ our late sovereign. He that searcheth my heart, knows I commi- serate his condition, and from my soul desire the Lord to bless his afflictions to his illumination and eternal salvation. But that whioh you are to rejoice in this day, is the advancement of Christ's interest in the world, and the salvation of his church from the imminent dangers it was so lately under ; and the prospect the Lord now gives you of far greater mercies to his people, than ever yet they enjoyed. These are the proper objects of our rejoicing.
(3.) Then have ^e a becoming sense of great mercies, when those mercies kindly thaw^ and melt our hearts into repentance fot' sinj and a sense of our great unworthiness of them ; when we abase ourselves under exalting providences. We greatly mistake our- selves, if we think England hath obliged God to be thus peculiarly favourable to it. It is astonishing to think, that a nation so swarm- ing with drunkards^ persecutors^ Jbrmalists in religion, yea, atheists and scoffers at all practical and serious piety, should nevertheless be thus favoured, delivered, and exalted in mercy above all the na- tions round about us. I know God hath a great number of pre- cious and upright-hearted ones in England, that have sighed and cried for the abominations committed m the midst thereof; but so far are they from arrogating, that they are every where admiring the goodness of God in unexpected mercies. They think, if he had given them their lives for a prey in some obscure corner of the world, he had done more for them than they could justly have ex- pected ; or if he had furnished them with a sufficient stock of faith and patience to stand quietly at the stake, and have glorified him in the midst of the flames, he had done more than they had de- served at his hands : but to be delivered from all those fears, to sit down in peace amidst pure gospel-ordinances, and to look on all these but as the beginnings of mercy, the dawning of a more bright and glorious day than ever yet this nation enjoyed ; this, I say, is melting and humbling indeed to all gracious spirits. It is a lovely- sight to see the tears of repentance overtaking the tears of joy and thankfulness ; sighs and blushes for sin, mixed with smiles and re- joicings in mercies.
(4.) Then do we answer the voice of mercy, and discover a suitable sense of it, when it strongly obliges us to new obedience, and more exactness in walking with God, for the time to come. AVe find an excellent example of both these effects of mercy, viz. repentance for past sins, and resolutions for new obedience, in Psal. Ixxix. 8, 13. " Remember not against us former iniquities," saith Asaph ; that was the frame of his heart as to past sins ; and then, ver. 13. as to the future, if he would let " the sighing of *' the prisoners come before him, and deliver those that are ap- " pointed to die,"" as he speaks ver. 11. then, saith he, " We " thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks *' for ever, we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.'" O England ! England ! thy God this day calls thee to thy knees, thoun;h it be thy day of thanksgiving and rejoicing : he expects to see thy tears upon thy cheeks this day for thy former iniquities, and that thou bind thyself to thy God with these bonds of ifnercy, never to return any more to folly. It is not bells and bon*
fires, but rcpentance for tliy past follies, and new obedietice, thy God looks for at thy hands.
(5.) Lastly, Then do we act becomingly to the mercies of God^ when mercies already brought forth, do encourage and strengthen our faith for those that remain still in the womb of the promises; So it was with Moses in my text, and oh that it might be so with us all ! our greatest and best mercies are yet to comcj but those we bless God for this day, are pledges and earnests of them : You see them not, neither did you see these you are now praising him for^ six months ago ; hath he caused these mercies to be brought forth, and will he shut up the womb ? hath he done things we looked not for, and shall he not be trusted farther than we can see? Look as the head of Leviathan was served into the Israelites' table in the wilderness, garnished about with rich experiences of the goodness and faithfulness of Godj that it might be food to their faith in the wilderness : so, much so are the mercies and deliverances of this day to be improved, for the encouragement of faith for fur- ther and future mercies.
Use, The point before us is full of useful instructions, cautions, and counsels. Time will permit me to do little more than note them to you ; because I have noted to you another point of doctrine^ which, should I omit, I should be wanting to the duties of the day, and your just expectations. Well then, have the mercies of God already performed such great things ? And do they require such a sense and improvement of them from us If Then,
(1.) Take heed of slighting and despising the mercies of God which are fresh and new before your eyes this day. There are two special duties incumbent on ail the saints under such mercies as these, viz. to observe the Lord's providences, and to resound his praises ; and the lattei* depends upon the former. God can have no praise, we can have no comfort from unobserved or slighted mercies, " Whoso is wise, and -vvill observe those things, even they " shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord/' Psal. cvii. 43. A due observation of mercies will beget a due valuation of them ; and a due valuation of mercies is fundamental to all your praises of God for them. Look upon the other side of these pro- vidences, and think what your condition had been, if the Lord had left your estates, hberties, and lives, to the wills and mercies of your enemies.
(2.) Check all atheistical thoughts from this experiment of th^ hand of God so seasonably interposing betwixt his people and their destruction. " Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth," Psal. Iviii. 11. Great and notorious is tlie atheism of these times : all serious piety is hissed and ridiculed ; the very existence of a Deity, and Divine providence is denied by some. But would men