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A61268 A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen at the Guild-Hall Chappel, Jan. 20, 1683 by John Standish ... Standish, John, d. 1686. 1684 (1684) Wing S5218; ESTC R13597 15,137 29

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of our Rejoycing It is the Natural effect of Adversity to make Men consider and grow Wiser To come to themselves to their right Wits like the Prodigal reduced to his last husk No Lectures of Morality make such Impression as those that are back'd with the Rod of Affliction no Law compels and forces its own Execution like that of Necessity which makes us say proverbially that hath no Law against it I remember Lactantius observes well that the very Pagans themselves when Scourged with depopulating Wars Contagious Diseases unusual droughts great Rains Inundations Storms Hurricans or any other grievous publick Calamity fall down on their knees presently to the GOD of Heaven and invoke him earnestly and unanimously with Prayers and Tears to divert and remove his Judgment from them To which he adds if any of them be reduced to extream Poverty and forced to beg his Bread from Door to Door he makes use of the Name of GOD as the most powerful Argument of his Petition beseeching Men for GODS sake to have pitty and Compassion on Him But then as he goes on postquàm metus deser uit c. So soon as ever they are well rid of that danger Fear or Misery they return in whole Shoals to the CONVENTICLES of their Idol Gods and Sacrifice all the time of their Prosperity to them Lact. Lib. 2. Divin Instit These were professed Heathen but what shall we say if some pretended Christians are not ashamed to Act the same part or something very like it I might bring in the Merchant in a Storm who will offer freely even to half nay all his Estate to Charitable uses rather then fail provided he may have his Life for a prey Skin for Skin will he venture for that but when that danger is once over and he got safe a Shore he forfeits his Vow and cheats his GOD by making some three-penny Largess or pitiful Alms to serve the turn Or I might tell you at large of the Woman in Travail who goes for a pure Saint a Seraphick Votress whilst the pangs of Death are upon her but soon after her more formal then hearty Acknowledgments she utterly forgets that great though common Deliverance But I shall only instance in the Man thrown into a Malignant Feaver by his own intemperance when the Disease grows upon him and begins to prey upon his Vitals insomuch that his ablest Physicians halt between two opinions whether he will Live or Die and himself finds small hopes of Recovery from within Oh! what Sighs and Groans are fetcht from the very bottom of his Heart what earnest Prayers what loud indefatigable Expostulations proceed out of his Mouth what an importunate Suit doth he present before the Throne of Grace that he may be spared a little little while and have space to Repent before he go hence and be no more seen what Golden Promises doth he freely pass what warm Protestations doth he make of his speedy Conversion Oh that I could but escape this one approaching Fiery Fit I would most certainly become a New Man I would Correct the dangerous Errors of my Ways Contemn the little Lusts and Vanities of the World and serve my GOD with all my Heart with all my Soul and all my Strength Sweet JESUS grant me but this one Request try me once more and if I be not henceforth a Reformed Man I ask no more Mercy then let me die the Death Truly the Man speaks well and who would not believe that he is in Earnest considering they are for ought he knows the last words he is to say Well! the Almighty hears and is overcome by his importunity He restores his Health and Strength beyond all humane expectation and renews the Lease of his Life for many very many Years Now is it possible for this Man to be worse then his word I am afraid No I am ashamed to tell you but rather refer it to your own daily and sad Experience Yet thus much I must needs say that if after all this he Relapse into his former wicked Life he is Vnjust as well as Ingrateful to his GOD and the last Estate of that Man must needs be far worse then the first Which that it may never be Verified of any of us I befeech you let us call to mind the time past and seriously reflect upon the Sacred Resolutions we took and Solemn Promises we made to GOD in our extreme distress and be careful with DAVID to pay all our Vows unto the most High 5. Lastly Consider we the true Reasons that moved GOD to turn our Captivity pluck down Enemies and Oppressors and Redeem us from a more than Egyptian Bondage to renew our former Peace and Happiness Restore our lost Religion and Ancient Government and give us Princes as at the first and Judges as at the Beginning For that Success must needs infer a good Cause is a Turkish fallacy which yet of late hath much imposed upon the Christian World Indeed it is an old mistake a Branch of Natural Pride in Men to attribute Victory and Deliverance to their own Sword their own Merit Prowess and Gallantry whereas they belong to a far different Cause But Moses hath long since determined against them in the Case of Israel Deut 9.4.5 Speak not thou in thy heart after that the Lord thy GOD hath cast thine Enemies out before thee saying for my Righteousness hath the LORD brought me in to possess this Land but for the Wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out Not for thy Righteousness or for the Vprightness of thine heart as he goes on for thou art a stiff-necked and gain-saying People Thus we ought not to impute our many and great Blessings and particularly the late Wonderful Deliverance of Our Gracious KING His only Royal Brother and all His Most Loyal Subjects out of the hands of those Blood-thirsty Men to our own Righteousness but to their Malicions Wickedness to GODS mere Mercy to us and Exemplary Justice upon them for their studied Marders Solemn Perjuries Notorious Sacriledg formed Conspiracies unwearied fowlest Treasons and which is the Spring of all their Motions their damnable Hypocrisy in making a mock of all Religion So many and such weighty reasons we have to remember HIM in the day of Peace and Triumph who remembred us when we were in trouble and saved us so lately when we were upon the very brink of Ruin and then especially to beware lest we forget the LORD To close up this Second general 't is a thousand pities that fair weather should do any harm that when the Sun is most prodigal of his wealthy beams and spends his richeft influence to maintain Natures Glory he should most tan her Beauty and scorch her Hair yet that it is so sometimes every drought can witness but it is not to be attributed to any blemish in the Sun that bright Eye of the World whose Rays are ever the same apt to cherish and preserve Life but