at hand But God put forth his Voice and called back the proud Waters that they have not prevailed over us He hath brought us out and hath set our Feet in a large place Our Government is vindicated from Tyranny and Usurpation our Liberties and Rights rescued out of the Hands of Invaders our Religion preserved which we were afraid would have been lost and we hope all will be but the more furbish'd up and rendred brighter by those Rubs and Oppositions that it hath met with And must not we say that these are great things when the deepest Policies have been defeated Arms and Power have been turned against the Users a Deliverance wrought and yet so little Effusion of Blood in the procuring of it The Minds Counsels and Policies of Men turned about upon a sudden A mighty Revolution and yet almost without any noise A new Face of things appears which looks beautiful though it be not yet fully filled up II. Now let us consider then the Praise that is due to God for all this for all these great Things that he hath done for us For this Gladness which is in our Hearts should flow out in Praises to God for that is the best Expression both of Gladness and Gratitude which in such a case should always go together Oh clap your hands all ye People shout unto God with the Voice of Triumph For the Lord most high is terrible he is a great King over all the Earth Sing Praises to God sing Praises Sing Praises unto our King sing Praises God reigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holiness He is our Refuge and Strength a very present Help in Trouble The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Selah And now there are these four things to be considered in that Praise which is due from us to God at this time 1. It is to be acknowledged and confessed by us that it is his Work that it is he that hath done these great Things for us though it hath been by the Intervention of Means which he works as he commonly doth yet these Means are of his providing choosing exciting and become prosperous by his Assisting and Blessing and therefore though Means are to be valued and honoured in their places yet it is to God that the principal Tribute of Praise belongs And in all such cases we find that this hath been the Method of the Church to give God the Honour When Moses and Aaron brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt Moses was an eminent Instrument he was their Counsellour and Captain yet the Glory of the Deliverance is ascribed to God and these were but the Means Thou leddest thy People like a Flock say they by the Hand of Moses and Aaron Psal 77.20 So in the Victories of Deborah and Barak over Jabin and Sisera Praise ye the Lord say they for the avenging of Israel Judg 5.2 And so always when ever any Deliverer was raised up or any Deliverance wrought it is observed as the Lords doing still For this God is our God for ever and ever Psal 48.14 And therefore Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved of the Lord the Shield of thy Help and the Sword of thy Excellency And therefore thine Enemies shall be found Liers unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places as Moses speaks in his Blessing of the People Deut. 33. ult And this is the Churches constant Opinion and Sense of things as appears in that Psal 124. which is calculated for any times of Deliverance If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when Men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their Wrath was kindled against us our Help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth The like may we now say and it is unto God therefore that we must give the Glory of all that Mercy that we have received as the principal Author Exciter Promoter Worker of our Deliverance And there are several Things that do manifestly speak the Divine Counsel and Power and Providence to have been eminently in all this Affair in that there hath been such a strange Concurrence of all things to bring it about to the pass that 't is now in As besides the more remote Providences of former Years the present Ability and Wealth of that Neighbour State by whose Counsel and Assistance our great Deliverer under God was enabled to undertake this Enterprize they being together embark'd in the same common Protestant Interest with our selves And then the Concurrence of the States about in the same Design all the Protestants expecting to undergo the same Fate with us And moreover a general Union of the Popish Governours themselves against the French Nimrod upon whose Assistance the Popish Farty at home did build their Hopes as from him they had derived their Counsels and the very Winds and Elements made to conspire for the convenient Passage of the Troops that were engaged to help us And such an Union of all Parties that duly considered of things among our selves either to join in with the forreign Helps or at least not to oppose them as hath not been known in this Nation for a great while past For there was an Universal either Suspicion or Discontent in all Parties against the Power that is now fallen for fear either of its Frauds or Violences And it pleased God to enlighten at perswade those that were able to do most hurt by the Arms that they were impowered with not to concur with Usurpation and Tyranny to the Ruin of their Country but rather to give an helping hand by an amicable Conjunction with those that sought its Preservation And such a wise Counsel and Conduct hath been pursued in the Affair all along and such Shame and Guilt such Distrust and Trembling seized upon our Adversaries that there hath been nothing considerably to stop the coming of this Matter to such a blessed Issue as we could not foresee So that that is come to pass which neither they did fear at first nor we could hope That proud and fierce Jesuit that stood so near the Throne hath been heard to make a mock of Providence when in Discourse one said to him that God in his Providence would take care to maintain that Party that had Justice on its side He replied scoffingly What do you talk of Providence now a-days But he hath found there hath been a great and wise Providence that hath over-ruled all and hath outdone all his Counsels and Policies And it is our parts then to ascribe the Glory of all to this Holy and wise Providence as being in such an eminent manner concerned in bringing all about which we now hear and see in putting such a Spirit of Counsel and Courage in our great Deliverer providing sufficient Means
and Assistance and uniting all both at home and abroad to comply with the Undertaking or not to make any considerable Opposition Surely this is the Lord 's Doing and it ought to be marvellous in our Eyes Oh sing unto the Lord a new Song sing unto the Lord all the Earth Sing unto the Lord bless his Name â—and shew forth his Salvation from day to day For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised He is to be feared above all Gods Honour and Majesty are before him Strength and Beauty are in his Sanctuary Give unto the Lord O ye Kindreds of the People give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name bring an Offering and come into his Courts Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth the World also shall be established that it shall not be moved he shall judg the People righteously 2. The next thing then to be considered in this Duty of Praise is that as we acknowledg it to be God's Act so that we acknowledg it also to be an Act of free Grace and mere undeserved Mercy to us so that we must every way say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be given the Glory As our Help cometh of God for vain else would be the Help of Man so we must acknowledg that it is of God's mere Mercy that we are thus delivered and that we are not consumed It is only because his Compassions fail not This must always be remembred as Moses also tells the Jews upon their getting the Land of Canaan Deut. 9.4 Speak not thou in thy Heart after that the Lord thy God hath cast out these Nations from before thee saying For my Righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land But for the Wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee Not for thy Righteousness or for the Vprightness of thine Heart dost thou go to possess the Land but for the Wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee c. Whether it be for their Sins or no that there hath been such a strange change and Revolution among us I will not determine but I am sure it is not for our Merits For I doubt we have cause enough to lament and confess with Shame and Confusion as Ezra did the Sins of the People of the Jews Ezr. 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my Face to thee my God For our Iniquities are increased over our Heads and our Trespass is grown up unto the Heavens Since the Days of our Fathers have we been in a great Trespass unto this Day And therefore we must say as he ver 8. that it is all of Mercy that we have been delivered from any Evil that Grace hath been shewn us from the Lord our God to leave us a Remnant to escape and to give us a Nail in his Holy Place that our God may lighten our Eyes and give us a little reviving in our Bondage And God hath not forsaken us but hath extended Mercy unto us It is all Grace and Mercy and not Worthiness and Merit on our parts There have been blessed be God many pious praying Persons amongst us that have been earnest with God for Mercy and Settlement to the Land. But how many more are there that have been Cursers Swearers Atheists and prophane Wretches that have not had the Fear of God before their Eyes And we may well admire that the Oaths and Blasphemies of the many have not outcryed the Prayers of the few Swearing is a mere Defiance of Heaven without any considerable Temptation having nothing it it either of Prosit or Pleasure But yet is a Sin that hath got into all parts into Courts and Cities into Towns and Villages to the Country Man at his Plow and Cart and the Shop-keeper in his Shop to bind every little Bargain to bloat up a vain Discourse and to back every giddy Passion We have lived in an Age wherein Hell hath been as it were let loose and Rioting and Drunkenness Chambering and Wantonness Luxury and Intemperance have been very fashionable Accomplishments and Sin hath been grown downright impudent and hath outfac'd the Sun at Noon-day Whereas formerly as the Apostle tells us that they that were drunk were drunk in the Night as being the proper time to conceal such Works of Darkness Now we have had not only Night-Revellings but Day-excesses with a witness And whereas the Proverb used to be as drunk as a Beggar I am sorry to say that those of higher Quality have seemed to envy the Beggar 's good Name Sin hath taken Heart and hath dared to show it self and come abroad in Pomp having had the Examples and Encouragements of Persons of all Places and Qualities to countenance and back it so that there hath obtained almost an universal Corruption of Manners And then Uncleanness follows as the natural Consequent of all this and is always the Companion of a loose and wicked Age. As for Divine Worship and Adoration due to the great Creator of our Beings and our continual Preserver and Benefactor how little hath it been regarded by most Persons and Families and by many even on the Christian Sabbath it self That Day which hath been set apart for Divine Service and Worship for devout Meditations and pious Works hath been made with many a meer Market-day of Debauchery the best Day that the Devil hath and the worst day of all the Week or else a time of meer Visit and Idleness except what is just spent in some parts perhaps of the publick Service and which Men have been quite weary of too Yea how hath all that is Divine been exposed by Men of corrupt Minds the Holy Scripture it self burlesqued and droled at and how hath it been the Pride and Glory of wanton Wits to dare to speak against Heaven and to make a Scoff of Immortality Religion hath been decried in the Streets true Seriousness and Strictness have been esteemed a Crime Formality and a siery Zeal for particular Forms and Parties for Ceremonies and outward Garbs hath been with too too many thought a sufficient Commutation for substantial Piety and good Works to bow at the Name of Jesus and to be zealous for Church and Liturgy must atone with many for all manner of Debaucheries and Immoralities And what Bitterness and Envy have been among Neighbours How few have been clothed with Humility or have put on Charity which is the Bond of Perfectness But hard Censures and unjust Surmises Slanders and Backbitings Hatred and Strife have prevailed among those that should have lived together in mutual Love and Kindness Families and Neighbourhoods have been the Theater of unchristian Feuds and how have those that are joined in the same Societies rejoic'd in one anothers Falls and Miseries Yea Religion it self which should have meekned and united our Hearts hath been the very thing
A Thanksgiving-Sermon FOR Deliverance of this Kingdom FROM Popery and Arbitrary Power The Publisher to the Reader THIS Sermon had been published sooner had not the Carrier â—ept it several Weeks in his Hands before he delivered it yet I hope the pious Reader will not think it comes too late for publick Vse when he considers the Occasion and the Matter of it and how excellently well it is managed by the Reverend Author So great and amazing are the Providences of God towards us in England in delivering us from Popery and Arbitrary Power by the glorious Conduct of the Prince of Orange now our Gratious King that discourses of this Nature which so well represent the Glories of this Deliverance should never be esteemed unseasonable and 't is hop'd the Wisdom of the Nation will make the Duty of Thankfulness anniversary on this account that so the present and future Generations may praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to us the Children of Men in this Island I heartily wish our present Murmurers commonly called Grumbletonians would but seriously consider how conspicuously the Wisdom Power and Goodness of God appear in the late Revolutions I think then they would be convinced if they do not wilfully shut their Eyes against the Beams of Divine Majesty how great their Sin is in provoking the great God at the Red-Sea even at the Red-Sea of our Deliverance by hankering after the Onions and Garlick of Egypt I pray God open all our Eyes that we may know in this our Day the things that belong to our Peace before they be hid from us Amen ENGLAND's CALL TO THANKFULNESS FOR Her Great DELIVERANCE FROM POPERY and ARBITRARY POWER By the Glorious Conduct of the Prince of Orange now King of England in the Year 1688. In a Sermon preach'd in the Parish-Church of Almer in Dorsetshire on February the 14th 1688 / 9 By JOHN OLLIFFE RECTOR there LONDON printed for Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXIX PSALM cxxvi ver 3. The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad THE Design of our assembling together at this time is to render Thanks to Almighty God for the late great Deliverance which he has wrought for us from the subtile and dangerous Attempts of our Popish Enemies to subvert our Government and Religion and to implore his farther Blessing and Assistance that that may be perfected which is so happily begun And surely if we have been awake to take notice of things if we have had our Eyes open to see and observe the several Transactions of Providence which have been in our Behalf in this respect we cannot but think this a very reasonable Service And you will easily perceive the Words which I have read to you out of the Psalmist to be a fit Subject of my Discourse upon this occasion This Psalm was composed as appeareth by the subject matter of it at the return of the Jewish People from Babylon after their long and hard Bondage there which was a Mercy of so great and strange a Nature that it filled them with Admiration and Astonishment to consider of it that they could scarce believe their own Eyes and Ears in what they heard and saw but were so surprized with it that they thought it to be but a Dream or Delusion of their own Fancies ver 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity Sion we were like them that dream And the Heathen were as much amazed and startled at it as they ver 2. For then said they among the Heathens The Lord hath done great things for them It was the wonder of all that an Heathen Emperour of his own free motion should set at Liberty a captive People and send them to their own Land a People despised and scorned of all when it had been esteemed the Policy of all the former Kings to destroy and ruin that singular sort of Common-wealth that was separate from all People that had been the great Eye-sore of all the Nations about And this mighty Prince doth not only freely discharge them and send them back into their own Country but assists them in the building of their Temple and setting up the Worship of the true God of Israel whose Ordinances were different from all People well might they therefore be amazed and wonder at so strange a Revolution and turn of things And here in this verse now they ascribe and attribute all to God they own it to be his Work though Cyrus was the Instrument and that it was a great Work indeed which rightly called for Joy and Thankfulness The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad And that which the Jews here say in their Thanksgiving and Praise I think we of this Nation have cause likewise to say at this time viz. That the Lord hath done great things for us and that there is justly due to him a Tribute of delightful Praise now as there was from them then Let us consider therefore I. The great Things that God hath done for us And II. The Praise that is due to him for the same I. Let us consider the great Things that God hath done for us which will appear to be great indeed if we consider them even nakedly in themselves and much more if they are considered in their Circumstances First The Things which God hath done for us are very great in themselves For it is no less than the saving of our English Government from apparent Ruin the recovering of our Rights from Arbitrary Invasions the securing of our Liberties and Properties and above all the preserving our Religion which was in manifest Hazard of being undermined and destroyed and the preventing the Massacres and Bloodshed which probably must have attended the same It is agreed on all hands that the English Government was in the way to ruin the force of Laws even in themselves as Laws was enervated and many mortal Blows were given to the Legislative Power it self in its very Fundamentals and the Rights of Men imbodied in Corporations and the particular Liberties of Persons were no longer secure to any when once they stood in Competition with Popish Designs But this inslaving of our Bodies and depriving us of our outward Rights was the least of those Miseries that were growing upon us and which we were already in part groaning under That which is worse is the Inslaving of our Souls and Consciences by a mighty Power which goeth to check-mate it with Almighty God himself This was coming on us amain like an overflowing Deluge invading the Land. For those that think most moderately of the Administration of things before must allow that all that Liberty that was promised or given was no farther intended than as it was hoped it might be an Introduction to a more Arbitrary Invasion of our Laws and a means of Establishment and Increase of the Romish Religion among us And it is well known what the
as a Thief if they did not watch so that they should not know â—n what Hour he would come upon them This is partly true of us now he hath come on us indeed like a Thief as to the Suddenness of it but it hath not been to kill and destroy but in one Hour as it were is all this Salvation unexpectedly wrought Surely we have seen strange things to day And now considering his wonderful Grace and Kindness to us together with our former Sins and Ingratitude 't is high time for â—s to awake to Repentance and to give up our selves to him in an Holy intire Obedience We must repent then of our past Wickedness and set up a present Reformation that our Mercies may be lasting to us and may be intailed upon the Generations to come We had need all of us mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David and the Family of the House of Nathan and the Family of the House of Levi and the Family of Shimei And it doth not at all an become the Solemnity of this Day when we are returning Thanks for Mercies yet bitterly to bewail our Sins which inhance the Greatness of God's Mercy to us and might have justly made us to have expected other things And O that God would be pleased to pour out a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication upon all Flesh among us for that End But we must not only reflect with Sorrow upon times past our chief Work is yet to come And that is that we labour for a thorow and National Reformation which though we that are in private Capacities cannot do much to yet we should labour to do what we can that as we have contributed to the national Guilt by our Omissions and evil Practices and Examples so now we may by the same ways promote a National Repentance And what we cannot do our selves let us help by our devout and earnest Prayers at the Throne of Grace that Holiness beginning at the Throne may flow down through all the Channels of Office and Magistracy to the meanest Person of the Land. Let not Holiness suffer for the Miscarriages of some of its Professours But let Piety come into Reputation again and let it be an Honour to Men to be as good as may be which would soon be if all in high place would publickly own and defend it We have good Laws already that all agree in for the suppressing of all Irreligion and Immorality There is no party can have the Face to desire and beg a Toleration here Let these be put into Execution and let Vice be outfac'd that hath been so bold and impudent among us so long If Men will rant and damn and swear and be drunk let them do it in Corners but let them not dare to appear abroad to infect others by their pestilent Breath If Men will dare to affront God and commit Villanies and Excess let them be stigmatized and let a Mark be set upon them that they may become the Observation and Scorn of all if they forfeit Pity by their Irreclaimableness If Men will not become truly religious yet however they ought to be kept from abusing Religion There is no civiliz'd Nation but hath always thought Religion and Vertue its greatest Honour and Interest Atheists themselves will allow that 't is convenient for the publick Good. And therefore those that decry and discourage it or give Countenance to Irreligion and Sin ought to be accounted the very Pests of Mankind and are really the worst of Traitors and Enemies that any State can have And the greatest Kindness therefore that we can show to our Native Country is by becoming truly religious and good This is the way to engage God on our side to prevent the Miscarrying of that Deliverance at last that hath had so blessed a Beginning and to obtain a Blessing upon the publick Counsels and Endeavours and doth in its own Nature tend to promote the Honour the Quiet and the Happiness of the Land. If Parents would be religious in educating their Children and would but take as much Pains to instruct and nurture them up in the Knowledg of God as they do teach them any Arts and Sciences If rich Men and Gentlemen would be religious and there by influence their poor Neighbours to like and practise the same If publick Officers would be religious and restrain Sin as they might by their Example and Authority If they that teach others to be religious would be truly religious themselves and become Examples of it to the Flock then we should soon have as it were new Heavens and a new Earth and if we would but thus do our Duty to God and our Neighbour we may be sure he will not fail to pour down his Blessings upon us Let us therefore all consider our ways and as now we rejoice and are glad at the great and strange things that God hath done for us let us see that we make a grateful Return to God of a suitable Obedience let Religion be our Study in all its parts let us keep his Sabbaths and observe his Ordinances let us read and study his Word to this end that we may be better and let our Delight be in the Law of the Lord let us tremble at his Name and do his Will let us fly from Sin and mortify our Lusts let us particularly see that we remember the new Commandment of our blessed Saviour that we love one another and that we live together as Brethren Let us consider that Religion doth not consist in Meat and Drink but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And let this our Sion be filled with Judgment and Righteousness And Oh that Wisdom and Knowledg may be the Stability of our times and Strength of our Salvation and that the Fear of the Lord may be our Treasure Then the Work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the Effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever then Violence shall no more be heard in our Land nor Wasting and Destruction in all our Borders but we shall call our Walls Salvation and our Gates Praise And the Lord shall be unto us an everlasting Light and our God our Glory The Sun shall no more go down neither shall the Moon withdraw her self For the Lord shall be our everlasting Light and the Days of our Mourning shall be ended FINIS Books lately Printed and Sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard relating to the great Revolutions and Affairs in England 1688 1689. AN Account of the Reasons of the Nobility and Gentry's Invitation of the Prince of Orange into England Being a Memorial from the English Protestants concerning their Grievances with a large Account of the Birth of the Prince of Wales presented to their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange A Collection of Political and Historical Papers relating to the Present Juncture of Affairs in England in eleven Parts which will be Continued from Time to Time according as Matter occurs A Brief History of the Succession of the Crown of England c. Collected out of the Records and the most Authentick Historians written for the Satisfaction of the Nation Wonderful Predictions of Nostredamus Grebner David Pareus and Autonius Torquatus wherein the Grandeur of their Present Majesties the Happiness of England and Downfall of France and Rome are plainly Delineated With a large Preface shewing That the Crown of England has not been obscurely foretold to their Majesties William the 3d and Queen Mary late Prince and Princess of Orange and that the People of this Ancient Monarchy have duly contributed thereunto in the present Assembly of Lords and Commons notwithstanding the Objections of Men of different Extremes Julian's Arts to Undermine and Extirpate Christianity c. By Samuel Johnson The Impression of which Book was made in the Year 1683 and has ever since â—â—in buried under the Ruins of all those English Rights which it endeavoured to defend but by the Auspicious and Happy Arrival of the Prince of Orange both They and It have obtained a Resurrection The Mystery of Iniquity working in the Dividing of Protestants in order to the subverting of Religion and our Laws for almost the space of thirty Years last past plainly laid open With some Advices to Protestants of all Perswasions in the present Juncture of our Affairs To which is added A Specimen of a Bill for uniting of Protestants Liberty of Conscience now highly necessary for England humbly represented to this present Parliament A Friendly Debate between Dr. Kingsman a dissatisfied Clergy-man and Gratianus Trimmer a Neighbour Minister concerning the late Thanksgiving-Day the Prince's Descent into England the Nobility and Gentries joining with him the Acts of the Honourable Convention the Nature of our English Government â—â—e Secret League with France the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy c. With some Considerations on Bishop Sanderson and Dr. Falkner about Monarchy â—â—thâ— c. Written for the Satisfaction of some of the Clergy and others that 〈…〉 under Scruples By a Minister of the Church of England 〈…〉 reproved in a Sermon on 1 Cor. 10.10 By Mr. Hopkins