mighty Power was the Author of it There are two places I know alledged by a Great Man which he thinks sound this way 1 Pet. i. 7. and 1 Tim. vj. 14. But it is far more agreeable to the coherence of those places to expound them of the Appearing we still expect Of which we may look upon his coming to destroy his Crucifiers and save his Servants as an Emblem and as a Pledg For it demonstrated both the Power of our Lord Jesus and his Faithfulness to his word assuring us that He will one day crown the patience and constancy of all his Friends with Eternal Life and punish the insolence of his Enemies with everlasting Fire However it is past all doubt that in this place I am treating of the Apostle speaks of the last and greatest appearing of our Saviour to finish the work of our Redemption and bestow the Crown of Righteousness which is laid up in Heaven for all that love him Which part of our Christian Faith I have shewn is to be understood in this manner That our Lord will in person present himself once more to the World and be seen at the last day to be what he is the King of Angels and Men and all Creatures For as at his first coming into the World He appeared in our likeness which the Ancients called his Epiphany a name that still sticks to the last day of the Feast of his Nativity and as He appeared in the same likeness when He rose from the dead and in that form and nature of a man went up into Heaven and still keeps it there as several have seen since his Ascension so he will in like manner appear in the end of the world only in greater Majesty and Glory as becomes Him who is over all God blessed for ever Amen ix Rom. 5. CHAP. III. A further Illustration of the APPEARING of our Lord Jesus Christ THERE is nothing to be added to what hath been said but only this That the word Epiphany or APPEARING denotes not meerly the presenting of himself in Person to the view of all the World but the whole SHOW as we call it that will accompany his coming from Heaven and all the things that shall be done by him as the Lord and Judge of the World He sits now on the Throne of his Glory and there shines in the splendor of the Divine Majesty and in that Majesty will one day descend from thence into this Air which the King of Heaven will never suffer his Son to do without a most Royal and Glorious Attendance sutable to the quality of his Person and to the dignity of his Office which is to judge the quick and the dead This illustrious SHOW is described by our Apostle in the 1 Thes iv 16. where he tells us that first of all He shall descend from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a SHOVT That is with great Acclamations such as use to be made when a mighty Conqueror appears and rides in Triumph Thus we learn to understand it from xlvij Psal 5. where God is said to be gone up with a SHOVT the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet That is the Ark which was the token of Gods Presence among them returned to Mount Sion with great and joyful Ovations of all the people after the conquest they got by the Divine aid over their powerful enemies In such a manner will our Saviour descend as being about to compleat his Victories by conquering Death it self the last enemy that shall be destroyed For all the Heavenly Hosts we may well conceive will be wonderfully pleased to see him go forth upon this design and calling upon each other to perform to him the most cheerful service upon that great day will rejoyce to wait upon him in that most glorious Action and triumph before-hand in the assured Victory which he will get over Hell and the Grave 2. For then saith the Apostle will be heard the voice of the Archangel that is one of the chief Leaders and Commanders of the Coelestial Hosts MICHAEL I suppose the Protector of the Christian Church shall march before his Majesty calling aloud to all the rest of that Heavenly company to follow after in their order 3. And then will the Trump of God sound which the Apostle adds to signifie after the manner of men the powerful summons which will be issued forth to alarm all the World to attend at this great solemnity For the gathering of the Congregation of Israel together was by the sound of a Trumpet as we find among other places in iv Jer. 5. Blow ye the Trumpet in the land cry gather together and say Assemble your selves To which the Apostle seems to allude and calls it the Trump of GOD to distinguish it from all other and to express such a mighty and penetrating sound as shall be heard every where Such an one as is fit to precede none but GOD the Father Almighty himself or Him that holds his place his only begotten Son when he comes to judge the World In short this seems to be an expression borrowed from the appearance of God at Mount * So Thenphylact other Greek Interpreters Sinai whither all Israel being to be gathered together they were summoned thither by Thunders and Lightnings and a thick cloud and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud which made all the people tremble xix Exod. 16. So that the meaning of the Apostle is that our Lord shall come as the Great King of the World in a most venerable Majesty which shall make all Mankind stand in awe of him and tremble before him as the Israelites did at the Appearance of the Divine Majesty on Mount Sinai And a great deal more For 4. When he appears it will be as I have intimated already with innumerable glittering troops of Angels all clothed in very bright and shining Clouds as his Guard or Retinue to attend upon him So we are informed in several other places For the Son of Man saith our Lord himself xvj Mat. 27. shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Which Saint Luke expresses thus more fully ix Luk. 26. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in his own glory and in his Father's and of the holy Angels Some of which glorious Creatures appeared to the Apostles and told them as much when they stood gazing after our Saviour as He ascended up into Heaven i. Act. 11. This same Jesus say they which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven Now he went thither in a most illustrious manner in the bright Clouds of Heaven attended by the Coelestial Ministers who came to conduct him into his Glory For that is the meaning it were easie to shew if this place were
it is of grace and bounty and with what unwearied kindness it delights to communicate its blessings to us And what is there that we would see which is comparable to this What can we desire to see but more of this even when we are made perfect in love And what thanks do we owe to God that we see so much It ought to stir up all that is within us to bless his holy name We ought to say every day will I bless thee and praise thy name for ever and ever But for this also we must be beholden to love For it is that which indites all our Hymns and meditates the Divine Praises It puts the songs of joy into our mouth and fills our hearts with thanksgiving Our tongues are tyed without this or we do but babble not speak our Saviours praises It is love that bursts out into such effusions as these O praise the Lord of love who humbled himself do dwell among us Praise him in the beauties of his holiness praise him in his super-excellent wisdom Let all his works praise him who came to us with his hands full of Miracles and every miracle full of mercy O praise him in his almighty and most merciful kindness which made the lame to leap like a Kid and the tongue of the dumb to sing for joy which opened the eyes of the blind to see his wonders and the ears of the deaf to hear the wisdom where by he spake which restored the sick to health and the dead to life which published the Gospel to the poor and instructed the ignorant in the mysteries of the Kingdom of God O praise him before whom the Devils fled and confessed him to be the Lord. Praise him in his incomparable love which thought it not enough to do all this but also gave himself to dye for us Let all Nations praise him who are the purchase of his blood Let them mark every step of his dying love from the time he was betrayed and sold like a slave till he finished his sufferings on the Cross O the greatness of that love which endured such scorn such reproach such a bitter agony and shameful death even for all those who have little sense of this wondrous love But let no Christian soul be insensible how the hands which wrought so many Miracles and the feet which travelled up and down to do men good were cruelly nailed by them to an ignominious Gibbet Let them remember how his head was crowned with thorns and his body cloathed in a fools coat How they spit in his face blinded his eyes and then rudely buffeted him to make them sport O what love was that which made him submit to be mocked and reviled to be accounted worse than a seditious murderer and numbred among the greatest transgressors And above all let it never be forgotten how he sweat in our service as it had been drops of blood and at last bled to death after three hours shame and anguish on the Cross Praised be that incomparable Charity Praised be his inimitable meekness and humilitie Let all the world extol and praise his Lamb-like patience and innocence Let them celebrate his admirable kindness in forgiving such implacable enemies and his intire confidence and faith in God whereby he offered up himself to him and obtained an eternal redemption for us O the wonderful vertue of that sacrifice which hath taken away the sins of the world Praised be the tender mercies of our God which have forgiven us so many trespasses Praised be his mercies which have not only forgiven us but restored us to life and glory again by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead Let us rejoyce and be glad in that great salvation Let us bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by that resurrection of his from the dead Let us lift up our heads and look to Heaven our ancient Country for there he is exalted And let us thank our God who hath set him at his own right hand and made him most glorious for ever See how all the Angels welcomed him thither and falling at his feet most humbly worshipped his Majesty See how they all now wait upon him and constantly attend his pleasure And let us worship him too with the devoutest and most lowly reverence Let us praise him in his Sanctuary where he appears before God for us from whence he sends down the gracious influences of his spirit on us and commands his Angels to minister unto us Let us praise him the glorious King of Angels and men Who hath conquered death and triumphed over all the powers of darkness and opening the Kingdom of Heaven to all the faithful hath promised that they shall reign in glory together with him Let all the Angelical Ministers praise him Let the Apostles Prophets and Martyrs praise him Let all those who are departed in the true faith and fear of him praise him And let all the living who partake of the daily fruit of his bounteous love continually praise him Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven Let them praise him in the greatness of his Power in the Wisdom of his Counsels in the carefulness of his Providence in the riches the exceeding riches of his Grace in the stedfastness of his word and the faithfulness of all his promises And let them all joyn together and beseech him to come again that he may both accomplish our hopes and perfect his own praises O let him come that we may give him better praises in one body for ever CHAP. XIX More expressions of this devout affection towards our Lords Appearing and the way whereby we may excite them THis is some of the language of Love which wishes every knee would bow to Jesus and every tongue confess that he is the Lord to the glory of God the Father who hath thus highly exalted him For its desires are unlimited and its kindness like the fountain of it is inexhaustible and infinite It is the brightest image of Jesus There is nothing represents him so lively to the world He now appears most in those who love most and who long and wait with pure and ardent desires to see him come in all his glory For they will keep his commandment without spot unrebukeable until his appearing which in his times he will shew who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen Why then O my soul do we not let this blessed guest be lodged in our heart Or why do we not entertain it so that it may stay with us and we may feel it stirring there in restless motions towards Jesus What
IX This Love to the Appearing of our Lord further described in three other fruits or marks of it VIII AND now can any Soul chuse but think of that perpetually which it most dearly loves Doth not every Good use to present it self continually to the mind that is inamour'd of it and remember us of its beauty There is no question to be made of it The very ardency of our affection for it doth more imprint and engrave it on our mind and when by any participation of it we feel how good it is we press it harder and sink it deeper into our hearts There is no man for instance who hath setled his love upon an agreeable person but He finds the image of that friend always before his eyes It accompanies him every where and cleaves inseparably to his thoughts It is a great part of his pleasure to entertain himself with the shadow of that in which he hath lodg'd his heart And therefore if we love the appearing of our Lord we shall solace our selves often with the kind In the multitude especially or tumult of our thoughts within us as the Psalmist speaks xciv 19. the comforts of it will delight our souls We shall be daily calling upon them and exhorting them to look towards it and to fix their thoughts and affections upon it We shall be inclin'd to say as the voice is in the Song of Songs Come my fair one come away O my chiefest Good what shall I desire or wish for so much as for thy coming What is it that I ever saw which should detain my eyes from thy incomparable beauty Or where can I expect to satisfie their hunger but only with the filling sight of thee at thy appearing The spacious Heavens hope to be filled with the Majesty of thy Glory The Sun is but a weak image of thy brightness and will be content to go out to make room for thee when thou appearest All the Stars of light are ready to resign their places and leave the skie to be illuminated by thee alone Whatsoever is lovely and surprises us with its beauty here confesses it is but thy shadow and that when thou breakest forth it must disappear Fix my mind therefore upon thy glory and let it henceforth imploy my busie thoughts Possess thy self O Lord of life and glory intirely of this heart which hath been too long estranged from thee Impress such a lively sense of thee and of thy glory there that I may sooner forget my self than thee and thy appearing Make it my greatest pleasure to sit hours and days and years to think of thy so much desired coming When I meet with my dearest Relations and Friends let nothing entertain us with such delight as to think of being caught up together in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the air Let us love to speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and to talk of thy power to utter abundantly the memory of thy great goodness and to sing of thy righteousness Let us wish with united hearts to see thy power and glory and to behold thee coming according to thy faithful promise out of thy heavenly Sanctuary Let it be our sweetest joy to inspire each others hearts with these holy hopes and to stir up one another to love and to good works And when thou comest O Lord may every one of us be found so doing IX These are some of the pantings of an heart which loves and bears in mind the appearing of Christ For to say the truth Love is the original and source of all the passions that we feel in our hearts They all flow from this as from their spring-head They are but several motions which have their rise from Love Or if you will so conceive it nothing but different figures and shapes wherein it appears It is love which fears and love which grieves and love which hopes and love which rejoyces there would be none of these were it not for some good which we love to which these and all the rest of their kindred owe their birth and nourishment When this is hindred in its designes it breeds anger or impatience or fear or sadness or some such like commotion And when this succeeds and prospers in the pursuance of its ends there arises hope and contentment and joy and gladness as the natural issue of it They that love then Christs appearing will fear nothing so much as to lose the blessedness which He will bring along with Him Nothing will excite such a displeasure in their hearts as that evil which would rob and defraud them of his favour at that happy day And what is there that can give them such a touch of sadness as the thought that they are so far distant from their Dearest Lord Or what can create such joy such exultation of spirit as to hope they shall one day see Him so as never to part from Him any more In one word all the passions of their Souls will run this way and be concern'd for nothing so highly as this that they may be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy True indeed O blessed Saviour doth such an heart meditate in it self I have had a thousand fears in my breast I have dreaded every small danger in this world as if it would prove my utter ruin The terrors that have affrighted me are as innumerable as the things I have fancied to be my happiness But now all these are willing to be gone that they may make way for one greater fear lest I should not enter with thee when thou appearest into thy rest O prevent so intolerable a mischief Whatsoever I lose I shall account my self a gainer if I lose not the blessing which thou wilt give us Take all if thou pleasest I am content so thou wilt give me a share in thy glory when thou comest I have been too long pestered with a world of sensual passions Sometimes sadness hath oppressed me and then anger hath set me all on fire Now vain joyes have swelled my heart and puffed me up and again they have given place to grief and sorrow hath shrunk up my soul and dried up my spirit Fears and Hopes have tossed me up and down as in a tempestuous Sea A small matter hath created me much trouble and I have longed for things which promised much but gave me little satisfaction What a comfort is it but to expect the day which will settle and compose these tumults in perpetual peace and quiet I feel the thoughts of it already appeasing my spirit and bringing a ealm into my breast And if the brightness of thy appearing did but always shine in my mind it would dispel all the clouds and scatter the darkness wherein all this confusion reigns O let the splendor of that day irradiate my soul even at this distance from it and leave no space void of its light and comfort Yea let it eclipse all other joyes and by
Scriptures THus have I put an end to the third enquiry about the nature of this Love which St. Paul supposes good Christians feel in their souls to the appearing of Christ In satisfying of which I have not followed mine own fancy but the common sentiments of all those hearts who have so much good nature as to know what this passion means And there hath been nothing said but what may be fully justified by the Holy Scriptures if we diligently observe in what terms they speak of the passion and fervent desire which all pious Believers have for the coming of our Lord. I. For which they are first said to LOOK or to expect it with such a greediness as men do that of which they are extreamly desirous So those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie which are used in the 1 Cor. 1.7 iij. Phil. 20. ij Tit. 13. ix Heb. 28. where they are said to look for the Revelation of Jesus Christ to have their conversation in Heaven from whence they look for the Saviour to be looking for that blessed Hope the coming of Christ who will appear the second time to them that look for him with that earnestness that is and concernment which one hath for the greatest good in the world Or with such a longing as I have explained it before as the children of Israel had to see their High-Priest return out of the most holy place into which he went on the day of expiation to make reconciliation for their sins For if he came out alive it was a token that God had accepted him and with the greatest joy they received the blessing which then he brought and pronounced to them in his name There is a manifest allusion to this in the last of those places now mentioned Heb. ix where the Apostle saith vers 26. that when Christ appeared in this world it was to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Which bloody sacrifice as you read vers 24. He carried not into the holy places made with hands which were only figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us that is by vertue of this Sacrifice to perfect the expiation of our sins and obtain for us the Divine Blessing Now he being thus offered vers 28. to bear the sins of many as a publick Sacrifice that is for the whole body of mankind not a particular for one or a few persons unto them that look for him he shall appear visibly the second time without sin as having made a complete expiation to give salvation to his people who expect his coming out of Heaven to bless them II. Expect it did I say yea this Apostle calls it a most earnest expectation So the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the creature viij Rom. 19. is expounded by Oecumenius * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be its exceeding intense and vehement desire and expectance of the revelation of the Sons of God that is sayes he of the conclusion of all when it shall be clearly seen who are the sons of God and who the sons of the Devil Which is a Good to be wisht for so much above all other that the Heaven the Earth the Sea the Air the Sun the Moon all the visible Creation together with all that is invisible the Angels Archangels Powers Principalities Dominions all these expect our perfection They are the words of Theodoret who with other of the Ancients looks upon the whole Creation as brought in here expecting our future happiness by such a figure * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum as the Prophets use when they introduce the Woods rejoycing the Mountains leaping the Floods clapping their hands to express the exceeding great joy that should be among mankind at the first coming of our Lord. But because it is controverted what the Apostle means by the Creature and this is not a fit place to discuss it I shall pass by this expression and not mention the sighs and the groans which there follow as the natural effect of an exceeding great desire to see the day of redemption come III. Let us rather consider that the glory which shall be revealed at the coming of Christ out of this holy place to give salvation to his faithful worshippers is the cause that as St. Paul speaks in this place which I have taken for the rise of this Discourse they look for it as a thing that hath very strongly engaged their hearts and is the object of their dearest affection They declare by the fixing of their eyes upon it how much they love it that is esteem it are inclined to it and think long till they enjoy it For whatsoever touches us so nearly we are wont to expect it with some impatience IV. But as the greatness of this Good is such as will make those that believe it earnestly long for it so it is able to quiet and still their souls by the mere hope of its enjoyment though it stay long before it come And therefore 4. they are said to WAIT for his Son from Heaven 1 Thess i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to tarry to stay till he come Which implies both longing and patient abiding till he please to send so great a Blessing V. Nay fifthly St. James exhorts them to be PATIENT with long-suffering to the coming of the Lord V. 7. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used imports a patient abiding though he stay long and we suffer much before he come We could not suffer and indure what we must on some occasions if we did not expect him as Oecumenius notes out of the ancient Greek Expositors * In 1 Th. i. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And our sufferings would not be very valuable if we were not content to expect him long as he likewise observes upon another place in that Epistle For if it were manifest saith he * In 1 Th. v. 1. that the day of the Lord or the consummation of all things would be within three years and it could not be otherwise all would despise dangers and make nothing of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what great vertue would this be when they knew that within so short a space they should receive their full reward The vertue of a Christian is to suffer long as well as to suffer much waiting with long patience as the Husbandman doth for the precious fruit of the Earth VI. And yet it is not such a patience we are to exercise but St. Peter gives us leave to HASTEN it which is a sixth word whereby the holy writings express this pious affection unto and vehement desire of the appearing of Christ Jesus 2 Pet. iij. 12. Looking for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and HASTING unto the coming of the day of God In the Greek it is not hasting unto the coming but hasting the coming and so we render it in the margin that
praise him enough now the whole world may then be gathered together in one general assembly all Angels and all Men and with joynt consent bow themselves before him and humbly acknowledge him to be the LORD OF ALL. And here I shall take the liberty for the clearer understanding of this to give a distinct account in a few considerations of that which we may justly conceive will accrue to our blessed Saviour by his glorious Appearing I. And first of all there is no doubt but at his second appearing our Lord will be publickly honoured and thereby have an amends made him for the open shame and the publick disgrace to which he was here exposed No Varlet was ever used so basely as the world treated him when he first came to visit us in much humility No man was ever the subject of so much scorn of so many sorrows and of so great pains as he endured Would it not then be acceptable to you to see his honour every where vindicated his credit as I may say repaired and his glory made no less notorious than his reproaches were Who would not wish to see that sweet face which by rude hands was so contemptuously blinded and buffeted appear in an unveiled brightness looking with the fairest the most beautiful and gracious eyes upon us How is it possible to refrain from desiring to see that countenance which was spit upon and all bespawled by the filthy mouths of wicked men shining with rayes brighter than the Sun and glistring in the Glory and Majesty of God the Father Are you not impatient to behold that Head which was inviron'd with Thorns show it self with a royal Crown upon it Would you not fain see him as much admired as he was despised as highly praised and extolled as he was vilely mockt and flouted O that I might behold that time arrive is every devout lover of the Lord Jesus apt to say O that I might be blessed with a sight of that Glory and Honour wherewith we believe thou art already crowned Thou wast sorely wounded and grosly abused O dear Saviour by those whom thou camest to heal and to save They barbarously smote and besmeared thy holy face they nailed thee to a Cross they pierced thy hands and thy feet they thrust a spear into thy side and left thee all in gore they condemned thee as the foulest Malefactor and crucified thy Name and Reputation as well as thy self And which is worse how have thine own followers grieved thee and pricked thy very heart by their base ingratitude to thee who wast pleased to be thus vilely used for their sake And what reparation are the best among us able to make thee What does it amount unto that such poor wretches as we can do for thee How mean and inconsiderable is all the honour and all the praise that we little and worthless things can pretend to give thee O thou God of love thou Father of mercies we must address our desires to thee and beseech thee that thou wouldst be pleased to do it for us Thou who art the Blessed and only Potentate who hast already appointed him to be heir of all things who hast given him a more excellent inheritance than the Angels and when thou broughtest him into the world didst command them all to worship him finish I beseech thee according to the riches of thy glory the recompenses thou hast begun to make him Let me and all men else see how Thou lovest him and what honour thou hast conferred on him Behold how this soul sighs out its desires to thee that thou wouldst vouchsafe to hasten his Appearing and to show him to the world in the glory which thou hast given him Let us all behold him as highly exalted as he was lowly depressed and abased Let us SEE HIM AS HE IS the Prince of Life the King of Glory O perfect that which concerneth him Let him come and receive our universal acknowledgements Let all Kings fall down before him and all nations serve him Let them all call him blessed and Heaven and Earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen II. They may well pray after this manner and speak of his perfecting that which is begun because secondly till the day of his glorious appearing it is most certain his conquests will not be compleated over all his enemies The very greatest of them will remain unsubdued till he come then to tread them under his feet Which cannot but dispose us to love that time above all other because it will make him perfectly victorious He is sat down saith the Apostle at Gods right hand x. Heb. 12 13. from thenceforth EXPECTING till his enemies be made his footstool Though he be highly advanced that is above all creatures yet all his enemies do not presently fall down before him but he must stay sometime before not only all the adverse Empires on earth submit themselves to him but the Principalities also in the Air and Death it self which is the last enemy saith St. Paul which shall be destroyed and put under his feet He rules and reigns indeed but still he hath many opposers of his Kingdom He waits likewise for their utter subversion and looks for their total ruine but still they spoil and commit many wastes within his territories The Devil tyrannizes and rages in a number of places and Death as I must show anon devours all How can we choose then but wait for that of which he himself is in expectation Where is our love to him if we can cease to wish that all those foes who despise or refuse his Government were perfectly brought in subjection to him Is there any thing more desireable to those who pray seriously his Kingdom may come than to see those put under his feet who now proudly trample upon his soveraign Authority What more joyful sight can there be to them than to behold the Devil who now insults so insolently in his Dominions despoiled of all his power and thrust down into the eternal Prisons and Chains of Darkness to which he is reserved To say nothing yet of the glory it will be to him to overcome Death it self to which even all his subjects are forced at present to submit O blessed Saviour should all Christian souls say with one consent it afflicts us to hear thine enemies roar in the midst of thy Congregation to see them thus triumph and set up their banners And far more grievous it is to think that we have ever been in the number of them and given the least countenance and support to this hellish Kingdom The remembrance of it is bitter to us that there was a time wretches that we were when we were drawn aside to joyn our selves to this wicked faction and abett the Apostate spirits in their rebellion against thee their soveraign Creator But blessed be thy Goodness thou hast overcome our disobedient hearts and restored us to an happy accord with thee We thank thee for it