many Blessings and Deliverances which the Lord had given them the Lord gives them a charges Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life but teach them to thy sans and to thy sons sons And this was their practise Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days in the time of old how thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out c. And Psal 78.3 I will speak that which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us we will not hide them from their children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done the Lord commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children that the generations to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children c. Psal 102.18 This shall be written for the generations to come and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord. Thus the people of God did not onely return thanks in an heat for their deliverances whiles the memory of the mercie was fresh but they made frequent and serious rehearsals of them to their children and their childrens children that for the mercie bestowed upon many thanks also might be given by many 2 Cor. 1.11 Fourthly That they might for ever retain in a thankful remembrance such gracious deliverances and that the generations to come and the children which should be born might praise the LORD for them they had also annuall festivities and stationary days which they yearly kept holy to the Lord and on such days thankfully celebrated the goodness of God for the particular mercies and deliverances received on those days as the annual Festivity of the Passeover Pentecost Expiation Tabernacles Trumpets c. all of them instituted to be thankful memorials of special mercies relating to those days and times So Exod. 12.14 This day shall be to thee for a memorial and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever Here we have an Ordinance for an anniversary festival a day yearly and every year to be kept holy to the Lord for an yearly solemn remembrance of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt this day note the same day they were delivered the same day was to be kept yearly holy to the Lord for a memorial and a day of thanksgiving for that deliverance you shall keep it a feast Hebr. you shall keep it festivally that is with mirth rejoycing and jubilation as Nehem. 8.9.12 you shall keep it by an ordinance for ever Hebr. an everlasting ordinance an ordinance of perpetuity extending to all generations Exod. 12.17 This self same day have I brought out your Armies out of Egypt therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever and the same is repeated v. 24. So here we see a day was yearly and every year to be kept holy to the Lord by the ordinance of God in a thankful and moâ—e solemn remembrance of Israels deliverance from the hand of the Egyptians Nay and more then this howsoever Festivals and holy days have been in our times cried down by some as Popish matters of Superstition and Will-worship for which we have â—o ordinance or command from God yet we finde the ancient Church hath from time to time according to the emergent occasion without any express ordinance or commandment of God laudably and religiously appointed certain days to be kept yearly holy to the Lord in a thankful commemoration of mercies and deliverances received upon those days and such are the fifth of November and the three and twentieth of October with us days appointed to be kept holy e-every year for ever in a thankful remembrance of our Deliverances on those days So the days of Purim were ordained to be kept as Festivals and holy to the Lord by all the Jewes in a thankfull and joyfull remembranc of their deliverances from the mischief which Haman had devised against them Those dayes I say were ordained and commanded to be kept holy by Hester and Mordecai and afterwards ratified and confirmed by the Subscription of the whole Church as an Ordinance of perpetuity to continue to all generations for ever Hest 9.20,21,22,23,27,28 And we read Macc. 4.59 That the Church and the Congregation of Israel when they were delivered from their enemies and had restored the worship and service of God and dedicated the Altar for Sacrifice they made an Ordinance that certain dayes should be kept holy to the Lord yearly and for ever in a gratefull remembrance of that mercy and that festival was called the feast of dedication If any object the text is Apocryphal and therefore signifies little I answer that this Act of the Church had our Saviors approbation who honored it with his presence and preaching at that Solemnity Jâ—h 10.22 And thus the Church in the new Testament hath instituted and appointed certain dayes yearly to be kept Festivalls and holy to the Lord in a thankfull remembrance of some speciall and spirituall mercies solemnely to be celebrated on those dayes as the Nativity Circumcision Resurrection and Ascention of Christ which dayes St Augustine Ep. 118.119 avouches were observed by the whole Church of Christ from the time of the Apostles and by Apostolick tradition and the primitive Apostolick Church without any divine commandement that we read of appointed the first day of the week to be the Christian Sabbath and I see no reason but men may as well abrogate and cry down that Festivall as others that are of the same institution that day I say the primitive Apostolick Church ordained to be kept holy as the Christian Sabbath in a thankful remembrance of the glorious Resurrection of our Saviour Christ that day And these dayes so ordained by the Church to be kept Festivalls and holy to the Lord are called by the Fathers Festivall dayes holy dayes Solemne dayes Sacred dayes mystical dayes and were so kept and observed by them Thus in the fourth place the people of God that the memoriall of their deliverance might be derived to their posterities had yearly certain dayes set apart to be kept holy to the Lord to praise him for those particular mercies Then fifthly at such Solemne assemblies they did not onely rest from their labours and all servile works and keep a day holy to the Lord but also they expressed their thankfullnes for mercies and deliverances which they had received by Singing Psalmes and Hymns and Spirituall Songs in singing praises to their God in singing praises singing praises to their King Psal 47.6 in singing praises with Instruments of musick to make the praises of God to be the more glorious and the more to raise up their spirits to an higher strein that their Soules and all that was within them might eccho forth the goodness of God and praise his holy name
and children whom they had drowned sometimes singing Psalms sometimes brandishing naked Swords sometimes scritching in a fearful manner the very Rebels that dwelt near the place confessed it and were so terrified with those dayly Apparitions that they were forced to remove their dwellings But the Priests and Fryars to make the matter sound the better in the ears of their seduced Proselytes told them it was the cunning sleight of the Devil to hinder the great work of propagating the Catholick Religion and killing the Hereticks And indeed these two must go together they cannot propagate their Catholick Doctrine but by our destruction If the Protestants stand Rome must fall but if Rome stand Rome will be still contriving our fall I must write one thing in a Parenthesis because it is not fit to come into the sentence and that is the prodigious and unheard-of villanies which they acted with women even after they were dead In a word I may say of those many prodigious Villanies savage Cruelties and barbarous Inhumanities which they without any scuple commonly and generally acted as the Poet said Saevior es tristi Busiride saevior illo Qui falsum lenio torruit igne bovem Quique bovem Siculo fertur donasse tyranno Et dictis artes conciliasse suas Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox If I had an hundred Tongues and a Voyce of Thunders I could not speak all that they have acted and others suffered in the time of the late unparallelled Rebellion My Lords the Lord hath preserved you and us in the midst of the over-flowing waters of Jordan that the waters of the proud have not gone over our soul Our Danger was great our Deliverance was great and therefore we should endeavor to render to the Lord according to the great Blessings we have received This is the sum and substance of the following Sermon which I humbly offer unto Your Honours Now He that keepeth Israel watch over You continually guide You here with his Counsel and after receive You to glory This is the Prayer of Your Honours unworthy Servant W. LIGHTBVRN From my Study in S. Audoens Arch Octob. 25. 1661. EXOD. XVIII X. And Jethro said Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians THE Book of Exodus may be divided into two parts Historical and Dogmatical the Historical part is laid down in this and the seventeen preceeding Chapters the Dogmatical part begins in the next Chapter The Historical part is a Compendium or a summary Recaptitulation of the remarkable passages of the Lords providential actings towards Israel in the time of their aboad in Egypt their coming out of Egypt and their travels in the Wilderness In the beginning of this Chapter we have a relation of Jethro's journey to visit Moses his Son-in-law Moses Declaration of the goodness of God to Israel and Jethro's return of praise Jethro comes to Rephidim Num. 33.14 the eleventh stage where Israel pitched after their coming out of Egypt and that is as Geographers account but sixteen miles from the City of Midian the place of Jethro's residence When Moses was given to understand of Jethro's coming he goes forth to meet him wherein by the way we may note 1. Moses humility who being so great a Prince Commander in chief of so great a People yet disdains not to humble himself not onely to go out to meet him but also to do obeysance unto him 2. His love he kissed him 3. His humanity gentleness and curtesie he asked him of his welfare 4. His hospitality and beneficence he brought him into his tent 5. His gratitude he maketh a thankful rehearsal and repetition of Israels wonderful deliverance 6. We have an intimation of his patience under the afflictions of Israel 7. His fidelity in all God's house he teaches others by his Example to celebrate the praises of God his mercie and his goodness and not to fall into despondencie under the pressure of the greatest afflictions but to rely upon the promises to depend upon God and to commit the issue to him knowing it is but a little while and then he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 All this we have in the 8th verse Thus Moses informs Jethro in the History of the Church and Jethro advises Moses touching the administration of the Commonwealth vers 19. c. seq Then Jethro is described 1. by his proper Name Jethro 2. by the name of his Office a Priest 3. by the place where he exercised his Priesthood in Midian vers 1. The Midianites were of the progeny of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25.2 and therefore Jethro may be presumed to have some measures of knowledge of the true God though he lived among a people that were drunk with idolatry and drowned in the Errors of heathenish superstitions 1. Because he came from the loyns of Abraham of whom the Lord gives this Character Gen. 18.19 I know that Abraham will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him 2. Because of his long conversing with Mâ—ses If any object that expression vers 11. Now I know that the Lord is great c. I answer This is no argument that he knew not the greatness and goodness of JEHOVAH before this time but that he knew it now that is more evidently more conspicuously and by a new demonstration it argues an encrease and corroboration of his faith and that now his former knowledge was sealed up by a new argument and experiment how great the Lord is in his power in delivering his people and how terrible he is in his Majesty in confounding their enemies Such an expression is used Act. 10.34 Now I perceive that God is no respecter of persons Peter knew this before but he is said to know it now because he knew it anew by a new miracle by anew vision and revelation And so 1 King 17.24 the woman of Zarephath says Now by this I know that thou art a man of God she knew it before by the multiplying of the meal in the barrel and the oyl in the cruse vers 14.15,16 but she says I know it now that is by a new miracle by raising my dead son to life And Psal 20.7 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed c. David knew this before but he is said now to know it because he then knew it by a new salvation by a new deliverance The Text contains Jethro's Doxology for Israel's Deliverance 1. Jethro rejoyced v. 9. Hebr. Vaiichad Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was astonished he was as it were in an extasie that imports the greatness of his wonder and admiration at such a stupendious Act. 2.
the voice of his praise to be glorious Fifthly Because ingratitude and unthankfulness even among Barbarians hath been ever reputed a monstrous thing it is a preternatural thing one of those Privations and Deficiencies which GOD never wrought but the malice of the Devil brought into the world by shouldering out the contrary positive and primitive Virtues We speak of an unthankful person with more then ordinary detestation and account an ungrateful person an unnatural man One phrases Ingratitude a Solecism in sence a Paradox in manners and a Prodigie in nature See how the Lord detests and abominates it and calls the Heavens and the Earth to witness against it Isa 1.2 Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me the Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters crib they know their Benefactors but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider And the Lord by the Prophet Micah calls upon the mountains and the strong foundations of the earth to listen attend to the plea controversie he hath with them that were called his people for their monstrous ingratitude Mich. 6.1 Hear ye now what the Lord saith Arise contend thou before the mountains and let the hills hear thy voice Hear ye O ye mountains the Lords controversie and ye strong foundations of the earth for the Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel O my people what have I done unto thee testifie against me For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses A iron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted and what Balaam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord Here the Lord upbraids them with their monstrous and more then beastly sin of ingratitude and calls the insensible creatures to witness against them and the Psalmist Psal 78.11 They forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them marvelous works did he in the sight of their fathers c. but v. 32. for all this they sinned still and believed not his wonderous works v. 42. They remembred not his hands nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy how he had wrought his signes in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan c. That is the fifth Argument taken from the nature of the sin of Unthankfulness it is a monstrous and horrid sin Sixthly Another Argument may be taken from the example of Saints and here to use the Apostles phrase we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arias Montanus circumjacentum nubem testium or as Beza Circumstantem nubem We are compassed about with a cloud of witnesses When they received Mercies and Blessings and Deliverances they looked up and returned Blessings to him that was the Fountain of those Blessings and Deliverances They did not Hab. 1.16 sacrifice to their own nets or burn incense to their own drags as though their portion was made fat or their meat plentious by them they did not ascribe it to their own sword or their own bow but to him who is the Saviour of Israel the Deliverer of those that trust in him Psal 44.1 We have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what works thou didst in their days in the times of old how thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out For they got not the land in possession by their own sword neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them V. 6. I will not trust in my bow it is not my sword that shall save me But thou hast saved us from our enemies and hast put them to confusion that hated us Therefore in God we make our boast all the day long and will praise thy name for ever Secondly They did not onely thankfully acknowledge that their Deliverances came from Heaven and offer up the Sacrifice of Praise Jehovae liberatori to God that delivered them but also they did it in die illo in the same day The same day in which they were delivered the same day was the day of their thanksgiving Seneca tells us that thanks deferred or slowly returned lessens the estimation of the benefit received and is no thanks and therefore the people of God delayed not but offered their Sacrifice of praise in die illo the same day in which they received their deliverance Exod. 14.30 Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day out of the hand of the Egyptians And on that day Moses and Israel returned a Sacrifice of praises for that Deliverance Exod. 15.1 Then in die illo sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord and spake saying I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously c. Lyra notes upon the Text that they did not onely sing praises but they also invited one another stirr'd up one another to the same according to that of the Prophet Psal 34.3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together The like Example we have in Deborah and Barak Judg. 5.1 The Lord had given Israel a great deliverance from Sisera who had nine hundred Chariots of Iron and twenty years had mightily oppressed the children of Israel Judg. 4 3. Then says the Text sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day saying Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel They sang praises in die illo on that same day on which the Lord delivered them And the practise of David was the same as we see in the inscription of Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this song IN THE DAY that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and from the band of Saul c. He sang praises in die illo on the same day on which he received his deliverance The same we finde in the practise of religious Hezekiah 2 Chron. 20.26 Thus they praised God for their deliverances they returned the Rivers of thanks to the Sea of Blessings and delayed not their returns but offered Sacrificium laudis their sacrifice of praise to the Lord at the same day and time that they were delivered Thirdly They did not onely bless God for his Blessings by themselvess and in their own persons but it was their practice to preach their mercie and deliverances to their children and so one generation to another that the thankful memorial and remembrance of them might never die but be perpetuated to all posterity This was the Precept of God frequently repeated in the Book of Deuteronomy there after a rehearsal of the
from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera The river Kishon swept them away that antient River the River Kishon O my soul thou hast troden down strength Then Seaventhly for the better expression of their thankfulness for such mercyes and deliverances that they might be transmitted and handed over to all posterity and generations and that the people that were unborn might praise the Lord it was usuall and ordinary with them to put some remarkable signe or token of remembrance upon the particular mercy and deliverance which they had received or upon the place where they received it by giving it a name that did import and signifye the same that so when their children or their childrens children should in time to come ask the reason why is this thing or this place called by this name then their fathers might preach unto them the gracious deliverance of the Church in that thing or that place and make rehearsall repetition of the righteous Acts of the Lord thus the Lord instructed them in the ordinance of the Passeover Exod. 12.25 it was called the Passeover because the Lord commanded the destroying Angel to passe over the houses of Israel when he slew all the first born of the Egyptians And it shall come to passe saith the text when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you according as he hath promised that ye shall keepe this service And it shall come to passe when your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service that ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses Hebr. Pasch from Pasach that is to leape or Passeover And when the waters of Jordan were cut off or divided that the people might passe into the land of promise Josua commanded for a perpetual remembranise f this Act to all posterity that twelve men that is one out of every tribe of Israel should take a great stone out of midst of Jordan and set them up upon a heap upon that place which was dried up for their passage that when the generations to come should ask what means this great heap of stones then the fathers might preach to their children the righteous Acts of the Lord and by reviving the memorial of that wonderfull mercy stir them up to praise the Lord. Jos. 4.6 The Lord gave Israel a great deliverance from their enemies by the hand of Samson first Samson returned thanks Lord thou hast given this great deliverance to thy servant and then he puts a name upon the place for a Memorandum to posterity he calls it Jud. 15.17 Ramath Lehi that is the lifting up of the jaw bone that when the generations to come should inquire why is this place called Ramath Lehi then their fathers might preach unto them the righteous Acts of the Lord shew them the greatnesse of the deliverance by the weaknesse of the meanes So Israels great deliverance from the enemy that surrounded and compassed them about David thankfully ascribes unto the Lord the Lord saith he haâ—h broken in upon mine enemies like the breach of waters and then he gives a name to the place for a Memorandum to Posterity he calls it Baal-Perazim that is the plaine of breaches 2. Sam. 5.20 That when the children in time to come should inquire why is this place called Baal-Perazim then their fathers might teach them the great mercies of God towards Israel and say unto them in this place the enemy compassed us about and thought to swallow us up quick and here the Lord broke in upon them like the breach of waters and therefore this place is called Baal-Perazim the plain of breaches The like may be said of Samuel when the Lord had delivered Israel from the Army of the Philistins not by sword or by bow or by battle but by thunder from heaven then Samuel set up a great pillar of stone for a memorial to all generations and gives it a name he called it Eben-Ezer that is the stone of help saying thus far the Lord hath helped us 1. Sam. 7.12 And after that Jehosaphat had received a notable deliverance from the numerous Army of the Ammonites the Moabites and the Edomites that came against Juda not by fighting but by singing and praising God 2. Chr. 20.21.23 That the memoriall of so great a deliverance might be perpetuated to all posterity he put a name upon the place and called it Berachah that is blessing and so that valley was called the valley of blessing that when their children in time to come c. Eightly they expressed their thankfulness by erecting of Altars as Moses Exo. 17.14 and Gideon Jud. 6.24 and Josua Jos 8.30 and others Ninethly They did not onely blesse God for their deliverances and build Altars and erect great pillars and monuments but also they writ whole Rolles Bookes and volumes of their deliverances for the instruction of future generations and thus the Lord commanded Moses to write Israels deliverance from the lying in wait of Amelek the first enemy that affronted them after their coming out of Egypt Jos 17.14 The Lord said unto Moses write this for a Memorial in a book the Lord will have written and recorded not onely what Amalek did to Israel but also what the God of Israel did to Amalek for a Memorial to Israel for instruction to posterity that the generations to come might praise the Lord. Thus Israels deliverance from the Amorites and the wonderfull Acting of the Lord in order thereunto they recorded in a booke for the benefit of posterity Jos 10.13 The Sun stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Ajalon till the people were avenged of their enemies Is not this written in the booke of Jasher The great deliverance of Israel in the red sea and the wonders which the Lord wrought in the brooks of Arnon were recorded for a Memorial to posterity in the booke of the warrs of the Lord. Num. 21.14 It is sayd in the booke of the warrs of the Lord what he did in the red sea and in the brooks of Arnon And at the streame of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar and lyeth upon the border of Moab The vulgar latine reads the rocks of the torrents were bowed down that they might rest in Ar and lye in the borders of moab upon which the do way translators comment thus A the Egyptians were drowned in the sea so the Amorites were oppressed with the rocks falling upon them and the waters carried their carcases into the valley of Moab This was recorded in the book of the warrs of the Lord. And thus they writ volumes and books of their deliverances for an everlasting Memorial to all posterity And was it thus with our fathers and the people of God informer ages then surely whatsoever things were written a foretime
were written for our learning and that we might be led forward to perfection These examples are so many instructions to us so many memorials and Memorandums for us to shew what is required of us what duty is incumbent upon us and what the Lord requires at our hands for so many mercies and blessings and deliverances which we have received But a first use may be by way of reproof of the lukewarmness the incogitancy and inconsideration of the men and women of our times and our great unthankfulness Have we not been like Gideons fleece abundantly watered with the dew of heaven when the Nations round about us have been dry and where is the demonstration of our thankfulness have we not received showers of mercies plenty of blessings and deliverances Corporal and Spirituall of soul and of body and where is the manifesto of our thankfulness did not we our wives and our children our familyes and relations receive a wondeâ—full deliverance as upon this day the 23. of Octob. 1641. from the treachery the inveterate implacable malice fury of our bloodthirsty enemies where is the expression of our thankfulness had we not our lives given to us for a prey were rescued from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharao but where is our thankfulness have we not been delivered from many and very many dangers since but then where is the Expression of our thankfulness have we not been delivered from sword and from famine and from pestilence yea but where is the token of our thankfulness have we not been lately delivered from Anarchy and tyranny and bondage and vassalage and oppression and very mushroms of men that did more then King it over us King it nay one of these petty tyrants little fingers was heavier then a Kings loines and where is the index of our thankfulness we have the worship and service of God restored and the preists again set in their orders to praise God in the beauty of holiness instead of Anarchy we have our Ancient monarchy instead of confused parity we have our Reverend Hierarchy instead of an arbitrary power we have our judges restored to us as at the first and our councellors as at the begining instead of oppression we have justice in our gates instead of war wee have peace instead of sickness we have health instead of penury we have plenty what is it which the Lord could have done for a people that he hath not done for us what is it that the Lord hath not given us we may say with Moses Deu. 29.2 ye have seen all that the Lord hath done to the Egyptians the great temptations which your eyes have seen the signs and great wonders yet the Lord hath not given you hearts to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to this day what is it that the Lord hath not given us Oh he hath not given us thankful hearts to this day we are like the barren ground that receives abundance of good seed but returns little fruit of increase ten lepers in the Gospel were clensed and but one returned to give thanks to God Luc. 17.17 The Lord may take up his antient complaint by Moses Deut. 32.5 They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his children or as it is in the margin they are not his children that is their blot they are a perverse and crooked generation Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise do we thus requite him Brethren this unthankfulness of ours is a sin of an high Elevation of very great provocation and let us take heed lest our unthankfulness for mercyes in time past render us uncapable of the like mercyes for the time to come Remember Hezekiah 2. Chr. 32.25 When the Lord had saved him from his enemyes on every side he was puffed up and rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Juda and Jerusalem This is our case we render not again according to the mercyes we have received wee have forgotten our dangers and we have forgotten our deliverances Note that Apoc. 9.12 One wo sayes the Angel is past and behold there come two woes more hereafter God hath many Arrowes in his quiver all are not spent when one woe is past all is not past there are two more and it may be two greater yet to come and therefore minde that saying of our Saviour to the impotent man that was made whole Go thy way sin no more be not unthankfull lest a worse thing happen unto thee Secondly it may serve for a use of exhortation let us be exhorted to turne a new leaf to learn a new lesson to pay our tribute to whom tribute is due to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Let us learne to be thankfull for all our mercyes to be thankfull for every mercy If I should here take upon me to number our mercyes and call for a Benedictus Dominus for every particular mercy and deliverance the time would soon sayl me but matter could never sayl me I will therefore say with the Kingly Prophet Psal 139.17 O how precious are thy thoughts O God to us ward O how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand But If I will not forget the occasion of this dayes solemnity as Orbilius forgot his name I must speake one word concerning that great mercy and wonderfull deliverance which wee all received as upon this day which calls for an universall thankfullness from all sorts throughout all generations There was a mischeivous damnable and divelish project hatcht by a degenerate generation of men the Sons of Belial against our Church and state our persons our lives our nation and Religion their devise was to roote out all at once to cut off head and tayle branch and rush in one day they had been as one sayes a long time gathering of fagots and as upon this day they intended to set them on fire to consume us all but the Lord hath preserved us from the jawes of those lyons whelps pluckt us like brands out of the midst of the burning and many of those who were so industrious in gathering of fagotts like Nadab and Abihu have been consumed with the flame which themselves had kindled * Hebr. Palmes or bellowes for the secret manner of working Psal 9. verse 15.16 Thus the Heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made in the net which they hid is their own foot taken The Lord is knowne by the judgment which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgajon Selah The Chaldee paraphrase the just shall joyfully shout for ever Tremellius renders it rem summe memorandam a thing cheifly to be remembred The holy Catholicks had contrived a Catholick Apostasy and Rebellion a Catholick massacre and
doomesday for the good old cause that is for the advancement of the Catholick interest they had projected to quench the light of the Gospell with the blood of us that professed it and for the effecting their project with the more facility they had resolved to seize all the strong holds forts castles and magazines in the Kingdome and especially the Castle of Dublin at one time that is upon this 23. of October and so to get all the Arms and Ammunition in the Kingdome into their own hands and then to fall to the Sword and Skeane and to cry with the Edomites Down with them even to the ground Psal 137. v. 7. They had brought their design to the very nick of execution the lyers in wait were entred into their Ambush to surprize the Castle of this city at the hour apointed they had brought their mischeivons devise as nigh execution as Faux was to the blowing up of the Parliament house the powder and the billets were ready the train was layed there wanted nothing but applying the match to the powder Fire and wood were ready and we were designed for the sacrifice And these sons of Belial had brought their divelish plot within less then 14 hours to the time which they had designed for the execution it was a work of darkness saw not the light could not be discovered and therefore could not be prevented but he that keepeth Israel that never slumbers nor sleeps was pleased to watchover us seasonably to bring this worke of darkeness to light and by a wonderful way to discover their machinations and to deliver us by a greate deliverance as we see this day And doth not this call upon us to sing Jethro's Song of thanksgiving Benedictus Dominus Blessed be the Lord who hath deliverd us out of the hadd of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharao who hath delivered the people from the hand of the Egyptians When this design was discovered and the Execution of it prevented they fell notwithstanding to carry on their purpose of rooting us out by the practice of all kind of mischiefe that mischiefe which they had before concluded and that as men in desperation Haec quia non successit alia aggrediendum via Now I confesse I should much afflict your minds and torment your patience I say not if I should make rehersal But if I should but point and glaunce at those manyfold and barbarous cruelties inhumanities and savage butcheries which they used and practised in every place were they came a gainst the Brittish Protestants as atoken of their inveterate hatred both to their nation and Religion It is hard to judge whether they were more in genious in the invention of variety of tortures or barbarously cruel in the execution But exungue leonem you may know the lyon by his paw and guesle at Hercules stature by the impression of his foot in Olympus I will but mention and I cannot without trembling the barbarous and inhumane stripping of men women and children naked in the depth of winter in the height of frost and snow and so turning them out of dores to wander in the bogs and mountains destitute afflicted and tormented feeding some like dogs and starving others with hunger their fearfull reproaches blasphemâ—es and insultations Some they would bring to the Church strip them naked set them before the Pulpit beat them with cudgels or scourge them with rods to the effusion of their blood and then aske them how like you such a Sermon as this to morrow you shall hear such an other what wanted this of the blasphemy of Davids enemies who in his distresse cryed where is now thy God Psal 42. v. 10. Hanging drowning stabbing knocking in the head were common and ordinary and might be reputed mercies at their hands and indeed were mercies comparatively that is in comparison of the lingring torments inflicted upon many others Some they made drunk with strong drink or inveigled them to go to mass upon promise to preserve their lives and then immediately hanged them indeavoring and intending as much as in them lay to destroy both body and Soul together some they buried a live and took much pleasure and delight to hear their cryes and pittyfull complaints and few they buried otherwise it is conceived upon good grounds that in one River they drowned no fewer then a thousand persons and that in the province of Ulster there perished in the beginning of the Rebellion above 154000. persons and then as Ahashucrus said what have they done in the rest of the Kingdom so that we may truly say with the Prophet Psal 79.1 Oh God the heathen are came into thine inheritance thy holy temples have they defiled and have made Jerusalem an heap of of stones The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meate to the fowles of the heaven and the flesh of thy servants have the heasts of the earth Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them Thus we were made a reproach to our neighbours a very scorne and derision to them that were round about us Now that the Lord hath thus wonderfully delivered us out of the hand of the Egyptians and preserved us alive as it is this day is it not a duty incumbent upon all of us to sing a Benedictus Dominus and say Psal 124.1 c. If the Lord himself had not been on our side now may Israel say If the Lord himself had not been on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at us Then the waters had overwelmed us the stream had gone over our soul Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us over as a prey unto their teeth Our souls are escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered let them then saith the Prophet give thanks unto the Lord whom he hath redeamed and delivered from the hand of the enemy and gathered them from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south Psal 107.2,3 Let the princes of the people sing their Benedctius Give unto the Lord Oh ye mighty Psal 29.1.2 give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse Let the priest be cloathed with righteousnesse and let the saints sing with joyfulnesse Let the priests with Jethro sing their Benedictus Blessed be the Lord who hath delivered us out of the hand of the Egyptians Let men sing with Zachary their Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israell Luc. 1.69 for he hath visited and redeamed his people and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us Let the women sing their Benedictus Luc. 1.46 with Mary and say My soule doth magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoyces in God my Saviour c. Let the children sing their Benedictus with the young ones in the temple and say Hosanna to the son of David Hosanna in the highest Mat. 21.9 Let us all give thanks and say The Lord is good for his mercy endureth for ever Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever And hath delivered us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever Oh give thanks to the God of heaven for his mercy endureth for ever Oh give thanks to the Lord of all Lords for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 102.18 This shall be written for the generations that are yet to come and the children that are yet unborne shall praise the Lord. FINIS