not only at this time and upon this Day but throughout the whole Course of our Conversations and as every day affords us new Benefits so every day should engage us in new Praises which if we faithfully perform will engage God to bestow more and greater Blessings upon us as I intimated before The Wisdom of God is able to find out all the Contrivances of Men and such is his Power that he will dissipate and expel all those that are levelled against his Church and turn the Wisdom of all Achitophels into Foolishness And this he hath done often to our own Experience Yea he will give a Symbol of his Presence with all such as faithfully and devoutly thank and praise him for when the Israelites lifted up their Voice with Trumpets and Cymbals to make one Sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord because he is good and his Mercy endureth for ever 2 Chron 5.13 then the house was filled with the cloud even the house of the Lord. And our Praises and Thanksgiving for Mercy received is the ready way to obtain more and greater if performed with a hearty Sincerity and without Hypocrisie for the same Wisdom the same Power the same Goodness and the same Providence is engaged and concerned for our Good which hath hitherto been if our Ingratitude prevent it not General Mercies require general Praises and Thanks and such are the Mercies which we commemorate this Day and the Effect of such our Praises if hearty and sincere will appear to our particular Advantage for if we are thankful for a little we thereby entitle our selves to much though the Mercies which we commemorate this Day cannot be said to be little which if we make that Improvement of as God requires we shall interest our selves in more and greater than those For God's Treasury is never exhausted he hath Victories still in store and Deliverances still ready for a thankful and grateful People whereas Ingratitude will cause him to hold his hand and render an Ungrateful People as unworthy of Mercies in themselves so despised and rejected by others an Instance of which we have in the Jews who for their Ingratitude are a People rejâ—cted by all the World to this day The City of Athens was upbraided with monstrous Ingratitude and that justly too for that she suffered those Worthies to die in Ignominy and Oblivion Miltiades Aristides Solon and others who by their vertuous Endeavours had raised her up upon the Pillars of Fame and brought a great deal of Glory and Honour to that City but the City covered them with the inglorious Dust of Obscurity and this is remembred to the great Dishonour of once a flourishing and famous City and will never be forgotten to the End of the World Ingratitude saith the Prophet is as the Sin of Witchcraft it 's a Sore and a Plague If we therefore should pass by such signal Blessings as this Summer's Expedition hath afforded us without Praises to God and blessing the King we may well be censured for our intolerable Ingratitude and may justly provoke God to blast our farther Designs and render us as the City of Athens which was once famous now despised and that not only by Almighty God but all the Nations round about us and esteemed unworthy of any more Blessings I believe there are scarce any but what pretend to give Thanks this Day or are so daringly bold to oppose Authority herein and run Counter publickly to the general Opinion and Practice of the Body of the Nation Yet it is to be seared and it may be asserted too without a breach of Christian Charity that there are but too many such among us who as the Prophet saith Draw near to God with their Lips while their Hearts are far from him who seemingly praise God for the Safety of our KING and the Victory which he hath obtained over his Enemies with the rest of his Loyal Subjects yet in their Hearts it may be curse the KING or at least secretly laugh at those who are more zealous and devout in Praising and Thanking God for his Safety than themselves 'T is plain enough beyond Contradiction that there have been many such in this Generation and I should mightily rejoyce if there were none such in this day The Grecians had a Proverb among them which certainly concluded against themselves and I fear may be applicable to some in this Generation though I hope to none that are here present Agamemnon for the Honour of Greece had done great Service to the Conquest and Subversion of Troy and when he came home was suffer'd to be slain by his own Wife the Application is plain and easie Our Gracious and Dread SOVERAIGN hath exposed himself much beyond the common Methods of Crowned Heads in the Service and for the Advantage of these Kingdoms He hath banished our Fears and rescued us out of Danger he hath secured our Religion and Property to us if the Fault be not our own if like the Israelites which were delivered out of the Bondage of Egypt we are not uneasie till we be bound again I may be bold to say some such there are I grieve to speak it and yet it is but too true who endeavour to blast the Fame and lessen the Merit of our Glorious and Renowned PRINCE and SOVERAIGN and hereby vertually endeavour to overthrow his Government at least in the Hearts and Affections of his People and this may be naturally concluded from their unbecoming Deportments towards him and his Government For this we may conclude as a general Maxim That whosoever shall refuse to swear Fealty and Allegiance to the KING from any Pretence whatsoever will not be deficient in his Endeavours to extirpate his Government especially in the Affections of his People and dethrone his Person too whensoever it shall be in the power of their hand to do it which God of his infinite Mercy prevent Such Persons may justly be stigmatized with a Mark of horrible Ingratitude both to God and the KING and we may conclude that they shall be severely accountable to God one day for all this whatsoever their present Apprehensions and Pretences be But I hope the Numbers of such ungrateful Persons are now so small that they will not be sufficient to obstruct our Happiness or engage God to put a Stop to that Success which he designeth our KING of which that of this Summers Expedition is a Specimen or Foretaste for which let us praise and thank God as our Duty requires us and sing the Praises of God aloud that all the World may hear it I mean live a holy and religious Conversation that others seeing our good Works may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven This will engage God to prolong the Life of Our Gracious and Valiant KING to prosper his Designs and to fight his Battels to conquer his Enemies and to arm his Officers and Soldiers as with Courage so with Faithfulness and with Wisdom
ΕΥΧΑΡΣΤΙΑ OR A Grateful Acknowledgment OF GOD'S GOODNESS In Preserving our most Gracious King WILLIAM And for the Success of His Arms this Last Summer Deliver'd in a SERMON To a Country-Auditory On the 22d of September 1695. Being the Day appointed by Authority for a Publick Thanksgiving By WILLIAM CORBIN Preacher at the Chapel of Bromley St. Leonard's in the County of Middlesex LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane MDCXCV To the Right Honourable Sir JOHN SOMMERS Kt. Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and one of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council MY LORD REflecting upon the hearty Affection that you bear both to His Majesty's Person and Government and the Greatness of the Post in which you now stand which renders you serviceable to both I have presumed to shelter this plain Discourse under your Honour's Patronage and sent it abroad into the World under the Protection of your Name The Design of it is to convince some to confirm others and to shew how sincerely zealous I am for the Publick Good both of the Church and State I humbly beg your Honour's Pardon for my Presumption in this Dedication since hereby only I have the Advantage of demonstrating my zealous Affections towards and grateful Acknowledgment of your excellent Merits and to shew how much I am MY LORD Your Lordship 's most Humble most Grateful and Obedient Servant Will. Corbin To the Worshipful GEORGE FORD Esq One of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex AND To the rest of the Parishioners of the Parish of Bromley St. Leonards in the said COUNTY AS this Discourse reached the Ears of most or all of you from the Pulpit it now returns to refresh your Memories from the Press not that I question your steady Loyalty to his Majesty's Person and true Affection to his Government nor from any ambitious Temper in me to appear to Print especially in this Carping Age but to gratifie the repeated Desires and earnest Sollicitations of some of you to whom I am highly obliged I therefore make a Present hereof to you accept of it therefore in the plain Dress in which it was deliver'd Your Earnest Desires were the Midwife that ushered it into the World and therefore how mis-shapen soever it is call it your own The Design of it is laudable and it may serve by the Blessing of God if it fall into the hands of any such to confirm the Minds of those that are wavering in their Affections to the Present Government to convince and silence the Enemies thereof and perswade all to a Holy and Christian Emulation of exceeding each other in their Loyalty to the KING in their true Affections to his Government and diligent Endeavours in their several Capacities for the Preservation of both and to engage all in a Charitable and Christian Deportment one toward another And that it may have this happy Effect upon all is the earnest Desire and hearty Prayer of Worshipful and Beloved Your Faithful and Obliged tho' Unworthy Minister W. C. EZRA III. 11. the former part And they sung together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel AS Troubles and Afflictions call for Repentance and Humiliation so Days of Victory and Deliverances call aloud for Rejoycing and Thanksgiving For the grateful Acknowledgment of Favours receiv'd is a mighty Obligation upon Almighty God to bestow more and greater Favours upon a People God hath blessed be his Name to all other his Favours and Advantages which he hath given our KING against His and Our Enemies added this one of Delivering so strong a Fortress which our Enemies possessed into his Hands In the Strength of which being so mightily encreased both by Art and Treasure since they had the Possession of it they mightily encouraged themselves and thought perhaps with the proud Sons of Anak that no Force could stand before them But blessed be God some of them have lived to see themselves deceived tho Multitudes have perished which hath not a little advanced the Subject of our Praises this Day and to add to the Glory and Triumph of so signal a Victory God in his infinite Mercy hath made use hereof to deliver several Thousands of our own Soldiers who were treacherously deliver'd over to and detain'd in the Captivity of our Enemies and that by the Conduct of our Renowned and Illustrious KING WILLIAM for whose Safety we praise God this Day as for so signal a Victory he hath obtained against His and Our Enemies in this his Expedition And oh that every one of our Hearts and Lives as well as our Lips and Tongues would unanimously and sincerely praise and magnifie the Rock of our Salvation the Lord of Hosts and sing together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel The Text and the Occasion are happily met together and both are joyned in one Duty The Thanksgiving in the Text was made upon the Laying of the Foundation of the New Temple which was to be in the room of that which was built by Solomon and destroyed by the King of Babylon And the Victory which God hath given our King and the Safety and Protection of his Person is the Subject of this Day 's Thanksgiving And we are met together at this time to acknowledge and adore the Infinite Wisdom and Power of Almighty God in contriving and bringing such mighty things to pass How light soever our Enemies may make of this Action yet I hope it will prove to be of Consequence to correct their Pride and a just Retribution for their Cruelty For doubtless God who hath not been an idle Spectator of their Pride and Blasphemy of their cruel and unchristian Carriage will have a time to correct them for all this And who can tell but this is the Season which God hath appointed for the Performance of so great a Work as that of Relieving almost all the Christian World from the Tyranny and Rage from the unjust Invasions and proud Insults of not long since a growing Tyrant I mean Lewis XIV who I hope will in a little more time be a dejected and sneaking Nothing in respect of our Heroick and Illustrious KING and through the good Providence of God the Affairs of the World at this time seem to be disposed for such a Performance by the wise Conduct diligent Care and undaunted Courage of our Renowned King WILLIAM whom God long long preserve to be a Terrour to France and for the Honour Safety and Welfare of all the Reformed Churches in the World God hath had a peculiar Care of his Church in all Ages and he hath never wanted Instruments to rescue and deliver her when in his infinite Wisdom he hath thought it most convenient We have many Instances to this purpose in the Holy Scriptures besides those in Humane
thinking Person and that God hath in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness raised up such an Instrument for our Preservation and Defence and the Conservation of all these singular and great Privileges So that all our Fears and Jealousies in our Selves and all the cruel Designs and Machinations of our Enemies have hitherto come to nothing and I hope will come to nothing in respect of our Disadvantage for ever All which we obtain and enjoy by the wise Conduct and valiant Deportment of our Illustrious and Gracious King WILLIAM for whom we praise and thank the God of Heaven who hath raised up such a noble Instrument upon Earth thus to defend and secure us and preserve all these Advantages to us and who hath already in a great measure been instrumental to correct the Pride and bring down the high Conceits of all our Enemies that dare own themselves publickly to be so who would long ere this time have debauch'd our Religion with an Idolatrous Superstition sequestred our Civil Properties and made our Lives a Prey to their Ambition and Cruelty if God had not prevented them And that this was their Design was conspicuous to all the World if their Power could have prevailed for we of these Kingdoms could not expect to fare better under the Power of France than their own Native Subjects which is notoriously known to all the World We therefore praise and thank God who is the Rock of our Salvation who hath raised up for us so noble and glorious an Instrument and by him hath hitherto prevented their Designs and preserved him to this Day against all their Contrivance treacherously and secretly to assassinate his Royal Person more than once since they could not prevail against him by their open Attempts But God hath hitherto prevented their Designs against him and we hope will bring him back in Safety now also to sit upon his Throne and long long govern these Kingdoms notwithstanding whatsoever Malice whatsoever Treason whatsoever the Cruelty of France and Hell can contrive and that in spight of all his Enemies he may long be a publick Blessing to these Kingdoms and all the Reformed Churches in the World may rejoyce in him and thank and praise God together with us for raising up so noble an Instrument for their and our Safety and Deliverance who is in the second Place being so noble a Benefactor a fit Object of our Thanks and Praise who hath so often hazarded his Life and as it were lightly esteemed the Glory Ease and Pleasure with which an Imperial Crown is generally attended and all for the Safety of our Lives to preserve our Properties and to secure us against all the unjust Invasions and proud Insultations of our avowed Enemies for which he well deserves our Thanks and Praise And yet there are some malevolent and wicked Spirits still among us the more 's the pity who are so ungrateful that they will not only not own but despise and undervalue him for all this But I hope the Number of such ungrateful People is but small and that they will now see their Interest and be ashamed of their Folly and joyn together with us in thanking and praising our most Gracious and DREAD SOVERAIGN for what he hath done for us and for what we enjoy by his means and return him our hearty Affections and deport our selves toward him and his Government with all Loyalty and Obedience every day and together put up our most devout Prayers to the God of Heaven this Day that his farther Success in all his Enterprizes may be proportionable to the Goodness of his Cause and then we may confidently expect that our Enemies may be rooted out from among us and not able to appear abroad against us and our selves and all that is dear to us be secured against all the Attempts of France and Hell A Foretaste of which we celebrate in our Praises and Thanksgiving this Day for the singular Preservation of our KING and the noble Victory obtained by him in this his Expedition which is but an Earnest of what God farther designs us by his Conduct if we are not wanting to our selves And this we may conclude not from any Goodness or Excellency that is in us for God knoweth we are a disobedient and wicked People but for the Wickedness of our Enemies and those manifold Blasphemies with which they have blasphemed God and for those many Affronts which they have put upon his Majesty who is a jealous God and will not let such impudent and daring Offenders go unpunished and therefore we may expect that God will appear and vindicate his Honour against so bold and daring Enemies this he hath begun to do already for which we come hither to thank and praise him this Day And I would to God that the Hearts of all the Inhabitants of this Kingdom really meant what they express with their Tongues or ought to express upon this Occasion that we may not offer to God the Sacrifice of Fools And that we may all of us shew forth the Praises of God throughout the whole course of our Conversations by our religious and pious Lives as we do this Day by the Sound of our Lips for this God expecteth from us and gives us great Encouragement so to do 1 Sam. 12.14 For if ye will fear the Lord saith the Prophet and serve him and not rebel against the Commandment of the Lord then ye shall continue and also the King that reigneth over you Thus then I have briefly hinted to you the Duty viz. Thanks and Praise with the Object thereof which is principally God and secondarily our Benefactors I have also given you some brief Hints concerning the Subject of our Thanks and Praises viz. all the Good we enjoy and particularly this Day for the Preservation of our Gracious and Dread Soveraign in so many and great Dangers to which he hath been so often exposed in this his Expedition and for the Success of his Arms both by Land and Sea For which if we knew how to frame it let us sing unto the Lord a new Song according to the Prophet's Injunction because he hath done marvellous things Psal 98.1 and let us according to the President in the Text sing together in course that is now we are called together by Publick Authority for this Exercise and praise and thank God because he is good and his mercy endureth for ever towards our Israel For repeated Favours and new Victories call for repeated Praises and Thanksgiving and will put ingenious and grateful Spirits upon inventing new Songs to praise God withal let us therefore praise him for his excellent Greatness and praise him for his excellent Works and let the high Praises of God be in our mouths all this Day especially But alas what will our Praises signifie to him we only hereby demonstrate that we are not stupidly insensible of the great and wonderful Blessings and Favours of God and this is our Duty