Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	lord_n	sing_v	song_n	2,112	5	9.1761	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86505	A sermon preached before the Parliament, the Councill of State, the Lord Major, aldermen, and Common Councill of the city of London, and the officers of the Army, in Christ-Church London, Octob. the 6th. A.D. 1659. Being the publick day of Thanksgiving appointed by the Parliament, to be celebrated in the cities of London and Westminster, and parts adjacent, for the suppression of the northern insurrection. By Doctor Nathanael Homes.	Homes, Nathanael, 1599-1678.	1659 (1659)	Wing H2577; Thomason E1001_1; ESTC R207844	20,201	48

part of the verse of my Text ushering it in thus REJOYCE in the Lord O ye righteous PRAYSE is comely for the upright joy being of the definition of Heaven Psal 16. last In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasure for evermore There are prayses and Alleluja's or Halelujah's the language of Angells Isai 6.3 The Seraphims cryed saying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts c. And Luk. 2.13 There was with the Angell a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest c. And the Churches business as represented in Heaven are Allelujaes Rev. 1 3 4 5. I heard a voyce of much people in HEAVEN saying Alleluja c. And again they said Alleluja And the 24 Elders and the 4 Animals worshipped God saying Amen Alleluja And a voice came out of the Throne saying praise God No creature of the earth so heaven like and heart exhilerating as Musick and therefore used in Scripture both in the Old Testament and in the New to typifie the heavenly joy in the Holy Ghost and the joies of Heaven * In praise we testifie So in the Psalms oft and in the Revelation oft Psal 57.8 Psal 108.2 And at least ten times more And Rev. 5.8 Rev. 14.2 Rev. 15.2 wee feel the first in our affections and see the other in our faith and hope And thus we have brought comlynesse to the highest hight and so put a period to our speech of that 2. Our mercies call for our praise And here I must rather Epitomize then Anatomize to dissect and read a lecture upon every part I could mind you of that of the Psalmist Psal 25.10 ALL the paths of the Lord are mercie and truth unto such as keep his Covenant his Testimonies And upon this ALL I might enlarge to every finger toe and nail on them as our Saviour saith Mat. 10.30 The very hairs of your head are all numhred I might also mind you of devout Austins platform of praise Quid est totâ die id est sine intermissione laudare In prospe ris quia consolâris in adversis quia cocrigis antequā essem quia secisti me Cum essem quia salutem dedis●…i Cum peccassem quia ignovisii Cum conversus essem quia adjuvisti Cum perseverassem quia Coronasti Aug. super illud Psal Totâ die repleatur os meum laude viz. To praise God in prosperitie because he comforts in Adversitie because hee corrects For that before we were because he made us For that when we were because he hath given us salvation For what when we had sinned because he pardoned For what when we were converted because he helped For that when we have perseverd he Crowneth us I might also run over the mercies mentioned in this Psalm wherein is my Text argumentatively pressing the performance of it But for compendiousness it shall suffice to touch on some of them by and by which Concentre with this days commemoration Where I shall not delight to digg into the wounds of others miseries but duly set forth the dignity of our own deliverance 1 'T is a matter of praise worthy Senators and Christians that this day we may praise viz. That we live to praise have leave to praise do meet to praise have a mind to praise have means to praise especially in this mode and majestie of solemnitie * as in a day of a princely marriage The place Consedere Duces vulg stante Corond the face of this Congregation seem to mee to have written upon them Vnion Vnion Vnion Union of hearts of Parliament City and Armie which Vnion is the foundation of marriage The Sermon mainly designed to espouse you all to the Lo●d in true joy praise and thankfulness and in that Tertio to one another And this union is greater then that of marriage For they that are joined to the Lord 1 Cor. 6.17 are ONE SPIRIT The praises now dictated or sung by us are the Epithalamia i. e the Spirituall marriage-marriage-songs so wee mean that mind our business to sing and give praise for the uniting mercies of this day Your Prince-like Feast interpreted expresly by that common vote of good people is your interview for union and therefore justly called a marriage Feast And here is your Minister to pray hearty for you that God would for ever unite you in the truth and love and love of the truth And upon that solemnly and seriously to pronounce those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder I say no man no Devill no Jesuit Amen But 2ly If this be matter of praise that we may praise how much more the cause of this days praise to witthe grand stupendious deliverance of this Common-wealth comprehending three Nations and all the Churches and the thousands of the people of God in those Nations And therefore it is though I say no more our justice to praise God Suum cuique tribuere to give God his due whose justice to the weeds was mercie to the Corn according to the 5. and 10. verses after my Text in that Psalm pressing my Text The Lord loveth righteousnes and judgement the Lord bringeth the counsell of the Heathen to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect And of this our justice in praysing God there is a kind of Comlinesse too For if of every morall acquired virtue there is a transcendent beauty that would ravish the sonns of men if they could visibly behold it So Cicero hath it out of Plato How much more of infused grace called the divine nature So that our duty is like the cause both being glorious 2 Pet. 1.4 For our deliverance is like the cloud that was the convoy of Israel in all their deliverances from Egypt to Canaan viz. Darkness to our enemies but glorious light to us if wee consider these four Qualifications of it 1 The matter from which we are delivered Not from proclaimed warning War like generous enemies but rather from a hidden hellish plot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking like an intended Massacre Not from forreigners strangers abroad but from them at home of our own bowells Not from dropps but a deluge of blood for all the godly of the Land to drink from the hand of the wicked Cavalliers for on them I look as the principall the rest but as decoyed by them I say to be drunk from the hands of the Cavalliers intending yea and endevouring jointly and universally to rise at once in all parts of this Nation at least He that denies this tells me there is no Sun in the Firmament and would perswade us not to believe what some of us have seen with our eye and heard with our ears from the mouthes of the enemies themselves 2. The Moment of our deliverancee It was like that of Isaac Ger. 22.10 when the blow was fetching Like that of Moses

A SERMON Preached before the Parliament the Councill of State the Lord Major Aldermen and Common Councill of the City of London and the Officers of the Army In Christ-Church London Octob. the 6th A. D. 1659. Being the Publick day of Thanksgiving appointed by the PARLIAMENT to be celebrated in the Cities of London and Westminster and parts adjacent for the suppression of the Northern Insurrection By Doctor NATHANAEL HOMES London Printed By J. B. for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Paul's Church yard 1660. Friday Octob. 7. 1659. ORdered that the thanks of this House be given to Doctor Homes for his great pains taken in preaching and carrying on the duty of publick thanksgiving on Thursday the 6th of October instant before the Parlament in Christ-Church London And that M. Blagrave do give him the thanks The like Order to M. Caryl ORdered that the Ministers be desired to print and publish their Sermons and that they have the like priviledge as hath been allowed to others in the like case Thomas St Nicholas Clerk of the Parliament I do appoint Edward Brewster Bookseller and Citizen of London to print the said Sermon in witness whereof I hereto subscribe my hand Oct. 11. 1659. NATH HOMES To the Parliament of the Com●…wealth of England and Councill of State My most Honoured Masters IT had not been possible for me sanâ mente I speak the truth before the Lord to have deemed this Sermon worthy of that dignitie to be printed much less to be presented to your Honours but that your destres exprest in your Order and much otherwise which are a sufficient Command to me stampt upon it that respect Therefore I have not counterfeitingly painted the face thereof fairer then it was Nor have I cowardly maimed it of anything I then delivered But just as ye then liked it 't is now as like it as possibly may be said of the same in complexion physiognomy stature The stream is as it first flowed thorow my mind then to my mouth thence to your ears and now to your eyes If now in this last running the Spirits of it seem not flatt and weaker to your fast but that it still reteins its first life and vigor on your Spirits to incite your further praises for mercies and trusting in the God of your mercies I shall the less care for the censures of men And as God was pleased so 〈…〉 it and ye could not prevent it that I should be much straitned in time to prepare for so great a work that all the Glory might be to him the fountain and helper so I am fully satisfied and do desire that he may have it and not I. I shall say no more for prolix tediousness in any thing is irksom to my selfe but what John Gerson the Schoolman was wont to say viz. When the Preacher hath ENDED the Sermon is not DONE For indeed it is still in Doing in the hearts and prastise of spirituall living hearers which is the prayer for your Honours of your most obliged Servant NATHANAEL HOMES From my Study at Mary Staynings London Octob. 11. 1659. Psalm 33.1 Later Clause Praise is Comely for the upright The FOR prefixed in our English is not in the Hebrew Therefore I considered the Text no further then as an absolute sentence on the present occasion WE are ye see at the head of the Psalm Therefore no need of an Analysis to find the posture of the Text. It will be sufficient to tell you 't is part of the Proposition of the Psalm in which we have the Duty Comly praise and the Doers the upright But who say ye is the Object viz. the person to bee praised Yee have him named in the former part of the verse in which is my Text Rejoyce in the LORD But where is the subject-matter for which wee must praise It is in the sequel of the Psalm enumerating many Mercies pressing the said proposition So that the sence of the Text and sentence of the Doctrine come to hand both together without much a do Praising God for mercies Doctrine is comely for the upright In which Doctrine Four things are to be opened to make it fit for Use 1. Praising which we have ranck'd in that order as the former may best give light to the later 2. Vpright which we have ranck'd in that order as the former may best give light to the later 3. Mercies which we have ranck'd in that order as the former may best give light to the later 4. Comely which we have ranck'd in that order as the former may best give light to the later 1. Praising we have rendered it in the Act for that 's the sence of the Text. God is Laus the praise of Israel Laudatio the Act of praising that 's ours Praising is a Cordiall emanation of our affections into words and deeds What praising of God is acknowledging God's greatness and goodness in himself and unto us Psal 135.3 and 5. Praise the Lord for he is good Sing praises to his name for I know he is great And Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good spoken in way of praising God And this praise is of the higher form of expressions For praedicamus ut res sunt we predicate enunciate or declare as things are Approbamus quod bonum est we approve that which is good Laudamus quod excellit we praise that which excells Suitably praise is most due to the most excellent God In Divinity the things Glorifying God Honouring God and praising God Concentre to the same generall issue viz. to manifest our thankfulnesse to God but the words critically considered contein a graduall difference Glorifying God is our due estimation of him Psal 24 last verse The Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory Honouring God is our manifestation of that esteem in action and behaviour Mal. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father If I be a Father where is mine Honour Praising God is our accumulating extollings of God with Arguments giving reasons of our said estimation and actions Praedicamus voce laudamus argumentis Thus the Psalmist Psal 103 2 3 4. c. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy lite from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercy who satisfieth thy mouth with good things c. And Psal 136. throughout O give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks to the God of Gods for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks to the Lord of Lords for his mercy endureth for ever To him who alone doth great wonders for his mercy endureth for ever To him who smote great Kings for his mercy endureth for ever and sl●w famous Kings for his mercy endureth for ever c. Thus ye see a Praise and an Argument a Praise and an Argument Like Aarons Coat when he praised God

all that we shall speak is briefly to resolve a case of conscience and pertinently to the point in hand viz. Seeing afflictions may prove mercies to believers and so to be praised for Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted saith David I went astray but now I have kept thy word And ver 71. It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Why do believers pray to prevent or remove afflictions and praise for deliverance from them To make way for a distinct resolution of this case I must premise some previous propositions by way of distinction 1. That there are two sorts of afflictions some are killing afflictions depriving of naturall life Others are onely correcting afflictions sparing naturall life Of which we must note these five propositions or distinctions 1. That those correcting afflictions are not simply good inse in their own nature but conditionally and instrumentally to such an end as to keep us from evill or cure us of evill of sin As chvrurgery using Phlebotomie scarifying or lancings is not good in it selfe but as it cures the sick or diseased patient And therefore afflictions are somtimes called by God himself evills as Amos 3.6 Shall there be EVILL in a City and the Lord hath not done it 2. Nor are they conditionally and instrumentally good so viz. to such an end to keep off or cure of sin as immediate necessary causes or media but per accidens that is per aliud by the help of another viz. by the speciall influence of God in and upon our correcting afflictions blessing and sanctifying them unto us As sometimes the Chyrurgions Phlebotomizing scarrifying or lancings may cause ranckling Gangrenes or festering without timely application of his Balsom c. We see good Jonah a godly Prophet in his prophesie though the better for his Sea-affliction in the Whales belly was the worse for a time for his Lana-affliction when God blasted his shaddowy succouring Gourd 3. God doth oftentimes onely show and shake his rod to give us warning which if we take he lays away his rod and lays not on the stroaks Prov. 22.3 The prudent sore-seeth the plague and hideth himselse but the simple posse on and are punished And Hebrews 11. verse 7. By Faith Noah being WARNED of God of things not seen yet moved with FEAR prepared an Ark to the saving of his house 4. When wee are brought off from our sins and nearer to God the work is done the use of the rod is at an end in GOD'S usuall way of afflicting Isa 27.7 8 9. Hath he smitten him to wit Israel as he smote those that smote him c In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it He stayeth his rough wind and By this therefore the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne So Jerem. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised c Surely after I was turned I repented Upon this see there what God saith Is Ephraim my deare Sonne Is he a pleasant child For since I spake against him I remember him still Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I WILL SURELY HAVE MERCY ON HIM saith the Lord. Add Hosea 5 last verse I will go and return to my place TILL they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early Fifthly The afflictions of believers may be an occasion of great evill in the hearts and hands lips and licenciousnesse of the wicked who thereupon may tryumph over if not trample upon the people of God or their religion and blaspheam the name of the God of that religion and of that people Of which David complains oft Psal 25.21 Psal 42.3 Psal 71.11 that the wicked cry where A●…a is their God God hath forsaken them c. Now things thus prepared take our answer to the case in these positions 1 There is no doubt but we may pray against Killing afflictions and praise for deliverance because we live to pray and praise This is Davids own Argument Psal 6.4 5. Return O Lord deliver my soul O save me for thy mercy sake FOR IN DEATH THERE IS NO REMEMBRANCE OF THEE IN THE GRAVE WHO SHAL GIVE THEE THANKS So Psal 28.1 c. To thee I cry be not silent O Lord LEST I BECOME LIKE THEM THAT GO DOWN TO THE PIT So upon such grounds Hezkiah prayed that he might not dy by that his disease which in likelihood was the Pestilence or some such Ulcer as appears by the Plaister Isa 38. compare 2 Kings 20.1 c. 2. For correcting afflictions that spare life we may lawfully pray unto God to prevent them or remove them in these four cases 1 When God warns and believers take the Alarm and are warned they may pray to God to prevent the affliction by divine warrant Amos 4.12 And because this I will do unto thee PREPARE TO MEET thy God O Israell Thus did Niniveh Jonah 3. commended by our Saviour for so doing Mat. 12.41 2 To pray for prevention of Afflictions or removing of them when they may be occasion of sinne to us is warrantable by Scripture Prov. 30.7 Two things have I required of thee deny me not afore I dy Remove far from me vanitie and lies give me not povertie least I be poor and steal and take the name of my God in vain 3 When Correcting afflictions have been sanctified to us making us better God having had his end we may lawfully pray for their removall by divine example Psal 119.71 David having acknowledged and praised God that he had been bettered by his afflictions that it was good for him that he had been afflicted c. he presently prays in vers 76 77 78. that God would remove his afflictions 4 When in and by our afflictions the wicked are animated against us and our profession insulting over us and it we may lawfully pray to God on that accompt that God would remove them Thus did David Psal 35.22 23 24 25. Psal 42.9 10. Psal 71.12 13. And beside we have a promise Psal 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise God and the remainder of wrath God will restrain And Zech. 1.15 God professeth I am sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction By which two last places of Scripture it appeares we may lawfully pray for what God hath promised and against that with which God is angry The Disciples and the Church with them likewise pray in opposition to the enemies insultations and persecutions Acts 4.23 c. to 31. verse The close is that as in those five cases aforesaid believers may lawfully pray for prevention or removall of afflictions so we may warrantably give praise when they are prevented or removed For 't is a sure Rule What we may lawfully pray to have we may lawfully

do engage us namely 1 The Comlinesse of the duty of praise 2. The consideration of the Mercies prepared for our praise 1 The Comliness It is comely or it becometh us if we be upright c. as we pretend to be to praise Is it not comely doth it not become us that it appear We have truth of grace It is more credit to wear a small Diamond then a large Chrystal or Bristol As Prayer tryes the lawfullness of our Actions a man cannot with any face ask God to assist him in sinning So praising God tryes our graces 2 Tim. 3.2 Vnthankfull unholy in gratum dixeris omnia dixeris therefore vice versâ on the contrary The more thankfull the more holy and the more holy the more thankfull For prayer may have much if not all of selfe but praise cannot but have much of God in it for which cause in part David is supposed to be called A man after Gods own heart 2 Is it not comly doth it not become us to come to our selves when we have been dull spirited dead hearted and our souls have layn bedd-ridden spiritually Prayse in these Cases hath been the Cure-all-evill See the Psalmist often in his Psalmes that when he hath been in a deep dolefull dump as soon as he could get up his soul upon the leggs of praise how high and heavenly is his heart Psal 73. in the former part of the Psalm to the end of the 22 verse in what a low deplorable condition spiritually is hee ver 2.3 My feet were almost gon my steps had well nigh slipt for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperitie of the wicked ver 12. 13. Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocencie a most dreadfull speech for a Saint not onely for matter but mode to seal it with a verilie ver 22. So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee But now mark the Calastrophe from the 23. ver to the end of the Psalm as soon as he can turn and tune his notes to praise how high is he saying Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and afterward receive me to glory Whom have in Heaven but thee and none on earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever c. So Psal 77. In the first eleven verses the Psalmist is in a deep dejected condition ver 2. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not My soul refused to be comforted a sad expression I remembred God and was troubled a sadder expression I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed On which the Psalmist himselfe puts a note of Emphasis viz. Selah He goes on Thou holdest mine eyes waking so that I cannot speak c. Again Will the Lord cast off for ever And will he be favourable no more Is his mercie clean gon for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Hath he in in anger shut up his tender mercies On which also he set his eminent mark Selah Now mark the turn of the tyde As soon as he can give this Torrent a check ver 10. saying I sayd this is mine infirmitie And in the same verse and verse 11 12. set himself to meditate mercies and verse 13. c. falls to praising O how sublime are the gracious workings of his heart viz. who is so great a God as our God Thou art the God that dost wonders Thou hast declared thy strength among the people Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people c. sutable to our business this day Once more to this see one Psalm more viz. Psa 116. In ver 11. The Psalmists heart is sadly out of tune saying I said in my hast all men are Lyars he excepts not the Prophets compare 1 Sam. 27.1 But as soon as this land-flood of passion is over that the Land of mercies appears how elevated are his affections heaven-ward as he expresseth himselfe in the very next verse viz. 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me Hee cannot think what may be great enough and good enough Now he is ver 13 14. fit to pray to call on the name of the Lord and forward to pay his vowes c. With all these take a late experiment of the Heart-reviving power of praysing confessed by a worthy pious Minister Mr. Greenham I think for I had not time to turn Books I endeavoured saith he to set my selfe to study I could not study Then I endeavoured to meditate to set my heart in tune but I could not meditate Then I would have prayd but I could not pray At last I fell to considering Gods mercies and to prayse him and then my heart came to himself and I was in a sweet temper And truly other experienced Christians and I hope such are some at least of you do find the experience of this heart reviving exercise of prayse 3. Is it not comly doth it not become us to have many beautiful returns of heaven much manifestation of Gods presence with us Praise is not onely a Giver but a Getter See Jehoshaphat's praysing God 2 Chron. 20.22 And when they began to sing and to praise the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount Seir which came against Judah and they were smitten So also Paul and Silas praying and singing PRAYSES unto God Acts 16. Suddainly there was a great Earth quake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and every ones bands were loosed c. Praise is like a pump which in pouring out water draws more water Or like the strings of an instrument which being strucken with the hand do verberate the ayre in its first sound and are reverberated by the ayre to an after-sound Praises to the hollow and holy heavens never faile of a sweet Eccho to the heart from Heaven For Praises as well as Prayers put out Carefulness from the heart and put into the heart The peace of God passing all understanding which will keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep as in a Garrison there 's the excellent Garrison your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Phil. 4.6 7. 4. And lastly is it not Comly doth it not become us to be of a cheerfull joyfull spirit in the Lord like our God To be like Heaven like Angells in Complexion language and business Surely 't is commanded that we rejoyce in the Lord always Phil. 4.4 and again in the same verse the Holy Ghost commands it saying again I say rejoice viz. to credit Gods goodness to us And praise is the pleasant work of joy in the former

when the generality of the people were about instantly to stone him then very then in that instant Namb. 14.10 the glory of the Lord came down upon the Tabernacle and daunted them from their dismall design Or like the deliverance of Israel at the Red-sea If the Sea bee not divided that very night a great work to bee done in a night then good night to the Israelites lives Ex● 14.21 or liberties or both It was an astonishment to us to think that whiles we were all Gen. 22.14 most intentively gazing and admiring at the setting of a single person and glorying in the rising and ascending up of this Parliament O happy day the enemy in all parts are ready to swarm and to come about us like Bees But as the Psalmist saith so say we in the name of the Lord they were destroyed according to that divine Hebrew proverb of old Behas yehofa yeraeh That is in the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen For so in the 18 and 19. verses after my Text pressing our duty in it Behold the eye of the Lord is on them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercie to deliver their soul from death Deus videt ridet God saw and laughed the enemie to scorn 3. The manner of our deliverance viz. a most bloody design prevented almost by a bloodless victorie Of which we are glad as well as our enemies A rare Sympathy between two adversarie Armies 4. The Means of our deliverance viz. Digitus Dei The finger of God Wee acknowledge the diligence forwardness and resolution of the Souldierie And that was of God too 'T is God and his Cause that carries it We have it demonstrated by the contrarie too viz. the ill success when these have been left though I have not the place But in this our deliverance behold further in special Digitus Dei the finger of God the movings of God upon the heart For though the enemie were greatly prepared and mighty in strength and that in a chiefe strength of an Army viz. in Horse especially for such a design suddainly to over run and subdue a whole Nation inflamed also as they pretended with great zeal and most specious pretences yet in the day of Battle they had no heart nor courage sutable to such a day God had sent the Hornet of fear and daunted them So that our Armie Venit vidit vicit God the great Master and Commander of hearts for all their mighty power had taken away their heart So that to this we may apply that in the 16 and 17 verses after my Text pressing the practi●e of it upon us There is no King saved by the MULTITUDE of an Host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength An HORSE is a vain thing for safety neither shal he deliver any by his great strength Surely no when God takes away the heart of the Rider yea and of his Infantry too And this is a main thing that I desire we may mainly mind That the grand things that God hath done for us in this last and great revolution hath been by heart-work wherein none can make any shew of claim to share in his honour God wrought upon the hearts of the Armie a jealousie of a design to set over us an anti-interested single person contrary to our interest and Common-Wealth which made them so effectually importune the dissolution of the last convention God again wrought upon the hearts of the same Armie a sensible satisfaction that their interest was involved in the interest of this Parliament and that both their safeties and of the whole Common-wealth were inseparably twisted together and like Hypocrates Twinns live and die together whereupon the former Conventions being dethroned the Souldiery importuned this Parliament to return to their duties So that in these God wrought in our Army a kind of change of their hearts whereby of ill masters they became excellent servants to this Common-wealth and came off Gallantly Again God works for us with heart work upon and in our enemies 1. God took away the wit or courage or both of many parties in many Counties that they were not up in Armes considerably at the nick of time 2. That from that most considerabe body in the North-East God took away as we said their courage So that in these things God took away the heart And thus to close our Sermon should wee well weigh mercies praising comes of prizing we should weigh them like gold every cinder and Scintil to a grain And measure them all so exactly considering them as a Ball of Silk not what is the Globe or bulk of it only but to what a length it will run and what it wil make in the improvment Verily we should discern the length of this days mercies by the length of our miseries if the plot had taken And thence conclude that our present deliverance if we have the grace to keep the Talent God hath given us extendeth from this generation to the next and so the next c. till Christ come Now if for future mercies the Apostle puts the Question 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing we look for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousnese the old being dissolved by fire what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness How thankfull and holy should we be for present mercies so as to be as it were distressed with the Psalmist Psal 116.12 what and how to render to God praise and obedience good enough and great enough for all the greatnesse of his goodness towards us For surely the Lord doth overcome us yea overcome our very thoughts with the hughness and highness of his numerous mercies Eph. 3.20 He doth for us above what we could ask or think And his mercie as Psa 36.5 6. is to the heavens his faithfulness reacheth to the clouds his righteousness is like the great mountains and his judgements like a great deep Therefore let the people praise and sing and let the heavens ring with Halel●jah's praise honour and glory be given to him that sits on the Throne and to the Lamb for evermore Amen Delivered to the Printer Octob. 11. 1659. ERRATA p. 5. margin at line 20. read Plin. p. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. line 19. Till p. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 29. l. ingratum p. 37. margin vulgi