Lord, and he pondereth all his Goings: And as Solomon fays in another place, The Eyes of the Prov. 15. 3. Lord are in every place, beholding the Evil and the Good. He do's not fit in the Heavens, viewing what is done upon Earth as an idle Spectator, but governs by his infinite Wisdom what he has raised from nothing by his unlimited Power; and that he does fo, is notoriously visible in thofe Deliverances that can be afcribed to no other Cause than what is Divine.

For who, taking notice how all things concurred to prevent the Murder of our King, and an Invafion from France, but must be forced to cry out, Surely there is a God that judgeth in the Earth, who is very much concern'd for the Happiness of those whom he owns for his People? Particularly how did the obfequious Winds, by the Direction of the Lord of the Universe, fubferve to our Protection, and to the Disappointment of our Enemies? The Divine Providence having thereby kindly laid an Embargo on our Fleet, contrary to the ignorant Wishes of our Merchants, that we might be ready to defend our felves, and prevent the intended Descent of our Enemies.

God expects when he appears fo visibly, that all fhould regard his Work, and confider the Operation of his Hands; who fays concerning his Church, Ifa. 27.3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment: left any hurt it, I will keep it Night and Day. Which Promife has been eminently made good in the Discovery of the late Plot. And one great End of God's defeating the Machinations of evil Men, is to let all fee the Special Regard he has for his Church: For the Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout 2 Chron. the whole Earth, to fhew himself strong in the be- 16. 9. half of them whofe Heart is perfect towards him.

5.

5. He delivers by fuch special Acts of Providence, that they may remain a lasting Terror to the Wicked in all after-Ages. As fpecial Acts of Providence carry in them vifible Tokens for Good to the People of God, so they bear amazing Characters of Terror to the Enemies of his Church. 'Tis to be hop'd, it will not a little weaken the Power of our Adverfaries, to look back upon their baffled Policies; that which was formerly an Occafion of their Glorying, will probably hereafter administer to their Confufion and Terror. He that fitteth in the Heavens fhall laugh: the Lord fhall have them in Pfal. 2.4, 5. Derifion. Then shall be Speak unto them in his Wrath, and vex them in his fore Difpleasure. It will be a distracting Perplexity to the Wicked, and a great enfeebling of their Strength, to be forc'd to remember how God hath appear'd against them, and blafted their black Confpiracies against his Church. How will the Revolution of -88, and the Discovery of this Plot in-96, remain to Posterity a Subject of Shame and Trouble to the whole Romish Party? and one would think (if they have any grains of Modesty left, or are at all capable of reflecting on the Hand of God, which has fo eminently appear'd against them) they should fcarce ever dare to touch God's Anointed more, or attempt the Ruin of his Church. However, Pfal. 76. 10. he can make the Wrath of Man to praise him, and restrain the Remainder thereof if he pleases.

1 Chr. 16.

22.

III. I fhall clofe all with fome Ufe futable to the Solemnity of this Day, and that Deliverance for which we are come together to praise God.

1. If

1. If our King and we have been deliver'd by a special Providence of God, (as 'tis evident we have) what reafon have we to be abafed and humbled, that we are no more affected with fo great a Deliverance, and that our Return bears no better a proportion to the merci ful Providence we are under? Surely we have abundant Cause to mingle our Tears with our Songs, that the great Deliverance we enjoy has had fo little Influence upon us! Is there not as much Profanenefs in our Streets, as much Carnality and Lukewarmnefs in our Churches as ever? Do we not ftill continue in our old Sins, after fuch a new and aftonishing Deliverance? What can we expect fhould follow on fuch Stupidity and Ingratitude, but that that God who has broken the Snare for our Deliverance, and fet our Feet in a large Place, fhould give us the Reverse of our Happiness, and deliver us into the hands of our Enemies, unless we repent? We read in 1 Kings 11. 9. that the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his Heart was turned from the Lord God of Ifrael, which had appeared unto him twice. The double Appearance of God in an extraordinary way, did highly aggravate his Apoftacy and Revolt from him: And what Shame and Confufion of Face belongs to us, whom God has loaded with his repeated Benefits, fince we have made no Returns futable to them? And except we thorowly humble our felves, what can we expect, but that God will be angry with us till he hath confum'd us, fo that there fhall be no remnant nor escaping? Pray obferve what follow'd upon the Ingratitude of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 22. 25. But Hezekiah render'd not again, according to the Benefit done unto him; for his Heart was

+

lifted

lifted up; therefore there was Wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerufalem.

2. Hath God Almighty by a special Act of Providence deliver'd our King and us his People from the hurtful Sword? Let fuch a Mercy never be forgot, but tranfmitted to Pofterity. May the Characters of this Deliverance never be defac'd by Time, but its Memory be kept alive and fresh in Generations to come; that the Pfal. 78.6. Children that are yet unborn, who probably will enjoy the Advantages of it, may hereafter praise God for it, and declare it to their Children. Let us not be like the Ifraelites of old, who fang God's Praife, but foon forgot Pf. 106. 12, his Works. May the Circumftances of this wonderful Salvation add a fprightly Accent to the Hallelujahs that fhall be fung for it, to the utmost Limits of Time; that the Memory of this Mercy may live as long as the Sun and Moon endure. 'Tis remark'd by a learned Man, that Dr. Light- the City Shufhan, the Royal Seat of the Perfian foot's Tem- Monarchy, was pourtrayed on the East Gate of ple, ch. 3. the Temple, that the Jews might readily recognize and call to remembrance the wonderful Deliverance of Purim, which was wrought in Shushan, Efth. 9. 26. Has God Almighty delivered our King and us? let us hope in him, and never forget his Benefits.

13.

3. As Heaven hath fignalized WILLIAM, our LAWFUL and RIGHTFUL Sovereign, by repeated Acts of fpecial Protection; let us, who profefs to be his obedient Subjects at all times, afford him the moft vifible Tokens of a fincere and fignal Loyalty. 'Tis true, he has been engaged for fome time in a War very expenfive, but it has been for our Safety, and in the hazard of his own Life: and fhall we regret

regret the parting with a little of our Eftates, to keep out a dreadful War from the Bowels of our Country, and for the Defence of our Lives and Liberties? 'Tis not many Years fince, that we would have given the two Thirds of what we had, that the other Part might have been fecur'd to us. Therefore let us not murmur at our prefent Expence, because it is to fupport the Intereft of a Proteftant King, whom a continued Deliverance from fucceflive Dangers has mark'd out for the Darling of Providence; a Prince in whom meets the Prudence and Courage of all his renown'd Anceftors; and whom not to value and efteem, Judg.8.34, would be to flight the God that hath girded 35. him for Battel.

4. Let us chearfully and cordially praise God for our common Deliverance, a Deliverance fo great, that we lack Words to fet it out to the full; for it is big with Mercy, I had almost faid, with Miracle! Who but must confefs, that the Finger of God was in it, and that the Signatures of a fpecial Providence are deeply imprefs'd upon it! And fhall not we with the most exalted Vigour of Mind praife God for fuch a Deliverance as this, that has in fome respects hardly any Precedent or Parallel? Let us all beware that we never provoke him by fresh Provocations to throw off his Care, to remove the Candlestick of his Gofpel, and give us up, as a Prey into their Teeth, whofe tender Mercies are Cruelties. For know, that our God will not always be at the Charge of Miracles for our Prefervation, if we remain in the Practice, and under the Power of our Sins for if inftead of Repentance and Reformation, we are multiplying our Tranfgref

fions