Divine Cordials, Sermons · Sermon 2
Sermon II.
EZRA 9. the latter part of Verſe 13.
Seeing that thou our God hast puniſhed us leſſe then our iniquities deſerve, and haſt given us ſuch deliverance as this.
WEe come now to the ſecond amplification of Gods mercy, Ezra had ſaid that God had dealt mercifully with them, how proves hee the mercy of God? hee proves it thus, becauſe that when hee puniſhed them, it was leſſe then they deſerved, (thou our God hast puniſhed us, leſſe then our iniquities deſerve:) Here is one word joyned with puniſhing, which I would have you take notice of, he ſaith [thou our God haſt puniſhed us:] Herein he is a pattern to us, when at any time wee come to confeſſe our ſinnes before God: [Our God] intimates a ſtrong relation and affection; certainly when hee ſaith thus, be knew there was hope of Gods being reconciled to them againe, giving us thereby to underſtand what is required of men in the confeſſion of ſinne; a man muſt not only as David, water his couch with his teares, Pſal. 6.6. Matth. 26.75.Pſal. 6.6. nor with Peter, goe out and weep bitterly, Matth. 26.75. nor with the woman which was a ſinner in the City, waſh Chriſts feet with our teares, Luke 7.38.Luk. 7.38. nor ſecondly, muſt hee only with a great deale of ſelfe ſhame confeſſe his ſinne, as did Ezra in this chapter, and the poore Publican, Luk. 18.13. Thirdly, nor muſt hee only confeſſe his ſinnes with anger, Luke 18.13. Ioh 42.6. Hoſea 14.8.as did Ioh 42. chapter, 6. v. and Ephraim in Hoſea 14 8. But laſtly, he muſt confeſſe them with faith and confidence; that is, ſo to aggravate his ſinnes before God, as not to let goe his hold in God: Wee ſee the Church taking this courſe in Hoſea 6.1. Come, Hoſea 6.1.let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heale us: hee hath ſmitten, and hee will bind us up: Mark, they had a confidence in Gods mercy, though they knew their ſinnes were foule and criminall: So Daniel confeſſeth and aggravateth the ſinnes of the people, yet he lets not goe his hold, but ſaith, To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveneſſes, though wee have rebelled againſt him, Dan. 9.9.Dan. 9.9. The like we ſee in the Prodigall, hee had gone into a farre Countrey, and there waſted his ſubſtance with riotous living: afterwards being pincht with want and comming to himſelfe, hee ſaith, I will ariſe and goe to my Father, and ſay unto him, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne, Luk. 15.13.17.18.Luk. 15.13.17.18. Though hee knew hee had grievouſly offended God, yet hee will make uſe of that name [Father] and not let goe the ſtaffe of his confidence: and to ſay the truth, God doth make known to us in his word, that hee is our Father, intimating thereby the duration of his affection: a husband may ceaſe to be a husband by reaſon of a lewd wife which is divorced from him; and a maſter may ceaſe to bee a maſter, for want of a ſervant; but a father can never ceaſe to be a father, though his child be never ſo wicked and contumacious, becauſe hee is full of bowels and compaſsion: Therefore when a man comes to confeſſe his ſinnes before God, he muſt not confeſſe them with aſſurance to die, as Achan did, but hee muſt confeſſe them with hope to obtaine mercy and pardon: and if yee look into ſacred Writ, you ſhall finde that when Gods children have come to confeſſe their ſinnes, they have ſtill done it with hope of forgiveneſſe; therefore ſometimes they urge him by his Covenant, Nehem. 9.32. ſometimes for his mercy ſake, Nehem. 9.32. Pſal 6.4. Pſal. 25.11.Pſal. 6.4. and ſometimes for his name ſake, Pſal. 25.11. as if they had ſaid, O Lord, wee know wee for our ſinnes deſerve not to be heard, yet Lord finde matter in thy ſelfe of being mercifull unto us, and for thy goodneſſe ſake reject us not, the depths of whoſe miſery call for the depths of thy mercy.
Let the conſideration of this,Vſe. teach us to take out this needfull leſſon: ſome there be that confeſſe their ſinnes, but it is with deſpaire, thus did Cain and Iudas; and of Francis Spira we read, that being neare unto death, he could not be perſwaded of Gods mercies, but died deſpairing: But for our ſelves, let us confeſſe our ſinnes with hope that God will pardon us, and with the ſervants of Benhadad let us addreſſe our ſelves to him, and ſay, we have heard that thou who art the King of Iſrael, art a mercifull King; let us never deſpaire, but ſtill come in hope of mercy, though wee know that God hath juſt cauſe to damne us, becauſe the ſharp grapes of our ſinnes have ſowred his countenance with indignation: Let us not for all that caſt away the ſtaffe of our confidence, but look up to heaven and ſay with Iob, Though thou killest me, yet will I truſt in thee. [thou our God haſt puniſhed us.] Doth he call him their God, and yet doth he puniſh them? hee ſeemes to impropriate God unto them, and yet he ſaith, he puniſhed them: by the conjunction of theſe together, I lay down this as a firme concluſion.
God may love, and yet puniſh. I will make it plaine unto you; ſometimes God puniſhes unwillingly, Lam. 3.33. He doth not puniſh willingly, Lamen 3.33.nor grieve the children of men: And when hee is forced to puniſh,Iſa. 1.24. it is with Ah and alaſſe: Iſa. 1.24. Secondly, it appeares thus, becauſe he deſires to bee ſtopt in his way of puniſhing; yee ſee on what faire tearmes he would have been taken off from puniſhing Sodom and Gomorrah; if there had beene but ten righteous perſons in thoſe Cities, hee would have ſpared them for tens ſake, Gen. 18.32. nay,Gen. 18.32. Ezek. 22.30. in Ezek. 22.30. the Lord ſaith, if he could but have found one man to ſtand in the gap before him for the land, he would not deſtroy it: and in Ierem. 5.1. he ſaith,Ierem. 5.1. Runn to and fro thorow the ſtreets of Ieruſalem, and ſee now and know, and ſeek in the broad places thereof, if yee can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, or that ſeeketh the truth, and I will pardon it: God would have beene glad if one could have been found, to avert his indignation: Nay, when he finds no ſuch interceſſours, then he tells men before-hand what he will doe, that by their repentance they may keep him out of the way of his juſtice,Amos 4.12. Amos 4.12. Therefore thus will I doe unto thee O Iſrael: and becauſe I will do thus unto thee, prepare to meet thy God O Iſrael: it is the ſaying of Seneca, and it is a true one, a man that profeſſeth hatred to another, is thereby prevented of doing him the miſchiefe hee intended: Hence it was that Abſolom forbore to ſpeak either good or bad to his brother Ammon, for three yeares together, for feare he ſhould ſuſpect ſome miſchiefe towards him: and when God tells men plainly before-hand what hee will doe unto them, it is a cleare demonſtration that be deſires to be ſtopt in the way of his fury. Thirdly, this ſhewes it, becauſe that when his hand of puniſhment is upon them, it ſhall be removed if they repent: This we finde often made good to Iſrael, on their performance of the condition; and it is a ſigne we have not repented under Gods hand, if wee have not found it true in our own experience. Laſtly, it appeares to be true by this, he puniſhes men becauſe he loves them, this is plain,Prov. 3.12. Revel. 3.19. Prov. 3.12. cited in Rev. 3.19. whom the Lord loveth he correcteth: He ſees puniſhment as neceſſary for his children as meat, and when hee layes it on, it ſhall not be ſo much penall as medicinall, therefore there muſt needs bee love in it.
Vſe 1 I deſire from my ſoule that people would bee perſwaded of this; I confeſſe it is durus ſermo, a hard ſaying, and men will hardly be drawn to believe it, eſpecially when the affliction is ſmart: How often did Iob think God his enemy, when his hand was heavie upon him? I knew it was in his paroxyſme and hot bloud, for in his coole bloud he retracts whatſoever he had ſaid before: the like we ſee in the Jewes, becauſe God did not preſently ſettle them in the Land of Canaan, therefore they ſay, becauſe the Lord hated us, hee hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to deſtroy us, Deut. 1.27.Deut. 1.27. And as a man is apt of himſelfe to think ſo, ſo the World and the Devill are prone to ſuggeſt ſuch thoughts unto him; the World ſaith, as Moſes ſuppoſeth the Enemies of God would ſay, if hee ſhould deſtroy his people,Deut 9.28. Deut. 9.28. the Lord layes this affliction upon thee becauſe he hates thee: and the friends of Iob were conceitd that God puniſht him becauſe he hated him; and his wife doubtleſſe thought no other, therefore ſhee bids him curſe God and die. The Devill alſo is buſie at this, when hee ſeeth Gods hand heavie upon a man, What, ſaith hee? is this the God yee ſerve, that thus layes load upon you? aſſure your ſelves, he would never puniſh you in this manner if he loved you, this is but a draught of that cup, the dregs whereof yee ſhall ſuck out in Hell: thus hee layes an aſſault to our ſoules to hinder our eternall good, wronging Gods mercy like a lyar as hee hath been from the beginning: Why ſhould we think it ſtrange, that God ſhould love and puniſh? ſee it in Ioſeph, the time was when hee took his brethren to be ſpies and felons; all this while Ioſeph offered violence to his own heart, cruciat & amat, hee torments them and loves them, for when he handled them moſt roughly, hee could not forbeare but he muſt goe out and weep: ſhall hee doe all this, and yet love his brethren? and may not God much more puniſh his children, and yet at the ſame time love them? So in David, all men knew that he loved his Abſolom well, but yet when he turns Rebell, he muſt take up armes againſt him, yet at the ſame time hee bids his men intreat the young man Abſolom kindly: now can man puniſh, and yet love? and ſhall not God doe the ſame, who is fuller of mercy, then the Sea is of water? all the mercy which is in all the men upon earth, is not as the drop of a bucket to that Ocean of mercy that is in the Almighty. Come to our own experience, thou art the Father of a child, and he offending thee, thou correcteſt him; ſhall a man ſay, thou hateſt him becauſe thou chaſtifeſt him? no wiſe man but will ſay thou loveſt him, and therefore thou puniſheſt him, that hee may grow better againe; thy child hath a diſeaſe growing upon him, which if it be not prevented in time, will be his death, and thou tendring his good, giveſt money to a Surgeon to cure him, though it be to his great paine; is it becauſe thou hateſt him? O no, it rather appeares, that therefore thou loveſt him, elſe thou wouldſt not be at charge with him: So God findes cauſe to puniſh us for our ſinnes; ſhall we dare to ſay, he doth it becauſe he hates us? God forbid. Saith Auguſtine, I know the Phyſitian is irkſome to a man in a frenſie, becauſe he ties and binds him: doth he uſe him thus becauſe hee hates him? no, but deſire to cure him, conſtraines him to take that violent courſe with him. Againe, thou ſometimes walkeſt into thy garden, and findeſt occaſion to prune thy trees, is it becauſe thou hateſt them? no, but therefore thou do'ſt it, to make them grow better: now if all this be true in thine own experience, why ſhould not God love, and yet puniſh?
Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, it ſhould teach every man to take heed of cenſuring any to he ſuch as God hates, on whom God layes his afflicting hand: This was the humour of the Jewes ſpoken of in Luk. 13.2.3.4.5. they thought thoſe Galileans whoſe bloud Pilate had mingled with their ſacrifices;Luk. 13.2, 3, 4, 5 and thoſe eighteen on whom the Tower in Silo fell, to bee greater ſinners then any in Ieruſalem: our bleſſed Lord corrects this, and tells them it was not ſo, but that except they repented, they ſhould likewiſe periſh: This was alſo the miſpriſion of them of Melita, Acts 28.4.Acts 28.4. When they ſaw a Viper come out of the fire and faſten on Pauls hand, they preſently judge him to be a murderer. O take heed of this, for all theſe things fall out alike, both to good and bad, and in ſo doing a man may cenſure the generation of the righteous,Pſal. 73.15. Pſal. 73.15. Nay, he may be guilty of cenſuring our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt, for he was deſpiſed and rejected of men, a man of ſorrowes, and acquainted with griefe, Iſa. 53.3. yet at the ſame time he was the Sonne of his Fathers love,Iſa. 53.3. one in whom hee took an everlaſting complacency: Ioſephs cup may bee found in Benjamins ſack; and Gods child may be puniſht, yet in his love and favour, for God may love and yet puniſh. [thou haſt puniſhed us leſſe then our iniquities deſerve:] The point is plaine.
Doct. 2 God doth not puniſh any of his ſo much as they deſerve. In Ierem. 10.24. the Prophet prayes thus,Ierem. 10.24. O Lord correct me, but with judgement, not in thine anger; leſt thou bring me to nothing: as if he had ſaid, correct me moderately, and not according to my demerits; and yee ſhall finde it to bee Gods own promiſe in Ierem. 30.11. I will not make a full end of thee, Ierem. 30.11.but will correct thee in meaſure: the ſame alſo is the confeſſion of the Church,Pſal. 103.10. Pſal. 103.10. He hath not dealt with us after our ſinnes: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. And Zophar Iobs friend tells him,Iob 11.6. Iob 11.6. that God exacted leſſe of him then his iniquity deſerved. It is a good obſervation that is made by ſome of the Learned, that as God ſtill rewards, ultra merita, beyond mens deſerts, ſo he ever puniſhes, citra, leſſe then they deſerve: that hee is alwayes beyond our merits in rewarding us, is evident in Luk. 17.10. where our Saviour ſaith,Luk. 17.10. When yee ſhall have done all thoſe things which are commanded you, ſay, Wee are unprofitable ſervants, wee have done that which was our duty: but hee is ever on this ſide in puniſhing us: See this in Gods dealing with Adam, what deſerved he at Gods hand but hell? yet be puniſht him only with temporall death. So, when Cain had committed that great ſinne againſt God, he might have ſent him preſently to his own place, but hee ſpared him, and ſuffered him to live a long time on the earth, waiting for his repentance; and when the Iſraelites deſerved to be deſtroyed, and that hee was forced to puniſh them, yet he let not his whole diſpleaſure riſe againſt them, Pſal. 78.38.Pſal. 78.38.
Vſe 1 Is it ſo? let us then in all the judgments which God inflicts upon us, lay our hand upon our mouth, and conclude, that it is leſſe then we deſerve: Haſt thou a diſeaſe upon thee? know that it is leſſe then thou deſerveſt, though it be ſharpe and irkeſome: O but will ſome ſay, my diſeaſe is ſo grievous, that I wiſh I were out of my life: what of that? hee could yet lay more grievous upon thee, he might ſend terrours into thy ſoule if he would, which bee, tempestates mentis, the tempeſts of the mind, and farre worſe then any corporall diſeaſe; judge then if God doe not puniſh thee leſſe then thou deſerveſt. O but ſaith another, when God ſends a man to Hell, doth hee puniſh him leſſe then his deſert? I anſwer, in regard of the extention of time, that which God inflicts on the damned in hell, is as much as they can deſerve or he can inflict upon them, becauſe it is for ever: but in regard of the intention of the puniſhment, they be not puniſhed as they deſerve, God could make the paines of thoſe in everlaſting chaines much more intenſive, but that all his wayes are intervein'd with mercy: let us therefore be patient in ſuffering what God layes upon us, knowing that whatſoever the puniſhment is, it is leſſe then, and on this ſide our demerit.
Vſe 2 Secondly, let us learne of our heavenly Father, to bee mercifull as he is mercifull: hee doth not deale with us after our deſerts, why ſhould wee deale otherwiſe with our brother? you ſee Solomon ſpared Shimei his life, though for reviling his Father, he had deſerved death; only he confined him to Ieruſalem, which when he violated, then and not before, he took away his life: The Iewes ever had a deſire to bee more holy then the Law of God required, therefore when the Lord had ſet and appointed when the Sabbath ſhould begin and when it ſhould end, they would begin it an houre before, and conclude it an houre after the time limited by God: So the Lord commanded them to have no familiarity with the Heathen, and they were ſo ſtrict, that they would not ſo much as ſpeak to one uncircumciſed: So for the matter of puniſhment, which is to our purpoſe, God commanded them not to exceed fourty ſtripes, therefore they would inflict but thirty and nine upon offendours: Thus S. Paul ſaith, 2 Cor. 11.24. Of the Iewes five times I received fourty ſtripes ſave one: 2 Cor. 11.24.I do not applaud their ſuperſtition, in doing more then God commanded, but yet it argues mercifulneſſe towards Delinquents: ſo when a man had deſerved death, if the Lord had not expreſt in his word, what death he ſhould die, they would put him to that which was moſt eſie: I wiſh that this practiſe of theirs riſe not up in judgement againſt us Chriſtians; how many be there among us, that for petty matters ſeek to cruſh and undoe men? they are ſo farre from puniſhing men leſſe then they deſerve, that they inflict ten times more upon them then is meet: this is the fault of Maſters and Miſtreſſes, they will ſo beat their ſervants for trivials, that they be ſcarfe their own men and women ever after: doth this argue bowels of mercy? or doth God deale ſo with your ſoules? remember the parable of the two ſervants, one whereof owed his maſter tenne thouſand talents, and becauſe hee had not to pay, his Lord commanded him, his wife and children, and all that he had to be ſold, and payment to be made: the ſervant therefore fell down and worſhipped him, ſaying,Luk. 1…. Lord have patience with mee and I will pay thee all: Then the Lord of that ſervant was moved with compaſsion, and looſed him, and forgave him the debt: No ſooner had his Lord forgiven him, but hee goes out and found one of his fellow ſervants which ought him an hundred pence; and hee laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, ſaying, Pay me that thou oweſt: and his fellow ſervant fell downe at his feet, and beſought him, ſaying, Have patience with mee, and I will pay thee all: and he would not, but went and caſt him into priſon, till he ſhould pay the debt: When his Lord heard of it, he calls him to account againe, (for it ſeemes he had forgiven him upon condition that hee ſhould forgive his brother) and ſaith unto him, O thou wicked ſervant, I forgave thee all that debt, becauſe thou deſiredst mee: ſhouldſt not thou alſo have had compaſſion on thy fellow ſervant, even as I had pitty on thee? and his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till hee ſhould pay all that was due unto him: Call this parable often to remembrance, and ſeeing God is ſo mercifull to thee, deale not to extremity with others; let thoſe that be ſuperiours think of this, let them remember what they expect from God, and let them be mercifull as hee is mercifull. Another Expoſition of theſe words, [thou haſt puniſhed us leſſe then our iniquities deſerve,] is this, the words in the Originall are, [thou hast held us from being beneath by our iniquities.] As if hee had ſaid, thou haſt kept us from being preſt down to hell by our tranſgreſſions: in this phraſe of ſpeech, the Spirit of God intimates to us of what weight and load ſinne is: ſaith David, mine iniquities are as an heavie burthen, they are too heavie for mee, Pſal. 38.4. and in Iſa. 1.4. God calls Iſrael, a people laden with iniquitie: Pſal. 38.4. Iſa. 1.4. Matth. 11.28. Heb. 21.1.and our Saviour Chriſt calls to him all that are heavie laden, Matt. 11.28. and in Heb. 21.1. we are called upon to lay aſide every weight: and our Saviour ſaith to his Diſciples, in Luk. 21.34. Take heed to your ſelves leſt at any time your hearts be overcome or preſt down with ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe. Luk 21.34.Now that ſin is weighty and of a ponderous nature, appeares thus. Firſt, one ſinne preſſeth upon another, and they all preſſe down to hell. Secondly, ſinne hinders us from doing whatſoever good is, it makes us dull and heavie in the performance of good actions: above all remember how heavie Chriſt our Redeemer found our ſins: though he was but a ſinner by imputation, yet he found the burden of our ſins ſo weighty on his ſacred ſhoulders, that they made him ſweat drops of bloud in a cold night; and to cry out on the Croſſe, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me?
Vſe 1 Doth ſinne preſſe us down? then yee may ſee the folly and ſtupidity of people, that goe on in ſinne, and never finde it burdenſome; but let me tell theſe, if ever God ſhall awake their drowſie conſcience, they ſhall finde that one Ionah is too much for a whole Ship: the Devill is cunning, and to the end hee may engage men in ſinne, he will not repreſent it to them in its own hue (which is moſt ugly,) but hee ſhewes it in a falſe glaſſe, either of profit or pleaſure; and hence it is that he enſnares ſo many ſoules: hee tells them that ſinne is no burthen, and that hell is not ſo hot as the Miniſter makes it to bee; but herein hee playes the lyar, which hath beene his trade from the beginning.
Vſe 2 In the ſecond place, let us find ſinne a burthen; there is no better argument of grace then to be ſenſible of the weight of ſin: and that man that doth not find it ponderous, happily he may complaine of the ſtone in the kidney or the bladder, but hee hath moſt cauſe to cry out of the ſtone in his heart; for were not his heart harder then the nether mill-ſtone, he would feele ſin a burthen too heavy for him to beare.
Vſe 3 Thirdly, if God have freed us from this burthen, let us take heed of being engaged in it againe; for every ſin is a weight, the leaſt is enough to preſſe us to hell, but many will preſſe us downe to the bottome of hell.
Vſe 4 Fourthly, is ſin a burthen? let us then labour all wee can to eaſe men of it, by giving them good and wholſome counſell; but the times be wretched, and it is a wonder the world ſtands ſo long; ſome laugh at the ſins of men, others labour to engage them in ſin, and take pleaſure in loading them; there be too many that make men drink drunk, and provoke them to ſweare: theſe are deſperate wretches, and moſt unchriſtian-like, for inſtead of keeping their brethren from, they put them on to ſin.
Vſe 5 Laſtly, is ſin ſuch a burthen? how are wee bound to thee O bleſſed Saviour, for eaſing us of this preſſure? of thy infinite and unſpeakable love thou tookeſt to thee a load, which would have preſt us to the pit of hell; make us wee beſeech thee ever mindfull of it and thankfull for it: The laſt amplification of Gods mercy is, that he had delivered them: [thou haſt given us ſuch a diliverance as this:] Will ſome man ſay, what deliverance was that? it was the delivering of Iſrael from the Babyloniſh captivity, which laſted ſeventy yeares, and was a very great deliverance; for in Babylon they hanged their harps on the willows, and ſat downe by the rivers, and wept when they remembred Zion, Pſal. 137.1.2. therefore the Spirit of God ſets a ſpeciall character on this, tearming it [ſuch a deliverance as this:] Pſal. 137 1.2.the point is perſpicuous.
There be certaine deliverances which God beſtowes on men, for which they are to be more thankfull then for others. It is true, God is ſo great in the greateſt, that he is not little in the leaſt, yet ſome are greater then others; ſome of Gods works are written in greater, ſome in ſmaller characters: it was not every deliverance that made Noah build an Altar to the Lord, but Gods ſparing of him and his from periſhing with the old world: it was not every deliverance which cauſed Hezekiah to pen a ſong, but it was Gods adding a leaſe of fifteene years to his life, when hee thought himſelfe paſt recovery: they were great deliverances that made the Iewes keep their Anniverſaries, as the Feaſt of the Paſſeover, of Tabernacles and of Trumpets. And when Ioſhua commanded a man of every Tribe in Iſrael to take a ſtone out of the midſt of Iordan, it was in remembrance of a ſpeciall mercy, that when their poſterity ſhould ſee that pile of ſtones, and aske them the meaning of them, then they ſhould anſwer, that the waters of Iordan were cut off and ſtood on heapes untill they paſt over on foot: and it was no ſmall, but a grand deliverance which cauſed the Iewes to keep the dayes of Purim, it was for the reverſing of the fatall decree Haman had got out againſt them: and when Iehoſhaphat and his people aſſembled themſelves in the Valley of Berachah, it was to bleſſe the Lord for a great Victory which hee gave them over their great Adverſaries,2 Chron. 20.26. 2 Chron. 20.26.
Vſe.Let me call upon you, to reflect inwards upon your ſelves, and to ſay with Ezra, [God hath given us ſuch a deliverance as this.] What a deliverance did God give unto us in this land at the entrance of Queen Elizabeth of ever bleſſed memory, who reſtored true Religion among us, and broke the heavy yoak of Antichriſt from off our necks? what a deliverance was that which our God vouchſafed us in eighty eight, when hee overthrew our enemies to their perpetuall ſhame? their ſtrength at that time was ſo great, that if God had not ſubdued them for us, we had never been able to make reſiſtance: what a deliverance was that which God afforded to King and People in one thouſand ſix hundred and five from that damnable and hideous Popiſh powder treaſon, which was hatcht & forg'd in hell, and ſhould have been executed à primogenitis Diaboli, by the firſt borne of Satan? what a deliverance was that which hee gave us five yeares ſince from the raging Peſtilence, when there died in one week five thouſand two hundred and five? God was then pleaſed to cauſe it to ceaſe on a ſudden, till it came to a paucity, nay to a nullity. And to come to our owne particulars, may not many of us ſay, that our next neighbours were viſited, and wee were preſerved? may wee not ſay that ſome in the ſame houſe, nay ſome that lay with us in the ſame bed, were ſmitten and died, and wee eſcaped? ſee then how God hath magnified his mercy towards us, in giving us ſuch a deliverance as this: O let us remember what the deliverance was, and what the bleſſing is, hee ſnatcht us as brands out of the fire; as therefore our ſorrow was the greater then, ſo let our Songs be the more now: ſhall Gods mercy bee to us in a fire, and our thankefulneſſe to him in a froſt? God forbid. As therefore at that time of need, his mercy was great towards us, ſo let it appeare in our lives that wee are ſenſible of his extraordinary favour, by living holily and righteouſly all the dayes of our life.