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"after Death I afford thee a place of Rest; "I intomb thee in mine own Bowels. Neither hath his Love unto us here been terminated and shut up: He hath not only made us, and all other things for our use and fervice, but he hath gone on and continued still his Mercy towards us, by preserving us too, ever fince we were born, nay, before ever we drew in this common Air: His Eys were upon us in our Mother's Pf. 139. Womb, when as yet our Subftance was imperfect, 16. and all our Members in continuance were fahioned, when as yet there was none of them: And he hath all this while been content to stay for Thanks, until by the leisure of Nature our Understandings have been made as capable of his Bleffings as our Bodies were, and yet, all this while, we have paid him nothing; Nothing (I am fure) as we should; nothing as we ought. His L m. 3. Mercies are renewed every Morning (faith 23. the Prophet) yea, every Moment: We move not a Foot which he moveth not; we neither open nor fhut an Ey without his especial help. Neither is here yet a Period

D

Pi. 147.

20.

Period of his Love unto us. He hath freely given us his holy Word and Sacraments to fanctifie, nourish, and preserve our Souls unto Life everlasting. He hath not dealt So with many other Nations, neither have the Heathen knowledg of his Laws; yea, as though that were yet too little, he hath given us his onely begotten Son, and with him all things; even that Gift of Gifts, his bleffed Spirit of Grace, and holy Unction, on this day of Pentecoft.

In our Creation Chrift gave us Our felvs In our Redemption he gave us Himself, thereby restoring us to our felvs: Therefore, thus given at the firft, and reftored again when we had loft our felvs, we ow our felvs for our felvs, and ow our felvs twice. But now, What fhall we repay unto the Lord for Himfelf? Though we could repay Our Selvs ten thousand times, What are we in comparison of Chrift the Son of God? So then, though we had as many Lives to fpend as Drops of Blood to fhed, we could never recompenfe his Love.

There is yet behind another Redemption,

not

not to be balk'd or pafs'd over in filence, and that's from Domeftick Ufurpation and Tyranny, by the miraculous Reftauration of his Sacred Majefty CHARLS the Second; the best of Kings; the Father of his Country; the Extinguisher of Tyranny; the Reftorer of Liberty; and the Founder of Tranquility; at whofe joyful and victorious Approach, Rebellion and Ufurpation, with their horrid Attendant Confufion, are chafed away, and Concord and Loyalty recalled in their room.

If the Lord had not been on our fide (may England now fay) If the Lord himfelf had not been on our fide (may his late afflicted Church fay) and had he not turn'd our Captivity as the Rivers in the South, we had till this time gone on our way weeping and fowing in Tears, defpairing ever of a joyful Harvest, and of bringing our Sheavs with us. But bleffed be God, who hath not wholly given us over as a Prey unto our Enemies, but hath plucked us, at the laft, as a Firebrand out of the Fire. Bleffed be God,

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who hath directed the heart of a most fagacious and faithful Counsellor (much like to another Hufbai, or Nehemiah) to contrive the happy means, and pave the way, for our Deliverance. Bleffed be God, who hath stirred up the Spirit of a prudent and magnanimous Chieftain (like a fecond Mofes or Cyrus) to effect it, and bring it to pass, by rescuing us out of those miferable Calamities and Diftractions which we fo long groaned under, and by reftoring us to our antient Freedom, with all the juft Rights and Immunities thereof.

Tell me, O ye Redeemed of the Lord, ye that yet ftand amazed at the strangenefs of your Deliverance; Tell me, Men and Brethren, and all that hear me this day, How can we fufficiently æftimate, or worthily prife fo rich a Bleffing? What Return fhall we make unto the Lord for This, and all other his Mercies, the Number whereof is numberlefs, and their Meafure beyond all measure? Affuredly, render fomething we muft; for this is the

Nature

I

Nature and Property of Him, who is Op-
timus Maximus, our beft and greatest Be-
nefactor, who openeth his hand, and filleth
every thing living with his Goodness, and
giveth us all things richly to enjoy. That 1 Tim.6.
as in conferring Benefits he is most libe- 17.
ral and free; fo is he likewise a most just
and fevere Exacter of his ordinary Tri-
bute of Thanks: Not because he any ways
ftands in need of any thing from us;
for, if thou be righteous, what giveft thou Job 35.
Him? or what receiveth be at thine hand?) 7.
but because it is his most just and lawful
Due, he demands it; requiring the Reci-
procation and Return of our Duties for
our own Good and Benefit, and not for any
Advantage of his.

Then let our Mouth (as holy David ex-
citeth us) be filled with thy Praise all the
Day long, O Lord.
What is that (faith

devout St. Austin) All the Day long; but
without intermiffion? In prosperis, quia
confolaris; in adverfis, quia corrigis; an
tequam effemus, quia fecifti ; cùm effemus,
quia falutem dedifti, &c. In profperity,

because

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