THere is no Nation under heaven, that hath received more temporall & spirituall favours from Almigh­ty God, then this Kingdome of England. Wat Bles­sings can be nominated, which we have not enjoy­ed? We have fulnesse in our Granaries, peace within our Wals, and plenty within our Palaces: Ther's no leading into Capti­vity, nor complaining in our streets, the voyce of the Turtle hath bin heard in our Land: we have swum in pleasures, and had all the varieties of contentments that our curious fancies can imagine. Our Oxen are strong to labour, our sheepe pro­sper, all things succeed well, and we have a Land flowing with milk and honey. And for spirituall Mercies, no people under the Sun ever went beyond us.

Though our workes of darknesse might eclipse the Sunshine of Gods goodnesse, yet the bright beames of the Gospell have glo­riously shin'd upon us, and the silver Bels of Aron have melodi­ously bin rung amongst us. This Evangellicall and transcendent mercy hath bin inlarged to us. Indeed, this is the finest of the wheat, with which God doth feed his people, 56. Psal. 11. By this he hath delivered us from the Aegypt of Rome, from the house of Bondage, and from Antichristian heresie and super­stition. And though there have bin amongst us, and are still; many dissolute, idle, and illiterate Ministers, who are a staine and blemish to their sacred function, and profession; yet (for the honour of the Church of England I speak it) there were ne­ver more pious, painfull, and learned Pastors in other Coun­tries, then are now here in this Kingdome.

God hath not dealt so with every Nation, no not with any Nation. We have with the peace of the Gospell, enjoyed the Gospell of peace above these 80. years. Thus the fountain of Gods goodnesse is inexhanlt, and indeficient, never ceasing in his gratious emanation, but ever flowing in the sweet streams of his mercies. And for wonderfull deliverances, how hath God in them gone along with us? From what horrid plots, and hideous Conspiracies hath the Lord secur'd us? From what monstrous machinations, & never the like heard of Com­binations, both forrain and domesticke, even of those who have treacherously indeavour'd the demolition of the whole stare? Did not God most graciously deliver this Kingdome from the very jawes of death; in miraculously preserving us from that paire of matchlesse stratagems, the Spanish Invasion in 88. and the Hellish Gun-powder Treason in 1605. O that wee would remember the dayes of old, and consider so many genera­tions! O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men, 'Tis the burthen of the song of the sweet singer of Israel in the 107. Psal. no lesse then 4. sever all times. Great & stupen­dious things hath the Lord done for us. And that which addes unto our happinesse is this, that a Religious peace crownes all these. Pax optima rerum; Ther's nothing so divine and acce­ptable to God and man, as peace; nothing more delightfull to be heard, nothing more profitable to be desired, nothing more happy to be enjoyed then poace. Pacem te poscimus om­nes. we all desire peace. Peace is the darling of heaven, the delight of the Earth, and joy of the Angels: 'Tis the Daughter of cha­rity, the Nurse of Piety, the nerves & sinues of Commor-welths, and societies. 'Tis the firme knot & strongest bond of all Corpo­rations, by which meanes, Countries and Kingdomes (like Salo­mons triple cord) are inviolable, and indissolubly joyn'd together.

We may see the happinesse of peace, by the contrary, in the misery of warre. Many calamities are involv'd in this one vengeance of warre. When thousands of men and horses shall set their feet upon a soyle, how soone are they all cut off by the cruelty of war, both men and horses wallowing in their [Page 3]own bloud; so quickly is a fruitfull Land become barren, or the wickednesse of the people that dwell therein. Those were fearefull times, when Gods Churches, and mens houses were flaming over their heads; when the barbarous souldier made it nothing to tosse tender Infants upon their Pikes, when the impotent wife was bereav'd of her deare husband, desi­ting to dye with him, with whom she cou'd not live. The Ba­rons warres in this Kingdome for the time of their continu­ance were so deplorable, that we have all cause to blesse his memory that united the red Rose and the white. Happy was the union then between the two Houses of York and Lanca­ster, and as happy is the Pacification now betwenee the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland. So unfortunate is warre and so happy a thing is peace, that ever let us pray to the God of peace, with our Church in the Liturgy, Give peace in our time, O Lord, And from Battell and Murther good Lord deliver us.

It is a generall received opinion amongst Physitians, that in the cure of dangerous and violent Diseases, of all things Rest is most helpfull and comfortable to the patient: In like man­ner, for the curing of those perilous wounds, which have long since bin made, and are still mortally infixed in the bowels & vitall parts of Christendome, the sole and soveraign Remedy that can be prescribed, is Peace. Warre is the scourge of the Almighty, the event of it doubtfull, and therefore it is never to be rashly undertaken, when it may be wisely prevented: for as Nature hath appointed no Phlebotomy, no letting of bloud, but in cases of extremity; so Grace doth admit of no warre, and allow no shedding of Mans bloud, but in cases of necessity, and when there is no other Remedy. Warre is the Plagiary of Government, the Incendiary and fire-brand of a Nation, but Peace is a Sanctuary and Preserver of a People. Speciosum nomen pacis, I and preciosuni too. The very name of peace is lovely.

The Iewes compirz'd all felicity under the name of Peace, & therefore their salutation was, Pax vobis, Peace be unto you. Life, Liberty, Dignity, Tranquillity, safety, and prosperity, Arts, Learning, things Civill, Politique, Divine, and Humane, all are [Page 4]contained in peace. This heavenly and admirable blessing do we now enjoy. The thunder of the Canon (the Language of warre) is the best Rhetorick to commend this peace. The noyse of that Thunder is dreadfull, and hath bin often heard in other Countries to their terror and amazement, but (God be thanked) it is not audible in our Eares.

Look upon the Empire of Germany, what a havock & deso­lation ha's the Sangninean hand of warre made there? View our Neighbor Nation of France. Behold that Grand-monarch of Spaine; Take a survay of the Netherlands, and those passa­ges between the States and the House of Austria; consider these premisses, & you will easily conclude the ruine & deva­station, that direfull war hath bin the cause of in these latter times. Other great Kingdomes have lamentably suffered, on­ly this little Island is secure; And though many Pioners have bin at work many a time and often to undermine this Land, yet the Lord God of Israel hath bin a wall of fire round a­bout it. Within these two years, the last Summer save one, the English Army (consisting of 30000 horse and foot) was marching toward Scotland, at the same time the Spanish Fleet (that formidable Armado) was intended for England. In an hostile Invasion they came upon our Coasts, the incursion of the enemy, then was so unexpected of us, and at so seasona­ble a time for them, that had the fire of that warre bin once throughly kindled, which was so long smoaking, there could not have bin wanting those that would have added fewell to the flame. But happy was the houre, wherein the happy Paci­fication was concluded. For had that design of war gone on, we had long before this time bin expos'd to the pitty of our friends, the fury & derision of our foes; who could not wish for a better opportunity, then to see this goodly and flouri­shing land, to imbrue her hands in her own bowels & bloud. Had not our good God bin mercifull to us, this Kingdome had bin desolate, we of comfort destitute, our streets full of bloud, and our fields an Acheldama, or Golgotha, replenish't with dead Carkasses. That fatall warre (without Gods mer­cy) might have prov'd the Trojan horse, to bring in an Army [Page 5]of bloud-loving enemies to invade us; in the mid it whereof we might have bin all surprized by a forrain Adversary.

This great mystery of iniquity is now discovered, that which so long lay hid as a work of darknes, is at length brought to light, the prime Agents therein detected; and I wish that all they in this Land, who beare no good will to Syon, & care not for the peace of Ierusalem, may (according to their demerits) receive condigne punishment, for their treachery & cruelty, in desiting, and endeavouring that two Nations should war with each other, that by weakning both, the Rrmish faction might grow the stronger, and with more facility take advantage of us. 'Tis not long since the Axe was laid to the root of the Tree; A warre was intended, and that a civill war, for other­wise I cannot term it, two Armies were in the field ready to fight (yet they did but looke one another in the face) the sword was drawn, and the battaile pitch'd, desolation & destruction menaced: we had not then onely rumours of warres, but ef­fusion of bloud on both sides, skirmishes were begun, men were lost, both English & Scottish souldiers slain, & every hour they look't to destroy one another; the subjects of one King, and people of one faith, members of the same mysticall body wher­of Christ is the head, professors of one, & the self-same Religion; we of England, & our brethren of Scotland were banded one a­gainst another. A sad Tragedy was begun, the Sceane was the North, the Actors were the subjects of both Kingdomes, but (magnified for ever be Gods mercy) 'tis inverted to a Co­medy, & is come to a joyfull Catastrophe, We were as fire-brands snatcht out of the sire, as birds escap'd from the suare, The God of peace, hath blest us with a setled peace. Ever blessed be our blessed God, that we and they were not the ruine and confusion of each other.

The black storm in the North is now dissipated, the dismall day is cleer'd up, and the faire Sun of consolation hath shin'd upon us; for the two Nations are united, a blessed Pacificati­on is confirmed, this renowned Parliament hath made us all friends, and those two late terrible Armies of both King­domes are quite disbanded, and quietly departed. Well may we say with the Princely Prophet, Lord, thou art become gra­cious [Page 6]unto thy Land. The Lord hath spoke peace unto his people, and to his Saints that they turne not againe; for his salvation as nigh them that feare him, that glory mar dwell in our Land, 85. Psal. 1.8, 9. verses. God is our hope and strength, a very present helpe in trouble. He maketh warres to cease in all the world, he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the speare in sun­der. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Iacob is our refuge. Psal. 46.1.9, 11. Who would have thought that such admi­rable things should have bin in so short a time effected and brought to passe, which we now behold? Certainly, it is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

Let our right hand forget its cunning, and let our tongues cleave to the roofe of our mouthes, if we doe not acknow­ledg that the gracious hand of our glorious God hath in these proceedings gone along with us. Let us ever commemorate and never forget the mercies of th'almighty; but let the voyce of rejoycing be heard in our Churches and Congregati­ons, for the great salvation that God hath wrought for us; in putting to infamy all the enemies of our peace, in-defeating their plots, abating their pride, asiwaging their malice, and in confounding their devices. Great cause and much matter have we of rejoycing and thansgiving. Let us therefore in the name of God, rejoyce in the Lord, be thankfull to him, and speak good of his name; Let us turn unto him, and turn from our wicked wayes, by humiliation for them, and refor­mation from them, and let us not spend that bloud in Forni­cation and Adultery, which he hath spar'd in his goodnesse and mercy. Let every one say with David, quid retribuam? what shall I render u [...]to the Lord? and with Iob, quid faciam? what shall I doe unto thee, O thou Preserver of men, we all par­take of the mercy, and therefore let us all betake our selves to the duty. Let the 3. Kingdomes in generall, and every one of us in particular, offer (according to our obliged duty) this Eucharisticall Sacrifice at th' Altar of the Trinity, saying un­fainedly from the bottome of our hearts, Glory be to the Pa­ther, to the Son, and to the holy Ghost. And that we may really expresse our thansgiving, Let us give our Almes to the poor, [Page 7]and our bodyes and soules unto God; the former to his, and the latter to him, Rom. 12.1. Let us demonstrate our thankfullnesse cogitain, dictu, & actu; in the thoughts of our hearts, in the words of our mouthes, and in the actions of our lives: For Gratitude is all the interest that God expects & requires for his principall.

Many are the Arguments and Motives, perswading us to give thankes unto the Lord for his Mercies and Delive­rances afforded to us of this Kingdome. Besides Gods posi­tive favours which we have received, innumerable privative mercies have we enjoyed. He hath not onely confer'd good things on us, but also kept evill things from us. He hath de­livered us out of the hands of our Enemies, and those no little ones, but great Mountaines, potent, proud, & impudent, implacable, secret, subtle, insulting, dangerons, and many E­nemies, corrupt in their judgments, impious in their lives, men the more witty, the lesse wise, and more wicked, the more politike the more pestilent, and the more great they have appear'd the lesse good they have prov'd.

What strange plots and horrid conspiracies (which God in his mercy hath prevented) have of late dayes bin attempted against us? What undermining there hath bin of the pro­fessed Religion, and government of the State, how (under the pretence of vindicating the Kings honour) some malignant & malevolent Statesmen, who have bin too neare his Majesty, have endeavoured to oppresse the just liberty of his free-borne subjects, & to suppresse the true Religion in his King­domes, how imminent our dangers were, how constant, close, and confederated these Traytors have bin in their de­signes against us, the History of these times doth sufficiently te­stifie.

Looke into the Records of the ages past, reade Annals, search Chronicles, examine Antiquities, and you cannot parallell the like.

I am perswaded, succeeding ages will hardly beleeve (as we who have had the Science and Experience cannot but [Page 8]admire) that such fowle birds should be hatcht in so faire a Land as this is: so capitall have bin their crimes, and so haynous their late offences, that the generations to come will be astonisht at this generation of Vipers, whose plots, projects, and practises, have aym'd, attempted, and endea­vour'd to involve all of us, and all that can be neare and deare unto us, our Religion, (the life of our soules) our well being with our very being, our Lawes, and our Liberties, in one universall desolation and generall destruction. Praysed be the Lord, who hath not given us a prey unto their teeth, Psal. 1.24.6.

Still have we just cause to offer unto the Lord the calves of our lips, that acceptable Sacrifice and Divin: Oblation of Praise and Thanksgiving.

What though two Parliaments were dissolved (and we were all then in that vacation and intermission thereof, full of cares and feares) yet it hath pleas'd God in much mercy to move the Kings heart to summon a third, which is the last, (and I dare say the best) and will prove the happiest that ever England enjoyed.

'Tis true God hath 3 shafts in the quiver of his Justice, LIMOS, LOIMOS, Ki POLEMOS, Famine, Plague, and Warre; these sharpe Arrowes this great Archer usually shootes at a Nation in his anger and indignation, being pro­voked thereunto by their grievous and crying sinnes: And though these Arrowes, of the Almighty have bin and are oftentimes abroad in the world amongst us, (as at this pre­sent he hath sent out his arrowes and scattered them, Psal. 18.14) yet it pleaseth him in h [...]s mercy to shoot beyond us, be­side us, over us, and short of us; so that we abide under the shadow of the Almighty; for the Lord is our refuge, & our fortresse, in whom we trust. Surely he shall deliver us from the snare of the fowler, and from the noysome pestilence. Wee shall not be afraid for the terrour by night; nor for the arrow that flyeth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in dark­nesse, nor for thē destruction that wasteth at noone day, Psal. 91.3.5, 6. v.

What though the Visitation hath within these few years rode circuit through the whole Kingdome, within these 3. moneths the. Contagion hath encreased, and though of late dayes grimme Death hath gone in triumph through our streets and kept a dreadfull Sessions here within London, and in the Suburbs thereof, yet we have good cause to be thank­full. For God preserves us both in the plague, & from the plague in taking it from them who are visited, & in keeping it from us who are not visited. Thus in the midst of judgment the Lord remembers mercy; And it is of his mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not, 3. Lam. 22.

To enumerate all Gods mercies to our English Nation 'tis impossible; yet forasmuch as the Parliament is the ab­stracted Quintessence and the Representative body of the whole Kingdome, and (the State of the Kingdome being uni­ted in that one great Councill) the wellfare of the 3 Nations doth consist in the happinesse thereof, Let us for the Honour of the two Houses in Parliament lately assembled, but espe­cially to the glory of God, commemorate some famous and never to be forgotten matters and Edicts, which those illu­strious Worthies of the world, and renowned Heroes of their Age (whose Statues deserve to be set up in Gold) have hoc Anno aureo, this golden yeare concluded and enacted.

THey have recalled from Captivity, and restituted to their Livings & Liberty sundry godly Divines, and Religious Christians, as (to instance three for all, who are sufficiently knowne to all, Burton, Prinne, and Bastwick.

They have discovered, mulcted, and silenced scandalous Priests, profane Ministers, and Popish Prelates.

They have questioned the Lord Finch, once Lord Kee­per, his Fellow-fugitive Sir Francis Windebank, late Secretary to the State, and call'd to account divers corrupted Judges.

They have restrain'd of Liberry Sir George Ratcliffe.

Imprisoned in the Tower the Archbishop, whom if I may call Worme, (as a farre better man then he term'd himselfe no better) I am sure 'tis an Epidemicall report both in the City & Countrey that the little Arch-bishop was the greatest Adver­sary and Cankerworme to this Church and State, that ever these latter times produc'd.

They have quelled all the Canter burian faction.

They have dismounted the Canons, and damned that prodigious Oath in that strange Synod.

They have cut off by the Axe of Justice the late Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

These noble Senators have enacted a Trienniall Parlia­ment, thereby to perpetuate the present happinesse of the King and Kingdome, and to secure th [...]s Land from future miseries.

They have damned Ship-money, that generall and in­supportable grievance to his Majesties poore subjects.

They have taxed Monopolists and Pattentces (who have bin humanarum calamitatum mercatores, as an Author inge­niously stiles them) the Horse-leeches und Caterpillers of these times.

They have voted against Non-reside, and displaced Pluralists, who are so far from being Pastors, that indeed they are Impostors; rather Wolves to devoure then Shep-heards to feed Christs flocke: for they ayme at theirs more then at them, and at their goods more then their good.

They have decided Controversies, sentenced Romish Ce­remonies, Abolished Antichristian Superstitions, extirpated Innovations; and will shortly at their recesse (by Gods gracious assistance) set led the Reformed Religion, in its primitive purity & perfection, banished Papists, Priests and Lesuites supperessed the two Courts of Star-chamber and the high Commission, damp [...] Doctors Commons.

Given an Order for the be [...]e [...] sanctifying of the Lords Sabboths.

They made an Ordinance for Acapitation, or Poll-mo­ney.

They ordained two dayes this yeare to be kept holy and set apart for Gods service and worship, the one fora; publick Fast, to humble our selves before Almighty God the other (the 7. of September) for a generall Thanksgiving throughout his Majesties Dominions in England and Scot­land.

They voted the 13. Bishops impeached by the Com­mons of England to be suspended from the upper House, till the time that they shall come to their Tryall.

They have established and set up Lectures where they are wanting, in all the Parishes of this Realme of England, and the Dominion of Wales, to maintain Orthodox Ministers.

They have riglited the wronged, eased the oppressed and innocent, punished the Nocent and Delinquents; De­nyed the late Requests of the French and Spanish Embassa­dors, caused a Protestation first of both the Houses, next of the whole Kingdome; And last of all, (to omit many more which might be added) they have confirmed a blessed Pa­cification between the two Nations.

To draw all these lines to their Center,

Forasmuch as in Gods speciall grace and effestuall good­nesse staends the safety of this, and the two other Kingdomes, and Gods glory by the Kingdomes safety; Let the three Nations be tyed in the treble bond of Religion to God, of Loyalty to the King, and of unity to one another.

For all Gods Mercies and Deliverances afforded unto us. Let us with Angels, and with Arch-Angels, sing in the quire of the Church Militant, this heavenly Anthem, Gloria Deo in Excelsis, Glory be to God on high. With these 24. Elders in the 5. Revel. 8. and with the infinite thousands of Angels, Let us fall down; and with all the Creatures which are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the Sea, and all that are in them, say, Blessing, Honour, Glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lambe for ever­more. Amen.