Introduction. Shewing the fitnesse and scope of the Text. I Have formerly in two Sermons ope­ned the two Verses immediately going before this Text; The first of them before the Right Honou­rable the House of Peeres; The latter before the Honourable House of Commons; and there shewed at large that these two Verses did containe two Cir­cumstances [Page 2] which alwayes accompany the Lords Work of building up of his Church; and they are rendered as two Arguments, why all the world should stand in ad­miration of it.

The one is, because, when ever the Lord builds up Zion, Hee dotb appeare in his Glory; hee appeares like himself, magnifying all his Attributes.

The other, that he does then return a gracious answer unto the Prayers of his afflicted People.

These two were handled in the valley of Baca, the valley of Teares, upon dayes of Humiliation; that out of them you might receive some strength in your mourning after the Lord, to help you to wait upon him while you are at his Work, building the Street and Wall of Dan. 9. 25. Hierusalem in a troublesome time: But now the Lord having in great measure given a gracious experience, and fruit of those two, in this late great and unexpected Victory and Mercy, wherein God hath appeared in his Glory, and answered his Peoples Prayers, in our excee­ding low condition; his Providence having also called me by your choice, to meet you in the valley of Beracah, the valley of Blessing to praise God for this; I could not thinke of a fitter Text then of the very next words to those that helped you in the dayes of your Mour­ning, which containes the use which the Church in all ages shall make of the Lords building up of Zion. And though my time for preparation hath been very short; yet I am incouraged, because I have been taught of God, that a Peace-Offering to himself is easily found: And I have often found from you, that my poore endea­vours, how weak soever (being the best I have) have ne­ver been rejected: And therefore without further A­pology and Preface, let us consider of the words as [Page 3] they thus lie. This shall bee written for the Generation to come: And the People which shall bee created, shall praise the Lord.

Here are you see, two Sentences: And for the Inter­pretation of them, some Expositors doe conceive, that the first Sentence containeth the use that the Genera­tion who receive this Mercy shall make of it; They shall Write it for the good of Posterity.

The second (they think) containes the use that the future Generation shall make of former Mercies that are thus written; and and transmitted to them, The Peo­ple tbat shall bee created, shall praise the Lord; the unborn Generation shall praise God for it.

The meaning of the words.But others (and I think more rightly) doe conceive, that both sentences are meant of the same individuall People; and that the one of them is but an Exegeticall interpretation of the other: or rather, the first of them is an expression of one way, how the redeemed of the Lord shall glorifie him; by writing the Mercies they have received, and transmitting them to posterity: and the other is a comprehension of their whole Work, that they shall not rest in any one way of manifesting their care to glorifie God, but shall make it the sum of their whole life, they being created to no other end; The People that shall bee created, shall praise the Lord. And I rather incline to this, because this expression, The People that shall bee created; does ordinarily in the Scripture signifie a People brought from an extreame low, despicable condition, to a state of happinesse and blessednesse, fit to serve God. These are said, A people Esa. 43. 1, 2. Jer. 31. 22. Ephes. 2. 10. created for Gods praise.

But Beloved, wee need not bee solicitous about it, chuse which of them you please, the difference will not [Page 4] be materiall in respect of the practicall Observations a­rising from them, both of them afford many and the same helps for a day of Thankesgiving: Some few whereof I shall endeavour (by the Lords assistance) in one houre, or a little more, to set before you.

The first, and the maine, and that which (indeed) is The first most generall Ob­servation. the comprehension of the whole Verse, is this;

The great work of Gods redeemed Peo­ple is to praise him.That when God appeares in his Glory to build his Church, and gratiously answers his Peoples Prayers; their whole work should hee to praise him: That is the generall.

They have then nothing else to doe, but to make it the work of their life, to give praise, and glory to him; This paying of the Rent-penny of praise to our God, this worke of Thankesgiving, which is the end God aimes at in all his workes; which is the end why Man at first was created; why the Church was redeemed; why the Saints are called: This, that is the onely hea­venly work that can bee done upon earth; this, which is the onely joyfull imployment, that shall last to all E­ternity in another life: This work which should ever waite for God in Zion, Praise waiteth for thee O God in Zion: This whereof the Church should bee the Maga­zine, Psal. 65. 1. Ephes. 3. ult. Esa [...] 46. ult. the Store-house and Treasury, Unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, and the Church is therefore called his Glory, Israel my Glory: Not onely because hee glories in it; but because it glo­rifies him: This Duty (I say) of Gods redeemed ones To praise him, can never be handled often enough, never pressed enough on Gods people. But truly, it hath been so frequently, and so fully in all the branches of it, delivered unto your selves, upon such joyfull dayes as [Page 5] these are, wherein you have had the whole institution of a thankfull people, and all their work; that I know not what to adde to that which heretofore hath been delivered; save onely, that what is said of our En­glish laws; That we have abundance of good Lawes, and need but one more, that is, to put all the rest in execution: the same I may say, that there are abundance of Sermons of Thankesgiving extant, and we need but one more, and that is, to have our hearts inflamed to practise them; which I shall endeavour this day, by the Lords help, by handling some more particular Observa­tions which this Verse affords, very suitable to the con­dition whereinto the Lord hath brought us at the pre­sent. And there are three things in the Text, from whence (as from so many Well-heads) may flow severall in­structions, seasonable and usefull for our present busi­nesse.

More particu­lar Observati­ons.First, somewhat I shall collect from the Persons who should perform this work; The People that shall be cre­ated: that is their Epithet.

Secondly, from the Work which these Persons shall imploy themselves in: that is, to endeavour, that God may have his Glory from themselves, and succeeding ages.

Thirdly, and principally, and that which I shall most insist upon, from the way and meanes which this crea­ted people should take, that God might have his due glory from themselves and succeeding ages; and that is this great Mercy of God in building his Church, and hearing his Peoples Prayers, should bee Recorded by them; This shall bee written for the Generation to come.

First, from the persons who shall doe it.In the first of these, which I shall onely point at; the Persons from whom God doth promise himselfe the [Page 6] performance of this great Duty, The People that shall bee created. Many excellent Collections might be made.

Thence I ob­serve the con­dition of God. people whē deprived of Gods Ordinances. And when they injoy the libertie of them.One is, that which Mr. Calvin observes upon this Text: viz. Wee may here discerne what (in the Judgement of Gods People) is the state of the Church when they are deprived of Gods Worship and Ordinances, and scatte­red among the Heathen: and what their estate is, when God is pleased again to set up his Tabernacle amongst them.

In the first of these conditions they were as if their Creation were annihilated; as if they were resolved into their first principles. But when God was pleased from Heaven to looke upon them, with a restauration of his Temple and Worship, and bring them again into a Re­ligious Common-wealth: then they looked upon them­selves as a People that were new created, that had a new being bestowed upon them. Their outward condition was much alike in both, for the things of this life. Bond-men they were in Babylon, and Bond-men they were when they returned into Canaan, the same Em­perours and Kings bore sway over them, and kept them under; and for ought I can learne, they were richer in their captivity, then in their own Countrey; but when they were brought back, to have liberty a­gaine to serve God in the way of his Ordinances, then they looked upon themselves as people that had a new Ezek. 37. being. Thus they constantly judged of themselves; when their Temple was burnt, and they scattered among the Heathen, then they judged of themselves, as dead and ary bones, as those whose bones lay scattered, as when one cutteth chips about the pits mouth; but when they had againe got a naile in Gods Sanctuary, and might enjoy the liberty of his Sabbaths, Feasts, Sa­crisices, [Page 7] &c. it was as the founding of a new Heaven and a new Earth unto them. This I onely mention.

2. Observat. A people re­deemed from low condition most fit to praise God.Another is, That when the Lord would engage his Servants to give him his praise and glory for their de­liverance, hee chuses to call them by this Name, A peo­ple created: that is, reduced out of nothing, brought to a blessed state, from a low and meane condition, from a people whom God calls by this Name, hee promiseth himself his glory and praise; whoever forget him, yet the people who shall thus bee Created will praise him: And that affords this Lesson:

Indeed, such is the selfishnesse of our corrupt Nature, that if we are any thing, or doe any thing, we are prone to forget God, and sacrifice to our own nets, and burn Incense to our own yarne; insomuch, that when ever God finds a people who shall either trust in Zeph. 3. 11, 12, 13. Psal. 22. 24, 25, 26. him, or praise him, it must be an an afflicted and poor peo­ple, or a people brought from such an estate; Free Grace is ever most valued by such people. And if you looke all the Scripture over, you will find, that all the praises, and Songs of deliverance that have been made to God, have proceeded from a people that have thus judged of themselves, as those that were brought to nothing; but God in mercy had brought thē back again from the gates of death, and usually untill they had such apprehensions of themselves, they never gave unto God the glory due to his name. I could give you a cloud of witnesses to e­vidence the truth of it; but I intended only to point at [Page 8] this. Onely give mee leave before I passe from it, to make a short Application of it to our selves in these two particulars:

1. I came one great cause why our miseries continue: We are not yet brought low in our eyes.First, that hence wee may certainly learne one cause why our calamities doe continue thus long; why still wee are brought lower and lower; why though wee bee lifted up one day, or one moneth, wee are suddenly brought and cast back again into as forlorne a condition as ever we were in: God would bring us to such a judg­ment of our selves, that wee might praise him when we are delivered. I am perswaded God does intend to have a People here in England that shall bee for his praise, and wee doe not yet looke upon our selves as a people out of meere Mercy brought from nothing; in the time of our calamities we seek him, and say, he onely is our rock and our salvation: But it is too evident that the pride of our Nation is not yer laid low; still our Armes of flesh are prone to bee exalted. It is with us, just as it was with the Israelites, when God brought them out of Egypt, hee made account that hee had done enough to make them know their dependance upon him, that they were created as out of nothing, by such a mira­culous breaking the yoke of their bondage, and bringing them through the red Sea into the Wildernesse, and in that howling Wildernesse giving them bread from Heaven, and water out of the Rocke; but the people had not yet learned it, they were high and proud, they were too rough pieces to bee so easily hewed; one yeares leading them in the VVildernesse would not teach them their dependance upon God: and therefore God con­tinued to lead them in the wildernesse, and kept them out of Canaan till they had learned it. VVhat they would not learne in one yeare, God made them learne [Page 9] in forty yeeres. And so Moses told them, Deut. 8. 23. That the Lord led them forty yeeres in the Wildernesse, and tryed them, and suffered them to hunger, that hee might humble them, and make them know that they lived by eve­ry word that came out of his mouth: And till they had learned that lesson, God never made an end with them. And surely it is so with us; were wee but once come to that passe; that wee looked upon our selves as a forlorne Nation, as a people void of wealth, of Coun­sell, of Strength, of Ability to carry on our Work, and would lie at Gods feet, and acknowledge that it is hee that must doe it, or we are dissolved, and undone; God would soone make an end with us, then hee would trust us to praise him; a people who thus look upon themselves, will give him the praise and glory due to his Name.

How great the sinne of such people is, when they for­get this duty.Another thing that I as briefly commend to your con­sideration from it is this, That because God Almigh­ty doth expect that a people brought from nothing, a people new created will praise him; therefore if such a people, for whom the Lord hath done such things, should faile him; if they should prove ungratefull, it would aggravate their sin beyond all apprehensions, beyond all expressions. It is thus among men, we ex­treamly abhorre to see a Begger mounted on Horseback, and riding proudly: Solomon sayes, It is one of the Prov. 30. 21, 22 things that the earth cannot bear, to see a Handmaid made heire to her Mistresse; A Hagar laid in her Ma­sters bosome, and then shee to prove insolent; this amongst Men is intolerable: Beleeve it, it is much more with God, when God shall take a People, as from a dunghill, from a desperate and forlorn condition, and (as it were) create them for his glory, and they slight [Page 10] him, and undervalue him, and deale ungratefully with him: Thus Ezra judged, cap. 9. 13. When we have recei­ved such a deliverance as this, should wee againe breake thy Commandements and prove ungratefull; wouldst thou not bee angry with us till thou hadst consumed us? This was the ground of that unappeasable wrath that was kindled in God against the people of Israel, in the 1. of Esay, Esay 1. 2. Ezek. 16. 4, 5, 6, 22. Heare O Heavens, and give eare O Earth; I have nou­rished and brought up Children, and yet they rebell against mee. And especially in Ezekiel 16. Where hee told them, I found thee in thy mothers wombe, thy na­vel not cut, no eye pityed thee, as a bastard cast out in the time of her nativity; and there I took thee from a dunghill, and bred thee, and trained thee up to be my wife, and thou playedst the whore against mee; and in all thy abominations (sayes hee) thou never remem­bredst how I found thee desolate and naked. This made God judge her after the manner of harlots. And be­leeve it, so will it prove with us, if the Lord should go on thus mercifully to deale with England, and cre­ate us again, to raise us out of these gulfes and quick­sands, and to establish us to bee a people, if we then should goe and sacrifice to our owne Net, or burne Incense to our owne yarne, prove ungratefull to him, kick with the heele against him; the wrath of God would bee kindled against us so farre, that there would bee no remedy. God expects better things from us, hee looks, that a people so created, should be for his praise. But this first branch I intended onely to point at; The Persons that should doe this work, The people that should bee created.

2. Part. The work it selfe;The second follows, wherein I shall bee a little lar­ger, and that is, What their work should bee; This shall [Page 11] bee written for the generations to come, and this crea­ted That God might in all a­ges have the glory of this great work. people shall praise the Lord: The summe whereof is, That God having done thus much for them, they should wholly apply themselves, that in all generati­ons, both the present, and those to come, his glory may bee given to him, both by themselves, and by all posterity; whatsoever was possible for them to doe, should be faithfully endeavoured by this thankfull re­deemed people, That glory might bee given unto God for this great Work throughout all ages, world without end.

Observat. 1. Ephes. 3. 21. In all ages God will have a people to praise him.VVhence first observe briefly by the way, that which is sufficiently intimated in the Text, and noted by se­verall Expositors; That in all ages God will have a peo­ple for his praise; no generation past, or to come, but there shall bee a people for Christ to praise and glo­rifie him: it is not so with other Monarchies and Em­pires, one carries it a great while in the world, and then it is dissolved, and their people remaine not to them; Dan. 2 44. but are either destroyed or delivered over, and left to some other Governour; but this Kingdome of Christ shall Psal. 102, 25, 26, 27, 28. never leave its people to any other Conquerour: It is with other Kingdomes, as my Text a little after tells you, it is with the Earth, and Heavens, as a garment, they all wax old, as a Vesture they change, and rot, and come to nothing; but the Kingdome of Christ like him­self, hath never any end, and the Generation of his Ser­vants shall ever continue in his sight. The Church is sometimes more, and sometimes lesse visible: The peo­ple that praise God are sometimes more in number, and sometimes fewer; but they alwayes are, in all ages: God will have them that shall give him his glory, and sing him praises in the Churches. This I onely mention.

[Page 12] Observat. 2. The whole work of Gods redeemed peo­ple, is, to pro­vide that God may have his glory in all a­ges.Secondly, another which more concernes us, is, the works they should attend unto; that the glory of this great deliverance might be alwayes rendred unto him. Which affords us this lesson, ‘That a People who are truly thankfull for Gods building up of Zion, and hearing the prayers of his afflicted ones, will endeavour by all meanes possible, that all ages pre­sent and to come, may glorifie God for it.’ Or more briefly take it thus, ‘The whole work of Gods redeemed people, is to provide that God may alwayes, and every where have the glory of it.’

Proved by ex­ample of the Saints.Expositors observe upon this Text, that this redee­med Church take no thought concerning themselves, a­bout their own ease, pleasure, wealth, gaine, or any thing else might accrew unto themselves by this deliverance, to make their own life easie or sweet; but their thoughts and studies are wholly laid out, how the present and succeeding Generations should give all glory to God for it. And hee that runnes may read it in the practise of many others recorded in Scripture. The time would faile me to give you a catalogue of the Churches Kings, Prophets, Priests, and other holy men of God, who have been like minded: Their care was as Joabs at the 2 Sam [...]2. 27. taking of Rabbah of the Ammonites, that David might have the glory of it. Thus did Moses when they were brought out of the Egyptian bondage, Thus Deborah Exod. 1 [...]. Judg. 5. and Barak after the discomfiture of Jabin. Thus did Hannah, 1 Sam. 2. and innumerable others; who in all 1 Sam. 4. 13, 17 18. the Lords administrations to them, whether inlargements Jos. 7. 6, 7, 10. or pressures, have been studious of nothing so much, as how in all things God might have his glory pre­served [Page 13] and spread. David the man after Gods own heart Psal. 116. 10 exceeded all others in this thing, Quid retribuam? what shall I render unto the Lord? was his usuall study; and hee never thought his own parts, his wit, fancy, thoughts, tongue, pen, &c. sufficient for it; but when hee had stirred up all within him, Blesse the Lord, O my soule, and Psal. 103. 1, 2. all that is within mee blesse his holy Name: Hee would also stirre up all without him, all the Church, Blesse the Psal. 118. 23. Psal. 100. 1. Lord yee house of Israel; let Israel say, let all that feare God say, His mercy endureth for ever: All the Nations, make a joyfull sound unto God, all ye Lands: All the Angels, Blesse the Lord yee his Angels, all yee his Hosts: Ps. 103. 20, 21. Yea, all Creatures, blesse the Lord all his workes, in all places of his Dominion, whether above or below, animate, or inanimate; The Sun and Moon, the Starres of Light, the Dragons and deeps, fire and haile, Snow and va­pours, Psal. 48. per to­ [...]um. Mountaines and hills, fruitfull trees and Cedars, Beasts and all cattle, creeping things, and flying Fowles, hee layes a tax upon them all, to come in, and contribute their utmost, that God might have the glory due to his Name, for exalting the horne of his people, even the Vers. 14. children of Israel, the people neere unto him.

And by reason.And there are three speciall Reasons why this should bee the great worke of the Lords saved and rescued people: and why indeed they can doe no other then stu­dy thus to exalt him.

One is, because they well know that the Lord hath reserved nothing to himselfe but onely his glory; the benefits hee gives to them, all the sweetnesse and ho­ney that can bee found in them, hee gives them leave to suck out; but his glory and his praise is his owne, and that which hee hath wholly reserved, of that hee is jealous, lest it should either bee denyed, E­clipsed, [Page 14] diminished, or any the least violation offered to it in any kind: All Gods people know this of him, and therefore they cannot but indeavour to preserve it for him.

Secondly, besides, they know, as God is jealous in that point, so it is all the work that hee hath ap­pointed them to doe; he hath therefore separated them to himself out of all the Nations of the world, to be his peculiar ones for this very end, that they might give him all the glory and praise of his mercy; I have (said God) created him, formed, and made him for my glory, Esay 43. 7. This is the law of his new Crea­tion, Esa. 43. 7. which is as powerfull in them, as the law of Na­ture, or the first creation is in the rest of his Works. And therefore with a holy and spirituall naturalnesse (if I may so call it) the hearts of all the Saints are car­ryed to give God the glory, as really, as the stones are carryed to the Center, or the fire to fly upwards; this is fixed in their hearts, the work of grace hath moulded them to it, that they can doe no other but endeavour to exalt God, it being the very end why their spirituall life, and all their other priviledges are conferred upon them.

Yea, thirdly, they know their owne Interests are much concerned in Gods glory, they never are losers by it: if in any work of God, he want his praise, they will want their comfort: but if God bee a gainer, they shall certainly bee no losers. Whatsoever is powred upon the head of Christ, what ointment soever of praise or glory, it will in a due proportion fall downe to the skirts of his garments; nor is there any other way to have any sweetnesse, comfort, praise, or glory to bee derived unto themselves, but by giving all unto [Page 15] him, to whom alone it belongeth, and then, although hee will never give away his glory, the glory of being the fountaine, the first, supreame, originall giver of all good; yet they shall have the glory of Instruments, and of fellow workers with him, which is a glory and praise sufficient.

Application. Exhortation. 1. To the Par­liament to doe this.This is a lesson of singular use to all Gods redeemed ones in many particulars. But the onely thing I shall at the present insist upon, is to direct how we may best improve the mercy of this day; and how we may do something worthy of this dayes meeting; the Lord hath turned our heavinesse into rejoycing, hath took off from us the garment of mourning, and put upon us this day the garment of salvation.

How they may doe it.And I am perswaded this honourable Assembly hath not for a long time had a more reall rejoycing heart then you now feele, for the mercy which this day wee meet to celebrate and commemorate. Now would you know what you should doe, what you should render un­to the Lord, what would bee the comeliest, and most excellent sacrifice in this day of your praise and re­joycing before God: Surely there is nothing compa­rable to this, That you provide that of all those great things which the Lord hath wrought for us; all possible praise and glory may bee set upon the head of our Lord Jesus, and abide unto succeeding Generations. Some such work as might preserve his honour in the present and succee­ding ages, were worthy such a great assembly, worthy of the name of a day of their Thankesgiving.

I am perswaded your hearts are so warmed with the unexpected Victory, that you would readily swear with David, to take no rest untill you were doing that very Work; if once you knew what it were, I shall [Page 16] tel you, Even in doing that where in his glory is most concer­ned in all ages; and that is the setting up of his Kingdome, the purgation & reformation of Religion, setting up his Ordi­nances in purity, providing that his Church may bee go­verned and ruled by his own laws according to his owne Word. This would indeed bee a lasting Monument of your thankfulnesse. This wee should all study, and to this every thankfull heart may contribute something, but none so much as you, Right Honourable Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament, by whose appoint­ment, and for whole furtherance in this work I stand here this day. God hath put into your hands the greatest opportunity, and meanes of providing for all the glory that he expects from England while the world stands, that he did put ever into the hands of any. The mea­suring line, and plummet of his house is put into your hands as once it was in the hand of Zerubbabel. From you he seems to expect what portion himselfe shall have in England for time to come, what kind of Subjects hee shall have, what Worship shall bee offered to him, what kind of Guests shall sit with him at his Table; by what lawes his house and people shall be governed; hee seems now to put into your hands, what unto the end of the world hee may expect from the Kingdome of England, in the way of his Ordinances; not onely the managing of a Kingdome of men, but of the Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, seemes now to bee in the hands of the two honourable Houses of Parliament.

Now, when such opportunities as these are in your hands, to doe such great things for God, how silent should all slesh be, till this worke be done? how hush't and laid aside should all your other businesses bee; your own estates and priviledges, and private interests, or a­ny [Page] thing that concernes your selves, names, or families; how should they all be waved and set aside, till all that bee done, from which Jesus Christ shall receive glory in all ages. If then (Right Honourable and Beloved) any of you should after all the mercy God hath bestowed upon you, make it your worke to feather your own nests, build your owne Houses, and let the House of God lie waste, or hinder the setting up of this Work in purity and perfection; if you should make a slight businesse of the Worke of Religion; and cause the authority of the Gospel, and Kingdome, and Ordinances of Christ, to vaile bonnet to the lusts and liberties of poore sinfull Men, and decline the setting up of the authority of his Scepter; lest the corruptions of Men should be brought under the yoake more then they are willing, you will provide ill for Christs honour, ill for the Church, worst of all for your owne souls, in betraying the cause of Religion, and spoyling the most glorious opportunity of advancing the honour of Christ, that ever men were betrusted with, these thousand yeares. But if you shall resolve so to goe through with it, that there shall not need a reformation to come the second time, I meane in stabli­shing the rule for Faith, VVorship, and Government as neere as can be found out by the VVord (all carnall con­siderations set aside) should you but doe this, that it may bee set up in the Kingdome, and transmitted to posterity: God will then acknowledge you really thankfull, and that you have done as much for his honour as hee ex­pects from any mortall men, and posterity shall con­fesse that as you are the most remarkable Parliament for Gods owning you, protecting and saving you, so God received more glory from you, then from any former Parliament; Josiahs praise should be verified of you, [...]e­ver [Page] the like went before you, or followed after you. I there­fore humbly beseech you, Right Honourable Lords, and noble Gentlemen, whilst now your hearts are warm with this mercy, & all of you are ready to say with David, what shall I tender to the Lord? what shall I give the Lord for all his mercies towards us? take this cup of salvation, resolve to pay your vowes, the vow you made, that you would endeavour the reformation of Religion, according to the word of God; and to the nearest conformity with the best reformed Churches. Goe on zealously and im­partially with it; let the successe bee what it will, work belongs to us, successe belongs to God; therein shall you in truth give unto God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that glory and prase which a Parliament should give him; other people must come short; though wee all are interessed in this Mercy, and are equally bound to provide for his honour, yet our meanes are shorter, wee move in a nar­rower spheare.

Motives thereunto.Some of our endeavours must bee in our own Fami­lies, to make them better: Others in a Pulpit to make our Congregations better; few of us, though raised to our highest, are able to do any great things for his glory; but if the Lord enlarge your hearts to doe your worke a­right, the whole Christian world in her severall ages shall be able to give glory unto him, by your improvement of these mercies which our God hath given us.

And a little further to provoke you unto it, consider seriously of these three things.

First Motives. [...]. God chiefly minds this.First, in all our great conflicts, these huge shakings of the Nations, and combustions, the Lord hath no de­signe in any of them, but onely the building up of his Church, and answering his peoples prayers, his heart is set upon nothing else: You indeed contend for Li­berties [Page 19] and Laws, and justly you may doe so; and the rather, because the liberty of your Religion stands and falls with your laws; but God can looke upon England as well if it were in slavery, as in freedome, he regards neither of them further then slavery and freedome hath 1 Cor. 7. [...]. relation to his Church, and the welfare of it; if all other his works were buryed (as one day they shall resolve into the Chaos out of which they were taken) God cares not one whit, sobeit that bee done his heart is set upon, record his work of building of Zion, and let what else so ever be forgotren, it matters not; ought yee not to be like minded unto our Lord?

2. This onely will end our troubles.Secondly, let me assure you, there is nothing else will ever appease our troubles, but the vigorous carrying on of this work: A great many are afraid lest the quick e­stablishing of Religion (through the multitude of mens divided thoughts, and ungodlinesse of many mens minds) should make our troubles and conflicts, more then they have been; but be ye assured, the Lords King­dome being provided for in the right way, God will prepare salvation for walls and bulwarks; hee Esa. 26. 1. will be the safety of that Kingdome, which advan­ceth his Kingdome; the Kingdome of Christ, it is a Kingdome of Peace, (as himselfe is a Prince of Peace:) It will never make tumults, it will appease tumults in a Kingdome where Christs Scepter prevailes: whare hee strikes the Earth with the rod of his mouth, Cockatrices Esa. 11. 3. will be charmed, and all enemies shall bee hush't and quiet. It will I say make no tumults where it is recei­ved: but let mee tell you, Christs heart is so set upon the advancement of his Kingdome, that where it is not received, himselfe will breed tumults enow for them that oppose him: and the stone cut out of the mountaine [Page 20] without hands, will dash asunder all men, and all things, Dan. 2. all Kingdoms, & all States that shal not give way to him.

3. This will be the everlasting honour of them who do it.I adde further concerning your selves, that there is nothing will bring so great and everlasting glory to you, as to have been instruments in your generation, to fur­ther the work wherein Christs honour is so much con­cerned; you have read Books, and know the world; I beseech you tell me out of all the ages of the world that are past, cull out the choisest among men in their gene­rations, and say, who among them was really an eminent Man, if it were not for being an instrument in help­ing forward the Church of Christ: multitudes have made stately buildings, Fish-ponds, Gardens, Palaces: Some have erected Kingdomes, what is become of them all? Jam seges est ubi Troja fuit is the doome of all of them, they are all turned into vanity, and so are the Makers of them. Consider the greatest, wisest, richest, learned'st of all who have lived; if they were not for Christ and his Church, what glory doth now remaine to any of them? how much so ever they magnified themselves, or were flattered by others, who now wil honour them? who now extols Pharaoh for a wise King, Absalon for a compleat Courtier, Achitophel for a politique States-man? who now would have the lot of a­ny of them? do they not all lye buried ingloriously? hath not the Lord made the moth & corruption to rot them al? But now look into Gods Book, and read all Chronicles, and you shall find, that all they who have set their hearts to this work, all Rulers, Counsellers, Parliaments, who have been for the Lord, and his Church and Kingdome, their memoriall is honourable and blessed in all ages, they are still eminent and glorious, and shall bee so to the worlds end, and in Heaven to all Eternity. Set therefore your hearts to this great work, shew a reall defire to glo­rifie [Page 21] him who hath these great things for us.

This, Right Honourable Lords and Patriots, I had to say unto you; and as for you the rest of this Honoured and Reverend Assembly; very many things might bee suggested unto you, as means to exalt the glory of this our God and Saviour; but the onely thing I shall at the pre­sent commend unto you, is, to be often with God in the Mount, follow him with your prayers and supplicati­ons; give him no rest till hee hath carryed on this great and Honourable Assembly to doe this work, that they may raise the foundations for many Generations.

This from the second part of the Text; The work that they should doe, not to seek themselves, but how the glory of God may be preserved in the present, and future Generations.

Part. 3. The meanes whereby they should seek to perpetuate Gods glory.The third and last followes, which concernes the way they shall take to perpetuate Gods glory for building his Church, and answering his peoples prayers; what way shall they take for it? This shall be written, [in perpetuam reimemoriam,] for an eternall monument of it. The one­ly Lesson which I shall hence observe, is this, ‘Observat. One great meanes to preserve and render unto God his due glory, is to re­cord his mer­cies. Proved by Scripture.That one great way of giving God his deserved glory for his building of his Church, and answering his peoples prayers, is by causing these wonderfull workes of God to be written for the generations to come.’

For the truth of it, it is one of Gods Ordinances. You shall finde it in the 78 Psal. vers. 5. where the Prophet had exhorted them to give eare, and learne what God had done for them, that they might teach it to their chil­dren. This (said he) hee ordained for a Law, and a Sta­tute for Israel: what was this Ordinance? that they should write [Page 22] it, and teach their posterity to come, the wonderfull things which God hath done for his people: he commanded not onely themselves to know him, and his works, and to talk of them; but to provide that the generations to come might know what God had done. So in the 17. of Exod. 14. vers. When God had begun to appeare for his people in a Warre against Amalck; write it (said he,) in a Booke, a Book of the Warres of God for his Church, and against his enemies, must bee written and kept as a record from age to age. So also Moses comman­ded them in the 31 of Deut. 19. vers. Now therefore write ye this Song for you, and teach it the Children of Israel. A song must be written and learned to expresse what God had done for a people who were most un­worthy of the Mercies bestowed upon them: So like­wise Ester, Est. 9. 32. The great work of Gods de­feating the conspiracy of Haman, and deliverance of his Church, was recorded, not onely by an anniversary feast, but it must bee written in a Booke.

Thus you see, the Lord hath often enjoyned his peo­ple to record and transmit to posterity the great things which hee hath done for them. And as he hath com­manded it, so his Spirit hath ordered and brought to passe, that it hath been so. Moses and Samuel, and the rest of the Prophets have done it; what should I trouble you with a discourse of particular instances, since the whole Book of God is nothing but a Chronicle Book of Acts and Monuments of the Lords wonderfull works in gathering, and building protecting, and saving, and do­ing good to his Church, and destroying their Enemies? And they did it many wayes; sometime they made Eucha­risticall Exod. 15. Songs, which they taught their children; some­time they wrote them upon their Childrens names; some­time Judg. 5 [Page 23] by giving names to the places where the mercies Gen. 41 51. Gen. 22. 13: 1 Sam. 7. 12. Hester 9. M. Arrows [...]nih▪ Ebenezert. were received; sometime erecting stones and pillars; some­time by appointing yearly Feasts of remembrance. Many of which wayes were presented unto you the last solemn meeting you had in this place upon a like blessed occasi­on.

And by reason▪And the grounds or reasons why this ought to bee done, why these things should bee recorded, are ne­cessary,

• First, in relation to God.
• Secondly, in relation to the Generation who receive these mercies.
• Thirdly, in relation to the posterity that are to come after.

1. Gods glory is hereby pre­served and spread abroad, Psal. 111. 4.First, in relation to God and his glory. As the works of God are all worthy to be registred and remembred, so the work of building the Church, and answering his peoples prayers, is the most worthy, the most excellent: be­cause these are his master-pieces; in all these works, God appeares in his glory; all his excellent perfections shine forth in their beauty: and therefore none so wor­thy to be written. And as this work is most worthy, so there is no way or meanes so excellent and effectuall for the perpetuating of the honour and glory due to him, as the faithfull recording of it, and delivering it from hand to hand in all generations; which else will soone bee forgotten and lost, as loose pearles and pretious stones: But when they are recorded, they are like pretious and excellent pearles put upon a golden thred, and thereby easily kept together and preserved, and his glory thereby made everlasting. His Works are all Eternall, à parte ante, in his decree; this writing and registring of them, will make them so: à parte post, in the eternall commemo­ration [Page 24] of them. Thus shall be fulfilled to his glory that which Solomon says, I know whatsoever God does, it shal be for ever; it shall last for ever to his glory. Eccles. 3. 14.

Thus people who receive them are here­by bettered. And the instru­ments imploy­ed by God, are had in due re­membrance and honour.Secondly, in relation to them who receive these mer­cies, the present age that enjoyes them, may also bee great gainers by it, for it makes the favour and mercy deeplier written in their owne hearts in indeleble characters: and the frequent reading of them would keep the mercy alwayes fresh and green, alwayes of the same efficacy and vertue unto them who have re­ceived it.

And besides, those excellent Instruments whom God hath employed to helpe in the great worke of building the Church, shall thereby enjoy the honour and praise which God is willing to have conferred upon them: (for hee would have the righte­ous in everlasting remembrance) when in all ages it shall be known, not onely what the Lord hath done for his people; but also who they are whom God hath been pleased to employ in this great Work: wee know the old saying, Multi ante Agamemnona fuere fortes, &c. there were many valiant Commanders and Souldiers before Achilles, or Ulysses, but none of them are famous to posterity, because they wanted a Homer, their wor­thy deeds are not recorded: but by such a faithfull re­gister the Lords worthy instruments are in all ages made partakers of a glory which is next the glory of Hea­ven.

But chiefly my Text leads to the third; in relation to posterity. These things shall be written for the Gene­rations to come, and for their sakes they ought to be writ­ten. 3. The gene­rations to come have their due, these works concern them.

1. Because they are their due, and the present generation [Page 25] cannot without injustice deprive posterity of a faithfull record of Gods mercies, for in all these things he speaks to all the ages to come, as well as the present. You have it in Hosea 12. 3. where Jacobs wrestling with God and meeting with him in Bethel, are mentioned: There (sayes the Church) hee spoke with us; what he spoke to Jacob, hee spoke to Israel, that lived in Hosea's time, a­bove a thousand years after it; and what Paul spake, 1 Cor. 10. 11. concerning Gods Judgment, All these things hap­pened unto them for ensamples, and are written for our ad­monition upon whom the ends of the World are come; is as true of all his works of mercy; they hapned unto them for oursakes, as well as for their owne; and the Pro­phets knew this, unto whom it was revealed, that not un­to themselves, but unto us they did admin [...]ster the things which are now reported. Now look as it is with Parents who though themselves know they cannot live long, and per­adventure some of them are but termers in their states and Honours; yet their Evidences of their Lordships or Mannors, wh [...]ch belong to their children, they dare not but transmit the Copies of them to those who shall inherit their Lands after them. Since then the records of these things are their due, wee cannot deny them to posterity, unlesse we would rob them of that which God will have them receive from us.

And may ma­ny wayes be gainers by them.Nay, secondly, it is their gaine as well as their due, yea, it may prove an infinite and invaluable gain to poste­rity; for by the recording of these great and excellent Works, posteritie may learne to know God, to trust him, to feare and serve him; they may out of these learne their duty, and read their destiny. This was the very end why God made that law, Psal. 78. 5. That the Parents should transmit unto their children, the wonderfull works [Page 26] which hee had done, That they might set their hope in God, and keep his Commandements, and might not bee as their fathers, a generation whose spirit was not stedfast with God. The like causes of writing these things, you shall find, Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11. Look as it is with them Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11. that travaile at Sea (take for instance Columbus, or Drake, or any of those famous Sea-men, that have discovered unknown tracts in the deep waters) when they them­selves had past them, if they had come home again without making a Sea-mans Chard, who had been the better for all their voyages? whereas now, ordinary Sailers by help of their Chard, can compasse the world round a­bout; because they know where the safe chanels, and where the rocks and dangers lye. So in the faithfull Stories of the works which God showes to his people in one generation, the generations to come shall before their eyes be able to read the right way, by the fall of others they shall know where lies the rocks and stum­bling blocks; by the deliverance of others they shall know where out-gates are to be found. The reading of a record of Mordecays good service, was a meanes to save all the Church of the Jews at one time, Est. 6. 1, 2. The remembring of Micah his prophecy, saved the life of E [...]ra 9. 10. [...] ▪ the Prophet Jeremy, at another time, Jer. 26. 19. the re­membrance of the causes why Israel was carryed captive out of their owne Land, was a meanes to bring them to repentance at another time. The records of Gods dealing with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have succoured Gods people in their distresses ten thousand times; the particular wayes how the Church hath profited by them, are not to bee numbred; inexpressible is the gaine which may be gotten by them: therefore the Lord would have them written for the generations to come.

[Page 27] Ʋse 1. If posterity, then much more they who receive these deliverances should praise God for them.For Application of this: First, if the Lord will have his great Workes recorded to posterity, that they may give him his glory; surely, then the present age should ob­serve them, and glorifie him; if our present mercies shall bee the wonderment of the world in after ages, how ill would it become us who receive them, to passe them over unregarded, or put them into oblivion? what a ca­talogue should every one of us have, how full should all our memories and records bee, who receive them thus by heapes upon heapes? how excellent and comely a thing were it, if every one wee meet with in the streets, and fields, could bee able to tell us the Story of Gods dealing for England these three, or foure, or five yeeres; beleeve it, it is our shame that wee are not able Exhortation to all to doe it. to doe it. What a shame and unworthy thing is it to lay up in our memories trash and vanities; write downe in our Books, our passions, toyes, and fooleries, and have no records of these glorious VVorks of God? how shall wee lift up our heads before God, when he shall reckon with us for this ingratitude? O that every one of us could endeavour to have our records of these mercies, as perfect as Gods are; he observes and keeps account of all, let us doe so likewise, let our books and memories, be treasuries of these works and wayes of God; let our tongues talk of them, let us be all good Historians, at least of these latter yeares, since the beginning of this Parliament, be able to count all our journeys and pitch­ing places, our deliverances and Victories from Kynton un­to this day: yea, and when wee think or speake of them, let it bee with admiration, which is the individuus comes, Especially for mercy. the inseparable companion of praising God: wee ne­ver can duly tender his praises for these mercies, un­lesse our understanding see it selfe conquered by that [Page 28] which it contemplates; and be compelled with David, againe and againe to cry out, O Lord our God, how excel­lent is thy Name, how wonderfull are thy workes! Doe these things daily, but doe them this day more careful­ly: this day is separated for his praise and glory, but in a more peculiar manner let him have the glory of this la [...]e great, and unexpected Victory; and let us consider The greatnes of this Victory. seriously what kind of mercy it is, which wee this day come to blesse the Lord for. I shall not goe about by ostentation of words, and hyperbolicall expressions to elevate it above its height, had I Rhetorick and words to doe it, this Assembly would not be taken with such kind of language; but simply and plainly bee pleased to behold this great work of God, both for the sub­stance and circumstances of it; for the thing it self, for the substance of it; Granted it is, to bee one of the greatest Victories that ever the Lord bestowed Both in the substance upon us since the beginning of our troubles; wherein all the enemies Foot, all their Carriages, all their Am­munition, so many of their Horse were taken in the field.

And circum­stances which greatly magni­fie Gods mercy in it.But there are foure Circumstances accompany it, which maks this mercy most wonderfull.

• First, the Time when this mercy was bestowed upon us.
• Secondly, the Place where it was bestowed upon us.
• Thirdly, the Persons by whom it was wrought for us. And,
• Fourthly, the Manner how God did it for us.

[...]. The [...] when it was done.First, the Time when it was done; truly, when we were very low, exceeding low in our Spirits, low in our Counsels, low in our Treasures, low in our Arms, low through our mutual Divisions & jealousies; wondrous low (I think) as we have [Page 29] been almost at any time since the beginning of our trou­bles: at a time when the Enemy was extream high, high in their Spirits, high in their confidence, high in their scorn, high in their resolutions, so high, as if they had already swallowed all, boasting that our Armies were crumbled to nothing, and wondering we were so foolish, as not to re­sign up all. Yea, done in a time when we had newly prayed and sought God, when the Honourable Houses had cal­led the City and the Assembly of Divines to lie in tears and dust before God, to wrestle with him: this was the time when the Lord remembred us, agreeing with that Psal. 125. 33. of the Psalmist, Who remembred us in our low estate, for his mercy endureth for ever.

I may adde one more concerning the time, it was in the rising of the yeare, almost in the Spring, when yet we have foure or five moneths before there be any necessi­ty of winter Quarters; in which time, if God give us wisedome to follow it, and himself please to goe on with us, who knows what a blessed period our troubles may have?

2. The place.Secondly, and the place where is remarkable. Where was it done? truly, in that part of the Land where the Enemy had lately wrought outragious villanies. I speake not of taking a Town in a hostile way, but of murde­ring of women, of ravishing wives and maidens; where the Commanders could boast what liberty they had gi­ven to their Souldiers, though not to murder the women, yet to ravish as many of them as they could: where the Country groaned under the blasphemies, and outrages that they wrought; that the Lord should have it so or­dered that where they had plundred and spoiled, them­selves should be plundred and spoiled, that thither they should [...]y with shame, hardly daring to look in where [Page 30] all these cruelties and insolencies had been wrought by them.

8. The persons by whom.Thirdly, and take in the Persons by whom. Of whom I will say two things, which you will all grant to bee true. They were an Army despised by our Enemies, and little lesse then despaired of by our Friends, as men from whom little was to bee looked for; Gods glory is the more con­spicuous; this is according to his own manner of work­ing, 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28 29. Who delights by weak things to confound the mighty, and by things which are despised, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh might glo­ry in his presence: This is the Lords doing, let it be wonderfull in our eyes.

4. The manner how.Fourthly, and the manner how is very remarkable, how God did it; truly so, that the men should doe what men can doe, that they might have the praise of Instruments, giving them valour, courage, wisdome and faithfulnesse: and yet withall letting them be so overborn, one wing in a manner broken, and many of the Foot routed, and all in danger to be lost; that it might appeare (as hath been in the rest of our Victories) that the thing was wrought by God: Now can you looke upon all these things together, & not with admiration cry out, This is the Lords doing, this is wonderfull in our eyes: Non nobis Domine, non nobis, Not unto us Lord, but unto thy Name give the praise and glory? Overmuch to extoll men, God would not have you, they would not have you doe it, you would wrong them and your selves and your God, if you should looke upon them otherwise then as instruments. But O that you could ad­mire this mercy, that God hath given in, that you could see all the mercies that are in the wombe of this mercy! how many have already sprung from it, Leicester taken in againe, and other tydings are come out of other parts of [Page 31] the Kingdome, some mercies about Taunton, others about Chester, hath our God cast them in, that this day might be as a day of Jubilee to us. Shall not God have glory for all this? shall not our hearts bee lifted up to give him praise? Would God have a Chronicle written, that the ages to come may stand amazed at it; and shall we that see these things, and enjoy them thus unexpectedly, con­fine and pen up our praises to one day of Thanksgiving, and not have our whole heart, and our whole life filled with studies and endeavours to exalt him? let this be our first Use, if we should write them in a Book to provoke o­thers, then surely we should write them in our hearts to provoke our selves to praise him.

Ʋse 2. Exhortation to record these Mercies for the Generation to come.The other Use I would make of it is this: That seeing the Lord would have his wonderfull Works written for the Generations to come; Let the Honourable Houses of Parliament looke upon it as a duty they owe unto God, and to the present and future age, to provide that these glorious and admirable works which God hath done for England and Scotland, since the beginning of our troubles, may faithfully bee transmitted to posterity; you hear God hath appointed it for a law and an Ordinance, that the ge­nerations to come should know his wonderfull Workes, and it's both due and expected by one age from another; it hath been the received Opinion of wise men, that the World is more beholding to them who write Histories, then to any men living, except onely those that did the ex­cellent Works which the others writ. Tully tells you, that History is the witnesse of time, the light of truth, the life of memory, the school-Mistris of ourlife, &c. When yet, alasse, all their Histories were written with ignorance, va­nity, passion, partiality, and gave very little help to our main businesse, to teach us the administrations of God, and [Page 32] the way hee hath taken in carrying on his Church, which is the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus Christ. But now by the true and faithfull setting forth to the World what the Lord hath done for us; you should honour God and advantage his Church as much as in any thing that you can possibly doe, unlesse it be the building of the Church it self. Never could more excellent things tending to advance the goodnesse, wisdome, power, and mercy of God bee manifested to the world, then this story of our times would afford. The Jews have a saying, That when God destroyed all the World, there was a Copy of all kept in the Arke with Noah; and after the Floud was gone, this Copy was re-printed and spread over all the world. The meaning was, that the Creatures that were kept there, did fill all the world with Creatures of the same nature that the World had before. Truly, I have often thought, that were all the Copies in the world lost, of Gods admirable dealing with an unworthy people (except only those mentioned in the Scripture, there might be a re-impression of them out of the admirable things that God hath done for us since these publike caelamities came upon us; and all the world might learn sufficient out of our Story, what a God our God is, and learn to know, and trust, and fear him forever; give me leave onely to name some Capita rerum, some heads of things, which is fit the World should read and know: They should read of a Parliament called together by a strange providence; and when they were called, God dealt with them, as hee com­manded Ezekiel to deale with his own haire, Ezekiel 5. one third part of it to be thrown away into the wind, a­nother to be burnt in the City, and another to be againe purged and refined, and kept in the skirt of his garment. They should read of 4 or 500 Commons, and multitude [Page 33] of Peeres, some of them passing through the fire, some scattered into all the corners of the land, seeking to de­stroy the Nation that had entrusted them; and a remnant left behind, fined and refined, and humbled again and a­gain, and kept to do wonderfull things for the Lords glo­ry, and his peoples good. They should likewise read of Army after Army, and fight after fight, which wee have had with our Enemies; of every one whereof they should be able to say, what my Noble Lord said immediately af­ter Kynton fight, That there was never any thing wherein there was lesse of man, and more of God. They should ac­knowledge in all wee have done, there was little of man, and much of God. There they should likewise read, how this famous City, and all the Countries where the Gospel had prevailed, have faithfully stood to God and his cause even to their owne exhausting, in the midst of infinite dis­couragements; and how the rest that were nursed up under Popery and superstition, both Lords and Commons, and Gentlemen, and whole Counties did endeavour to fight themselves into slavery, and labour to destroy the Parlia­ment, that is, themselves, and all that is theirs. There they should read how God broke all our crutches we lea­ned upon, our Counsels, our Treasuries, our Armies; and never prospered us really, till he had deeply humbled, and made us to look to himself onely for help; how he brought the two Nations into a Covenant with him, and set them upon a work of Reformation of Religion, and carryed on that work in a troublesome time, in a time of Warre, bet­ter then (in likelihood) it would have been in a time of Peace. There they should read the fruits and effects of Prayer; how he suffered his Almighty hand to be, as it were, directed by it. They should see what strange Plots were discovered, prevented, detected; how God made some of our strong Holds to be easily delivered, and [Page 34] others of no strength little lesse then miraculously preser­ved against all the Force of the enemy; how usually God made our losses to bee our gaine, and did us most good by undoing us; compelling us often to say, Perissemus nisi perissemus, wee had been undone if we had not been un­done; and how our enemies, that rose against us, ever­more found their gaine to prove their losse; and that which raised them up highest, instantly laid them lowest. What shall I say? they shall in a thousand particulars read in this Story our folly and Gods wisdome, our weaknes and Gods strength, our divisions and confusions, and Gods ordering them all to serve his holy ends. They should read such things as (I am confident no History in the world) is able to hold out the like. Now I beseech you, is it not pity that these things should be lost? shall we deprive the world & posterity of these things; Serimus arbores, we plant Trees which may beare fruit to after a­ges, and shall we not doe this, which like Nebuchadnezzars Dan 4. tree would beare fruit to all the world; or shall wee ha­zard them to bee written by a lying or unskilfull hand? written they will be without all question, Scribimus indo­cti doctique, Diurnalls, and Weekly Intelligencers under­take to set them all down; but shall posterity bee left to make their computatiō, & draw their estimate of the Lords dealing by such Books as these? should not we rob God, our selves, his Cause, & his Church in al ages, if we should leave it to such Historians as these. God forbid, rather let some of the choicest men in the Land be set about it: It was said of Claudian, that he wanted matter to write of sui­table Psal. 10. to his wit; but what wit is suitable to this matter. Who is sufficient for these things? who can tell the loving kindnesse of the Lord? who can shew forth all his goodnesse? My humble suit therefore to the Right Honourable Houses, is [Page 35] (a thing which I am assured God expects from you) even that you would provide that some worthy, faithfull heart, and heads, and pens bee set on work, who may undertake this Work, and have leave (as Mr. Fox had in Queen Eli­zabeths dayes) to search all the Registries; and be enabled to hold forth all the light that may bee, that the Genera­tions to come may see a true picture, a faithfull Story of these three or foure last years: And let him doe it faith­fully, let him not be discouraged with the Politicians fear, That it is dangerous to write truth in the present age, not safe to come too neere the heels of truth, lest it kicke out his teeth: But as the Penmen of the Scripture, wrote mans folly, and Gods goodnesse; so let him bee encouraged to let the world know great things God hath done for us, and how little we have done for our selves: no gratious man shall have the lesse glory in Heaven, by letting God have his glory by us on earth, though it be in publishing our weak­nesses and follies. I once again humbly beseech you the thing may bee done. And yet further to provoke you, consider that in all ages the eminentest men have been employed in this kind of Work. Moses wrote the dealings of God for 2500 years from the Creation to their entring into Canaan; and afterward it was carryed on by other chiefe Instruments; above half the Old Testament is a Chronicle of the things done by the Lord in War and Peace for his people. In the New Testament four Evan­gelists wrote the story of Christ; Luke writing the Acts of the Apostles, and how ill could the world have wanted one of these? How miserable had we been, if we had been deprived of them? And since that time I appeale to all Scholars, whether the choicest men in learning have not been imployed in this service; and let all English men speake, whether they think any book written in our Mo­ther [Page 63] tongue, hath brought more glory to God, and stirred up more zeale for Christ, and encouraged people more to a holy life, and to own Gods Cause couragiously, then Mr. Foxes books of Martyrs, the Acts and Monuments of the Church. In all this, I plead not for the honour of any man, or men, let them all be laid in the dust, so God may be glorified, they who doe worthily shall have glory enough with God in Heaven; yet God would have them also had in everlasting remembrance: but it is for God and his honour that I plead; there are such things of God, of his Wisdome, Power, Goodnesse, Compassion, Mercy to be set forth; that should the Lord move your hearts to resolve upon it this day, it were a testimony of your thankfulnesse, next to the going on vigorously in the Re­formation and setling of the Church; and you can pitch upon nothing that shall bring more eternall glory to the Lord, that hath done these great things for us, thn to cause these things to be written for the Generations to come, that the people not yet created may praise the Lord.