But if inftead of purfuing the things that make for our Peace, we fhall ftill go on to precipitate our own Deftruction: If when we are call'd this Day to turn unto the LORD our God with all our hearts, and with fafting, and with weeping, and with mourning; we fhall inftead thereof

fast only for ftrife and for debate: Ifai. Íviii. 4. If when we fhould be here proftra

ting our felves before the LORD, to implore the Completion of that Great Deliverance he has begun to work for us; we fhall, on the contrary, continue ungratefully to murmur against his Providence, and be ready almoft to implead his Juftice for what he has already done; and with thofe repining Ifraelites of old, be looking back again to our Egyptian Bondage,when we are brought even within profpect of the Promised Land: In a word, If when we fhould be uniting our felves against the Common Enemy of our Country and Chri ftendom, we fhould fuffer a Spirit of Faction and Sedition, of Mutiny and Difcontent of private Interefts, and unfeasonable Refentments, to distract our Councils, and divide us against one another; What can we then expect, but that God fhould at laft give us over into the hands of our Enemies, and maké thofe that hate us, to rule over us.

Wherefore now, arife O ye Worthies, ye Chofen, and Counsellors of our Ifrael; Confult, confider, and refolve: And may the God of Heaven; the God before whom we are here affembled this Day; He who has, and does, and we truft will ftill deliver us; our Rock, and our Defence against the Face of our Enemies, fo direct and profper all your Confultations, that the Children which are yet unborn, may rife up in their Generations, and call you Bleffed when they fhall enjoy the Benefits of that

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Peace,

Peace, and Security, which we truft shall defcend to them, through your Wife and Vigorous Refolutions.

Behold this day the Eyes not of your own Nation only, but of all the Nations round about us, fix'd upon you: The Fortunes, I do not fay, of every fingle Perfon among you, tho' that were fomewhat; not yet of your own Country and Religion only, which ought to be much more valued; but what is ftill more confiderable than all this, the Fortunes of all the Reformed Churches, and distreffed Countries of Europe, depending on the Succefs of our prefent Enterprizes. This is the fatal Crifis, that must fecure or ruine both them and us for ever.

May the Confideration of all these things, inspire every one of you with a Spirit fuitable both to our prefent Needs, and to that great truft that is here committed to you: A Spirit of Wisdom and UnderStanding; a Spirit of Prudence and Diferetion; a Spirit of Charity and Moderation; but above all, with a Spirit of Piety and Unity; that being endu'd with all thefe excellent Qualities, ye may become the Repairers of our Breaches; the Reftorers of our almost loft and trampled Liberties; the Defenders of our Faith the Support of your Country; the Avengers of your barbaroufly abus'd Allies; the Scourge and Terror of the Universal Enemy of Truth, Peace, Religion, Nature: In fhort, of all the common Laws and Rights both of God, and of all Mankind.

May your Councils be govern'd with fuch a Calmness and Temper, as may fettle and compofe all the unquiet and diffatisfied Spirits (if there be any) yet remaining among us; and fuffer none to regret our wonderful Prefervation, but thofe only whofe fury had once prompted them to attempt, and whofe Principles ftill carry them on, to desire,

even when they are not able to accomplish, our Deftruction.

May your Refolutions be as fpeedy, as the publick Neceffities are preffing; and their Execution be accompanied with a Fidelity and Success that may equal not only our Expectation, but even our very Hopes and our Defires.

And for the obtaining of all these Blessings, and whatever else may ferve to make these Kingdoms Happy:

May we all this day, fast the faft Ifa. Iviii. 6. which the Lord has chofen; to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the Oppreffed go free.

Let us confefs our wickedness, and be Pfal. xxxviii. Sorry for our fins.

Let us turn to the LORD our God

18.

with all our heart; and with fafting, Joel ii. 13. and with weeping, and with mourning.

Let us deal our Bread to the Hungry, Ifa. Iviii. 7. and bring the Poor to our Houfes.

So fhall we call, and the Lord fhall anSwer; we shall cry, and he fhall fay, Here I am. Our light fhall break forth as the Morning, and our righteousness as the Noon-day.

God fhall come, and shall not keep filence: He shall fave us from our Enemies, and put them to shame that hate

us.

-V. 8.

.V. 9.

Pfal. 1. 3.

Pfal. iv. 7.

Pfal. Ixviii.

1, 2.

He shall arife, and all our Adverfaries fhall be fcatter'd; they also that bate us, fhall fee before us; Like as the Smoak vanifheth, fo fhall we drive Exod. xv. 16. them away; terror and dread fhall fall upon them.

Thus

Thus fhall our Mourning be turn'd into Laughter, and our Heaviness into Foy; and we fhall yet fing the Song of Mofes, and of the Lamb, when he fhall have given us rest from all our Enemies round about us;

Salvation and Glory, and Power, and Praise, and Thanksgiving, be to him that fitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb for Ever and Ever, Amen.

SERMON X.

Of Contending Earneftly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints.

Preach'd at Mercers-Chapel, January the 8th. 1687-8.

JUDE III.

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the Common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto and exhort you, you, that you should earnestly contend for the Faith which was once deliver'd to the Saints.

T is generally agreed by Learned Men, that this Epiftle was written by St. Jude upon the fame Occafion, and to the fame Perfons to whom St. Peter had not long before addrefs'd his Second; whofe Thoughts he purfues, and whofe very Words he seems in fome places to have tranfcribed.

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