GLorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God. Many gracious promises and glori­ous priviledges make Sion the glory of the world, and Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth. The sweet Spouse of the great King is pre­sented to us by this Evangelicall Prophet in her rich Attire and excellent Ornaments for Beauty and Glory. She that lay pol­luted with bloud, and sullied with dust, being washt in bloud, and sanctified through grace, is prepared for the bosome of her glorious Redeemer. Know ye not (O beloved) the beauty of her Grace, the [Page 2]excellency of her Glory? Arise, be enlight­ned, come and see. This Prophet opens un­to you her well-furnisht Chamber, and her presents you with the golden Key of her costly Closet. Here behold,

• 1. The glorious Lamp of the Gospel put into the hand of the Church, who is com­manded to hold it forth that it may pour out its light to the world, v. 1.—3.
• 2. The mighty concourse out of many Nations of Sions converts to this glorious Light, and the brightnesse of this burning Lamp, v. 4,—14.
• 3. A glorious Crown of eternall Ex­cellency set by the hand of God upon the head of the Spouse of Christ, possest of a blessed Paradise of everlasting peace, v. 15.— ult.

This is thine Excellency, O Sion, this is thy Glory, O Jerusalem: Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Arise, shine.

Here's a Precept pregnant with a Pro­mise: The Spirit of God deals forth comfort wrapt up in a command; For God assures that he will cause his Church to arise and shine, in this that he commands her, Arise, shine.

Consider this in relation to the Church in general, and to particular Saints.

Consider'd in relation to the Church in generall, it hints sundry particular observations, which we shall briefly passe over.

Arise, shine. Then note, that

Obser. 1 The Church may be sometimes in a cloud,The Sun may for a time wear sackloth, the Stars may loose their light, the Temple may be full of smoak, and the Ark wrapt up in darknesse. A mist may cover the face of Canaan, and a thick cloud may rest upon Jerusalem. God loves to beautifie the Face of Time with some spots of darknesse. God de­lights in chequering the world with in­terchanges of light and darknesse, day and night. The returns of darknesse do illustrate the beauty of light, That light is most beautifull, amiable and accepta­ble, that's born out of the womb of the thickest darknesse. The Sun shines forth most clearly when it hath washt its beams in the waters of the Clouds. Then let not any Star think it strange that it is sometimes obscured, when the Sun it self may be Eclipst, and the Constellations of Heaven mask'd in darknesse.

Arise, shine. Then,

2 There are castings down before lift­ings up, Clouds before clearnesse, Dark­nesse (as in the Old so in the New Crea­tion) before light. The Church is cal­led to Arise, therefore she was yet down; She is commanded to Shine, therefore she was yet dark. Despair not then, poor dejected souls, who lie down in darknesse and see no light; when you have a while with sad hearts sorrowed for your sins, your light will break forth as the morning, and you shall hear this sweet Gospel-voice, Arise, shine.

Arise, shine. Then,

3 There's an excellency in the Church of God,a bright and shining excellen­cy. This is the Sun of the lower world, which shall at length shine in the high­est heavens. The Saints have their lustre, which is nothing else but the reflection of those glorious beams of grace, which are shed from the Sun of Righteousnesse upon them. This is the Woman cloth'd with the Sun, that hath the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars, Rev. 12.1. This is she that is come to excellent Ornaments, and [Page 5]crowned with perfection of beauty, through Christs own comelinesse put up­on her, Ezek. 16.7,—14. She is all Fair, all Glorious within, through the Glory of God arisen upon her, Cant. 4.7. Psal. 45.13. The Church of God is the Crown of the earth, and the Glory of the world. The world is wrapt in darknesse till she Arise and shine. Horrible are the at­tempts of the Churches Persecutors. Hel­lish darknesse would soon over-spread the earth, if the Churches light were once extinguisht. O ye strangers of the world! You that lie muffled in midnight, even in the Gospels midday, lift up your heads, behold and admire the Churches excellencies. Leave your dark dens of sin and profanesse, and come to her shining light. Be ravisht with the beauty of her Grace, and admire the brightnesse of her Glory. Walk in her light, and you shall partake in her brightnesse and beauty.

Arise, shine. Then take notice that

4 A Gospel- state is a glorious state,a Heaven upon Earth. The state of the Church of God under the Gospel is more glorious then under the Law, Isa. 60.17. 2 Cor. 3.7,— ult. Herein are more clear and [Page 6]glorious manifestations of Christ, dispen­sations of Grace, communications of the Spirit; more abundance of spirituall and glorious mercies, gifts and endowments. The state of grace under the Gospel is nothing lesse then the Kingdom of heaven upon earth, Mat. 3.2. Heaven is open'd under the Gospel, and Believers enter in, and are invested with glorious privi­ledges, and inrich'd with glorious enjoy­ments. This is that Heaven, wherein God's Saints shine as so many Stars in the lustre of that glorious light which they derive from the Sun of Righteous­nesse. This Evangelical condition is an Angelical condition, wherein Gods Saints (those bright morning-stars) sing for joy, and record the glorious praises of their gracious Redeemer. Gospel- Times are glorious Times, Gospel- mercies are glo­rious mercies, Gospel- graces are (as I may say) glorious graces, Gospel- comforts are glorious comforts, Gospel- Salvation is a glorious Salvation. Happy are we that live in Gospel- times, Oh that we could but embrace Gospel- Truths! hap­py are we that have Gospel- seasons, Oh that we were but Gospel- Saints. O how are we to admire the riches of Gods grace, [Page 7]that he is pleased to vouchsafe us his glorious Gospel. Let us then labour to adorn this glorious Gospel by gracious courses. The day-spring from on high hath visited us, and the glorious light of the Gospel shines round about us; let us then cast off the works of darknesse, and put on the Armour of light; let's cease to sin, arise and shine in the lustre of this light that shines upon us.

Arise, shine. Know then,

5 When God pours out light and lustre upon his Church,she must pour it out into the world. When Christ puts a bur­ning Lamp into the hand of his Spouse, she must give light to the Nations that sit in darknesse and the shadow of death. The Sun pours his light upon the Moon and Stars, and these pour it out with many pretious influences upon the earth. When Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteous­nesse pours out the light of the Gospel, with influences of love upon his Church and Saints, they must likewise pour out the same upon the world and sinners. When God sets up his Golden-candlestick at Jerusalem, 'tis that it might give light to the Cities round about. O then let [Page 8]every Star shine to encrease the lustre of this light, and let sinners come to the brightnesse of this shining, that they may see the way of life, leading to eternall Glory, lest otherwise they be shut up un­der everlasting darknesse and damnation, See Mat. 5.14, 15, 16.

Doct. Arise, shine. Now let's consider the words as they bear reference to, particu­lar Saints, and they'l import thus much; The Saints of God in Gospel-times shall and must Arise and shine.They shall, for this Precept implies a Promise: They must, for this Promise is lockt up in a Precept, Arise, shine. This is the Saints Dignity, this their Duty.

Branch 1 1.They shall, they must Arise; They must not lie down still in darknesse, when the light shines, and the Spirit saies, A­rise, Arise from the

1 1. Pit of horrour and the dungeon of darknesse, whereinto they have been cast by conviction: God doth indeed cast down, but doth not keep down his Elect in this dark and sad condition. God brings sinners to Heaven by the Gates of Hell. While they lie under conviction, their sins, like swarms of Bees, encompasse them, arm'd with fiery, poysonous stings, [Page 9]the wrath of God flames against them, the Terrours of the Almighty surround them, and the unspeakable Torments of of Hell amaze them, their own Consci­ence (which should be a Port of Peace to a troubled Spirit) being full of Hor­rour and Confusion, is a very Hell unto them. In this wofull condition when they are now ready to enter by the Gate of Despair into the Kingdom of ever­lasting Darknesse, God cals to them in the sweet voice of the Gospel, saying, Re­turn, Return, Repent, Repent, and believe the Gospel, and live for evermore; your sins are pardonable, your sins are pardoned. Christ, and Heaven, and Glory, and all are yours everlastingly. And withall he breaks the Chains of their Corruptions, beats back the fiery darts of their Tem­ptations, takes them by the hand, and leads them out of the dark Prison of sin into the sweet Paradise of Grace, and speaks Peace, Peace to their souls, and so gives them possession of true, reall, spirituall and lasting Comfort, Content­ment, and Joy.

2 2. Dust of affliction, and deeps of distress. God sometimes leads his people down from the mountains of joy into the valleys [Page 10]of sorrow. He eclipses for a time the light of life, and covers them with the shadow of death. God doth not alwaies feed his children with the Honey of his Promises, the marrow of his comforts, the sweetnesse of his love, but sometimes he gives them the bread of adversity to eat, and the wa­ters of affliction to drink, and causeth them to sit down in a state of darknesse and de­sertion. But he is a tender-hearted Fa­ther, his Bowels are soon moved towards them, and so he shews them his pleased face, speaks to them in the voice of kinde­nesse and love, cals them to his embraces, and receives them into the bosome of his sweetest and soul-contenting mercies: He brings glorious Advantages out of these grievous Afflictions to their immortall souls. See 2. Cor. 4.17.

3 3. Dunghil of Contempt, and mire of Disgrace. God raises his servants from the Dunghil, to sit with Princes on the Throne. He washes off the mire from their feet, and brings them up to his holy Hill Mount Sion. Wicked men who are as Swine, rooting in the Dunghill of the Earth, trample Gods Jewels, his Pearls, under rheir feet: but they are still pre­cious in Gods account, and he will cause [Page 11]their shining brightnesse to appear: Gods precious Saints are often vilified by the vilest men in the Earth, they are made as the filth of the world, and the off-scour­ing of all things, 1 Cor. 4.13. But God will at length clothe them with Excellency and Honour, and crown them with eternall Glory. The world delights to cast the mire of Disgrace into the Fa­ces of those that bear the blessed Image of God himself: But he that will at length wipe away all Tears from their eyes, will also wash away all such op­probrious Imputations, and cause them to shine as the Stars in the Firmament for ever and ever. Wicked men with the sharp Razors of their own malicious tongues wound the Names of Gods dear­est Saints, and labour to bury them in Ignominy and everlasting Contempt, but God will heal their Names, give them a glorious Resurrection, and an everlasting blessed Memoriall: They study to cast the only Excellent down from their Ex­cellency, but God will advance them to eternall Glory. Notwithstanding all the weight of Reproaches the wicked lay upon them, God will put forth his Almighty Arm, and they shall arise: See Psal. 68.13.

Branch 2 2. They shall, they must shine: As they have had a time of sinning and a time of sorrow, so they shall have a time of shining and a time of joy. They are commanded and shall and must shine in the

1 1. Spotlesse lustre of Christs Righteous­nesse. Every Saint is cloathed with the Sun. God makes all his children Priests, and hath provided for them holy Gar­ments for Beauty and Glory; He enstals them Kings, and cloathes them with Roy­all Robes, far richer, far purer then Cloth of Gold. These Robes are none other then Gods own Son the King of Glory himself hath worn on Earth. They are the rich Robes of his perfect Righteousnesse, so pure, that Gods own all-discerning Eye cannot discover one spot in them. Saints must needs shine when they are drest in such rich Apparrell. The Sun it self the Fountain of Light, whose face is too glorious for us mortals stedfastly to behold, is but a darkesome mote in com­parison of the bright and shining Lustre of this rich Attire. Glorious is the cloathing of every gracious soul.

2 2. Excellent Ornaments of saving Graces. Every Saint is as a little Heaven full of [Page 13] shining Stars. God cloathes all his chil­dren with white Garments of Sanctifica­tion, all-bespangled with sparkling pre­cious Pearls of heavenly and Divine Gra­ces, as Faith, Repentance, Love, Hope, O­bedience, Sincerity, Humility, &c. There is not one of these but is worth ten thou­sand times more then a world of Gold, be­ing as it were a Ray of God, a Pledge of his eternall Love, and a Character of Glory, stampt upon the soul. There is a chain of these Heavenly Graces where­with God adorns the souls of his Chil­dren, to which is annexed Glory it self, as a Gem of infinite excellency and invaluable worth. See 2 Pet. 1.3,—6. Now the united splendour of these Heavenly Graces must needs beautifie the soul with an admira­ble Excellency and shining Lustre.

3 3. Beautifull garments of Salvation. Eve­ry childe of God sits incircled with eter­nall smiles from the Face of God, and thence hath cause to be everlastingly merry. All the Saints are welcome guests to the Gospels Feast, Isa. 25.6. where that nothing may be wanting for their full Contentment and Delight, they are cloathed by Gods own hand with Fe­stivall garments, and anointed with the [Page 14]sweet Oyl of joy and gladnesse. O how can the Saints of God choose but smile and shine in joy, who are admitted to such a Heart-contenting Feast. O what immortall joys must needs spring up in the Hearts of Gods children, from a live­ly apprehension of the infinite sweetnesse and excellency of the Love of God, and the invaluable preciousnesse of his Grace which they enjoy, the dreadfull and e­verlasting Tormenes of Hell fire, which they have escap'd, and the incomprehen­sibly glorious and eternall Joys of Hea­ven, whereof they shall shortly be pos­sest, besides those many sweet and graci­ous comforts wherewith Jesus Christ hath already crown'd their thrice happy souls: Thus the Day-stars-of Grace can­not but shine on Earth, which are alrea­dy prepar'd to be eternally fixt in Heaven.

Thus having past through these par­ticulars, we come to the Use.

Ʋse. Herein let the holy Ghost speak to your Hearts;Arise, shine, O ye Saints of God, and Sons of the Most High. The Night is now past, and the Day is come, yea, far spent, the Sun of Righteousnesse is drawing nigh to the highest Point of his glorious Ascent, and darts forth his [Page 15]gracious, reviving beams into the lowest and humblest hearts: Rouze up your selves therefore O ye children of God, lift up your heads, Arise, shine.

1 1. Put on the Royall Robes of Christs Righteousnesse. See your own nakednesse, and blush to behold the shame of your nakednesse: See the Wardrobe of the Go­spel open, and Christ Jesus with his own hands offering you the rich Robes of his own Righteousnesse: Put forth the hand of Faith, and put them upon your naked souls; so Christ will embrace you as his Brethren, God will embosome you as his children, the Angels of Heaven will at length with shouting entertain you in the mansions of Eternity, as Heirs of Glory.

2 2. Deck your selves with the Pearls of Heaven. See Gods Cabinet is unlockt for you: Get your Hearts furnisht with san­ctifying Graces, the souls Jewels. God hath given you the Key of Heaven, Pray­er, and the wings of Faith and Love to mount up thither: Away then, and fetch thence daily what precious Ornaments so­ever you want to render your souls beau­tifull and amiable in the eyes of your Be­loved. Put on these Ornaments daily, and [Page 16]wear them continually. They'l be the brighter for the wearing. So at length you shall put off some of your Ornaments of grace, and put on ever-shining Robes of Glory.

3 3. Ʋnmask your smiling faces, and send forth your Rays of joy; For God smiles and shines upon you. Ʋnlock your joyfull Hearts, and pour forth your souls in prai­ses; for God hath unlock't the Ark of his Covenant, and unfolded the Riches of his Grace for your eternall Good. The Lord himself rejoyces over you, and cals upon you to rejoyce in the Lord, Psa. 33.1. Phil. 4.4. Psa. 32.11. Serve the Lord with Joyfullnesse and Gladnesse of heart for his abundant Goodnesse and Love to you in the Lord Jesus Christ. Burnish your Christian Profession and adorn the Gospel with Joyfulnes. Reflect the beams of Gods Love with Rays of spirituall Joy. With Joy draw Waters of life out of the Wells of salvation. With Joy walk on in the Paths of Righteousnesse, untill you shall come to Sion with singing Halelujah's, and everlasting Joys upon your heads.

Object. But here the Saints of God themselves may object: Rejoice? should we rejoice when our sinnes cry? should we rejoice [Page 17]when Syon weeps? Can we, ought we to re­joice when our sins and the abominations of the Land are daily multiply'd, and the wrath of God provok'd against us? When the wayes of Syon mourn, and the gates of Jerusalem are desolate? does not God rather call to mourning, and weeping, and lamentation?

Answ. I answer; 'Tis true, these things ought to be taken to heart with hearty grief and lamentation: And oh, that we could pour out our hearts in abundant sorrowes for these Abominations, and in melting Compassions over the bleeding Miseries of Gods people! O that our Heads were Wa­ters, and our Eyes Fountains of Tears, that we might weep day and night for the slain of the People of the Lord, and the Abominations that are be found in the City of our God. These things are a La­mentation, and shall be for a Lamentation. But yet withall consider;

Note. 1 1. These Clouds will not obscure your Clearnesse,These sorrowes are consistent with your joyes. Sensuall joy and grief mutually expell one another, but spiri­tuall joy and grief, as loving twins bred in the same womb, though successively born, live together in the same sanctified [Page 18] soul. Yea, the more your Hearts greve for sinne, the more will your souls rejoice in the God of your salvation.

2 2. These mourning Blacks will beautifie your shining brightnesse. This spirituall sorrow will encrease the lustre of your Evangelicall joy. These showers of grief will beautifie your beams of joy; your sorrowfull sighs will encrease the beauty of your joyfull smiles. Sad Tears drop­ping from such smiling Eyes, are such Pearls, as God will treasure them up e­very one in his bottle. Sweet Smiles shining through a shower of Tears, are such sparkles as will ascend to Heaven and be crown'd with Acceptance.

3 3. There's light of joy sown in the dark­nesse of these sorrowes. Psal. 97.11. The blessing of God crowns the Heads, and the comforts of God shall fill the Hearts of such mourners in Sion. Mat. 5.4. The pretious seed of spirituall sorrowes, will bring a plenteous Harvest of eternal joys. Psal. 126.5, 6. Who mix therefore their mirth with mourning, shall have their sorrowes concluded with everlasting glo­rious joyes.

Let's close these Considerations with these Corollaries.

Coroll. 1 1. Weep your Beams.Dart forth stream­ing beams of joy, and pour out beaming streams of grief. Rejoice with trembling, Psal. 2.11. Sweeten your mourning with mirth, and season your mirth with mourn­ing. The Base of Godly Sorrow join'd in Consort with the Treble of Spirituall Gladnesse, makes the best Melody in the ears of God.

2 2. Wash your Smiles in Tears, and beau­tifie your Mirth with Mourning,the Beauty of your Beauty. Bathe your shi­ning Souls in Sorrowes and they'l shine the brighter. The choicest Beauty con­sists of a pure whitenesse with some mix­ture of a clear ruddinesse, being actuated with a sparkling livelinesse, the soul of Beauty: so a serene and smiling soul with a bleeding heart enliven'd by the sancti­fying Spirit of grace, make up the most perfect Beauty in the eyes of God. Learn then so to temper your joy with sorrow, that both may be more acceptable unto God.

3 3. Sowe your Seed of Sorrowes, that you may reap your Harvest of Joyes. Sowe your Seed in the Night, and you shall reap your Fruit in the Morning. Fill Gods bottle with Tears, and hee'l give you [Page 20]for every drop a Pearl. Let your Heart bleed for your grievous sins, and God will at length crown your soul with glo­rious joyes. Weep for Jerusalem and you shall sing in Syon. Mourn for the sorrows of the Saints, and you shall rejoice for joy with them. Lay a deep foundation in sor­row for your sins, and God will crown your Building of Grace with the Top-stone of Glory.

Thus far we have considered the words in reference to the Glorious Priviledges of the Gospel of Christ, wherewith God hath crown'd his Church and Saints; now let's apply them to you that are the children of the Church, of the society of the Saints in reference to the glorious Deliverance that the great God hath wrought for his English Sion, from the Popish Plot of the Powder-Treason, a mer­cy to be celebrated this day with Praises, and to be commemorated throughout all generations. Behold, O ye Saints, the Lord of hosts hath brought salvation this day to Sion: Rejoyce and be glad, Arise, shine. O let the high praises of the most high God, be this day in your hearts and mouths. Take a large prospect of the Lords mercies, and then lift up your voices in [Page 21]joyfull acclamations of Hallelujah. And that you may rightly celebrate the glo­rious solemnities of the great King,

Duty. 1 1. Take your Lamps in your hands, and view that Den of darknesse, wherein the hellish Monster that would have devour'd Gods holy Ones, was almost hatcht. A dark Vault there was under the Parlia­ment House, where this deadly Monster brooded by Popish Policy, should have been brought forth, had it not been stopt and stifled in the birth, through Divine mercy, by the hand of the All-knowing, and All-powerfull God. This was a work of dark­nesse in a place of darknesse, the contrivance of the children of darknesse, by the instiga­tion of the Prince of darknesse, against the children of Light. Thus a Vail of darkness was drawn over the foul face of this hor­rible wickednesse. This was an hidden en­terprize against Gods hidden ones. Had this taken effect, hel had broken loose from the bowels of earth. This was an attempt to have blown up with one blast from the mouth of hell, the Parliament, Prince and Peers, and so suddenly to have involved our pleasant and peaceable Land in confusi­on and bloud. For had but this Thunder­cloud burst, many showers of bloud had [Page 22]been poured down upon England. This was Satans strange Engine, by which he would have attempted to have sent up many bodies in a moment, nearer to heaven, that he might have drawn down many thousand souls for ever into the bottom of hell. For surely, if the Head had been cut off, the body would have soon dy'd; if the Mother had been slain, the children of her bosome, that hung at her breasts, would have presently perish'd: If the Light had been put forth by this poysonous earth­damp, the people of the Land would not only have been wrapt in darknes, but have been stifled with this noisom Fog. Yet out of this Fog would have issued that fire that would have set all England into a flame, and have burnt up the bodies of Gods dearest and pretious Saints. But Satan was chain'd up by an Om­nipotent hand that he could not so much as spit fire, to fright the children of God.

2 2.Put off your shoes from your feet, and walk up to Mount Sion, and behold the Lord in his Glory, who hath vouchsaft this miraculous mercy and seasonable salvati­on to his Saints. Lift up your eies to the hils from which the help of Gods Israel [Page 23]comes in all the times of their distress and danger. Get your souls sublimed in hea­venly contemplations of the wisdom, power and goodnesse of that great God, whose wakefull Eye of Providence continually watcheth over his Church and chosen Ones. He that sits upon a Throne of glory in the highest heavens, and with his All-discerning Eye discovers the depths of darkness and the deeds of men, brought forth this work of darkness into light, to the confusion of his enemies, and the conso­lation of all his faithfull Ones. This was the Lords doing, and how wonderfull should it appear in our eyes! O come with humble reverence to the God of mercy, and cast your selves down at his feet with lowliest admiration of his wonderfull goodness to an excessively sinfull Land. O how ill have we requited the Lord for his love! And yet the Lord before he vouchsafed this favour, knew what our Requitall would be. O the admirable Kindnesse of our God! The unworthinesse of the sons of men doth not obstruct the way of those sweet mercies, that flow from the Fountain of free Love. O prostrate your selves with humblest Adoration, at [Page 24]the footstool of the God of Glory, who in his wonderfull Works to the sons of men, acts meerly out of free Grace. The Lord saw when the Design was laid, and said, Hitherto shalt thou proceed and no further. It was the hand of God that drew the Curtain, and discovered what wickednesse was coucht in the dark. When the Land was ready to be overspread with darknesse, 'twas the Lord that cover'd it with Light. When Popish Agents (those bloudy Philistines) thought and hoped to have obscur'd the Glory of Israel, the Lord still pre­serv'd the Ark of his Truth. When the great red Dragon attempted to draw the Stars from Heaven, the great and mighty God cast him into the bottom of hell. God caused the destruction plot­ted against his own People to fall upon the heads of their enemies. This is thy God, O Israel, this is thy Saviour, O Sion; this is thy Lord-Protectour, O England.

3 3.Prepare your Hearts (in stead of Harps) to joyn in a gracious Consort, to sing forth the glorious Praises of the only wise and strong God, your Savi­our. [Page 25]Labour to winde up your hearts to the highest pitch of hearty praisefull­nesse and thanksgiving. Say with Mo­ses, Exod. 15.11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, amongst the gods! Who is like unto thee, Glorious in Holinesse, Fearfull in Praises, doing Wonders! To heighten your hearts into spirituall Raptures of Angelical Hallelujah's, consider that Re­ligion it self, the Glorious Gospel and Precious Ordinances of Jesus Christ, are particular priviledges, which as to the Continuance and Preservation of them, are wrapt up in this great Deliverance wherewith the mercifull hand of God hath Crown'd this sinfull Nation. Had this hellish Plot taken effect, Oh how had our pretious souls been poyson'd with Popery! How had the Glorious, revi­ving, inriching, advancing Mysteries of the Gospel, been lockt up in an unknown Tongue! How had our Waters been im­bitter'd with Gall and Wormwood, and our Rivers turned to bloud! How had our immortall souls been starv'd to eter­nall death, for want of spirituall food! Oh how had we lived in darknesse, died in sinne, and dropt into bell! Now [Page 26]reckon up the precious Mercies and glo­rious Favours that have been brought unto England, and home to your own soules, by the door of this Deliverance, and you will see and say that you have infinite cause to praise the Lord to eter­nity. O you that have had your droop­ing spirits and dying hearts reviv'd and wonderfully refresh't with the precious influences of grace, falling in Gods Or­dinances, What are these Ordinances worth? You that have had your hard and sinfull hearts softned and sanctifi'd by the distilling dews of grace in the Gospel of Christ, What is this Gospel worth? You that have had your empty and humble hearts fill'd with a Heaven of glorious Joys in Communion with Je­sus Christ, What is the injoyment of such a sweet, Evangelicall, Soul-ravish­ing Fellowship with Christ Jesus worth? O pretious Christ! O incomparable Mercies! O unutterable Joyes! You would not, no (I know) you would not lose these glorious Gospel-Favours, for ten thousand worlds of Gold. O pretious souls, now you have precious Christ, communicating himself to you [Page 27]in his blessed Ordinances! O ye humble hearts, now you have the Spirit of God inriching you with saving Graces, and breathing into the sweetest sacred Com­forts. O happy Saints, now the windows of Heaven are opened, and plenteous showers of Grace, infinitely more pre­cious then showers of Gold are poured out upon you. The dours of Gods House stand open, and you may enjoy that one thing in which the desires of the Saints are all summ'd up. You may dwell in the House of the Lord, happily all the daies of your life, to behold the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy Temple, Psal. 27.4. Gods Trea­sury is wide open, you may store your selves with blessings. Gods Cabinet is unlock't, you may inrich your selves with Jewels and Pearls of price, with saving and sanctifying Graces. The Foun­tain of Life is unsealed, and you may drink freely, and be satisfied with living Consolations. Now God drops Pearls out of heaven, and strews the earth with Mercies: O how pleasant now are the paths of salvation, which God hath strew'd all along with the flowers of his [Page 28] love. Blessed are you Beleevers, you now have a habitation in Jerusalem, who might have been slain in the streets of Rome: You dwell now in Sion, who might have liv'd in Sodom: You are now in a Heaven on this side Heaven, who might have been in a hell before you had been in hell. Oh what shall we render to the Lord for this his wonderfull good­nesse to us: Let us even take up the Cup of salvation and praise the Name of the Lord. God hath inricht us with the gold of Sion, O come therefore and let us offer up unto him the Incense of Praise. O ye children of the Most high God, Behold the night is past, the darknesse of Popery, and the mists of superstition are disperst and dispel'd, and the Sun of the Gospel (by a miracle of divine mercy) stands still in our Horizon; your Light is continued, and the glory of the Lord resteth upon you, Arise, shine. Trim up this day your shining Lamps of Joy, fill them with the sweet Oyl of Love, and let them burn and blaze up to the Hea­vens in a holy Flame of Praise: Set them burning upon the Altars of your broken hearts, and they shall burn in the Temple [Page 29]of the Lord for ever. Arise therefore ye Saints and shine on Earth: This De­liverance is but the shadow of a greater: For though you lie down at length and sleep a while in your Graves, yet you shall Arise and shine in Heaven with a perfect Radi­ancy of incomprehensible Glory throughout all Eternity, Amen.

[...].