a prefent help in Trouble; and in a little Time, they that fear God fhall come to the full Poffeffion of this Salvation. There's a Certainty of this. It fhall furely come to pafs. We have the Word and Promife of God for it. And the Mediation of Chrift is a fufficient Ground to believe it. But what I fhall confider in this Difcourfe fhall be a temporal and national Deliverance, which is included in the Text, and which is fpoken of in the Beginning of this Pfalm, Lord thou hast been favourable to the land, &c. Obferve (1.) The Ifraelites had been under cruel Bondage. God calls Egypt, the Iron Furnace. The more they complained, the harder they were used. When Moses spake to 'em concerning their Deliverance, They hearkened not to him, for anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. They were alfo in Bondage to the Chaldeans. Seventy Years they were groaning under the weighty Yoke, that was laid on their Necks. Those among them that had seen the Power and Glory of God in his Sanc→ tuary, felt the Deprivation of this Privilege the heaviest Part of their Burden. And what went very near to them was, the Ridicule of their Enemies and Oppreffors upon Account of their Religion. They that carried us away captive, required of us a fong; and they that wafted us, required of us mirth, faying, Sing us one of the jongs of Zion. So that you fee, • Exod. vi. 9. f Pfal. cxxxvii. 3. there there have been fcoffers walking after their own lufts, in former Generations, as there are now. Well, (2.) Nevertheless all their hard and cruel Bondage, God's Salvation was nigh to them. It was told Abraham, that God would afflict his feed in a land that was not theirs, for four bundred years, and after that, they should come out with great fubftance. And a very memorable Seafon it was indeed! They were faved with an high Hand, and an outstretched Arm. When the Egyptians were pursuing 'em, like fo many greedy Dogs, that could never have enough, and were ready to overtake them, Mofes faid to them, Stand still and See the Salvation of the Lord. And yet, this Deliverance is mentioned, as if it was nothing in Comparison with that which God wrought for them from the Land of Babylon. The days come, fays the Lord, that it fhall no more be faid the Lord lives, that brought up the children of Ifrael out of the land of Egypt; but the Lord lives that brought up the children of Ifrael from the land of the North". The Salvation from Egypt was attended with many awful and visible Tokens of the divine Judgment. But when God brought back the captivity of Zion, they were like them that dream. It was very fudden and furprizing to them. God put it into the Heart of Cyrus, and he put it into Writing, that the Captives fhould go forth. Gen. xv. 13, 14. B The h Jer. xvi. 14. i Pf. cxxvi. 1. The Proclamation was iffued out, Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with the voice of finging declare ye, tell this, utter it to the end of the earth; fay ye, The Lord has redeemed his fervant Jacob. Now, 'tis very true of our Land and Nation, that God's Salvation has been nigh to us. Happy art thou, O Britain, who is like to thee, a People faved by the Lord? I. There was a Time when the Inhabitants of this Land were in Slavery and Bondage. But II. God has faved us from the Hands of them that faid to our Souls, Bow down, that we may go over1. I. There was a Time when our Land was in Bondage. The Earth groaned under the Tyranny of Popish Priests, who went about like roaring Lions, feeking whom they might devour. Popery and arbitrary Power were established Things. The Bulls, the Curfes, and Excommunications of the Pope, were feared more than Thunder and Lightening. His Supremacy was fixed and declared in the Land; and where 'tis fo, both Soul and Body come under the hardest Captivity. Certainly, when Popery prevails, Liberty is thrown out. Our Necks must be at the Service of a Set of Villains, a Company of Priefts, and that which is going farther, our Con k Ifaiah xlviii. 20. 1 Ibid. li. 23. that Confciences must be fubmiffive to all their Drudgery; fo we must believe that to be true, which they fay is true, tho' it be the greatest Lie, that ever the Devil told. Their Worship is loaded with so many human Inventions, ridiculous Ceremonies, and burdenfome Rites, that that 'tis a Yoke, neither we, nor our Fathers were able to bear. II. God has altogether broke the Yoke and burst the Bonds. The burden has been taken away from off our shoulder, and the yoke from off our neck m. Whatever End was propofed by MAN in throwing off the Pope's Supremacy, it was a fingular Mercy designed by God. Then the Word of the Lord run, and was glorified. In every place almost there were fome that, instead of calling on Saints and Angels, called on the Name of the Lord Jefus Chrift, both their Lord and ours. Then many carnal Ordinances were removed, which were impofed by Man, till the Time of THE REFORMATION. But 'tis not my Defign to go thro' a particular Account of the Deliverances which have been wrought for us. 'Tis plain to him that understands, that on every one of them, the Name of GOD is infcribed. They are the Lord's doings, and have been marvellous in our eyes. Indeed there's one Salvation which ought not to be overlooked, especially at this Seafon of the Year, but called to Remembrance with Thankfulness and Improvement; You eafily B 2 eafily know, I mean, the HAPPY REVOLU- a Deut. xxxii. 31. Pfal. cxxix. 1. 2 p Ib. ver. 4. |