Eli trembling for fear of the ark a sermon preached at St. Mary Aldermanbury,…

Secondly, Another encouragement of hope is from the abundance of praying people in the Nation: There are many that pray to God night and day, that the ark of God may not be lost; and let me assure you one thing this morning, God never did destroy a praying and reforming people; when God intends to destroy a Nation, to take away its ark, he takes away the spirit of prayer from that people; where God continues a spirit of prayer, there God will be present, and there God will continue his ark; you all know if there had been but ten good men in five Cities, God had spared the five Cities for •he ten mens lakes. Now through mercy there are many hundreds that fear God in this Nation, ⟨p. 22⟩and that do not give God rest night nor day, but cry to God for mercy on the Nation; and who knows but for their sakes God may continue the Gospel to us?

Secondly, Another encouragement of hope is from the abundance of praying people in the Nation: There are many that pray to God night and day, that the ark of God may not be lost; and let me assure you one thing this morning, God never did destroy a praying and reforming people; when God intends to destroy a Natio•, to take away its ark, he takes away the spirit of prayer from that people; where God continues a spirit of prayer, there God will be present, and there God wil continue his ark; you all know if there had been but ten good men in five Cities, God had spared the five Cities for •he ten mens lakes. Now through mercy there are many hundreds that fear God in this Natio•, ⟨p. 22⟩and that do not give God rest night nor day, but cry to God for mercy on the Nation; and who knows but for their sakes God may continue the Gospel to us?

Thirdly, Another ground of comfort is this, and I am much affected with it, God hath dealt with England not by way of Rule, but by way of Prerogative: For beloved, we have had Church and Sermon-sins in the midst of us all along Queen Elizabeths days, King James, and King Charles the first his days; we have also been an unthankful Nation, and our Ministers have threatened ruin and destruction upon us from year to year; but God hath hitherto saved England by way of Prerogative, though we have those sins among us for which he destroyed other Nations; yet God hath spared us, because he will spare us, according to that Text, I will be graci to whom I will be gracious. God is not tied to his own […], God may make an exemption; and who knows whether God may not make England an exemption from his common Rule?