God's call to England, for thankfulness after gracious deliverances

Here I shall take occasion to show you the misery of a people, when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them; that so we may be fearful of depriving our selves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it.

Here I shall take occasion to shew you the misery of a people, when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them; that so we may be fearful of depriving our selves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it.

1. Mercy dis-engaged, all miseries endured are pure wrath. Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell, whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture. The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings, consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them: when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense, they refresh themselves ⟨p. 78⟩with delightful objects, then visible to the eye of faith: Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delight my Soul. But mercy dis-engaged, there is no cordial to support us, no sugar to sweeten the bitterest cup enforced upon us: Ezek. 7.5. Behold, an evil, an only evil cometh. God never sends judgments alone to such as he favours; but designing the utter destruction of a people, he mixes a potion of only fatal poisons for them: then he sends an only evil.

1. Mercy dis-engaged, all miseries endured are pure wrath. Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell, whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture. The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings, consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them: when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense, they refresh themselves ⟨p. 78⟩