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

2. Mercy being dis-engaged, the loudest cries, and most importunate prayers that a people can put up, will be denied and rejected. God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them. The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins, to avenge them; 'tis mercy hears the voice of our prayers, to answer them; or all the answer we shall have, will be by terrible things in righteousness. But mercy dis-engaged, we are deprived of that unspeakable privilege of Audience with God; and then we may swelter in our miseries, roll in our blood, despair in our torments, without a redress.

2. Mercy being dis-engaged, the lowdest cries, and most importunate prayers that a people can put up, will be denyed and rejected. God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them. The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins, to avenge them; 'tis mercy hears the voice of our prayers, to answer them; or all the answer we shall have, will be by terrible things in righteousness. But mercy dis-engaged, we are deprived of that unspeakable privliedge of Audience with God; and then we may swelter in our miseries, roll in our blood, despair in our torments, without a redress.

Should we by our impudent continuance in sin, make mercy our enemy, our most urgent cries would prove unsuccessful; and though joined with floods of tears, would be unprofitable: for this will bring us under the doom of those, Zech. 7.13. Because when I called you would not hearken, therefore also when you cry unto me I will not hear. How just a retaliation was this from God, although a most dreadful affliction! not to have the merciful ear of God in affliction, is the worst of afflictions. It is dismal now to find our hearts so strangely shut up, as not be able to pour out prayers: but how miserable then shall we be, if when involved in sinking troubles, God should shut out our prayers, & not be prevailed with by them? Oh ruining state, when we in distress shall be crying, Save Lord, or we perish, and then receive no other return, but, Perish you may, and perish you shall, for all the help you shall have from me. These sins so much overcome his mercy, that our prayers will never overcome his anger. And as it is an argument of the greatest sinfulness in man, not to pray; so of the greatest anger in God, not to hear prayers. These iniquities are so intolerable