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

4. Mercy disengaged, we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means. If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away, miseries must needs flow in. Whither shall the poor creature go, if Mercy be gone? If we resort to creatures for help, they all say, It is not in me: If God affords you no help, I cannot; if God withdraws his merciful influence, I have no efficacy. Psal. 3.8. Salvation belongs to God. 'Tis the honour of God, that he can easily save without any else, and that none else can save without him. However suitable means may be to relieve us, unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them, they prove ineffectual. Creatures can never help us in distress, if Mercy stands off. There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents, that may obstruct their success: there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts: there are intercurrent Causes, and unprovided-for Accidents, that may be unconquerable ⟨p. 85⟩hinderances to their endeavours. The most suitable instruments voluntatem habent, non potestatem, have only an impotent Velleity or Will, but no effectual Ability to help us. A Nation deserted by Mercy, is like a diseased, dying man, Head a king, Heart fainting, Wits confounded, Spirits consumed, given over by Physicians, Friends stand behind the Curtains sobbing and sighing, weeping and bewailing; willing to relieve, not able. Thus 'tis with a Nation when Mercy is disengaged, 'tis bleeding to Death, gasping for Life, its Friends dejected, their Hearts melted; but dye it must, dye it will, none can help it. Let men be never so solicitous, most unspeakably industrious to help a perishing Nation, they will be successless without mercy, for they are but media deferentia, non operantia, means of conveyance, not of efficience.

4. Mercy disengag'd, we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means. If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away, miseries must needs flow in. Whither shall the poor creature go, if Mercy be gone? If we resort to creatures for help, they all say, It is not in me: If God affords you no help, I cannot; if God withdraws his merciful influence, I have no efficacy. Psal. 3.8. Salvation belongs to God. 'Tis the honour of God, that he can easily save without any else, and that none else can save without him. However suitable means may be to relieve us, unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them, they prove ineffectual. Creatures can never help us in distress, if Mercy stands off. There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents, that may obstruct their success: there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts: there are intercurrent Causes, and unprovided-for Accidents, that may be unconquerable