N00939:93
The glory of goodness. The goodness of God celebrated; in remarkable instances and improvements thereof: and more particularly in the redemption remarkably obtained for the English captives, which have been languishing under the tragical, and the terrible and the most barbarous cruelties of barbary. : [Six lines from Psalms]
printed by T. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1703
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
What has brought all this about? Oh! 'Tis PRAYER, 'Tis PRAYER, that has done it all. Give me leave to speak it with all due Humility; This Deliverance never began thoroughly to operate, until God began to awaken a Spirit of Prayer in the Churches of poor NEW-ENGLAND for it. When the Sons of New-England, and of some very Praying people here, fell into so dire a Captivity, presently a Cry of PRAYER made a Noise that reached up to Heaven. We did not Sin by ceasing to Pray for them· Thus was the A•m of the Lord awakened for the Deliverance of these our Sons; ⟨p. 46⟩and, thou, O Mully Ishmael, with all thy Diabolical Fury, art no longer able t• with-hold from us, the Friends, abou• whom God gave thee an Efficacious Order, To let them go.
What has brought all this about? Oh! 'Tis PRAYER, 'Tis PRAYER, that has done it all. Give me leave to speak it with all due Humility; This Deliverance never began thoroughly to operate, until God began to awaken a Spirit of Prayer in the Churches of poor NEW-ENGLAND for it. When the Sons of New-England, and of some very Praying people here, fell into so dire a Captivity, presently a Cry of PRAYER made a Noise that reach'd up to Heaven. We did not Sin by ceasing to Pray for them· Thus was the A•m of the Lord awakened for the Deliverance of these our Sons; ⟨p. 46⟩and, thou, O Mully Ishmael, with all thy Diabolical Fury, art no longer able t• with-hold from us, the Friends, abou• whom God gave thee an Efficacious Order, To let them go.
But, For what, O my Sons, For wha• are you thus let go from your Servitude bu• that being Delivered out of the Hand• of your Enemies, you may serve the Lord without Fear, in Holiness and Righteousness before Him, all the days of your Lives? Your Friends, are with Raptures of Lov• and Joy, beholding your Deliverance from your Captivity. When we see your Captivity turned, we are like them wh• dream; and with astonished Souls, we make that Acclamation, The Lord hath done Great Things for them! Now, as a most proper Expression of the Affection, wherewith we bid you Welcome unto us we cannot but set before you, the Desire of our Souls after the Improvement and Perfection of your Deliverance. If nothing else, yet the Prayers that we have Day and Night been putting up to Heaven for you, in your Troubles, may bespeak for us the Freedom of tendering you the Counsels, which you may do well to take, now you have received the Answer, and the Harvest of those Prayers i• ⟨p. 47⟩•he Period of your Troubles. Indeed our prayers are not answered, until our Coun••ls be followed; and the greatest service now to be done for you, is freely & plainly to tell you, What those Points •re, for which our Prayers are therefore continued.
But, For what, O my Sons, For wha• are you thus let go from your Servitude bu• that being Delivered out of the Hand• of your Enemies, you may serve the Lord without Fear, in Holiness and Righteousnes• before Him, all the dayes of your Lives? Your Friends, are with Raptures of Lov• and Joy, beholding your Deliveranc• from your Captivity. When we see your Captivity turned, we are like them wh• dream; and with astonished Souls, we make that Acclamation, The Lord hath done Great Things for them! Now, as a most proper Expression of the Affection, wherewith we bid you Welcome unto us we cannot but set before you, the Desire of our Souls after the Improvement and Perfection of your Deliverance. If nothing else, yet the Prayers that we have Day and Night been putting up to Heaven for you, in your Troubles, may bespeak for us the Freedome of tendring you the Counsels, which you may do wel to take, now you have received the Answer, and the Harvest of those Prayers i• ⟨p. 47⟩•he Period of your Troubles. Indeed our •rayers are not answered, until our Coun••ls be followed; and the greatest ser•ice now to be done for you, is freely & •lainly to tell you, What those Points •re, for which our Prayers are therefore •ontinued.
We do in the first place, Pray to the God of all Grace, that you may have the Grace to be very sensible of the matchless Favours that God hath bestowed upon you. Look, Oh! Look back, upon your doleful and woeful Circumstances in the Hands of a Bitter and Hasty Nation. Read the Book of Lamentations, as one of the Ancients tells us, he did use to do, when he felt Vanity growing upon his mind; and from thence Revive to your own mind, the Remembrance of your own Lamentable Miseries. But herewith•l Remember, how much you would once have given, to be brought out of those miserable Confusions. And acknowledge that you have Deserved all your Sufferings, from the Hands of a Righteous God, before whom you must indeed say, Lord, Thou hast punished us •ar less than our Iniquities have deserved. ⟨p. 48⟩It is a Surprising Mercy of God, that has rescued you from the Horrible Pit, into which you were fallen; But that which makes it the more Surprising, is, that it is a Singular Mercy. In former Years, the Lions Den, in that part of Barba••, where you have been cast, had this unhappy Character upon it, Few or none Returned. That we now see a Return of so many, who have been a Prey to those Terrible one•, truly, 'tis a New, a Strange, & a Great Sight. We may say upon it▪ This is the Lords Doing, and it is •arvello• in our Eyes!
We do in the first place, Pray to the God of all Grace, that you may have the Grace to be very sensible of the match•ess Favours that God hath bestowed upon you. Look, Oh! Look back, upon your doleful and woful Circumstances in the Hands of a Bitter and Hasty Nation. Read the Book of Lamentations, as one of the Ancients tells us, he did use to do, when he felt Vanity growing upon his mind; and from thence Revive to your own mind, the Remembrance of your own Lamentable Miseries. But herewith•l Remember, how much you would once have given, to be brought out of those miserable Confusions. And acknowledge that you have Deserved all your Sufferings, from the Hands of a Righteous God, before whom you must ndeed say, Lord, Thou hast punished us ar less than our Iniquities have deserved.
What will you now do, but Sing the High Praises of your Almighty Redeemer? Don't so regard Second Causes, as to neglect the First and Chief Cause of all or account Him any other than the Firs• and Chief of all. Methinks, The Hundred and Sixteenth Psalm, the Hundred & Forty Sixth Psalm, the Second Paragraph of the Hundred and Seventh Psalm, the Beginning of the Hundred and Third Psalm the Conclusion of the Fifty Sixth, and Fifty Seventh, and Sixty Sixth Psalms, will afford some good strokes of Thanksgiving for you, when you come to Sing the Praise ⟨p. 49⟩of God. On all fit occasions also, why should you not make a Thankful mention of what you have received! Yea, Mention it not only in Speaking, but also in Writing thereof, & keep a Record, of, How Great Things the Lord hath done for you.
What will you now do, but Sing the High Praises of your Almighty Redeemer? Don't so regard Second Causes, as to neglect the First and Chief Cause of all or account Him any other than the Firs• and Chief of all. Methinks, The Hundred and Sixteenth Psalm, the Hundred & Forty Sixth Psalm, the Second Paragraph of the Hundred and Seventh Psalm, the Beginning of the Hundred and Third Psalm the Conclusion of the Fifty Sixth, and Fifty Seventh, and Sixty Sixth Psalms, will afford some good strokes of Thanksgiving for you, when you come to Sing the Praise ⟨p. 49⟩of God. On all fit occasions also, why should you not make a Thank•ul mention of what you have received! Yea, Mention it not only in Speaking, but also in Writing thereof, & keep a Record, of, How Great Things the Lord hath done for you.
But what signifies a Thanksgiving, without Thanksliving? Sirs, You are under infinite Obligations, to keep the Command•andments of that Good God, who hath brought you out of the Land of Barbary, & […] of the House of Bondage. It is the most Reasonable, and the most Advisable thing imaginable▪ That you •ou should seriously Consider with your selves, and ask Divines and other Christians, to Assist you in Considering, What Lessons you should learn, by the Changes that have passed over you? And apply your Cares, to learn those Lessons, and Live as you have been Less•'d. But in a very particular manner, it becomes you, to get from under your Slavery unto Satan, and unto Sin, which is worse than Satan: For that is a Slaver•, a Million times worse, than what you have seen at Macqueness. Every Unrenewed man▪ is a S•ave to those Destroyers; and You will be so, ⟨p. 50⟩till you have heartily Resigned up your selves unto the Conduct of the Lord JESUS CHRIST with a lively Faith in Him, to be made Righteous and Holy: But, When He shall make you Free, you will be F•ee indeed. Be persuaded now to enter into Covenant with God, and become the Bound Servants of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, who hath brought you out of your dismal Servitude. Hereupon often think with your selves; What shall I render • •he Lord for all His Benefits? And, What special thing shall I do for the Honour of Him, to whom I owe my All? God hath Returned you to the Blessings of His Day, and of His House, whereof you were deprived, when the Filthy Disciples of Mahomet were Lording it over you: You should now make a better use of Them than ever you did, and bring forth more of that Fruit, by which your Blessed Redeemer may be Glorified. Oh! Let the Goodness of God lead you to this Repentance. Truly, There should now be seen in you, a Remarkable Difference from other Men, that never were so Remarkably Delivered as You have been; and from what Y•u your selves were before you were thus Remarkably Delivered.
Finally, Brethren; You see by your own •appy Experience, what Prayer can do: Oh! Let it make you in Love with Prayer. If this One Point may be gained, All will be gained; Prayer, Fervent Prayer, Constant Prayer, Daily Prayer: Oh, Pray without ceasing, and with every sort of Prayer; and very particularly, for a Good Effect of all the Divine Dispensations towards you. Resolve with him; Psal. 116.2. Because the Lord hath inclined His Ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
Finally, Brethren; You see by your own •appy Experience, what Prayer can do: Oh! Let it make you in Love with Prayer. If this One Point may be gain'd, All will be gain'd; Prayer, Fervent Prayer, Constant Prayer, Daily Prayer: Oh, Pray without ceasing, and with every sort of Prayer; and very particularly, for a Good Effect of all the Divine Dispensations towards you. Resolve with him; Psal. 116.2. Because the Lord hath inclined His Ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
FINIS.
But what signifies a Thanksgiving, without Thanksliving? Sirs, You are under infinite Obligations, to keep the Command•andments of that Good God, who hath brought you out of the Land of Barbary, & 〈…〉 of the House of Bondage. It is the most Reasonable, and the most Advise•ble thing imaginable▪ That you •ou should seriously Consider with your selves, and ask Divines and other Christians, to Assist you in Considering, What Lessons you should learn, by the Changes that have passed over you? And apply your Cares, to learn those Lessons, and Live as you have been Less•'d. But in a very particular manner, it becomes you, to get from under your Slavery unto Satan, and unto Sin, which is worse than Satan: For that is a Slaver•, a Million times worse, than what you have seen at Macqueness. Every Unrenewed man▪ is a S•ave to those Destroyers; and You will be so, ⟨p. 50⟩till you have heartily Resigned up your selves unto the Conduct of the Lord JESUS CHRIST with a lively Faith in Him, to be made Righteous and Holy: But, When He shall make you Free, you will be F•ee indeed. Be perswaded now to enter into Covenant with God, and become the Bound Servants of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, who hath brought you out of your dismal Servitude. Hereupon often think with your selves; What shall I render • •he Lord for all His Benefits? And, What special thing shall I do for the Honour of Him, to whom I owe my All? God hath Returned you to the Blessings of His Day, and of His House, whereof you were deprived, when the Filthy Disciples of Mahomet were Lording it over you: You should now make a better use of Them than ever you did, and bring forth more of that Fruit, by which your Blessed Redeemer may be Glorified. Oh! Let the Goodness of God lead you to this Repentance. Truly, There should now be seen in you, a Remarkable Difference from other Men, that never were so Remarkably Delivered as You have been; and from what Y•u your selves were befor• you were thus Remarkably Delivered. ⟨p. 51⟩There is one awful Scripture, which 'tis pitty, but you should have your Eyes more than a Thousand Times upon: Even That; Ezr. 9.13, 14. After all that is come upon us, for our Evil Deeds, and thou hast given us such Deliverance as This; if we should again break thy Commandments, wouldest thou not be Angry with us, till thou hast Consumed us?
