The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.

¶ A Transition to the next Section.

THus I have made as short a collection, and given-in as briefe a Catalogue, as I could, of Gods dealings, His wonderfull Ad∣ministrations; His strange dispensations of Wisdome and Providence towards His Church this yeare so full of Grace and Power; all these contracted here into as narrow a roome as possibly might be, con∣sidering how comprehensive some of the Heads were; else where I have given them more enlargement; but I looke and heartily ex∣pect, that my paines will be prevented by some others pen, that hath more leisure, and a larger portion of gifts and abilities for the compleating such a History, which so much advanceth the Name of God, and the hope of Israel in the time of His distractions: The Remembrance of what God hath wrought this former yeare,

vvill be to the Church in after times, and in all her fainting fits, as vve reade a 1.1, for the consolation is the same, and the gr••und thereof the same; Thou shalt not be affraid of them. T••ou shalt WELL rem••mber what the LORD thy GOD did unto PHA∣RAOH, the Pope and unto all his helpers. The, &c

Another great Worke you have vvrought in the close of the yeare, concerning Gods immediate worship and service, which must be re∣corded in order, with reverence to the time, when these workes were done (I say, work••••, for it is plurall, a comprehensive worke, and containes m••ch:) Thou••h it may suffice very well, that the Lord hath registred them, and will reward them. A Cup of cold water b 1.2 given to His Church, He will thinke upon and reward, for that is His manner; He will not be in arere with any man, much lesse with His faithfull Servants; if He seemes to delay the time, or to forget, it is for your advantage, and that he may remember you in the fittest time, as in the case of Mordecai. A Cup of Water shall be remembred; how much more your labour of love, patience of hope, your workes of Faith, such vvorkes vvhich you have done, and are written in the records of Heaven and Earth both, for they concerne His pleasant Sacrifices, vvhich He hath commanded, such as were in the dayes of old, and as in former years * 1.3.

But before the Church can record all this, she must record with all thankfullness••, what you have done for her Land, her people there, breaking our bands and taking-off our yoaks also, and rescuing us from cruell Taske-masters.

This the Church accepts alwayes in all thankfullnesse. But we ac∣count this rescuing us and the Law from out of the hand of cruell Lords, the chiefest among your many worthy deeds: being most taken with outward priviledges, and so vve may prosper in the vvorld, we care not how our soules prosper: such our teaching is, and so blind our guides are (for the most part) vvhich vvill be considered as vve passe-on. For after vve have rendred our heartiest thankes to you, for res∣cuing us from under those hands; The Church will reason out the case with the Iudges, will point to the root of our evils, then she will show ••s a more excellent way.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Deut. 7. 18.
• b 1.2

  Mat. 10, 4••.
• * 1.3

  Mal. 3. 4.