A SERMON Preached at St. Mary's Truro On the Second of December 1697. Being the Day Appointed for A Publick Thanksgiving FOR PEACE By SIM PAGET Rector of Truro LONDON Printed by J. Heptinstall for Edward Evets at the Green Dragon in S. Paul's Church-Yard 1698. TO The Worshipful the Mayor The Right Honourable the Recorder The Capital Burgesses And other the Inhabitants of the Ancient Borough of TRURO Gentlemen AMongst the many Decent and Suitable Demonstrations of your Joy on the late Thanksgiving-day for Peace I cannot but with great Pleasure and Satisfaction call to mind what a full Congregation we had at Church and how devoutly every one performed the Publick Service for the Occasion You were then pleased to approve of this Sermon as a Discourse suitable to the Occasion and apt to stir Men up to a thankfull Reception of so great a Blessing Trusting it will he thought so still and have the same effect now it is Printed I do in particular dedicate it to you as a thankfull Acknowledgment of the kind Welcome you have me at my first coming to you and of the many great Civilities and Favours I have received from you ever since I should have presented you with it sooner but that my great Indisposition would not suffer me to transcribe it for the Press I pray God requite you for all your Favours and bless you both in your Spiritual and Temporal Interests which is and ever shall be the hearty Prayer of Dear Sirs Your most obliged and Faithfull Servant Sim. Pagel A Thanksgiving-Sermon c. Luke II. 14. Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace Good will towards Men. THE Words are a joyfull and congratulatory Acclamation of the Blessed Angels ushering into this lower world the Son of God the Prince of Peace Him they attend with Branches of Palms instead of flaming Swords with good Tidings of great Joy to all People instead of cursing Meros burning Sodom or destroying the Assyrian Camp Him they attend not as the Reverse of a Gracious God as an Evil Deity naturally eclipsing and opposing the Emanations of Divine Goodness nor as a Man of War causing fear and dread to fall upon Mankind dealing in Fury and executing Vengeance tho' a good Deity But as the Prince of Peace displaying the Banners of Divine Love over Mankind and reconciling the rebellious World to the Favour and Beneficence of his Heavenly Father As the Prince of Peace procuring and establishing Peace between Man and Man as well as between Man and God Isa 2.4 commanding them to beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning hooks Nation not to lift up Sword against Nation nor to learn War any more Well might a winged Embassy descend from the Court of Heaven and call upon Mankind to attend the Arrival of such a Prince with the utmost Demonstrations of Honour and Joy Well might the whole World resound with Anthems of Glory to God in the Highest when Peace is proclaimed on Earth as the blessed effect of God's good will towards Men. When the Divine Goodness breaks forth into so glorious a Display of it self upon poor Mortals as to joyn Heaven and Earth together in the mutual Beams of Love and Peace the greatest Blessing Heaven can bestow the greatest Earth can receive And may not the occasion of this solemn Day raise in Our Minds the like chearfull Joy and devote Us to the most gratefull Returns of Glory and Praise to the same gracious God Now when the Divine Will has issued forth such an over-flowing Tide of Goodness upon the Face of the Earth and the Son of Righteousness is risen upon us with such Healing in his Wings Now when after a long Night of Darkness we are got into the Morning of so promising a Day and can behold our reviving Hemisphere to fill every day more and more with the beautifull Rays of an advanced Peace Now when the Weapons of War are perished 2 Sam. 1.27 Ps 68.30 and the People that delight in war are scattered and the Meek begin to inherit the Earth Ps 37.11 and to delight themselves in the abundance of Peace Isa 11.6 When the Wolf begins to dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard to lie down with the Kid and the sucking Child to play on the hole of the Asp and every man to sit under his Vine Mic. 4.4 and under his Fig-tree and none to make him afraid Shake thy self from the Dust O Zion Isa 52.2 9. Break forth into joy ye wast places of Jerusalem Sing O ye Heavens for the Lord hath done it Shout ye lower parts of the Earth Break forth into singing ye Mountains Isa 44.23 O Forest and every Tree therein for the Lord hath Redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel And that we may conceive a just Esteem of the Blessings we now commemorate and in some measure glorifie God as we ought to do for bestowing them upon us I shall from this Angelical Doxology do these four things I. I shall make some Reflection upon the Excellency and Desireableness of Peace This the words do plainly imply II. I shall shew what an argument of God's Love and Favour the Blessing of Peace is to a People God's good will towards Men breaks forth in Peace upon Earth III. I shall observe concerning Peace how highly conducive it is to the Advancement of God's Glory On Earth Peace is Glory to God in the Highest IV. I shall conclude with some Inferences from the whole and with shewing you after what manner we of this Nation shall best glorifie God for bestowing this inestimable Blessing of Peace upon us I. I shall make some Reflection upon the Excellency and Desireableness of Peace Peace me-thinks the word sounds pleasant in our Ears the very naming of it strikes a kind refreshment to the Heart and diffuses a trembling Ravishment through all the Veins On Earth Peace 'T was one of the highest Strains the Melodious Angels did ever sing to Men. They knew not how more irresistibly to charm Mankind than by sounding forth the glad Tidings of a blessed Peace to them And indeed considering first how unnatural a State of War is to sociable Creatures and secondly what dreadfull Calamities do usually attend the drawn Sword we cannot but conclude Peace to be of all temporal Blessings the most excellent and desireable 1. How unnatural a State of War is to sociable Creatures That Man by original Creation was made for Society bound by the use of Speech and Reason and a tacit inclination of Mind as well as the Necessities of humane Nature to be a Companion and Friend to esteem and love and assist the rest of his Fellow-creatures is a truth I think not to be denied howsoever disputed by some of late Years who would fain reduce a State of Nature into a State of War For we find even in this corrupted State of Nature wherein the unruly Lusts and Passions of Men have
any more conceive such hard thoughts of God as to expostulate with him Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul and thou takest no knowledge For now we lie under a comfortable Assurance that he that is our God is a God of Salvation Psalm 68.20 Now we perceive the blessed fruits and benefits of putting our Trust in the Lord amidst all our vast Preparations our deep Counsels our indefatigable Endeavours in carrying on the War and making our Enemies yield to our own Terms and Conditions of Peace Now we find what it is to have waited patiently for the Lord and to have tarried his time for the Accomplishment of his Mercies towards us For having waited we are not ashamed and having patiently endured we have obtained the Promise Now we trust that Mercy and Truth are met together and that Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other 3. Having tasted and seen that the Lord is good let us resolve from henceforth to put our full trust and confidence in him and believe that with this great Blessing of Peace he will bestow upon us whatever may contribute to a lasting and happy enjoyment of it This is St. Paul's argument with respect to God's great Love in redeeming Mankind by the death of his Son He who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things i.e. give us all things necessary and convenient for the Completion of so great a Blessing And to use the same argument since God has been pleased freely to bestow upon us so great a Blessing as Peace let us firmly depend upon him for the Accommodation of all subservient Mercies let us trust that he will bless the King with a long Life as the Guardian-Angel of the Peace he has given us and cause him to be as sweet a nursing Father in Peace as he was our gallant Champion in War that now having given repose to Europe by checking the Progress of so powerfull an Enemy abroad he will secure England's Peace by turning his Arms against the insulting Foe at home I mean Vice and Prophaneness Heresies and Schisms which so long as suffer'd amongst us will continually keep up a War in our Bowels and make us the greater Sufferers by the Peace we have got Let us trust that he will direct our Counsels and bless our Undertakings and make us all obedient to Government and loving one to another that so our Peace may be a Blessing indeed and the Effects of it an universal Happiness both to Church and State for many Generations 4. From hence we may perceive what strong Obligations we lie under to praise and glorifie the great God of Heaven and Earth who in great Mercy hath delivered us from the Calamities of War and given us the inestimable Blessing of Peace within our Borders There is so much of the Perfections of God shining forth in the works of Peace especially such transcendent Rays of his Goodness the very Flower and Beauty of all his Excellence that we must not only be guilty of the greatest Blindness in not observing such manifest discoveries of the divine Attributes in general but likewise of the deepest Ingratitude in suffering such an Ooean of the Divine Goodness to run out upon our Score without meeting with a suitable return of Glory and Praise from us Now it we would make some gratefull return to God for the signal Deliverances we this Day commemorate and glorifie his Perfections as we ought to do for bestowing this Peace upon us We must in the first place under a due sense and esteem of all God's Favours towards us more especially of this last signal display of his Goodness in blessing us with Peace we must send up our sincere Acknowledgments to Heaven and humbly thank God the Author of our Life and Happiness for this and all other his Favours towards us since the beginning of the War This is absolutely necessary in order to the setting forth of Gods Glory upon all occasions of his Goodness towards us we must do it with a thankfull Heart otherwise we shall never glorifie him aright And therefore Rev. 7.12 we find Thanksgiving and Honour to God joyned together And Rom. 1 2â— St. Paul gives a very good reason why the Gnosticks did not glorifie God as God they were not thankfull And accordingly we find it to have been the constant practice of holy Men of old especially of that unimitable Pattern of Gratitude and most devout Admirer and Publisher of the Divine Goodness the Royal Prophet David to celebrate God's Honour and Glory for his loving Kindness towards them with the utmost Thankfulness their inflamed Hearts were capable of sending forth Thus Psalm 107.21 22. O that Men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderfull Works to the Children of Men and let them sacrifice the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and declare his Works with rejoycing And Psal 60.30 I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie him with Thanksgiving and in the following Verse he gives a very good reason for it This also shall please the Lord better than an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs This cheap return of Thankfulness to God for Peace will please him better than all our sumptuous and chargeable expressions of Joy 'T will reach the Heavens sooner than our loudest Acclamations and be more acceptable to God than our richest Banquets For will God eat the Flesh of Bulls or drink the Blood of Goats No offer unto God Thanksgiving for whoso offereth Praise he 't is that glorifieth him And then because God usually works by a train of dependent means and brings a people out of Misery by degrees and by a constant Succession of many Favours and Mercies which like a Chain hold altogether and at length terminate in a general Happiness Therefore in our thankfull returns to God for this great Blessing of Peace a Blessing which we have all along prayed for and do now receive as the very Crown and Perfection of all our worldly Happiness we should make very sensible Reflections upon and be sincerely thankfull for all those Deliverances and Successes which we have met with since the beginning of the War as tending all of them in their own Nature and by the kind Influences of Heaven to produce this grand Happiness of all viz. Peace O now we are got into the Land of Canaan let us not be so stupid as to forget our Redemption out of Egypt Let us still remember God's wonders of old though we cannot forbear being transported with his present Mercies Let us still remember the House of Bondage the Hand whereby and the Day whereon we were delivered out of it Let us still remember the many kind Stages of Providence whereby we safely passed from Danger to Danger from one hazardous Enterprize to another with Success and Victory
till now at length we are arrived at our secure Port of Peace and Happiness and let us under a due sense of all this as a gracious method of Heaven in bringing to pass this glorious work of Peace let us add mightily to the Thanks of this Day and accumulate our Praise offerings to God for such a constant Succession of Mercies towards us since the beginning of the War And this let us do not only for a day or two but for a considerable time to come nay for our whole lives if it be possible because such signal Mercies do require a considerable space of time wherein gratefully to commemorate them and because we may reasonably believe that we shall enjoy the benefits of this Peace as long as we live While we live therefore let us Praise the Lord and while we have any being let us sing Praises to our God Secondly we must glorifie God in declaring his Goodness to others that so we may stir them up to an admiration of the great God and cause if it were possible the whole world to joyn together in adoring the infinite Perfections of his Nature This is one great reason why God does oftentimes so visibly interpose his hand in humane affairs viz. that men may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the holy one of Israel hath created it By the exercise of his Wisdom and Power and Goodness in the affairs of the World God would bring men to an acknowledgment of his Authority to an obedience of his Laws to a belief of his Word to a dependence on and resignation to him in all the circumstances of Life and therefore it should be the great concern of all men as they tender the Glory of God in the sincere practice of Religion to declare and make known his signal Providences thro' the World and to endeavour in all sincerity and gentleness to bring men over to a sight and acknowledgment of them that so they may say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily there is a God that judgeth the Earth Thirdly we must glorifie God in our duty to the King It redounds to the Glory of God for Caesar to have the things which are Caesar's as well as for God to have the things which are God's For there is nothing wherein God does more plainly discover his infinite Perfections than in the establishment of Government upon Earth and ordaining Kings to rule over us Here his Wisdom his Justice his Power his Goodness do all of them appear in a most conspicuous manner and for men not to acknowledge their power not to be obedient to their Laws not to pay them them their Tributes not to speak reverently of them not to honour them as God's Vicegerents upon Earth is I am sure to cast dirt in God's face and instead of honouring him to affront him in the highest degree imaginable And now more especially we have great reason to be very fruitfull in all the Branches of our duty to the King for now after a great many Fatigues and dangers which he voluntarily exposed himself to for our sakes he is returned home with the Olive-branch of Peace in his mouth and will make us if we are not wanting to our selves a flourishing and happy people 'T is to his Goodness and Love to his Wisdom and Care to his Courage and Conduct under God that we owe our Preservation and Peace and therefore to him next to God let us ascribe all due Thanks and Honour all just Admiration and Praise all sincere Love and Obedience as the seasonable instrument of all our Happiness Let him now live in Peace since he has made it himself and not find it a harder thing to get the Hearts of his Subjects than the Necks of his Enemies Fourthly We must glorifie God in the amendment of our Lives And here 't is that we shall glorifie God indeed this is the greatest Glory we can possibly give to God and that which he expects from us as a most reasonable service at all times but more especially when he has been pleased to confer any signal benefits upon us He hath shew'd thee Oman such things as he good He hath delivered thee from great Evils and established thee in a happy condition and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Let the light therefore so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Haling your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of Visitation Fifthly more particularly let me recommend to you mutual Love and Affection one towards another and that to your Godliness in general you would add Brotherly Kindness in particular This I am sure the Apostle looks upon as very instrumental towards the promoting of God's Glory Now the God of Patience and Consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another and for what reason but that they might with one mind and one month glorifie the Father of our Lord Jesus Chrst As it conduces to the Honour of a Master to have his Family in good order and to the Honour of a King to keep his Subjects in Quietness and Peace so it highly conduces to the Honour of the great God when his Creatures live in a mutual Love and Esteem of each other They do thereby signifie their obedience to his Laws and copy out that great original who is Love it self and whose tender Mercies are over all his works Let us then in the Name of God lay aside all Disputes and Differences all Rancour and Malice and Revenge and live in the sincere Love and Friendship of one another Now we have Peace let us live in Peace now we have Peace from our Enemies let us not be so foolish as to throw up the Ball among our selves never let it be said that we have brought the War Home And let me beseech you to lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree I mean of this pernicious Tree of Animosities and Dissentions which does oftentimes spread it self so impiously large as to lash not only the King and Government but Religion it self and God the Author of it The Root is little private Whisperings and Resentments and Grugdes and Mis-understandings of one another in things of small moment and value which in time do advance to that height as contumeliously to disgorge themselves upon a Man's King and his God too I am verily perswaded that most of our differences in Church and State are in a great measure owing to these little Mis-understandings and Resentments in our private Conversation and therefore as we tender the Glory of God in the Unity of the Church and the good of Government in the Honour of the King let us now lay them all aside and expell them our Neighbourhood for ever And if we must keep up Contentions amongst us let our only Contentions be who shall forgive first and love best let our only Contentions be who shall most devoutly serve God who shall most entirely affect his King who shall most vigorously promote the Publick Good And then we may expect that God will bless us and suffer us to enjoy the Peace which he has given us and which he sees we are so carefull to keep and preserve Sixthly and Lastly We must glorifie God in our Charity to the Poor He that giveth Alms sacrificeth Praise To do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost Three Persons but one God of Love and Peace be ascribed all Glory Honour Might Majesty and Dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS