d so much, that he
hath sometimes almost blasted your hopes that way, and hath made you to
feel your weakness even where you thought yourselves strongest. God would
not have England say, "Mine own hand hath saved me," Judg. vii. 2; neither
will he have Scotland to say, "My hand hath done it:" but he will have
both to say, His hand hath done it, when we were lost in our own eyes. God
grant that your leaning so much upon the arm of flesh be not the cause of
more blows. God must be seen in the work, and he will have us to give him
all the glory, and to say, "Thou also hast wrought all our works in us,"
Isa. xxvi. 12. O that all our presumption may be repented of, and that the
land may be yet more deeply humbled! Assuredly God will arise and subdue
our enemies, and command deliverances for Jacob; but it is as certain God
will not do this till we be more humbled and (as the text saith) ashamed
of all that we have done.

4. There is another motive more evangelical: Let England be humbled even
for the mercy, the most admirable mercy which God hath showed upon so
undeserving and evil-deserving a kingdom. See it in this same prophecy, "I
will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the
Lord: that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy
mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for
all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God," Ezek. xvi. 62, 63. And
again: "Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto
you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel,"
Ezek. xxxvi. 32; "O my God (saith Ezra), I am ashamed and blush to lift up
my face to thee," Ezra. ix. 6. And what was it that did so confound him?
You may find it in that which followeth: God had showed them mercy, and
had left them a remnant to escape, and had given them a nail in his holy
place, and had lightened their eyes: "And now (saith he), O our God, what
shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments," Ezra. ix.
10. Let us this day compare, as he did, God's goodness and our own
guiltiness. England deserved nothing but to get a bill of divorce, and
that God should have said in his wrath, Away from me, I have no pleasure
in you; but now he hath received you into the bond of his covenant, he
rejoiceth over you to do you good, and to dwell among you; his banner over
you is love. O let our hard hearts be overcome and be confounded with so
much mercy, and