before the foundations of the World were laid Nay I adde in the last place to strengthen you that as they work all of them the Lords work So The Lords work design is the good of his Church the calling the purging the preserving the building and nourishing and growth of the Church is all the work that Jesus Christ hath to doe when that is done the world ends and he resignes up the Kingdome into his Fathers hand now certainly if we can beleeve all these things may not our hearts rest quiet May not wee if wee be ingaged in a good cause may not wee I say with comfort and confidence put it into the Lords hand and let him doe what hee will I am perswaded the ground of all the diffidence and discouragement that is found amongst the people of God this day arises from their ignorance of the interest of Jesus Christ in these publick affaires and I know also that to those men that are but Politicians and carry carnall and worldly designes of their own such a lesson as this can be of no use nor stay to them for Jesus Christ is against them but for those that have a spirituall eye and would bee glad to have some prop to lean upon this may stay and quiet their hearts they may comfortably set down this conclusion their Adversary may have great power and strength but the Church hath Immanuel they have the wealth of the World the Church hath the wealth of Immanuel the wisdome care and goodnesse of Immanuel they have the whole world to joyn with them but we have Jesus Christ with us and that 's more non est consilium contra Dominum there is no counsell nor strength against the Lord therefore stay and quiet your hearts with these things especially this might stay us against our feares of having this tender plant of Reformation blasted and spoiled by the many enemies who oppose it it hath been Christs ordinary way to let his enemies set against his worke when it s but a tender plant when in all likelihood it may bee most easily spoil'd and he orders it so purposely to make men see and know that when they have vented their utmost rage and done their worst hee will carry it on in despight of them I conclude this use in the Prophets words in this place Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts fear not mens feare looke to Christ even though hee hide his face one word spoken by him can and will in due time quiet all these stormy waves and then Thirdly with which I will end This lesson is applyed here by the Prophet likewise For duty therefore saith hee Bind up the testimonie and seale up my Law amongst my Schollers and when any say to you seek to Witches or Wizzards or they that have familiar Spirits goe not after them but hold to Immanuels testimony the plain meaning of it is this that because the salvation and deliverance of the Church from all dangers comes onely from Immanuel therefore wee should bee carefull to ingage Immanuel to us hold close to his rules bind up Immanuels testimonies seale them up that is ratifie and confirme them let them onely be of authority among his schollers goe no 〈…〉 ayes of humane policies use not any devillish arts look not succour in any unlawfull way but hold you close to the rules of Christ that Immanuel may own you and you are well enough this is the last use I shall make of it because the Lord Jesus doth thus order all things for the welfare and good of his Church and people therefore if we would bee safe let us engage Jesus Christ closely let us hold him with us and wee are well enough and herein Honorable and beloved I more especially direct my speech to you that are called to be the great Councell of the Kingdome according to my poore understanding you never stood in more need of help then you doe at this day your enemies are very many and full of rage and fury and your friends truely they are but few and they divided amongst themselves they are jealous one of another and many of them jealous of you and what advice to give you so to steere your counsels and courses to give that satisfaction which I think you would bee glad to doe to honest men dissenting one from another the Lord knowes I cannot imagine what it should be it is a hard thing to say in these difficulties what you should doe in the wayes of humane wisdome to satisfie the people and to settle and save the Kingdome but I am sure my Text doth furnish mee with somewhat upon which I can pawn what ever is pretious to mee and venture my everlasting comfort upon it if the Lord direct you to take that course you may yet save your selves and this Kingdome that is hold Immanuel to you bind up Immanuels lawes and testimonies let Jesus Christ but be ingaged with you and he hath wayes to fetch all about again beyond what the heart of man can think of Truly the mercy which this day wee praise God for is a great pledge and 〈◊〉 to us how easily the Lord could doe it when with asmall handfull such a thing was done and at such a season able time when I am confident the Malignant enemies throughout the Kingdom had set and appointed to have had risings in every corner of the land which I conceive is the reason why they so cry it down as an untruth that they might hold up the spirits of them who run in the same way a little check to our Forces there would probably have made evill affected men in forty places of the Kingdome to have appear'd suddenly Now the Lord comming in thus unexpectedly and dashing them thus easily le ts us see how soone hee can turn the stream That you may therefore ingage Immanuel to own you I beseech you receive this humble advice which I give you in his Name doe you obey his will in it I dare promise you he will yet be with you and doe all your work for you Humble your selves deeply under that hand of God which is gone out against you God hath now layed you very low it 's true there was never Parliament of England upon which God hath powred so many favours so many deliverances and victories and it 's as true that there was never Parliament upon which God hath powred so much scorne the glory and honour of Parliamentary Authority seems now utterly lost and like the lost innocent state of man never more to be repaired but by an Immanuel none but Jesus Christ is able to repaire this dishonour and reproach scorn and hatred which is east upon the Parliament now if you expect any reparation from him you must put your mouth into the dust humble your souls acknowledg the Lord to be righteous in all the contempt that he hath powred upon you and that you have deserved far worse
rhetoricall and figurative expressions as First Here is an Apostophe though the speech bee intended to his people yet the Lord turnes himselfe to the Assyrians who were comming against them Associate your selves ye people harken all ye of far Countries Secondly It is laid down in the way of an Irony and of a Sarcasme a bitter scoffe the Prophet sets down this whole businesse by way of contempt of these enemies that were ingaged in the businesse as if hee should have said thus I know your devices you have concluded what you 'l doe against Ierusalem ingage you will well be doing goe on with your businesse point your rendezvouz carry your Troopes and Regiments compleat with you take an Oath of them all resolve what you 'l doe try your skill doe your utmost but it won't hold it won't doe you are too weak you 'l bee broken you 'l bee dashed Thus in a way of scorn the Lord is pleased to lay down this whole businesse and hee chuses this manner of expressing of it partly that hee might thereby upbraid the confidence of the Enemy who thought their businesse was so sure that no check much lesse checkmate should ever bee given them you thinke you are very sure of your businesse you make no question of carrying the day and partly in it hee would expresse likewise the holy confidence of the Prophet and with the Prophet of all the people of God when they have got a promise from God that they can under the Lords protection securely looke upon all the preparations that their enemies make against them for as it is the speach of God so it is the speech of the Church Immanuel God is with us therefore doe your worst against us wee feare you not this I take to be the summe and the meaning of the words Now out of the words many excellent instructions might bee learned I intend but one though I shall point at severall others as First From the conspiracy that was in all these people thus associating their persons their counsels their treasure their armes all for the ruine of the Church and people of God wee may observe the wonderfull consent that is found in the enemies of Zion to ruin and destroy it learn I say That there is a Concord Harmony and Vnity of Spirits and endeavors in the enemies of the Church to bring ruine and destruction upon it This is a truth that I shall not need to prove all the ages of the World have given sufficient proof of it Satan and his instruments have appear'd in many shapes sometime in the shape of a Lion sometimes of a great red Dragon sometimes of a subtle Fox sometimes in the shape of an innocent Lambe but what ever their shape bee their purpose and worke hath ever been to make warre against the woman and her seed to endeavour by all means possible the ruine of the people of God pursuing it with deadly fury and powring out flouds of malice and rage against it I know it could not be burthensome if I should a little open the severall wayes that they have taken some more spirituall some more carnall Some more spirituall one while indeavoring to corrupt their lives by drawing them to wickednesse sometimes to corrupt their faith by drawing them to blasphemies or heresies sometimes to corrupt their worship by tainting it with idolatry and superstition sometimes to break their union by interrupting them with schismes and divisions at other times to interrupt and breake their spirituall liberty by putting bonds and yokes upon them contrary to the Word and at other times by outward means by persecutions and open hostilities by all the terrors and threats whatsoever the hand and tongue and interest and power of the Devill and all his instruments could ever bring to passe they never have ceased to endeavour by all possible meanes to destroy Immanuels people this is a knowne truth The true ground is onely that inbred enmity and opposition that is in the heart of all the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the woman though no good reason at all can be given why it should be so yet non amote nec possum dicere quare they doe not love them they hate them they must endevour to destroy them there is an enmity against them but yet because no hatred found amongst rationall creatures is without at least some pretence of Reason know yee that the Reason of their hatred is grounded upon such things as these the one is That the Church of Christ is a terrible plague and vexation to all the rest of the World I say there is not such a plague to all the people of the world as the Church of Christ is and as Gods people are because the lawes and rules by which they walke doe threaten nothing but ruine and destruction to all those that walke in other wayes other people in the severall wayes they walke in if you let them alone in their wayes they will allow you to promise your selfe what you will in your wayes their religions and courses are good fellowes one to another they can beare with them in their principles but the people of God doe hold out that which must bee the onely rule and they tell all the world that if they walke not according to their rule onely they will be damned and destroyed eternally and so they vex them and therefore one notes well that when Tiberius the Emperour of Rome having heard of the miracles of Christ did propound to the Senate of Rome that Christ might bee worshipped as a God as well as their other Gods were the Senate upon serious consultation rejected it because they said if they entertain'd him they must cast out all the rest hee would suffer none to bee God but himself and therefore in stead of owning him to bee one of theirs they persecuted him and owned all the rest So it is the two witnesses you read of Revel. 11. vexed all the men that lived upon the earth by their Prophesies all the servants of God by their rules their faith their lives their worship c. Throw fire and brimstone in the faces of others and therefore no wonder though they bee so bitterly hated and opposed Againe another ground is That which Jesus Christ expresses hee hath chosen his people out of the World as out of a base vile and uncleane company and upon his thus choosing and calling they in their whole conversation and garbe doe leave the rest of the world as unclean vile and base and there can be nothing so odious to a people as to bee so left If there were some amongst our selves whose whole worke and endeavour should bee to leave England and carry away all that they have out of it as from a base people and unworthy to bee loved or dwels withall and should seek their welfare in another Country it were enough to turne the heart of all
like not and thus God is deprived of his glory and we of our comfort O the wofull fruits of our discord Christ will not bear these things at our hands he wil either make us one or none I am perswaded he will either make us lay down these oru divisions or he will give us up into their hands who will make us agree in eating the bread of affliction and drinking the water of affliction make us agree in one common calamity with a witnesse Pardon this digression if it be one which the exigence of the times and our dangers put me upon I urge these things to stir up your frequent prayers that God would be merciful unto us that we might not thus pul down our houses with our owne hands Thus from the first part the confederacy against the Church the other I principally aime at and that is The deliverance from it where you have considerable two things First The deliverance it selfe the breaking of all the counsells of their enemies and the turning of all upon their own heads and Secondly The cause of it and that is Immanuel he is the worker of it Now though there be but one main lesson that I purpose to handle yet there are three or foure particulars that I would hint and but little more then name one is that although the Lord had brought these Assyrians upon his people and delivered his people into their hands yet their rage and cruelty and fury against his Church did move God to turn his hand upon them though he had imployed them to afflict and chastise his people That the more rage and fury is in the enemies of the Church the sooner doth the Lord compassionate the miseries of his Church there are very many examples of it in the 32. Deuter. I said I would scatter them speaking of the rebellions of his people which had anger'd him I said saith he I would even scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feare the furie of their enemy that he would exalt himselfe too much against them Senacherib is a famous instance of this Esay 10. God had stirred him up to goe against his people to take the spoil of them and to tread them downe as the mire in the streets but Senacheribs rage grew higher he would destroy and utterly cut them off he would do to Hierusalem as he had done to Samaria but even therefore did God compassionate his people and ruine this proud adversary so likewise Zach. 1. 14 15 16. c. God was a little angry and displeased with his people and the enemies helped forward the affliction but therefore was God sore displeased with their enemies and even therefore did he returne to Hierusalem with mercyes Thus you see God compassionates the misery of his people the more the rage and furie of the adversary is kindlled against them And therefore to apply this in a word or two that which is to many in these dayes is a wonderfull discouragement of heart I thinke rather should to be a ground of hope to us I mean the extream rage and fury which appears in the spirits of most wicked men against such as fear God I believe there was never so much bloud nor wrath rage nor fury in the hearts of the enemies of Gods people as is this day to be found they feare not to speake it out that not a man of them shall live in the Kingdome when once power comes into their hands they hope the day is comming and they make account to doe as Pharaoh said he would do when he followed the Israelites into the Red sea I will now overtake them my wrath shall be now satisfied to the full upon them now who knowes but the Lord will doe his people the more good for this as David said of Shimei when he cursed him and they would have had him take off his head No saith he let him curse it may be God will doe me good for his cursing of me the more pride and wrath there is in the hearts of those that thinke to tread his people down the more will God lay their insolency to his heart Again you may observe here with what scorne and contempt the Lord doth speake of all the preparations of man against his people here was a mighty Army listed and rallied gathered together met at their rendezvouz yea come into the Kingdome and made account to carry all before them but how disdainfully the Lord speakes of all their preparations Associate your selves goe your wayes on you thinke to doe a great act you make account to carry all but it will not doe it will not stand poore peoplel you reckon without your host thus the Lord as the prophet saith sits in heaven and laughs at them he scorns all their preparations that they make against his servants and truly the naming of it should teach us to make the same use of it that Luther did Surely saith he if Jesus Christ sit in heaven and laugh at them we should be foolish on earth to sit and cry for feare of them for Christ well enough knowes what they can doe and what they shall doe let us never tremble at that which Iesus Christ laughes at Observe further That when the Lord doth think upon deliverance for his afflicted people it is nothing of their worth but only the interest of Immanuel which prevailes with God here the Lord had stirred up an enemy to come against them and they came and when they thought to doe great matters the Lord would not let them but would turne all upon their owne heads and why for Immanuel Immanuel is interessed in it not the worthinesse of Gods people as he often saith it be it knowne to you I doe nothing of all this for your sakes be you ashamed and confounded it is for my own names sake which I work for I regard the glory of my Son Christs interest will bring deliverance when the unworthines of the Church would rather call for vengeance 'T is true God dearly loves his people they are to him as the apple of his eye Kingdomes and nations are nothing to him in comparison of his people but 't is no worth in them nothing of their owne which commends them to him they often lye in their blood which yet is a time of love to him and should he forbeare healing and helping till their worthinesse cal'd for deliverance it would never come 't is that love wherewith he hath loved them in Immanuel which brings all therefore though we should be humbled and even tremble at the thought of our present unworthines yet should Gods people comfortably hope and wait that for Christs interest in our present cause and worke deliverance will come Before I come to the chiefe lesson point at one more That when the greatest inundations of miseries doe flow in
at his hands then hee hath done unto you Look into your own hearts lives enquire whether you walk as a people whom Immanuel may bee the head and leader of whether you be a company that Jesus Christ may take any pleasure in or delight to regard and prosper you in your wayes Inquire whether there be not found amongst you many who never knew Jesus Christ nor any saving work of his upon your own hearts whether there be not adulterers among you men that keep harlots whether there be no haters of goodnesse unjust men and oppressors Blasphemers and Drunkards pardon this plaine language you know other people talke these things I doe not charge you with them but I professe if you intend Immanuel should look towards you you must look into your hearts to see whether these things be not so if they be labour by his strength to cast them out by unfained repentance for the Lord delights not though he knowes how to make use of all to blesse men that will walke in wayes so contrary to him and In your Parliamentary wayes if you would have Immanuel be with you look that all your proceedings bee according to the rules of righteousnesse you cannot be ignorant of the reports of many it may be some of them ill affected men it may be some others of them through mistake have suffer'd and so are prejudiced against you but you cannot but know that there are reports overall the Kingdom how that in some of the Committees there is as great oppression and injustice as was ever found in the High Commission and Star-chamber those Courts that God hath defiled like Tophet Make an inquiry after these things for beleeve it if such things be found amongst you and that through sinfull negligence or carelesnesse they bee not looked into and amended the Lord will not regard you and you and wee are a lost people if Immanuel own you not And lastly Looke I beseech you to Immanuels cause above all things else if you would have him own your cause bee you faithfull in his cause and to this end looke back into the Vowes and Covenants you have made into the solemn oaths you have sworn in the time of your distresse with hands lifted up to the most High God remember how many promises you have made concerning Religion in matters of Faith Worship and Government whether the Oaths of God which are upon you are performed and â—ake into your thoughts as neere as you can remember the counsell that hath been given you either by the Assembly of Divines you have called to attend that service or by any other Ministers of God whom you have called to Preach upon these solemne dayes and know ye that what counsell from Immanuel hath been given must bee obeyed you must not square his counsels to serve your owne designes but all your design must bee to advance his cause and Kingdome hee will not have any Agitators in his Army that shall give check and lawes to him but he will be Lord of all or he will break all therefore for the Lords sake make Christs cause the cause of Religion the cause of Worship the cause of Justice the cause of righteousnesse make it yours and promote it seriously unanimously and if there have been got in amongst you any factions or divisions any driving of parties or siding with this or the other because you would have your part goe well throw them all in the dust lay them aside know not the meaning of being of such a party or such a party but with a single heart do that which Christ would have you doe and hold to it Vote not one thing this day to please one party and then another thing another time to please another party but let your Rule bee the same and your heart be right and alwayes the same Honored and Beloved if you take this course Immanuel will owne you but if you try other wayes hee knowes how to break and dash all your designes all your hope is onely in him I conclude with that speech of the Prophet Azariah 2 Chron. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while ye be him and if yee seek him hee will bee found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you and if the Lord forsake you ye are lost Consider what I have said and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Zach. 14. 6 7. Jer. 51. 5. The Introduction shewing the parts and scope of this whole chapter 2 Kings 16. 2 Chron 28 1. 2. 3. 4. Lapid. in locum 2. Observ. Vse The Text opened 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. 3. 2. 1. 2. Obser. 1. There is a content and unitie in the enemies of the Church in their opposition against it The severall wayes how they attempt it Reason From their enmity against it Gen. 3. 15. Which preceeds from three causes 1. 2. Iohn 15. 19. Iohn 17. 14. 3. Vse 1. Therefore the the people of God must look for no quiet in this world Vse 2. Therefore they should unite for their own safety Ephes. 1. 4. Iohn 13. Col. 3. Second and third part of the Text the Churches deliverance and the cause of it Observ. 3. The rage and fury of the Churches enemies hasten the Churches deliverance Deut. 32. Application Exod. 15. 9. Observ. 2. With what scorn and contempt God looks upon the preparations and forces of his Churches eenemies Ps. 22. Application Observ. 3. Application Observ. 5. The main observation from the deliverance and the author of it Iesus Christ turns the most desperate designes of his Churches enemies upon their own heads c. This cleared by five conclusions gathered out of the text 1. God and our Lord Iesus Christ hath a hand in contriving all the designes that are against his people Conclusion 1. Christ hath a hand in contriving every plot that is against the Church Acts 4 26 27 28. 2. Christ intends one thing the enemy another thing Gen. 50. 20. Exod. 1. 12. Hester 3. 1. Micah 4. 12 13. 3. Christ often lets them goe on till they think to attain their end Exod. 15. 9. Hester 10. 8 9. Acts 12. 7. 4. Christ defeats them when they thinke themselves most sure Acts 20. 12 c. Esa â—9 19. 5. When Christ breaks his enemies plots he often breaks themselves also Exod. 1. 4. Iudges 15. Iudges 8. Psal. 3. 11. Iudg. 5 ult. The severall wayes how Christ delivers his Church and ruines their enemies 1. 2 Kings 19 7 8. 2. Esa 19 20 12. 3. 2 Chron 20. 4. Esay 13. 8. 5. Exod 8 9 10. 6. Esay 9. 6. Esay 3. 7. 7. Râ—ason From the tender love and regard Iesus Christ bears to his people Ier. 31. 3. Esay 43. 4. Revel. 3. 9. Ioh 5. 22. Ephes. 1. 21 Esay 54. 17. Vse 1. Therefore let all men feare to have any hand against Gods people Verse 12. Vse 3. Vers 12 13 14. 17. Therefore let Gods people stay upon Christ in all dark difficult times 1. 2. 1. Iob 7. 2. 3. 4. 3. Acts 4. 28. 4. Vse 3. Exhortation Therefore keep Christ with us and we are well enough V. 16. 19 20. 1. 3. 4.
upon the Church yet the Lord sets bounds to them that they cannot go so far as the enemy would here the waters should come up to the chin but yet not over head and eares the Lord often afflicts his people but he will not give them up to a totall spoile and desolation all these things deserve to be handled more fully but the time will not allow it I come now therefore to that onely lesson that I intend more full to insist upon and that is this Immanuel our blessed Saviour doth turne all the plots and conspiracies that are against his Church upon the heads of the contrivers and makes them for the salvation and deliverance of his people that is the lesson That all the associations and plots that are against Gods people Jesus Christ doth so order the matter that in the result and event they shall be all turned upon the heads of the adversaries and for the welfare of those that are his servants there is no one argument in the whole booke of God more frequently repeated in various instances then this doctrin which I have propounded that of Aegypt of Sisera of Senacherib of Haman of the conspiracie against Christ and a hundred others more some relating to the Church in generall some relating to particular godly men in all of them the Lord hath ever made it good that the mischief intended against his people turns upon the heads of the contrivers But to make it a little clear to you I pray you note these four or five conclusions which all lie in my Text First That all the plots and conspiracies that wicked men have against the Church and people of God Jesus Christ hath a hand in the contriving of them here was Senacherib he and his people had confederated and associated in this plot but God sent him verse 7. Now therefore the Lord bringeth upon them the King of Assyria the Lord had determined how far he should goe how hee should spread over all the land and his waters should reach up to the neck in the next Chapter but one in the 10 Isa. God saith of him I sent him against them though he did not thinke so So also in the 4. of Micah Many nations are gathered together against thee c. but it followes presently I gather them as sheaves so in the famous case of the death of Christ Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ but it was to do what Gods hand and counsell had before determined to be done Secondly In this contrivement Jesus Christ intendeth one thing and the enemies intend another thing each of them working according to their owne principles that you have plain here the Assyrian comes in his intent is to swallow up all the Lords intent is that he himself and all his company shal be broken to pieces thus Iosephs brethren thought evill against him but God meant good to him thus Pharaoh intended the extirpation of Israel by that which God intended their propagation thus Haman intended the ruine of Mordecai and all the Iewes when God intended light and gladnesse and a good day to them thus the nations Micah 4. intended to tread down Zion when God intended they themselves should be threshed out and a hundred examples more might be given but I can only point at these things Thirdly That Jesus Christ doth very frequently let the designs of the adversaries of his Church goe on with a great deale of successe and prosperity untill they think themselves cock-sure of the whole businesse this you may see in the Text here they came with such a mighty Army that they made no question of carrying all before them made account all was their own thus Pharaoh went on till he was confident his wrath should be satisfied upon them Exod. 15. So Haman had got his decrees signed by the Kings letters which by the law of Persia was irrevocable thus was Peter kept in prison untill the very night before he should be executed and so in abundance of other designs against the Church you may see the like though it is very true that sometimes the Lord crushes them in the egge and will not let them break out into Serpents yet very often as we say in the Gunpowder-treason there wanted nothing but to put the match to the powder and the blow had been given so God lets the plots and contrivements of the enemies of his Church go on untill they make account that there be no way in the world to stop them or to prevent them so that if Gods people be delivered their soules must escape as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler The next conclusion is That when the enemies make account all is sure that they question not but the day is their owne then doth the Lord in some unexpected way dash all their plots bring them to nothing thus God defeated Pharaoh Exod. 15. thus was Haman defeated thus was the conspiracy against Paul defeated Acts. 26. a hundred instances might be given but I shall only open one similitude which God use to set down the manner of the destruction of Nineveh Nahum 1. 10. Nineveh was then the head of this Assyrian Empire and God expresseth the ruine of Nineveh thus when they are folden together like thornes and when they are drunken like drunkards then shall they be devoured as stubble fully dryed that is when their plots are curiously weaved and set so that no man shall dare to touch them no more then he would touch a wreath of thornes they have so contrived the businesse that they would faine see the man that durst appeare against them They are folded together as thornes and when they are drunken like drunkards that is they are drunken with pride and confidence of their successe they can hardly speak or goe they are so drunken with confidence when they are come thus to the top then shall they be devoured like dry stuble some way or other fire will be put to the thatch of the house and set it a burning and in a moment all is gone off Thus when the enemy is come in like a floud the spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him Thus God delights to take his time when they are at the highest and feare the least then God breaks their design the last conclusion is That when God breaks their designes hee delights to break themselves not onely to frustrate their designes but to ruine them too and deliver his people so it is here Associate your selves gather your selves gird your selves take counsell but still you shall be broken to pieces ye shall be broken to pieces ye shall be broken to pieces three times it is in one verse all breaking to pieces ruin and destruction to them and salvation and deliverance to Gods