acknowledge that our cause is Gods yet they shall continue their malice against so good a cause yet they shall thus desperately fight against heauen and prouoke the holy one of Israel to their iust confusion And yet behold the Lord will open their mouthes further to their fearefull condemnation euen by the gratious deliuerances that he performeth vnto his children It was much that Saul should iustifie the innocencie of Dauid wonderfull was the Lord herein to wring from a reprobate the approbation of his seruant and very holy herein was the Iustice of God in discouering this wilfull obstinacy of a cast-away that so hee might prepare him thereby to his further condemnation But all this while innocency though it were praised yet it went a begging Dauid might be promised a kingdome yet was not sure of his life Nay for the safegard of it he is driueÌ„ to a narrow shift euen in a sort to venture his innocency it selfe So are Gods children to seeke of that which is theirs in hope that God may haue the glory of what they do enioy so doth the Lord prepare his to the obtaining of a blessing that comming vnto it at so hard a rate they might more highly prize it when they shall obtaine But did not the Lord heere giue his seruant some token that hee would recompence him according to his innocency yea surely the Lord that opened the mouth of his enemy to giue testimony vnto the one hee also opened the same to be a Prophet of the other HarkeÌ„ my beloued woÌ„der at the prouidence of God I know saith Saule that thou shalt be King and that the kingdome of Israel shal be established in thy hand Loe here Saule is amonge the Prophets to declare glad tidings to the Saints to speak feareful things against themselues Harken howe the wife of Haman becomes a prophetesse vnto her husband of the deliuerance of the Church and a swift witnesse of the destruction of the enemies thereof If Mordecay saith she be of the seede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begunne to fall thou shalt not preuaile against him but shalt surely fall before him Marke I pray you the ground of this prophecye the wicked haue begunne to fall before the righteous nation some vpper hand haue they had against their enemies what doth this infidell collect herevpon surely the wicked shall fall more and more before the righteous till at lenght the righteous shal haue dominion ouer them in the morning Wouldst thou then haue a token that thine enemies shal be confounded consider then howe from time to time they haue fallen before thee certeÌ„ly if thou be of the seed of the Iewes and of that royall generation thou shalt one day haue all thine enemies thy footstoole Wouldst thou haue a further euidence to confirme this vnto thee behold the Lord shall open the mouth of thine enemie to bewray their fainting spirits that so thou maist be comforted as Gideons Souldiers were by this testimony of thine enemies that the Lord shal giue them vp into thy hands and thou shalt make a ful end of them Oh but thou wilt say how can these things stand together Saul tells Dauid he shall certenly be King and yet hee continues persecuting him to take away his life from him May not this be a policy to make him secure that he may the more easily seaze vpon him I see indeed will the weake Christian say that God hath deliuered his church from time to time I heare euen the enemie giuing ouer for a time as confessing with the Pharesie Behold we preuaile nothing against him for all the world runneth after him and yet I see the aduersaries are in hope stil I see they are stil practising and plotting against the soules of the righteous what may I conceaue hereof may I not iustly feare with Dauid that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that at length these aduersaries shall obtaine their desire against the church and therevpon resolue rather vpon some indirect course to corrupt my conscience or abate of my sincerity that so glosing with them I might finde fauour in their sight Oh stay here whosoeuer thou art that shalt be thus affected giue mee the hearing a while to satisfie thee herein Tell me I pray thee why doth Sathan our maine aduersary so violently and incessantly persecute the Church of GOD doth not the spirit giue thee the reason because his time is short if thou therefore seest the instruments of Satan still to rage more fiercely against the spouse of Christ know thou for a certenty that their time is but short and that thou maist not want a prophesie to confirme thee herein consider but what their desperate practises doe speake vnto thee If they were not affraid to loose their kingdome if they had not a presage in their conscience that Christs Kingdome would one day preuaile surely they would be still and follow their flesh potts they would not so persecute and plot as they doe they would not thus spend their goods and venture their liues and all against the poore Church of God Alas it is not for Christs kingdome what pretence soeuer they haue for they haue said plainelie We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. But the trueth is to holde their own Here is the matter the Iewes had this Oracle from their Father the Deuill that if they let Christ alone the Romanes would come and take away their Kingdome And therefore they resolue that Christ must bee persecuted his death must be the life of their vsurped power their conscience told them that they were but vsurpers the very life and holy conuersation of Christ was a manifest conuiction and condemnation of them so that their conscience told them that Christ Iesus was that holy one whom they ought to haue obeyed and yet their hypocrysie replyed if wee giue him honour wee shall loose ours and so their deuilish policy concluded to their owne confusion better one perish then our whole Kingdome goe downe faine would they haue done him homage so he would haue serued their turne to Daube vp their hypocrisie and vnderproppe their toâ—tering Kingdome but yet because they saw his course to bee cleane contrary a sharpe reprouer of their hipocrisie and a mayne beaterdowne of their carnall pompe and vanity hereupon against their conscience they followed their persuite against him and doe you marke herein how their Father deceiued them their practises against the sonne of God made way to his Glory and the redemption of mankind and so proued the occasion of the ouerthrow of their kingdome So doth the Lord Confound the wisdome of the wise and turneth their malice vpon their owne pates In like sort the aduersaries of the Church haue carried themselues A kingdome they haue vsurped vpon by the power of Sathan and through his Subtilty and violence they haue seazed vpon the Lords
were giuen vp into a reprobate minde whereby they became full of vnrighteousnesse euen because they regarded not to acknowledge God And surely as the professioÌ„ of Poperie is a flat deniall of the power of God as being a voluntarie and perpetuall worship plausible to the sence and agreeable to reason so the practise thereof is nothing else but a maine Sea of impietie framing out iustly it owne shame and confusion Thus hath their spirituall fornication against God and his ordinance brought forth that fruitfull sinne of carnall Fornications and vncleannesses of all sorts And thus hath their desperate rebellion against the Lord against his Annointed exalting themselues aboue all that is called God brought forth that cursed Monster of treason and rebellion against Gods Lieutenant vpon earth It being a certaine consequent that they do not loue God whome they haue not seene who hate their brother whom they see dayly It being a righteous thing with God that their sinne of treason against his Maiestie should be knowne discouered by their treason against the Magistrate that how the Magistrate may bee iustly prouoked to fight against the beast both for the safetie of their estates and for the glorie of God vtterly to destroy the Kingdome of Antichrist Who so is wise let him consider this and in this glasse of Rebellion let him obserue an heart of Atheisme And if this Atheisme be so easily to be discerned in her brood as wee may not looke for grapes of thornes or figges of thistles any better fruit from so cursed a tree so let vs in the name of God disclaime that so Satan which in the root and fruit fights against God and man And discerne wee wisely the truth of that Religion which ioyning God and man so graciously together doth teach vs not to separate those whome God hath ioyned but to maintaine this holy Vnitie euen with the losse of our deerest blood and in the feare of God cleaue we vnspeakably vnto that holy truth which teacheth vs to giue vnto not to take from Caesar the things that are Caesars and vnto God the things that are Gods that so honouring Caesar aright in giuing him his due vnder God wee may vnder Caesar liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlynesse and honestie And seing there is not a more effectual meanes to prouoke vs to obedience than that the eye of God is continually vpon vs As this was a spurre vnto our aduersaries for their treason against the Lords Annointed that God should not see them so let it bee a continuall motiue of our conscionable obedience vnto God and man namely that the Lord our God looketh continually vpon vs. And that we may not want a liuely euidence for the same let vs onely consider how the Lord watched ouer vs in this deliuerance that if he had been on our side and watched ouer vs when these snares were priuily layd against vs surely they had swallowed vs vp quick when their wrath was kindled against vs. Yea the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soules Oh that this deliueuerance may for euer stoppe the mouth of Athiesme and roote out that cursed brood which exalts it selfe against the Lord. Certainely if the defeature of such mischiefes shall not now open our mouths to acknowledge the power and mercie of God vnto his Church the practise wherof hath opened the mouthes of the wicked to say there is no God Let vs looke that as the Lord hath iustified himselfe against them by deliuering vs out of their hands so will he also iustifie himselfe against vs in laying further punishments vpon vs euen by exposing his people as a pray vnto their enemies that they may learne to giue him the honour that is due vnto his name If the feare of his rodde will not cause vs to depart from euill we shall feele the smart of his holy indignation and the shaking of the rodde shall not serue the turne if by it we haue not returned vnto the Lord our God Oh Lord it is not in man to walke and to direct his steps Turne thou vs vnto thee and then wee shall bee turned For why should the wicked say Where is now our God Why should thy Children complaine that thou hast forsaken them Oh Lord thou art our God from euerlasting and world without end thou hast magnified thy selfe in the sight of our enemies and put to confusion those that hate vs Oh let vs therefore draw nere vnto the Lord our God let vs renew our couenant with thy Maiestie to the finall confusion of our enemies and to the preuenting of all such further mischiefes that they shall practise against vs. It followeth They haue sought out iniquities That is they haue studied and inuented diuers sorts of mischiefes to accomplish thereby more certainely their desires Behold here a third policie of the wicked to supply that which may bee wanting in their former deuise of secrecy that though one plot be discouered another might take place and still another might bee one foote though a former were preuented A verie desperate and most effectuall policie to bring their purposes to passe not only in that this varietie of stratagems tyres out policie and carnall wisedome and puts it to a Non plus in preuenting so many mischiefes but further also great terrour and distraction ceaseth on the hearts of weake ones in regard of such strange and manifold snares yea by this meanes those whom God hath giuen vp to these snares are heere appalled with wofull despaire and so hereby lye open to the snares as hauing giuen ouer all hope to auoide the same We may finde some steps of this corruption euen in the Saints of God When Dauid saw that there was no end of Sauls malice but stil he was followed with new pursuits the holy Ghost signifieth that it wrought this effect in him that he sayd in his feare as des 〈…〉 airing of deliuerance I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul and thereupon beâ—ooke himselfe to a most desperate course euen to flye for succour vnto the enemies of God For where feare doth possesse vs that malâ—ce is endlesse and her mischiefes so many that they cannot be auoided there care will faile vs for the preuenting of them as thinking our labout lost against such vnauoydable snares And so being carelesse in the danger we lye open thereunto and are either betrayed by desperate securitie in the end vnto the same or else seeking to auoide them by vile and impious courses we doe hereby exclude our selues from the protection of the Lord and so cause the malice of our enemy to light more heauily vpon vs. It hath been no new thing with the enemies of God thus to multiply their snares against the seruants of the Most High Infinite was the malice of Saul against the Annointed of the Lord and as was his malice so were his snares accordingly
and bin compelled to acknowledge his power therein if they haue abhorred disclaimed the same outwardly with an vtter detestation nay if God haue so opened some of their eies hereby that in the glasse of this iniquity they haue seene the Mistery of Popery and so either for Feare as sometimes did the heathen vpon a like occasion or for conscience haue seene the trueth and imbrace it Certenly these shal one day rise vp in iudgement against vs if we shall eyther bury in forgetfulnesse or depraue in malice or in enuie diminish if either we shall for feare conceale or in policie suppresse this great power of God Nay if wee shall not be confirmed in the trueth by such wonderfull mercies of God if these shall not be meanes to make 〈◊〉 detest popery and no longer to glose with it which are thus able to turne the hearts of our enemies let vs looke that they shal depriue vs of the benefit of this deliuerance and reape the haruâ—st which God hath sowed for vs well let thus teach vs not to come short of an Atheist least otherwise he goe before vs in the kingdome of heauen If the Lord exalt his wonderfull workes vpon vs let vs be lifted vp in the name of God to a due contemplation of them that so beholding the mercie and Iustice of God in the same our eies may be messengers vnto the the mouth to speake of the wonderfull workes of GOD. Certenly if the eye hath effectually conueyed the obiect to the heart to affect it therewith the heart like a full vessell which cannot hold out of it aboundant apprehension will informe the mouth to declare vnto others the wonderfull workes of God and as Andrew when hee had seene his Sauiour could not holde his peace but hee must needes goe tell Simon that he had seene the Messiah that he also might be partaker of him so shall the thorough view of such mercies which the Lord hath bestowed vpon thee open thy mouth to declare them vn to others that they also may come and see how gratious the Lord is and together with thee may bee partakers of his mercies For so it followeth And declare the worke of God Behold heere a second effect of great deliuerances they shall open mens mouthes to speake thereof And that for two endes both that the righteous confessing and acknowledging the worke of God might hereby performe some parte of thankefulnesse for the same the reprobate being thus compelled to acknowledg the greatnesse of Gods mercy vnto his Church might the more be conuinced in that they will not be reconciled to the same so saith the holy Ghost concerning the poore man that is deliuered They shall looke vppon him and runne to him and their faces shall not to ashamed saying a This poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles by the contemplation of Gods mercy vnto his seruant they shall now bee encouraged to come vnto him who before stood a farre of for feare of his plague and now ioying with the redeemed of the Lord they shall concurre with him in acknowledging the mercies of the Lord yea saith the spirit they shal not now be ashamed and confounded as if he had beene deuoured they might haue had cause but one the contrary they shal be confirmed in their calling by the experience of this deliuery of his seruant and be comforted by the same euen in the like occasion of their owne that they shal be partaker of the like mercies So when the righteous shall see the vengaunce thus inflicted vpon the wicked and shall see himselfe escaped thus out of the snare and the wicked falne thereunto he shall say verily their is a reward for the righteous that is not one but all the righteous shal be recompensed by the Lord yea hee shall collect from the experience of this deliueraunce in hand that their is a reward for the righteous yet in store a full deliuerance out of all troubles So with the Apostle Paul in the like case wheÌ„ he had witnessed how the Lord had deliuered him in the 17. ver that he concludes in the 18. And the Lord shall deliuer mee from euery euil worke and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome And as the righteous shall say thus for the comfort of his soule so shall he further say to the glory of his God doubtlesse their is a God that Iudgeth the earth out of question the iudge of all the world will doe right in deliuering the soules of his seruants and clothing his enemies with perpetuall shame and confusion Thus shall the mercies of God open the mouthes of his children to giue him the glory and to comfort themselues in the meditation thereof And thus also shall the mouthes of Atheists be opened by the same that their mouthes may be for euer stopped and confounded thereby at that great day so witnesseth the spirit concerning the deliueraunce of the Iewes out of the captiuity that the verie Heathen spake thereof and said the Lord had donne great thinges for them to their iust confusion who yet refused to ioyne with them so haue the Aduersaries beene compelled to confesse that the Lord hath Fought for vs to their greater confusion who yet afterward would fight against God Nay behold here a further meanes to the confusion of the wicked When the Lord had deliuered his seruant Daniell from the iawes of the Lyons the sight of so wonderfull a worke did so affect that heathen Monarch as that hee not onely proclaimes the power of God but further also enioynes by a solemne edist that the GOD of Daniel shall be reuerenced and acknowledged and yet all this to his further condemnation because Idolatry was yet continued and maintayned And so no doubt haue our aduersaries abroad and enimies at home beene enforced to speake of Gods wonderfull mercies towards vs. And yet behold a further meanes herein for the condemnation of the wicked When Saul obserued the admirable prouidence of God not onely in deliuering his seruant Dauid out of his hands but in deliuering him to be a prey euen to him that was persecuted his mouth was further opened to his iust condemnation loe he is inforced to iustifie the seruant of God and to condemne himselfe Thus said hee vnto Dauid thou art more righteous then 〈◊〉 for thou hast rendred me Good I haue rendred thee euil oh what a coÌ„fort is it here to the seruaÌ„ts of God that wisdome shall not onely be iustified of her children but euen of her enemies our very aduersaries shall giue testimony vnto the goodnesse of our cause oh what a terror is this vnto the wicked that they shall thus desperately fight against the light of their owne consciences that when they see that the Lord doth maintaine his owne cause and when they haue beene compelled to