Propugnaculum Pietatis THE SAINTS EBENEZER AND Pillar of HOPE in GOD when they have none left in the Creature OR THE Godly Mans Crutch or Staffe in Times Of Sadning Disappointments Sinking Discouragements Shaking Desolations Wherein is largely shewed The Transcendent Excellency of GOD His Peoples HELP and HOPE WITH The Unparallel'd Happiness of the SAINTS in their Confidence in Him overballancing the Worldlings Carnal Dependance both as to Sweetness and Safety Pourtray'd in a Discourse on Psal 146.5 By F. English The Righteous shall never be removed Prov. 10.30 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 Quis ei metus est cui Deus Tutor est Non labefactat mentem humanÌ„a molestatio quam corroborat divina protectio Cypr. LONDON Printed 1667. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader THE vanity and emptiness of the Creature and the excellency and sufficiency of God the great and eternal Creatour are like two Chrystal Glasses which set one against the other give mutual light and illustration And our knowledge of God being more by negation than comprehension in this life the worlds blackness cannot but become a foil to set off his beauty with the more shining splendour and orient lustre These two first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ God ordinarily instills in our first conversion and convinceth us of with such light and evidence as they carry a remarkable accent with them and should leave upon us a more powerful and permanent tincture and impression Yet notwithstanding such is our dulness and stupidity in conning these our primary and principal lessons as we almost forget them as soon as we have learnt them For though at our first acquaintance and communion with God before our heads and hands come to be engaged in the world we are carried out with a vigorous prosecution of the one and led into an holy contempt and undervaluing of the base spoils of the other yet when once we and it come to grow familiars the interest of Heaven and Religion must vail and bow the knee to this our beloved darling and favourite How many set out forward and zealous Professors in the waies of godliness as if they had fully meant to have taken the Kingdom of Heaven by violence whose zeal and blessedness is now not to be found but of ring-leaders are proved renâ—gado's and of first become last They began to run well until stooping to take up the golden Apples in their way they stopt in their Christian race and acted their parts on the stage of prosession like Princes till the Nuts of worldly pleasure and gain being thrown by hand-fulls before them they discovered themselves no better than Apes By venturing to nibble at Satans pleasurable bait we are often catched with his deadly and destroying hook and by overmuch incumbring our selves with the world we become the best of us like Anselms bird which had a stone tied to her leg and pulled her down to earth as fast as she attempted an ascent to Heaven This heavy weight so besets us as we cannot run with patience the race set before us So that besides our initiation and first indoctrinating in the things that are excellent God is forced ever and anon to become our Monitor and catechize us anew at the school of the Cross in his wilderness speaking to our heart and by his word and works rubbing up our memories afresh with the meditations of what we first imbibed though now have lost the scent and savour of And it 's no other than free grace and infinite mercy in our heavenly Father to recall his extravagant Prodigals who will change their Fathers bread for the worlds husks and thus go out of Gods blessing into the warm Sun Would we indeed make use of the spectacles of the word we might plainly read the inscription of vanity yea vanity of vanities written on the forehead of all creatures and though never so short-sighted see an end of all created perfection But alas commonly we look at the wrong end of the prospective or look on the world in a multiplying-glass which represents it to our fancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great matter and on the great God in an extenuating which makes him appear little in our vain imaginations and so we entertain debasing thoughts of that eternal verity while we have high conceptions of these low and sublunary vanities And seeing these ear-remembrances suffice not for our conviction it 's but necessary and requisite God should finde out some other way of instruction for us wherein both our ear and eye should receive an impression And that they who would not learn by the teachings of the Word should have the voice of the Rod cry to them which though less articulate may yet become more significative And hath not God been a long time teaching us by his Providence as Abimelech did once the men of Succoth by briars and thorns and reading us a large lecture of the uncertainty of all created beings and comforts Hath he not with fire and sword been pleading with all flesh by the sore and dreadful calamity of the pestilence been ushering us into discipline Hath he not in his greatest severity overthrown some of us as he did Sodom and Gomâ—rrah by a most deplorable and lamentable fire in whose ashes is buried all our glory and hope and the blisters whereof will rise in our faces when it's flames are both extinguisht and forgotten The very mention whereof can be no other than a fire in our bones and whoever hath the spirit of a Christian cannot but by sympathy suffer and be offended at such a burning What English mans heart so stony as not to bleed within him or can his eyes contain from tears either to have heard or seen the metropolis of our Nation the royal and magnificent City of the Kingdom once the wonder of the world and even mirrour of all Christendom so beautiful for scituation numerous in people famous for riches strength beauty and honour levelled with the dust so as one stone 's not left on another and become a burning pile an heap of rubbish a place of desolation even in a moment Quis talia fando temperet à lachrymis What ear was ever auditor of so awk and direful a knell as then alarum'd its Inhabitants What eye ever spectator of so dreadful and doleful a tragedy as was then acted on that noble theatre Who ever saw so devouring a fire or heard of such a dismal flame so sudden violent universal irresistible and to be feared irrepairable Surely what terrour and affrightment what amuse and amazement what horrour and even consternation of spirit this rueful spectacle seized the spirits of its beholders withall is impossible to divine and imagine Poor souls me-thinks I saw at a distance your pale faces trembling joynts weakned hands dedolent hearts who were in this so fatal a blow most nearly concerned methinks I hear you crying out to your friends and neighbours
Covenant on them the Corn Wine and Oyl anoynts their steps with Butter and Honey feeds them with the finest of the Wheat and lets them drink the purest blood of the Grape yea satisfies them as with Honey out of the rock He spreads their Tables out of his fulness and overflows their Cups with his goodness and allows them not only for necessity but also for delight and satisfaction Thus Moses of old with purest strains of eloquence describes his depasture of Israel Deut. 32.13 14. His have from him all things plentifully to enjoy and alwayes ad sanitatem though not ad voluntatem a competency to sustain their natures though not a superfluity to maintain their lusts and pamper their more sensual affections The Lions of the World may suffer hunger but Gods Lambs shall want no good thing insomuch that David dare give it forth for an experience and undoubted Observation Psal 37.25 I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread The mercies of the Throne are theirs and no less those of the Footstool the benedictions of Gods heart and eke of his hand their portion And if God condescends so low as to feed the Ravens and cloath the Lillies of the Field how much more will this great Paterfamilias of Heaven and Earth take care of his own Family If he be the Saviour of all men much more of them that believe And having right in the promise of superadding all things to them while seekers of the Kingdom of Heaven how shall they be denyed possession yea having given them Christ and himself how shall he forbear to give them all things For all is theirs seeing they are his and they may cry out with holy Athanasius Deus meus omnia our God and our all Though having nothing they possess all things seeing they possess him who possesseth all things Such is Gods singular care and providence over them that he blesseth their modicum while he curseth the worldlings abundance and while extravagant man diminisheth and makes a little of much the omniprovident God multiplies and makes much of his peoples little as appears in Jacobs ingenuous acknowledgement Genes 33.11 of Gods raising him even from a staff and a Scrip a men low and beggerly conditiâ—n and enlarging him into two bands Yea if further supplies be cut off and recrâ—its fail he husbands for them the old stoâ—k so as it serves their journey through the Wilderness of this World as he did Israels in the Desart whose Cloaths waxed not old on their backs nor their Shooes on their feet Nay when reduced to greatest straits so as there seems no way of escape from perishing rather than want relief he will work a miracle of which kind of operation we have many remarkable instances upon Record both in sacred and civil story but these two may content us to evidence its certainty even the multiplication of the Widows Oyl to so strange a measure as to serve not only for the maintâ—nance of her Family but also the payment of her debts and satisfaction of all her Creditors 2 King 4.7 and the incredible and miraculous increase of an handfull of Meal and a little Oyl in a Cruse beyond their natural vertue so as to become a sufficient store under several years famine 1 King 17.14 In famine God redeems his people from death and when all other Provisions fail he can rain down upon their Tents Bread from Heaven as he did on Israel no less than forty years together That 's the first God helps his people by supplying their wants and necessities Secondly An help imports defence and protection against enemies and assailants Thus a man who becomes a second to another foiled and worsted by reason of his impotency and infirmity one that stands by another against his adversary to defend his right and cause an Advocate that maintains the suit of his Client a Prince that relieves his oppressed subjects auxiliary forces that recruit afresh a besieged City or beaten Army may be stiled helpers to them And such is God to his chosen He that is the great Atlas who bears up the Pillars of the Earth upholds them under all the crushings of humane violence he keepeth the feet of his Saints that they are not moved 1 Sam. 2.9 This Moses most lively expresseth in that rapsodical benediction of Israel Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and who is the sword of thy excellency a sword for assault a shield and buckler for defence Solomon takes it as an answer of his solemn prayer even while he is preferring it That God will maintain the cause of his people at all times as the matter shall require 1 King 8.59 Upon this account we finde David in this Book of Psalms oft solliciting God for help urging him to preserve save defend and deliver him Psalm 22.11 Psal 70.1 5. Psal 109.26 c. And as praying so praising him for his help Psal 118.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me Saul and his Courtiers bore against him but God was a sure stud and pillar to his soul that shored him up and underpropt him against all their rage and malice Upon this account it is that we finde help and refuge in a conjunction Psal 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a present help in trouble And in this sense God is his peoples help upon a more publick and also a more private account First He is the help of his Church in the general and that two manner of waies He helps them first immediately without the intervention of second causes Deut. 33.26 There is none like unto the God of Jesurun who rideth upon the Heaven in thy help and in his excellency on the sky The eternal God is thy Refuge and underneath are the everlasting Arms and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say Destroy them God sometimes goes on foot in the use of instruments and way of means for the salvation of his people but here he comes riding as it were on horse-back in a more sudden and immediate manner leaping over the Hills and skipping over the Mountains Sometimes he works deliverance but sometimes only commands it Thou art our King O God saith the Psalmist command thou deliverances for Jacob Psal 44.4 He unbares his own Arm he puts on righteousness as a breast-plate and clothes himself with zeal as a cloak and when he sees that there is no man and wonders that there is no intercessor his Arm brings salvation and his righteousness sustains him Isa 63.5 and the appearances and outgoings of his providence are so signal and conspicuous as digitus Dei the finger of Heaven appears and every spectator must say This is the Lords doing Hos 1.7 I will have mercy on the house of Judah and save them by the Lord their God and will not
cause him to exchange his badge of honour for an ignominious Halter 2 Saâ—t 17.23 Though Gebal Ammon and Amalek conspire he can blow on their Confederacies by the breath of his nostrils Antichrist who lets he can remove out of the way and make the little Horn push the Nations and the interest of the Lamb break in pieces the Kingdom of the Beast though his followers be even innumerable Hence it 's worthy our observation that he chooseth to appear for his People in a very low condition Psal 136.23 that so aliquid divini might appear in all his Manifestations He overlooks his People when erect as the Palm or spreading forth themselves as the green Bay-tree and looks upon them when like the Myrtle they dwell in a low place Such is the power of his Providence in his operations for his Servants as in Scripture-phrase it obtains the name of a Resurrection to the performance whereof is requisite no loss than an infinite and omnipotent Arm Ezek. 37. when they are as dry bones and scattered he can command a re-entrance of the spirit a return of life To which metaphor David alludes in his Prayer and Invocation for help Psal 141.7 8. Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth and cleaveth Wood upon the earth But mine eyes are to thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust leave not my soul destitute Fifthly He help them proportionably Divine wisdom dispenseth Mercy by an even ballance unto its receivers by a just proportion and that fourfold To His Peoples wants desires hopes and expectations and their good improvements First To their Wants and Necessities Gods supply ever respects mans indigency The worlds rule is Habenti dabitur The Rich have many Friends The more men have the more they would and shall have But this poor man cried and the Lord heard him He is an helper of the Fatherless Psal 10.14 and so it s said of Christ Psal 72.12 13. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth the poor also and him that hath no helper Poor Orphans who are too commonly the Objects of the Worlds oppression are the Objects of Gods and Christs compassion and commiseration It was Job's testimony of his integrity that he delivered the poor that cried the fatherless and him that had none to help him Job 29.12 cap. 31.21 and it s a Rule of Equity observed in Heaven Gods relief loves to lift up those whom the sense of their own wants hath cast down Necessity hath a loud voice and prevailing with the Almighty Mans inisery it 's ansa divinae misericordiae God pours the Oyl and Wine of Consosolation into broken hearts wounded spirits Drooping and dejected hearts may most confidently expect health from the light of this Heavenly Physitians countenance The World leaves us when we most want it and Creatures forsake us when we have most need but then God stands by us When the hour of sickness comes he alwayes gives his people the sweetest Visits of Love Men commonly take the strongest but God the weakest side What is said of Earthly Monarchs is much more true of him the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the only Potentate Parcit subjectis debellat superbos He pulls down the mighty from their seat and exalts them of low degree He fills the hungry but sends the rich empty away Secondly To their Prayers and Requests Asking is the readyest way of having This depends on the former for Oratio sine malis quasi Avis sine alis He that wants not beggs not or at least ought not so to do But now true seekers are alwayes good speeders The most sturdy Beggars go away with Heavens Alms and the eagerly solliciting Favourites come away with grants from the Throne of Mercy The Apostle plainly insinuates that an holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Throne of Grace a bold suit there is the surest way of obtaining grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. ult Qui timide rogat docet negare A cold suit do's but make way for the stronger denyal but an holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importunity God cannot will not relist Luk. 18. Psal 107.13 They cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of all their distresses He that besieges and beleaguers Heaven with his Prayers shall have what it can afford him The Kingdom of Heaven delights to suffer this holy Violence Let Moses hold down his hands and Amalek prevails let him lift them up and Israel prevails When Jehosophat and all the people of Judah were in a great strait they sent up their united voices in one general shout to heaven to ask help of the Lord 2 Chron. 20.4 And he urgeth God with his Promise in prayer which was when evil came upon them as the Sword Judgement Pestilence or Famine if they cried to him in their affliction he would hear and help God commonly gives help as an answer and return of Prayer Prayer enlargeth and expatiateth the Soul desire stretcheth it out for the receiving larger measures of Mercy and it provokes God also to bestow them Observe what God promiseth Jeremiah as to deliverance from the Babylonish Captivity Jer. 29.12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall goe and pray unto me and I will hearken to you And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your heart By Prayer that Legio Fulminatrix that band of Christian Souldiers obrained a refreshing showre when their enemies were broken with a dreadfull storm Thirdly To their Hopes and expectancies God loves to give his People an expected end According to thy Faith be it to thee was our Saviours usual welcom to all comers to him Mercy commonly comes on the wing of Faith Oleum masericordiae saith Bernard non infunditur nisi in tasa fiduciae The Vessel of Faith is that receives the precious Liquor of Mercy Faith is the Bucket that draws the waters of life out of the well of Salvation Faith was that gave Abijah victory over Jeroboam 2 Chron. 13.18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the Children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord God of their Fathers The stay and strength of all states as well as Persons and assurance of all Victories depends on their trust and confidence in the Lord. Faith is a wonder-working grace What was the Instrument of all those heroick actions done by the Patriarchs and primitive Worthies but Faith Through Faith they subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained Promises Heb. 11.23 Faith overcomes lust within and the World without It 's a Shield against and a Sword to all our adversaries it layes hold on divine help engageâ—h Almightiness extorts mercy from Heaven Coelum tundimus preces fundimus misericordiam extorquemus quoth Tertullian Faith removes mountains of pride within and power without It 's an invincible grace and no wonder because the only receiving grace and
be used if a blessing expected Faith hath a piercing eye and a powerful hand a receptive faculty to take in the comfort of the Promise and a reverberative to return and reflect its benefit received in waies of duty and obedience Hoping to the end and girding up the loyns of our minds are paired 1 Pet. 1.13 In order to a progress in our spiritual Journey The sweetness of the Promise drawn out incourageth and engageth in obedience to the command The Plow-man ploweth and Seeds-man soweth in hope Expectation of reward edgeth to work Disuse and neglect of means doth not trust God but tempt him True confidence spurs up to duty especially to prayer Trusting and calling are coupled in Scripture Zeph. 3.2 Hope of speeding puts a man on seeking Hope of an expected end put holy Jeremiah on praying Jer. 19. And of salvation holy Paul on labouring and suffering reproach on active and passive obedience 1 Tim. 4.10 Thirdly Ad commorandum to take the soul off all carnal dependance and stay it by a firm dependance on God alone The hoping soul goes not to creatures to second causes leans on none of these broken staves and vain confidences but rejects and renounceth them all both upon a spiritual and temporal account It 's the brand and mark of an Hypocrite even carnal confidence It 's the character of a Christian to have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 He does not only call himself of the holy City but staies himself on the God of Israel in truth Isa 10.20 A Christian will not have two strings to the bow of his trust The Psalmist puts a direct opposition to trust in God and all other trusts Psal 40.4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud nor such as turn aside to lyes And the Church solemnly professeth her rejection of all humane helps in time of her straits Psal 44.6 I will not trust to my bow neither shall my sword save me not to the bow but the arm that helps to do it And so she seals a renunciation of all creature-aids and assistances Hos 14.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses Carnal men like weak and ignorant people go first to the Kitchin and then to the Physitian When Ephraim saw his sickness and beheld his wound he goes to the Assyrian and sends to King Jareb to heal him But the Church eccho's to Gods call Jer. 3.22 23. In vain is salvation expected from Hills or Mountains in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel We come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God She goes first to the Lord and then to the Physitian Fourthly Ad componendum to pacifie the soul and make it wait patiently the returns of providence Jacob waited for Gods salvation and Joseph of Arimathea for the Kingdom of God I waited patiently for the Lord saith David Psal 40.1 As they who watch for the morning Psal 130. As the poor traveller beweildred all night longs for the mornings approach to direct him in his passage and the industrious labourer waits the morning light and dawning of the day that he may go about the work of his calling or the vigilant souldier and diligent watchman desires the break of day when they may be relieved so doth a gracious soul wait for his God The Church was resolved thus to wait upon the Lord. Micah 7. Though an Atheist will wait no longer a Saint will both wait for instruction and consolation Hopes conclusions are Gods time is the best time The vision is but for an appointed time it will come and not tarry wait for it If deliverance comes not this it may come another way If mercy comes not to day it may come to morrow It 's better staying a day too long than having salvation come an hour too soon The expecting soul waits for the hope of righteousness by faith yea he hopes to the end for the grace to be brought at the revelation of Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 He waits till the Lord be gracious he is not too quick or hasty hasty births he knows are commonly abortive he will not make more haste than good speed he understands it 's but manners to wait the Lords leisure and attend his pleasure God waited long for his coming in in a way of duty it 's but meet he should wait for his approaches in a way of mercy If God could stay so long for his conversion it 's but reasonable he should stay for his consolations Resolved he is to wait so long as God pleases for incomes of mercy and wholly resolves his will into the will of his Maker even let 's it be buried and swallowed up of it with a Father not my will but thy will be done Carnal men would limit God to their desires and scant him to their time they are for duty to morrow but mercy and salvation to day Now mercy must come or never But a Christian would not have his time Gods but makes Gods time his and whatsoever pleaseth God therefore pleaseth him It 's not saith true hope for us to know the times and seasons better to wait for the Lords salvation Better want of mercy in a way of waiting and dependance than its approach without it Does God delay he does not deny is mercy deferred it is not resolved against does God withdraw hide his face seem to slight and cast out his Peoples prayer yet I will not give over praying waiting believing and expecting I will yet attend the motions of providence in the use of means and though God seems to cast us off yet we will never cast off him Fifthly Ad elevandum to raise the soul above all worldly expectations He that by hope hath gotten his foot up to Heaven looks upon all this inferiour world only as an inconsideral point Our conversation saith the Apostle is in Heaven whence we look for the Saviour Heavenly expectations and heavenly conversation go together Alexander when he once received a report of the American world gave all the Kingdoms he had conquered amongst his Captains and upon this division being asked what he had left to himself answered spem majorum annorum the hope of further years A Christian hearing of the Alsufficiency of God and glory of Heaven of so much in scriniis in hope is willing to part with whatsoever is in hand and like a provident and foreseeing person will part with all in possession for what he hath in reversion so did those worthies Heb. 11.13 A carnal man useth God and enjoys the world a Saint useth the world but enjoyeth God only Sixthly Ad corroborandum to fortifie and confirm the soul against all opposition Abraham rowed against the stream Hope will ride the storm It may be said of hope what the Apostle speaks of charity it endures all things There is the work of faith labour of love and patience of hope 1 Thes 1.3 I will hope
Providences gracious and mercifull Benedictions he hath a right to all spiritual blessings pardon of sin peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy Ghost grace and glory and all temporal mercies too the fatness of the Earth as well as the dews of Heaven the Nether as well as the Upper Springs All is his by right and inheritance and shall be by possession if good for him As a stranger from God is universaily cursed so is one united to him universally blessed He may say God hath dealt graciously with me and I have enough Gen. 33.11 Secondly He is also happy in all Estates and Conditions Nothing amiss can befall and betide a Christian Though never so evil in it self Gods Power and Providence can work it for good Art thou under desertions yet thou art happy His lest hand is under thee and his right hand embraceth thee Thou art graven upon the palms of his hands so as to be no more defaced or obliterated and thy walls are continually before him Hast thou lost thy hold of God he hath still his hold on thee canst thou not cast thy self and roll thy Soul on Christ in the Promise yet when thou comest out of the Wilderness thou mayst lean on the arm of thy beloved Though thy Soul be never so much in the dark thou hast the staffe of Jacob to lean on and needest never fear stumbling especially falling for the Lord also upholds thee by his hand Psal 33.24 Art under Temptations still thou mayst be happy Thy Redeemers Intercession is a shore of thy Faith and pillar of thy Perseverance Luk. 22.32 Though weak in thy self with the Conies thou mayst fly to the Rocks When pursued by that mighty Nimrod and hunter of Souls and furiously chased by the avenging Executioner of Divine wrath haste into the arms and bosom of thy Saviour which stand extended on the Cross and are now wide open to receive thee When these proud waters overwhelm thee swim to that impregnable Rock of his Merits which is higher than thou and then thou mayst like a man gotten on the top of a rock in the midst of the Sea outbraving with an invincible courage and undaunted resolution all the waves and billows about him dare Satan to do his worst against thee Though the Beast makes warre against thee being a follower of the Lamb God is on thy side and stands by thee in the combat this Dragon shall not swallow thee up the Lord will rebuke him yea tread him under thy feet shortly Though thy own heart be a Traitor thy God is thy Keeper Art thou engaged with strong and violent corruptions do these Masters of misrule bid controll to Gods grace in thee and is the battell so sharp as sometimes the flesh seems to overcome the Spirit thy pride passion unbelief earthly-mindedness are too hard for thee be not discouraged Though thou beest foiled thou shalt not be overcome sin shall not have dominion over thee though it may tyrannize against thee but those thine enemies that will not bow before the Scepter of Christs Soveraignty shall be slain before his face and very shortly those Egyptians thou seest to day thou shalt see no more for ever Art thou exposed to wants and exigencies The Lord is thy Shepherd and he will supply thee as to thy spiritual and also thy temporal condition Dost thou want the presence of Divine Ordinances are all these Conduits stopt and windows shut God will himself be a Tabernacle to thee he will prepare a Table for thee in the Wilderness spread with all the delicious sweet-meats of grace and comfort and the Sun of Righteousness shall arise on thee with healing in his wings Dost thou want Creature-comforts The Earth is the Lords Granary and the fullness thereof and the Sea thy Fathers Fish-pond and therefore thou shalt have what either can afford thee Art thou sequestred of all that is dear and precious in thine eyes Thou hast yet a Deus providebit to live on a Promise to bear thee up that God will never forsake thee all things shall be added to thee Qui majora curat non minora negliget The Accessory follows the Principal There is no Promise indeed of adding Spirituals upon our seeking Temporals but there is of adding the things of Earth if we seek the Kingdom of Heaven Thou shalt have food and raiment in the way wherein thou art to goe enough though not too much according to Gods will though it may be not thine own bread for thy body though not for thy lusts to satisfie thee though not surfeit content though not cloy thee God will give thee the World as a blessing though not lade thee with this thick clay as a burden As thou hast the sure Mercies of David whereof none can deprive thee so thou shalt have all external accommodations or at least a proportion between thy Heart and Condition wherein the only comfort of life consisteth Art thou compassed about with fears and dangers of enemies or evils imminent or impendent Let not thine heart be troubled for Mercy compasses thee about on every side As Elisha told his servant 2 King 6.16 There are more with thee than are against thee Thou hast a guard of Angels round about thee yea Christ himself for thy Protector And Fortior est Christus caput Ecclesiae ad protegendum quam Diabolus hostis Ecclesiae ad oppugnandum Cyprian This may be a bottom of confidence and sufficient ground and encouragement to the People of God in the darkest and gloomiest day the most evil and discouraging time and serve to allay and antidote all their fears and misgivings of heart that they have an infinite and everlasting God for their help and have everlasting strength wisdom faithfulness mercy and compassion engaged for them Men count it an happiness to have a Cottage of their own to hide their heads in God is his Peoples shelter Sanctuary and hiding-place under all their scatterings and dispersions oppressions and oppositions they meet with in the World The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of all their temptations The Apostle brings it down to an experience He delivered Lot and he knows how to deliver us It 's all one to have no storm or to have an hiding-place Under all private injuries and oppressions we may trust in God who is a present help and go to him with the Prophet Jeremiah's words in our mouths when the men of Anathoth sought his life Jer. 11.20 To thee O Lord do I reveal my cause and be confident as he was cap. 20.11 of deliverance or as Hezekiah when Rabshaketh opened his mouth so wide against Heaven he went and spread the Letter before the Lord. Though a man meets with nothing but incivilities unkindnesses discouragements disappointments reproaches persecutions and violences from men yet there is enough in one God to counter-ballance all God will work all mischiefs about for good and as for Enemies in the Name of the Lord we may go