great terrours according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Aegypt before your eyes As all those seven particulars of mercy viz. temptations signes wonders warr mighty-hand stretched-out-arme great terrours were made up in Israels Aegyptian freedome so could we paralell them amongst us but the taske would take up too much time Only in short to give a taste 1. Were they delivered and brought out of a litterall corporal Aegypt and bondage after foure hundred and thirty yeers slavery Ex. 12.40 we were delivered from a spirituall and mysticall Aegypt after above some five hundred years since the Conquest 2. Were they carried through a Red-Sea and a Jordan Psa 66.12 and led by a fiery pillar we went through fire and through water through a Gunpouder-treason and an Eighty-eight but hee brought us firth into a wealthie place 3. In short were they brought into a fruitful Land where they had the Oracles and Ordinances of God above all people Let me speake freely I conceive that we have more in both these particulars then they for First our Land in my judgement with submission hath bin more fruitfull constantly then was theirs for how many famines reade we to have bin in Cannaan successively Gen 12.10 Gen. 26.1 Gen. 42.5 Ruth 1.1 c. As in the times of Abraham of Isaac of Jacob of Ruth I thinke you can hardly paralell that number in the like time and kinde in this Isleland Secondly for Oracles and Ordinances true they had miracles and we have wonders but otherwise they did see Christ a farre off through a cloud of painefull and costly Ceremonies but we behold him come and as it were face to face in his Evangelicall Ordinances And let me adde no age or Nation past or present under Heaven did or doth enjoy such a cleere quick powerfull practicall Ministry as is now in this Isleland and hath bin amongst us for some late yeers But what doe I looke backe to times past I need not to bring forth cold and stale dishes to furnish out this feast of praises there are enough new and warm ones to over-fill the Table yea such as have bin cook d and dres'd in our owne times Let us but looke upon the present wonders of the last five yeeres or therabout in this Island I remember some rude Sea-men have stiled the Sommer Islands by the name of the Divels Jslelands because they say of the many tempestuous impetuous stormes whirle-winds and earth-quakes which are common in those places Surely Bretheren upon better grounds we may call our Britan the Isleland of Jehovah or Gods Island because of the manifold Protections Preventions Deliverances Blessings spirituall politique and Ecclesiasticall so little lesse then miraculously conferred on us I may say seriously of them all that they are more then I am able to expresse some of them I have resolved now to touch upon such as are newest for time and doe come neerest the Text for Nature and in reckoning up of these I shall have some eye to the Copy in my Text. Here we see an exact enumeration or numbring of all the ingredients of this admirable Deliverance of the Jewish nation As 1. The Author God When the Lord. 2. Their Misery a Captivity 3. The Manner of the Mercy turning or returning 4. The Delivered Zion And 5. finally The extent of this goodnesse it was astonishing and made them like men in a dreame How accutately could we match and Paralell every one of those particulars with answerable branches in our present English Deliverance but because that whole comparison would be too large let us cull out one or two particulars and compare them 1. The Authour of turning their Captivity was God When the Lord turned c. And indeed he alone it is that maketh warres to cease unto the end of the earth Psal 46. v. 9. he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder he burneth the Chariot in the fire This God alone it was that did turn back our late streames of bloud who but he to speake properly had a hand in the beginning of that turning For 1. Some amongst us could not 2. Others would not stop those evils 1. The godly and loyall-hearted inferiour subjects they could only mourne in secret and sometimes openly when leave was granted but what else had they power to doe in the depth of these commotions Psal 11. v 3. If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous doe Our generall publique foundations are two Religion Lawes and both these saith the Preamble to the Protestation Papists and others did endeavour to undermine and subvert Nay further it was with us too well like as with Judah in the time of Isaiah Saith he Isa 59. v 14. Judgement is turned away backward and justice standeth afarre off truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter ver 15. Yea truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey or was accompted mad Therefore some could not stop the danger 2. And others would not quench the fier supposing that they could have done it but were subtill Incendiaries as that Preamble calls them brands and billowes 1 King 12. v. 10 11. like Rehoboams young Counsellers which were all for pressures and severity Or else as those false Prophets to King Ahab 1 King 22. v. 6. Goe up goe up and prosper was their cry But blessed be that God which hath the hearts of Kings in his hand and did guide the heart of our Soveraigne to hearken to that wiser Counsell of his better Senators Thus some could not others would not stanch the bloud 't is the Lord alone hath done it originally If any one present be not throughly convinced of this that this was the Lords speciall worke let him call to mind those Marks of Gods finger in a Deliverance which I have formerly mentioned and apply them They were these in short 1. 1 Sam 23. v. 26 When Deliverance commeth Suddenly in time of Extremity this is a signe of a divine finger So was it with David ver 27. when Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about in the hill of Hachilah But there came a messenger unto Saul saying Haste thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land A strange providence it was that now when Saul had David as it were in a bagg the Lord did send Philistines who were also Davids enemies to pluck back Saul by the sterne as it were and so to give freedome to the man after Gods own heart 2. When things are brought about by Contrariety Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darknesse that is the wonder in the darknesse for dawning to arise out of darknesse Psal 112. v. 4. and then light out of that dawning it is naturall For Spring to succeed Winter and Summer to come after Spring it is also naturall But when high-noone shall spring out of deepe midnight
a great deale broder by labouring too violently to rub it out All that I will further say unto thee shall lie in these words vel perlege vel neglige reade all or none I am thine as thou likest me JOHN BOND FEBR. 2. 1641. At a Committee of the House of Commons for Bookes and Printing It is this day Ordered that these Sermons be forthwith published in Print Edward Dering A DOORE OF HOPE ALSO HOLY AND LOYALL ACTIVITY PSALME 126.1 2. When the Lord turned againe the Captivity of Zion we were like them that dreame Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing THe Occasion of this Psalme is by the consent of Expositours conceived to be the gratious Edict and Proclamation of King Cyrus the Persian Occasion for the free return of the Iewes from their Babilonish Captivity after seventy yeares durance Of that Captivitie and their Deliverance see more fully in the book of Chronicles The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia 2 Chron. 36.22 23. that he made a Proclamation throughout all the Kingdome and put it also in writing saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia The Lord God of Heaven hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem which is in Iudah Who is there among you of all his people Ez. 1 1 c. to 5 Jer 25.12 c. Jer 29.10 c. the Lord his God be with him and let him goe up And so in Ezra and Ieremiah By all which places me thinks we may see our state hitherto expressed in the Iewish as in a glasse and so may whet our attentions and affections upon the very threshold of the Discourse with this short Paralel 1. Were they Gods owne selected people so are we thus farre being the only Monarchy and Kingdoms of pure Protestants now standing upon the face of the Earth for all other people are either no Christians no pure Protestants or no Kingdome and Monarchy 2. Was their oppressour litterall Babylon whence came our late Apostasyes and distractions but from Babylon the mysticall 3. The only means that they had left were praeces lachrymae prayers and teares Ezr. c. 1 c 2. Dan. c. 9. Ps 137.1 2. besides a few poore despised but yet active Priests Prophets and Levites And were not our harps and hopes too hung up upon the willows but a while ago 4. The manner of their Deliverance it was by Retortion for the Iews were freed and Babylon her self became a captive and is it not so with us according to the saying of the Wise man That the righteous is delivered out of trouble Pro. 11.8 and the wicked cometh in his stead 5. Finally the end of their freedom was to build a Temple to their God and is it not the hope and prayer of all Saints amongst us that our Deliverance may end in a glorious reformed Church 1 Kin. 1.36 Amen the Lord God of my Lord the King say so too Thus the very Occasion of this Psalme and our Thankesgiving are Paralells So much for a whet upon the threshold But let us enter the house Division This short sweet Song doth consist of three parts 1. An Exhortation to joyfull thankfulnesse for their Deliverance begun and the greatnesse of that Deliverance is withall extolled v. 1 2 3. reading the words in the Future tense When the Lord turned c. 2. A Prayer for the increase and perfection of the work v. 4. Turn again our captivity ô Lord that is go on in turning 3. An Incouragement against those difficulties which they had did and might yet farther meet withall For their first returne was not compleate all the Iewes came not home with Ezra but some wanted will and others ability to return This incouragement is expressed by a comparison ver 5 6. They that sow in teares shall reape in joy He that goeth forth c. that is ye know the difficulties and hardships that the Husbandman doth meet withall in his calling his seed-time ordinarily is in the Winter-season and therefore he may then meet with many a blustering storme and pinching frost and so doth sow in teares but here is his comfort that the time of Harvest is a Sun-shine season and then he is like to reape a full crop in faire weather with joy So though the begining of our return and of this Deliverance may and doth meet with many opposites and oppositions with a Sanballat a Tobiah Neh. 6.1 c and other back-friends yet be of good cheere hold out the close of all will be both a cleare sky and a full crop This for Division of the Psalme The Text then hath in it the force first of an Exhortation to reall and verball thankfulnesse which may not only fill the heart but flow out at the mouth ver 2. And besides that here is secondly a Declaration of the greatnesse of that though but partiall Deliverance for it is said to be the turning of a Captivity of Zion even to the very astonishment of the captives themselves The substance of both these branches namely of this Exhortation and Declaration and so consequently of the whole Text may be resolved into this short sentence DOCTRINE That astonishing Deliverances doe crave accurate observation and remembrance To explaine it a little 1. By astonishing I meane such as were besides yea above and beyond hope nay contrary to it when men looked for nothing more then the quite contrary and therefore they stand amazed when the mercy comes upon them Act 12. Such a one was Peters freedome out of prison upon the prayer of the Saints ver 4. He had bin apprehended by King Herod put in prison delivered to foure quaternions of Souldiers to be kept ver 6. yea he was now sleeping betweene two souldiers bound with two chaines and the keepers before the doore kept the prison ver 7. ver 10. But see the wonder when the Angell comes his chains fell off from his hands he passeth securely the first and the second watch and at last the iron gate which leadeth to the city opened to him of his owne accord A strange Deliverance indeed ver 9. so strange that neither Peter himselfe could beleeve it when he felt it For he wist not it was true but thought he saw a vision Neither could the Church beleeve it when he was cast in upon them ver 13 14 15. as the fruit of their prayers but told the Damosell which reported his freedome that she was no better then mad This was an astonishing Deliverance And such an other was the present turning of the Iewes Captivity 2. By Deliverances understand chiefly Nationall because that is in the Text though Personall also may be taken in 3. Doe crave that is especially the Lord for them doth expect and require 4. Accurate that is exact compleat artificiall 5. Observations and remembrances by remembrances conceive both expositions and repetitions as also Records
and Memorials For the compleat handling of this Point we will shew 1. How Naturall 2. How Firme 3. How Vsefull a truth it is 1. How Naturall Here is an astonishing Deliverance accurately observed and remembred 1. That it was astonishing see in the last words it made the receivers of it like men in a dreame it was so sudden so free so great 2. It was accurately observed and remembred 1. Observed see in the expressions for here are set downe 1. The giver the Lord. 2. The receiver Zion 3. The misery Captivity 4. The mercy the turning thereof and making them like to those that dreame I do not force marrow out of these bones ye see that it drops of its own accord 2. That it was accurately remembred see this record for all this is registred for us by the Lords own finger to all posterity Thus the note is most Naturall 2. And 't is Firme too That is we have a whole Cloud of other witnesses to testifie the strength of this Maxime yea sufficient pillars to support it are growne upon this same Field even in the booke of the Psalms Ps 111. v. 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein sought out explorata studied aggravated anatomized so that all the inner works of them are discovered and read upon It is one thing to view the bulke of a Watch that is the bignesse colour and case another to observe the Art of Wheeles ballance and spring and this observation is accurate But Ps 106. being one of the largest in the book beginneth at Aegypt travelleth home to Canaan with Israel and there it seems doth come home to its own time Psal 107. giving in a speciall Catalogue of the great Deliverances through those places and times but least any memorable particular should there be omitted lo the next Psalme goes it over again and brings after the gleanings In briefe finde me out any Psalme of praise through this whole book as most of these songs are such and I will shew you in the same Psalme a confirmation of this truth That astonishing Deliverances doe crave accurate observation and remembrance Ob. But yet all those are but the practises of particular persons or people you will say they are no precepts An. But those practises are grounded both upon former precepts and presidents As 1. The Institution of the Passeover and the continuall celebration therof This day shall be unto you for a memoriall Ex. 13.3 And Moses said unto the people Remember this day in which ye came out from Aegypt out of the house of bondage So their other chiefe Festivals were commemorative 2. 2. So that Altar and Booke in memoriall of Amaleks malice and their Deliverance Ex. 17.14 15. And the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memoriall in a booke and rehearse it in the eares of Ioshua for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven And Moses built an Altar and called the name of it Jehovah-Nissi 3. Josh 4.1 2 3. 3. Also those twelve stones in Iordan And it came to passe when all the people were clean passed over Jordan that the Lord spake unto Joshuah saying take you twelve men out of the people out of every Tribe a man and command you them saying Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan c. twelve stones and ye shall carry them over with you c. The application of it was These stones shall be for a memoriall unto the children of Israel for ever ver 7. Therefore Astonishing Deliverances doe crave c. And 't is as reasonable as true For 1. Reason This is one of the Lords chiefe ends in bestowing such great Deliverances Pro. 16â—4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill If all things even the wicked then much more all mercies and to his own people for himself that is for his own glory and honour Quest But then how may he have glory for a Deliverance Answ Ps 50.23 Why praise is glory in his account Who so offereth praise glorifieth me c. and what greater praise for a favour then to remember and observe it accurately But most clearly in these words Call upon me in the day of trouble ver 15. I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me That is the end that I expect from thee in a Deliverance saith God is mine owne glory and therefore the greater the Deliverance the more glory must I have 2. Reason Accurate remembrance and Observation doth keep the Deliverance still fresh and alive it gives it a continuall being Recordatio est re-creatio The remembring is the renewing of a mercy 3. And there is much equity in it too Reason 3 'T is but proportionable and the manner of men Luk. 12.48 To whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Costly improvements doe expect a rich harvest 'T is true then 't is reasonable that Astonishing Deliverances doe and ought to crave accurate observation and Remembrance And thus the point is both Naturall and Firme And 't is as usefull as either 1. Vse To check a sort of Anti-Deliverancers amongst us Vse 1 men that care not to heare talke of any such great Deliverance that hath bin wrought for us but are up with their What how and wherein Tell them as here that the Lord hath done great things for us and they are angry presently and part companyes Tell them of a captivity of Zion that is turned and they laugh as much at the turning as at the Zion But are ye aware of their reason Quest Answ I conceive it to be this The men are delinquents perhaps in person or else in party and therefore should they acknowledge a Deliverance Next it will be enquired from what and whom we are delivered And the Answer to this Question might start new queres which may reflect upon themselves their friends or faction I therefore commend the pollicy of the men though neither their Piety nor Ingenuity 1. Not their Piety for had they piety either towards their Religion or Country they might see and could not but be sensible of the many great inrodes and invasions which have bin made of late upon both and those by no meane ones too as we see the justice of this Blessed Parliament doth daily discover more and more foundations out of course in Church and State 2. And their Ingenuity seemes as little too in that they deny or lessen that which the finger of God and the justice of the whole Kingdome representative have both found and poynted out But to stop the mouthes of such detracters by Authority therefore let them now know and see to their peril that Thankesgiving for Deliverance is in print commanded by the supreame Court and Councell of the Kingdome therefore we are delivered Quest From what or whom Answ From Warrs
with Amalek in Rephidim though Moses Aaron and Hur were not with Joshuab in the battell yet their lives liberties and Religion lay at the same stake as much as his or any mans else in the Campe. And upon this ground it was 1 Sam. 30. that David returning with victory over those Amalekites which had spoyled Ziklag alotted as great a share to those which tarryed by the stuffe ver 24. as to them who went to battell As his part is that goeth downe to the battell so shall his part be that tarryeth by the stuffe they shall part alike Brethren this is a true rule concerning all publike hazards and contestations of or for the true Church whether by Armes or by Counsells every member doth share both in the good and evill successes This is the argument with which Mordecai doth presse Esther so closely to adventure her selfe for the deliverance of the Iewes Esth 4. v. 13. Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the Iewes i.e. True thou art the Kings wife but yet being a Iew the Iewish case concerneth thee also so as if the Iewes are cut off the destruction will find out thee even in the Royall Palace Thus the great Counfell of this Kingdome now assembled doth neerely concerne every member of the Church and State There is not the poorest Mechanick nay childe or servant that hath an estate a body or a soule but behold they all doe lye now at stake therefore it behoves every member to bestirre himselfe to the uttermost 2. They must sirre at such times Reason 2 because it seemes that then is Gods time when he is neere them for their good There is a time and a season saith the Preacher for every action and to misse that time is dangerous A time to kill Eccles 3. v. 1. to 8. and a time to heale a time to breake downe and a time to build up a time to get and a time to lose a time to keepe and a time to cast away Man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evill net Eccles 9. v. 12. and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them Thus not only private persons but even whole Nations and States have their good times in which helpe deliverance and reliefe are offered unto them from the Lord in which there is great likelihood of obtaining pardon and purging both in Religion and Lawes Beloved such a season is it for England every time that God and the King doth give us an happy and peaceable meeting in Parliament Pro 11. v. 14. Pro. 24. v. 6. as 't is said Where no counsell is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety And by wise counsell thou shalt make thy warre and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety Joh 5. v. 4. Therefore that is one speciall season We reade of the poole of Bethesda that an Angell went downe at a certaine season into the poole and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had If a sicke man had stepped into that poole before the Angell stirred the waters he should have found none efficacy in them or if he had delayed long after then it would have bin too late the only proper season was first after the troubling of the water Such seasons are there for whole States to step in and be healed 3. Reason 3 Every true member must then bestirre it selfe because afterwards it may be too late to stirre When Esaus birth-right was sold Heb. 12. v. 16 17 Gen. 27. v. 3â— 37. his teares came too late When the blessing was gone then his prayers teares and venison came too late Thus a Nation also may overstand the day of their peace both in respect of spirituall and politke happinesses So Ierusalem Luk. 19. v. 42. If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day c. Whilst Prophets could and did prophesy in Ierusalem whilst men of Counsell and Armes remained in her and had liberty and encouragement so long she was in a faire way and then prayers humiliations informations c. might happily have done her some good but at last the case was altered for those able pillars were taken away Behold Isa 3. v. 1. ver 2. the Lord the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staffe The mighty man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet and the prudent and the ancient the Captaine of fifty ver 3. and the honourable man and the Counseller and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Oratour Whilest these great helpes remained with them perhaps as I said use of meanes might have done some good But now that the yron is cold 't is too late to strike Therefore pray not thou for this people Jer. 7. v. 16. neither lift up a cry nor prayer for them c. These three Reasons proove it sufficiently That in times of solemne Contestation c. 1. REPROOFE Application Vse 1 This doth command me to rebuke sharply divers sorts of Offenders against this rule but especially these two those that are Carelesse or Opposites in such a time 1. The Carelesse which scarcely take notice of such golden opportunities and seasons As the bruit-beasts know no difference betwixt working-dayes and the Sabbath but only by their ease and rest So there is a generation of bruitish people who take little notice or regard of Warrs or Parliaments but only so farre as may touch their present sensuall particulars Acornes they can taste like Swine but as for Oakes from whence they dropp those Trees are too high for their crooked and stooping thoughts to contemplate The state of Religion and the weale-publicke are things which the greater number of people thinke least upon but doe say that they must leave the former to Church-men and the latter to Counsellours of State just like those sottish Russians the common-people of Muscovy of whom it is said that if you aske them but an ordinary question touching their Religion or laws the answer is God and our great Duke doe know all things they can tell Brethren as I would not have meane men to go above their latchet as they say that is to seeke to know above that which is meet for them both in affairs of Church and Common-wealth so I beleeve that even private persons may sin greatly by too much ignorance of publike affaires especially in these times when as we hope the Carpenters are cutting off those hornes which have scattered Judah Those two Disciples going to Emmaus Zech 1.20 21. seemed to reprove our Saviour not knowing him to be our Saviour because he made himselfe ignorant of the great new affairs
Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord I meane the sence of fresh deliverance should strengthen our faith to trust to the Lord more perfectly it should enlarge our love to cleave unto him more affectionately it should kindle our zeale to stand for him more couragiously and so in all the rest of our graces This of all sort of prayses is the highest 2. Another Branch are Prayers The use of this duty is commanded and the nature parts and qualifications prescribed in one and the same Text by Saint Paul to his sonne Timothy 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty I need to goe no further then those two verses for the foundation or limits of my discourse in the present point Let us therefore fully discusse the words In them we may observe these three generals 1. The severall sorts of prayers which are to be made and those are foure Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks 2. The persons for whom all those prayers must be put up Generally all men i.e. all rankes indefinitely More specially for Kings c. 3. The scope drift and end of our prayers for them it must be peace and quietnesse but with two qualifications the first Spirituall Godlinesse the other Morall Honestie As for the middlemost of three heads viz. the persons especially to be prayed for they are the Supreme Majesty and the houses of Parliament and 't is most evident I shall insist upon the other two the first and the last viz. 1. The sorts of prayers to be made for them 1. Supplications 2. Prayers 3. Intercessions and 4. giving of Thanks 'T is generally agreed by all good Subjects that the King and High Court ought to be prayed for and many doe fumble about the duty give me leave to set my selfe and you in a right way it is this saith Saint Paul we must make for them 1. Supplications Deprecations is the proper English word To deprecate in their behalfe is to pray off from them all evils of sin or punishment feared or felt whether in soules bodies or estates 'T is a Defensive Prayer to pray them safe and sound from all dangers To give an instance or two in Scripture First to pray for the removall of all bad Counsellors Take away the wicked from before the King Prov. 25. v. 5. and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Next for Security and safeguard from plots and enemies Psal 61. v. 6 7. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life and his yeares as many generations O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Thus we must Deprecate all evill from King and Parliament 2. Prayers Which most generall name is used because it doth signifie the largest Branch of all namely Petition We must beg for them all gifts graces and mercies not onely in truth but in the highest degree especially for governing gifts and graces in the most superlative measure As Wisedome and Judgement is one So in Salomons prayer at Gibeon And now O Lord my God 1 King 3. v. 7. ver 8. thou hast made thy servant King c. And now thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen a great people c. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people ver 9. that I may discerne between good and bad Next the Feare and dread of the Lord. Moreover Exod 18. v. 21. 2 Chr. 19. v. 6. thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as feare God c. And he said to the Judges take heed what ye doe for ye iudge not for man but for the Lord. ver 7. Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it Againe The spirit of Courage and Zeale saith Jehosaphat Deale couragiously ver 11. and the Lord shall be with the good 3 Intercessions We must not onely deprecate all evill from them and petition for all good things upon them but also we must postulare intercede pleade wrestle and strive with God in prayer as is said in another case Rom. 15. v. 30. For the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit we should strive together with them in our prayers to God for them ver 31. that they may be delivered from them that doe not beleeve and that their service which they have for England may be accepted of the Saints In great and extraordinary times of hope and danger the Lord will not be moved with few and ordinary prayers Gen. 32 v. 6. ver 7. See Jacobs perillous condition in his returne from his Unckle Laban he is told that his twise offended brother Esau commeth against him with foure hundred men then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed But how doth he wind out of this trouble Loe an ordinary striving is not enough ver 24. ver 25. At Peniel Iacob was left alone And there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day and he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joynt ver 28. and he wrestled with him Then said God as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed It cost him an ache yea an halting to prevaile with God in such a grand extremity Diffiâ—ilia quae pulâ—â—ra Good things are difficult Once more see what labour it cost Elijah and his servant to obtaine raine for Israel 1 Kin. 18. v. 42. after three yeares drought in the land And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and he cast himselfe downe upon the earth and put his face between his knees What a painfull groveling posture was that ver 43. And he said to his servant goe up now looke toward the Sea and he went up and looked and said there is nothing And he said goe againe seven times and it came to passe at the severth time that he said Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the Sea ver 44. like a mans hand c. Thus Brethren it hath been a long time of drought with us many of our clouds in Church and state though they have hid the face of our Sunne from us yet have proved to the land but as clouds without water Jud v. 12. carried about with diverse â—inâ—s so that we have wanted both the former and the latter raine in their seasons Now what meanes are to be usâ—d that the Lord may be moved to send a gracious raine upon this his Inheritance Psal 68. v. 9. and to refresh it now it is weary Looke upon this zealous Elijah get we all up to our closâ—ts and there cast downe our selves upon the earth with