no doubt by the Prince of the Power of the Air on behalf of his Children of Darkness to obstruct our Landing But the mighty God and terrible was with us and deliver'd us all from the Peril of the Seas bringing us back to Hell-voot Sluce And after that we had offer'd to him there the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for so merciful a Deliverance and tarried there about 11 days then did Almighty God send us a fair Wind which brought us all safely into Torbay where our most renown'd and blessed Prince landed And we were no sooner come into the Bay but the everlasting Arms were about us and changed the Wind which hindred our then Adversaries from pursuing us Who dares deny bu◠this was the Lords own doing and ought not to be forgotten of this Nation but to be marvellous in our Eyes For here was the Finger of God as our very Enemies confess'd And afterwards when we were come to Exeter how wonderfully did the Almighty turn the Hearts of this whole Nation and the opposite Army as the Heart of one Man towards this most valorous and mighty Prince insomuch that very little or no Blood was shed in this blessed and glorious Revolution Again was not the living and true God the best Defence unto our most gracious Sovereign Lord K. William and his Army when he passed the River at Drogheda vulgarly called the River Boyn when as the Enemy was so advantagiously encamped Yet how soon did the Lord strike Terror into all their Hearts and they fled before us Oh there is no question to be made but that the eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth shelter'd our gracious King under his mighty Wings and encompass'd him about with his Favour and Protection and we hope and pray that he will still do so unto him for ever and ever Here is then a very sharp Reproof unto all wicked and unbelieving Hearts who are even distracted and at their Wits end at the very noise of a giddy Multitude As if the everliving and terrible Majesty of Heaven and Earth even the Lord Jehovah's Hand was shortned As if he was not as able to bless and preserve their most excellent Majesties in these days as he was in our Fore-fathers time Or as if he could not cover them and this Nation with the mighty Wings of his Providence from all Perils and Dangers of the Enemy now as he hath done all along Oh take notice then all ye faint-hearted faithlels and unbelieving Souls of those words of the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 32. 18 19 27. Behold I am the great the mighty God the Lord of Hosts is my Name I am the God of all Flesh great in Counsel and mighty in Work Is there any thing too hard for me Are you so foolish and unwise as to think that all the Plots Conspiracies and Devices which are against my faithful Servants who fulfil my Will shall ever prevail Do you imagine that I who am the most just and righteous Governor of the World do not regard those my Deputies which rule according to the Truth of my holy Word and are a Terror to the Evil and a Praise to them that do well I tell you plainly That no Weapon form'd against such holy Princes shall prosper For I who am the great King of Heaven and Earth will certainly pull down all such as walk contrary to my Laws and I will bring to nought the Adversaries of my Church like Lambs to the Slaughter And the mighty Men of Babylon shall tremble for fear and forbear to fight They shall remain in their Holds and in their Camps their Might and Strength shall fail 'em and they shall be beaten and destroyed One Post shall run to meet another and one Messenger shall hasten to meet his Fellow To shew the King of Babylon the great and terrible Works of the most high God what Desolations or what an Overthrow the Lord whose Name is Jehovah hath wrought for his own Heritage against their Adversaries And then shall Tidings be spread through the Earth that the Babylonish Forces by Sea and Land are utterly confounded For every purpose of the Lord against Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon shall be perform'd to make him know and feel that God alone is to be feared throughout the whole Earth And tho' he hath devour'd the Heritage of the Lord yet his Heart shall melt away for fear and for those things which are coming upon him Jer. 51. 30 31 33 40. Alas what if the Adversaries of the Lord have gotten a second Chrysippus among 'em which probably may be able to speak well of every thing Or what if they have a second Achitophel But to go higher What if they have a second Aristotle or a second Solomon Yet still so long as we have the Almighty most terrible and all wise for our Defence who is the Fountain of all Wisdom and Knowledg and the Giver of Courage and Strength Deliverance and Salvation we need not to care Suppose we want some of the Beams so we have but the Sun it self And what matter is it if we want some of the Streams when we have the pure Spring Nay corrupt Streams and muddy and deceitful Branches are very unwholesome and infectious unto the Body Politick and therefore if they are dryed up or wasted we need not to care But now for the Church of God to hold fast together and to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one Heart in one place is a very good and joyful thing and no doubt exceeding acceptable in the sight of God our heavenly Father And I hope every one that hath the fear of God before his Eyes and the least regard to the welfare of their Majesties and their Kingdoms or to their own Salvation will not be remiss in joyning with the Church in Prayer upon our solemn Fast-days For tho' it cannot be denied but that the effectual fervent Prayer of one righteous Man avails much yet it must be granted that the joynt Prayers of a Congregation or rather of the whole Church prevail infinitely more One Stick may make a Fire but many Sticks put together will make a great and hot Fire One String of an Instrument may make a sound but many Strings a melodious Harmony One single Prayer in our Closets may be a Sacrifice but the Prayers of a whole Kingdom makes a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling Savour and therefore the Psalmist calls the publick Prayers of the Church a worshipping of the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness Psal 29. 2. We read of those Worthies how couragious they were for to keep Faith and a good Conscience Yea so valiant for the Lord's cause that they loved not their Lives unto Death Hence says that Champion of the Apostles None of these things move me neither count I my Life dear unto my self so that I may finish my Course with Joy c. Saviat persequendo nihil in me moritur nisi mortale erit in
loosed and thy Knees to smite one against another to consider How many thousands of Souls are now crying under the Altar against thee saying How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judg and avenge our Blood on that cruel Tyrant that dwells on the Earth who hath spilt it like Water on every side Oh will it not once be Rev. 6. 10. Secondly from the Testimony of his Holy Spirit which declares plainly That in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Multitude of Men or Ships from the Hills or from the Mountains or from any human Force or Power for truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of his People And says the Prophet David The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom then shall I fear The Lord is the Strength of my Life of whom shall I be affraid When the Wicked even my Foes came upon me to eat up my Flesh they stumbled and fell Psal 26. 1 2. c. Now to shew this great Truth That when once the Lord is departed from any Nation or People Fleet or Army it cannot prosper or stand We may take notice of God's own People themselves the Children of Israel who when they tempted and provoked the most-high God to Anger and so caused him to depart from them and forsake his Dwelling place how unsuccessful they were then in all their Wars being commonly discomfited of their Enemies As by Chushan-rishathaim King of Mesopotamia whom they served eight Years And by Eglon King of Moab whom they were subject to eighteen Years and the cause you read was by reason the Lord was departed from them Judg. 3. 8 12. Moreover we find such another Passage between Israel and Amalek as long as Moses that familiar Friend of God held up his Hand and thereby caused the Lord to be with his People Then they prevailed over their Enemies But as soon as Moses's Hands were let down and the Lord was departed from the People of Israel then Amalek prevailed over them Oh where the infinite Majesty of the living and true God is present there it cannot go any otherwise but well whether it be Fleet or Army for every thing that 's done there shall prosper But where the most-high is not present or among them there be sure it cannot be well or prosper be their Power outwardly never so great and their Forces never so strong An Example of this we may see in Zerah the King of Ethiopia who came against Asa with the greatest Army that ever we read of in sacred or prophane History Even an Host of a thousand thousand and three hundred Chariots And Asa cryed unto the Lord his God and said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no Power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name we go against this Multitude O Lord thou art our God let not Man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judas and the Ethiopians fled 2 Chron. 14. 11 12. Alas It is not a vast and well disciplin'd Army altho' God knows most Men now have an Eye to that chiefly nor the Strength of Ships nor the Skill of Seamen nor the Courage and Conduct of Officers no nor yet the greatness and goodness of Artillery that gains the Victory but it s the Lord of Hosts himself that fights the Battel and gives the Victory to whom he will altho' it cannot be denied but that all these fore-mentioned Things are absolutely needful and as the secondary Causes of Victory David tells Goliath thus saying Thou comest to me depending altogether on thy own Strength and well furnish'd and prepared for Battel as with a Sword with a Spear and with a Shield But now I come to thee otherwise not so much confiding in my own Strength as on Gods And indeed I am sure my Strength will not fail me and therefore I will smite thee and give thy Carcass unto the Fowls of the Air That all the World may see and know that thou O Lord whose Name is Jehovah art the strongest and highest over all the Earth And where God taketh the part and is present among an Army then there all the Enchantments Plots diabolical Arts or Conspiracies are altogether invalid and ineffectual And he who is the Eye of his own People will soon discover them and bring the Plotters to shame and confusion as Balak told Balaam concerning Israel saying Surely there is no Enchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Israel for the Lord his God is with him And it shall be said in the Lord 's due time of our Fleet and Army What hath God wrought Oh what a Victory was this When the strong holds are surpriz'd and the mighty Mens Hearts in Moab who have magnified themselves against the Lord and his Truth and have worship'd other Gods Wood and Stone shall tremble and be as the Heart of a Woman in Pangs Be still then ye Adversaries of God and Traytors to the best of Princes speak no more so proudly against the Heritage of the Almighty For know you assuredly that God even our own God will find an occasion to bring down the Arrogancy of the Proud and will lay low the Haughtiness of the Terrible So much then for Confirmation of our first Lesson Let us in the next place sincerely endeavour to improve this to our selves that so the Lord our God may be glorified in our Body and Spirits which are his that we being deliver'd out of the Hands of her Enemies may serve him without fear Here is then first an Inference of no small Comfort unto the Church of God militant here on Earth in this crooked and perverse Generation wherein all manner of Vice and Wickedness abounds daily and Piety and Righteousness are such Strangers To consider That altho' War be risen against the People of God yet he is in the midst of his Church to defend and keep her that she shall not be moved by all the Storms of Trouble and fierce Darts of the Devil which are bent wholly against her Nor by all the Plots and Conspiracies of the Children of Darkness because the eternal God will keep her safe from the Snare of the Fowler and Malice of evil Spirits Oh what a Comfort is this unto every true Believer and Child of the most-high to ponder with it self That tho' the Adversaries of the Lord and his Church may be far more in number and much stronger in outward appearance yet when the Captain of the Host of the Lord stands ready with his Sword drawn in his Hand to fight for his People then they signifie nothing at all and he can smite 'em down even at one Blow as he did unto the great and mighty Armies of the King of Canaan And the People of the ever-blessed Jehovah have with them always whole Hosts of glorious Angels and invisible Spirits for to take their
part against the Enemy of God and his Truth But which is yet a farther Addition to the Churches comfort That if her Enemies be better provided for War and preparâ—d for Battel seemingly and externally yet nevertheless the most holy and terrible Majesty of Heaven and Earth who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in all and without whom all other helps and means are invalid and insignificant is of a certain departed and gone from them and their Idolatrous and Superstitious Camp As we may collect from the Record of the Spirit of Truth which says What Concord hath Christ with Belial And what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Oh! can we imagine that the most holy One who charges the Angels with Folly and is of purer Eyes than to behold evil will abide or continue there and among such a People where the Glory which is due unto none but him alone is day by day given another and his Praise to graven Images See Isa 42. 8. It cannot be thought justly of him for he is a jealous God and when he doth visit he will do it to the purpose But on the other hand it cannot be denied but that the omnipotent Jehovah may seemingly withdraw his Presence and hide his blessed Face for a small Moment from his Church which is the only Excellency wherein he delights and as dear to him as the very Apple of his own Eye Yet be it known that he will never fail nor forsake her but rejoyce over her as a Bridegroom doth over his Bride and will give her his holy Spirit to comfort her and guide her into all Truth Nay he will be with her always even unto the end of the World And this leaving of his Church for a while is for her everlasting good for the Tryal of her Faith Patience and Constancy which is more precious than of Gold that perishes tho' it be tryed by Fire That she may be found a holy and reform'd Church without Spot and Blameless unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of her dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 7. And since the Lord of Hosts himself is our Portion and Inheritance our best and only Help and Strength our safest Defence and Horn of Salvation on whom alone we wholly depend in these deceitful Days wherein no trust is to be given to Man Then there is no cause for us to be cast down or any ways dismayed at the blasphemous Speeches of any wicked Rabshaketh or at the Pride and Arrogancy of an Idolatrous Sennacherib Tho' he hath laid waste some small Towns and Villages that are adjacent unto his Territories and reproached his Maker the everliving God O tarry ye the Lord's leisure with Meekness and Patience ye Children of the most-high For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Oh the Thoughts of the most Just and Terrible God are not as ours and his ways are past finding out For there 's no doubt of it but he suffers him to fulfil the number of his Sins and fill up the measure of his Transgressions which are not perhaps full ripe for Judgment And then he will cause his own Terribleness inevitably to deceive him and the Pride of his own evil Heart to lay him low in an Hour that he is not aware of as his did sometimes to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon while the very Word was in his Mouth And who can tell but that his Day is come and that happy time is at hand wherein the most terrible Majesty of the eternal King the mighty Lord will call him to an account for all his Wickedness and the Blood of his Saints and dear Children which he spilt like Water and will shew his Power on him by making him to know and feel That the Most-high ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will And none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Nay will compel him at last to confess with Adonibezek saying As I have done so God hath requited me Dan. 4. 25 35. Judg. 1. 7. What mean then all these causless and unjust Murmurings and Complainings in our Streets which I hear about the Times Know ye not what the Preacher speaks Say not thou What is the cause that the former Days were better than these For thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this Eccles 7. 10. What 's the Matter O foolish People and unwise that ye have not Patience to wait God's time Do not ye understand this That you cannot have an Apple or a Nut but you must tarry its proper Period and let it bud and blossom and knit and grow and ripen And does not the Apostle tell thee That the Husbandman waits with long Patience for the precious Fruits of the Earth And must you be impatient and limit God in his own Work It is a grief to think on it that there are a sort of People among us which are not unlike to those Spies apt to bring an evil Report upon their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land and extolling the French in all Company always wheresoever they go Sure such are evil-minded and unbelieving Hearts The Spies said The Land of Canaan was a Land which did eat up its Inhabitants and all the People thereof were Giants or Men of a great Stature And so persuaded the Children of Israel they were not able to go up against them they were so strong Thus they consider'd not that the most high God was with them whithersoever they went that he was their Defence and Strength and fought all their Battels Whereupon they provoked him to Wrath against 'em and he destroyed those Spies and false Reporters before his Face by the Plague for their evil Reports and sware that not one of them which had seen his Glory and Miracles which he wrought in Egypt and in the Wilderness and yet for all murmured and complained against his Deputies Moses and Aaron should enter into the Land but die in the Wilderness for their Unbelief â—ave his Servants Caleb and Joshua In like manner our false Reporters Murmurers and Complainers cry Ah we shall be all ruin'd and undone by the French And tho' they do not say they are Giants yet all their Cry is They are too strong for us not considering that the Almighty God is our Defence Depart then from among God's People ye evil and unbelieving Hearts for you weaken the Hands of the Almighty and discourage his People as much as you can But let me tell you to your Faces That the mighty God hath deliver'd our Nation sundry times out of far greater Dangers than I hope we are now in And sure I am that the Lord's Hand is not shortned that he cannot save us now as well as he hath done in our Fathers and Fore-fathers days Yea not long since in our own Remembrance if our crying National Sins our Murmurings Complainings without cause and our wicked and
unbelieving Hearts do not hinder him Be warn'd then by the Example of the Spies ye false Reporters and ye Murmurers and Complainers by the Israelites lest you provoke the most-high God to Anger and make him swear in his Wrath That none of you all which have either seen with your Eyes or heard with your Ears the many great Deliverances which the Lord of Hosts hath wrought for this Kingdom before our time but more especially not many years since by the Hands of our most gracious K. William that mighty Prince of Valour whom the Lord hath raised up for to be a Deliverer of his reform'd Church shall ever be so happy as to live to see or hear of Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace to embrace each other in all parts of Europe Oh be asham'd and blush ye false Reporters and causless and unjust Murmurers and Complainers and give the Lord the Praises due unto his most holy Name and render unto the King the Honour and Obedience which is due unto his Majesty who hath graciously given you your Lives for a Prey when as ye were appointed as Sheep to the Slaughter Good God! Wherefore doth a living Man now complain Whereas not long since you would willingly have given all that you had for your Lives and Safety And do ye now grudg to pay a little Mony towards the War Is it possible that Christians should be thus ungrateful and forget their Danger so soon and be willing to return again into Egypt I mean Are you willing to be reduc'd to Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power again Or rather to be in subjection to French Dragoons God forbid Search then and try your ways and meddle no more with our blessed Governors and Government which does not concern you But busie your Heads about your own Occasions and turn thus again unto the Lord And then we have no cause to fear but that God even our own God shall give this Kingdom his Blessing God shall bless their Majesties and their Forces and prosper their Arms both by Sea and Land and all the ends of the World shall fear him because they shall see or hear of the mighty Salvation which he hath wrought for his Church and People Secondly This may caution and admonish the whole Nation in general but in a more especial manner you that belong to the Fleet or Army in this most deceitful Age of ours for to take heed and beware of all disaffected and treacherous Persons which have no fear of God before their Eyes and therefore will make it no scruple of Conscience to start aside from their Duty and Allegiance unto their present Majesties like a deceitful Bow upon the first occasion And let me declare my Mind freely and tell you That I am persuaded there are not a few who have listed themselves in this present Service both by Sea and Land on meer purpose as Joab speaks of Abner to King David 2 Sam. 3. 25. to deceive their Majesties and to know their going out and their coming in and to know all that they do and what Forces they have by Sea and Land in a readiness and then to inform the Enemy therewith the first opportunity And therefore I may boldly say you that are gone forth to War cannot be too circumspect and diligent in searching the Minds and Hearts of all those employed in the Service And to further you herein we beseech the great Searcher of all Hearts and Tryer of the Reins for to discover all evil and disaffected Persons and private Traytors daily both by Sea and Land that so they may be put to Shame and Confusion And we will heartily pray That the everlasting Arms may be underneath their Majesties King William and Queen Mary that they may be compass'd about with the Favour and Protection of the Almighty and prosper in all their ways But let all their Enemies O our God fall down and flee before them and their Arms Amen What can Rebels expect at the Hands of the Immortal King which is immutable and most faithful But that he should command such unfaithful Persons to be bound Hand and Foot and cast among their Fellows the Apostate Angels there to be kept in everlasting Chains under Darkness and to dwell with devouring Fire and everlasting Burnings For the terrible and most holy God declares to us That he equally abhors both the Blood thirsty and deceitful treacherous Man And wise Solomon tells us That whoso provoketh the King to Wrath and is deceitful to him Sins against his own Soul Prov. 20. 2. He means thus That the Soul of a Traytor shall suffer in the World to come altho' his Body may escape it here on Earth For be it known unto all Men That a King that rules in the fear of the Lord and according to the Truth of his holy Word can never be honour'd or obey'd enough by his Subjects and ought to be priz'd as dear unto that Kingdom as the Eye to the Body and is as necessary for its Prosperity as the Sun is to the Firmament which gives both Light and Life and makes all the Earth become fruitful That Counsel of Vegetius unto a Prince is not to be despised What you have to do confer with many what ye will do with very few or none but your own self For there are no better Counsels than those which the Enemy knoweth not before they are put in Execution But to speak to you that are employ'd by their Majesties in this Holy War Let me charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels for to hold fast your Loyalty your Allegiance and Obedience unto our gracious King and Queen without wavering And make it one part of your business for to provoke one another daily thereunto now in these evil Days above all other times and so much the more as you see or hear of the hour of Battel approaching Wherein I I question not but the strong God will manifest his great Power and mighty Arm unto the World and especially against your Enemies in your behalf if you do but trust in him and call upon him duly by Prayer But in the next place as this ought to caution and admonish every one in the whole Nation to beware of disaffected Persons and Traytors So in a more peculiar manner to take good heed of provoking the most-high God to Anger against us or our Hosts by our unrepented of and unmortified Sins We know that Righteousness exalteth a Nation but Sin is a Reproach to any People And for it the Land it self mourns and the Fleet and Army is in no small danger because the weight of our National Transgressions do out-weigh others I am affraid in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Oh that all persons then from the highest to the lowest would but seriously turn to God with Fasting Weeping and Mourning Oh that the whole Nation would but be of one Mind and Heart upon our
therefore I Pray let us all Worship the Lord with a Holy Worship Secondly he is most Wise and therefore no Policy or Subtilty of his Adversaries can inveigle him He sees all their Snares and Conspiracies and all their secret Thoughts and hath them in derision For he taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness and maketh Diviners mad Thirdly he is most able and of greatest Power and Might and hence he encourages his Servant Abraham saying I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17 1. Then for his Titles He is called Jehovah or rather Jehueh which signifies his being is of himself Esa 42. 8. and he is called Elohim which denotes the Glorious Trinity Elohim Bara The Mighty God or the three Persons in the Trinity Ben Rua Ab the Son the Spirit and the Father He is called El which is as much as strong God and signifies That God is not only most strong and Fortitude it self in his own Essence But it is he alone that gives Strength and Power unto all his People and hence t' was that the Holy and Blessed Jesus in his Agony on the Cross Cried out Eloi Eloi which in the Syrian Tongue signifies my strong God my strong God c. He is called in another place Shaddai which is Almighty the Septuagint Translates it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a derivative Word and comes from Dai sufficiency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentia qua sibi suisque sufficit And of Shad a Dug or Breast To signifie that God is all-sufficient and able to supply the wants and necessities of his Children whatsoever they are like the huge Ocean which fills every Creek which the Shallow narrow Rivulets of the Creatures largest and best perfections cannot do Hence the Church says the Lord is her Portion and therefore she will hope in him Lamen 3. 24. And David says his People shall not want any thing that is good Another Title of God is Jah and this is given to him when he hath wrought some Notable Deliverance and therefore says the Psalmist Extol him that Rideth upon the Heavens by his Name Jah and Rejoyce before him Psal 68. 4. And again the Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer The God of my Rock in him will I trust he is my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation my high Tower and my Refuge my Saviour c. 2 Sam. 22. 2 3. Who then can be a Defence like unto God Almighty who hath always in a readiness for the help and Redemption of his Church and People out of the greatest dangers and to Rescue them out of the Hands of their most inveterate Enemies at his own Pleasure besides his own Omnipotent Arm the least Finger whereof can beat down the strongest Mountain to Powder and rend the Flintiest Rock into Pieces innumerable Hosts or Armies of Angels one of which killed in the Camp of the Assyrians one Hundred fourscore and five Thousand in one Night 2 King 19. 35. Chariots of Fire even a Thousand Thousand in the Whirlwind That fair Glorious Giant which with incredible swiftness runs Day by Day Post through the Heavens for to stand still or retire as it did at Joshua's Command The impetuous Current of the raging Sea to recoyl or go back The Merciless Flames of the hungry Fire to become a sweet refreshing Air The implacable Fury of the most enraged Lions to Couch at the first Word for his Servants sake and safety Nay if need be the great and terrible God hath Caterpillars and Frogs Worms and Lice even those impotent silly Creatures for to fetch Blood and pull down the Pride and Heart of the most Rebellious Pharaoh and to eat out the very Bowels of the most cruel Herod see Acts. 12. 23. And immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him and he was eaten of Worms and gave up the Ghost Secondly By the manifold Deliverances of his Church and People in all Ages of the World we have a Cloud of Witnesses to confirm this But I shall confine my self unto some few Was not the Almighty only the best Defence unto righteous Noah in that terrible Flood which drown'd all the World except 8 Persons To the Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob To Abraham against Abimelech King of Gerar and also when he rescued his Brother Lot out of the Hands of the Enemies To Isaac when he was taken and bound and laid upon the Altar just ready to be sacrificed by Abraham yea so near the point was he that his Fathers hand was lifted up with the Knife but yet an Angel of the Lord stayed him To Jacob against Esau his Brother and Laban his Father in Law Unto the Seed of Jacob or People of Israel in Egypt and in the Wilderness Unto Moses in the Bulrushes David in Saul's Court and Jeremiah and Baruch against Jehoiakim King of Judah when he sent to destroy them for their Prophesies for tho' they were commanded to hide themselves yet it s said The Lord hid them Jer. 36. 19 26. Alas our own hiding will not do it must be Gods our now clasping our Arms about our selves is the ready way to drown us whereas spreading our Hands forth to Heaven may save us Then in the new Testament Was not the Lord of Hosts the best Defence unto Peter when he was kept in Prison by four Quaternons of Soldiers To Paul when he deliver'd him out of the Lion's Mouth 2 Tim. 4. 17. And what are the 121st and 124th Psalms but a Confirmation of this Truth Does not the Church say If the Lord himself had not been on our side when Men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at us But to come down to Examples in the last Century of the World Was not the great and mighty God the best Defence to Q. Elizabeth of blessed Memory and these Kingdoms when all Europe conspired together against her and sent the Spanish Fleet which was term'd the Invincible Armado by reason of its Strength and number of Ships for to overthrow her and introduce Popery into this Nation But alas how suddenly was this great Fleet overcome and dispers'd here and there about the British Seas by her grand Defence even our God! To K. James I. and our Nation when that horrid Powder Plot was discover'd and laid open by the unsearchable Wisdom and Goodness of the Lord that cruel Plot I say which was hatch'd in Hell and carried on with the greatest Secrets by those Engins of Beelzebub and Soul-Deceivers and Murderers the Jesuits and Priests of the Roman Faction which said God and Man had concur'd to punish the Iniquity of the Times But to come to some Examples in our Days which our Eyes have seen and Ears heard Oh was not the Lord Jehovah the best Defence of that mighty Prince of Valour now our gracious K. William and his whole Fleet in the midst of very a terrible Storm raised
me aliquid ubi persecutor pervenire non possit ubi Deus meus habitat Let Man be never so sharp in persecuting yet nothing dies in me but what is mortal Nevertheless there will be something in me at which the cruel Persecutor cannot come where my blessed God dwelleth Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon Earth that I desire beside thee But as this reproves all wicked and unbelieving Hearts so in the next place it is no small Encouragement unto all the Servants of the most high God for to fear him and serve him in Truth with a perfect Heart and willing Mind For it is an undeniable Assertion That such a Kingdom or People cannot be moved or shaken by any terrible Blasts of the Devil or his Instruments who hath the eternal Lord for its Strength and Defence And I may truly say that there are no times so very Perillous nor Days so very Evil but that they may be made easie and happy unto every Child of God and Believer in Jesus Christ I mean the dangerousness and badness of these times which many groundlesly and unjustly complain of may be reduced to an equality with the Peace Safety and Comfort of better times Yea may be made equal unto the best of Days which this present World commonly affords unto the Church militant As the sharpness of a very cold and pinching Season may by a proportionable addition of warm Cloathes the use of good Fires and the like be made as little offensive to a Man's Constitution as a temperate Season is Or as a Man who is shut up close in a most strong or impregnable Castle and is there sufficiently provided and stored with all things necessary as Men Arms Mony Powder Ball c. Is in as much or rather more safety and freer from all danger altho' he be encompassed about and besieged by his inveterate and implacable Enemies at the same time than another Man is who hath no Enemies at all seemingly near him In like manner when once a Man hath the great and mighty God for his Defence and the covering of his Almighty Wings spreading over him and underneath him the everlasting Arms which Moses speaks of Deut. 32. 27. Then what Bullets soever are flying about him what Cannons soever are roaring against him what Storms soever are rising what Waves or Billows soever are raging what Enemies soever are Plotting yea what Perils or Dangers soever he may be seemingly in yet notwithstanding all he is most safe he is most secure in God who is a firm Rock near a most raging Sea a sure Shield amidst Showers of invenom'd Darts And 't is one and the same thing unto such a Man for to be in the very midst of a Battel either by Sea or Land among the thundring Guns and Showers of small Shot which falls round about him like Hail as to be in the Walks of a most pleasant Garden and hear the sweetest singing of Birds The sound of Alarum by a Drum or Trumpet is as acceptable to him as the voice of the Turtle Because he can always and in every place rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation as the Church does Hab. 3. 18. Alas A Man can but be safe a Man can but be secure and at rest and ease in his Mind if he lived in those halcion Days or golden Times prophesied of by the Psalmist When the Mountains shall bring Peace to the People and the â—â—ttle Hills Righteousness Psal 72. 3. That is to say when neither High nor Low King nor People shall be troublesome one to another nor disturb each other But the Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little Child shall lead them Verily the condition of a true Child of Light and Heir of Glory be he in the Wars either by Sea or by Land abroad or at home is always thus blessed and happy thus at ease and rest in his own Breast and Conscience because he is kept in perfect Peace by him who is the Prince of Peace Whereas 't is far otherwise with an ungodly wicked Man who is like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose Waters cast up Mire and Dirt. There is no Peace saith my God to the Wicked You then that are gone forth to War against the Enemies of the Lord and his Church whether you are by Land or by Water let me beseech you in Christ's stead and for his sake to receive this wholsome and profitable Advice and let it take deep Root in all your Hearts and be continually in your Mind Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength for he bringeth down them that are Proud and exalteth the Humble and Meek Isa 26. 4. 5. What could you wish for more than Strength Yes but here is everlasting Strength What could you desire more than Defence Yes But here is Defence and Safety Courage and a Blessing Oh our gracious and merciful God hath always some Twigs left for to preserve and keep his elect People above Water when they suspect themselves to be most in danger For he hath either the Castle of his Providence the Ark of his Promise or the All sufficiency of his Grace and Goodness for the safety and retirement of his Children and Servants in the greatest of Storms How did he defend David and his little Company when Saul and his Army had almost encompassed him about Alas you must expect to meet with some rubs in your way towards the Celestial Canaan and through many Tribulations you must enter into the Kingdom of God Non est ad astra mollis e terris via all true Christians know well that the Church is militant here on Earth and therefore the Saints commonly sow here in Tears that they may reap hereafter in Joy We must all expect to fight the Lords Battel here on Earth which St. Paul terms a good sight that we may acquire the Victory and receive our Crown of Righteousness and Glory in Heaven where there is no Enemy or Opposition for all are there of one Mind and Heart praising God with Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Here we must all run the Christian Race which is set before us by our Lord and Saviour with Patience and Alacrity that we may obtain the Prize or that Incorruptible Crown which the Lord the righteous Judg bestows on such Here is the place appointed for us to work in while it is day or rather the Lord's Vineyard But in the Kingdom of Heaven are we to expect and receive our Wages when our Work is done or our Course finished For there is the rest which remains for the People of God Wherefore then should any rational Soul think to find that in this World which God hath reserv'd for the World to come when