the meteors arme themselues together against vs against the Church let vs say with Dauid t Psal 46.3.4 Though the waters thereof roare and be troubled though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof there is a riuer the streames whereof shall make glad the city of God The infirmitie and basenes of the Church contemptible to the eyes of vaine men a smal brooke in comparison of these impetuous torrents the current of the Ocean shall not cease to subsist nor omitt to streame and runne on The faithfull shall strengthen and harden himselfe a gainst their stirrings or rather trembling for the wise man saith u Ecclesiast 34.16 God is his mightie protection and strong stay a defence from heat a couer from the sun at noone a presernation from stumbling and a helpe from falling Yea the Lord himselfe saith x Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the riuers they shall not ouerthrow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt For I am thy Sauiour His prouidence in a word is vnto him both a counsell and a rampier against all accidents against all cases and haps because there are no chances in respect of God Let the tirants of the world insence themselues and rage the people murmur mutin thunder the Ilāds the ends of the world conspire against the Church the Lord will speak to the soules of his seruant y Isa 7.4 Feare not neither be faint hearted for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria and of the sonne of Remaliah It shall not come to passe the Lord shall gather the hearts of the Kinges and Captaines of nations when and as he listeth All the z Psal 78. choler and anger of man is to him but as much subiect and matter of glory and fame The nations conspire a Isa 8.12 Let them take counsell together and it shall come to naught Let them combinde and band themselues together and they shall bee crusht and bruised onely let vs sacrifice vnto the Lord of Hoasts let vs serue him and let him be our feare and not the fury of these mortal men b Isa 51.12 of these men of grasse as the Prophet speaketh that cannot subsist against him that hath stretched forth the heauens and laid the foundations of the earth whose hand wee haue so often felt to our comfort and his arme for our deliuerance For saith the Lord c Cha. 13. Where is the fury of the oppressour And hast thou not seene the endes of the world to tremble my people not withstanding haue gone their way in peace and hast thou not seene them fall before my face before my sword as dust before my how as stubble Yea let the powers of the aire the principalities of the world the rulers of the darkenesse of the world the spirituall wickednesse in high places d Ephes 6. With whom the faithfull are to wrastle euery day saith the Apostle let them come shall wee yeeld our selues shall wee faint and leese courage but rather we will say the Lord is with vs what neede wee feare e 1 Cor. 10.13 He is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able He will strengthen vs against the deuill he hath f Colos 1. created all things that are in heauen and on earth visible and invisible whether they bee thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created by him and for him let vs bouldly say and therefore for vs and therfore for his Church Let vs therefore oppose the thrones and celestiall dominions against the powers of the ayre the armies of Angels against the legions of Sathan against their malicious practises the holy conduct of the Angels whom God causeth to campe about his children to assist them in their way in all their paces yea the most slipperest that they stumble not against the gates of hell against the deuils that can nothing against the faith of Christ against his members that haue no power vpon Iobs Cattle vpon the hogges though they roare neuer somuch but as much as God vnbridleth them But let vs say ouer and aboue and that without excesse These deuils themselues cannot be but for vs in as much as they are for God their malice turnes to his seruice is at Gods pay and wages and therefore at ours For if Sathan afflict Iob in his family in his person the Lord knowes how farre and how long and limits him the righteousnesse and patience of his seruant shines and appeares the more and his condition is the better for is at the last If the Deuill puts in the heart of Iudas to sell the bloude of the righteous to betray and deliuer the sonne of God into the hands of the Iewes let vs adore God banish all feare He is sould but far far from their intention for the ransom of our soules he is deliuered for the remission of our sinnes of those sinnes that cause the quarrell betweene God and vs of those sinnes where with Sathan alone did preuaile did braue it out against vs and therefore to his confusion to his ruine and that of his kingdome on the otherside for the saluation of the world of men Dare we say that this feare doth assure vs euen against God against his iustice against his anger certes we may seing that in this feare of children of wrath we are made the children of his mercies seeing we may say vnto him with Dauid reserue O Lord the greatnes of thy power to try the strēgth vpon the children of death we are contented with thy clemency because there is no condemnation to the true seede of Abraham g Rom. 8.1 To them saith the Apostle which are in Christ Iesus For in this Isaac in this alone is the true seede On the other side make what couenant thou wilt with all that which makes it selfe to be feared in the world without out this feare thou wilt feare all things not the elements in their fury only but euen the leaues yea the dust not the armes offenssiue the armour and armies alone but how great soeuer thou beest the flies and Caterpillers not onely the principalities of the ayre or the powers but also their corruption but their infection yea their very breath yea that which is the least perfect which hath the lest power in the world For saith the Lord h Isa 28.15 18. Though thou hadst made a couenant with death and wert at agreement with hell yet your couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with death shall not stand when the ouerflowing scourge shall passe through then yee shall be trodden downe by it And they that haue cast their eyes towards Ethiopia that haue i Isa 20.5 gloried and vanted of the helpe of Egypt shal be afraid and ashamed thereof contrariwise happy is hee that feares the Lord and beleeues in
reward as I cease not to be it in their death and then so much the more not as the masters of this world their seruants dead dead their seruices and therefore doe we reade so often The God of Abraham of Isaac and of Iacob For the loue of my sernant Abraham for the promise of the eternall God is eternall suruiues his seruants and their seruices Therefore the Apostle said p. To me to line is Christ to die p Philip 1. to die is gaine so also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death In a word serue thou in this life according to thy calling according to mine whosoeuer it bee howsoeuer froward hee be to thee be not dismayed thou losest not thy paines q Ephes 6. Tit. 2. The seruant serues his master with good will the subject his prince he serues the Lord hee doth the will of God not of men with good will doing seruice as to the Lord and not to men But let theÌ„ relie also on him trust to this reward and not to men For hast thou r Gen. 3. 32. Incob serued an vngratefull Laban the best of thy yeares in the scorchng heate of the Sunne by day in the frost by night and the Lord hath euidently blest thee to his profit it may be to thy dammage Feare not sayth the Lord For I am thy reward Thou hast passed ouer the Iordan with thy staffe and behould thou art become two bands Hast thou faithfully serud a prince or the state of a kingdome and God hath he vouchafed to worke amongst them by thy hand and they repay thee with coÌ„tempt with hatred yea with iniuries doe not bemoane thy selfe doe not bely thy self or derogate from thy selfe whatsoeuer happens thee thou hast serued according to confidence and not according to fauour and not according to anger thou hast serued the Lord thy God and not men The Lord is faithfull saith the Apostle is faithfull s Heb. 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeue that hee is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him That is to say that it is not more true that God is then that it is consequently true that his reward is with true that his reward is with him that he is the reward of them that serue him euen of those that in the consideration of his calling take their condition in good part vndergoe ioyfully all bitternes and their charges and burdens scarce tolerale and supportable for the most part in themselues lesse for being lesse acknowledged but least acknowledged of them whom they serue Israel also I meane the Church is she hardly opprest in Egypt Iosephs seruices are they there forgot yea turned into torments and punishments to make and bake brickes to gather straw to feele the rod of the taske-masters the discretion of the exacter the seuere corrector Let him not doubt but that hee shal be drawne away with an out stretched arme a strong hand that God shal be glorified in deliuering his people in chastising Egypt But know also Israel and doe not abuse thy selfe that thy reward is not in this soyle in the slime and mud of Nilus Thou art there a stranger how fertill soeuer it be but thy reward is in Canaan in the true Canaan in the heauenly There properly Shalt thou laugh at the cry of the oppressors at the noise of people there maist thou say assuredly t Va. 14.4 How hath the oppressour ceased and what is become of the Scepter of the rulers Yea comest thou thus farre O seruant of God whosoeuer thou beest to receiue amongst thine owne amongst his owne hard handling yea euen death for thy paines and pay Thy pay and reward for that thou hast assisted them with counsell in their perplexities with aide in their aduersiries thou hast made no reckoning of thy life of thy dignitie of all that man ciuily esteemes most and that because many times they shall want an onyon or melon or somesauce of Egypt not necessary things but things superfluous yeeld not vnto them but â—â—fly bend and harden thy selfe against them to doe them good For how often haue they murmured against Moses and haue not they knocked downe the Prophets and did they euer reuerence them but when they were dead and would they not stone our Sauiour and haue not they forgot the Lord their possession Yea how often haue they kicked against him Now who art thou then what are thy seruices that thou expressest either lesse or better and the greater they shal be seest thou not that proportion ably they are often followed with enuie yea with hatred and reproach yea though the Lord should say vnto thee as he said vnto Moses u Numb 14. I will smite this people with the pestilence and disinherite them and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier then they Doe not consent vnto their euil their punishment no not vnto thine owne good say rather Lord what will the Egyptians say The Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware vnto them therefore he hath stane them in the wildernesse Pardon I beseech thee the iniquitie of this people according vnto the greatnesse of thy mercie and as thou hast for given this people from Egypt even vntill now x Luk. 23.34 For give them father said our Lord Christ For they know not what they doe Yea euen bee willing to sacrifice thy selfe for them to make thy seife an anathema accâ—rsed because Certes thy reward is not here nor of here beneath it is from a boue and it is there also and therefore be not offended if the wicked doe prosper It belonges to the men of this world to seeke it here on earth to expect it of men Contrarie wise it is said vnto vs y Matth. 3.11.12 Blessed are yee when men shall reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my name sake reioyce and bee exceeding glad for great is your reward in heauen Great in it selfe and indeede what is there great but God No lesse great in regard of the faithfull For z Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him And therefore it is added very great or exceeding great in him and of him for God is all sufficient to himselfe and therfore super abounds vpon all creatures of his fulnesse haue they all receiued but so much the more in vs for the due wages of all men was death and what haue the best men of all but that which they haue receiued and is it not then grace vpon grace and not salary and besides what can wee doe that can oblige God or make him beholden vnto vs seing that a Psal 16. Our goodnesse sayth the Psalmist extendeth not to him For what can wee suffer that is worthy him Seeing sayth the Apostle that b Rim. 8.18 The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glorie which shal be reuealed in vs. But Certes where c Rom. 5.20.21 sinne abounded grace did much more abounde that as sinne hath reigned vnto death euen so might grace reigne through righteousnesse vnto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Grace verily most abounding drawn from the depth of the treasures of the mercies of God our father reconciling his elected and chosen in his Sonne the seede of Abraham according to the flesh but the ioy of Abraham according to the promise in whom he hath called vs iustified sanctified and glorified vs In whom and for whose sake he will be heere of meere good will our Shield in heauen aboue freely our Reward And therefore again and again feare not Israel feare not any true Israelite for d Psal 11.2 Blessed is the man sayth the Psalmist that feareth the Lord he shall not be affrayde of euill tydings the euill always weaker then goodnesse the goodnesse it selfe camping alwayes about him camping for him he shall be alwayes sayth he enuironed with all kind of blessings he shall abound in them because he shall enioy and possesse from this very time forward here on earth this good thing in hope assured fully to enioy it in Heauen aboue in the glory of the Father To whom with the Son and the holy Ghost be ascribed all honour glory power and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
enormous soeuer they be concerne mee no more neither then the punishment As little shall thy darts beare against mee or hurt mee furnished with Christ armed with Christ no nor against Christ neither Christ that strong man who hath long agoe bound thee cast thee into the bottomlesse pit Christ the promised seede to his Church and vnto all the faithfull who hath heretofore bruised thy head And thou canst not with all thy rage doe more without danger then pricke our heele Finally doth the almightie hee present himselfe in his iustice in his anger A consuming fire let not the Christian feare though hee were of straw Lord will hee say permitt that dust and ashes speake to thee Thou art exceeding iust the most iust So that the sinner cannot subsist in thy iustice But good God hast thou not armed vs with the righteousnesse of thy Sonne and hath hee not beene made sinne for vs and hath hee not beene made vnto vs righteousnesse and sanctification Thou sittest indeede in iudgement and thy iudgement is a consuming k Malac. 3.2 fire is like a refiners fire the straw or the stubble shall they not bee parcht and burnt on a sudden But O God! are not wee founded and grounded vpon thy Sonne Iesus Christ towe and stubble that wee are l 1 Cor. 3. And shall wee not then be preserued from this fire And against the fire of thine ire and wrath are not wee bedewed and sprinckled with the water of thy mercies bathed in the bloud of of thy Lambe in this liuing spring springing to life eternall Certes thou art great O Lord thy iustice infinite But thy Sonne sayth he not I and my father are one and then is hee not equall to thee infinit to an infinite his obedience to thy iustice Therfore march wee O God by thy mercie vnder the obedience of thy Sonne vnder this obdience we will not decline from thy iudgement wee will no more cry out away with thy iustice but rather and that aloud let thy iudgment come thy iustice arriue thy iudgement m Rom. 8. For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Thy iustice for it can doe nothing but iustice vnto his righteousnesse and his righteousnesse is ours Thou wilt glorifie him O Lord for his righteousnesse for he hath deserued it Yea with that same glory that he had before he came into the world and hee had it already and neuer left it and therefore hath it doubly the last shalt be ours n 2 Tim. 4.8 A crowne of righteousnesse saith the Apostle is layde vp for me which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day in that great day otherwise so terrible and dreadfull and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing Certes whether it bee in grace or in glory And it is that also that the Lord addes vnto Abraham I am thy exceeing great reward For it sufficeth him not to couer vs from harm mans desire stoppes not there much lesse Gods goodnesse hee will also fill vs vp with goodnesse It pleased him to bee our Shield against the euill of this world of the world to come In like proportion is he our Reward A reward heere beneath a reward aboue In things of this present life neuer to forsake vs In things of the life to come giuing himselfe to vs. But in the one and in the other by his grace alone for what coulde hee without forgiuing Now what a large fielde hath the Christian heere to meditate vpon these hie misteries He knoweth acknowledgeth nought in himselfe but wickednesse euen from his conception in his conception nought but sinne He cannot be ignorant that the wages of sinne is death and of a sin that is infinite an infinit punishment against a God eternall an eternall death Where is then the reward or rather where is not the punishment And where is the ouer-weening presumer that askes a Reward that thinkes not he hath gained much to be quitt of the punishment but the Lorde sayth to him in mercy I am thy Reward in lieu of the punishment that is due vnto thee A man conceiued in sinne a stranger vnto my law as all others are And I will not onely giue thee a reward but giue my selfe also to thee as an infinite rewarde not due to thy merites mauger thy demerits For by what law can the slaue purchase his master by his seruice or the subiect his prince to haue him for a reward to make him his owne to possesse him as an inheritance much lesse the creature his Creator vnlesse certes sayth the Apostle it be by the law of faith by pure grace So that we haue him as a rewarde with the same right and title as wee haue him for a shield by faith grounded on his promise And notwithstanding a Reward saith the Lord and therfore due but how due It is due vnto thee for I haue promised it thee thou hast not deserud it I owe it vnto my selfe It is due to thee I owe it to my Sonne bought with his bloud and I haue giuen him thee yea his bloud for thee and therefore due to thy selfe I am therefore sayth the Lord to Abraham thy Reward But heere flesh and bloud are not contented therewith cannot attaine vnto it and therefore Abraham sayth Lord God what wilt thou giue me seeing I goe childlesse So little can eternall and heauenly happines pierce into our soules except it hath first entred into our hearts Yea but when I say vnto thee I am thy Reward I comprehend all euen that All my selfe for wilt thou haue posterity saith hee Looke now towards Heauen and tell the starres if thou be able to number them so shall thy seede be and notwithstanding hee had but one sonne VVilt thou haue goods I giue vnto thee and vnto thy seede after thee this land for an euerlasting possession and yet must he buy his sepulchre and wilt thou assure them for euer the Lord makes a couenant with thee notwith standing thy posterity serues many ages after now to what end was this but onely to raise him vp from the creatures to the Greator to tell him plainely if these earthly things seemes to thee a rewarde worthy for thee that art but dust it is not a present worthy of God that gives it thee the euerlasting God cannot give unto his children wor thily but euerlasting things And not withstanding least thou shouldst bee discouraged I am in such wise thy reward aboue as that I cease not to be it heere beneath for o 1. Tim. 4.8 godlinesse my true seruice hath the promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And therefore doe we see him blestin his family abound in his houshold businesse rule amongst strangers reuerenced and honoured of idolaters I am so in this life a
when the great grand-children cannot attaine vnto nay not their great grand children Notwithstanding he is snatcht away from his dearest and neerest friends transplanted from his countrie and soyle in a strange ayre a more strange people who doubts here but that the flesh in so an aduantageous subiect did argue against the spirit reason against faith Sathan assisted with them both against Gods seruant tossed and much moued in himselfe For what could the land of Canaan steade him foure hundred yeares after Much lesse then Esaus red pottage when he was an hungry and in following this purpose how many mischiefes was hee to encounter and incurre what goods was he to loose rediculous to the flesh contrary to reason little credible to his soule On the other side taking an other course the beaten way of the world the course taken by his friends what goods might he haue gotten what euill might hee haue eschewed who found to fauour his part the discourse of reason the desire of the flesh and mans will ayming at the same intention the same contention by the instinst of Sathan who can spie out his time take his occasions and what better then when the faithfull is bandied in himselfe God therefore in this his perplexitie appeares to him in vision breakes all their arguments all his discourses Feare not Abraham saith he I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward If thou fearest in following my vocation thy calling to haue euils I am to couer thee I haue wherewith to put thee vnder shade to shelter thee If thou fearest that thou shalt haue no goods I am goodnesse it selfe and this goodnesse how great soeuer it is is so good it will gush and dispearse it selfe vpon thee Few words but which comprehends all yea a bottomlesse depth Feare not for it is feare it selfe that assures thee the feare of Isaac and of Iacob that only which men must feare Is thy spirit tempted and attempted by apprehension by a feeling of euils Behold here is a shield for thee Is it assaulted with concupiscence or with the losse of that wee call goods Behold here is a reward The eternall and immortall God to a mortall man a worme both a reward and a shield Hauing so great a reward what canst thou desire more Or being vnder so sure a shield what canst thou feare And that which is sayd to Abraham is sayd to his seede to the Church in generall the lawfull race of Abraham in particular to euery Israelite to all the faithfull for seest thou O Israel the Egyptians behind thee the mountaines at thy sides the sea before thine eyes a Exod. 14.13 Feare ye not stand still and see the Saluation of the Lord which hee will shew to you to day Moreouer doest thou see the thunderings and the lightenings and the mountaine smoking b Exod. 20.20 Feare not for God is come to proue you and that his feare may be before your faces that yee sinne not Wert thou but a worme before thine enemies contemptible and disdained by them abiect and base to thy selfe c Isaiah 41.8.10.13.19 Feare not Israel my seruant for I am with thee Feare not thou worme Iacob I will helpe thee sayth the Lord and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel d Luke 12.32 Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the kingdome Yea though thou wert alone these words belong to euery one let euery one take it as sayd vnto himselfe For Dauid saith for all the faithfull yea in the name of euery one e Psal 3.6 I will not bee afraid of ten thousand of people that doe set themselues against mee round about f Psal 56. I will not feare what flesh can doe vnto me g Psal 46.2.3.4 No though the earth be remoued and though the mountaines be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roare be troubled though the mountaines shake with the dwelling thereof yea h Psal 23.9 though I walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euill And the reason of this strong confidence is not lesse strong I am thy shield of thee Abraham and of all thine the shield of Israiel and of the Church For Moses sayth i Deuter. 33 29. Happy art thou O Israel Who is like vnto thee O people saued by the Lord the shield of thy helpe and who is the sword of thy excellencie Happy therefore is euery faithfull man that can confidently say with Dauid k 2. Sam 22.3 Hee is my shield and the horne of my saluation l Psal 5.12 He blesseth the righteous with fauour doth hee compasse him as with a shield m 2. Sam. 22 31. Hee is a buckler to all them that trust in him Againe I am thy exceeding great reward the reward consequently of thy seede and of the Church and not a reward only but also an inheritance for behold n Gen. 17.7 I will establish my couenant betweene thee and mee and thy seede after thee for an euerlasting Couenant to be a God vnto thee and to thy seede after thee I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people Thou mine inheritance and I thine Thou my purchase I thy reward I thy partage and Dauid applying to himselfe for vs this promise saith o Psal 16.5.6 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance the lines are fallen vnto mee in in pleasant places Yea I haue a goodly heritage Certes because cause the wise man saith p Ecclesiast 11.22 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the Godly that feareth God the rather saith the Apostle because q 1. Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable vnto al things hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Notwithstanding this exceeding abundant reward super abounding infinitly our sure demerits our pretended merits because there is no communion of vnrighteousnesse with righteousnesse no proportion of man to God of nothing to all nor therfore of humane merit to this reward of our default our extreame drynesse to this infinit sufficiency and fullnesse to this eternall well springs Now therefore feare not Abraham saith he feare not Israel nor any Israelite for the wise man saith r Eccles. 7.18 He that feareth God shall come forth of them all Å¿ Ecclesiast 34.14 Hee that feareth God will not feare at all nor be afraide for hee is his hope Now hope is the counterpoison and remedy of feare a remedy stronger then the euill An infinite remedy against a limited euill an assurance in the creator against the apprehension of creatures A confidence in him that hath made all the creatures and that soly alone hath made them all and that of nothing and therefore a confidence in him that is all and of him that is all against that which is nothing Let all the elements therefore make a hurrie together all
it commeth at destruction and famine thou shalt laugh Will he pierce vs with the disfauours of calumnities Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue how piercing how venemous soeuer it be Doth hee threaten vs with death doth he offer it vnto our view y Psal 91.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side and tenne thousand at thy right hand For all that it shal not come nigh thee hee cannot hasten it a minute yea euen then when he throwes his dart at our hearts when he thinkes he hath found the default and weakest part of this shield in our infirmitie But rather it shal be our life and truely life It is then properly that we shall braue it z 1 Cor. 15. O death where is thy sting Where is thy victory a Iob. 19.26 For I know saith Iob that in this my flesh which thou thinkest thou hast killed shall I see God b 1 Cor. 15.43 I know sayth the Apostle that that which is sowne in dishonour and weakenesse shal be raised in glory and power So then doth the faithfull suffer Is the Church assaulted in her bodie in her members Let vs beware of all things that we fling not away our shield Let vs rather forgoe our weapons If Christ had not beene buried layd in the graue couered with a stone thou hadst not beleeued hee could haue raised himselfe to life how much lesse thee If also the Church were not persecuted thou in the Church thou couldst not know what this shield is worth how much it steades thee Thou couldst not discerne thine infirmity from his power Thou wouldst impute to the hardnesse of thy skin that which thou sholdst attribute to her temper to thy nature that that comes from his grace to humane prudence that which proceeds from his prouidence and therefore it behoues thee to bee often tempted to be toucht to the quicke And therefore the Prophet did reioyce that he had beene chastised that he might thereby remember God and know himselfe And at least haue we this sure comfort in our afflictions and our wounds from whence soeuer they come they aime directly at this shield they fall vpon this shield vpon the Lord yea vpon his owne flesh If we are vniustly persecuted by the malice or ignorance of men c Act. 9. Saul why presecutest thou mee sayth Christ he feels throughly our paines he accepts our wounds hee will repell them he will auenge them no lesse then if they were his owne And therefore haue wee seene so many darts blunted so many weapons become dull so many armies to retire the sharpest points of weapons to turne retort vpon the face of the enemies the very finest the very sharpest the most finely temperd to their owne damage If wee are iustly to be chastisd for our sinnes hee beares the punishment hee caries the wounds The eternall sonne of God one with him d Isa 53. Surely hath borne our griefes saith the Prophet and carried our sorrowes hee was wounded for our transgressions he was brused for our iniquities for the transgression of my people was he stricken saith the Lord. And from thence let vs hearten and harden ourselues also against death against Sathan against hell For what can we desire and require more in a shield to haue all his qualities then to make our wounds hers then to redeem vs to except vs from euil and to reuenge them to repell them more liuelily to make ours hers why then doth the flesh arme her principalities against vs e Ierem. 6.1 Doth she lay hold without compassion on bow and speare against the daughter of Sion Wee will say the Lord is our shield that shield before the which the Philistians fall the walls of Iericho yea the very earth trembleth Then sayth Debora f Iudg. 5.8 When there was nere a shield or speare seene among fortie thousand in Israel Hee hath not omitted to sane his people The shielde of the mighty sayth Dauid is driuen backe so calleth hee Saul but the shield of the righteous will neuer faile On the otherside g Psal 47.10 The shields of the earth belong vnto God hee rules ouer all the sheilds of the earth that is to say all the armour and armies of the world will they nill they are at his payment and intertainement and are sworne to him Thence commeth it to passe that we haue so often seene the Church deliuered and released from the armies of the Syrians by the armies of Egypt from the Assyrians by them of Persia from the Persians by the armies of the Grecians those bended with all their powers to his ruine these notwithstanding hauing not the lest thought that tended to his deliuerance the Church also often raised from whence and by whom one thought she should bee oppressed then triumphing when one thought they should haue led him in triumph and the Lord of Hoasts sayth the Prophet did that the Lord sayth Dauid vnto whom belong al the shields of the earth on whom depend all the Monarchies whence it commeth to passe that vnder this shield the Church hath passed ouer all the ages and seasons and shall without doubt shut vp the last age although that all the Monarchies one after another in the emulation and despight one of the other haue trod her vnder foote They one the otherside all of them discomfited the one by the other without leauing any trace or marke after them but what was for the glorie of God Of God sayth Moses that carieth his Israel vnder his wing as the Eagle her young ones of God on the otherside who in fauour of his Israel and hy his iust iudgement withdraweth his protection from other people The powers of the ayre doe they reuy at hir on the earth doe they thinke they can doe more against her Haue they caused our flesh to reuolte against our spirit to make vs sin drawne in our consciences to conuict vs kindled as they suppose Gods wrath to confound vs ranked in a word all our sinnes in battaillion before our eyes to make vs tremble to terifie vs to make vs despaire of his mercy to giue vs ouer to Sathan as a pray Let vs here take hold and the more firmely on the shield of faith on this shield saith Paul h Epeses 6. Wherewith we ouercome in combate the principalities the powers the spirituall wickednes in high places wherby we may quench the fiery darts of the wicked Tell him I haue beene indeede i 1 Tim 1.1 an idolater a blasphemer a persecuter an oppressour and much more but I obtained mercy and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant towards mee in Christ Iesus and this Christ the son of God hath changed my sinnes hath beene made sinne for mee and I haue put on Christ I liue in Christ and Christ in me If then thou canst nothing against Christ against my head neither canst thou against me These sinnes of mine how