THE PILLAR and PATTERN OF Englands Deliverances Presented In a Sermon to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with the several Companies of the City of London in their solemn Meeting at Pauls on the Lords Day Novem. 5. 1654. Being also the First Sabbath after his Lordships entrance upon his Majoralty By THOMAS HORTON Doctor in Divinity and Professor thereof in Gresham-Colledge LONDON PSAL. 77.11 I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy WONDERS of old 2 COR. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a Death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Printed at London by R. I. for Jo. Clark and are to be sold at the entrance into Mercers Chappel at the lower end of Cheap-side 1655. TO The Right Honourable Christopher Pack Lord Mayor with the Honourable Court of Aldermen of the famous City of London Right Honourable THe Devil hath had a double Design about this business of the Gunpowder-Treason the First was to blow up the Parliament the Second is to blow up the Deliverance and to make it appear less to the World than indeed it is It is true I will not deny but that as Corruption will be sure to be at the end of every Action so there might be possibly some Politique advantages made of the Discovery of this Plot by some which had then the managing of present Affairs but that is no Disparagement at all to the Mercy it self nor excuse to those which were Instruments in the Conspiracy The Danger was unquestionable and the Preservation very remarkable and such as we have All cause very deeply to lay to heart with the fullest resentment that may be The scope of this plain Sermon is a little to help us herein which I have now at the last by your Order not of mine own inclination nay indeed with some reluctancies in my self brought to the publique Light but in a desire of the publique Good I have purposedly deferred it to this Time for the publishing of it that so as the thing it self was as the beginning of a New Life so the Discourse about it might fall in with the New Year wherein our Lives are in a manner restored and renewed unto us Besides that the time of Printing it might somewhat answer the time of Preaching it which was New-Year in the Calendar of the City as it is now in the Calendar of the World And lastly That as the Deliverance is a Monument of Gods goodness to the Nation so the Sermon might be a Testimony of mine own respects and thankfulness to your selves in the injoyment and likewise continuance of so much favour and incouragement from you as I am still partaker of I have this only to adde That the Lord who keepeth Israel and who alone is the safety of his people would delight still to watch over this City for good to make the Walls of it Salvation and the Gates of it Praise and the Officers of it Peace to establish Holiness and Righteousness within the borders and in the midst of it that it may prove an eternal excellency and the joy of many Generations which is and shall be the prayer of Gresham-Colledge January 1. 1655 4. Your Servant in the work of the Lord THO. HORTON A SERMON Preached in PAULS on the Fift of November being also the Lords day A. D. MDCLIV NUM 23. ver 23. Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel WHAT HATH GOD WROVGHT THis day on The Occasion which wee are now met and assembled together at this time Right Honourable and Beloved in our Lord it carries the signature of a double Solemnity upon it the one in its weekly revolution as it is the Lords Day the Day which God hath sanctified more especially for his own service And the other in its annual revolution as it is our day the Day which God hath marked with an eminent and famous deliverance of this Land and Nation of which wee are from that horrid and dreadfull conspiracy of the Gun-powder-Treason In either of which respects it is a time much to be observed and regarded by us throughout our Generations and in reference whereunto wee may say of it in the words of the Psalmist this is the Day which the Lord hath made Ps 118.24 wee will be glad and rejoyce in it Hee hath made it to be a Day of Rest and he hath made it to be a day of Joy both And these two they do no way cross or contradict one the other but do very happily agree together for wee can never better sanctily a Sabbath than by works of Prayse nor wee can never better celebrate a Thanksgiving than by works of Piety Indeed every thanksgiving-thanksgiving-Day is in the proper nature of it a Sabbath and accordingly if wee rightly understand it is in that manner to be kept by us as an Holy-day not as a play-day as a day of holy and spiritual merriment and rejoycing to the Lord but this which is now before us is so as I may say in a manner whether we will or no from the present frame and disposition of the year which therefore I hope wee shall improve to the best advantage of the duty it self that is not to prophane the Sabbath that we may keep the Festival but rather by keeping of the Festival so much the better to sanctify the Sabbath I may adde one Notion to it more though inferior to the other two yet not altogether to be neglected by us which makes it more solemn yet It is the day wherein the chief Magistrate of this City appears first in this place with that badge of Government upon him who cannot lay a better begining and foundation of such an imployment than this of Praise and Thanksgiving to God especially as the occasion now calls to for protection and preservation from danger being that which those that are Governours as they have most need of so they have most promise for of any men else besides All these they concurr and meet together in this present performance But that which I shall especially frame my discourse unto is the commemoration of the deliverance it self which I have answerably fitted with a Scripture as I conceive most suitable to it in the prophecy of Balaam upon Israel The occasion briefly was The Coherence this Balak the King of Moab hearing of the general success which the people of Israell found in all places whithersoever they came and withall understanding of their pitching in the plains of Moab beganne hereupon to be distrest and fore afraid And now partly to secure himself and partly to displeasure the Israelites sends to Balaam the Magician to curse them The Sorcerer seemed at first to be unwilling but being incouraged by Balaks promises of reward attempts it and that often though in vain Instead of cursing
like so many sparks of fire falling into the main Ocean go out of themselves And so it is with all others which are imployed in the same work they meet with the same successe sooner or later Pro. 11.18 The wicked saith Solomon work a deceitfull work and they never work it more truly than in their indeavours against the Church Here it is a deceit full work indeed and so will prove in regard of the miscarriages and disapointment which it is subject unto And that twofold First Enemies miscariage double Sometimes in the thing it self which they labor to effect Secondly At least and always as to the evill and mischeivousnesse of it First as to the thing it self 1 Of Disappointment they fail now and then here So it was in this present instance of Balaams cursing of Israel Hee could not proceed so much as to the performance though hee indeavoured it and went about it yet hee still miscarried in it and could not do it at all According to that of Eliphaz Job 5.12 hee disappointeth the decrees of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise God sometimes will not suffer the enemies to effect that particular plot which they design and propound to themselves But Secondly If they chance to do that yet they reach not what they intend in it God may suffer a plot to take as to the performance and yet to fail as to the principall end because it does not work the destruction of the parties which it is laid against As we see in the great contriver and complotter of al Satan himself who miscaries even then at such a time as hee seems to succeed in as much as whiles hee does some things which are materially prejudicall to the Church yet God keeps them from that absolute ruine which hee intends to them in it And yet that 's not all which is considerable in this point neither there is somewhat more as pertinent to this purpose and that is this First That these indeavours prove at last to the Churches advantage Secondly To the greater disadvantage of the enemies themselves First To the advantage of the Church These Inchantments and Divinations are so farre from being against Israel as that they make rather for it Thus it was here in this businesse of Balaam 2 Of Dis-advantage as to the cursing of Gods people Instead of cursing them hee blesses them he does not only not do that which Balak desired him to do but hee does that which is quite contrary to it so farre from subjecting them to mischeif as that hee so much the rather confirms good upon them yea and that Balak himself could see and confess too at length Therefore he who was so fierce at first to perswade Balaam to curse them is fain at last to call upon him to suspend and to do nothing with them at all ver 25. of this Chapter And Balak said unto Balaam neither curse them at all nor bless them at all Do not bless them lest they prove to be happy do not curse them lest even that curse it self turn to a greater Blessing to them God will make the Enemys of his Church before he has done with them weary of plotting mischief against them by converting that mischief of theirs which is plotted by them to his peoples greater good Yet this is not all yet there is something further in it still God does not onely convert these Conspiracies to the greater advantage of the Church but moreover to the confusion of the Enemy so that now there is no inchantment against Jacob but rather against Balak nor any Divination against Israel but rather against Balaam himself against Moab not against the Church They that wish ill to Sion and curse that their curses and ill wishes shall fall upon their own heads and turn to the ruin of those from whom they proceed We need not go far for instances of this kind we have enow of them continually before us and standing upon record in Pharaoh Herod Achitophel Julian and the rest of that wicked crew so sure and certain is this observation here presented unto us That no indeavors against the Church shall be successful no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper and every tongue that rises in judgement against them shall be condemned c. Isa 54.17 Would we know whence this comes about The Grounds It is easie to give an account of it 1 Gods Affection First From the interest which they have in Gods Affection They are the Dear ones and Beloved of the Lord. Love it is a waking Affection which is anxious and solicitous for the party which it is fastened upon that no evil may at any time betide it and thus it is with God towards his Church It is much in his heart and therefore it is much in his preservation He loves it and therefore defends it and keeps it from wrong according to that famous place Isa 27.3 speaking concerning the Church Sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every morning lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day There is no man can be more chary of a Vineyard or Orchard or Garden of his own plantation and which his own hands have set than the Lord is of his Church and People which his own hands have made and fashioned which are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes 2.10 These are precious and tender in his eyes and he hath a special regard unto them for the preserving and securing of them His bowels here yern in him as Queen Hesters sometime did in her upon the like occasion How can I indure to see the evill that shall come unto my people or how can I indure to see the destruction of my kindred Hest 8.6 Secondly 2 His Covenant The Church are a people in Covenant therefore a people preserved They have given up themselves to him and therefore may very well expect to be secured by him Protection is a part of Gods bargain with his people when he takes them to be his and they him to be theirs Fear not Oh Jacob I am with thee be not dismaid I am thy God Isa 41.10 God having once taken us to be his own ingages himself to keep us from all kind of evill whatsoever so far forth as it is fitting for us The Lord will preserve me from every evil work saies Paul 2 Tim. 4.18 whether we take it actively or passively from doing evill or suffering it from both he will preserve me from his special ingagement to me Thirdly 3 His Interest Gods own honor is concerned in the preservation of the Church who are a people addicted to him and keep up his name in the world The conspiracies which are laid at any time against the Church of God are not so much against the Persons as the Cause not so much against
these or those men as against the Truth which is professed by them and the Worship which they give themselves to from whence God himself is interested in the protection of them So blessed and happy a thing is it to be found in good ways and to be maintaining of good causes that whiles we stir for the promoting of them we defend our selves because we make God a party with us so that he cannot forsake us but he must deny himself Therefore there is no Inchantment against Jacob because there is no Device against God There is no wisdom nor counsel nor understanding against the LORD Prov. 21.30 They that plot against the Church they plot against God himself his Cause and Truth and Worship and all that is his and how can they think to prosper or succeed in it But so much of the first Acception of the words Jacob and Israel taken mystically or representatively for the whole Church The second is 2 National as taken Nationally as pointing out that particular Church and State and People of the Jews for so the words do commonly import in Scripture and there is a Truth in the Proposition so likewise That all endeavors as against the whole Church in general so against any Church or State or Nation whatsoever in particular which God does own and take into his protection they are in vain also It was the privilege of these people of Israel that they were the Darlings and beloved of God The Lord chose them from all other Nations and People beside in the World to be a peculiar people to himself and his own inheritance Now these notwithstanding does Moab here let themselves against but vainly and with no success at all Those whom God will bless they shall be blessed maugre all opposition to the contrary How shall I curse whom God hath not curst or how shall I defie whom the Lord hath not desied says Balaam himself to this purpose vers 8. of this Chapter Happy is the people that is in such a case yea blessed is the people whose God is the Lord says the Psalmist Psal 144.13 And again Psal 33.12 Blessed is the NATION whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own Inheritance They are blest and blest by God and whiles they are so no cursings of men shall reach them or prevail against them That is the second sense of the words as taken Nationally The third is 3. Personal as taken Personally Jacob and Israel they are the Proper Names of one man and they carry a Truth in them so teaching us thus much from them That God does not onely take care of the whole Church in general to preserve that but also of every private Soul and Member of it in particular God takes care not onely of Nations but of persons not of Israel onely but of Jacob. Take notice of that And this he does whether as to keep them from the Attempts of Satan himself or of his Instruments For Satan himself Christ has vanquished him and beaten him already not onely for himself in his personal conflict with him but also for all his members which are related to him Luk. 22.32 And so for his Instruments they shall not prevail neither against those which are good in their particular persons Let it be as to Sorcery and Witchcraft and Inchantment taken in the letter there is for this a great security upon them or as to any thing else besides they are in that also under a Providence The times of the Servants of God are in his hand and their lives are at his disposing so that none can take them away but as he pleases Act. 18.10 Fear not Paul for I am with thee and none shall set upon thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City God preserves all his Servants but especially any as they are of more publick and greater imployment Magistrates and Ministers and the like He hath a double fence for them to guard them and protect them from evill and the assaults of evill men from evill hands from evill tongues and from evill devices Psal 31.19 20. Thus much of the words also personally And so much likewise of them in the simple and absolute proposition The second is in the Reduplication II. In the Reduplication Not onely no inchantment against Jacob but besides No divination against Israel the same Truth repeated in a diversity and variety of expression and that for this reason especially to shew the certainty of the thing it self as in Pharaohs dream which was doubled because the thing was established Even so it was here It was a resolved and determined case and that also upon the experiences even of Balak and Balaam themselves they had endeavored it again and again as to the undertaking of it to curse them here and to curse them there to double curses upon them and here now accordingly they have a double acquittance from it in the ingemination of the phrase that so there might be no question made of it but be received for an undoubted Truth it is therefore double Now therefore are we answerably to entertain it The Improvement and to be perswaded of it and to it improve it to the best advantage that may be 1 For Comfort It is a point of singular comfort and incouragement to the people of God that the case is thus with them that whiles they dwell in the secret place of the most High they abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 That they are secured and protected by God himself from the Assaults and Attempts of Enemies plotting against them who though they may use their endeavors yet shall not prevail or if at one time yet not at another They may prevail a little for a while to encourage them and harden them so much the more in an evil course and to further their destruction but they shall not prevail at last so as to get the better of the Church This shall not be granted unto them They may prevail over a party but they shall not prevail over the whole Generation and company of the people of God They may prevail over the Preacher but they shall not prevail over the Truth over the Person but not over the Cause over the life but not over the heart and spirit this they shall not do Which further in the next place 2 For Terror serves for a word of amazement to all such persons as those are which set themselves against them that they do herein but lose their labor yea which is worse conspire against themselves Thus Psal 37 12 13. The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth but the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is a coming He that fitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Men may laugh sometimes at that which they do not understand and
Unchangednesse of the Enemy There is the unchangeableness or unchangedness rather of the enemies they are the same for their affection and behaviour If the enemies of the Church were lesse wicked and malicious than ever they had been the Preserver of the Church needed not to be so vigilent and watchful over it God might abate of his care if men did abate of their malice but now there is the same naughtiness and cruelty in wicked men and therefore the same activity in God Balaam was not only confined to the times of Israel he lives even still now and to this day we have those which are true and perfect resemblances of him as the Apostle Peter hath fore told it long ago speaking of the latter times 2 Pet. 2.15 Which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Basor who loved the wages of unrighteousness c. Satan he is as busie himself and as malicious as ever he was and his Instruments they are acted by the same cursed Principles as before there is no change nor amendment of them at all but one Generation and age and it is a lively Picture and Image of the other Look what Balak and Balaam were in Moses time the same were the Pharisees in Christs time and what the Pharisees were in Christs time the same are divers others in ours nothing better if not somewhat worse That enmity which was fore-told should be put between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman it holds out to this present day from the beginning of the World without any diminution at all Just as it is also with other fierce and cruel Creatures of the same nature with them Wolves and Tigres and Bears and Leopards they have still the same dispositions that they ever had from the fall of man so also have these enemies and persecutors that are so like unto them which lays a second ground for this equal carriage of God towards his Church Thirdly 3 The unchangeduesse of the Church Gods people themselves are carried by the same Principles likewise that ever they have been There is the same gracious Spirit in them which hath been in times past The same Spirit of Prayer Importunity and Supplications and they are as able to prevail with God as ever they were As there have been heretofore Moseses and Jaeobs and Daniels and Jobs and the like so there are still the same now The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man it is able to do as much now as ever it was as the Apostle seems to intimate Jam. 5.17 Prayer it hath not lost one jot of its primitive efficacy nor Faith which is the sinews of Prayer A true child of God indeed which is in Covenant favour with him and actual terms of Peace and Reconciliation he may as boldly and confidently go to him in the behalf of his Church now as ever could Moses or Elias himself heretofore and may be as sure to speed and to prevail in these his Addresles as ever they might having the same Cause and the same Promise and the same High-Priest and Intercessor and Mediator as any of them had and this latter with greater advantage As there is no decay in the World which some have taken pains to prove so neither in the Church Which therefore may expect the same dealings from God himself in the same circumstances that ever he hath shown And further as for the whole Church at large An incouragement to Magistrates Ministers in a sâ—ccession so for those which are special parts and members of it it is an incouragement to them likewise To Ministers that Christ would not be onely with the Apostles themselves but with succeeding Teachers Loe I am with you alway even to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 And so for Magistrates not onely with Moses but with Joshua As I have been with Moses so will I be with thee Josh 1.5 God does not onely continue the Place and office but he continues the assistance because the work is the same therefore will he afford the same strength for the discharge of it God is the same to his Church and people in one age of the World as in another That is the first Proposition The second is not unlike to it and that is this That God is pleased to make some Deliverances to be as it were standards and patterns to the rest This Mercy of God to Israel in delivering them from the Cursing of Balaam upon the importunity of Balak it should be a copy which God would set to himself in his following Deliverings of them He would deal with them all along much alike as he had done in this All Gods carriages to his people they are the Dispensations of much loving kindness but there are some which are more eminent than others and from whence they may in special conclude of his care and watchfulness over them such was this in this particular Scripture And therefore when God would perswade his people of his favour and good will towards them he calls them to the remembrance of this in the place before alledged O my people remember now what Balak the King of Moab consulted c. Mich. 6.5 why remember that because it was a more eminent Deliverance and a pledge of many more answerable to it So their Deliverance out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage it was a Deliverance of the same nature with it and such as God makes mention of to them when he gives them his Law upon Mount Sinai as that which might stick closer by them I am the Lord thy God that brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt Exod. 20.2 so afterwards when they were delivered out of Captivity and restored to their own Land again this it was a remarkable Deliverance and such as was made as it were to swallow up the other As we may see in Jer. 23.7 8. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth which brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Aegypt But the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North-Country and from all Countries whither I had driven them Their return from Captivity it was more strange than their deliverance from Aegypt and such which should be more frequently in their mouthes as the great Mercy and Deliverance of all This God does chiefly so order for the strengthening of our weak faith For the strengthening of Faith that so we might have somewhat to hold to and to fly back to and to recover our selves by even then when we have as it were lost our selves as concerning the apprehensions of his love Ordinary and common favours though they are good testimonies of Gods Affection to his people his daily preservation of us and his continual watching over us for good and