GOD in the MOUNT A SERMON UPON THE Wonderful Deliverance OF His Majesty from Assassination The Nation from Invasion By VIN ALSOP Minister of the Gospel Hitherto hath the Lord Helped us 1 Sam. 7.12 LONDON Printed for J. Barnes at the Crown in the Pall-mall 1696. PSAL. CXXI 4. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep UPon the strength and warrant of this word has the Church of God subsisted in all Ages and upon the same security may she still depend and hope to the end The Psalmist therefore introduces this great truth with a solemn note of attention that he might recommend it to our serious consideration Behold All the promises of God and those providences which subserve their accomplishments do challenge our highest faith and most critical observation The Works of God are but a Commentary upon his Word and whatever he speaks with his mouth he fulfils with his arm And yet which is our great reproach we are often in a deep sleep in the midst of our greatest Dangers and are hardly well awake when God has wrought out our Deliverance we sleep when our Enemies are awake to contrive our destruction and are but in a Dream when watchful Providence has brought Salvation so was the Church Ps. 126.1 When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion then were we like them that dream and that because we are slow to believe there should be so much malice in men to plot the ruine of them that are innocent or so much mercy in God to save them that are so guilty And therefore our God awakens our dull and drowsie souls to consider how faithfully he that keeps Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep In the words these particulars offer themselves to our special observation 1. Let us observe the special object of watchful Providence Israel A Name given at first to Jacob upon the account of his wrestling and prevailling with God in Prayer Gen. 32.28 Thy name shall no more be called Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and men and hast prevailed And it will deserve our special Remark that he who can prevail with God will easily prevail with or against men thus Jacob having wrestled and prevailed with the Angel easily prevailed with his incensed Brother Esau. 〈◊〉 his reflects severely upon us that we rather imitate Jacob in his halting before God than in his prevailing with God This Name Israel was in process of time given to Jacob's posterity and by that Title were they distinguisht from all other people who as they constituted the whole visible Church of God at that time in the world so were they fenced about with many special and peculiar Priviledges Promises and Providences such were those among others Psal. 130.7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous Redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal. 131.3 Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever But yet it must be noted that this appellation of Israel had a more large and a more restrained acceptation 1. In the more large and general sense it denoted the whole body of the people which under that dispensation composed the whole visible Church of God and was commensurate to and with the body politick the Church and the State making up one Community Rom. 10.1 My hearts desire and prayer for Israel is that they may be saved Nor were the priviledges and promises small that were made to Israel under that more general notion Rom. 9.4 Who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises 2. But yet in a more narrow and restrained sense there was an Israel in the midst of this Israel the invisible Church which denoted only such of them and among them as were effectually called home to God sanctified by the spirit and the Apostle gives us ground for this distinction Rom. 9.6 They are not all Israel that are of Israel v. 7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called v. 8. That is they which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed As therefore we shall take this Israel in a more enlarged or restrained sense so will the promises providences and all the privileges carry a more general or special meaning 2. Observe we next the matter of this promise The Lord keepeth Israel which denotes the continuance the unwearied protection of divine Providence God has undertaken her protection has engaged himself has obliged all his attributes especially his wisdom and power to defend his Church against all her enemies so we have it in this Psalm v. 5. The Lord is thy keeper he is thy shade upon the right hand v. 7. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy seed v. 8. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and for ever A complication of promises adequate to all Israels necessities against all Israels enemies serving Israel in all cases preserving her against all evils and enduring firm and strong for ever 3. Lastly we may observe the vigilancy of Providence in keeping his Israel he neither slumbers nor sleeps The watchful eye of God will not wâ—â—k his eye-lids are not heavy his head is not drowsy his heart is not weary all which expressions tho they are spoken after the manner of men yet must we reverently interpret them in a manner after the spiritual incorporeal nature of God whence I raise this one Observation Watchful Providence has undertaken to preserve and keep safe his beloved Israel This important truth is notably set forth in 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro thro the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him wherein we cannot but note 1. Divine Providence is represented as having eyes when almighty power is most conspicuous in the deliverances of Israel then all is ascribed to the hand to the arm of God but when discovering of infernal practices when defeating of accursed machinations are most visible then Providence is said to have eyes altho omniscience is always attended with omnipotence and infinit power guided by infinit wisdom Now Providence is said to have eyes 1. Because there 's nothing so deep so secret but he sees it 2. Nothing so confused and disordered but he directs and guides it Thus we read Ezek. 10.12 The wheels were full of eyes round about strange intricate turnings motions there are of Providence which we judge irregular but still they are all guided by an unerring wisdom which conducts them all to his own gracious ends The affairs of this lower world and especially of his Church and all her
silence their Chariot Wheels run smoothly on and God takes them not off and this silence of Providence they interpret into consent and conclude that God is heartily with them because he is not declaredly against them Psal. 50. 21. I kept silence and thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self Now tho it be not justifiable in humane Counsels to suffer the enemies plots to rise too high their designs to grow too ripe and ready for execution lest they should grow too unruly for their management and not be able to bring 'em down again when they would but rather to nip them in the â—ud or flower or however whilst the fruit is green As the Physitian would run a dangerous risque both of his own credit and Patient's life that should extenuate and emaciate his body upon a presumption that he can repair Nature and restore the habit of the body when he pleases tho I say this be not advisable in humane Politicks and some great Statesmen have been severely censured for suffering Conspirators to go too great a length yet is all this otherwise with the great keeper of Israel He can sail the Ship within a Hairs breadth of a Rock and yet never strike nor split he can permit the Sword to be set at Isaac's throat and in a moment stop the blow Tho Providence suffers the enemies of his Church to play with their Conspiracies whilst he plays with them and at last baffles and fools them 1. Providence suffers the conspiring enemies of his Church to play and please themselves with their own designs he sees them admire the well concerted frame of their Plots and hug themselves in the wit of the contrivance the secrecy of carrying it on the vast hopes of the success the wondrous felicity of their hopes when enjoyed Psal. 36.2 He flatters himself in his own eyes till his iniquity be found to be hateful 2. As they play with their own contrivances Providence plays with them diabolical policy is but the scorn and contempt of the divine Wisdom Psal. 2.4 whilst they are imagining a vain thing setting themselves and consulting against the Lord and his Christ he that sits in heaven doth laugh the Lord has them and their devices in derision O happy that Person that Cause that Interest upon whom the Lord shall graciously smile O wretched those persons that cause that Interest at whom God laughs There was once a project set on foot which whether it had more of seeming glory or real solly in it is a great question I mean that of the builders of Babel Gen. 11. 4. Go to let us build us a City and a Tower whose top may reach to heaven and let us make us a name c. God from his throne sees observes all the progress they make in it at last v. 6. takes notice This they begin to do and now nothing will be restrain from them which they have imagined to do Go to let us go down and confound their language So that the whole of all these conspiracies and designs issue out in this whether Men shall have their wills or God shall have his It 's come to a tryal of skill whether mens policies shall defeat Gods promises or his wisdom confound their counsels Jer. 44. 28. Whose words shall stand mine or theirs Their word and sentence is Israel shall be destroyed Gods word and promise is Israel shall be saved The only point in issue is whether Gods faithfulness shall prevail over their falshood or their policies against the divine wisdom truth and mercy and Solomon has foreseen and foretold what will certainly be the event of all Prov 19. 21. There are many devices in a mans heart but the counsel of the Lord that shall stand 3. The watchful eye of Providence observes not only the length the enemies have gone but what length it 's meet and convenient to suffer them to go and herein the divine wisdom is no less admirable than it is various 1. Sometimes he permits them to come to the Critical juncture which they have fixt and concerted in their deep Cabals just to the execution of their Plot and then when hope and expectation is rais'd to the highest pitch he steps in with his saving right hand He has suffered Israel to sink very low but never so low but he was able to recover her Deut. 33. 27. The eternal God is thy Refuge and underneath are the everlasting Arms. Nor does he ever suffer the rage and wrath of enemies to rise so high but still his infinite power is above them Eccles. 5. 8. He that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they There is a period which the divine wisdomh as fixt to all the unruly ungovernable creatures in the world These barrs he has prescrib'd to the raging waves of the Sea Job 38. 11. Thus far shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Such limits he sets to the more outrageous rage of proud Tyrants Isa. 37.29 Because thy Rage and thy Tumult against me is come up into mine ears therefore will I put my hook into thy nose and my bridle into thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest Pharaoh concluded he had got Israel into a snare out of which no humane wisdom could extricate her and as for divine wisdom he was secure Thus he promises himself Exod. 15. 9. I will pursue I will overtake And this length Divine Providence lets him go but when he threatens I will divide the spoyl my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword and my hand shall destroy them He quickly found he had reckoned without God for now appears 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now God is seen in the Mount and the extremity of the enemies hope and of his peoples fear is the opportunity of heaven to deliver God often suffers such a measure of humane or inhumane wrath to break out as will praise him but that remainder of wrath which cannot praise him he will restrain Psal. 76.10 2. At sometimes divine wisdom permits the counsels of his and Israels enemies to succeed and take effect gratifies their malice so far that they put their designs in execution and it was a great length which he allowed the ever bloody Papists in Ireland with their more subtile Consederates in England to proceed when by the greatest variety of torments they cut off two hundred thousand innocent persons but yet they reached not their utmost length It 's not individuals not single persons that will glut their fury Antichrist flies at higher game 't is the rooting out the name of Protestants and destroying their remembrance from the earth that is his quarry 'T is the extirpating the NorthernHeresy which is the Eye-sore of that envious one you shall read the whole of the Plot in Psal. 83.3 4. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy
Plot and the dark Vault were laid open and God has sometimes given to Princes the spirit of interpretation 3. But some think it may be taken literally for the winged creatures that fan the aiery regions and we have read some stories that countenance that interpretation There was one who having murthered his own Father and thought he had buried his own guilt as secretly as the body and enjoyed his indemnity for a long time at last a Caprice takes him to pull down all the Swallows Nests in the Chimneys of his House and when his Neighbour askt why he dealt so severely with his harmless Tenents to destroy their poor Clay Cottages when they never destroyed his grain in the Fields and always refresht him with their Mattins and pleasant Melody he answers in great passion These Rascals do nothing but upbraid me with the Murder of my Father this creates a Suspicion that Suspicion leads to Examination that to Confession and that to Execution A perallel story we find of one Ibycus whose wickedness was detected by the Cranes whence the Proverb Ibyci Grues 4. But why may we not look higher to a Superior Region where we shall meet with winged creatures of another feather the Angels who are described to us with wings swiftly flying to carry the Mandates of their and our great Lord to execute his commissions and sometimes to reveal the secret Will of God in those important cases which God will have known and cannot otherwise be known There is a dark note in the Chaldee Paraphrase that may give us some light into the matter Etenim Raziel Angelus il volans in aere coeli velut Aquila pennata nunciat sermones in latibuto omnibus habitatoribus terrae which carries this sense The Angel Raziei flies continually in the region of the air like a winged Eagle and proclaims the counsels that are held in secret to all the inhabitants of the earth But however that be wise and watchful Providence has thousands of ways to discover and defeat the machinations of all his and his Israels embittered and combined enemies which is the second thing propounded III The proposed order now leads us to inquire what a singular priviledge it is to Israel to have a God whose Providence neither slumbers nor sleeps to undertake to keep her The greatness of this priviledge the preciousness of this mercy will more evidently and eminently appear if we consider 1. Who this Israel is whom God has undertaken to keep 2. Who the enemies are that watch against her to destroy her 3. Or what this Providence is which neither slumbers nor sleeps to keep her 1. Let us seriously consider who this Israel is whom God hath undertaken to keep And 1. If we look upon this Israel and what her worth and value is in her self she seems a matter of so small importance that it 's a wonder God should judge her worth the keeping every thing is kept by the Proprietor with a care proportionable to the value of the thing he keeps And thus we observe that great Lords will keep their common Fields keep their Inclosures keep their Gardens their Houses their Jewels but with a different concern suitable to the value usefulness and preciousness of the things There are some considerations that lead us to think Israel is not worth the cost and pains God is at in preserving her there are others that incline us to believe that no care no vigilance is too great to be bestowed upon her securing First There are some considerations that would perswade us that Providence bestows more solicitude about his Israel than she is worth If we consider her number Moses who had taken the Poll of them assures us Deut. 7. 7. That the Lord did not set his Love upon them because they were more in number than any people for they were the fewest of all people If we consider what figure they have made what part they have born in the world the Apostle has informed us 1 Cor. 1. 26. That not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called If we look upon their usefulness and serviceableness in their respective generations either that is little or men do not think fit to use them and serve themselves of them And yet secondly there are other things that would invite us to be of another judgment and that this Israel is of the greatest esteem in the eyes of her God As suppose we should consider the price that God gave for this poor Israel and at what rates he purchased her 'T is a small thing to say Isa. 43. 3. I am the Lord thy God thy Saviour the holy one of Israel I gave Egypt for thy Ransom Ethiopia and Sheba for thee v. 4. I will give men for thee and people for thy life but what is this temporal price to the invaluable one of Christs blood wherewith he has redeemed them 1 Pet. 1. 18. Or if we look upon the almighty power which God in all ages has exerted that wise conduct which God has even imployed in preserving them from utter ruine and delivering them out of those perils into which their own sin and folly had brought them if we take matters this way Israel must needs be some rare excellent Jewel But these things are easily adjusted for it was Gods valuation of them that gave them a value his prizing of them that made them precious and the honour he put upon them that rendered them honorable Isa. 43. 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable And the same Moses who tells us that Israel made no figure in the world on the account of her numbers tells us too That God set his love upon them because he loved them and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn to their fathers So that God loved Israel because he would love her and that which is the weakest reason on earth is the strongest reason in heaven Gods grace and favour is the reason of itself 2. If we look upon this distressed Israel she has but few keepers and if she had thousands without the keeping of this wakeful and watchful God all their keeping would be in vain We have Watchmen but if watchful Providence watch not over them they watch in vain To separate divine Providence from humane helps is to destroy and annihilate those helps Psal. 127.11 Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain so that if we had not a God to wake and watch for us the Watchmen might as well be asleep too We have and blessed be God that we have Armies Guards Navies to defend our Persons our Nation and our Coasts but if we had not the Lord of Hosts to fight for them they would fight in vain And the case may be put whether we may not need a watchful powerful God to guard us from our guards too We cannot have forgot 't is but a few years
Israel abounds with visible helps and means he that tries whether she can trust him in them and with them The Curse and Blast of Providence is not denounced against us because we have an Arm of flesh but because we make an idol of it and make that which is but flesh to be our Arm and departing in the heart from God Jer. 17. 5. 'T is an amazing thing that we read of Jehoshaphat 2 Chr. 17. 12. That he waxed great exceedingly and he built in Judah Castles and Cities of store v. 13. And the men of War mighty men of Valour were in Jerusalem v. 14. Under Adnah General of Judah three hundred thousand v. 15. Under Jehohanan the Captain two hundred and fourscore thousand v. 16. Un Amasiah two hundred thousand mighty men of valour v. 17. And of Benjamin under Eliada a mighty man of valour to hundred thousand armed men with bowe and shield v. 18. And under Jehoshabad and hundred and fourscore thousand ready prepared for the War Now if we cast up the total sum of these particulars it arises to Eleven Hundred and sixteen thousand fighting men Effective And yet this very Jehosaphet 2 Chron. 12. 20 12. complains O Lord wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are towards thee Giving us to understand that he reckoned the greatest Host to be nothing without the Lord of Host to go with them and march at the head of them 4. Let 's examine whether we are a people in Covenant with God I know special care has been taken that these Nations should not be God's people in Covenant Men are afraid of an Association but it will do them no harm if God be not the bond of it and his honour and interest the great end of it But this we may assure our selves that if we send away our God we may as wisely disband our Forces and lay up our Ships we must be Gods vineyard if we expect his special protection Isa. 27. 2 3. In that day sing ye unto her A vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment left any hurt it I will keep it night and day That is I will neither slumber nor sleep And let this be our first way of improving this Truth That seeing its most certain the watchful Providence has undertaken to keep his Israel we should make it as certain that we are in the blessed number to whom the Promise is made and to whom the Mercy of it doth belong § 2. The next way of improving the Observation will be by way of Information That seeing this Precious Promise of Protection is made to Israel It will be the Interest of the â—tate to be very kind to and Tendor of Christ's Church These Promises appertain directly and immediately to Israel but the cruel Powers may shroud themselves under it if they please to espouse the Cause of Christ and engage for his Interest under the Administration of the Jews I conceive the Church and State were commensurate The Commonwealth of Israel was of the same demensions with the Church of Israel I mean as it was visibly united in the same Temple Sacrifices under the same King High-priest and form of Government If there be any such distinction now as I am sorry that every utile honesta were ever separated so I am grived the Church and State should not hold a severe correspondence to advance the name of our Common Lord. The Offices of Magistrates and Ministers are really distinct but the Interest of both is united and it lies in this to engage the Protection of Christ to shelter themselves under that glorious Promise made to Israel that her God will neither slumber nor sleep There have been great and causeless jealousies between the Civil and the Ecclesiastical Power which have been fomented by those that would embarrass both and provoke them to fall fowl upon one another But if Church men would shew themselves obedient Children Kings would approve themselves to be Nursing-fathers And secure to them their Rights if they were as ready to recognise the Princess Rightful Authority § 3. A third way of Improving this Truth is by way of Caution and fair warning to Israel That she abuse not this exceeding great and precious Promise of Protection by withdrawing her obedience from God If we forsake him and deal deceitfully in his Covenant he can throw us up to the wide world disdain to give us special Protection cast us from under his Wing and renounce us for being his people He has warned Israel of this of old 2 Chron. 15. 2. Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamen The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will foresake you God has invested no Nation with any promises of outward protection and visible mercies but they may possibly forfeit them and God may justly make a seizure for that forfeiture and cut off the Intail If a Prince may forfeit his Crown to the people that people may forfeit their temporal All to God we hold our Lives of Liberties Sacred and Civil by this Tenure that we give subjection of service to the Lord we cannot have more perhaps not so much plea for Divine protection as Israel had and yet we see that God cast them off from being a Nation The Case is described with great Terror Isa. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. My beloved hath a vinyard in every fruitfull hill and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choisest vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a wine press therein A fair parallel might be hence drawn between the Indulgence of God to them end us but the Metaphors here used will easily expound themselves Now observe the disappointment of God in his Vineyard He looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes Which God himself interprets thus v. 7. he looked for judgment and behold oppression and for righteous acts and behold a cry Hereupon God Appeals to their own Consciences to judge between him and themselves v. 3. And now O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge I pray you between me and my vineyard The Case was so plain on God s side that he fears not to refer the matter to their judgments v. 14. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it What could be more done in a way of outward means than I have done for them And what could they have done more against me And because they durst not Traverse the Indictement God proceeds immediately to sentence v. 5. And now go to I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be