THE Church's Security In the midst of All Difficulties and Dangers Explain'd and asserted in a SERMON Preacht upon the 5th of November last Upon those words of Numb 23.23 By R. W. B. D. And Minister of Kedarminster in the County of Worcester LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower End of Cheapside 1694. To the Worshipful The High-Bayliff Justice Aldermen And the rest of the Corporation of Kedarminster Gentlemen YOU being generally my Auditors at the Time of my delivering this Ensuing Discourse were quicken'd from what you have heard to make it your general desire by the Mediation of several of the Chief amongst you that I would make my late Discourse more Publick by the Printing of it This being the first Request in this kind which you ever made unto me I am therefore the more willing to comply with it especially considering that I know not how much of a Call from Providence there may be in your so general Concurrence in this matter I commit the Ensuing Discourse to the Divine Blessing and you all to the Divine Protection subscribing my self Your Affectionate Minister R. W. Nov. 13. 1693. The Church's Security c. Numbers 23.23 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 wrought THESE words were uttered by Balaam when he endeavoured to curse Israel the People of God that so he might obtain a reward from Balak he was in himself no better than a Witch or Conjurer but when he sought to do mischief to God's People by the assistance of evil and wicked Spirits with whom he was confederate the holy Spirit of God did strangely interpose and made use of this Conjurer to be his Instrument for Prophecy as to several particulars that relate to the Church of God in general and for the declaring of a Blessing to Israel which was God's Peculiar and Chosen People his Church at that present time and so God by the over-ruling power of his Spirit did turn the Curse that was intended by this wicked In chanter into a Blessing More especially in the words of my Text there is a discovery made by the plain confession of this Wizzard of the vanity of his own attempts against the Church and People of God Surely saith he there is no Inchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Issrael c. as before In which words we have contain'd two general parts 1. An Assertion firmly laid down with relation to Jacob and Israel Surely or assuredly as if he had said you may take this for an assured thing for a certain truth that there is no Inchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Israel We know that the names Jacob and Israel were both of them first given to him who was the Father of those twelve Patriarchs from whom were derived those twelve Tribes of which the Jewish Nation was constituted The name Jacob signifies a Wrestler or a Supplanter and was given to him at first upon occasion of his laying hold of his Brother Esau's heel at his Birth and was further confirm'd to him afterwards in the fitness of its signification by his supplanting his Brother Esau and depriving him both of the Birth right and of the Blessing and also again in his famous wrestling with God by Faith and Prayer as well as with the Angel of God by bodily exercise from the success of which wrestling it also came to pass that the other name here mention'd the name of Israel was given unto him that is a Prince with God according to the words of the Angel Gen. 32.28 And he said thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with Men and hast prevailed These names Jacob and Israel are here as in many other places used to denote the whole Nation which derived from this person there being nothing more common both in Scripture and likewise in other Authors than to call a Nation by the name of the Person or Persons from whom it proceeded Now forasmuch as this Nation was the Church and peculiar People of God above all the Nations of the World according to that of the Psalmist In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel at Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling-place in Sion he hath not dealt so with any Nation that is with any other Nation neither have the Heathen the knowledge of his Law For this reason it is that by the names Jacob and Israel the Church of God in general especially that which we call the Invisible Church the Church of the Faithful of such as are what they profess themselves to be even real Believers is to be understood and even in this large sense are these words Jacob and Israel to be understood here in my Text even to denote all true Believers the Church of the Faithful throughout all Ages These are all 1. Jacob's Wrestlers and that both with relato God and also with relation to Men. 1. They are wont to be Wrestlers with relation to God by Faith and Prayer they are not willing to give the Almighty any rest until he establish Jerusalem his Church in general a praise in the Earth 2. They are Wrestlers with relation to Men those that are the Enemies of God and Christ and true Goodness as in Baptism they are inroll'd in the number of Christ's Souldiers so they make it their business to fight under his Banner against the Devil the World and the Flesh which are his Enemies and to acquit themselves well in their spiritual Combate and Warfare for as the Seed of the Serpent is an Enemy to the Seed of the Woman so is the Seed of the Woman an Enemy to the Seed of the Serpent and they do in the issue get the Blessing from and prevail against those carnal Esau's who tho' they 're Brethren it may be according to the Flesh yet bear an Enmity to them yea they become at length more than Conquerors over all their spiritual Enemies through Christ strengthening of them which makes it evident 2. That all the true Members of the Church of Christ are also Israel's such as have power with God and with Men and do prevail as they wrestle with God by Faith and Prayer so through the Divine Grace and Condescention they are wont to prevail with God by Faith and Prayer And as they wrestle and contend in the Cause of God against Sin and sinful Men so they are wont to prevail and to be Crowned as Conquerors at last tho' it may be even by suffering so that there is enough said for the explication of these two names here mentioned Jacob and Israel Concerning these 't is here said that there is no Inchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Israel Some read it there is no
they are persecuted so much the more where ever they go as happen'd upon occasion of the persecution that was rais'd against Stephen Act. 8.4 't is said that they that were scatter'd abroad upon that occasion went every where preaching the Word And 't is the observation of some that the Turks breaking into Europe caused several of the Greek Church who were endow'd with much more Learning than was ordinarily found in the Latin Church to betake themselves towards the Western parts of Europe and this amongst other things made way for the Reformation that followed and this may serve for the case of particular Churches But then 3. As for the case of the Universal Church certain it is that no Persecution shall ever be able to destroy it and root it out of the World God hath founded his Church upon a Rock Thou art Peter saith Christ and upon this Rock of thy confession that I am the Son of God will I build my Church the Gates of Hell all the Power that is and the Policy of Hell shall never be able to prevail against it 'T is the original promise of God that as the Seed of the Serpent shall be suffered to bruise the heel of the Woman and her Seed that is that part of it that is here upon Earth so the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head so that in the issue the Church of God in general is sure to be delivered from and to prevail against the contrivances and machinations of the Devil and his Instruments according as the Apostle saith Behold God shall tread Satan under your feet shortly And this is confirm'd by all History and Experience Thus the Church of God was at length delivered out of Egyptian Bondage and Pharaoh and his Host who had persecuted the Israelites and drowned their Infants were drowned in the Red Sea Thus God turned Balak's design of a Curse upon Israel into a Blessing Thus the Jews were delivered from Haman's design'd Massacre Haman and his Sons were hanged upon the Gibbet that was prepared for Mordecai Thus Christianity was at length delivered from the Persecutions of Heathen Idolaters and the Heathens Idolatry was soon banisht out of the Roman Empire Thus the effect of the miscarrying design of the Spaniards in Eighty eight was that it brought such a declension upon their Power as from which they have not recovered even to this day Thus some have observed that the Massacres in France were followed with a quick and wonderfully reviving of the Protestant Interest in that Nation with miserable calamities upon the Popish party therein and what was the effect of the Barbarity of the Irish Papists in their Rebellion but miserable ruine upon themselves and their Families Thus to conclude we were at this day delivered from the intended ruine and destruction by Gun-powder and the Conspirators brought a just Execution upon themselves and Ruine upon their own Families and which is more yet the effect was that it hath caused Popery to be much more abhorr'd ever since by the generality of this Nation By all which Instances t is abundan tly made good That the Church of God hath been from time time and therefore shall be no doubt to the end of the World delivered from and shall prevail against the contrivances and machinations of the Devil and his Instruments Now if the ground and reason of this should be inquired we have a sufficient account of it in the 3d Note before observ'd That the whole honour of this matter is to be ascribed to God and it must be acknowledged to be the effect of his Power and Operation This is clearly intimated in the words of my Text According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath God wrought The Deliverance of God's People from time to time is the work of God and the effect of his Power and therefore to him alone is the honour and glory hereof to be ascribed 'T is true indeed in subordination to God there may be some other account given of this matter why God should do thus much for his Church and that we have intimated likewise in my Text the Church of God is here said to be Jacob and Israel whereby is signified 1. That they are God's Covenanted People a People that have a Covenant-Relation to God and a Covenant Interest in him to whom he hath made many gracious Promises and hath confirmed them by his Word and Oath which are two immutable things in which 't is impossible for God to lye 2. They are a praying wrestling People they are Jacobs they are such as give the Almighty no rest therefore suitably as for such as thus cry day and night unto him as 't is said by Christ in the Parable He will tho he seems to defer Deliverance yet avenge them speedily Whence 3. It follows that they are wont to be Israels such as have power with God and Man and do prevail they have an Interest in God in his Power and Mercy in his Attributes and Promises No wonder then if he do in due time create Deliverances for them and therefore suitably not unto us not unto us but to God alone be the praise of all his Delivering Mercy More especially 1. Of this great Mercy and Deliverance which he bestowed as on this day to our Forefathers and in them upon us a mercy which contained many singular mercies in the bowels of it even the enjoyment of whatsoever is desirable to make our Lives comfortable here in this World or in order to the securing of our Eternal Welfare in that other World But farther 2. We have reason to bless God that he hath still continued to us the fruit and benefit of this days Deliverance in the enjoyment of the Gospel together with the enjoyment of our Lives Liberties and Properties notwithstanding all the Designs of the Popish Party to the contray We know that 't was not long since that a Conclamatum est was ready to be pronounced upon our Religion Liberty and Properties and that not only by our Enemies in a way of exulting but also by our selves in a way of diffidence and despondency And we know farther that there is a Party mixt every where amongst us even in our very Bowels who desire and as far as they can dare are plotting and contriving in effect that thus it may be still and this altho' 't is more than probable that by seeking the Ruine of the Nation in general and the present Establishment they do but hew at the Bow upon which they themselves do stand and which falling may in the issue prove their own Ruine But blessed be God who hath hitherto so far appeared for us a sinful undeserving People as to raise us up a Temporal Saviour and deliver in the nick of time and hath hitherto afforded unto him the same Mercy that Jacob takes notice of as afforded to Joseph as you will find Gen. 49.23 24. The Archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him but his Bow hath hitherto abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. And we may hope that 't is not for nothing that God hath hitherto delivered our King from so many Deaths and Dangers but that the design of God in these gracious Providences is to reserve and use him still in his due time as an Instrument for our more full deliverance from all our Fears and Dangers and suitably as the Deliverances that we have already received do engage us to such Instances of real Holiness and Conformity to God's Will and to such hearty and thorow Reformation as may express our Thankfulness to God for Mercies already received and restrain us from taking occasion from past Mercies to sin the more against God as too many have done as if they thought themselves delivered on purpose to do all these Abominations So if God shall as we hope he will make use of our King as a means yet more fully to deliver us out of the hands of our Enemies we should in the mean time resolve seriously in the strength of God that the issue and effect shall be that hereupon we will serve him in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our lives according to the prayer of holy Zechary to this purpose That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness c. Which God of his mercy grant c. FINIS
Inchantment in Jacob no Divination in Israel to denote that God's People do abhor such wicked practices as in their Baptism they renounced the Devil and all his Works so they abhor the thoughts of entring into League with Hell and of being at an agreement with destruction they abhor such practices wherein the Devil's assistance is required and expected But the plain and most obvious sense of the words seems to be this That tho' the Devil and his Instruments may design the ruine and misery of the Church of God yet all the Contrivances and Machinations of wicked Men yea tho' they take in the assistance of the Devil himself for their help shall not prevail against the Church so as to bring ruine and destruction upon it in this sense to be sure There is no Inchantment against Jacob there is no Divination against Israel 'T is added in my Text. 2. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath God wrought The properest sense and meaning of which words seems to be this That according to this instance here before us wherein God did frustrate all the designs of Balak and Balaam for the cursing of God's People in that Age and bringing mischief upon them so he will deal with his Church and People throughout all Ages God will repeat the same deliverance to his Church and People in all succeeding Ages which he afforded in the instance before us so that God's People shall have reason to say not only in that present Age but also in all Ages following that God is one the same to them the same in Power and Mercy and Faithfulness according as 't was said at this time so it shall be said in all times following by Jacob and Israel What hath God wrought So that the words thus explained do afford unto us these three Notes as a ground of further discourse 1. That it is and hath been all along and will be more or less to the end of the World the wont and custom of the Devil and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God tho' by the wickedest means that can be thought of or invented 2. That the Church and People of God are from time to time and shall be to the end of the World delivered from and shall even prevail against the contrivances and machinations of the Devil and his Instruments 3. That the whole honour of this is to be ascribed to God and must be acknowledged to be the effect of his power and operation I shall resume these particulars and a little consider them more particularly in the same order in which I have propounded them I begin with the first That it is and hath been all along and will be to the end of the World the wont and custom of the Devil and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God tho' it be by the wickedest means that can be thought of or invented The History of all Times and the many Books of Martyrology which are extant will confirm us in this We have an Instance of this in the most early Times of the World in the case of Cain and Abel Cain was of that wicked one and slew his Brother and wherefore slew he him 't was because his own works were wicked and his Brothers were righteous as the Apostle gives account of this matter 1 Joh. 3.12 This was the main ground of the quarrel between them that one was a true Believer the Seed of the Woman a true Member of the Church and the other was of the Seed of the Serpent and nothing suitably could satisfie the Rancour which Cain had conceived within himself but to persecute his Brother to the Death Thus Pharaoh set himself against the People of God and was not satisfi'd with oppressing them by hard bondage and service but at length took a course which if it had prevail'd would have destroy'd the whole Nation in one Age and so the Church of God contain'd therein he bethought himself of that wicked course of killing all the Male-Infants of the Israelites as soon as they were born Thus it was likewise in the Instance here before us to which my Text refers Balak would hire Balaam to make use of the power of Witchery and Divination that is to press and engage Hell it self and the powers of Darkness to this work of cursing the People of God and all to this purpose that he might the more easily consume and destroy them Thus Haman laid a Plot not only against Mordecai but also in order to the ruine of the whole Jewish Nation that were then dispersed throughout the Persian-Monarchy and this to be accomplisht by no less than an Universal Massacre Thus the Primitive Christians did wade thro' a Sea of Blood to Heaven being persecuted with infinite varieties of Torments in ten several Bloody Persecutions from the Heathens besides what they endured from the unbelieving Jews who were also their implacable Enemies And the Blood of Protestants that hath been shed by the Papists hath by the account of some fallen nothing short of that Christian Blood that was shed by Heathen Rome in the first 300 Years of Christianity and we may find reason to believe it to be true if we consider those many thousands that have been destroy'd by Burning and Massacres almost in all Nations of Europe particularly 60000 Protestants massacred in Paris and other parts of France in the last Age and 20000 barbarously murdered by the Papists in Ireland in the memory of some here present Add to this the Design of the Spanish Invasion in Eighty eight which tended to the ruining and enslaving of the whole English Nation and the barbarous Slaughter or all that would not presently have bow'd down to the Idols of Rome and Spain Add also the Design of this Day which was with one Blow to destroy the King and Royal Family and all the Estates of our Kingdom and in them to have destroy'd in effect the whole Nation more especially the Church and the Protestant Interest establisht therein By all these Instances it doth abundantly appear as to the truth of the thing That it is and hath been all along and by consequence will be more or less to the end of the World the wont and custom of the Devil and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God tho' by the wickedest and most barbarous means that can be thought of or invented And we shall be further confirm'd in this by considering the Reasons upon which this is founded which are such as follow 1. The most universal ground and reason is that everlasting Enmity which is set and fixt and that by God himself between the two Seeds the Seed of the Womon and the Seed of the Serpent that is betwixt Christ and his Church on the one hand and
the Devil and his Angels and all wicked Men that are his Seed on the other This Enmity was fixt by God very early even as soon as the Covenant was renewed with Mankind thro' Christ after the Apostacy of Adam as you will find Gen. 3.15 where God saith to the Serpent And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel This was the main ground of the quarrel between Cain and Abel Cain kill'd his Brother Abel his nearness in Blood could not save him from an hand of violence and the fundamental reason was because Cain's works were evil and his Brother 's were righteous And this hath suitably been the fundamental ground of all the Persecutions and Massacres and Burnings and Violence that ungodly Men in all Ages have exercis'd towards the Members of the Church whatever else hath been pretended as the reason of them But yet 2. There are some other reasons that may be given of this matter as 1. Because that gracious persons are by their words and example a continual reproof of the evil practices of wicked Men they do by their words and example reprove their Superstitions and Idolatries in matters of Religion and their Hypocrisie therein as also their Wickedness and Profaneness in life and practice and this wicked Men cannot bear they look upon such kind of reproof to be no better than a reproach and therefore are apt to revenge it by any kind of violent practice whatsoever Thus God's Attestation which he gave to Abel's faith and sincerity in his Worship which he offer'd to God was that which provoked Cain to that violent dealing which he afterwards expressed towards his Brother Thus the Christians in the Primitive times disowning and reproving the Idols that did then so much abound in the Heathen World did provoke the Heathens so much to persecute them to the death And thus the Protestants reproving and disowning the Superstitious and Idolatrous practices of the Papists is that which hath especially stirr'd up the Papists to all their Cruelties against them 2. Another ground is an inconsistency it may be in temporal interests and concerns wicked Men do make Self their God and Self-interest their Diana which they chiefly adore when therefore this is crost by any one tho' it be done no other way but by the performance of necessary duty they are hereupon apt to be provok'd to endeavour Revenge tho' in the most cruel way and manner Thus that which provok'd Balak to procure Balaam to curse the People of Israel was a fear lest they should disturb him in his Kingdom and Government And that which hath especially provok'd the Popish Party against the Protestants is because that by their Doctrine they touch the Pope's Crown and the Fryers Bellies if these had been let alone as some have observed Luther had not met with such opposition in his Preaching Thus England's standing of old in the way of the Ambition of Spain and its standing of late in the way of the Ambition of France hath been the main ground of England's Troubles from Spain formerly and now from France so that if we consider these particulars it will appear to be no matter of wonder That 't is and hath been all along and by consequence will be to the end of the World the custom of the Devil and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the People and Church of God though by the wickedest means that can be thought of or invented But I have further added 2. That the Church and People of God are from time to time and shall be to the end of the World delivered from and shall prevail against the Contrivances and Machinations of the Devil and his Instruments 'T is true indeed and must be acknowledged that particular persons who are real Members of the Church of Christ may be and often have been brought to untimely Ends by the machinations and contrivances of wicked Men in this kind this is suitable to all History Experience and the Apostle confirms it Rom. 8.36 quoting it out of Psal 44.22 As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughtor by which words he proves that tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and peril and sword may be the portion of the People of God as he saith in the verse before this is evident likewise from what is said Heb. 11.36 37. Others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments they were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented c. But even in this case there are two things very considerable 1. That as to such as are persecuted thus to death they are hereby but hastened to the enjoyment of a blessed Immortality even as Abel was tho' they may lose their Heads in the quarrel yet they do not lose their Crown but enjoy it so much the sooner nay in all these things saith the Apostle we are more than Conquerors thro' him that hath loved us Rom. 8.37 2. 'T is farther observable that the Kingdom of Christ is generally the more encreased and inlarged occasionally from such persecutions Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae 't was an old observation that the Blood of Martyrs was the seed of the Church This Tertullian tells the Heathens in his Apology the more we Christians are mow'd down by the sickle of death the more we are increased and grow up the thicker hereby But 2. It must be allow'd further that as for particular Churches they may possibly be utterly destroy'd and scatter'd by the violence of Persecution for God hath not given his promise to any particular Church whether Congregational Provincial or National that it shall always continue in the state of a true Church of God but then 't is to be considered 1. That God doth long preserve some National and Provincial Churches notwithstanding all designs and machinations to the contrary of which our Church of England hath been hitherto a singular and standing Instance 2. When at any time he suffers the destruction of any particular Church 't is because of some great provocations from that Church preceding as he threatens the Church of Ephesus to remove her Candlestick because of her forsaking her first love Rev. 2.4 5. which threatning hath been since so fully accomplisht that as a late Writer observes unto us there is not one Christian Family now to be found in Ephesus 3. When at any time it so falls out that particular Churches are disperst and destroy'd by the violence of Persecution yet even this falls out oftentimes to the good and benefit of the Universal Church and the greater spreading of it those that are disperst by Persecution spreading the Gospel for which